Then Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord killed him. And Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to your brother.” But Onan knew that the heir would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother.  And the thing which he did displeased the Lord; therefore He killed him also.

Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house till my son Shelah is grown.” For he said, “Lest he also die like his brothers.” And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.

Now in the process of time the daughter of Shua, Judah’s wife, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.  And it was told Tamar, saying, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”  So she took off her widow’s garments, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place which was on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as a wife. Genesis 38:6-14

Judah, one of Jacob’s sons, married a Canaanite woman who bore him three sons. His first son married Tamar a Canaanite woman as well. The scripture tells us that because the son was wicked God killed him. Then his Judah’s son married Tamar. He ensured that Tamar wouldn’t conceive a child because the child would have been considered his brother’s child. God saw this action wicked and killed him as well.

Judah had only one more son left. He promised Tamar that when the third son was grown, he would give him in marriage to her while he had no intention of doing this. Tamar went back to her father’s house, and she continued to mourn as a widow waiting for the third son to marry her. However, over the course of time, she found out that Judah wasn’t really intending of giving his third son in marriage to her.

The scripture tells us that Judah thought that he had lost his two sons because they married Tamar. As a result he was concerned about losing his third son if he married Tamar. The fact was that the first two sons didn’t die because they were married to Tamar, but because they were wicked before God!

Isn’t that what we do sometimes with those we love? When something happens that they are subject of a controversy or a problem, we think others have done them wrong. We assume that they are a victim of a bad situation. All along similar issues follow our loved ones.

If a few independent people complain about the same thing regarding our friend or family member, then there must be some truth to this person’s character flaws. All these people can’t be wrong, jealous, or inept in recognizing the problem. Sometimes it is the Lord who is having an issue with our loved one, and He wants to discipline him/her. Some of us instead of seeking the will of God, we want to rebuke the devil, cast him out, and defend our loved ones.

The sad reality is the very thing we try to protect our loved ones from, at some point in time, will impact us. Character flaws can never remain contained because it’s the way an individual operates in life and under pressure.

I will continue with Tamar’s story in the next devotional.

Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested. And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion. Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them. But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”  For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.  But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”  So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!” Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?”

But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!” So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified. Mark 15:6-15

When Jesus was arrested, it was the voice of the majority that pressured Pilate to order Him to be crucified, and the same voice demanded for a criminal to be released! The scripture tells us that Pilate tried to gratify the crowd. Does that make any sense!? To punish an innocent man and to release a criminal!? Gratifying the crowd has a high cost associated with it.

The voice of majority can be loud and intimidating! If we try to gratify the people around us, we will lose our God given voice to stand for truth and righteousness. If we desire to walk and live in truth, we can’t be influenced by the pressure of the multitudes.

Jesus told us that following Him includes entering through the “narrow gate”. You will not find many people headed towards the “narrow gate” because it is hard and lonely. It is easier to follow the crowd on the broad path by trying to fit in rather than taking a stand alone.

How can we try not to be influenced by the majority?

1. Hear God for ourselves

We are ultimately accountable for the decisions we make. We need to learn to be confident in hearing God even if what we hear is different from what others are hearing.

2. Understand the cost

To be in minority in a given situation means that we will be criticized. Sometimes we will lose some of the privileges of not following the crowd. Count the cost and be willing to pay the cost if and when needed.

3. Remember your first priority

From time to time, we need to remind ourselves that our jobs and any open doors ultimately come from God not man! Jesus didn’t look to man to give him a favor or open any doors of ministry. He was not part of the religious crowd but God always gave him the opportunity to teach those who were hungry and thirsty for the truth. He didn’t compromise in order to be accepted in the synagogues.

4. Recognize the peer pressure

Many of us complain about our children having peer pressure at school, but adults have the same if not more peer pressure surrounding them. It is harder to say, “no”, to our coworkers than for our children to say, “no” to their friends because the stakes are higher.

Is the majority always wrong? Not necessarily. There are times that they can be right. We just can’t assume they are right because they are louder and there is more of them. If we are able to do our own evaluation of a situation and still find that the majority has the right position then that’s great. We then choose to follow it with our eyes and ears open because we have investigated and sought the truth.

Truthful news by one is better than artificially sweetened news by majority

Therefore do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your soothsayers, or your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, “You shall not serve the king of Babylon.” For they prophesy a lie to you, to remove you far from your land; and I will drive you out, and you will perish. But the nations that bring their necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let them remain in their own land,’ says the Lord, ‘and they shall till it and dwell in it.’ Jeremiah 27: 9-11

Jeremiah, a true prophet of God, was in minority for giving bad news to the Israelites. The false prophets were giving deceptive encouragement to the people of God. They told them that their captivity wasn’t going to last because they were God’s special people. However, Jeremiah gave them the bad news (but truthful news) that God was keeping them in captivity for a long season.

Who would we rather listen to? Some people enjoy having their ears tickled with what they want to hear. They don’t want to be encumbered by difficult news or something that will require work from them.

For example, nowadays, the message of “cheap grace” has become popular amongst some Christian circles, and it is drawing multitudes to churches. The so called “gracious” preachers are feeding people heavily sugar-coated half truth and keeping people comfortable.

“Cheap grace” messages will lead individuals back to bondage and destruction if they choose to follow it. These sermons don’t demand or require growth on the part of the believer, and they keep one’s faith in an infantile stage. The message of “cheap grace” surely sounds a lot gentler and more beautiful than the message of “take up your cross and follow me!”. These “happy and light” messages will not produce the character and the righteousness of God in a believer’s life neither will they challenge a believer to represent Christ well.

Are we willing to follow the truth no matter what the cost is? Are we willing to share the truth regardless of how popular or unpopular it becomes?

The voice of majority may win for a moment, but the consequences of the decisions made by majority will provide the ultimate report card!

If you were Jeremiah, would you have doubted that you heard God correctly in the light of so many prophets contradicting your message? Would you have been tempted to artificially sweeten the message, so you won’t be the odd one out? Or would you have been able to speak up and share bitter news while all the other high powered prophets had artificially sweetened news for people?

The rule of majority can produce good fruit in some cases such as standing up against cruelty and injustice inflicted on the voiceless. In free nations, it is the vote of majority that places people in governmental positions and allows them to pass various laws. The democratic process allows the voice of majority to win and move things in a certain direction.

This process only works well so long as citizens are seeking God’s wisdom and principles for sound laws and rulership. If people don’t care about God’s rules or they try to bring their own personal agenda, the rule of majority can take us to some dangerous places over time!

The Bible shows us that in every case when people placed a higher priority on the opinion of majority instead of seeking God’s will first, they went the wrong way!

Follow the “one” with faith 

Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” Numbers 13:30-33

God promised the Land of Canaan to Israelites. However, the spies came back with a bad report. The ten spies saw themselves as grasshoppers before the Canaanites because they were focused on themselves and how small they were! Joshua and Caleb, on the other hand, saw the same thing as the other ten spies did, but their perspective was full of faith.  They believed God for His great deliverance! The unbelief of ten overshadowed the belief of two and led them to death in the wilderness!

Unfortunately, the voice of majority can be convincing and look very real! It is easier to give in to the fear of multitudes than believe the few who are walking in faith.

We will also be challenged by many who will speak from positions of fear and insecurity and will tempt us to be fearful and insecure. Are we willing to believe God and stand up for what He says despite of the number of people who have unbelief?

It is better to follow one person who has faith rather than following a crowd that operates in unbelief! One person with God always is in the majority!

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional!

Selflessness a great preservative 

Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. Luke 17:33

Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: Jude ( verse 1)

In the natural world, self-preservation seems to be the answer to survival and prosperity. The world influences people to take care of “number one” and be selfish. It’s interesting that most selfish people are unhappy while they may have an outward appearance of having it all together. In the process of saving themselves, people lose the true life that God intended for them. The more we focus on self, the emptier and darker our lives get!

Jesus has a better solution to a full life. In the Kingdom of God, self-preservation is the opposite of being preserved. Jesus taught his disciples to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. What are we to deny? We are to deny the pangs of competition, anger, & negativity. We are to say, “no” to self when it tries to get its way. We are to deny the desire to indulge, be indifferent, or prove to be right.

There are times that denying ourselves will feel like the kiss of death to our future or reputation. Nevertheless, God has promised to fight for us and keep us alive even in the midst of opposition.

Joseph didn’t defend himself when the Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him. Why didn’t he do it? Could it be that he cared about his boss (the Potiphar) and the marriage more than Joseph’s own well being? Was he being careful in not bringing any division or embarrassment to Potiphar’s family? Joseph had plenty of opportunities to have had a conversation with his boss, but he didn’t.

Can we love people beyond the hurt they inflict on us? Can we continue to do things for their benefit even at our own detriment? Joseph certainly had to deny seeking justice by abstaining to defend himself. When was the last time, you chose not to preserve yourself?

Ultimately, the Lord is our keeper. If we have been walking with integrity and humility, Jesus is our preserver. He is the one who defends us, protects us, and guards our hearts from poisonous situations.

God preserved Joseph because he chose to trust God and do what was right. The preserved became the preserver of the nation of Egypt and his own family. He laid down his own rights, and he gained life for himself as well as multitudes.

Lord, today we choose to follow to your instructions on how to be preserved. We choose to fear you above all others. We want to show discretion in our speech, and we will deny ourselves by being selfless regardless of the person you put before us. Give us the strength to do it well. In Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

How can we as preservers of the society be preserved? 

This is a continuation of the subject I began in the last devotional. 

Integrity a powerful preserver

Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You. Psalm 25:21

Integrity and uprightness keep us constant regardless of our circumstances. Salt shouldn’t change, but it needs to be a changing agent. An upright person has learned to remain the same and not give in to taking shortcuts. A person of integrity waits on God to do His work on his/her behalf. Those who choose to manipulate, lie, or take shortcuts may reach their goal, but they are not preserved because they will eventually get caught in their ways! I would rather be preserved by my Lord than reach my goal. Wouldn’t you?

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. Matthew 5:13

Jesus declared in the Sermon on the Mount that if salt loses its saltiness, it has lost its purpose and value. We are called to remain true to our identity as His children and not cave in to the pressure of those around us. Integrity and uprightness preserve our potency in a dark and defiled world!

Discretion Preserves

Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you. Proverbs 2:11

He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction. Proverbs 13:3

If we are going to be persevered, we have to guard our mouths from saying things that are inappropriate, cutting, divisive, or excessive. In the age of social media where thousands can be reached with a click of a button, it becomes more critical to be thoughtful about what is shared and how much is shared.

In the last few months, I have noticed that some are posting very personal information on Facebook in the hope of reaching a few for Christ. The problem is there are many people reading their posts who don’t necessarily care about spiritual things. People such as their current employer or prospective employer can perceive the information negatively and have it be a detriment to the individual.

What we share should pass the following tests:

  1. Is this the right forum to share the information? Do we know our audience?

  2. Is this helpful to those who hear it?

  3. How much information is appropriate to be shared?

Our families including our children have the right to privacy, and we can’t share information about them in the name of ministry or transparency that has not been approved by them.

We never regret having discretion in sharing information because it can preserve us and our relationships. On the other hand, not showing discretion can cause much regret. It could damage our relationships, and we could lose the trust of those around us.

Praying for protection and preservation for our loved ones and ourselves is one of the most frequently prayer requests that most of us have. We usually pray for physical protection as well as spiritual protection and preservation.

According to Webster’s dictionary, the word “preserve” means:

to keep (something) in its original state or in good condition; to keep (something) safe from harm or loss; to prevent (food) from decaying

All of the above definitions apply to our prayers. We want to be preserved for eternity and not get defiled by the world. We desire to be protected from any harm or losses, and we also hope not to backslide or have a decaying faith because of difficulties and/or persecution.

Jesus called us the” salt of the earth” hence we are to be the preservers of our society. We are the ones who are called to cover our communities with salt of truth, love, and prayer in order to preserve a culture that is very opposite to Biblical truth. The question is, how is the salt preserved? How can we as preserver of the culture be preserved?

Fearing God

And the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day. Deuteronomy 6:24

God is pleased with us revering Him. When we honor our Lord, we take seriously what He says in His word, and we obey His rules because they are for our benefit. Our desire is not to go against what God says because we know He is not playing! His statutes are not just nice suggestions but they are life and wisdom!

God has given us much to enjoy in our lives. In order to fully enjoy everything, we are to use it the way it is prescribed in the instruction manual (in this case the Bible).

For example, if we were to send an IPhone to a remote place in the world where they have no access to electricity, technology, or even phones, what would they do with it?  Since they know nothing about phones, they might use it as a hammer, a weight, or a whole host of others things that have nothing to do with the true function of an IPhone.

The same holds true for us. We don’t truly know our purpose apart from our Creator and Savior. When we were unbelievers, we abused our bodies and soul because we just did what felt good at the moment. Now that we know Him, we should desire to read His instruction manual and listen to His voice because He has much to say to us. When we pay attention to God’s design and purpose for our lives, we are preserved! We can experience joy in living the full life He’s given us without the headache and heartache of abusing His craftsmanship!

Are we being preserved by paying attention to what the Lord says in His word? Do we get enough rest or are we overcommitted?  Do we eat right and exercise or do we struggle with gluttony, alcohol, or soft drugs? Are we quick to forgive? Do we press through loving people even when we don’t feel like it?

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:  “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.  Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.  Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.  But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolatians, which I also hate.

 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’ Revelation 2:1-7

In the last two devotionals, I have been sharing about some of the factors that can cause us to leave our first love. Lack of consistency is another factor in leaving our first love. We can’t afford to take our relationship with the Lord for granted and assume that without effort it can remain strong and healthy!

Faithfulness is a marathon of consistency

To be faithful, we need to remain in a position of faith and obedience. By its sheer nature consistency cannot be achieved unless it is practiced over a long period of time. Any relationship can start out very easily and joyfully but maintaining a healthy and strong relationship over the decades is the challenge.

The best example of a long term relationship that requires consistency is a marriage relationship. People start out in their relationship to one another all excited and optimistic about their future together. At the beginning of their relationship, couples like to spend every waking hours with each other. However, over the years, the busyness of life, the demands of parenting, the pressure of finances all start straining the relationship. Couples begin to argue more and forgive less. They develop other friendships outside of marriage to have a retreat or a venting place. They take each other for granted and begin fanaticizing about freedom of being single! Over time, couples can grow apart while they still stay together.

Maintaining a strong and healthy relationship takes work. In the case of a marriage relationship it takes two imperfect people making the commitment to work with each other and with the Lord to succeed in their marriage. However, in the case of our relationship with the Lord, since one party is perfect, the burden of leaving the first love falls on our shoulders. The Lord is always willing and available to walk with us. His love for us does not change but our love for him does change. Sometimes we bring other lovers in the midst that take our attention away from him.

If being used by God becomes the center of our focus, the enemy will even use that desire to subtly draw us away from the Lord!  We may think we are putting our Lord and His Kingdom first but we really are putting our significance in the Kingdom first!

What is the solution to all of this? Jesus told the church of Ephesus to repent and return to her first love.

Thank you Lord for pointing out where we have fallen from our place of intimacy. Forgive us when other things or people have eclipsed your presence in our lives. Please return to us the joy of our salvation and help us enjoy our time and relationship with you above all other lovers.

Here is a great worship song to make your commitment to Him:

“Come Make War” by Rick Pino. You can watch it on YouTube if you can’t watch it from here.

To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:  “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.  Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.  Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.  But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolatians, which I also hate.

 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’ Revelation 2:1-7

I shared in the last devotional that success in ministry is not the only factor in determining our love for God. There are more factors that we need to pay attention to in order to not veer off of our intimacy with Christ.

Comfort Breeds Self-Confidence

The scripture states, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen”. This statement implies that at one point the church was at a right place, but they fell from that place.

We generally are surprised by the fall of leaders because we look at their activities and presume that they must love God passionately. How can one be so zealous and self-sacrificial and not still be in love with God!?

For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7b

If we have walked with Jesus for any length of time, our vocabulary has been perfected in sounding mature and passionate, but it doesn’t mean that our heart is still as close to the Lord as it once was before. Giving lip service to truth is a lot easier than you might think!

The Lord does not look at the outward appearance; He looks at our hearts. The appearance in this case is our works. Our good works can look very good but internally our heart can grow distant from the Lord.The fall of an individual especially a leader is never a sudden event, but it is an incremental step by step compromise in walking away from the Lord!

What is the anatomy of a fall? Individuals can get comfortable with their spiritual state because of what they do in ministry. Their Bible knowledge can give them an aura of confidence and being untouchable. People begin to depend on them more and they begin to depend less on the Lord! They start spending more time in ministry but less time in His presence. They discern everyone else’s spirits but can’t recognize their own. Individuals can pride themselves in having the authority to judge others’ spirituality, but there is no one to judge theirs.

There is also a danger for those who are on the payroll of a ministry for being honest about their issues. It might be difficult for them to admit they are struggling or need help in fear of losing their job. As a result, they can keep an appearance of spirituality but inwardly they are quietly wasting away!

When one’s gauge of intimacy is their works, they are going down a wrong path! All of the above factors are a set up for a falling away. They all cause a person/church to move from the condition of dependence on the Lord to self-confidence!

We have seen too many “falls” in the landscape of the body of Christ. A church can do well for years, and then suddenly we hear the implosion of a leader or a church. Beloved, as people of God, we can learn much from other’s failures if we take the time to understand the elements that led to the fall.

To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:  “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.  Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.  Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.  But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolatians, which I also hate.

 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’ Revelation 2:1-7

Jesus declared to the church of Ephesus that He knew their works and all the labor they have endured over the years. This church did not compromise on truth, and they were clear on what was evil.

The church in Ephesus had the maturity to discern between true and false apostles. They had all the appearance to signify they were capable, holy, and strong Christians. However, they had one major flaw that Jesus spoke about. They had left their first love!

The word, “left”, in the above scripture, (According to Strong’s Concordance in Greek) means ; neglect or disregard.

Outwardly this church was doing very well, but inwardly they had neglected their God! Isn’t that amazing!? How can this happen?

I would like to share a few reasons that could cause us to lose our first love!

Loss of Focus

If we determine the approval of God based on all the things that a church is doing right, we could be terribly wrong! While doing the right things is an important factor in God’s approval, but it is not the main component!

Jesus could see the inward condition of this church, and it wasn’t good. Is it possible that they had become so skilled in what they were doing that they didn’t find a need to depend on the Lord any longer? Were they so focused on the work of the ministry that they forgot the Creator of the Ministry? Could it be that they equated the approval of others with the approval of God?

The church had done all the right things, but they weren’t right before God!

How can we focus on God’s approval?

1. We need to have a regular time with the Lord away from people and activities. This is the place where we come before the Lord and allow Him to speak to us about those things that are important to Him.

2. We should have people in our lives who are not in our circle of friendships and/or ministry and give them permission to speak into our lives! These individuals should have the maturity to be obedient to Christ but not have their own personal agenda/need.

When David came on the scene and saw Goliath intimidating the people of God, he had no agenda except to stand up for truth and righteousness ( See 1 Samuel 17). David’s so called  “skilled and mighty” brothers had been breathing the same air of defeat as all the others. They believed Goliath’s report instead of God’s truth about their situation. They communed with others in the lowland of fear and doubt and missed their high calling and purpose to be warriors for God!

3. Our focus needs to be laser sharp! Examining our focus from time to time is paramount! Is there anything that is competing for our attention?

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.