“They cast their silver into the streets, and their gold is like an unclean thing. Their silver and gold are not able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. They cannot satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. For it was the stumbling block of their iniquity.” – Ezekiel 7:19

Money can buy many things, but it can’t buy righteousness. It can’t buy peace with God. Those things were purchased on the cross with the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The only way to receive them is as a gift of grace through faith in the Lord. Wealth can’t help anyone spiritually. In fact, it often hinders a person’s spiritual growth and health.

We live in an era with a lot of visible wealth. There are more billionaires than ever before. The rich are getting richer while ordinary things are getting harder and harder for many to obtain. Wealth is coveted, flaunted, celebrated, hated, pursued, wasted, and abused. It’s clear that many people assume wealth will solve their problems, soothe their troubled souls, and guard them against troubled times. Indeed, luxury bunkers are in fashion these days among the ultra-wealthy. These things will do them no good if they are still under God’s wrath.

Money in itself is neither good nor evil. But when it’s pursued and amassed as the ultimate good in life, it becomes a source of outrageous sin. When it’s built at the expense of the dignity and well-being of others, it becomes “the stumbling block of their iniquity”. No amount of wealth can shield its owner from the wrath of God. Only faith in Jesus can do that.

Instead of pursuing endless wealth and discovering that there’s never enough, pursue holiness in Christ. Lay up treasure for yourself in heaven rather than on earth. Steward whatever wealth you have, whether a little or a lot, for the glory of God. Use it to bless others and build God’s Kingdom on earth. Care for the poor, the sick, the widow, and the orphan. By all means enjoy your blessings from God, but enjoy becoming more and more like His Son far more. #FollowJesus

“Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face…” – Ezekiel 1:28b

In our culture, we often speak very casually about God. We toss His name around lightly. We presume on His kindness, mercy, and grace. Believers and unbelievers alike loudly declare what they will say or do when they meet God. We imagine we’ll ask questions that have been bugging us for awhile. We imagine we’ll share our opinions regarding how the universe has been managed. But we won’t…

The universal response of any human being to the revealed glory and presence of God Almighty is to fall on their face. Ezekiel was the norm, not the exception. On earth, it’s easy to imagine God as just a super-big, super-powerful, super-good version of a human being. He is not. He is infinitely greater and altogether transcendent over us, the crown jewel of His creation.

The reality is that God is unimaginably awesome, infinitely glorious, and completely overwhelming to a human being. Do you ever pause to think about God this way? To pray, praise, and worship Him as the Almighty? You should, it’s good for your soul.

Of course, we delight in the reality that in Christ, we’ve been reconciled to God and adopted as His children. We’re able to boldly and confidently enter His throne room and share our prayers and praises. This is a glorious truth that is made even more glorious by having a deeper understanding of Who God is in all His glory and majesty. Don’t simply delight in your closeness to God through faith in Jesus Christ. Delight in your closeness to the Almighty Absolute Supreme Creator and Lord of the Universe in all His splendor!

Take time, right now, to think about all this. Meditate on it. Let God’s awesomeness overwhelm you. Then give Him the praise, honor, glory, and worship He deserves! #FollowJesus

“For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed” – Romans 15:18

The Apostle Paul certainly had an impressive resume. He could have talked extensively about himself, his credentials, and his accomplishments. The number of cities opened to the gospel. The number of converts made. The number of churches planted. The number of letters written. He could have been the most celebrated conference speaker of his day or the most boring and obnoxious person at any party. Thankfully, that wasn’t the example he set for us to imitate…

Paul only talked about those kinds of things when absolutely forced into it. Under normal circumstances, he wore humility like a cloak, as every follower of Jesus should. He pointed all the attention and glory to God. He emphasized that it was Christ and His Spirit Who accomplished all those great things through Paul. Paul was certainly a willing and submitted disciple, but the enormous fruit of his ministry was produced by Jesus living in Him.

Churches weren’t started because Paul was a talented and courageous guy. They were started because Paul abided in Christ and Christ abided in Him (see John 15). A skilled man didn’t turn the world upside down. Jesus did. That should be a great encouragement to you because Jesus still does…

Every follower of Jesus needs to embrace this reality. Jesus will accomplish everything of lasting significance we do as Christians. When we live by this truth, we get out of His way so He can produce lasting Kingdom fruit. When we still think it’s all (or at least mostly) about us, what we produce is frustrating, exhausting, and doomed to spiritual failure. We must stop trying to manufacture fruit and let Jesus grow the fruit instead. We need to acknowledge that is how Christ’s kingdom works. It isn’t about little old us. It’s about the glorious Son of God working in, and through, us. That’s a far more interesting story anyway! #FollowJesus

“For the Lord will not
cast off forever,
for, though he cause grief, he will have compassion
according to the abundance of his steadfast love;”
– Lamentations 3:31-32

For those in Christ, even the hardest seasons of discipline and correction eventually end. The most intense refining fire eventually does its necessary work and cools. Even as Jeremiah lamented the smoldering destruction of Jerusalem caused by centuries of rebellious sin, he still had confident hope in the Lord. Why? Because He knew the Lord!

Scripture is clear that the Lord will discipline those He loves. He will correct those who need it. He will test our faith and strengthen it through those tests. Nonethelesss, God’s heart of compassion for His people is immensely greater than all that. His steadfast, loyal, covenant love is limitless in quantity. It is His fundamental nature and desire to express His love and compassion toward His people. We can be certain that He will.

He already did it for us on the cross, sparing us the righteous wrath and just punishment for our sins, placing all that upon our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ instead. Because He did, followers of Jesus can be certain that His compassion and love for us will never fail and never fade.

You may endure seasons in which it feels like God is distant and done with you. That is never the case. Those seasons serve to build your faith and correct any wayward paths you may be on. They are never the end in Christ! The Lord will always have compassion. He will always and ultimately express His steadfast love for you. These things are essential to Who He is and your sins will never derail that. Be faithful. Be joyful. #FollowJesus

“When you finish reading this book, tie a stone to it and cast it into the midst of the Euphrates, and say, ‘Thus shall Babylon sink, to rise no more, because of the disaster that I am bringing upon her, and they shall become exhausted.’” – Jeremiah 51:63-64

The timing of God’s detailed prophecy and promise of Babylon’s destruction is fascinating…. It came in the fourth year of king Zedekiah of Judah. In other words, Babylon hadn’t yet destroyed Jerusalem. It had been oppressing Judah for quite some time and had already taken the best and brightest citizens into exile. Nonetheless, it would be seven more years before Babylon would destroy Jerusalem altogether. It would be decades before the prophecy Jeremiah sent to Babylon would be fulfilled with its destruction by the Medo-Persian Empire.

That’s how God is. Time is dramatically different for Him than it is for us. He sees and hold all of time in His hand: past, present, and future. He is sovereign over it all. What lies decades or centuries in the future is already completely certain and accomplished from His perspective. Therefore, God is extremely, perfectly patient. Patient that more people would have the opportunity to hear and respond to the Gospel and be saved. Patient for believers to mature in Christ. Patient to allow others to dig themselves into still deeper pits of sin before answering for their sins.

On the other hand, we have cultivated impatience. It’s in our nature and our nurture. Impatience isn’t of God. Indeed, part of the Fruit of the Spirit Who lives in every believer is patience. The closer you walk to Jesus, the more patient you become. Not passive. Not lazy. Patient. Like the Lord.

If you’re a Christian but have no patience, something needs work in your spiritual life. Draw nearer to God in unhurried prayer and meditation on Scripture. Spend more time with Jesus in worship. Sit at His feet with no agenda and no rush to get on with the next thing. Allow yourself to be filled with the Holy Spirit and expect that through Him, you will grow more patient, just like your Lord. #FollowJesus