Blog Archives

Recognize & Reject

6/30/2018

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS
Terry R. Baughman

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world” (1 Peter 5:8-9).

Everyone needs a little R&R. Usually that means “rest and relaxation,” a break from the busy routine of life. It is an occasion to unwind, destress, and do something fun while you escape the normal demands of vocational responsibilities. It is essential for future productivity to take these times of refreshing so that we may more effectively fulfill our normal obligations.

As we focus on Strategies for Success, the R&R will take on new significance. Our first R&R is Recognize and Reject. In each session we will identify a new R&R strategy for facing our challenges, new faith for a successful outcome, and a new tactical plan for victory when engaging in spiritual warfare. This R&R will leave us recharged, re-energized, and renewed in the Spirit to see with new insight the future God has in mind for us!

Sometimes we must step back to see the bigger picture of the challenges we are facing. When we see the broad attack of the enemy against all representation of righteousness then we recognize that we are not alone in this battle. Our myopic view may cause us to feel overwhelmed, singled out, and isolated in our personal fight against depression, defeat, and the devil himself. However, it is in those moments we must reject the feeling of failure, recognize who is fighting for us, and embrace the promises of God that guarantee our successful resistance against the enemy. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

Recognize the source of our opposition. Identify the enemy of our souls as the source of the insidious attacks against our homes, our families, and the church. The enemy is the devil and he will always be the enemy. He worms his way into our homes, seeking to bring contention, bitterness, and conflict in our families, driving us apart from one another and from God. He stirs up negative feelings in the community of faith and drives a wedge of resentment between us.
Recognize what the enemy is doing and reject his authority over you! Reject the very idea that we are overwhelmed, outmatched, and overpowered. Remember, God is on our side!

James said, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). As we submit to God and seek Him, we are empowered to reject and resist the enemy and all of his devices. We are equipped for battle and the victory is ours.
Paul declared, “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4–5). Recognize that we are equipped with the defenses we require to resist the enemy of our souls.

Recognize that we are in a battle and the opposition is real, but reject the very thought of surrender. We were created for success and we are equipped for victory. In outlining the armor of God and its armament for spiritual warfare, Paul encouraged, “taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one” (Ephesians 6:16).

Recognize the source of our power, reject the intimidation of the devil, and believe that we are able to deflect every flaming arrow that comes our way!

Scripture:
“For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8).

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God’s Promise

6/24/2018

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A FUTURE & A HOPE
Terry R. Baughman

“I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive” (Jeremiah 29:14).

God’s promise is to all who will return to Him. While the words of a prophet were not always welcome news or encouraging to hear, these verses from Jeremiah evoke great hope and tremendous encouragement. After years of exile, the captives were given a solemn word from the Lord, “I have a plan for you” (29:10), “I am thinking good thoughts about you and will give you a future and a hope” (29:11), “I will answer you when you pray” (29:12–13), and, “I will bring you back from your captivity” (29:14). The assurance is that when we call He will answer. When we seek He will be found.

How incredibly awesome it must have been to be living near the end of the predicted years of judgment and see deliverance and restoration gleaming on the horizon. After an entire generation had passed living in a prison camp, contributing menial labor, and counting endless days, it had to be almost unbelievable that they would soon see an end of their subjugation and relief from their oppression.

God looks beyond our present situation and sees the ultimate resolution. He is thinking about us and planning for our future. He is attentive to our prayer and responsive to our heart’s cry. His Word is filled with promises and they are conditional but irrevocable. In another situation the Lord promised, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Not only are God’s promises made to Israel, Judah, kings, and prophets, they are given throughout the Scripture and extended to all people and all generations. The prophecy of Joel that was initially given to the nation of Israel was ultimately inclusive when God promised, “I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days” (Joel 2:28–29).

We have promises from God. They are settled; they are dependable. The Psalmist said, “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness endures to all generations” (Psalm 119:89–90). Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Matthew 24:35). His Word is the final word.

Paul declared, “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us” (2 Corinthians 1:20). We rest assured in His promises.

Jesus gave the same assurance in the Gospels that the prophet gave to the exiles. He said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). In our time of need He will be present; in our pursuit of God we will find Him accessible. The writer of Hebrews recalled the promise, “He Himself has said,’I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5).

God has given His Word and He will never violate His covenant or His promises. You can trust in Him. Believe in God’s promises!

Scripture:
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

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God’s Answer

6/17/2018

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A FUTURE & A HOPE
Terry R. Baughman

“Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart”
(Jeremiah 29:12–13).

The assurance of an answer is perhaps the greatest inspiration to faith imaginable. The phrase, “All you have to do is call … I will answer,” inspires confidence that we are not alone and help is near whenever it is needed.

God gave such an assurance to the nation in exile. Through the prophet, Jeremiah, God gave His word to an errant nation that had been judged for their unfaithfulness. An ever-faithful God not only had a future plan and favorable thoughts toward the Jews in exile, He was ready to hear their desperate call, answer their prayers, and be available and accessible when they sought Him.

Our failures and our rebellion against God never surprises Him or catches Him off guard. Omnipresent, He knows the end from the beginning. The prediction of the failure of His chosen people was recorded long before the people of Judah were taken into Babylonian Exile. Moses recorded the warning and the prophecy centuries earlier in the Book of Deuteronomy. In response to the idolatry of His people in the Promised Land certain judgment would be executed. Moses wrote, “And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you. And there you will serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell” (Deuteronomy 4:27–28).

After the predicted judgment there was also foreknowledge of their response and outcome, “But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. … When you turn to the Lord your God and obey His voice (for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them” (Deuteronomy 4:29–31).

It was vital for the people of Israel to remember the Covenant of the Lord and the conditions of His promises. Upon the passing of Moses, Joshua received the assurance of God’s continued presence, “And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8). The continuation of godly leadership and obedience to God’s commandments gave confidence of His continual connection with His people and guaranteed the fulfillment of His promises.

When the people forsook the commandments, violated the covenant, and rejected spiritual leadership they learned more about the integrity of their God and His continued faithfulness to the Covenant. The character of God is revealed in His treatment of those who spurned His love and rejected His plan. While He may bring judgment to those in rebellion there is always grace offered to those who will turn from their rejection and begin to seek God. To the one who turns to God for refuge and strength the Psalmist offered assurance, “He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him” (Psalm 91:15).

The prophet Isaiah declared a time when the answer comes before we even ask. He prophesied, “It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24). God is so anxious to reach out to us that He moves toward us while we are still trying to frame the words of a prayer and gather the strength to call out for help. He is ever present to respond to our need. The writer of Hebrews reminded us of God’s promise, “He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5).

Remember His promise, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3). Rest assured, God answers!

Scripture:
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

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God’s Thoughts

6/9/2018

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A FUTURE & A HOPE
Terry R. Baughman

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

What does God think? We typically see God as a mover, one who acts, creates, and speaks. We may not see God as one who thinks.

Scripture reveals that God has thoughts. He has specific thoughts about His created beings. He revealed His thoughts toward Israel in captivity and spoke of His favorable thoughts toward them. He plans to bring them peace, deliverance from judgment, and hope for the future. Having experienced the judgment of God which took them from their homeland into a distant land of servitude, this must have been a real revelation. Not only that God was thinking about them, but that His thoughts were positive and He was planning for their deliverance and restoration.

The Psalmist proclaimed, “O Lord, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep” (Psalm 92:5). The fact that God thinks and that He has “very deep” thoughts speaks of the character of God. He is not impulsive and reactionary. He does not just respond, but rather He has reflected on all events, the end from the beginning. Because nothing is hidden from Him, He is able to bring all the motives, actions, and intentions into the equation of His thoughts concerning any given situation.

God’s thoughts are beyond comprehension. It is impossible for us to fully understand the process of His thinking or the rationale of His Sovereignty. The prophet revealed the reason for this, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). Paul concurred when he said, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?’” (Romans 11:33–34). When we try to explain the thought processes of God we will fail. When we second guess God’s ways and critique His actions we become fools.

God is the source of all wisdom and knowledge. It should be no surprise that He would also excel in thoughts and plans. God will only reveal what He plans to reveal. He will only declare those things He chooses. Mark wrote, “For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light” (Mark 4:22). In spite of our best efforts to maintain privacy and protect secrecy there is one who knows it all before it happens. Luke declared, “For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops” (Luke 12:2–3).

People, in their foolishness, think they can hide things from God and protect the confidentiality of those who are complicit in their crimes. Though they may escape the penalty of the law and avoid detection by earthly authorities, there is a God in heaven who sees all and who knows all. Paul wrote, “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God” (1 Corinthians 4:5).

May God’s thoughts be toward you as they were to Israel. After our judgment may He grant us peace and give us a future filled with hope!

Scripture:
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

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God's Plan

6/2/2018

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A FUTURE & A HOPE
Terry R. Baughman

“After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place” (Jeremiah 29:10).

The tragic story of judgment is revealed on the nation of Israel throughout much of the Old Testament. It’s the sad tale of people who rejected God’s desire to make them a great nation with a chosen identity who lived in covenant with Him and enjoyed the blessings of a benevolent God. Rather, they became a rebellious nation and committed many defiant acts against the covenant God had given them. They embraces many pagan deities and violated the commandments that ensured their success and assured the blessings of favor. After many years of theocratic rejection and their willful indulgence of idolatry, judgment began to be unfolded in precise fulfillment of the prophets who warned them of the retribution of God that was forthcoming.

Through numerous battles and the prevailing opposition of surrounding nations, they became weaker against their attackers and succumbed to the victorious nations of oppression. Eventually, the Northern Kingdom of Israel was overpowered by the Assyrians and multitudes were displaced and driven to distant lands where there would be no threat of their ability to mount an offensive action.

Ultimately, the city of Jerusalem fell to the new world power centered in Babylon as they became the dominant force of the known world. Thousands died as cities were overpowered and walls of their fortress were burned. Multitudes of the living were driven from their homeland to live their lives in internment camps in foreign places. Most would never return to rebuild their homes and lives in the land of Judah.

It was in this most distressing time of judgment that God moved on the heart of a prophet to pen a letter of intent. Jeremiah spoke the words that God gave him concerning His plan for Israel and God’s purpose to restore the nation to its former glory. The length of judgment was determined, seventy years, and the timeline of restoration was drawn. Even though some would not live long enough to see the blessing of God’s favor, there would be a generation to come who would experience the fulfillment of God’s plan. There was an end in sight. After seventy years God would again move in their situation to remove them from a distant land and bring them back to the place of their inheritance.

While the people of Judah were servants in Babylon, God was charting their days and planning their future. In the midst of judgment God was planning blessing. In the time of the Exile, God was designing deliverance. While God’s people were captives in a strange land, God was preparing spiritual reformation and national restoration.

Much like we might sit down with our computers, notes and maps to plan out a road trip and the sights and stops along the way, God was planning their future and dreaming of better days to come. God’s plan for us is much the same. He sees the paths we have taken in life and knows the distant drama we have experienced. Just as He saw the prodigal son in the pigpen, He also saw the road that would bring him home and the loving father that was waiting at the end of the way. God seeks us when we are away from Him and, more importantly, He sees the way we will take on our way home.

God thinks of you and sees beyond the pain of punishment to the peace of repentance. His forgiveness is already prepared and His abundant mercy is already secured. He is planning our restoration party and has such high expectations for our future. It is filled with hope!

Though the years of rebellion are long and the distance from Him seems great, receive God’s prophetic letter as you receive this message today. God has a plan for you, and You are in His plan!

Scripture:
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

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Recognize & Reject

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