“Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: ^‘Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.’” (1 Kings 17:2-4)

Many of the Old Testament books are narrative history, meaning that they tell of a particular time in actual history. When we read these narratives prayerfully, we can learn so much about God and how He works. I am currently in a Bible study of 1 Kings which covers the reign of the evil King Ahab of Israel. Elijah and Elisha are prophets during this time.

Back story: after King Solomon’s death, Israel was divided into the northern (Israel) and southern (Judah) kingdoms, and the kingdom of Israel strayed further and further into sin. All the kings of this subsequent nation of Israel were evil, and “Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him” (1 Kings 16:30). You can find out more about his sins in 1 Kings 16, but I will mention that the fuel for his worst sins was that he worshipped Baal. He had married Jezebel, a princess of Sidon (an enemy nation), who brought with her the worship of Baal.

As a result of the sins of Israel, God sent a famine. This was not an arbitrary act by God; it was, in fact, the fulfillment of a prophecy more than five hundred years before: “Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and he will shut up the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you.” (Deuteronomy 11:16-17).

That could have been the end of the story. But we know that God, who does make and keep promises, also promised that he would redeem his people from sin. “Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: None of my words will be delayed any longer; whatever I say will be fulfilled, declares the Sovereign Lord’” (Ezekiel 12:28).

So, even as God was fulfilling his promise to punish Israel with a famine because of their sin, he was also pursuing them to return to him. God called Elijah to be his voice to Ahab; but first, he had to prepare Elijah. God told him to go to the Kerith Ravine to hide where he could drink from the brook and be fed by a raven.

First, remember they are in the middle of a severe famine, so the birds and animals were hungry, too. There was water in the brook, but no food. Everyone, including the animals were starving. Yet this raven was going to forgo its own hunger to bring food to Elijah, twice a day!

Second, ravens were dirty birds. They were considered unclean because they were scavengers–think crows and buzzards eating roadkill. Now Elijah was not going to be eating a raven, but a raven would be bringing him food. “The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.” (1 Kings 17:6). Elijah was learning total dependence on God who could make anything happen.

Then the brook dried up, and God sent Elijah to Sidon (remember that is where Jezebel, the Baal worshiper was from). God told him to find a widow there who would give him room and board. Okay, it is still a famine. And who in that day was more destitute than a widow, yet God chooses this woman–a foreign, pagan, widow–to be the means for sustaining Elijah. And while sustaining Elijah, she herself would be sustained. She followed Elijah’s instructions. “So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.” (1 Kings 17:15-16).

God truly works in mysterious ways. There is more to this beautiful story which we will cover another time. For now, let us talk about the take-aways from what we have just learned:

1. God keeps his promises. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9).
2. When you are obedient to God’s call, God will sustain you. It may not be how you expected; it may not be pleasant, but he will NOT abandon you. “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
3. God can and will use the most unlovely, unlikely of us to carry out his will. From the raven to the pagan widow, God will accomplish his purposes. “Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!” (Luke 12:34).
4. Be ready to be used. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

In Christ,

Judy

“But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:36-37).

 I don’t know about you, but I do know that this verse gives me tremendous concern. I am wondering what this will look like on Judgment Day. I am assured of my salvation; however, that does not excuse me from having to stand before God accountable for my thoughts, words, and actions.

Wisdom from Proverbs tells us “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.” (Proverbs 6:16-19). Lying and slander are counted same as murder!!! And this is repeated in the New Testament by James: “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless” (James 1:26). We discredit our testimony when we speak obscenities, lies, gossip, slander, and dissension.

Certainly obscenities, lies, gossip, slander, and dissension are bad and to be avoided, but what are empty words? Adam Clarke said that the sense of the ancient Greek word used for idle or empty is “a word that does nothing, that neither ministers grace nor instruction to them who hear it.”

How can we even begin to comply with this instruction to avoid empty words? It starts on the inside with our relationship with God.

1. We need to get our hearts right with God. “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness (Mark 7:20-22). Yes, what we say is evidence of what is in our hearts. There is simply no good excuse. “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.” (Matthew 12:33-35).

• We can then replace the negative and obscene with the positive and edifying. What if we could successfully adhere to the Apostle Paul’s teaching: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Ephesians 4:29).

• Know that you are not in this alone. “…for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” (Luke 12:12). “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26).

Wouldn’t you love to be one of those people whose every word is an “apple of gold?” Wouldn’t you love to be one of those people who pours wisdom, love, faith, and hope into every conversation? I know I would. That is a high bar, but one that is worthy to strive for. Let’s strive for this together. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13).

“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” (Proverbs 25:11 ESV).

In Christ,

Judy

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…” (1 Peter 3:15).

How many times do we hear someone say something “biblical” that is just slightly off, or maybe it sounds godly, but it is far from the truth. Something like “God is good, he would never send anyone to hell.” Or we are talking to someone who has anxiety and fear and is worried that they can never do enough or be good enough to be saved. Sometimes we rationalize what is true, and sometimes we inadvertently fall under false teaching. I have been reading in 2 Peter and in Jude lately, and both writers address the prevalence of false teachers distorting the gospel back in their day. Jude calls their response “contending for the faith.”

This topic was introduced in the Chaplain’s corner last week. The message in these two letters was not a popular one for their audience, but it was the truth. Peter and Jude spoke with the authority of the Scriptures by using examples from the Bible. Who is it who shows more love for Jesus and for others? The one who tells people what they want to hear or the one who tells people the truth?

Fortunately for us, both writers give us instructions on how to express our faith. Sometimes we are talking to those who have not heard the gospel, but more frequently, we are talking to those who have a faulty or incomplete knowledge of the Bible.

I. First, we must strengthen and prepare our hearts. James (brother of Jude and half-brother of Jesus) says “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27). What he means is that as we minister “in” the world, we must build ourselves and each other up so that we will not be corrupted “by” the world. Peter and Jude, as well as Paul and Luke, give us foundational and essential instruction:

A. But in your hearts set apart (revere) Christ as Lord. (1 Peter 3:15)

B. But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit… (Jude 1:20)

C. …keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. (Jude 1:21)

D. Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. (Acts 17:11)

II. Second, we strengthen our physical and mental selves. We see contending for the faith as our true vocation, our calling, and we are diligent to strengthen our minds and bodies for the work.

A. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15)

B. I (Paul) discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:27)

III.  Third, we must guard our reputation so that we will not compromise the message by our behavior. That does not mean we are not worthy to witness to one other because of past behavior from which we have repented. It means that we now practice radical hospitality toward those we serve, and that we now hold ourselves accountable to God’s moral standards.

A. …keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (1 Peter 3:16)

IV. Fourth, after preparing our hearts, bodies, and minds we begin the process of building the relationship foundation for sharing the true gospel. Even though it is not Scripture, I think this “habit” of Stephen Covey “Seek first to understand, then to be understood” is critical to presenting the gospel in a way that it will be received. Not distorting the truth, but like Paul, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” (1 Corinthians 9:22b-23).

A. …do this with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15)

B. Be merciful to those who doubt… (Jude 1:22)

C. …save others by snatching them from the fire… (Jude 1:23)

D. … to others show mercy… (Jude 1:23)

I hope you will take these teachings to heart as we contend for the faith during the course of our days, and most especially here at Nashville Rescue Mission where the fields are white with harvest.

In Christ,

Judy

“Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people” (Jude 1:3).

I usually write out these devotionals weeks ahead of time. My mind will be full of ideas, and I am eager to get them down on paper. But sometimes an issue arises, and I feel compelled to write about something else more urgent. It appears as though this is what happened with this book. Jude was eager to write about the salvation shared with his believing friends, but then felt the need to write instead about contending for the faith.

What happened? It seems that “…certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago (had) secretly slipped in among you. They (were) ungodly people, who pervert(ed) the grace of our God into a license for immorality and den(ied) Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord” (Jude 1:4).

This is serious, and Jude feels the need to address it right away. Contending for the faith is no small thing. The definition of contend is “to strive or vie in contest or rivalry or against difficulties.” Jude is not going to take a chance of letting these false truths corrupt his church.

Who is this fellow named Jude, anyway? Jude is the half-brother of Jesus and brother of James, who authored the beautiful book of James which is also in the New Testament. As half-brothers of Jesus, they were sons of Mary and Joseph and grew up in the same household as Jesus. We do not know much about Jesus’ siblings except that John the Apostle says of that time “…even his own brothers did not believe in him.” (John 7:5).

How sad for all of them—what a missed opportunity. I have heard many a Christian lament not being alive when Jesus walked the earth, and here his own brothers were living in the same house and did not see Jesus for who he truly was.

That changed for both after Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and ascension to heaven. James became a pillar of the church in Jerusalem, and when he authored his book, he introduced himself as “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1).

We are not sure what Jude he did during the time after Jesus’ ascension and before authoring his book in about A.D. 67, but we know from his letter than he had become a strong believer, passionate about the truth. He was living in a time of persecution of Christians (this was near the time that Peter was martyred by Nero). There were all kinds of false teachers telling people what they wanted to hear (does that sound familiar?).

In this case, the false teachers were telling people that they would not be punished for their sins. That was certainly a great selling point for their cause. Jude had to tell them the truth, that we will be accountable for our sins. If we are saved, we will go to heaven, but there will be a reckoning. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10). Jude offered example after example of how God executed justice.

Jude’s message was not a popular one, but he was telling the truth. He was speaking with the authority of the Scriptures by using examples from the Bible. Who is it who shows more love for Jesus and for others? The one who tells people what they want to hear or the one who tells people the truth?

Jude closed out his short letter with a beautiful message and helpful instructions for us (verses 17-23):

But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

And he closed with this doxology to Jesus, his brother in the flesh, our Father in heaven, our King of Kings and LORD of Lords:

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (Jude)

In Christ,

Judy