Marching Orders
It is not difficult to look around this world and think, what can I do? I try to proclaim Christ’s message yet my efforts seem so small. With major organizations and most of the universities of this country producing theory after theory and book after book suppressing the truth of Christianity. Radio and TV spending millions of dollars to produce quickly paced emotionally charged stories and programs that glamorize pre-martial, extra-marital, and homosexual sex. Not to mention teaching our children that the name of the Lord is merely a word that is to be used in vain to curse someone or make a joke. With all of this and the struggling nature of many small churches, we may start to wonder what can be accomplished, but before you begin to doubt, remember these promises that God made to the Israelites which still apply to God’s children…You are to cross over the Jordan today, and go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourself, cities great and fortified. Deut. 9:1
No man shall be able to stand against you; the Lord your God will put the dread of you and the fear of you upon all the land where you tread, just as He has said to you. Deut. 11:25
It is true that today we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers, but the wrestling is no less real, and the promises are no less true. But lest you despair and think you are not godly enough for God to fight for you, or lest you become proud and think that the Lord owes this to you because of your godliness, remember it is only by His grace that his Children will prevail and only by His Justice to His enemies will fail…
It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you go in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God drives them out from before you… Deut. 9:5
For… He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face. Deut. 7:10
Take the truth of Christ to the world and remember, if the Lord is with you, who can be against you. He holds the hearts of kings in His hand. Stand strong in the faith ‘being careful to observe the commandments of the Lord’ (Deut. 8:1). Teach them diligently to your children, and talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up (Deut. 6:7). For against the Church the gates of hell will not prevail.
-Doug Eaton-
Labels: Devotional, Strength, Zeal
posted by Doug E. @ 11:07 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
How do we know that those old testament statements are applicable to "all children of God"? How do you define "all children of God"?
-Rogelio Bacon-
Hey Rogelio,
I could have been more specific on that. When I use the term “children of God” and am using it broadly without much distinction. I am speaking of all who will be saved by the blood of Christ, Old and New Testament believers (Heb. 10:14). I am using the term in the sense that we are all one body, the seed of Abram in the spiritual sense. In fact, Scripture says not all Jews are spiritually God’s children (Rom. 2:28-29), and we, as gentiles, have been grafted into the tree, and in that context the tree is Israel (Rom. 11:17). Making us spiritual partakers in the commonwealth of Israel (Eph 2:12). There is still and ethnical distinction between Jew and Gentile all throughout the New Testament, but I was not focusing in on that. Ultimately thought, that is not the main thrust of my devotion. I think it all comes down to the statement that says,
“Remember it is only by His grace that his Children will prevail and only by His Justice to His enemies will fail”
This is the main promise that scripture gives to all, which under girds all of the others. It is true that specifics of the promises in those passages are not for us but the principles that they contain seem to be true for all believers. For example, even if the world seems mightier than us, it will not prevail against us. Also, it seems true that many of the disciples experienced the Lord fighting for them, and even putting fear and dread into some of their enemies. For when they returned after being sent out they proclaimed,
Luk 10:17 And the seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject unto us in thy name.
You asked a great question, and I probably gave a sub-par answer, but as you can see I’m no expert. Just an average Joe with a blog.
God bless,
Doug
Thanks for this encouraging post. I have been feeling much the same way. Especially right now that my wife and I are searching for a new church home. It seems that the only churches in our area that are actually teaching the Word of God and following a biblical pattern for ministry are relatively small churches. The ones that are taking the seeker-friendly approach and the post modernistic philosophy seem to be the ones that are attracting the large numbers, and it can make it seem that we are having little impact. Fortunately, we have found a couple of good choices for churches, with the one that we are likely going to attend being pastored by a recent graduate of the Master’s Seminary. So I am grateful to have found at least a couple of choices. But Scripture warns us that there would come a time when people would no longer tolerate sound doctrine, but would flock to teachers who would merely tell them what they want to hear. Our duty is to be faithful, regardless of the time that we live in, and proclaim with clarity the truth of God’s Word. (2 Timothy 4:1-5) Jesus has a mission for us; to go and make disciples, and we are to be faithful to teach everything He has commanded and leave the consequences up to Him. Regardless of what happens, He has promised to be with us always, “to the very end of the age”. (Matthew 28:19-20)
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