A Word about Daily Faith

 

Today I want to share a word about daily faith as I comment on 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5.

This Scripture reads: 

Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you. Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.

We Exercise Faith Daily:

Trust is an everyday event in our lives: We trust banks to care for our money.  We trust the grocery store for the food we eat.  We trust the gas station to sell us pure fuel.

 

We simply could not live our daily lives without a measure of trust. And when we lose trust we often do silly things, like the man who was scared to fly who had to travel by air for a business trip. When he returned, he was asked how the trip went and how his flights were. He replied that he was OK because he didn’t put all his weight on airplane seat!

When We Lose Faith We get into Trouble:

When humans get scared we fall in to the fight, flight, or freeze syndrome. We will take one of those actions when we are afraid. All through the history of God’s people we can see the destructive effects of losing our trust in God:

Adam and Eve hiding from God after the fall.

Abraham and Sarah planning to have a child through Hagar instead of relying upon God.

Israel panicking when Moses was delayed in returning from Mount Sinai and deciding to worship a Golden Calf.

Saul being afraid that Samuel was not coming and deciding to improperly make a sacrifice to God in his place.

The apostles running away on the night Jesus was betrayed and Peter denying Him three times.

Our Faith is In God’s Promise:

God has promised to redeem His people, As I record this we are approaching the Christmas Season. Christmas is not only a time when we celebrate the birth of the Christ Child, but it is also a reminder that the faith we place in God is well justified. That first Christmas morning God fulfilled the promises He had made to His people many years before. As Jeremiah 33:14-16 remind us:

‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah: ‘In those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David A Branch of righteousness; He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In those days Judah will be saved, And Jerusalem will dwell safely. And this is the name by which she will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.’

God kept His promises through the birth of Jesus, and He still keeps His promises today, when almost no one else does. If God has said, it, we can have faith in it!

Faith is a Decision of Our Will:

We must decide to listen to God instead of our fear. We also must decide to allow Him to teach us what our daily troubles mean, as Romans 5:1-5 says:

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance ]character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Conclusion:

Pilots must decide before they takeoff what they will do if an emergency happens; we also must decide before a crisis occurs what we will do in our daily walk with God. 

The best answer is to exercise our faith and trust in Him. It is the only way to provide for our success and the only way to glorify Him!

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

A Word about Famous Last Words

Today I want to share a word about Famous Last Words, as I comment on 2 Samuel 23:1-7. 

This Scripture reads: 

Now these are the last words of David: The oracle of David, son of Jesse, the oracle of the man whom God exalted, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the favorite of the Strong One of Israel: The spirit of the LORD speaks through me, his word is upon my tongue. The God of Israel has spoken, the Rock of Israel has said to me: One who rules over people justly, ruling in the fear of God, is like the light of morning, like the sun rising on a cloudless morning, gleaming from the rain on the grassy land. Is not my house like this with God? For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure. Will he not cause to prosper all my help and my desire?But the godless are all like thorns that are thrown away; for they cannot be picked up with the hand; to touch them one uses an iron bar or the shaft of a spear. And they are entirely consumed in fire on the spot.

Famous Last Words?

When we think of famous last words, we often remember the words of great personalities and how profound, profane, or inane those words might be. We have no need that such a list be repeated here; a cursory search of the internet will produce a long one; a search I did produced 844,000,000 results!

Of course, in contrast to the last words of a famous person, we also use the term “famous last words,” to express doubts about the veracity, competence, or character of the person to who we are referring. In this case, instead of a fawning admiration of the person, this phrase becomes a sarcastic criticism of the person involved.

In the case of David’s last words, we can address both issues. 

David was, arguably, the best king of Israel, and while he definitely has feet of clay, he was also called a man after God’s own heart. Which is pretty heady stuff, let me tell you! I know of no person who could ever imagine being given such a compliment, so it would be natural that we should consider David’s last words seriously. They might contain real truth and powerful insights that can bless our lives!

And they do, but in an unexpected way. Let me explain.

Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing:

One might imagine that David would recount all his great military victories, or his feats of derring-do as a young man, but he didn’t. 

One might imagine that David would recount how he had expanded the borders of the nation of Israel to their greatest extent and how he had created Jerusalem as a national capital and focal point, but he didn’t.

One might imagine that David would recount his love for Jonathan and his faithfulness to Saul, even though the first king of Israel had hunted him down to kill him, but he didn’t.

One might imagine that David would recount his own sins and failures, and beg God and those he offended for forgiveness, but he didn’t

No, David’s focus wasn’t on himself, his personality, or his achievements. Instead, David’s focus was on God, the God who called him, the God who directed him, the God who empowered him, the God who corrected him, and the God who was about to receive him into His own bosom.

One wag has said that “the main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing!” David did just that; he kept his God the main thing in his life. 

David knew who had made him what he was, and he was determined to give God the praise, glory, and adoration that He deserved as he uttered these words with his last earthly breaths.

Words for Us:

The take away for us is not found in the poetic language that David used, but instead it is the object of his devotion. 

David’s God is the same today as He was during the reigns of the kings of Israel, and He is still working in our lives today in the same way, if we just allow Him to do so.

Davids’ last words were spoken in praise of His God and Ours. Who will we be praising with our last breaths?

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

A Word about the Greatest Mic Drop of All

Today I want to share a word about about the greatest mic drop of all as I comment on Hebrews 10:11-14. This passage reads:

And every priest stands day after day at his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, "he sat down at the right hand of God," and since then has been waiting "until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet." For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

The Last Word?

In recent years, stand-up comics and others who are addressing a crowd have indulged in what is called a “mic drop moment.” This is when at the end of a performance or a speech, the speaker literally drops or tosses the microphone and stalks off the stage. This has come to signify someone who believes they have just uttered the last word on a subject.

Human Arrogance:

In truth, a mic drop moment is just one symptom of the growing arrogance and rudeness which is becoming increasingly common in our society today. People not only want to prove their point, but they also want to dominate, and even destroy, any opposition to their way of thinking. 

No doubt we humans are intelligent, inquisitive, and inventive people and we have produced some marvelous things such as modern factories, automobiles, airplanes, and computers. We have flown to the moon and back and we are now investigating Mars with robotic explorers. The creation of the COVID-19 vaccines is a marvel, and yet, as wonderful as that is, we have not yet created a vaccine for the common cold. After over a century of trying, only in recent months has a vaccine for malaria been approved, a disease which kills about 500,000 people a year, world-wide.

Truth be told, we humans are not as smart as we think we are. People still rob, kill, slander, and hurt each other in a myriad of ways. Inter-personal relationships are still fragile, and try as we might, we have yet to stamp out prejudice, discrimination, racism, or domestic violence. 

The Ultimate Mic Drop:

Only one person has ever deserved to perform a mic drop moment and that is our Lord and Savior. When Jesus had completed His work of being our perfect and once-for-all sacrifice for our sins He said, “It is finished,” and then He died, only to rise again on the third day.

Now, having performed the greatest mic drop of all times, Jesus is enjoying a Sabbath at the Father’s right hand, waiting for the day when death and Hell will be thrown into the lake of fire and He will create a new Heaven and a New Earth to the glory of God the Father.

Deserved Accolades:

Of all the people who have ever lived, only one has lived a perfect, sinless life. Only one finished His work and sat down at the right Hand of God and only one is making intercession for us there today. Only one person has ever truly deserved a mic drop moment, and that one did it all for us!

This Christmas, remember who the baby Jesus really is. Jesus is King of Kings, Lord of Lord, and Our Savior! Only He deserves our praise, honor, and glory! Give Him the acclamation He deserves, for the greatest mic drop of all time!

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

A Word about the Day of the Lord

 

 Today I want to share a word about the Day of the Lord as I comment on 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4.

This Scripture reads: 

But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 

Confusion:

As we consider the ending verses of 1 Thessalonians, we can tell from the way that Paul discusses the End Times and some other subjects that the young believers in the church at Thessalonica had developed something of a crisis attitude in their faith. Paul only had three weeks to work with them in person on his Second Missionary Journey, and there is only so much education and training that he could provide in such a short period of time.

The young Thessalonian believers  knew that Jesus was coming back for His people, but they had not seen him yet, and they were beginning to think he wasn’t coming. This reminds me of a time when I arranged to meet a friend in front of a department store at a mall at a certain time. I was there and I waited for him but he didn’t show.  Minutes turned into an hour, and still he hadn’t arrived. Suddenly, I heard someone call my name, and I turned, and there my friend came, striding out of the shop with a frustrated look on his face. He was waiting outside the store and outside the mall, while I was waiting outside the store, but inside the mall! Our wires were well and truly crossed, and while we were both right in our own ways, confusion reigned!

The Thessalonian believers were confused, frustrated, and worried that Jesus had not yet come back for them and the didn’t know what happened to believers who died before Jesus came back. As he closed his first letter to them, Paul was determined to comfort them with the hope that they and we have in Christ. To do this, he gave them a simple and straight forward command: don’t speculate.

Curiosity:

People tend to fret over things that they don’t understand. God made us to have curiosity and the desire to understand and because of this, humans have gained a vast knowledge of our world and the universe. We have developed wonderful medicines, tremendous structures, and complicated machines. When we don’t know all we have to know we ask questions and sometimes we create answers that aren’t there.

For example, a young Army officer once came to the defense of a Soldier who had been charged with theft of a full toolbox. The Soldier had given a statement that he had placed the toolbox in a locker and that he had secured the locker with a padlock, but in reality he had not. The young officer could have sworn, and actually did make a sworn statement that he saw the Soldier lock-up the toolbox. It wasn’t true, however, and the young officer almost was charged with being an accomplice to the theft. The thought he saw something that he simply did not see!

If the facts of our physical word are hard to discern, spiritual facts are even more difficult to establish.  God operates by the concept of progressive revelation and He only gives us enough light for the next step in our journey He has told us what comes next, and He has told us to get ready; this is all we need to know!

Correction:

God is like the pastor preached a sermon several Sundays in a row; when confronted by the deacons he said, “When we start doing what I preached about, I’ll move on to the next subject.”

We need to be humble and teachable when it comes to spiritual facts. The truth is that we don’t know as much as we think we do, even about the physical world. After all, we have several very effective COVID-19 vaccines, but not one for the common cold so our best speculations about the end times are going to be wrong, but that didn’t keep the early church from doing it, however. Paul had to teach other churches about the End Times as well, and a prime example of that is 1 Corinthians 15.

Speculation distracts us from the work of making disciples and so it is a waste of time; we have more important work to do! Jesus told His disciples as much in Mark 13: 5-7  while He was teaching them about the End Times:

Then Jesus began to say to them, "Beware that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name and say, 'I am he!' and they will lead many astray. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come.”

Comfort:

When we allow ourselves to be distracted from the task of making disciples, and when we get scared or nervous about how the world is going, and when we begin to wonder if Jesus is coming back for us, we need to get some help. Paul closed this letter with a reminder of the God who can provide us that help and in whom we can hope and who will comfort us:

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”

Conviction:

The Day of the Lord is coming, and Jesus has all of that under control. He will surely do His part in preparation for that wonderful day. Can we say the same thing about us?

Every blessing,

Dr.  Otis Corbitt

A Word about Fields White unto Harvest

 

Today I want to share a word about fields white unto harvest as I comment on 1 Corinthians 3:5-9.

This passage reads,

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

One of the elements that made Jesus such and inspiring preacher, and Paul such an inspiring writer, was their use of metaphors to illustrate the truths that they were teaching.  In fact, the very definition of the term “parable,“ which was a literary technique that Jesus used so often and so effectively, is “A simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual principle.”

Both Jesus and Paul used many different types of metaphors but they both used agricultural illustrations quite often. In the First Century few people were as socially distanced from farming as we are today, and everyone would have immediately understood the concepts and principles that they were communicating, which brings us to today’s subject.

In John Chapter 4:34-35, Jesus pointed to the fields surrounding Him and His followers"

Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” 

In Luke 10 :2 Jesus continued to teach on this theme:

Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

These Scriptures and others came to mind recently when I was driving to church. I live in a rural area of my county and I pass many fields on the way to church or to the offices of the Covington Baptist Association where I serve. While some fields are left fallow, some are used for hay to to graze livestock, and some are used for corn,  many are planted with cotton.

As I write this the cotton bolls have opened and the farmers have defoliated their fields in preparation for the harvest. As you can see, these fields are white unto harvest. What was impressed upon my heart when I saw these fields was not that our county is “living in high cotton,” though this seems to be both the literal and figurative truth. Instead, I am reminded of the same task with which Jesus was charging His disciples. Which, of course, is to make disciples and Baptize them in His name. So, how’s that going?

We can look at many metrics to determine how our task of making disciples is going, but the one I want to highlight is this: no county in the United States is more Christian today than it was ten years ago. Of course, that included the county where I live and minister.

In the normal course of my ministry I am usually in a different church every Sunday. As I drive across the county on Sunday morning, I see many people doing other things than worshipping God. They may be fishing on the lake or cutting grass; children may be playing outside or helping their parents rake the yard. People may be swinging on a tire swing or preparing grills for a barbecue or sitting on their porch drinking coffee. Yes, the fields are white unto harvest!

I am no farmer, but do I know that if we are going to realize a harvest of souls we need to be laborers together with God. Like Paul and Apollos, we need to plant seed and water it. We need to cultivate the seedings, and nurture them to full maturity, and then we can celebrate the harvest.

The fields are truly white unto harvest! The only question is will we do the work we need to do so we can celebrate that bounty of souls with God?

Every blessing, 

Dr. Otis Corbitt