“The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. “(Psalms 19:1)

The superscript of this psalm ascribes it to David.  I am sure this shepherd boy had many opportunities to gaze into the heavens and marvel at God’s creation.  Psalm 19 may be divided into two sections:  1) the greatness of God’s physical creation (vs. 1-6), 2) the greatness of God’s Word (vs. 7-14).  Consider with me some points from the first section of this psalm.  

Notice in verses 1-3 such words as “declare”, and “speech”.  David is telling us in figurative language, the stars are shouting a message!  If we wish to know what God is like, David says look to the heavens!  

The vastness and marvelous design of the cosmos never ceases to amaze me.  Since early boyhood I have been intrigued by manned space travel.  I remember when man first landed on the moon.  I recently read that plans are being made to send a man to Mars.  Mars, at its closest point is 46 million miles from the earth!  Yet, if man travels to this planet, he will have only penetrated a tiny fraction of space.  There are one hundred billion stars in our galaxy alone, and those stars are thirty trillion miles apart.  How far is thirty trillion miles?  To help us grasp the distance:  when the space shuttle is in orbit it travels at a speed of 17,000 miles per second.  If you could get in the space shuttle and speed through space at 5 miles per second it would take you 210,450 years to travel 30 million miles!  Incredible!  

What do the heavens tell us about God?  They tell us of His infinite power. He is the self-existing, infinite Being who created this vast universe out of nothing and who holds it all together!  The stars also illustrate his infinite love. The Psalmist writes: “For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; (Psalms 103:11).  How high are the heavens above the earth?  Start with 30 trillion miles and you will have just begun to fathom the height of God’s love. 

Dear reader, you are a sinner.  Though you have disappointed God, He still loves you and offers you an opportunity to tap into His infinite mercy and wisdom.  

By: George Slover
 
 

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13)"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24)

The “mammon” here represents anything that is worldly.  Actually, the word means “riches”, but the message and application is much broader.  Jesus is warning to watch for the divided heart.  He says, “You can’t have two masters.  You must make a choice: You must be loyal to God or loyal to the world.”

We are all probably more challenged with this than we would care to admit.  It is easy to sing “Holy to the Lord” on Sunday, but the real challenge comes when we leave the worship assembly.  That is where we feel the pull of the world.

Paul alludes to such struggles in Romans 7:19:  “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.” (Romans 7:19)  Notice the difference between what “I will” and what “I practice”.  It is easy for the God-fearing to resolve to abstain from worldly actions and attitudes, or resolve to bear the fruits of righteousness only to be exposed to the subtle influences of the world.

God does not want the divided heart. He wants every corner of your life.  We must find the places where the world seeps in, close up the gaps, and place our entire focus on the Lord!


By George Slover

"But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you."  (1 Corinthians 14:24,25)

The primary focus of a local church assembly is to edify, exhort, and comfort the saints. This was accomplished by plain, understandable teaching or prophesying. Unfortunately, this function was disrupted by the disorderly use of the gift of tongues. Thus, the need for the words contained here. However, the power of plain preaching not only impacted the saints, but also the unbelieving and unlearned.

Paul tells them that just sound is not worth much to either the believer or unbeliever. (1 Corinthians 14:7-9)  But when there is a distinction in the sound, such clear ideas may be able to reach the heart of the unlearned.  The gospel teacher is responsible to clearly declare the sinful state of man, of man's spiritual needs, and of God's mercy. Then, he must clearly spell out the terms of pardon and try to persuade the sinner to act on those terms.

When there is a distinct message from God the true spiritual state of the unbeliever is revealed. Paul says he is "convinced of all", "he is judged of all", and the "secrets of his heart are made manifest". A sense of guilt is awakened. Becoming aware of his sinfulness, his aspirations for a better life offered by God are aroused.

The result of this process is described in dramatic fashion. The unbeliever falls down on his knees, contrite and submissive, pleading for God's mercy and acknowledging God's presence. When the love of God becomes real to the unbeliever, he explodes with rejoicing and praise, for one once was lost is now saved.

What are the effects of our service and work? Are we bringing the sinner in contact with a convicting word that will reach his heart, and cause them to come to Christ? If not, there may be something in amiss in our efforts.

By George Slover
 

"Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.”  (2 Thessalonians 3:5) 

As he comes to his final words of encouragement for the church at Thessalonica, the apostle records the above. He wishes to encourage these disciples with attitudes to help them to face the reality of persecution.

Though God promises to direct our hearts, it is still good to pray for God to assist us. The heart is the center of one's faith, it is the seed of feelings and actions. It must be led by God and not by self.

First, he prays they will be led into the love of God. I take this to mean the love we have for God. This love is the fulfillment of the law. This is to be the motive behind all spiritual activity. The Thessalonians already have love. Paul wants it to increase. Such love will keep us from being distracted by harmful paths that may tempt us, especially in times of duress.

The patience of Christ seems to refer to Christ’s patience. The patience of Christ would help enable the Thessalonians to endure the persecution. Christ serves as a model for such endurance.  Consider the path of the Savior who left the previous glory of heaven and came to earth. He tolerated the lashes of cruel torture and humiliation with all of his power. He resisted retaliation and even asked for the forgiveness of his torturers. With marvelous resolve endured it all.

A contemplation of his unparalleled suffering and endurance can serve as an encouragement to his followers.  “For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls” (Hebrews 12:3). When treated harshly by evil men, like Christ, let us persevere. 

These two attitudes will help to ensure a successful sojourn in this life. These two- a great love for God, and the patience of Christ will keep us and help us to reach the heavenly home.

George Slover
 

and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:24)

“This I say and testify in the Lord” is how the apostle begins this section of the letter.  Not Paul, but the Lord is demanding a new walk, a new man, a new kind of life.

The appeal for this new life is based on the assumption that they have “learned Jesus”. This does not mean they have just learned about him, but they have reached an intimate knowledge of him.  This truth provokes them to put off the old man and put on the new man.

This new way of life is not learned by religious professors or religious institutions. The new man is found in Christ.  We must be taught by him, for the truth is only in Jesus.
This new walk is patterned after God. God, not man, is the mentor.

The new man as a reflection of God's image, manifests his character of righteousness and holiness. A moral change must take place. Whereas, the former life was corrupt, the new life is guided by integrity, uprightness, and a high respect for God's purity.

As one reads the rest of the Ephesian letter he sees that Christ affects every phase of his life. He has a gentle, forgiving demeanor.  His speech edifies the hearer.  His family is well ordered.  And, he is respectful on the job. 

No professing Christian is exempted from this new way of living. Christ is our head. He is the source of truth, and our example. We must yield to his lead and allow him to change our life.

George Slover