“Therefore He says: ‘When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.’”

— Ephesians 4:8

What does the phrase “He led captivity captive” mean? It may seem like a puzzle, but it’s not as confusing as it seems. Let me explain.

Before Christ came, all who died went to a place called, in the Hebrew, “Sheol.” Some people believe there were two compartments in Sheol, one for the wicked, and one for the righteous, but the Bible simply says that everybody went there. In this shadowy land controlled by Satan and his demons, believers waited for the Messiah to come set them free. After His crucifixion, before He ascended into Heaven, Jesus went to Sheol and rescued from the bonds of eternal death and torment all the saints of the Old Testament (those who had trusted in the promised Anointed One). Jesus led His beloved saints triumphantly to Heaven. This triumphant procession was the greatest victory march of all times, greater than any this world will ever see.

Because Jesus “led captivity captive,” we as Christians are all winners. We can partake in His victory and in the spoils of the spiritual war that rages all around us. However, in order to partake, we must first totally surrender our lives to Christ. We can’t hang onto control of our own lives. When British General Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington, he came dressed in his finest uniform and began to praise the American’s skill as a commander and military tactician. He continued in this way until Washington interrupted him and said, “Your sword, sir!” You see, Cornwallis hadn’t fully surrendered until he handed over his weapon. In the same way, we will not experience spiritual victory until first we have been conquered by Christ and have surrendered our lives to Him. Then by faith we can enter into that triumph as we identify ourselves with Him. By faith we can know that He has already won the victory. Since He turns our defeats into triumphs and works all things together for our good, we know we can face today with confidence in Him, come what may. Jesus is the ultimate “Commander in Chief.”

Is there anything that stands in the way of your complete devotion to Christ? If there is, I encourage you to surrender it to God right now. Don’t waste one minute before you start enjoying the spoils of your victory in Christ.

“If you are a Christian, God guarantees
that you are to be a winner.”

“… One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”

— John 9:25

In nineteenth-century England, a nonbeliever once taunted a Christian who was a converted drunkard. The nonbeliever sneered, “Surely you don’t believe those Bible miracles, such as Christ turning water into wine.” The ex-drunkard replied, “If you think that’s a miracle, come to my home, and I’ll show you how Christ changed beer into carpets, chairs, and even a piano!” Christ had come to dwell in the heart of that converted drunkard and had transformed his inward life as well as his outward circumstances. As the Bible says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Have you allowed Jesus Christ to transform your life?

Jesus Christ is in the business of changing lives. He has done it throughout the centuries and continues to do it in our own day. And all of those changed by Him can echo what the blind man said when Christ gave him eyesight for the first time in his life: “One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”

I often express this transforming power in economic terms: Jesus Christ changes many societal liabilities into societal assets. Many who, earlier in their lives, seemed to have nothing to offer have become great spiritual leaders. The Church couldn’t exist without people whose hearts Jesus Christ has transformed.

Have you been changed by receiving Christ’s lovingly offered gift of eternal life? If not, I urge you to give your life to Him today and watch Him change you for the good from the inside out.

“I wish that there were some wonderful place called the Land
of Beginning Again, Where all our mistakes and all our
heartaches and all of our poor selfish grief could be dropped
like a shabby old coat at the door, and never be put on again.”
Louise Fletcher Tarkington

“The God of Israel said … ‘He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.’”

— 2 Samuel 23:3

Have you ever heard the statement “Christians shouldn’t impose their morality on the rest of us”? Many seem to feel this way, opposing any kind of law or ordinance that might support Christianity. I was in the Senate many years ago when someone introduced legislation designed to protect the integrity of the family. The author of the bill had based each of the various articles on some moral view of what the family should be. Some people viciously attacked this bill because it was contrary to their own legislation that in the end would cause further disintegration of the family. From this example, we see that some morality concerning the family, as in everything else, will be legislated. So the question comes down to this: Whose morality will we write into law: God’s or humanity’s? Will we legislate a Christian nation—a nation under God—or a humanist nation—a nation under people?

The frightening thing about a humanist state is that in creating legislation, people have nothing to appeal to beyond humans themselves. The founders of this country said that people have been created equal and have been endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. Therefore, the state doesn’t give us our rights, extending or withholding them as it pleases, but rather God has given them to us. We have an appeal beyond people, beyond the state, to God Himself. Many people have lost sight of the fact that our absolute God said, “By Me kings reign,” and that Jesus Christ is the King of kings and Lord of lords. The whole world is His kingdom, and He is sovereign over all.

Do you long for our nation to once again submit to God’s morality? If so, will you join me in prayer and in action to restore this great land as one nation under God?

“The issue is not whether or not someone
will impose his morality on legislation. The
question is whose morality will he impose?”

“And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church.”

— Ephesians 1:22

Have you ever wondered if you should always obey the laws of our government? This is an important question because the government influences almost every aspect of our lives. To help us answer this question, the Bible delineates a few principles.

Principle number one: The Triune God is sovereign over the whole universe. He is sovereign over every area of life, not just the Church. This includes the government.

Principle number two: The ultimate source of authority is not in the government or in the people; it’s in God. God has set government in place to enact and execute the laws He has given us in His Word—the moral laws of God, which He has written on our hearts. The authority of the government comes from God, and the government must answer to God.

Principle number three: The government has limited authority and power. The government does not encompass all things. We have other spheres that influence our lives: family, church, education, art, and science. Each of these spheres has its own authority and responsibility, and we must work out our lives freely in the various spheres in which we live. This means that if anyone in any sphere of activity oversteps his or her authority, the Christian has the obligation to disobey. If the government commands the Christian to do something contrary to the clear teaching of God’s Word, then the Christian must obey God and not humans. For example, some governments have forbidden Christians to pray, worship God, and witness. Clearly, these governments have created laws contrary to God’s commandments.

Are you willing to stand up for God’s laws when they conflict with those of your government? Ask God to give you wisdom as a citizen and the courage to obey His Word despite any governmental opposition.

“It is no more possible for man to build a political state without
the help of God than it was for the builders of Babel.”
Benjamin Franklin

“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.”

— Romans 13:1-5

Do you ever listen to the news and find it hard to believe that God has ordained all governments? Whatever our opinions about governments around the world, the Bible tells us that God has appointed all governing authorities and we must submit to them.

The Bible teaches three truths about government that our founding fathers clearly understood, but which today have been blurred and obscured. If we understand these truths, we will place government in its appropriate place as God has ordained. The first truth is this: Government is under God and separate from the Church. The early founders knew nothing about a secular state (except for one caused by the ghastly French Revolution). They knew only about a nation under God. They knew that God Himself is above government, and that God, not the government, grants us our rights. The second truth is this: The purpose of government is justice. God has commissioned governments to legislate and administer laws for fairness among the people. Today the government has departed from this concept and attempts to practice benevolence. Governmental benevolence is incredibly wasteful, ineffectual, and harmful. The third truth is this: Government is a terror to evil works and not to good. God has ordained governments to punish evil deeds. Unfortunately, today we often see that, because humankind is basically sinful, government is becoming a terror to good works as well. We see the government beginning to direct oppressive tendencies toward the Church and its schools.

The government is a fearful master, but God is a faithful master. Today pray for those who run your local, state, and national governments; pray that God will use them for His glory and His will.

“Government is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.”
George Washington

… Unlike those high priests, He does not need to offer daily sacrifices—first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for He did this once for all when He offered up Himself.

— Hebrews 7:27

There were priests in the Old Testament, but now Christ, our great High Priest has come. He completed the work that they could only begin.

With a priest and an altar you have something else: you have a sacrifice. For hundreds of years, at God’s instruction, the ancient Hebrew priests offered sacrifices with many specific guidelines. There were daily sacrifices and specific annual offerings. They may have “forgiven” sins temporarily, but never permanently.

All of these sacrifices foreshadowed the once and for all sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross. What He did is the basis for all forgiveness. His blood was much more precious than that of bulls and goats.

Read Hebrews 9-11 and you will notice that one word appears over and over and over again. It is a word that I recommend you underline. It is “once” or “one.” By one sacrifice Christ has forever reconciled us to God. There was only one sacrifice, and it took place upon the Cross 2,000 years ago. On that finished sacrifice all of our hopes are founded.

Question to ponder:
What does it mean that our High Priest offered Himself up “once for all”?

… weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

— Psalm 30:5

Sorrow, sadness, and weeping are all part of this life. None of us are untouched by the troubles of the world. But these are temporary—whereas joy, for the Christian, is everlasting. 

One time at a speaking engagement in Indianapolis, a man came up to me and said, “I was down in Ft. Lauderdale on vacation, and I met a lady in your church who shared with me those good tidings of great joy.” She had told him of the Gospel and he had accepted Christ. He continued: “You certainly cannot know, you cannot imagine the indescribable joy I have known for the last year since I came to know Christ. I never would have believed it.”

It is never recorded once that Jesus ever laughed, and yet the night before He went to the agony of the Cross, He said, “I have spoken these to you, that My joy may remain in you” (John 15:11). He came from the source of all joy—from Heaven—and He came to bring that joy to us. He took all of our sorrows and our griefs upon Himself, and thus, though He never laughed that we know of, He did weep. And He wept, so that we might be glad.

Question to ponder:
What difference does it make that sadness is temporary?

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

— Matthew 5:3

To be poor in spirit is to recognize that you are spiritually needy. It is to see that in ourselves we are poor and in need of a savior.

Christ came—not with pomp and circumstance, not with royal splendor, not with power, not with armies, but into a family with a great lineage: however, one that had fallen into poverty. He grew up in the home of a carpenter. He grew up in a city that was a byword: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46 NKJV).

He grew up with no education, and yet He was the wisest person who ever lived. He grew up, astonishingly, with no background. He exited that town, which was nothing, walked up on a hill, and there delivered the greatest discourse on human ethics the world has ever heard—the Sermon on the Mount. It has never been equaled and certainly never excelled.

The humble carpenter spread His blessings all over the world and taught us that humility is a virtue.

Question to ponder:
What is the relationship between having spiritual riches and being poor in spirit?

They feared greatly and said to one another, “What kind of Man is He, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

— Mark 4:41

We see something of the Deity of Christ and His uniqueness in the fact that He never bothered to trouble Himself to explain His frequently ambiguous conduct. For example, Jesus was asleep in the back of a boat in the midst of a great storm. Waves were breaking over the sides of the boat and the disciples were paralyzed with fear. They cried, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38).

“Well, I’m sorry fellows. If you had only awakened me earlier, I would have tried to help, but you see, it’s been such a long day and I was so tired. I just had to get some rest.”

No. He didn’t say anything like that. He simply said, “Peace, be still.” The waves ceased and the wind stopped. That is not the way any other man lives his life.

Jesus can calm the storms of our lives. The wind and the waves still obey His voice. He still calms storms.

Question to ponder:
What storm are you possibly experiencing in your life that you need to take to Jesus to calm?