“For for this cause pay ye tribute [taxes] also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.” ~ Romans 13:6-7

This is a hard saying for many to swallow, but even governing authorities are in place because of the hand of God. For that reason, we must give honor and taxes to whom it is due. We may not agree with who gets use of those monies, nor how the taxes are distributed, but God has us under authority for a reason.

When government is big and oppressive, it is because people have failed to be self-controlled and submitted to God. Many of the services now demanded from our pockets (e.g., welfare and unemployment payments) were largely handled originally by the church.

When we have failed to distribute to the needs of orphans and widows who are part of the household of faith, it is God Who allows government to discipline us in giving our due.

The size of our government, then, is in direct proportion to our submission to God. (By the looks of things, we’ve got a lot of submitting to do.)

“Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” ~ Matthew 22:21b

~ by Cindy Stelter Tesar

“For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:” ~ Job 19:25

To understand this verse, it is helpful to understand the use of the term “redeemer” in the time of Job:

“The Hebrew term designates a male relative who delivers or rescues (Gen 48:16 ; Exodus 6:6); redeems property (Lev 27:9-25 ) or person (Lev 25:47-55); avenges the murder of a relative as a guiltless executioner (Num 35:9-34); and receives restitution for wrong done to a relative who has since died (Num 5:8). The unique emphasis of the redemption/salvation/vindication associated with the kinsman-redeemer is the fact that this action is carried out by a kinsman on behalf of a near relative in need.”

In addition, the context of our text shows that Job was feeling unfairly treated by his friends, who had accused him (incorrectly, Job 42:7-9) of wrongdoing, and by God, who had allowed calamity to descend upon him. It is in that situation that Job said the words in our text.

In other words, Job was looking for a redeemer who would give him ‘justice’: a redeemer who would right the wrongs that had befallen him: a redeemer who would examine the case and show that Job was right and that God and Job’s friends were all wrong. Indeed, that is exactly what Job had been arguing from chapter 3.

The point is that, despite the prophetic accuracy of Job’s declaration in our text, Job’s perspective on the role of the Redeemer was wrong. Indeed, God would correct Job’s erroneous perception in chapters 38 to 42.

“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” ~ Habakkuk 3:17-18

The application of this truth comes when we recognize similar tendencies in ourselves. Like Job, when tribulations come into our lives it is easy to feel that God is being unfair. This is especially true for Believers: those who have tried to “do the right thing”: those who have made the difficult choices: those who tried to put God first in their lives.

Consider the family who attends church faithfully, who tithes, who gives to missions, who adopted a disabled child, who never chased after money or material, who had a stay-at-home mom looking after the children’s needs, who had family altar daily. Then the father loses his job and is out of work for more than a year and the family is struggling to get by.

It is easy in that situation to think that God is not fair. And that, though you are powerless now, one day, one day, you hope to be vindicated: one day, you (or your descendants) hope to receive payback.

It is in that sense that Job hoped for a redeemer and it is in that sense that we often see God. We want him to “pay us back” for the wrongs that have been done to us, for the unfairness we have experienced in our lives, that’s the least we deserve. Right??

That struggle has driven many a believer off course.

“What’s the use in trying to do right, when life ‘kicks us in the teeth’ anyway? Why bother to pray??? It’s not going to change anything!”

That was what was so admirable in Job: he never gave up. Though he thought God was unfair, he never gave up. He was looking forward to a meeting with God to plead his case.

Moreover, he recognized that he didn’t have the capacity to argue with God, so he would rely on The Redeemer to plead his case for him. And, in that sense, Job was correct. As Scripture tells us, Jesus spends his time constantly interceding for us.

“Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” ~ Romans 8:34

However, when The Redeemer looked at the case of man versus God, He did not find Job or anyone else guiltless. Rather, mankind was guilty and so far away from God we could never achieve righteousness on our own

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” ~ Isaiah 64:6

Job, despite all his works and his exemplary life (God even boasted about him! Job 1-2) Job was sinful, just like the rest of us.

“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him…” ~ Job 13:15a

Contrary to his expectation, The Redeemer Job hoped for declared him guilty and, as such, deserving death. BUT, here is the Good News, instead of letting Job pay the price, The Redeemer, Jesus Christ our Lord, paid the price for him. The Redeemer died on the cross in Job’s place and, indeed, in our place.

Like Job, we often get caught up in our own righteousness: when things start going against us, we feel that we deserve better, that God is unfair to let bad things happen to us. And we hope that somehow, God would be made to see things our way.

But, therein lies our problem. Like Job, the challenge is not for God to see things our way; rather we need to see things God’s way. And when, because of our human frailties, we can’t see things as God sees them… then we need to trust Him.

Therefore, rather than seeking a redeemer to bring us justice because we think we are right (and God is wrong), we need to seek The Redeemer who brings us mercy because we know God is right (even when we don’t understand).

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…” ~ Matthew 6:13a

An attractive young lady was returning from a church meeting at a late hour. When she stopped at a traffic light, a large “eighteen-wheeler” truck was in the next lane. As the light changed and she pulled away, the large truck “tailgated” her car while blinking its lights and blowing its loud air horn.

She was very frightened and increased her speed as she drove out of the city limits toward the farmhouse where she lived with her parents. The huge truck followed her all the way, blinking its lights and blowing its horn. She turned into a long dirt road that led to her home. The truck followed her as she drove right up to the porch of the house. When she frantically popped open her door to run for the house, the back door of her car suddenly opened and a man with a large knife bolted for the woods.

When she stopped for that light, the truck driver saw the man crouching behind her front seat with a knife in his hand. Realizing that she was going to be attacked as soon as she drove into the country, the truck driver was determined to save her from that tragedy.

Sometimes, our suffering and limitations seem like that eighteen-wheeler bearing down on us. Actually, however, that suffering can be a vehicle of our loving God, purging out of our lives the evil one who is determined to ruin us. This is what our Lord was profiling when He instructed us in the disciple’s prayer to pray that we might be delivered from the evil one.

Can you meet yourself in this story?

Adapted from ‘God’s “Eighteen Wheeler”‘ by Dick Woodward.

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:” ~ 1 Peter 1:18-19

“Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.” ~ 1 Corinthians 7:23

Of the many things we can learn from our text, here are two brief points to ponder:

First, we can’t return something bought with blood. Salvation was bought for us by the precious Blood of Christ: Jesus died to save us.  If someone dies to give you a gift, then you can’t take that gift back to the ‘store’ and ask for the cash value.

Therefore, if we have truly accepted God’s Gift of Salvation, bought by The Blood of The Lamb, then it is ours forever.

Second, If traditions can’t save us, then traditions can’t keep us saved. We don’t gain Salvation by cultural practices: by following traditions.  Therefore, we don’t have to worry about keeping up appearances, we don’t have to do things simply because that is how they were always done.

Our only concern is our relationship with God, through Jesus Christ and how that relationship guides how we treat others.

For example, if we go to church merely out of tradition then it is meaningless. If church attendance doesn’t save us then church attendance won’t keep us saved. If tithing doesn’t save us, then tithing won’t keep us saved. Whatever we do then must be done because of our relationship with God and NOT because of tradition.

Reblogged from :

“Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.” ~ Matthew 5:42

“Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.” ~ Luke 6:30

One of the hallmarks of a Believer is his/her attitude to giving. Our normal, human tendency is to focus on getting/receiving for ourselves, our families and/or our communities. Therefore, we often make decisions based on what we can get out of the outcome. Even in the church, many preachments today center on what we can get from God rather than on what we should give to God.

In contrast, Jesus teaches us to concentrate our efforts on giving. And, in giving, not to be concerned about the qualities of the receiver: “Give to EVERY man that asketh of thee”.

Notice in our text that the qualities of the receiver are not mentioned. Jesus never said give to every ‘good’ man or every ‘worthy’ man or even every ‘poor’ man. And that is because giving is never about the receiver; rather, giving is about the giver.

Giving to others, especially when you don’t have much for yourself, requires faith. As Jesus pointed out, the widow had great faith because she gave out of her poverty, while others just gave out of their wealth (Luke 21:1-5).

Giving, sharing with others the little we have, requires us to depend on God to supply our needs. It means that we have placed our security, our future well being in His hands. It means that we truly believe Him when he says He will take care of all our needs (Matthew 6:9-34).

In addition to our attitude to God, giving also reveals our attitude to our brothers/sisters. Giving shows that we value their well being even more than our own. It is the characteristic sign of selflessness. Giving when we don’t even have much to give means that we are willing to secure someone else’s future before we secure our own; that we will put them in the lifeboat, while we stand on the sinking ship.

There my friends are the real challenges; despite our many excuses the real reasons that we have so much trouble giving is that our faith in God is weak. We are not so sure He will see us through the storms of life, so we accumulate the biggest safety nets our consciences afford us. Likewise, we are often not convinced that our brother/sister deserves to be honored above us. Why should we be concerned enough about his security to risk our own?

So when Jesus challenged us to give freely, He was also challenging us to grow in faith in God and to grow in love for our brethren.

“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” ~ Galatians 6:2

“Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.” ~ Ecclesiastes 11:1

“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” ~ Galatians 6:2
Picture taken from ArtBible

“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;” ~ 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

These words speak as loudly today as they did to the church at Corinth. The fallen nature of man runs counter to the love of God. It is only when we receive the love of God through the shed blood of Jesus that we can even begin to comprehend love.

God’s love is transforming and pure. It is the kind of love that strips itself of its own rights, bends low and washes the feet of those who are to be served. This love, in honor, prefers others before self.

It is patient in all circumstances and doesn’t take offence when slighted either intentionally or unintentionally. Oh, that this kind of love would transform out hearts today!

Let us, the church, demonstrate this kind of love at large.

Love out loud!

Speak loving words followed up with acts of kindness. Let the God kind of love pour out into all our relationships so that the world may know the love of God.

LORD, let Your love be our heart’s song today for Your glory in Christ Jesus, Your love letter sent to us. Amen!

~ by Cindy Stelter Tesar

Mary had the little Lamb, who lived before His birth;
Self-existent Son of God, from Heaven He came to Earth.
(Micah 5:2)

Mary had the little Lamb; see Him in yonder stall –
Virgin-born Son of God, to save man from the Fall.
(Isaiah 7:14)

Mary had the little Lamb, obedient Son of God;
Everywhere the Father led, His feet were sure to trod.
(John 6:38)

Mary had the little Lamb, crucified on the tree
The rejected Son of God, He died to set men free.
(1 Peter 1:18)

Mary had the little Lamb — men placed Him in the grave,
Thinking they were done with Him; to death He was no slave!
(Matthew 28:6)

Mary had the little Lamb, ascended now is He;
All work on Earth is ended, our Advocate to be.
(Hebrews 4:14-16)

Mary had the little Lamb — mystery to behold!
From the Lamb of Calvary, a Lion will unfold.
(Revelation 5:5-6)

When the Day Star comes again, of this be very sure:
It won’t be Lamb-like silence, but with the Lion’s roar.
(Psalm 2:12; Revelation 19:11-16)

~by  Marv & Marbeth Rosenthal

“I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.” ~ Psalms 69:3

As a species, we do not enjoy waiting. The term “waiting room” evokes images of tense, bored, uneasy strangers drinking bad coffee, waiting in silence for some dreaded news. We dislike waiting in lines, waiting for our food to be cooked, waiting for our colds to go away.

In response to this, clever entrepreneurs are forever inventing new ways of reducing our waiting times and pandering to our need for speed: faster internet, faster food, faster cars, faster remedies for ailments of all kinds.

The result: we are more anxious, more busy, and more unhappy with each passing year.

It’s no surprise to me that playing in to our desire for instant gratification leads to no lasting satisfaction, because waiting is invariably a part of the world that God created. In the cold of winter, we have no choice but to wait for spring. The time of harvest can only come after the planting, weeding, and waiting of summer.

Anyone who has ever lost patience and pulled an unripe apple off the tree knows firsthand the price of being too hasty. All things have been appointed a time to begin, a time to grow, and a time to be fruitful. This is an inescapable reality of our world, regardless of how inventive we get with altering our environments or distracting our minds.

“Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.” ~ Psalm 123:2

So when it comes to our minds and hearts, this truth carries still. We were designed with waiting in mind; it is part of the discipline of surrendering our will to His, of trusting Him even when He works outside of our expectations. And because waiting is a part of the world God created, it will inevitably be a part of our relationship with him.

“Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.” ~ Psalm 25:5

The word “wait” is found over a hundred times in the Bible, and the concept of waiting on the Lord is consistently woven into it from Genesis to Revelation. Even when God offers a standing promise, there is invariably a wait of some kind in store before the promise is realized.

• Noah worked on his boat for a century before the rain began to fall.
• Moses had to wander with the faithless Israelites in the desert for 40 years.
• Prophets foretold the coming Messiah for hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth;

…and 2000 years later we are waiting again for His return. The world has no patience for this kind of thing; and even though God’s Word assures us that waiting is part of His plan, it can be hard to stand by while the world races ahead without us.

“Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.” ~ Proverbs 20:22

“And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.” ~ 2 Thessalonians 3:5

But there is something that happens during the waiting that is of inestimable value to God. We learn that He is always with us, even when we can’t see Him; not as a Sunday School maxim, but in a way that is real and meaningful to each individual. We learn that waiting actually won’t kill us, that there is strength and peace and growth during the slow times, though we most often don’t realize this until hindsight lends its perspective.

There is a quality to waiting that is very much a part of God’s nature; and no other method can help us to recognize, appreciate, and cultivate that quality in our own lives.

“And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.” ~ Isaiah 30:18

Another often overlooked quality of waiting is in how it relates to prayer. In church we are taught to pray for our needs and wants. We know that faith is an important factor (Matthew 9:29, 13:58), as well as persistence (Luke 18:4-6), but we’ve all learned that wanting something really badly or asking repetitively is not a sure-fire way of getting what we’ve requested.

What is often not taught these days is that once the prayer has been made, the next step is simply to wait. God may answer “Yes,” or He may answer “No;” but He rarely answers in a hurry.

Sometimes the answer is found in the wait itself; the desire or need may fade or change as you wait on God, and a new provision you could not have anticipated may arise – just in time to meet a need you didn’t know you had! Sometimes it simply takes a while to be sure we are hearing God’s voice.

God promises that He will direct our paths (Proverbs 3:4-6), and He often does so with a quiet voice (I Kings 19:11-13, Isaiah 30:21). How can we hear that voice if we’re so busy clamoring for attention, or distracting ourselves from the problems?

“Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.” ~ Micah 7:7

And then there are the times in life where it seems God is not hearing us. Troubles come, and our ever-loving Father seems nowhere to be found. The pressures and fears of life build and build until we reach our breaking point – and keep on building! We hear no directions, we feel no peace, and our souls grow weary of watching and waiting for a salvation that never reaches us, even when perfect opportunities for release tantalize and taunt us like mirages in the desert.

All of God’s children experience them, to some degree or another. Deserts are the ultimate lesson in waiting, because the waiting is the entire point. No amount of hoping, praying, enduring, or trying on our part will shorten the duration; it will only end when God’s will in us is accomplished. And the purpose of the desert is to take us beyond ourselves, to dry up our every resource and and strength within ourselves, to root out every bit of pride and self-sufficiency until we are left with none but Him.

Our stubbornness in this area cannot be underestimated; when faced with adversity, we will hold on to the hope that we can “get through it” for an unbelievably long time. God is more than willing to wait us out, because He knows we cannot truly grow in Him so long as we are trusting in ourselves. Time for Him is a useful tool through which we learn lessons that cannot be learned effectively otherwise.

“Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.” ~ Psalm 37:34

“I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.
My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.” ~ Psalms 130:5-6

Since waiting is such an essential element of our walk with God, it is no surprise that the Bible is full of the subject. What amazes me is how much encouragement it seeks to instill in us. Over and over we are told that waiting is a good thing, that it is rewarded by a patient Father who sees all we go through and is conscientious enough not to forget our pains and struggles.

He knows we do not like to wait, and He delights in making it a fruitful blessing. He is a master at turning the evil designs of the enemy into an opportunity for eventual victory for His children and glory for Himself. And no one is better at exacting justice than He (Romans 12:19). In all of this, the glory is given to God, not to our own stick-to-it attitude; and we are once again blessed in being the vehicle through which God’s glory is recognized.

Waiting is a wonderful thing!

“For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.” ~ Isaiah 64:4

Nothing impresses me more than the book of Lamentations. To understand the conquering of Jerusalem and the captivity of Israel is not hard to imagine in a post-9/11 world: the degradation and humiliation would be similar to having one’s home nation overrun and decimated by enemies.

The few brief chapters of Lamentations captures the agony of such a defeat, as well as the bitterness of knowing that they are being treated according to their faithlessness towards God.

But, interspersed through the wailing voice of loss, there are passages that remind us of God’s goodness, faithfulness, and patience. While He is not above using a rod to chastise His children, He is also willing and eager to heal and restore. God never allows evil to come into our lives without also planning ahead for the blessing and richness He will restore to us when His purpose is fulfilled. All we have to do is trust; and leave room for waiting.

“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” ~ Psalm 27:14

~ contributed by Joelle Heilemann

Other references in regards to waiting:

Genesis 49:18; Psalm 25:3; Psalm 25:5; Psalm 25:21; Psalm 33:20; Psalm 37:7; Psalm 37:9; Psalm 37:34; Psalm 39:7; Psalm 40:1; Psalm 52:9; Psalm 59:9; Psalm 62:1; Psalm 62:5; Psalm 69:3; Psalm 104:27; Psalm 130:5-6; Proverbs 20:22; Proverbs 27:18; Isaiah 8:17; Isaiah 26:8; Isaiah 33:2; Isaiah 40:31; Isaiah 49:23; Hosea 12:6; Habakkuk 2:3; Zephaniah 3:8; Luke 8:40; Luke 12:36; Acts 1:4; Romans 8:19; Romans 8:23; Romans 8:25; Romans 12:7; 1 Corinthians 1:7; Galatians 5:5; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 2 Thessalonians 3:5; James 5:7

Put them all together, they spell “MOTHER”… A word that means the world to me.

~Anonymous

“Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.” ~ Proverbs 31:10, 27-28