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Wednesday
Feb072018

Putting the Devil in his Place

“And Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Get behind Me, Satan!’” Luke 4:5-8

Positioning oneself in relationship to God rises to a very important matter in the mind of God.  Bowing, kneeling, falling prostrate on the ground, embracing, kissing, shaking hands, sitting in a certain position—all of these have a very specific meaning.  Therefore, there is special significance in the words of Jesus to Satan:  “Get behind Me, Satan.”   By ordering Satan to get behind him, Jesus was saying three things: “Get out of my face! You will not become more important to me than my source of strength. You will not separate me from my power.” 

First, Jesus was establishing the fact that the face of God is preserved for those who will worship God, receive revelations from God and find protection in God.  Moses knew how fearful it was to look upon the face of God. “And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.” Exodus 3:6. Jacob’s life was changed when he saw God face to face.  “And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” Genesis 32:30. By telling Satan to get behind him, Jesus was saying, “Don’t think you are going to do the same thing to me as you did to Job.  When I get ready to die, you will won’t be calling the shots.  You are at my bidding.  I am not your lackey.  You have no authority over me.” 

Satan is a defeated foe. He has no control over you, over your destiny or over your will power. Use the name of Jesus against him. Get out of my face, Satan! Jesus would not allow Satan to divert his attention away from His source of strength.  You must locate your source of strength.  It is not money.  Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Ghost because they thought the money they made on the sale of their property was the source of their power.  Satan will continually try to become your source of power.  He will tell you that you cannot live without something or someone. He will tell you that you need to look good. You need your social life and social contacts, or you will fail. You need money because it is your lifeline to success. You need your job even though it comes between you and God.  You need your intelligence. You need your talent. You need your worldly friends. You need your alcohol. You need your prescription drugs. You need the affirmation of your family or else you will lose them. Satan will even tell you that you need your sin (immoral lifestyle, perversion) because it is your identity.  It is who you are. 

But, according to the Bible, God did not create perverted lifestyles.  It is not in your DNA.  The latest studies have shown that there is no homosexual gene.  The alternatives to serving God appear far more attractive than God and the church do.  It may appear that the stage is more glamorous than the platform. The bar is more alluring than the pulpit. The den of iniquity is more inviting than the closet of prayer. The costuming of the world is more attractive than the garments of righteousness. The parties of the world are more exciting than praising in church. But all of them are mere distractions!

Do not be fooled. Jesus would not allow Satan to separate him from his power. As Paul wrote, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38 

Put the devil in is place.  It is not between you and your God.  It is not in front of you. It is not beside you. Get behind Me, Satan!

Tuesday
Feb062018

Premeditations of a Prodigal

“A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’” Luke 15:11-12 

Christian educators ought to get their heads examined.  Few endeavors in this world are so seemingly futile.  They are attempting to paddle a light-weight canoe upstream in whitewater rapids, often with one paddle, with riders standing up and rocking the boat, and little help to get it done.  Yet, they know if they jump out, the sharp rocks and strong current will kill everybody on board.  If they jump and make it to shore, the wild animals will devour them.  And if they stop paddling, nobody will step in and take over. (I remind you that ALL of us are teachers!) 

In case you haven’t checked your coordinates lately, nearly every position we have staked out is either unpopular or scorned. Mainstream Christianity has betrayed us. The dominant media are hostile to us. The music of young people is hostile. The fads and fashions of our youth culture are against us. The internet is hostile to us. The moral corruption of our society is hostile to us. Social issues, like abortion and alternate lifestyles, are against us. The failing family unit is against us. The educational community is hostile to us. Most politicians are hostile to us. The economics of Christian education ranges from difficult to laughable.

In fact, if you examine everything from a logical, sociological, political or economic perspective, no case can be made for what you are doing! And yet, you keep on going! Why? Because you know that you may not change the world, but you may very well change one boy or one girl. That one, small goal must be enough to drive you on. 

Look at the environment in which the prodigal grew up. He had prosperity, security and prestige. Like most average parents, his father tried to provide the best possible environment. This was a parable, so we can assume that this son had it made.  Life was good.  But good isn’t enough.              

Note the expectations of the father that the Prodigal rejected. Maybe he took trips with his father.  Long trips provide the opportunity for long conversations.  Dad probably explained the family business.  He pointed out the landscape, the buildings, the advantages of location, the goodwill of the community and the commitment it took to make it all succeed.  

But, recognize the resistance of the son.  His mind traveled along a different track. He looked at it all as confining, boring, stupid.  He may have resented the pressure to be involved. When decision-making time arrived, the son bolted.  “So, he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.” Luke 15:12-13. It is curious that the father seemed to offer zero objections to the impudence of the son.  He allowed him to make up his own mind and follow his own instincts.   

Even with beautiful, smart, talented children, never dismiss the sin factor. Children are not born innocently. They will not automatically make the right choices. And, as they mature, Satan wields a powerful influence upon their fertile and malleable minds. 

So, finally, see the assurance which the Father possessed.  He never gave up hope.  The fact that the Father was in the road looking for his son strongly indicates that he had an assurance that his Prodigal would return. He knew he had taught him the right things. He knew he had been the right example. He knew that he had offered up much prayer and fasting.  His confidence was in the Word of God. 

Keep teaching, keep living the life.  It will win in the end.

Monday
Feb052018

Jesus and Pentecost

“For I am the LORD, I do not change.” Malachi 3:6. 

No more miracles? Wha-a-a-t? Dismiss the myth that the demonstrations of God’s miraculous power stopped after the early church age. After his resurrection, Jesus led his disciples to a hill outside of Jerusalem called Bethany and spoke to them before His ascension.  The disciples then returned to Jerusalem and began worshipping in the Upper Room.  That’s when gift of the Holy Ghost was poured out. Follow the scriptures very closely here.  Jesus was gone.  He no longer had anything to prove about his deity.  He had worked many miracles, signs and wonders which testified to his divinity.  If we look at this from a purely human viewpoint, the church should have undergone a dramatic shift in purpose.  Their focus should have changed from present to past.  Instead of saying “Look at what is happening,” they should have said, “Look what happened.”  Their message should have been, “Jesus Christ is different now.  It’s too bad you didn’t know Him before he left us.  You could have been healed.  You could have been delivered. But now he’s gone.”  Their proclamation should have been Jesus Christ, yesterday, but not today. 

Instead, they preached a bold message. They did not say Jesus Christ was different.  They said, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8. So, they left the Upper Room and behaved as though their Founder had never left.  Here is what happened next:Then Peter said, ‘Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.’ And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So, he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God.”  Evidently, the Apostles believed that if Jesus ever performed a miracle, He still had the power to do the same thing after He departed.  Yes, Jesus worked miracles to prove His divinity, but He also healed because he had compassion. He healed because people exercised their faith in him. He healed because it paved the way to salvation and eternal life. Jesus still has compassion.  He still responds to faith. We can still say “Rise, and be healed!”                               

The Bible states that the church would do greater works than he did. John 14:12. Greater refers to more in number because Jesus would not be limited to a physical body when we returned to his Father. He now extends His operation through his church. “Greater” surely does not mean “lesser.” If God wants to work miracles today, why should we try to limit him? Moreover, why should anyone today practice prayer in any form?  The Bible instructs us to pray for healing and miracles. (James 5:14). If this scripture retains any value for the church today, it is because the potential for miracles to happen still exists.  Jesus emphasized that whatsoever we asked in his name he would do it. John 14:14 states, “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” Asking “in his name” is not a carte blanche, but a reflection of the nature and will of God.  “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” Ephesians 3:20 

My mother used to love to sing this old song about the Pentecostal Fire.  “Pentecost can be repeated, for the Lord is just the same; Yesterday, today, forever, glory to His precious name! Saints of God can be victorious over sin and death and hell; Have a full and free salvation and the blessed story tell! Pentecostal fire is falling, Praise the Lord it fell on me! Pentecostal fire is falling, Brother, let it fall on thee!” We do not serve a different Christ than He who came the first time.  Through the power of the Pentecostal experience, He remains as our living, healing, miracle-working God!  Jesus Christ is still the same. Only believe!

Sunday
Feb042018

Media Bias

(The information below is excerpted and adapted from How to Identify Liberal Media Bias by Brent H. Baker, Vice President for Research and Publications at Media Research Center.)

Since citizens cannot cast informed votes or make knowledgeable decisions on matters of public policy if the information on which they depend is distorted, it is vital to American democracy that television news and other media be fair and unbiased.

In a recent Gallup Poll the majority of Americans believe that the mass media slant reports in favor of the liberal position on current issues. (see previous polls 2015, 2014, 2013, 20122011)

[The bias] is not the result of a vast left-wing conspiracy – [there is] an unconscious “groupthink” mentality that taints news coverage and allows only one side of a debate to receive a fair hearing.  When that happens, the truth suffers.

 

A reporter’s job is to present a balanced story.  As you read, listen to and watch the news, you may notice stories that you think are biased.  To see if they really are biased, you need to determine if the story falls into at least one of the several forms in which bias occurs.

TYPES OF MEDIA BIAS:

Bias by omissionleaving one side out of an article, or a series of articles over a period of time; ignoring facts that tend to disprove liberal or conservative claims, or that support liberal or conservative beliefs; bias by omission can occur either within a story, or over the long term as a particular news outlet reports one set of events, but not another.  To find instances of bias by omission, be aware of the conservative and liberal perspectives on current issues.  See if both the conservative and liberal perspectives are included in stories on a particular event or policy.

Bias by selection of sourcesincluding more sources that support one view over another.  This bias can also be seen when a reporter uses such phrases as “experts believe,” “observers say,” or “most people believe.”  Experts in news stories are like expert witnesses in trials.  If you know whether the defense or the prosecution called a particular expert witness to the stand, you know which way the witness will testify.  And when a news story only presents one side, it is obviously the side the reporter supports.  (Journalists often go looking for quotes to fit their favorite argument into a news story.)  To find bias by use of experts or sources, stay alert to the affiliations and political perspective of those quoted as experts or authorities in news stories.  Not all stories will include experts, but in those that do, make sure about an equal number of conservatives and liberals are quoted.  If a story quotes non-experts, such as those portrayed as average citizens, check to be sure that about an equal number come from both sides of the issue in question.

Bias by story selectiona pattern of highlighting news stories that coincide with the agenda of either the Left or the Right, while ignoring stories that coincide with the opposing view; printing a story or study released by a liberal or conservative group but ignoring studies on the same or similar topics released by the opposing group.  To identify bias by story selection you’ll need to know the conservative and liberal sides of the issue.  See how much coverage conservative issues get compared to issues on the liberal agenda, or liberals compared to conservatives.  For example, if a liberal group puts out a study proving a liberal point, look at how much coverage it got compared to a conservative study issued a few days or weeks earlier, or vice versa.  If charges of impropriety are leveled at two politicians of approximately equal power, one liberal and one conservative, compare the amount of coverage given to each.

Bias by placement – Story placement is a measure of how important the editor considers the story.  Studies have shown that, in the case of the average newspaper reader and the average news story, most people read only the headline.  Bias by placement is where on a website (or newspaper) or in an article a story or event is printed; a pattern of placing news stories so as to downplay information supportive of either conservative views or liberal views.  To locate examples of bias by placement, observe where a media outlet places political stories.  Or whenever you read a story, see how far into the story each viewpoint first appears.  In a fair and balanced story, the reporter would quote or summarize the liberal and conservative view at about the same place in the story.  If not, you’ve found bias by placement.

Bias by labeling – Bias by labeling comes in two forms.  The first is the tagging of conservative politicians and groups with extreme labels while leaving liberal politicians and groups unlabeled or with more mild labels, or vice versa.  The second kind of bias by labeling occurs when a reporter not only fails to identify a liberal as a liberal or a conservative as a conservative, but describes the person or group with positive labels, such as “an expert” or “independent consumer group.”  In so doing, the reporter imparts an air of authority that the source does not deserve.  If the “expert” is properly called a “conservative” or a “liberal” the news consumer can take that ideological slant into account when evaluating the accuracy of an assertion.  When looking for bias by labeling, remember that not all labeling is biased or wrong.  Bias by labeling is present when the story labels the liberal but not the conservative, or the conservative but not the liberal; when the story uses more extreme sounding labels for the conservative than the liberal (“ultra-conservative”, “far right”, but just “liberal” instead of “far left” and “ultra-liberal”) or for the liberal than the conservative (“ultra-liberal”, “far left”, but just “conservative” instead of “far right” and “ultra-conservative ; and when the story misleadingly identifies a liberal or conservative official or group as just an expert or independent watchdog organization.

Bias by spin – Bias by spin occurs when the story has only one interpretation of an event or policy, to the exclusion of the other; spin involves tone – it’s a reporter’s subjective comments about objective facts; makes one side’s ideological perspective look better than another.  To check if it’s spin, observe which interpretation of an event or policy a news story matches – the liberal or conservative.  Many news stories do not reflect a particular spin.  Others summarize the spin put on an event by both sides.  But if a story reflects one to the exclusion of the other, then you’ve found bias by spin.


To accurately identify different types of bias, you should be aware of the issues of the day, and the liberal and conservative perspectives on each issue. (See our chart “Conservative vs. Liberal Beliefs”)

Sunday
Feb042018

Oh, How He Loves You and Me

Oh, how He loves you and me,
Oh, how He loves you and me.
He gave His life, what more could He give;
Oh, how He loves you, Oh, how He loves me,
Oh, how He loves you and me.
 

Jesus to Calv’ry did go,
His love for mankind to show.
What He did there brought hope from despair.
Oh, how He loves you, Oh, how He loves me,
Oh how He loves you and me.

What causes shocking, grisly scenes like mass murders and school shootings?  Why do newscasts constantly blare out the theme of murder, mayhem, abuse, rape, kidnapping and rebellion? Hatred, bitterness, rejection, anger, jealousy, loneliness and lack of self-esteem seethe in the cauldron of society.  We have expelled God, the Bible, and judgment.  In their place, we have enthroned man, his self-determination and his opinions.  It should be no wonder that we are reaping the harvest of crop that we have so wantonly planted.  

We live in a ruined paradise, wrecked by sin, inhabited by guilt-ridden, self-hating, angry people.  Some are angry because their parents tore their home apart; some because they were abandoned and abused.  People are so confused and hurt that they cannot believe in the simple gospel.  They cannot believe in a God who loves them, a God who is trustworthy, and a God who is not going to hurt them. When Jesus says, I love you, they say, “I don’t believe you.” When trials come, they use it as evidence that the Gospel doesn’t work. When the church reaches out, they reject it as a phony ploy. When God’s truth penetrates them, they harden their hearts so they won’t be hurt again.  But that’s why there are Apostolic churches.  That’s why there are pastors who keep preaching behind the pulpit. It’s because there is a message that won’t go away. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. 

But the question is not just IF God loves you. It is, “How much does God love you?” We have a baseline to gauge the question. We find the answer to the first question revealed in the second.  So, how much? This much: “[He] gave himself for it.” He loved the church enough to give himself for it. He turned down the world to save the church. “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men …he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”  Philippians 2:5-8. KJV. Jesus loves you more than fame, fortune, kingdoms, or even his own life.  He loves you more than the acclaim of Satan, more than the political ambitions of Judas Iscariot, more than the approval of the Pharisees.  You, your love, your life, make up his sole driving force in the universe. 

First, God loved you enough to find you. I remember hearing the heart-wrenching story of a man who was abandoned as a little boy.  His lifelong dream was to locate his mother.  He arduously searched until he found her.  Imagine his reaction when he saw her in the back of a trashy bar, drunken and filthy.  He slowly backed away, left and never went back.  Not Jesus.  He saw you at your worst and stayed until He saved you.

Second, God loves you enough to make you over again. God may have found you in sin, but he’s not going to leave you that way. The healer is not going to leave you in your suffering and pain. God took you in as His labor of love, the piece of pottery that was marred so the Master Potter makes it over again. If God’s grace saves you, God’s grace also makes you!

Finally, God loves you enough to place you into the body of Christ. Do you feel like a misfit?  Loner?  Afterthought?  Unwanted? Your feelings will try to dictate your doctrine to you.  Your feelings will try to discredit the Word of God! What kind of people did Jesus bring into his fold? Unlearned, uneducated disciples. Common, ordinary blue-collar working people. Zaccheus, a scheming, fraudulent thief. Matthew, a tax-collector. Mary Magdalene, a prostitute. The woman at the well, an adulteress. Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling class. Whosoever will may come.  

You belong.  He offers you His Name, His blood, His Spirit, His Word.  God wants you to be a member of the family. God wants your name to be written down in the family album, the Lamb’s book of life. This is how much he loves you. He saw you from the cross.  Then, He saw you from His throne.  Today, He sees you from eternity.

Saturday
Feb032018

The Offense of Christ

Offense happens to all of us, whether name-calling, criticism, disrespect or false accusation.  Maybe you have been hurt by a racial slur, branded as a rebel, a perverted person, or someone worthy of disdain.  The sticks and stones adage went down the tubes a long time ago. 

But, not all offenses are the same.  It is easy to brush off an offense committed by a stranger. It is harder to ignore an offense against you by someone you know. It is hardest to deal with an offense committed by someone you love.  These are the kinds of offenses that incite a reaction—sometimes an act of violence.  When a loved one offends you deeply, it can end a relationship or lead to divorce.  Sometimes, it has resulted in murder.  When Cain felt disrespected by Abel, he killed him.  When Amnon violated his own sister, Absalom hunted him for two years and finally had him killed. When the Haman thought Mordecai insulted him and the king, he orchestrated a plot to hang him. 

In our socially turbulent times, we deal with an over-the-top reaction to offenses through what we call political correctness.  Offensive people have been court ordered to undergo sensitivity training.  State and local governments have passed laws outlawing “hate speech.”  We hear references to the “thought police.”  Sports teams have been told they can no longer use certain names or mascots because they are offensive to some groups.  A high school student was reprimanded for including a reference to “Jesus Christ” in his graduation speech.  Whether you agree with any of these things or not, it still points up the visceral human reaction that many people have to offense. 

John the Baptist, Christ’s forerunner, was a good man.  He preached repentance, he had disciples and he baptized his converts to the message of repentance.   Yet, for all his goodness and right intentions, he was denied the spotlight.  He asked Jesus what was going on.  Jesus affirmed his calling and then said, “And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.“  

Jesus made sure that his disciples understood the seriousness of His mission.  You see, when you get out on the battlefield, when you find yourself in life or death situations, when you suddenly realize how high the stakes really are, then your carnal feelings go out the window and you understand the reality of your relationship with God.   

Jesus deliberately used offensive language.  He said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.” John 6:53-55.  Nothing could have been more repulsive to the Jews than cannibalism or drinking human blood.  We know that these were metaphors about His crucifixion as a sacrifice for sin.  But Jesus didn’t put it in soft, persuasive, easy language.  He laid it out there in the boldest terms possible. Jesus never misled or deceived His audience.   

There are four reasons why people were offended by the message of Jesus. 1) He claimed to be the Almighty God. 2) He demanded to become the Lord of every person’s life.  3) He professed to be the Savior of the World. 4) He demanded that each believer change his identity.  Exploring all these claims in the scriptures confirms their veracity.

Now, let’s go back to this verse, “And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.” If you can believe that Jesus is God and not be offended, you are blessed. If you can believe that Jesus is your Lord and not be offended, you are blessed. If you can believe that Jesus is the only Savior and not be offended, you are blessed. If you can believe that the new birth is the way to salvation and not be offended, you are blessed.  Committed Christians rejoice in knowing that the blessing outweighs any offense!

Friday
Feb022018

Obstacles and Answers to Your Prayers

The enigma of prayer frustrates many Christians.  We antagonize ourselves, we fight against obstacles, we demand answers, we struggle to understand how it works, and we hope our intentions and hearts are acceptable to God.  Few of us have a flawless record in our prayer life.  A brief look at Cornelius of Caesarea may help clarify the machinations of prayer for us.  From Acts 10, we know that he was a devout man, he and his whole household feared God, he was generous with his offerings and he prayed to God consistently.  Cornelius must have had God’s attention for a long time. He was no “drive-by” prayer warrior.  He was a sincere, honest man. 

“He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, ‘Cornelius.’  And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, ‘What is it, Lord?’”  Acts 10:3-4.   Cornelius was afraid.  The biggest obstacle to prayer is fear—undefined, pervasive, debilitating and paralyzing.  It often disguises itself as realism, humility, shyness, or sense of inadequacy.  Fear always shows up just ahead of your answer.  Fear tells you this isn’t real; you’re not worthy; you can’t do it. It will flash mountains of obstacles before your eyes. It will use any excuse to keep you away from the altar.  But, no aircraft stops flying because a cloud wall looms directly in its flight path.  The pilot flies through the cloud like it wasn’t even there.  Fear seems formidable to the carnal mind but dissipates into thin air to the spiritual mind.  

And he said unto him, ‘Your prayers and alms are come up for a memorial before God.’”  Acts 10:4. Realize that your answer may already be on its way! Banish your fear and keep praying with fervency.  The very reason you sense the presence of God is because this is what you prayed for!  If Satan can’t stop you from praying, he can’t stop you from receiving!  Now, note this: God rarely gives you the answer outright.  He shows you how to get it!  “And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: He lodges with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he will tell you what to do.”   God’s has something for you to do.  He wants you to act on your belief. The secret of your spiritual success is prayer, faith and obedience.  Cornelius obeyed the voice of God.  “And when the angel which spoke to Cornelius had departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually; And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.”   

In the meantime, God was dealing with Simon Peter through a vision of unclean beasts.  “The next day, as they went on their journey, and drew near the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour…This was done three times:  And the object was taken up into heaven again.” While you were praying in one place, God was preparing in another. God has been busy!  Everything you see has been in preparation for your arrival.  “Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate.”  

Doubt is the other obstacle to prayer.     Fear shows up on one end of the prayer journey; doubt on the other.  You must win the challenge of doubt. Is this God?  Is God able to do this? “And called, and asked whether Simon, who was surnamed Peter, lodged there. While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said to him, Look, three men seek you. Arise, get down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.” You’ve overcome fear; now get rid of doubt. Answer the door of opportunity.  Prayer has no obstacles that God can’t overcome.

Thursday
Feb012018

The Purpose of Rain

“He sends rain on the just and on the unjust.“  Matthew 5:45 

Why does it rain on the unjust?  Understand that God is not rewarding the unjust with his rain, nor is he trying to frustrate the just by raining on the unjust.  The fact is that God is replenishing his earth with water. When he put the ecosystem into motion, he designed evaporation, condensation, wind currents and the entire weather pattern so that the earth would be fertile and life-sustaining.  When the rain falls on an unjust man’s field, it has nothing to do with the man. He just happens to be there. God sends his rain without regard to anything or anyone else. 

But, this passage of scripture is about more than just rain. It is a testimony to God’s impartiality. If God based his decisions on man’s ideas, there would never be any mercy, or grace, or any offer of repentance.  God does not strike people dead if they make one wrong move. He has the power to do so, as in the case of Ananias and Saphira, but God allows people to live out their lives and make their choices.  Herein lies the answer. Man will not be able to say to God: “You didn’t give me a chance. I would have served you if you had treated me differently. If you had blessed me, I would not have cursed you. If you had healed me, I would have loved you. If you had worked out my problems, I would have served you. It’s all your fault, God.”  Whatever circumstance a man blames for not serving God, judgment day will hold a surprise for him. 

God has someone who has gone through the exact problem—the same circumstances, the same disease, the same injury, the same abuse, the same pay scale, the same temptations, the same everything—and yet they served God! God has a Daniel who was thrown into a lion’s den.  He has a Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who were cast into a fiery furnace. He has a Job who lost everything, and yet refused to curse his God.  What you do in life will never be God’s fault. He rains on the just and the unjust. His sun shines on the evil and on the good. Even an evil person can see a beautiful sunset, or drink in the beauty of a Grand Canyon, or enjoy the taste of a watermelon, or breathe in a full breath of God’s air. How does the rain fall? That will never be the question. Your response to the rain … that’s God’s purpose. Your concern will never be who is getting blessed and who isn’t. You are not God’s scorekeeper. He keeps his own score. 

Sometimes, the rain that falls into our lives represents a huge, undeserved blessing.  Solomon had the world handed to him on the proverbial silver platter. You would think that rainfall of blessing into Solomon’s life would have sealed his relationship with God forever, but instead, Solomon left a legacy of apostasy, indulgence and wastefulness. His many wives practiced their idolatry in the land God had given to Israel for their inheritance. His kingdom fractured in the following generation.  Sometimes, however, the rain that falls into our lives is an unwanted downpour.  In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus tells the story of two men, each of whom built a house, one on the rock and the other on the sand.  The same storm unleashed its fury on each house.  The house on the rock stood fast, but the other collapsed.  Why?  Same storm, different foundations.  It’s never the rain. It’s always how you respond to the rain.

How does the rain fall in your life? God’s rain in your life does not signal approval or punishment. It’s only evidence of His mercy and grace. His mercy and grace are exactly what you need today.  Don’t’ blame the rain.  It is time to let go of the questions that frustrate you and embrace the God who loves you.  Life may not be fair, but God is good!