Hold the Fort!

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

During the Civil War, a fierce battle took place in October, 1864, known as the Battle of Allatoona Pass. It was a key supply point for the Union Army, containing some 1,000,000 rations. A division of Confederate soldiers under Major General Samuel G. French, attacked a garrison of Union soldiers under Brigadier General John M. Corse. In the course of the battle, over 1,600 men [706 Union and 897 Confederates] were killed and it seemed only inevitable that the Union soldiers would be forced to surrender.  

A persistent story is told that General William Tecumseh Sherman signaled the post at Allatoona to “hold the fort; I’m coming.” Encouraged by the news, the Union soldiers continued to hold on, and when the Confederates heard of the report, they soon retreated.                                                                  

From this Civil War engagement, a famous hymn was written in 1870 by Philip P. Bliss titled Hold the Fort. The refrain draws from the legendary story of General Sherman’s signal and says:

“Hold the fort, for I am coming,” Jesus signals still;
Wave the answer back to Heaven, “By Thy grace we will.”

There are times when the battles of life seem overwhelming — surrender inevitable. Perhaps you are in a trial or time of discouragement. You feel besieged on every front. HOLD THE FORT! Don’t stop fighting. Keep on keeping on. The Savior is coming with assured victory in hand. 

He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. Luke 19:12-13 

Words of Encouragement

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

William Wilberforce was instrumental in Britain’s abolishment of slavery back in the 1800's. At one point during his intense efforts, Wilberforce became desperately discouraged, and felt he had no strength to move forward. He was on the verge of giving up when John Wesley heard about his distress. At the time, Wesley, himself, was near death, but took pen and paper in a quivering hand and wrote these words to William: 

"Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them stronger than God? Oh be not weary of well-doing! Go on, in the name of God and in the power of his might, till even American slavery shall vanish away before it."

Wesley died less than a week after sending his note. But William Wilberforce, encouraged by his friend, continued his fight nearly forty-five more years. In 1883, Wilberforce witnessed the abolition of slavery in Britain and died three days later.  

Dear Christ follower, do not grow weary in well-doing even when your situation seems hopeless. Do not despair or lose heart because in our hopelessness, and helplessness, God has the opportunity to display His mighty power.   

The more biographies I read of great men in the past, I see that even they needed words of encouragement now and then. So, be encouraged — and be an encourager. Who knows how your words may inspire someone to keep pressing on — or how that may change our world! 

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Galatians 6:9 

Love One Another

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

One day, a man was walking across a bridge and saw another man standing on the edge, about to jump off. He immediately ran to him and said, "Stop! Don't do it!" "Well, why shouldn't I?" he replied. The other said, "Well, there's so much to live for!" "Like what”? "Well … are you religious or atheist?" "Religious." "Me too! And are you Christian or Jewish?" "Christian." "Me too! Are you Catholic or Protestant?" "Protestant." "Me too! Are you Episcopalian or Baptist?” "Baptist." "Wow! Me too! Are you Baptist Church of God or Baptist Church of the Lord?" "Baptist Church of God." "Me too! Are you Original Baptist Church of God, or are you Reformed Baptist Church of God?" "Reformed Baptist Church of God." "Me too! Are you Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1879, or Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915?" "Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915!" To which he said, "Die, you heretic!" and pushed him off the bridge.

The body of Christ is one big family. And like many families, when we get together, our discussions often turn into arguments on a variety of topics. Maybe you’ve heard the phrase: two Christians, five opinions? I think we’d be better off if we laughed at ourselves instead of keeping score who argued the best. If we did, we might actually learn from one another.  

To be sure, we differ in opinion on some, even many, issues. But we are going to be together in heaven for eternity so why not learn to live in peace with one another now! It’s something the world needs to see in us. If they saw Christ followers truly loving one another, it would make a difference!

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:35

Common to Us, Uncommon to the World

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

There is a common benediction that Paul wrote in his letters to the Christ followers of his day. Because it was prevalent in all his writings, it must have been close to his heart. The benediction? Grace and Peace!

Many people have set out to describe grace. One of my Bible College professors said it this way, “Grace is the outpouring of God's goodness on undeserving mankind.” That lines up with Scripture nicely because every benefit and provision to Christ followers is by God's grace. Peter called it the “manifold grace of God.” [1st Peter 4:10]

As we go though life, our trials are manifold and multifaceted. And so is God’s grace! That’s why Paul could say in all honesty that God’s grace is sufficient — God's multifaceted and all-sufficient grace is available to sustain

you. [1st Corinthians 12:9]

Peace speaks of the calmness and absence of strife that characterizes a true Christ follower. Interestingly, the New Testament also links peace to mercy, hope, joy, and love, all of which are part of the “manifold grace of God.” When a Christ follower experiences those graces, he/she experiences true peace.

I once read that some Bible translators were searching for a word or phrase for "peace" in the language of the Chol Indians of Mexico. They settled for a word that meant, "a quiet heart." That seems like the perfect word to me because God’s peace guards the soul against anxiety and strife.

God’s peace is the only way we can live out Paul’s instruction in Philippians 4:6 to be “anxious for nothing.” Why? He told us in 4:7, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

"Grace and Peace," common to Christ followers, but not to the unbelieving world. I think the world desperately wants it. I think it is what the world is truly seeking for — but in all the wrong places. The best way for the world to see it is when it is lived out in the lives of Christ followers because only those who belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ receive His Grace and Peace.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2

Obedience Is Better than Sacrifice

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

Saul, Israel’s first king, learned first hand that ‘obedience is better than sacrifice.’ Even if you give Saul the benefit of the doubt that he had a pure motive, his disobedience brought great sorrow to him, his family, and the nation of Israel. Here’s the short version of what happened:

God told Saul to slay the Amalekites and take no prisoners, not even a single animal. He was to wipe them out completely. Although Saul was victorious in the battle against them, he allowed King Agag to live, and took the best of the cattle to sacrifice to the Lord.

But because of his disobedience, the prophet Samuel informed Saul that his family would no longer reign over Israel. That’s when he heard those profound words, “obedience is better than sacrifice.”

Even though he offered the very best animals as a sacrifice to God, it failed to excuse his disobedience. And the consequences were enormous. Not only did Saul lose his right to be the King, but also later in Israel’s history, the infamous Haman, an Agagite [Esther 3:1], rose to power and tired to destroy the entire Jewish population of Persia.

If Saul had only obeyed! Saul isn’t the only one who needed to learn this lesson. Every Christ follower should take it to heart. There were immediate and long-term consequences of his disobedience—his sin. So it is with us. Those “little” sins [if there is such a thing as ‘little’ sins], turn into footholds that, if not dealt with completely early on, lead to strongholds that threaten to destroy your walk with God, your calling, even your life.

God forbid! Dear Christ follower, “take no prisoners” when it comes to sin. You have a precious relationship that was purchased at great cost.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. 2nd Corinthians 10:3-6

Draw Near

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

A true Christ follower will have a desire to be close to God; maybe I should say have a close relationship with God, that way, I’m not talking about a location. Therefore the first sentence in James 4:8 becomes of paramount importance. It says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

The expression “draw near” was originally associated with the people of Israel and in particular, the priesthood. In Old Testament times, the Levitical priests stood before God, representing the people. In order to do that, certain rituals of cleansing had to be performed. Prior to “drawing near” to God’s presence, the priest had to be ceremonially clean, meaning, taking a bath [ceremonial washing], wearing the approved garments [ceremonial garb], and offering a sacrifice [ceremonial cleansing] to make his heart right before God. Only then could he “draw near.”

The Hebrew word to “draw near” eventually came to apply to anyone who would approach the presence of God in worship. Isaiah made it clear when he said, “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men…” Isaiah 29:13

Worship with “hearts far removed from Me,” is not the kind of worship God is looking for in Christ followers. Jesus told a woman in Samaria that God is looking for people to “…worship in spirit and in truth.” John 4:24

The author of Hebrews used Old Testament language to say the same thing. “...let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:22  

To “draw near” to God is a good thing. And isn’t that what you really want – to be near to God! 

But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge that I may tell of all Thy works. Psalm 73:28

Petrified by Possessions

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

Pompeii was a flourishing city in Southern Italy until 79 AD when, suddenly, Mt. Vesuvius erupted for two days, completely destroying it. The city was covered in meters of ash and pumice until it was discovered in 1748. When archaeologists began their excavations, they uncovered a petrified woman clutching a cache of jewelry, some of the finest recovered from the ancient world. She was apparently attempting to flee the doomed city holding desperately onto her prized possessions.

During its heyday, there was a lot of “pomp” in Pompeii. It was a magnificent city — doomed to destruction — much like our world today. We don’t know when it will happen, but Peter, the close disciple of Jesus, warned us about it with this prophetic statement, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.” 2nd Peter 3:10 – NIV  

So much for worldly possessions! And just like the “petrified lady” of Pompeii, we can make the mistake of clinging tenaciously to our “treasures.” Unfortunately, earthly treasures break down, rust out, become obsolete, decay, and will eventually be brought to nothing.

There is a better way for Christ followers. In many of His parables, Christ declared that we are stewards of God's possessions — not hoarders of our possessions — and that we are to use the things God has entrusted to us with His interests in mind, to further His Kingdom.

Don’t be “petrified,” clinging to your possessions. Greed/lust for things, and fear of the loss of things, cause many to be “petrified,” preventing the eternal work they were ordained to do, and stealing their eternal rewards. 

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Matthew 6:19-20