Paul’s Words on the Flesh

Last Monday I shared with you about “mastering the flesh.” I want to share with you today what Paul wrote about the flesh. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what God wants us to know about the flesh. The Scripture makes it quite clear:

Romans 6: 17-20: But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

Romans 8: 5: For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

Romans 8: 8: So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Romans 8: 13: For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Romans 13: 14: But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lust.

2 Corinthians 7: 1: Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Galatians 5: 24: I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

I don’t think I could make it any clearer than that for you. Allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart as you read over the above verses. Might be good for us to memorize them as well. I appreciate you, my friends, and thank you for being on the journey with me. – Dr. Bill Welte is President/CEO of America’s Keswick.

Keswick, America’s  (2012-12-13). Real Victory for Real Life Volume 2 (Kindle Locations 5358-5386).  . Kindle Edition.

Daily Bible Reading: Numbers 17-19; Revelation 21

Think About This: The thief had nails through both hands, so that he could not work; and a nail through each foot, so that he could not run errands for the Lord; he could not lift a hand or a foot toward his salvation, and yet Christ offered him the gift of God; and he took it. Christ threw him a passport, and took him into Paradise. D L Moody

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways. Proverbs 28:6 ESV

Every Thought Captive – Freedom From Lies

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ’s, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we. ~ Paul, The Least of The Apostles, in 2 Corinthians 10

Oh beloved, it is true. There is a place where we can begin to see the ruining of our joy, or the cementing of the same. For in the mind, there is a fulcrum from which we will tip towards the flesh (where death reigns), or towards the newly created spirit within (wherein is Life and Peace).

There does come from the irredeemable flesh we inhabit, and from the spiritual forces arrayed against us, a nearly relentless onslaught on our mind. And this hoard of lies seeks to find places of breach in our lives, or places where we have not implemented the full-armour He has provided for our continuous use.

We were (read all of us beloved) Designed to be hyper-victorious. We were Designed in the image of the Triune G_d Who did create us. We were Designed to take on the very nature of our Creator, and to be like Him one day.

This purpose is most elegantly spoken in the Word (in 2 Peter 1), and echoed in the catechisms of the Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions of His body on earth…. We are to participate in the divine nature. And to become these partakers (“metochoi” in the original language) of G_d is to simply fulfill the purpose of our creation by the Creator:

We are the echo of His Voice.
We are the image of His glory.
We are a phase wave of His power.
We are the vessels in which His Divine Love may rest well-pleased.
We are the sons and daughters of The Father.
We are the brothers and sisters of the Son.
We are the free slaves of the Kingdom of Heaven.
We are the right action of G_d in this world, and the next.
We are the joyful inheritance of the Father.
We are His.
Forever.

And in moments, we understand. But then, the battle for the soul of our mind resumes. The hammering onslaught of the lies of worry and lust and doubt and fear and envy and pride and all things fallen, fall on us continuously. And in their lying tongue, they seek to tell us that we are about to be overwhelmed.

Give up…
Give in…
Give over…
Just this once…
It will be OK…
G_d doesn’t mind…
You are forgiven anyway…
She/he doesn’t like you…
You will be hurt…
You can’t make it…

For a moment (sometimes a protracted one) we begin to listen to the lies as they weave their threads into some sort of tapestry which almost makes sense. The threads play upon the things we see and hear in media, and our own former experiences in the flesh. Further, as the threads come together, they threaten to bind us up like Lilliputians tying Gulliver down in his travels.

Stop beloved. Take that thought captive. It is not who you are.

Can we see it? The problem is not really the problem. The problem is that we look at the problems and give them false validation. And further, in looking at the problems more closely than is warranted, we look away from both the Solution and the reality of who we are. Said a different way, taking a thought captive is a matter of our identity, rather than some sort of mental exercise.

Beloved, the liar’s only hope is to get us to look at a problem and try to solve it from our former footing of before we became new through the obedience of faith. For the liar knows that flesh will always end up failing.

However, the beauty of the issue is that false thoughts are actually easy to dismiss when we know who we truly are. And in fact, as we cast away the fear, it becomes a weapon we can thrust back at the one trying to use it on us.

So, are you fighting some thoughts you know you should not even be having? Perhaps it is time for you to remember who you are – and obey the strength that flows from that truth. Perhaps it is time for you to become the one who punishes the liar, instead of being the soft target of the enemy of your soul. Tonight is your night beloved. Time to believe who you are in Him. – Makala Doulos is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and has been serving in Jakarta, Indonesia as a Pastor/Teacher.

Daily Bible Reading: Numbers 9-11; Revelation 18

Think About This: The devil wrestles with God, and the field of battle is the human heart. ~Fyodor Mikhaylovich Dostoyevski (1821-1881)

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: The righteous who walks in his integrity—  blessed are his children after him! Proverbs 20:7

What Do You Expect

“My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him.”
Psalm 62:5

There’s a saying “don’t expect much and you’ll never be disappointed”. I’m not sure that’s wise but I do understand the concept. Disappointment has a way of weighing me down that could easily lead to despair, feeling like all hope is lost. One definition is “the feeling of sadness or displeasure caused by the non-fulfillment of one’s hopes or expectations”.

Hopes, expectations? Two nouns that could alter your plans that are usually based on someone else or something else that is out of your control. It can easily set the tone of your ability to trust or be confident in future events. A fear that can cause someone to have the attitude of thinking “don’t expect much and you’ll never be disappointed”.

I find myself to be an Idealist which if not in check can lead to disappointment and despair. The world is pretty much made up of Idealists, who see things as they believe it should be based on their “ideas” and Pragmatics, who basically focus on the world as it presently is. Another definition would be an Idealist is a dreamer and a Pragmatic is a realist. I can see strength and weakness in both. So now what?

David pens in verse 5 of Psalm 62 “My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him”. Wouldn’t you agree that one of the greatest attributes of God is that we can trust Him?

I find that being honest with ourselves and identifying our personality traits is important. For me as an Idealist I have to be prepared for a major reality check of reality always trumps my idealism. Being willing to see that God is still in control and adjusting my ways to His. Knowing that when I have been disappointed by people or by happenstance, it’s ok, I think I’ll survive.

I like what the Apostle Paul write in 2^nd Corinthians 4: 7-9 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed”

So, however you plan on facing the day, remember, it’s ok to make plans but hold on loosely, knowing that God is “still” in control. – Rob Russomano is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and serves full-time at America’s Keswick. You can write Rob at rrussomano@americaskeswick.org

Daily Bible Reading: Numbers 7-8; Revelation 17

Think About This: A moment of pain is worth a lifetime of glory. Louis Zamperini’s brother.

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: The righteous who walks in his integrity—
blessed are his children after him! Proverbs 20:7

Eat the Fish, Spit out the Bone (Part 1)

“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)

As I’m learning and growing in Christ, I’m being exposed to a lot of different preaching, theological standpoints, philosophical views, professor’s assessments, individuals’ perceptions, and the like. I have adopted the concept of ‘eat the fish and spit out the bones,’ in handling all the plethora of information. The Bereans searched the truth for themselves and challenged the messages of Paul. Therefore, when I hear; be careful of the old theologians they didn’t understand grace. Like the Bereans, I search!

St Augustine had a skill to use philosophy to support his theology, changing the world of apologetics. He launched the idea that by faith, all things were created and by faith, all knowledge will be rightly applied. This faith doesn’t originate in the logical or rational realms; this faith begins with acknowledging eternal forms as found in God. For Augustine, only the God the father, God the Savior, and God the Holy Spirit, is able to answer problems of the many unanswered questions with former philosophers.

With his in depth intellectual pursuits, Thomas Aquinas, has formulated an equivalent dogmatic views that the origins of all things are created are by God. Thomas Aquinas believes that God existence can be manifested with human reasoning. The reasoning skills were not completely damage by the fall because it is important for understanding, knowledge, survival etc… Man is created in God’s image, not equally, but reflecting some of the characteristics of God, and yet higher than any other living organism.

“For there are many things that have an appearance of excellence, but the knowledge of Christ surpasses to such a degree everything else by its sublimity, that, as compared with it, there is nothing that is not contemptible. Let us, therefore, learn from this, what value we ought to set upon the knowledge of Christ alone. As to his calling Him his Lord, he does this to express the intensity of his feelings.” (John Calvin)

If we are ciphering through the scriptures like the Bereans, we can find truth form various positions. Let’s not be completely closed minded to the founders of the faith because of some modern assessments. God will use these heroes of the faith to strengthen our walk with Him. Next week we will listen for truth from unlikely sources. Juan Mendez graduated from the Colony of Mercy and now serves there as Chaplain. You can email Chaplain Juan at jmendez@americaskeswick.org

Daily Bible Reading: Numbers 5-6; Revelation 16

Think About This: You will not stroll into Christlikeness with your hands in your pockets, shoving the door open with a careless shoulder. This is no hobby for one’s leisure moments, taken up at intervals when we have nothing much to do, and put down and forgotten when our life grows full and interesting… It takes all one’s strength, and all one’s heart, and all one’s mind, and all one’s soul, given freely and recklessly and without restraint.
A.J. Gossip

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: The righteous who walks in his integrity—  blessed are his children after him! Proverbs 20:7

Ease-Dropping On Them Again

“O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” John 17:25-26 (NASB)

This morning I would like to continue with the ease-dropping on a dialogue that The Father and The Son are having on the night The Son first shared what is considered to be THE most important meal in Christendom and then was betrayed by the son of perdition. The last time I looked into this I was seeing ourselves as being beyond just “believing ones” and seeing ourselves as one of the disciples that would have been sitting around the table on the night Jesus was betrayed but today I would like to look at the last part of this Priestly Prayer just as Jesus would be praying it. That’s to say for those of us who would be numbered as followers in the years to come.

“That they may be one” is something that Jesus prays for five times in the entirety of His prayer. There was one time for the disciples but the rest are meant for all believers. In the community of believers that I am encircled by we have those that would gladly welcome a day where all of the Greater Egg Harbor Region would be under one building, under one denominational name, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. We would not only stand on the promises of God but we would up hold a constitutional value system. (Until Jesus comes back that day may not come.) Sure this makes for a good union but it doesn’t really exhibit “That they may be one” does it? It is also far off the mark of what Jesus would want to see as unity isn’t it? 

To repeat something that Matthew Henry said was that Jesus especially prayed that all believers might be as one body under one head, animated by one soul, by their union with Christ and the Father in Him, through the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. I think the key to this statement is “by their union with Christ and the Father in Him” In verse 24 of the 17^th chapter of John’s Gospel we read, “Father, I want these whom you have given Me to be with Me where I am. Then they can see all the glory You gave Me because You loved Me even before the world began!” Now if you wanna disagree with me on this next statement my e-mail will be at the bottom of this Freedom Fighter but to me this sounds like it ain’t only gonna be James and John sittin’ with Jesus…it’s gonna be us who know Jesus as Lord and Savior!!

And there’s an interesting wrinkle in the fabric of this prayer that is seen in John 17:9, “My prayer is not for the world…” Some may think that Jesus’ concern is only for those who accept Him as Lord and Savior, after all, The Father’s righteousness would forbid Jesus to leave His Saints to the evils of this world but it would only be hours later that Jesus would pray “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) So it is that there is concern for this broken world to receive forgiveness and see unity, “I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.” (John 17:21)

The 17^th chapter of John’s Gospel can only give us a glimpse into what it must be like to perfect union with the Trinity and even though we will see it in its entirety when we get to heaven, folks we gotta get some things right down here. Sometimes we can get bogged down in our walk with the mundane and trivial of what is in this world. It is true that these things can impend on our unity with each other because our responses to them are so different from person to person. But Christian, don’t forget…He that is greater in you is better than he who is out in the world. Because when “The World” see’s us dispute about the lesser things in life, the more they throw doubts upon Christianity and that is just a sad but true statement isn’t it? Amen?

Daily Bible Reading: Numbers 3-4; Revelation 15

Think About This: “Let us endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, praying that all believers may be more and more united in one mind and one judgment. Thus shall we convince the world of the truth and excellence of our religion, and find more sweet communion with God and His saints.”—Matthew Henry

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: The righteous who walks in his integrity— blessed are his children after him! Proverbs 20:7

Master the Flesh

So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7: 21-25 NIV)

If we are all honest, we understand totally what Paul is saying, don’t we? Most of us really want to do the right things, live the right way – BUT – there is this thing called the FLESH that keeps getting in the way.

Part of the battle is that for most of us, we are TRYING to live the Christian life in our own strength. Well as Pastor Bill Raws always said, “It is absolutely impossible to live the Christian life apart from Jesus Christ living His perfect life in and through me.” That is the message of Galatians 2: 20.

A friend recently showed me the verse in The Message: …I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I APPEAR righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by the faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me… (Galatians 2: 20).

The problem is that we haven’t figured out three things about the flesh: 1) It can control us, 2) It isn’t something we can play with, 3) We need to put it to death.

Our flesh was already crucified with Christ on the cross. It no longer needs to master us. We get ourselves into trouble because we want to keep it alive rather than put it to death. Christ has come to give us victory over the flesh! More about this next week. The good news is that JESUS CHRIST has come to give you and me VICTORY! Dr. Bill Welte is President & CEO of America’s Keswick

Keswick, America’s  (2012-12-13). Real Victory for Real Life Volume 2 (Kindle Locations 5335-5355).  . Kindle Edition.

Daily Bible Reading: Numbers 1-2; Revelation 14

Think About This: We have a strange illusion that mere time cancels sin. —C.S. Lewis

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: The righteous who walks in his integrity—
blessed are his children after him! Proverbs 20:7

Rise and Shine or Duck and Roll?

“The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.” Proverbs 18:10

I often wonder as I read through scripture and see the times men would rise to an occasion and fight or withdraw and wait. When do we as men rise up and take a stand or sit back and wait for a more opportune time.

As I read thru the book of Hebrews the writer makes a distinction between mature and immature. He says in chapter 5 “For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil”.

We as a staff at Keswick are going thru a series on hearing the “whisper” of God. I personally have never heard God speak to me audibly and find that when a situation arises and a decision has to be made it’s usually a right decision when I’m spiritually sound which is directly related to my personal devotional time with the Lord. It’s when I am digging into the scriptures and getting into the “meat of the word” that helps me hear that “whisper”.

The writer of Hebrews tells us it’s the “reason of use” that helps us with discernment, when our “senses are exercised”. So, when a situation arises and I have to decide, “should I stay or should I go” is going to be successful based on my current standing with the Lord.

The way I measure my decision is usually a question I ask myself, “if I’m confident that God is telling me to move forward, then I go, if not I stay”. Staying usually involves a retreating back to the scriptures. For me it’s the second series of the Psalms, 61 – 68.

Listen to David in Psalm 61,

“Hear my cry, O God;

​​Attend to my prayer.  ​​From the end of the earth I will cry to You,

​​When my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

​ ​​For You have been a shelter for me,

​​A strong tower from the enemy. ​​I will abide in Your tabernacle forever;

​​I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.”

So, when a storm arises and you’ve been tossed and turned, like most captains of a ship, look to the Heavens when the sky clears and find your “True North”. Rob Russomano serves full-time at America’s Keswick and blogs weekly. You can email Rob at rrussomano@americaskeswick.org

Daily Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 4-6; Revelation 11

Think About This: “Either we are unfaithful in order to be popular, or we are willing to be unpopular in our determination to be faithful. I very much doubt if it is possible to be faithful and popular at the same time.” John Stott

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool. Proverbs 19:1

Ease-Dropping on Them

“I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.”  John 17:20-21 (NASB)

The coolest moments in my life right now aren’t when my son and daughter take the time out of their busy life as young adults to talk to me but to talk with me. I kinda view talking to me along the lines of asking me for the keys to my truck and gas money for it but when they talk with me I really feel like I’ve done exactly what I needed to do as a father…have an intimate relationship with them. The conversations I have with my son right now are all about things mechanical like his Royal Blue 2008 Ford Mustang (wish it was mine) and with my daughter, well let’s just say it is like having a conversation with myself from the female perspective. All in all when my kids speak with me I feel like a completed man (but that doesn’t mean I am one).

But when it comes with Jesus, The Son, and God, The Father I am quite sure the relationship is more intense. If we take a look at the 17^th chapter of John’s Gospel we can see this relationship come into full view. The conversation starts off in a very unique way, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son so He can give glory back to You.” I don’t expect my son, Kevin, to ever speak to me like that but in the divine order of the Trinity this position has its merit. This is kinda like walking into the “Holy of Holies” when it comes to the New Testament. I mean this is THE HIGH PRIEST making intercession as if He was in the Tabernacle itself with one exception…Jesus doesn’t need the bells on His robe or a rope around His ankle or the tent for that matter. Technically speaking we are allowed to ease drop behind the veil…so cool!!

So if we were to take a Tabernacle approach to this dialogue between Father and Son it would be customary for The High Priest to make intercession for Himself (but that was only 5 verses). Then Jesus will make intercession for the 11 that are left in the Upper Room and as this prayer continues we find “US” being prayed for. Jesus called us the “believing ones” and when He prayed for us Jesus was looking down the line of time at us in this present and those that are to come. But if I were to take a turn back and look at this as one of the eleven I would have to say that if we are called to be disciples of Jesus then we should be far beyond just believing.

When we are at the point where believing has become a mature spiritual perception Jesus prays this for us. First that we have security, “now protect them by the power of Your name so that they will be united just as We are.” (John 17:11b) Second Jesus prays for our deliverance, “I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. (John 17:15) And lastly He prays for our sanctification, “Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.” (John 17:17) Not only were these requests answered for the 11 but we should understand them for ourselves and for those who we sow seed into.

Before we close for today we journey back to verse 6, “I have revealed You to the ones You gave Me from this world. They were always Yours. You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.” (John 17:6) May this be said of us, that we are smart enough to recognize that Jesus is a representative of the Divine Trinity of the Godhead, that we receive the message He came to give, that we have the willingness to hear it and put it into practice and that from our faith in Him we are committed to One that sent Him. This may sound complicated so let’s say it like this, Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the One He has sent.”(John 6:29) There’s more to come from this ease-dropping opportunity but until then, do you believe in the One who sent Him? If so then lift an AMEN! – Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a weekly Freedom Fighter blogger. You can email him at cphughes515@verizon.net

Daily Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 1-3; Revelation 10

Think About This: “Sanctification brings the soul into harmony with God and the laws of the soul’s own being. There must be peace; there can be in no other way. Sanctification brings into the spirit the abiding presence of the very God of peace Himself. True peace is then nothing less that the deep, divine tranquility of His own eternal calm.”— A.B. Simpson

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool. Proverbs 19:1

Passing the Baton!

We just experienced the great miraculous resurrection and the power of the redemptive act of cross. We were reminded of the revealed passion of Jesus’ heart toward sinners. How sweet it is to be under Christ’s administration, wrapped with bands of love. What a comfort it is to the believer that all the powers of darkness are under the control of the Lord Jesus! It is a miracle of mercy.

However, the cross wasn’t the end of His earthy ministry. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering, appearing to His chosen for forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. Jesus is very productive in the days between the resurrection and the ascension. One of the purpose of this return is to establish the role of the Holy Spirit. He passed the baton!

Who received the baton! He is referred to as the advocate, comforter, counselor, and the like. He is the most silent party of the Trinity, yet ever present in all the earth. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 ESV)

Energy from the Spirit flooded the atmosphere and every nation was able to be understand the truth in their native tongue. Many were saved and baptized in the name of the Lord. The disciples were called, fueled by the Holy Spirit to be the foundation of Church. He doesn’t just give them the power, He is the power!

He was their assurances, the positive declaration for their much-needed confidence. The Holy Spirit was the promise, the guaranteed for surety. “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.”

It’s a wonderful story of healing and forgiveness.

We live with that same Holy Spirit in us, and He is with us. This reality should provide the power and desire to live the life that God has provided. God did not die on the cross in vain, He desires us to love and serve each with the hope of glory. We are written in the Lambs book of life, to one day be in a perfect fellowship with our God. But before we go we should continue passing the baton, of the Gospel, to the next generation of saints. Chaplain Juan Mendez serves full-time at the Colony of Mercy and is a graduate. You can write him at jmendez@americaskeswick.org

Daily Bible Reading: Daniel 11-12; Revelation 9

Think About This: “The Christian idea is this: that God is the absolute owner of all things.” – Clovis G. Chappell

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool. Proverbs 19:1

How Can I Know There Is a God?

The heavens declare the glory of God;… (Psalm 19: 1a) When I first accepted the presidency of Davis College in Binghamton, New York, I continued as the Senior Pastor of New Testament Baptist Church in South Florida. On Sunday mornings I would lead the services and then fly to the college. Usually I was placed in a first class seat because of the many frequent flier miles I accumulated.

On one occasion a student from Temple University sat next to me. I love being around college students and immediately we hit it off. We began chatting and I asked him how such a young man could afford to sit in first class. He laughed and explained to me that his father had purchased the ticket. When he found out that I was a president of a Bible college he asked me a penetrating question. “How do you know there is a God?” For two hours we had a delightful conversation. I took him to Psalm 19. There are three evidences about how we can know there is a God. I shared these thoughts with my new friend.

The first is found in the first six verses of Psalm 19. God is seen in the wonders above. We have in this passage the argument for God. The psalmist simply declares that “the heavens declare” God’s marvelous glory. In theology we learn that there are arguments for God. There is the cosmological argument which tells us there is a cause behind the universe. There is the teleological argument which speaks to order. The anthropological argument for God speaks to morality; mankind is different from the animal world. The ontological argument addresses there must be a perfect being Who is in charge of all things. The amazing universe proclaims that God simply is!

The second part of this psalm reminds us that God is seen in the Word. In verses 7– 11 there are six comparative statements reminding us of the way in which the Word of God develops in our lives. God’s Word is the tremendous source of the truth and it guides our steps in life.

The third part of the psalm speaks about God’s workers who are close to Him. Those who walk with God confess sin and meditate on His Word. They become the greatest examples by confirming to people that God is real!

As I shared these wonderful principles with this young man I asked him if he would like to trust Christ as his Savior. He thought a moment and then said “no.” I asked him if he understood and he assured me he did. He said that his father did not believe in God and he loved and trusted his father and would not want to disappoint him.

Every time I reflect on this brief encounter it reminds me that the greatest way people will come to know the Lord is through the life and witness of someone they trust. My encouragement to you, dear reader, is to live out your faith, and your life will be a testimony that makes it clear to others that God is real! Perhaps our lives speak louder than we realize! ~ Dr. Dino Pedrone is President of Davis College in Binghamton, NY and is a popular speaker at America’s Keswick

Keswick, America’s  (2012-12-13). Real Victory for Real Life Volume 2 (Kindle Locations 4431-4459).  . Kindle Edition.

Daily Bible Reading: Daniel 8-10; Revelation 8

Think About This: “Cherish your enemies; they may be blessings in disguise.” – Woodrow Kroll

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool. Proverbs 19:1