Your Greatest Ally

Today’s Bible readings are 1 Samuel 20:1-21:15, John 9:1-41, Psalm 113:1-114:8, & Proverbs 15:15-17

John 9:1-5

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. ² “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”

³ “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. ⁴ We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. ⁵ But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”

It always brings such sadness to my heart to hear people say things like the disciples were saying this day. They thought that God was punishing this young man with blindness. It was a common thought of the day that people who were blind, & such, were under a curse from God for some sin in their life. This caused people to look down on those who had these type of disabilities. It also caused the people who were affected by them to feel like there was something wrong with them. This is so far from the case.

The enemy wants to convince you that God is out to harm you. He wants to convince you that God is the one who is doing bad things in your life. We see this tactic of his from the dawn of creation.

1.      He tried to convince Adam & Eve that God was holding out on them. Once they accepted this suggestion they fell into sin. It left them feeling ashamed & isolated.

2.      He tried to convince Job that God was the one bringing destruction into his life. He even suggested that Job curse God so it would end.

These are just to name a few.

I can assure you that God is not the author of sickness & disease.

Matthew 12:25  (NKJV)

²⁵ But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.

It is impossible for God to be the one giving sickness & the One who heals. This would make Him divided against Himself. This would bring Him & His kingdom to desolation. We know that God’s kingdom is not divided. It stands firm. We have to settle this in our hearts & in our minds.

Here is the truth: God is for you not against you!!! Jesus really brings that out in this reading today. He makes it clear that God gets the glory when His power is displayed through the weakness. This comes through healing & deliverance. God’s was glorified as this man was healed. God will be glorified in your deliverance too.

Sin does have consequences but those consequences don’t come from God, they come from sin. Listen to this verse:

Galatians 6:8

⁸ Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.

Where you sow determines your harvest. It is not God punishing you for sinning. It is sin punishing you for sinning. When we sow to sin we reap destruction from sin. This again proves that it is not God who is against you but sin & satan who is trying to destroy you.

Here is God’s own words on this matter:

Jeremiah 29:11

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

God, once again, makes it very plain for us that HE is not trying to harm us. I want each of you to make this the meditation of your heart this morning:

1.      God is my greatest ally.

2.      God is on my side.

3.      God wants to help me by healing me & delivering me.

4.      God does not bring harm to me.

5.      Sin is what punishes me.

6.      Sin is against me & so is satan.

7.      God is my friend.

These truths are truths that the enemy will try to steal from you. Refuse to let go of them. They will save your life. When these things become etched on your heart it will make it impossible for satan separate you from your blessings.

Pastor Richard Schlotter

How To Find Truth

Today’s Bible readings are 1 Samuel 18:5-19:24, John 8:31-59, Psalm 112:1-10, & Proverbs 15:12-14

John 8:31-32

³¹ Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. ³² And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

We know how important truth is. According to Jesus, truth is what makes a person free. Where does truth come from? Where do we find truth? That is the question to ask.

Jesus is the truth. He declares to us:

 

John 14:6

⁶ Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

So Jesus is the truth, but He tells us that we only know the truth if we continue in His Word.

Truth comes into our lives as we walk in obedience to the Word. Remember, Jesus is the Word & the Word is Jesus. To remain in the Truth is to remain in the Word.

We find truth as we walk in the Word. Those things that we once didn’t understand start to make sense to us. Things that use to cause us to stumble now become clear to us. Problems that use to overtake us now seem to be less controlling as we see them for what they really are. This is what truth does.

There is a reason that the enemy works hard & swiftly to deceive people into not obeying the Word. He knows that is where people find the truth they need in order to be free. For instance, walking in obedience to the Word of tithing will set a person free from lack. Again, walking in obedience to the Word of forgiveness will keep a person free from offense. Likewise, walking in obedience to the Word of faith will keep a person strong & free from many of the chains that the enemy tries to put on people. These things come from walking in & staying in the truth.

What areas of the teachings of Christ & you failing to walk in obedience to? What areas do you need to improve in? Also, what areas of your life are you experiencing bondage in? Are there things that are weighing you down? It could be that you are not walking in the Word in certain areas that are leading to struggle in others.

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the answer to those questions to you. My hunch is that He already has. It is up to you to act on what He has shown you. I leave you with a phrase that has changed my life:

“Obedience is hard, it is a choice.”

Pastor Richard Schlotter

Let His Love Move You

Today’s Bible readings are 1 Samuel 17:1-18:4, John 8:21-30, Psalm 111:1-10, & Proverbs 15:11

1 Samuel 18:1-4

After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David. ² From that day on Saul kept David with him and wouldn’t let him return home. ³ And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself. ⁴ Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt.

We have talked about the character of Jonathon already but I can’t help but make mention of it again in this text. We really see the heart of a TRUE man of God. He recognizes the anointing on another man & willing chooses to submit himself to this man & the anointing that he possessed. Jonathon was the king’s son & rightfully the next in line to be king. He didn’t have to submit to David. In fact, the opposite is really true. But positions aren’t what really matters. The will of God is what counts!

When I read this part of the story of David & Jonathon’s relationship, I can’t help but think of how this is a picture of what Jesus has done for us. This story is really reveals what God had planned to do through His Son.

We see a deep love that Jonathon had for David; who was an outsider. David was not royalty, Jonathon was. Yet, Jonathon was willing to surrender so David could come into his place.

This is such a picture of Christ for us. We were all outsiders. We were far from God. Yet, Jesus surrendered to bring us into our place of relationship with the Father. He gave up His place of majesty & power so He could help bring us into our place.  It was the greatest act of love. Just like Jonathon laid down his life to serve David, Jesus laid down His life to serve us.

Jonathon sealed the deal by giving David his robe & supplying him with weapons. What a picture of what Jesus has done for us. He has taken His robe of righteousness & put it on us. We are no longer peasants. We are royalty. We are no longer viewed by the King in our own standing. We have been given a NEW COVERING. When the King looks to us He sees us clothed as one of His own children, His heir. Praise Jesus forever more!!!

Jonathon supplied David with weapons & Jesus has done the same for us.

Ephesians 6:12-18

¹² For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

¹³ Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴ Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. ¹⁵ For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. ¹⁶ In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. ¹⁷ Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

These are the weapons that Jesus has given us. They will get the job done just like the weapons that Jonathon gave to David.

When David saw the love that Jonathon had for him, which was demonstrated by his surrender, sharing of his standing, & giving of his weapons, it moved David to love Jonathon back. I hope that our eyes will be opened to all that Jesus has done for us. I pray that we too will see the love that Jesus demonstrated when He gave us His righteousness, His authority, & His weapons. I ask that it will move us to love Him back in a deeper way today & forever more!!!

Pastor Richard Schlotter

 

Light Has Come

Today’s Bible readings are 1 Samuel 15:1-16:23, John 8:1-20, Psalm 110:1-7, & Proverbs 15:8-10

John 8:12

¹² Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

I remember one time I came into the church early one Sunday morning. The power was off so I had to go to the basement & turn the breaker over. It was so dark that I literally couldn’t see more than a couple of inches in front of myself. I was stumbling into all kinds of things. It was very uncomfortable. It was an area that I was familiar to, so I thought that I knew my way around. I was wrong. Every couple of steps I would trip over something or hit something.

As soon as I got the breaker on that all changed. Light opened up my eyes to what I was stumbling over. I could see clearly. I no longer had to grope through the darkness trying to find my way. I was safe. I was much more effective.

This is truly what happens when we choose to follow Jesus. It is like light coming into our lives. In fact, in our text for today Jesus declares Himself to be “the Light of the world.” He is the way that we have our eyes opened. He is the source of light that will keep us from stumbling.

There was a time when we had no hope. We were lost in darkness. But LIGHT has come. With that light is the ability to see things that we have never seen before. We can now see the things that we have been stumbling over. This is great because NOW we no longer have to stumble over them.

Isaiah 9:2

² The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.

Jesus brings light into our lives. He helps us see why certain things bother us. He helps us to see the right way to respond to each situation. He teaches us how to love. He shows us the things about our attitudes that need to be changed. He reveals things that we have buried inside that keep us resentful, angry, & unforgiving.

I struggled so long with drugs. Jesus not only set me free, His light showed me how to stay free. It was by walking in His light that I have been kept from stumbling for over 12 years now.

Jude 1:24

²⁴ To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—

I had no idea how to be a husband. I couldn’t love anybody without hurting them. When Jesus’ light came in my life it revealed to me the things that were keeping me from loving. I was set free. I was also able to do the things that I couldn’t do before.

1 John 1:7

⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

I had years of hurt trapped inside me. But the light heals. When Christ’s light shined, & then continued to shine, He began to heal the hurts deep within my soul. He made me whole. Only His light can do this.

Psalm 119:130 (NKJV)

¹³⁰ The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.

Psalm 107:20 (NKJV)

²⁰ He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions.

Light has come. Open your heart to His light. Your struggle will soon be over once you get the light you need. Light will expose your error. Light will illuminate your path. Light will show you the things that are blocking your path. Light will strengthen you.

Ephesians 5:13-14

¹³ But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. ¹⁴ This is why it is said:

“Wake up, sleeper ,rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Pastor Richard Schlotter