For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12).

As Paul concludes the Ephesian letter, he encourages the brethren to resist the powers of evil through the use of the image of war. This passage has been used and abused ever since!

Paul does well at making clear that our conflict is not against “flesh and blood.” Some of the greatest travesties in human history involve men declaring that they were going out and fighting human wars in the name of Christ. Jesus and the Apostles never validated such conduct. We do not see any command or example that would justify any Christian taking up arms in the name of his faith in order to fight with his fellow man.

When believers in Christ start believing that their conflict is with flesh and blood (and this is by no means limited to actual physical war– it can also refer to conflict with governments, human institutions, and the like), the Enemy wins a double victory. First, since the believers are fighting against the wrong “enemy,” the real enemy– the spiritual forces of darkness– have the upper hand in keeping the souls they’ve won along with gaining a few believers’ souls along the way. Furthermore, by alienating souls from Christ or by killing them, potential recruits for the Lord’s cause are lost. This is a sad state indeed!

Nevertheless, despite the abuse of the image, the idea that we are at war with the spiritual forces of darkness in the heavenly realm is a potent one indeed. When we consider the vast power of our true Enemy, we recognize that we are not going to be able to stand against him alone (cf. Jeremiah 10:23). We are going to need all the help we can get, and that is why Paul encourages believers to be “strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might” (Ephesians 6:10). It is only through Christ that we will be able to overcome.

We also recognize that a state of war demands certain perspectives and attitudes. Just as soldiers must be properly trained and equipped for battle, we also must have a proper understanding of God’s word and must wear the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). Just as soldiers fighting alongside each other develop bonds that endure for as long as life continues and are far deeper than most can understand in order to stay alive and keep one another alive, so also Christians are to have tight bonds in the faith, working together in order to stay spiritually alive and to keep each other spiritually alive (Hebrews 10:24-25, Galatians 6:1-3). Just as soldiers on the front lines must be constantly vigilant and singlemindedly devoted to the task before them, so Christians are to be vigilant against the schemes of the devil and devoted to God’s purposes (Ephesians 6:10-18, 1 Peter 4:7).

Yet, in the end, this is no ordinary war. We have not been instructed to make some great forward advance against the enemy. Instead, we are charged to “stand firm” (Ephesians 6:11, 13-14). We are to hold our ground– perhaps not to advance, but certainly not to run away!

We see this situation illustrated in the book of Revelation. Jesus encourages the brethren of the seven churches of Asia, providing understanding of the rewards waiting for those who “conquer” (Revelation 2-3). We are allowed to see that a great and mighty beast has arisen to stand against the believers and to persecute them– the Roman Empire (cf. Revelation 13-18). John does not leave us in doubt as to who stands behind this beast, inspiring and empowering him– it is the dragon, Satan, our enemy (Revelation 13:3-5). What were the Christians to do?

Notice that there is no scene in which the believers take up arms and fight the beast. In fact, we do not even see the brethren protesting the beast! Instead, the believers are more concerned to fight the power behind the beast– Satan, the great dragon– and they fight him and overcome him “because because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death” (Revelation 12:11)! Believers stand firm, trusting in Jesus Christ, holding fast to the message of God, even to the point of death. That is how they fought the spiritual war with the evil one!

Jesus is the one who will come and cast the beast and the dragon into the lake of fire; sure, great armies follow Him, but they follow without weapons, and are spectators for the event (Revelation 19:11-20:10). Jesus will advance and destroy the power of evil; we must stand firm.

Let no one be deceived: we are in the midst of a great and terrible spiritual conflict. It is not a conflict in which we asked to participate, nor would we ever desire to have such a conflict. Nevertheless, the conflict has gone on long before our time and very well may continue long after we have passed on. Let us arise and fight the good fight of faith, keeping in mind with whom we are to fight and with whom we are not to fight (cf. 2 Timothy 4:7). Let us stand firm against the spiritual forces of darkness while doing all that we can to persuade those deceived by those powers to come out and join the Lord’s side. Let us stand firm, holding fast to the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony, doing all things, so that we may have the victory!

Ethan R. Longhenry

“But if ye had known what this meaneth, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ ye would not have condemned the guiltless” (Matthew 12:7).

The Pharisees have come out again and have attempted to condemn Jesus and His disciples for violating their strictures regarding the Sabbath. Jesus stands against them because they have entirely missed the purpose of the Sabbath on account of their legalistic perspective.

He charges them with not understanding Samuel’s utterance to Saul in 1 Samuel 15:22, a message also seen in Hosea 6:6, Isaiah 1:11-20, and Jeremiah 6:19-20. This message strikes at the heart of what it means to be a true servant of God versus just going through the motions.

In all of those Old Testament contexts, the people of God were providing the sacrifices which God commanded for them to provide in the Law (cf. Leviticus). Yet God would not accept them. It was not a matter of the technical requirements, as if the sacrifices were themselves offered improperly. God rejected them because the sacrifices were not consistent with the rest of their lives. Sure, they would sacrifice to God, but they were not obeying God otherwise! Saul had brought all kinds of animals to sacrifice for God when God told him to devote Amalek to the ban. The Israelites in the days of Hosea, Isaiah, and Jeremiah brought their requisite offerings yet were also serving idols, committing oppressions and violence in the land, and not following the LORD as commanded.

These Pharisees were doing the same thing. They went to great lengths to understand the Book yet did not actually practice much of what was in it. They devised a series of all kinds of guidelines to keep people from violating the Law– a veritable “fence around the Torah”– and in the process missed its most essential commands (cf. Matthew 23:23-24). Even though they did not commit the exact same sins as their forebears, they fell under the same condemnation!

These are strong warnings for us today. It is good to know what the Bible teaches and to do all one can in order to avoid sin (cf. 2 Peter 3:18, Romans 12:9). On the other hand, Christianity is more than just an intellectual exercise, and its core message discourages any attempt at self-righteousness or sanctimony (James 1:22-25, Luke 18:9-14).

We cannot pride ourselves in having all the details of certain elements of our service to God entirely figured out and then miss the whole of the message. If we assemble with the saints and do all things according to God’s purposes, well and good (Hebrews 10:24-25). But we are to show love, mercy, and compassion to all men at all times, and to serve God as fervently outside of the assembly as we do among the saints (Romans 12:1-2, Galatians 5:22-24). Even if we have great knowledge of the Book, we have no reason to be high on ourselves: we remain profitless servants doing only what is our duty when we learn God’s will and apply it (Luke 17:7-10). In the end, no matter how “righteous” we are, no matter how “mature” in the faith, we must remain humble servants of our Lord, encouraging all men to come to the knowledge of the truth in love, confessing that we are not the judges but our Lord will judge everyone on the last day (Romans 14:1-12, Matthew 7:1-5, James 4:12, Ephesians 2:1-10, 4:11-16).

Let none be deceived: if you assemble with the saints but do not otherwise accomplish God’s will, God will reject your “sacrifice.” If you strive diligently to obey God in the areas of life in which it is convenient, but refuse to repent in the more challenging aspects of the faith, God will reject your “sacrifice.” If you understand God’s Word well and seek to apply it in your life yet you look down on your fellow man and consider yourself better than they, God will reject your “sacrifice.” It is only when we remember our place and completely give ourselves over to the Lord Jesus Christ that our sacrifices will be pleasing to God (Romans 12:1, Hebrews 13:15)! Let us both show mercy and provide sacrifice, and be pleasing to our Lord!

Ethan R. Longhenry

For according to their power, I bear witness, yea and beyond their power, they gave of their own accord, beseeching us with much entreaty in regard of this grace and the fellowship in the ministering to the saints: and this, not as we had hoped, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God (2 Corinthians 8:3-5).

Perhaps one of the greatest challenges in life is learning how to do what we ought to do with the spirit in which we ought to do it along with the proper motivation for doing so. This is especially true in the “religious” sphere of existence. It is quite easy to fall into the trap of empty ritualism, or for people to work with the intent to earn merit. Too many are only willing to do the commands of God that are comfortable for them; many treat religion as they perhaps treated high school, trying to figure out how to do just enough to “get by.”

While all of these forms of religious service are popular, they are not what God intends, and they cannot lead to a saving faith. If we really desire to be saved, we will have to do as the Macedonians did so many years ago: we must first give ourselves to the Lord. If we are able to accomplish that, then everything else can fall into its proper place.

Yet, as with many things in life, such is easier said than done. Giving ourselves entirely over to Jesus is a challenging proposition. It requires us to be crucified with Him, making the decision to no longer live in sin (Romans 6:1-7, Galatians 2:20). We must then live as His servants, seeking His will in every facet of our existence (Ephesians 5-6). The cost is high– the path of Christ involves sacrifice, suffering, and persecution (Romans 12:1, Acts 14:21, Romans 8:17-18). The reward of eternal life, however, will make up for it and beyond (cf. Revelation 21-22)!

It is easy to understand why the temptation is always there to promote or to live a half-hearted religion, a belief system in which you go along with God as long as it is comfortable and does not infringe too terribly strongly in one’s life. Yet we must understand that a religion without cost tends to be a religion without benefit. Jesus came to the earth not to be served but to serve, and He gave fully of Himself for us (Philippians 2:5-11). If He gave Himself fully for us, how can we expect to get away with only giving a little bit for Him?

Jesus Himself makes it quite clear in Matthew 10:35-39 that becoming His disciple is an all-or-nothing proposition. You either put God in Christ first in your life or you do not. You are willing to allow the Lord to dictate for you through His Word how you will conduct yourselves toward your parents, spouse, children, employer, friends, and others, or you are not (cf. Ephesians 5-6). You either allow God in Christ to dictate how you will use the blessings of material abundance, time and talents for His purposes, or you do not (Romans 12). Half-hearted service, empty ritualism, or reward-based work is not true service to God, no matter how much it may feel as it is (cf. Matthew 7:21-23). It is only when we first and foremost decide that we are going to give ourselves over to the Lord that we can finally begin serving Him.

Thankfully, no matter how we have lived in the past, as long as we live, we have the opportunity to give ourselves to the Lord. Let us do so and become full servants of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, knowing that if we glorify His name, we will share in His eternal glory!

Ethan R. Longhenry

And as they went on the way, a certain man said unto him, “I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.”
And Jesus said unto him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the heaven have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” (Luke 9:57-58).

People tend to have an attachment to what is called their “home.” Many times that “home” involves the location where they were born and/or raised. “Home” may mean their current location, or the location of their immediate family. Nevertheless, the appreciation of one’s “home” transcends cultural, religious, and geographical lines. How many have been willing to give up their lives, after all, for their “homeland”? This impulse is extremely strong!

Yet God calls upon those who would believe in Jesus Christ to consider Heaven their “homeland” (Philippians 3:20-21). Christians are to recognize that while they are at “home” in the body, they are absent from the Lord, and that it will be much better when we are absent from the body and at “home” with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-9).

This is a difficult challenge. The challenge evokes the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, men whom God called to live as sojourners in a land that was not theirs (Hebrews 11:8-16). Even though they knew that God would give the land to their descendants, these men could never really feel at “home” there. The people around them had sinful customs, and there was great danger in intermarrying with them. Whenever they had disputes with the “locals,” they were always at a disadvantage. Nevertheless, they believed in God’s promise, and for their faith they obtained the heavenly country.

While God may not call us to sojourn in a different country today, He does ask that we look at our lives on this earth as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob saw their lives in Canaan (1 Peter 1:1, 17; 2:11). We should not get too comfortable, and should not really “feel at home” while in the world (Romans 12:2, Romans 8:19-23). We must recognize that many people around us have sinful customs, and must always be concerned about how their customs may influence us and our families (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). It very well might be that because we are sojourners on the earth that we are at a disadvantage against our fellow man.

Yet, in the end, if we recognize that our true citizenship is with Jesus Christ and His Kingdom, and we reflect the values of the Kingdom and not of this world, we will obtain the reward that awaits us (Hebrews 11:39-40, 1 Peter 1:3-9, Revelation 21-22). In short, if we feel “at home” in this world, we will not have the opportunity to feel “at home” with God; but if we recognize that this world is not our home, and live accordingly, we will have the opportunity to truly be “at home with the Lord” one day!

Ethan R. Longhenry

“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’
Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’
O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” declares the Lord GOD.
Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin” (Ezekiel 18:25-30 ESV).

There had been a proverb in Israel for many generations: the fathers eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge (cf. Ezekiel 18:2). The idea was that children bear the iniquities of their fathers. The idea made sense to them. Apples don’t far too fall from the tree, in general, and children act in similar ways to their parents. God Himself warned the people that He would visit the iniquity of fathers upon children for multiple generations (cf. Exodus 20:5).

Nevertheless, the concept was faulty. While it was true that children often had to suffer directly and indirectly for the sins of their fathers, and that God would punish one generation and perhaps not the ones before it, it was not true that children bore the iniquities of their fathers. God explains quite clearly in Ezekiel 18 that the soul that sins will die for his sin, and the soul that does what is right will be saved, regardless of how their father or son might act. Furthermore, if the sinful repent, they can be saved; likewise, if the righteous plunge into sin, they will be condemned.

But Israel does not like this message. It is not consistent with the way they look at it. So what do they do? They declare that the way of God is not just!

It is not my intent to get into the complexities of the nature of the discussion here; instead, it is quite interesting to note how Israel is quite willing to declare the Author of justice to be unjust when it does not suit their perspective. Their definition of what is “just” or “fair” is different from God’s definition, and they have figured that their definition is the right one.

We can see the arrogance of their position! How dare they declare God unjust! If God is the Author of Life and all that is good and holy (Genesis 1), and if He loves justice (Psalm 33:5), how can He be declared unjust by mere humans? As it is written:

Thou wilt say then unto me, “Why doth he still find fault? For who withstandeth his will?”
Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God?
Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, “Why didst thou make me thus?” (Romans 9:19-20).

The Israelites were quite in the wrong, as the creation, to declare the Creator to be unjust. If they did not repent of such folly, they would stand to be condemned!

While we can step back and see how arrogant the Israelites were, have we stopped to consider if we have done the same?

Some may be so bold as to declare the way of the God as not being just or fair. Others may not declare it by word but do so by deed. Too many will attempt to subtly change God’s message, or interpret the message in a way that is more consistent with their worldview.

But the end is all the same: if we do any such thing, we are declaring that we know better than God, and our ways are more just than His ways.

In the new covenant, God has provided salvation for all who are willing to hear and obey (1 Timothy 2:4, Romans 6). That may very well mean that people who sin terribly and yet repent may be saved while some who did not live so sinfully may be condemned (1 Timothy 1:12-16, 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9). It very well may mean that sincere people who thought that they knew about God find out that they really did not know Him and will pay the penalty (Matthew 7:21-23). It may mean that things we think are right or fair or just are not right, fair, or just according to God’s standard (Matthew 19:3-9, Galatians 5:19-21). It may even mean that people who worked all their lives for God’s purposes will receive the same reward as the prodigal son who returns to God later in life (cf. Matthew 20:1-16).

Many people hear such things and declare God to not be just. And who are any of us to declare His ways unjust? In so doing, we are no better than Israel, and should expect the same fate. Let us not presume to judge the qualities of God, but instead praise and thank Him for the opportunity to be redeemed from sin and death and to obtain eternal life!

Ethan R. Longhenry

And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and trying him asked him to show them a sign from heaven.
But Jesus answered and said unto them, “When it is evening, ye say, ‘It will be fair weather: for the heaven is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather to-day: for the heaven is red and lowering.’ Ye know how to discern the face of the heaven; but ye cannot discern the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of Jonah.”
And he left them, and departed (Matthew 16:1-4).

We easily can get obsessed with forecasts. We turn on the television to obtain weather forecasts to see what the weather will be like. If we are interested in business matters, we may read the paper or listen to news about stock market forecasts. There are political forecasts, sporting event forecasts, and a host of other predictions for other situations in life.

While these forecasts are not always entirely accurate, we use them to try to get a sense of what will take place during the day. We like having some idea of what is coming at us. We do not want to be caught off guard, and it is always good to have that “edge” in any situation.

We put our time and at least some of our trust into forecasts involving worldly matters. But do we consider the spiritual forecast?

During the days of Jesus, many sought to see signs done by Him. Yet the signs were everywhere. Jesus was the right person at the right place at the right time doing the right things (cf. Matthew 11:4-6). The signs were everywhere– they refused to accept them or see them! Furthermore, no “sign” would have been sufficient for such persons, for they did not want to understand. They would understand and trust the signs that humans could understand relative to the weather, but refused to trust the signs that pointed to Jesus as the Christ.

People have sought signs to this day, and the reality remains the same. The creation attests to the hand of God (Romans 1:18-20), and the message of Scripture provides complete confidence in the revelation of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God (John 20:30-31). If we are willing to trust in various forecasts of men, we ought to be able to trust the forecast of God as revealed in Scripture!

If we believe in God and trust in His Word, do we take stock of our spiritual forecast? Granted, we may not get a specific message about precisely what will take place on any given day, but we are guaranteed that we will suffer difficulties because of our belief in God (Acts 14:22, Romans 8:17), have opportunities that we ought to use for God’s glory (Ephesians 5:16), and constantly suffer the barrage of temptations for sin (1 Peter 5:8). We also have the “forecasted” return of our Lord which could happen at any time, and for which we must always be prepared (1 Thessalonians 5:1-10)!

If the weatherman predicts rain, we grab the jacket or the umbrella. If the economic forecaster sees a downturn in a stock, we may feel compelled to sell. When God forecasts difficulties and temptations to sin, do we likewise prepare ourselves so that we may stand firm and do what is right when the situation comes about? Or, despite trusting in the forecasts of men, do we not discern the signs of our times? Let us take advantage of God’s forecasts, resolve to advance His Kingdom and His purposes, and go out and do so!

Ethan R. Longhenry

“These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye may have peace. In the world ye have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Peace is a state of being that is greatly sought after. Few are the people who want to live in a constant state of war or trouble. But where are we to find peace? It seems so elusive in life.

As Jesus indicates, we have tribulation in the world. In context, Jesus speaks of the trials and difficulties believers will encounter because of their stand for the Gospel (cf. 1 Peter 2:19-24). If we believe in Christ and therefore get resistance from the world, we can take comfort in Jesus’ victory over the world through His death and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15). Even if it leads to the loss of our livelihoods or lives, we will obtain a great inheritance (Luke 18:29-30, Romans 8:17-18).

While believers may be called upon to suffer tribulation in the world on account of the Gospel, it is certainly not the only reason for trial. Tribulation exists in the world on account of all sorts of reasons: wars, illnesses, economic challenges, consequences of the sins of others or perhaps even our own sins, and so on. Even if we obtain a level of stability in our lives, there is no guarantee that we can maintain that level of stability.

In reality, tribulation exists everywhere in the world, and true peace cannot be found in it. If we truly want peace, we must look to God in Christ.

We can have peace in Jesus Christ because He became our peace (cf. Ephesians 2:11-18). Peace can only exist when hostility is taken out of the way, and Jesus removed the source of hostility by bearing the law of sin and death on the cross (Ephesians 2:11-18, Romans 8:1-3). Through Jesus Christ we can have peace with God, peace with ourselves, and peace with our fellow man. Indeed, we can obtain the peace that surpasses all understanding in Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:7)!

This peace does not mean that we will not suffer trial; instead, this peace can sustain us through any difficulty we may experience. It is an inner peace that ought to flow outward in every aspect of our lives.

This peace comes at a great price: we must give up all of ourselves and serve Jesus (cf. Galatians 2:20). We must weigh the cost and see if it is worth it. When we finally get tired of the tribulation of the world, let us seek out and enjoy the peace that can only come through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Ethan R. Longhenry

Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: and they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown; and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them,
“Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?” (Numbers 16:1-3).

With these actions and words Korah begins his rebellion. The motives of his rebellion are far from pure, and he may just be interested in a power grab. The logic of his argument, however, is a problem that Israel must deal with perpetually.

Israel certainly understood the message that they were God’s chosen people. Korah saw that God’s presence dwelt in the midst of Israel, and to him that meant that the people must be holy. If the people are holy, who are Moses and Aaron to condemn them?

This idea does not go away. Almost a thousand years later, the people of Judah do not pay sufficient attention to the warnings of the prophet Jeremiah. Instead, they trust in the fact that the Temple of God is in Jerusalem, and since God is in the Temple, the city and the Temple will not be harmed by Babylon (Jeremiah 7:4). After all, God struck the Assyrians when they drew near. Would He not again do so with Babylon?

In the days of John the Baptist and Jesus the Jews trusted in their lineage. They were children of Abraham– that was what mattered. They had never been enslaved to anyone (John 8:33)!

All of these made a similar mistake. Indeed, God chose Israel from among all the nations. Yes, God made a covenant with Abraham, and his offspring were the beneficiaries. Yes, God chose to dwell in the midst of Israel. But that was never enough. For God to continue to bless Israel, they had to be faithful. They had to obey His commands. They had to serve Him properly.

Yet they constantly sinned and rebelled. The earth swallowed Korah for his sin. The Babylonians came and ransacked Jerusalem and the Temple because of the sin of the people. Judgment again came upon Jerusalem 40 years after the death of Jesus.

We now live under the new covenant of Jesus Christ, through whom we have been reconciled to God if we have obeyed Him (Ephesians 2:1-18). Yet, just as in the days of old, it is not sufficient just to wear the name of “Christian.” We cannot expect that God will give us an easier time or that He will look aside as we commit sin just because we believe in Jesus. We cannot expect God to bless whatever we want or do just because we think we are part of Him.

Instead, we also must be obedient servants. We must do His will, not our own (Galatians 2:20, Romans 12:1-2). Do we think that somehow we will escape the same condemnation as Israel of old if we profess to be of God but do not obey His will?

“Not every one that saith unto me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day,
‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works?’
And then will I profess unto them, ‘I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity’” (Matthew 7:21-23).

Ethan R. Longhenry

And David said unto God, “Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? Even I it is that have sinned and done very wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let thy hand, I pray thee, O the LORD my God, be against me, and against my father’s house; but not against thy people, that they should be plagued” (1 Chronicles 21:17).

David had indeed acted wickedly. He was incited to number the men of Israel and Judah– an act that indicates an expectation of war. Joab protested, but to no avail; David would not be moved. Yet, when confronted with his sin, and when he sees its consequences, David takes responsibility and wishes for the consequences to fall upon him and his house and not the innocent.

This is not the first time David has been confronted with sin and took responsibility. The same was true when Nathan confronted David regarding his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah (2 Samuel 12). He took responsibility for his own sin; Psalm 51 eloquently shows as much.

Such is partly why David is indeed a man after God’s own heart. It is a natural human impulse to shift blame away from oneself. After all, when God confronted Adam about how he knew that he was naked in Genesis 3, Adam immediately shifted the blame to Eve, who in term shifted the blame to the serpent. We have all seen politicians and others impulsively deny claims made against them, only later to see them confess to the deed.

It is always easy to try to find some way to shift blame in regards to sin. One could blame the influence of others, one’s raising, one’s genes, one’s culture, government, society, other such thing, or even the influences of the spiritual powers of darkness. Nevertheless, we do best to take the blame for our own sin, since, in the end, none of us are ever forced to sin (1 Corinthians 10:13). We should be upfront and take responsibility. By doing so, we minimize the damage done, and show that we are indeed different in how we act.

John promises in 1 John 1:9 that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and righteous and will forgive us. To confess our sins means, literally, “to speak the same thing as,” or to directly and specifically take responsibility for what we have done. That is at least part of the way that David became a man after God’s own heart. We would do well if we did the same!

Ethan R. Longhenry

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled: for these things must needs come to pass; but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines and earthquakes in divers places. But all these things are the beginning of travail” (Matthew 24:6-8).

As Jesus begins to describe to His disciples how the end will come for Jerusalem, He encourages them to not be disturbed at all the rumors of destruction that they will hear. Instead, He lays out precisely what will happen, and how its destruction will be made evident, and how He will be vindicated on that day (Matthew 24:9-36).

Ever since Jesus spoke these words, there have been the proverbial “wars and rumors of wars” regarding His final return in glory. The number of predictions of Jesus’ imminent return is legion; a generation sees signs of the end in their own day and age. They go the way of all flesh, and the generation after them still finds all kinds of reasons to justify why it is that the Lord will return in their own generation.

This is no different today. 1843, 1844, 1914, 1975, 2000, among other dates, have all come and past. Now we hear of 2012. After that another date will crop up. Yet more “wars and rumors of wars.”

Let none be deceived: a day will come upon which the Lord will return. If you believe that the creation will continue just as it always has, Peter would like to remind you of the days of Noah, and how no one was expecting the apocalypse that took place then (2 Peter 3:1-9; cf. Genesis 6-9). Thus it will be when the Lord returns: the day will come as a thief in the night (Matthew 24:43, 1 Thessalonians 5:2). No special predictions, no special warnings. In fact, it would hardly be surprising if the Lord intentionally does not come back on a popularly set forth date for that very reason!

Believers in Jesus Christ are not to be troubled by these “wars and rumors of wars.” Instead, they are to be perpetually ready for His return (Matthew 24:45-25:30). If you are a servant of God faithfully serving God daily, will it matter if the Lord returns tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, or even in the next millennium?

Let us be sober-minded, realizing that our generation is no more or less special than any generation that has gone on before us. The Lord may return in our generation, but it will not be because of the “wars and rumors of wars.” If Jesus returns after we die, He has not proven unfaithful to His Word! Nevertheless, we should be prepared, for we do not and cannot know exactly when He will return. Let us be profitable servants of God while we have the chance!

Ethan R. Longhenry