“You are cursed with a curse, your whole nation, for you are robbing Me.”

— Malachi 3:9

Some people avoid church because they think it’s all about money. But it is really more about the concept of stewardship. The first principle of stewardship is very simply stated by the psalmist: “The earth belongs to the Lord, and its fullness, the world, and those who dwell in it” (Psalm 24:1). It all belongs to God. He created it, and He allows us to use it. We are mere stewards of these resources. He blesses us with good seasons and rain and all of the things that are needful. However, He does say one thing: we are to return a tenth of that to Him, just as a test of our faith and obedience to Him.

This brings us to the second principle of stewardship, namely, that the tithe belongs to the Lord. It is His, He claims it, and therefore if we do not return it, we are, He says, robbing Him. “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings” (Malachi 3:8).

It is not ours. One writer says, “When we keep it, it is simply an act of theft. We may have put it in our bank account…we may have a new car that we have driven in to church, we may be watching football games on a new TV, but it is not ours.” At minimum, give to the Lord ten percent of what you have, and watch how He blesses you for it.

Dear God, give us the strength today to set aside that which is Yours. Forgive us for any stinginess on our part. Please, make us generous, as You are generous…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN
GIVE FREELY AND GENEROUSLY.

“Listen, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son and shall call His name JESUS.”

— Luke 1:31

The church calendar begins the first Sunday of December, which marks the beginning of the Advent season. Advent comes from Latin and simply means “coming.” Jesus came into the world the first time that first Christmas some 2000 years ago.

We remember that the entire Advent season climaxes on December 25, when the Western church (Protestant and Catholic) celebrate His birth. The Eastern church (Orthodox, Coptic, etc.) celebrate His birth on January 6, along with the coming of the wise men. A church council to reconcile these two dates came up with the notion of the 12 Days of Christmas. Regardless of the particular day celebrated, what counts is that we remember Christ’s coming into the world. In one sense, we could celebrate Christmas every day of the year because every day we should celebrate the salvation the Savior has brought to us.

Advent and the whole Christmas season is marked by light. Lots of lights. Why is that? Because suddenly into the darkness of the world of woe there shone a great light, as the Son of God first manifested His light and His glory. Incredible! Jesus is the Light of the World, and wherever He has gone He has brought His light. He has enlightened the minds of countless millions of people. The Bible tells us that God is light, and Jesus is God the Son, and so He brought that light of heaven with Him into this world.

Lord Jesus, Light of the World, shine in our darkness. Help us this Advent season to prepare properly for Your coming again. Renew our hearts with Your light and peace…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN SHINE
OUR LIGHT IN THIS DARK WORLD.

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!”

— Psalm 133:1

I remember when I was newly converted I was invited by a friend to attend a country church. As I pulled up in front of the church, I could see that there was a big conflict brewing between the church members outside. There was a man at the front of one group and another man in front of the other group, and they were yelling at each other. I had no idea what they were talking about.

Here I am, six or eight weeks old in the Lord, and I’ve been invited to learn about Christianity from my friend, and they are just about to go at it with fisticuffs, and I thought any moment this is going to turn into a huge brawl. I was so astonished, and I remember wondering is this what Christianity is all about?

I remember how repulsed I was by that, and I thank God for His persevering grace that held on to me in spite of that. Of course, that’s no excuse for us to us to say something like, “If so and so is a Christian, I don’t want to have any part of Christianity.” That’s like saying, “If he’s going to go to hell, then I’m going to go to hell too.”

Problems of pride and desire for preeminence often cause Christians to not act Christianly sometimes toward each other. How pleasant it is when Christians work well together in unity.

Lord, give us strength to live at peace with all men, especially our fellow Christians. Forgive us for the pride in our hearts that too often prevents us from getting along with our fellow believers…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN EXPERIENCE
UNITY IN THE BODY OF CHRIST.

“My brothers, not many of you should become teachers, knowing that we shall receive the greater judgment.”

— James 3:1

Some of the liberal denominations have taken the resurrection of Jesus away from their statements of faith (if they have one), and their churches are withering away—for their congregations instinctively know that there is nothing there but froth, and they will not tolerate being deceived. If Christ was not bodily raised from the dead in human history, Christianity would cease to exist.

Over time, these liberal churches are dying. Their seminaries turn out ministers who do not believe the Bible—they do not believe Jesus is divine, that He died for our sins, and, as noted, that He rose from the dead. One could ask why they are even in the ministry, but they will have to answer that for themselves. They should beware of what James says, that teachers will incur stricter judgment.

Sometimes, the person in the pew in these churches actually does believe. But the leadership does not believe the things of Christ. This is a blight upon the church at large. These churches, once in the main line, are beginning to fade away.

A survey from about twenty years ago showed that by the middle of the next century, there will be two great religious forces in America and far and away the largest one, will be evangelical Christianity. Alister E. McGrath writes, “In a 1990 survey of the 500 fastest growing Protestant congregations in the U.S., 89 percent were found to be evangelical.” That trend continues. The other force will be Roman Catholicism—maybe a third or a half that size.

Lord, give us strength to stand against false teaching and hold fast Your Word. Thank You for preserving Your church all these centuries, even when there are Pharisees and Sadducees in our midst…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN EMBRACE THE
FAITH ONCE AND FOR ALL HANDED TO THE SAINTS.

“In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

— 1 Thessalonians 5:18

“In the Name of God” begins the “birth certificate of America,” as it is called. The Mayflower Compact was the first step leading to the creation of the Constitution.

Every Thanksgiving we have an annual holiday reminding us to give thanks to God, just as the Pilgrims did in their long physical and spiritual journey.

“In the Name of God” is where America began, and I trust that today, though they have been long dead, the Pilgrims may still speak to us through this national holiday that we might learn something of those grand ideals, those spiritual truths, that so gripped their lives and so changed the world. Though their voice has oft been silenced by the cacophony of secular voices in our time, I think Thanksgiving should be a time to take a few minutes to thank God for His many blessings. That would include our fathers and mothers who brought forth this good land.

The Pilgrims based their colony on the Bible. They were fair in their dealings with all. They began as a church in England, where there was no religious freedom, so they moved to Holland, where there was toleration. Eventually, they came to America to worship Jesus according to the dictates of their consciences.

The Pilgrims dealt with unbelievably difficult circumstances. Half their number died that first winter, but through it all they thanked God. They provide a model of giving thanks to God in all circumstances.

Lord God, we do give thanks to You for all Your blessings. Give us Your strength in hard times to continue to give thanks and praise to You. Help us to honor this holy day by true thanksgiving to You…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN THANK
HIM EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR.

“…and the same horn was warring with the saints and prevailing against them”

— Daniel 7:21

In Daniel 7, the prophet, who lived about 500 years before Christ, had a vision in which he foresaw one pagan kingdom after another arise. They were like beasts. The final one, believed by most commentators to be the Roman Empire, was a fierce persecuting beast. It waged war against the saints, and for a time it prevailed against them, and Rome provided a picture of what was to come.

The great persecutions that have come to the Christian church down through the centuries have come from government. One government after another, from Egypt to Assyria to Babylonia to the Roman Empire to the time of Hitler to the Soviets, all have fought against the saints of God.

Remember that the saints in the early times of this era had to face the actual beasts in the Coliseum. In America, I think initially we had a government that looked upward to God. But more and more progressively, because of the sinfulness of Christians, because of our unwillingness to witness for Jesus Christ and get involved in the culture, we are seeing more and more discrimination against things Christian. If you are truly a Christian, then expect anti-Christian persecution. Jesus said that if they persecuted Him, the Master, how much more will they persecute us, His followers? But we can rejoice because one day, in His sovereignty, He will show us why He allowed it all.

Lord, give us strength today to face any persecution for Your name’s sake. Strengthen our faith so that we will persevere to the end and receive the Crown of Life. Let us be faithful in prayer for all who suffer for Your sake…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE ARE MORE CONCERNED
WITH GOD’S APPROVAL, NOT MAN’S.

“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of His dear Son.”

— Colossians 1:13

There are those whose theology does not allow them to admit that Jesus Christ has a kingdom today. They believe that His kingdom is not to be established until He returns a second time. Therefore, they cannot allow that the stone cut out without hands landed upon the Roman Empire (in Daniel 2:34-35), and that it depicted Christ coming to establish His kingdom. They cannot allow that it is a picture of Christ coming to establish His kingdom in the midst of the Roman Empire, and which brought down the empire. They have to see it as something in the future.

Now they give a number of theological reasons for their views, but none of them allow that Christ already has a kingdom. In fact, I have heard people refer to Christ as our Prophet, Priest and soon coming King. But according to the Reformers and the Reformed churches in general, He is King.

So does Jesus Christ have a kingdom today? That is a question worth asking. When Paul wrote the sentence above to the Colossians, it says that He transferred us—past tense. It is an accomplished fact. We have been translated/transferred into the kingdom of His dear Son. I am thoroughly convinced that Jesus Christ is presently a King, that His kingdom is already established. Of course, the day is yet to come, when the world will see the fullness of His kingdom. Regardless of our theological differences, there is no doubt that it is Jesus who is the King of kings and Lord of lords and no one else.

Our Father in heaven, give us strength and wisdom today to read Your Word correctly. Thank You that You are a king, Lord Jesus—not only a king, but the King of kings—the eternal King of Your kingdom in which You have placed us. Thank You that You have set us in Your kingdom of light…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE HAIL
AND HONOR CHRIST THE KING.

“After this I saw in the visions at night a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and exceedingly strong. And it had great iron teeth. It devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the rest with its feet. And it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.”

— Daniel 7:7

Hundreds of years before it arose, Daniel foresaw the Roman Empire. The same ten horns in this verse are like the ten toes of the image described in Daniel 2, believed to represent ten rulers of the Roman Empire.

This beast (verse 7) is not given a name. It is more dreadful than any of the previous beasts and is exceedingly strong with great iron teeth. The beast devoured and broke in pieces and stamped the residue with its feet. It was different from all of the rest.

When Rome came onto the scene, it was a republic, which made it different from all of the monarchies that had come before until finally Caesar Augustus made himself emperor.

I don’t know that we can be dogmatic about our interpretation here. But I believe we see here a prediction of the long war against God that took place during the Roman Empire. Their rulers blasphemed greatly and had themselves called gods. They waged war against the saints. But eventually, God judged the wicked empire and toppled it. Also, Rome was a picture of the war against God that was to come. Though His kingdom has many enemies, even today, they are destined to fail.

Sovereign Lord, grant us the strength today to see clearly Your work in history. Help us to understand how the rulers and kingdoms of this world topple and fade away, while Your kingdom is eternal. Let us fear You alone and no earthly ruler, no matter how powerful they may become…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE RECOGNIZE
HE IS SOVEREIGN OVER HISTORY.

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost…”

— Titus 3:5, kjv

This world does not operate on grace; it operates on the basis of merit, on the basis of justice. Quid pro quo, this for that; you do this, you get that. That is the way the entire world operates—on the basis of justice or equity.

Early in my ministry, I went to preach in a jail, and a man snapped at me that all he demanded was justice. I said if he got justice, the floor would open up and send him to hell.

What we need is mercy, not justice.

Consider the trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, the famous couple accused of being Soviet spies who gave away our atomic secrets. They were convicted for espionage by the jury and were sentenced to death. Their lawyers said to Judge Kaufman, “Your honor, all my clients ask for is justice.”

Judge Kaufman replied, “What your clients have asked for, this court has given them. What you really mean, is what they want is mercy, and that, this court is not empowered to give.”

But that is precisely what our God—the Judge of all of the earth—is able to do: grant us mercy. That is the wondrous news of the Gospel.

While none of us is perfect, and none of us has lived up to God’s standard, and all of us have fallen short, Jesus Christ came to do what we are unable to do. In His mercy, He saved us by His blood.

Lord, thank You for Your mercy and grace, which alone saves us through faith in You. Forgive us when we presume on Your mercy. Thank You, Jesus, for paying a debt You did not owe at a price that we could never pay…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE
CAN RELY ON GOD’S MERCY.

“Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me.”

— Acts 22:6

Consider the resurrection of Jesus in the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, who became Paul, the apostle. By seeing the risen Christ, Saul knew in an instant, Christianity was true after all.

In that instant on the road to Damascus, the whole world of Saul, the Pharisee, was changed. He had believed quite emphatically that with the ignominious death of Jesus the “Imposter” upon a cross, the true God had conquered, and the end of that life was sealed forever. He believed that Jesus was exposed for the fraud that He was, and God had put His seal upon the truth of the religion of the Jews.

Now, suddenly, everything was turned topsy-turvy. God had obviously raised Jesus from the dead, for He was alive and He was glorified. He was evidently the Son of God as He had said, raised from the dead. He was, indeed, the Living Messiah, as He had claimed. Paul’s world was completely changed. In that brief moment the life of Saul was transformed. Now he knew the truth.

Paul had believed, like so many persecutors of the church, that he was doing God a favor. He believed that the Christians were wrong and that he was doing God’s will. Then Jesus revealed Himself, and in an instant Saul realized he was wrong. The resurrection of Christ changes everything.

Lord Jesus, we praise You that although You died for the sake of our trespasses and sins, You were made alive by Your Father. We praise You that in an instant You can change the hearts of even the most antagonistic of souls…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN SEE LIFE
THROUGH THE GRID OF THE RESURRECTION.