Corby Shuey

חָמָס – Hamas

The first appearance of the word חָמָס (H2555- hamas) is found in the book of Genesis. The Lord uses the term to describe the depraved state of the world. Creation has fallen into corruption at the hands of sinful mankind. The text states:

“11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. (Genesis 6:11-12 NABS95)”

The Lord describes in these verses what the earth had become. People, who have given themselves to the lustfulness of sin, brought corruption. All the ways of the people became corrupt because of willful sin. And because of the vile nature of sin, the earth was full of violence (H2555-hamas). God spoke these verses as He looked upon the earth. He spoke the verses as He lamented the choices His children made to willfully turn their backs of Him. The earth was full of violence. The earth was filled with violence as the people purposefully engaged in corruption, depravity and willful sin against a Holy God. 

We must remember however, even as most people acted in violence during this day, the Lord provided a way to find salvation. The Lord spoke into the heart of Noah to build an Ark. Noah obeyed the Word of the Lord. As the Ark was being built, Noah spoke the word of deliverance to the people. Noah spoke to the people who willfully chose violence, depravity and wickedness. Noah spoke of hope. God provided a means to escape His wrath. The Ark was built to be a place of refuge. But as the day of wrath drew near, none choice to enter the Ark save for Noah and his family. No one else chose to enter, though God provided a door. No one took heed of the warning. The earth was filled with violence because the ways of sinful man were corrupt. As the door of the Ark was closed, hamas was cut off. Violence would remain outside of the Ark to be judged. Those with in the Ark took refuge under the authority of the Lord.

    The word חָמָס- (H2555- hamas) means violence. It is based on the Hebrew primitive root word: חָמַס (H2554- khaw-mas’). Similar spelling in the Hebrew with a slightly different pronunciation. This primitive root word carries the definition: to wrong, do violence to, treat violently, do wrongly. Clearly the word is used to connote violence and aggressive acts toward another. As the Lord describes in the verses above, violence was rampant in the heart of the people. Sinful humanity sought to act in violence toward one another in rejection of the hope found in the Lord our God. 

     Hamas has arisen again, in our day. We take note due to the recent acts of violence against the nation of Israel. Hamas is the name associated with the terrorist organization based in the Gaza Strip. It was from this region that the initial violence against Israel was launched. It is no mistake that the terrorist organization chose the name Hamas. Their very name tips their hand toward the intent of their actions. They seek violence, destruction and submission to the will of Allah and Sharia Law.^[i] 

(I encourage you to take the time to follow the link in the footnote. This link connects with the Hamas covenant which was written during the formation of this terror group. Upon reading the Hamas covenant, it is evident that the group does not seek peace with Israel. They only seek the destruction of Israel.) 

Due to recent events the ongoing conflict between Israel and other groups in the region have become a topic of public conversation. As a result, much misinformation regarding the origin of Hamas and the people who consider themselves to be Palestinian has arisen. I thought it to be appropriate to address misinformation regarding the recent violence that has befallen Israel in an attempt to shed light on the intent of the conflict as incited by Hamas and other terror groups bent on acting in violence. I do this as a means to help discern what is true apart from the plethora of propaganda we see in secular media outlets. Additionally, the scope of this writing intends to provide a very brief overview of history and events that have contributed to the current violence. This writing is by no means exhaustive. The difficulties surrounding this conflict are deep rooted and expansive. It would serve the reader well to investigate the conflict further. I recommend a book written by Dr. William Federer What Every American Needs To Know about the Qur’an: A History of Islam and the United States. This book provides an overview of Islamic history and intent.

    To begin, I define Hamas as an organization. The term Hamas is an acronym for the longer name of the group “Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya (“Islamic Resistance Movement”).^[ii]  The terrorist organization was formed by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in the year 1987. The National Counterterrorism Center defines the purpose of the group stating “The group is committed to armed resistance against Israel and the creation of an Islamic Palestinian state in Israel’s place.”^[iii] From the perspective of Hamas, there is no two-state solution. There is only the obliteration of Israel.^[iv] Hamas became the controlling political body in the Gaza in 2007 after the group overthrew the existing governmental authority. Hamas is supported financially and militaristically by Iran, Syria and the terrorist organization based in the country of Lebanon known as Hezbollah. 

It is no mistake that this terrorist organization has chosen to be known as Hamas. It is for violence against God’s people that they find motivation. From the outset of this terrorist organization, they have sought to destroy the Jewish people and the nation of Israel. Additionally, as part of the covenant people of God, Hamas and other Islamic terror groups target Christians. All those who reject the teachings of Muhammad in the Quran are considered infidels. If the infidel is unwilling to submit to Islam, then they are to be killed or oppressed into submission under Islamic authority.^[v] The term Islam itself means to submit to the will of Allah. From the Islamic perspective all people must submit to the will of Allah in order to find peace. There will be no peace until the entirely of the world falls under Islamic control.^[vi] Islam divides the world into two groups, as noted by Dr. William Federer in his book, What Every American Needs to Know About the Qur’an: A History of Islam & the United States (I highly recommend this book as a source of truth concerning this topic). Dr. Federer describes the two divisions of the world in the eyes of Islam as such, “Islam divides the world into two: those who have submitted to the will of Allah and those yet to submit.”^[vii] Those submitted to Allah are called the House of Islam (dar al-Islam). Those yet to submit are called the House of War (dar al-harab).^[viii] Violence is directed toward those in the House of War for the intent to bring them into submission of Allah or to bring death.

The term Allah is not synonymous with the word God. Although the secular world would like to suggest the name Allah is synonymous with the God of our Bible. Allah is not God nor is the term simply an Arabic phrase to speak about the Judeo-Christian God. Allah is a false god who is associated with the moon, violence and revolt. The term Allah predates the formation of Islam. References to the false god Allah can be found in ancient Assyrian and Sumerian texts predating Islam.^[ix] Additionally, as explained by Dr. Federer, “Each pagan Arabian tribe called its main local deity ‘allah,’ which simply meant ‘the god.’ In Arabia, pagans worshipped as many as 360 deities, represented by stones believed to have fallen from the sun, moon and stars.”^[x] To reiterate, Allah is not just a name given to represent the God of the Bible. Allah is a generic term initially used in the pagan worship of false gods. The name was later applied to the false deity of Islam. Therefore, the violence currently erupting against Israel and the covenant people of God is not motivated politically, this is violence driven by evil. Hamas does not seek to liberate a people group from the hand of a perceived oppressor, they seek to do the bidding of their master, the devil himself. 

    Hamas published a covenant declaring the purpose of the terrorist group in 1988. The opening statement within this covenant providing vision for the terror group states, 

“They are smitten with vileness wheresoever they are found; unless they obtain security by entering into treaty with Allah, and a treaty with men; and draw on themselves indignation from Allah, and they are afflicted with poverty. This they suffer because they disbelieved the signs of Allah, and slew the prophets unjustly; this, because they were rebellious, and transgressed.” (Al-Imran – verse 109-111)^[xi]

The term they in the above quote is referencing those who have rejected the teachings of Allah. Because of the rejection of Allah, the subjects of the quote are “smitten with vileness.” Hamas views all those who do not submit themselves to Allah as vile. The only hope is to come into treaty with Allah and be subject to poverty. The Hamas covenant goes on to name specifically one of the targets unto which Hamas acts aggressively. “Israel will exist and continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it (The Martyr, Imam Hassan al-Banna, of blessed memory).” As I stated earlier, hamas and other terrorist organizations are not looking to tolerate coexistence with Israel. The only solution is utter destruction. 

Hamas calls for Sharia Law to be declared over the region. Sharia Law is a religio-political call to return to the sayings of Mohammed in subjection to the Quran. Sharia Law is a law of oppression. A few of the requirements under Sharia Law are as follows:

• Criticizing the Quran is punishable by death.
• Criticizing Mohammad or denying that he is a prophet is punishable by death.
• Criticizing Allah is punishable by death.
• Any Muslim who turns away from the faith can be punished by death.
• A non-Muslim who leads a Muslim away from faith can be punished by death.
• The testimony of a woman who has been raped must be able to acquire the testimonies of four male witnesses. 
• If a woman alleges rape without the testimony of four male witnesses, the woman will be accused of adultery.
• A woman accused of committing adultery can be punished by death.
• A man can beat his wife for insubordination.
• Meat that is eaten must come from animals that have been sacrificed to Allah. (This is called Halal. This is an Arabic term that means permissible).^[xii]
• Muslims can engage in Taqiyya and lie to non-Muslims for the advancement of Islam.

I listed just a few of the laws found under the conditions of Sharia. It is clear that Islam is a cult that seeks to bring the world to submission through domination.

Another aspect of Islam is the call for jihad. The concept of jihad can take on numerous forms. A general definition is holy war waged on behalf of Islam as a religious duty.^[xiii] It is seen as a duty of a practitioner of Islam to engage in jihad in some form as an act of obligation toward Allah. Jihad, to a Muslim means “struggle.” The struggle can be against political foes in the context of political power. Jihad can take shape through legal pursuits in regard to civil law. It can be struggle against perceived oppression. Terror groups often act in jihad through violence directed toward infidels. Jihad can also be an act of all out war. The concept of jihad comes directly from the Quran itself. A direct quote instructing adherents of Islam in how to act against those who do not fully submit to Allah. Surah At-Taubah Ayat 29 (9:29 Quran) reads as follows:

Fight those who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day, nor comply with what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden, nor embrace the religion of truth from among those who were given the Scripture, until they pay the tax, willingly submitting, fully humbled.^[xiv]

Practitioners of Islam are expected to fight against those who do not submit to Allah. This fight can take place in various spheres as noted above. But the warning that must be gleaned from this ideology is that of a fight. Mohammad was quoted in the Quran stating, “Fighting is obligatory for you, as much as you dislike it” (Sura 2:216).^[xv] The purpose of the fighting is to force non-Muslims to come into subjection of the false ideology. The target of aggression is declared in the above quote taken from the Quran. Fight those “who were given the Scripture.”^[xvi] Those who were given the Scripture is a direct address to both Jews and Christians. Mohammad is quoted as declaring “Allah cursed the Jews and Christians because they took the graves of their prophets as places for praying, ‘and’ Do not leave an image without obliterating it, or a high grave without leveling it” (Hadith Sahih Muslim, 2115).^[xvii]Again, the aggression, violence and hatred toward both Jews and Christians from some who adhere to the Islamic ideology is not founded on racism or prejudice against a differing ethnicity. The hatred is demonic and directed by satan himself as he strives to rid the world of those who God, our Father declares to be His own treasured possession.^[xviii]

    A word on Palestine. The terror groups called Hamas is based in the Gaza strip in Israel. Hamas claims to be a group focused on the liberation of the nation they refer to as Palestine. Hamas, along with other terror groups falsely suggest that Israel is an oppressor who seeks to limit Palestinian autonomy. Therefore violence must be enacted in an effort to liberate Palestine from the oppression of Israel.^[xix] The name Palestine is misleading. The term Palestine first appears in Greek literature in the 5^th century BCE. The term was used by Greek historian Herodotus to refer to a coastal strip of land inhabited by the Philistines.^[xx] Later, following a Jewish revolt, the Roman Empire led by Emperor Hadrian, renamed the region of Judea- Palestina. This was done in an effort to minimize and devalue Jewish identification with the land.^[xxi] The act of renaming the land was to bring shame to the Jewish people. Under Roman occupation, the Temple was destroyed and the Jews were forbidden to dwell in Jerusalem. In 638 AD, Muslims conquered Jerusalem taking it from the hands of the Byzantine Empire. The Islamic invaders then spread out to conquer the entirety of the region. The names of some cities were changed again to align with the Arabic language. The area that was called Philistina, under Christian control, became known as Filastin under Islamic control.^[xxii] As you have already probably noticed, the word Filastin is similar to the term Philistine. The Bible refers to the Philistines as a people group who were constantly at war against the people of God. The world Philistine, is based on the Hebrew word פְּלֶשֶׁת (H6429). This word means “land of sojourners.” The Philistines/Palestinians find a heritage of sojourning. They never inhabited a land under a unified national identity. They were a nomadic people.

Many years later, after world War I, the land of Israel fell into British control. Under the direction of the League of Nations, Israel was named Palestine. This took effect in the year 1923.^[xxiii] This name was applied to the region in an effort to formalize British rule. The name Palestine was not applied only to geographic Israel, it was a general term applied to the region of Israel and Syria. The land of Israel was referred to Palestine from 1923 until 1948. Following the second World War, when the Jewish people were officially given back control of the land that was promised as ordained by Almighty God the region was renamed Israel.^[xxiv]

    As can be clearly noted, even in this extremely brief historical synopsis, the land of Israel has been in turmoil for millennia. It was not until an act of God that a people who were almost completely eradicated from the face of the earth were again reestablished in the homeland declared to be promised to them by our Lord.^[xxv] This was the first time in all of human history that a nation was destroyed, the people dispersed, hated and purposefully acted against in violence, only to have those same people return to the Land of Promise. Since the return of the nation of Israel, the land has flourished. God has brought life back into what was once forgotten. To bring clarity to how forgotten this land was prior to the Jewish return, I quote Mark Twain. The author was on a tour of Jerusalem in the year 1867. Prior to the reestablishment of Israel, Twain described the land in this way, “There is not a solitary village throughout its whole extent- not for 30 miles in either direction… One may ride 10 miles, hereabouts, and not see 10 human beings.”^[xxvi] The land was desolate. No one wanted it. No one cared for it. No one wanted it, until the world declared that the Jews would return and the nation of Israel would be reestablished. Until this point the land was laid to waste, forgotten. Twain goes on to state as he reflects on his trip to the Holy Land, “Of all the lands there are for dismal scenery, I think Palestine must be the prince… Palestine sits in sackcloth and ashes. Over it broods the spell of a curse that has withered its fields and fettered its energies.”^[xxvii] Remember, Twain is referring to Israel using the term Palestine only because during the time of his writing it was the popular name used to refer to the region. He describes the land as “dismal.” It was covered in “sackcloth and ashes.” A land mourning for the return of the King.

Again, Israel was a land that was unwanted, uncared for and forgotten by the world. It was not until the return of the nation Israel that the land once again began to flourish. Prior to the return of the Jewish people, those who call themselves Palestinian did not care for the land. Those who claimed to be Islamic cared nothing for the land. The land only came under contention following the 1948 decree to establish, once again, the nation of Israel. It is clear that the conflict that is currently unfolding in Israel is not a conflict over land. It is not a conflict over national identity. It is not a conflict for the purpose of liberation of a particular people group. It is a conflict fueled by the fire of hell with satan directing the hatred. Hamas (violence) is once again wreaking havoc. Pray for Israel. Pray for Jerusalem. Pray that even in this trying time, the Name of Salvation will be declared. Pray for the people of Israel. Pray that their eyes would be open to see their Savior. Pray that their ears would be open to receive His word. Pray that the Name of Yeshua (Jesus) be declared from the lips of His people. Pray for those fighting against Israel. Pray that God convicts their hearts to relent from violence. Pray for repentance. Pray they seek forgiveness. Pray that the Holy authority of God be felt within the land. For the Lord has provided an Ark. He has given us a place of refuge. He has offered deliverance. He invites those to repent, turn and enter into covenant with Him as He longs to Save. Pray that eyes that are closed may see and enter the Ark. Pray for the return of our King, Jesus. It is upon His return that all of this turmoil will be put to rest. Amen!

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^[i] “Hamas: Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement,” Jewish Virtual Library, 2023, https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/hamas-covenant-full-text. Accessed on October 12, 2023.

^[ii] “What is Hamas? What to know about its origin, Leaders and Funding.” PBS NewsHour, 2023,  What is Hamas? What to know about its origins, leaders and funding | PBS NewsHour. Accessed on Oct 12, 2023.

^[iii] “Foreign Terrorist Organizations,” National Counterterrorism Center, 2023, National Counterterrorism Center | FTOs (dni.gov)Accessed on October 12, 2023

^[iv] “Hamas: Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement,” Jewish Virtual Library, 2023, https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/hamas-covenant-full-text. Accessed on October 12, 2023.

^[v] Alrabaa, Sami, Ph.D. “Islam is a “Tolerant” Religion: Kill the Infidels,” Islam Watch: Telling the Truth about Islam, March 12, 2009. https://www.islam-watch.org/Sami/Islam-Tolerant-Religion-Kill-the-Infidels.htm  Accessed on October 12, 2023.

^[vi] Federer, William, What Every American Needs to Know About the Qur’an: A History of Islam & the United States(Amerisearch, Inc. 2016) p. 19

^[vii] Ibid.

^[viii] Ibid.

^[ix] “ The Pagan Origin of The Word, – Allah,” Scribd Inc., 2023, https://www.scribd.com/document/351774116/The-Pagan-Origin-of-the-Word-Allah.  Accessed on October 12, 2023.

^[x] Federer, William, What Every American Needs to Know About the Qur’an: A History of Islam & the United States(Amerisearch, Inc. 2016) p. 26

^[xi] “Hamas: Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement,” Jewish Virtual Library, 2023, https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/hamas-covenant-full-text. Accessed on October 12, 2023.

^[xii] Eardley, Nick, “What is Halal Meat?” BBC News, May 12, 2014, https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-27324224  Accessed on October 14, 2023.

^[xiii] “Jihad,” Merriam-Webster, 2023, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jihad  Accessed on October 12, 2023

^[xiv] Surah At-Taubah Ayat 29 (9:29 Quran), https://quran.com/at-tawbah/29  Accessed on October 13, 2023

^[xv] Federer, William, What Every American Needs to Know About the Qur’an: A History of Islam & the United States(Amerisearch, Inc. 2016) p. 63

^[xvi] Surah At-Taubah Ayat 29 (9:29 Quran), https://quran.com/at-tawbah/29  Accessed on October 13, 2023

^[xvii] Federer, William, What Every American Needs to Know About the Qur’an: A History of Islam & the United States(Amerisearch, Inc. 2016) p. 98

^[xviii] Deuteronomy 7:6; 1 Peter 2:9

^[xix] “What’s the Israel-Palestinian Conflict About And How Did It Start?,” Reuters, 2023, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-palestinian-dispute-hinges-statehood-land-jerusalem-refugees-2023-10-10/.  Accessed on October 13, 2023.

^[xx] “Origins of the Name “Palestine” and Palestinian Nationalism,” Jewish Virtual Library, 2023,https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/origin-of-quot-palestine-quot  Accessed on October 13, 2023

^[xxi] Ibid.

^[xxii] Ibid.

^[xxiii] “Palestine,” A&E Television Networks: History, 2023, https://www.history.com/topics/middle-east/palestine.  Accessed on October 13, 2023.

^[xxiv] “State of Israel Proclaimed,” A&E Television Networks: History, 2023, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/state-of-israel-proclaimed  Accessed on October 13, 2023.

^[xxv] Genesis 12:7

^[xxvi] Weisz, Turley, “Mark Twain’s unwittingly prophetic vision of the State of Israel,” The Jerusalem Post, September 26, 2023. https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Unto-the-nations-505760  Accessed on October 13, 2023.

^[xxvii] Ibid.

This blog entry was written by Dawn. I have known her for many years. I consider Dawn and her family as dear friends and fellow servants of the Lord. They are members of Mount Zion Road Church and most importantly, they are faithful followers of our Lord and King, Jesus Christ. I am thankful that she was willing to allow me to post this entry on my website. The devotion is both meaningful and encouraging. I pray that you find her words to be a blessing as you read. To God be the glory!

You know how you go to a get together and someone brought a food item that you really like. You go back for seconds, you tell people around you how much you enjoy it. And because you enjoy it so much, you need the recipe because you absolutely must make this dish so you can enjoy again! So you have to find out who made this dish so you can ask them for the recipe. It’s a compliment when people ask for your recipe—-you know someone enjoyed what you shared and it had a positive effect. 

In Sunday School this past spring, we had a discussion that resulted in a comment about a recipe. I honestly can’t remember exactly what we were talking about. We often have good discussions in SS. But the essence of the comment is our lives should reflect our love for Christ, so much so that people want our recipe. They want to know what sets us apart, what ingredients we’re using. Life isn’t easy—we know it is full of hills and valleys. The beauty of traversing life is knowing who is leading us and how we can reflect Him during the hills and valleys. In our words. In our actions. Trusting when we don’t understand, worshipping when we feel sadness and disappointment, and crying and kneeling beside the knee of our Father. Praising because God is sovereign and good through it all. Confident that He will use our random ingredients to create a masterpiece. 

What if our attempt at the recipe doesn’t turn out? We undercook it, overcook it, forget a seasoning. Do we give up? No, alot of times you might contact the person to ask them how they make their specialty. You go to the source. You ask questions and learn from your mistakes. The same is true in our faith journey. Some days our recipe will shine and many will want it. Other days, our recipe may be burnt or feel ruined, and it seems like no one wants it. How do we improve the dish? Practice and study. You study the ingredients and the instructions. You ask questions about what you don’t understand and you make the dish again. 

Someday, our dish will be absolutely perfect. But until that day, keep studying the word, seeking God, and – as it says in 2 Peter 1 keep adding to your faith. 

2 Peter 1:5-11 (NIRV) 

So you should try very hard to add goodness to your faith. To goodness, add knowledge. 6 To knowledge, add the ability to control yourselves. To the ability to control yourselves, add the strength to keep going. To the strength to keep going, add godliness. 7 To godliness, add kindness for one another. And to kindness for one another, add love. 8 All these things should describe you more and more. They will make you useful and fruitful as you know our Lord Jesus Christ better. 9 But what if these things don’t describe someone at all? Then that person can’t see very well. In fact, they are blind. They have forgotten that their past sins have been washed away. 

10 My brothers and sisters, try very hard to show that God has appointed you to be saved. Try hard to show that he has chosen you. If you do everything I have just said, you will never trip and fall. 11 You will receive a rich welcome into the kingdom that lasts forever. It is the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

This blog entry is taken from a chapter in my book. My book is titled, For Valor: Defending the Faith for those of Worth. The book is available on my website corbyshuey.com. It is also available at Skywatchtv.com as a package along with Dr. Michael Lake’s book, The Kingdom Warrior. I pray that God may be glorified, as I seek only to do His will and exalt the Name of our King, Jesus. To God and to God only be the glory!

¹² Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.¹³ But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. ¹⁴ For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end.

-Hebrews 3:12-14 NASB95

In the book of Exodus Moses comes down from Mt. Sinai and sees the people of God worshipping a golden calf.  Because of the lackluster leadership of Aaron, the people fell victim to old patterns of behavior.  Egypt was still alive and active in them.  The voices of those who allowed corruption into their hearts overshadowed the voices of those who stood to defend the Name of God.  The people, therefore, fell victim to weak leadership and a minority of aggressive individuals with loud voices.  Sounds familiar to our ears, does it not?  The Holy Word of God gives account of this event as follows:

¹⁹ It came about, as soon as Moses came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing; and Moses’ anger burned, and he threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain. ²⁰ He took the calf which they had made and burned it with fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it over the surface of the water   and made the sons of Israel drink it.

         ²¹ Then Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought such great sin upon them?” ²² Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord burn; you know the people yourself, that they are prone to evil. ²³ For they said to me, ‘Make a god for us who will go before us; for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ ²⁴ I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them tear it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”

         ²⁵ Now when Moses saw that the people were out of control—for Aaron had let them get out of control to be a derision among their enemies— ²⁶ then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered together to him. ²⁷ He said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Every man of you put his sword upon his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and kill every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbor.’” ²⁸ So the sons of Levi did as Moses instructed, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day. ²⁹ Then Moses said, “Dedicate yourselves today to the Lord—for every man has been against his son and against his brother—in order that He may bestow a blessing upon you today (Exodus 32:19-29 NASB95).

We find ourselves, as people of faith in the One True God, at this very juncture.  The people are out of control due to the veracity of unrepentant sin.  Egypt burns brightly in the desires of the hearts of mankind in our day.  The sin nature has been allowed to go unchecked due to the lackluster leadership.  The Word of God has been permitted to be criticized as mere fiction in the eyes of the deceived.  We find ourselves, like Moses, looking upon a people who have gone out of control both in and out of the church.  The Word of God tells us the response of Moses in verse twenty six.  “Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said: “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me!”  Moses called for those who were willing to defend the name of God to take a stand against the evil who had been allowed to run rampant in the camp.  Unfortunately, only a few were willing to stand.  Only the sons of Levi had the courage to stand in defense of the Lord.  Because of this, God brought judgment upon those who refused to stand.  My question to you then is this, will you stand?  Will you defend the name of your Savior in a world that chases after the unbridled imaginings of the sin nature?  Let me be clear, I in no way advocate violence in making these statements.  In our defense of God, we can never act in violence toward another. What I do advocate for is that we become a people who are willing to pick up the Sword of the Word.  We must place this Sword upon our mouths and speak truth over the people.  We must place this Sword upon our hearts so that we can be guided by His Will, determined to preserve faith in God Almighty for those of worth.  Will you, like the sons of Levi, fight for your King?  

I leave this subject for now, as we will come back to it later.  I  know that what has been written thus far can feel overwhelming or portray a sense of foreboding when considering the scale of the fight of faith that we find ourselves laboring within.  But I do not write with intent to frighten anyone.  My intent is not to discourage, but to warn and encourage His church to walk in His authority.  My intent in writing what has thus far been stated is in an attempt to expose the treachery of our enemy.  Our common enemy works tirelessly to speak the enchantment of chaos over those  who close their ears to the Word of Truth.  I do not write to scare, but to warn.  God is not surprised by any of this.  God knows the plight that we suffer through to walk out our faith.  God knows our struggles, both internally and externally, as we interact with the world.  God knows.  We are not alone.  The Almighty God, the author of the universe, the Father of Salvation, fights for us.  Fight therefore!  Fight the good fight of faith with the Spirit of the Living God dwelling in your heart.  Fight, for He is with you.  Fight to be a true witness of the Gospel of Salvation in a world that so desperately needs hope.  But especially, fight for those who come after you.  Fight for those of worth.  Fight for our children, for they are worthy.  With these words we have come to the premise of this writing. Knowing the chaos that is unfolding before our very eyes, I ask, are you willing to fight?  Is the next generation valuable enough to motivate you to stand in your God given authority and push back against the serpent who whispers lies?  Do you love the Lord your God enough to respond when He calls forth: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me (Isaiah 6:8 NASB95)!”  He is calling for you.  He is calling for you to defend the faith.  “¹² Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. ¹³ But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. ¹⁴ For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end (Hebrews 13:12-14 NASB95).”  Today is still called today!  Hold fast to the hand of our Savior.  He is our assurance and ever-present source of hope.  Participate in your walk of faith for the promise of Christ.

Before closing this section, I want to give one final warning.  I do not want to dwell on the difficulties we face regarding faith, but as I stated earlier, a herald who offers warning without the weight of evidence finds no listeners.  The warning, without evidence, becomes an empty cry blown asunder by the wind of chaos.   I, therefore, and we as the people of God must take our faith seriously.  We cannot afford to simply wear the appearance of a Christian externally while  disregarding the responsibility of internal submission to the will of the Father.  Our faith must be  internal resulting in transformation.  Our faith is a choice we must make leading to the circumcision of the heart (Deuteronomy 30:6).  The Gospel of salvation is transformative.  Especially in the times in which we live, we cannot afford to stagnate into complacent acceptance of a world that actively seeks to suppress truth (Romans 1:18).  Our enemy seeks to destroy the knowledge of God.  The enemy wants to quench the fire burning within those of faith so that we do not pass on the knowledge of God to those who come after.  The enemy wants to distract us from passing the fire to our children.  This vile creature wants to remove the Name of Salvation from the lips of our children.  The serpent thirsts to deceive the pure of heart in an effort to control the masses.  Hitler shared a similar opinion as he fought to bring about German totalitarianism.  Hitler is quoted as stating, “He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future.”^[1]  The enemies of God’s family strive to gain the future through the destruction of the present.  If you will not fight for your children, there is one who will.  He stands as King of Mt. Zion waiting to return to in order to put an end to lies.  I implore you therefore, to take your stand as God’s Kingdom Priest and defend the faith for the time is short.  Hold your ground.  Fight for faith.  Fight for the next generation.  Fight, because we bear the name of a King!

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^[1] “He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future.”  (Brainy Quote, 2021)  https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/adolf_hitler_378177  accessed on September 18, 2021.

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In the devotional book “My Utmost for His Highest,” Oswald Chambers reminds us of our purpose.  A devotional entry titled “Destined to be Holy,” Chambers wrote the following. 

“We must continually remind ourselves of the purpose of life.  We are not destined to happiness, nor health, but to holiness.  Today we have far too many desires and interests, and our lives are being consumed and wasted by them.  Many of them may be right, noble, and good, and may later be fulfilled, but in the meantime God must cause their importance to us to decrease.  The only thing that truly matters is whether a person will accept the God who will make him holy.  At all costs, a person must have the right relationship with God.”^[1]

Chambers was born in 1874 and died in 1917.  Admittedly this was a dynamic time historically.  This period in history finds itself in what is considered the industrial revolution.  There were enormous innovations developed during this period that forever changed industry, education and culture.  It is not surprising then to read Chamber’s warning of the distractions of everyday life. 

I wonder what he may think if given the opportunity to view the world as we dwell in it this day.  We live in a world that is almost nothing but distraction.  We can be entertained by various forms of media twenty-four hours a day continually for the remainder of our lives, if we so choose.  We are inundated both visually and auditorily with external stimulation being projected upon us. At no other point in history did the human race need to sort through the plethora of stimulation as we do today.  

Not only is it disturbing to recognize the breadth of distraction we wade through on a daily basis, it is all the more disturbing if we consider the content of most of the distractions offered by the secular world.  The world we live in celebrates depravity with unprecedented fervor.  The warning offered by the prophet Isaiah made reality before our very eyes.

^“20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness;
Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
²¹ Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
And clever in their own sight (Isaiah 5:20-21 NASB95)!”

It is this day that the words of Oswald Chambers are all the more vital for us to consider.  He offers this encouragement as stated earlier.  “The only thing that truly matters is whether a person will accept the God who will make him holy.  At all costs, a person must have the right relationship with God.”  Without a right relationship with our Almighty Creator, we are lost to a dismal existence.  Apart from God we are condemned in a world of temporal pleasures that will never be fully satisfied as our sinful nature is never content with just enough.  Therefore make an effort to be set apart.  To be holy as our God is Holy.  Our faith in Jesus as our Savior grants us access to a choice.  Salvation sets us free from slavery to the sin nature.  In this freedom, we are given a choice.  We are destined to choose.  Do you choose complacency with a world that is rife with evil and set to suffer the wrath of the Almighty or do you choose to step out of the desert and into the promise? 

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^[1] Chambers, Oswald.  My Utmost for His Highest (Discovery House. Grand Rapids, MI 2015)

Free Scriptural word study on the term integrity.

Integrity seems to be a condition of being that is becoming lost in our current culture. We appear to be slowly drifting away from walking as people who cling to integrity. Choosing rather to be guided by pride, greed, lust or selfish ambition. The exaltation of the self is the goal in a world that does not cherish the instruction found in God’s Holy Word.

The Lord calls us to be a people of integrity. The Lord encourages us in His Word,

“A false balance is an abomination to the Lord,
But a just weight is His delight.
 When pride comes, then comes dishonor,
But with the humble is wisdom.
 The integrity of the upright will guide them,
But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them (Proverbs 11:1-3 NASB95).”

I have attached a Scriptural word study regarding the term integrity. It is in PDF format that can be downloaded and printed. I attached it for your use in the hope that it will be a blessing to those who work through the study. I pray that the Lord equips you to walk in faith with integrity as we humbly seek out His counsel. We need it, this is certain.

Please feel free to share the study as the Lord leads. Also take the time to visit my website corbyshuey.com for additional books and Bible studies. Lastly, I used the NASB95 translation of our Bible to write the study. Wording may have slight variation in other translations.

In the Name of our King and Savior, Jesus Christ. To God be the glory!

¹⁴ The backslider in heart will have his fill of his own ways,
But a good man will be satisfied with his.
¹⁵ The naive believes everything,
But the sensible man considers his steps.
¹⁶ A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil,
But a fool is arrogant and careless.
¹⁷ A quick-tempered man acts foolishly,
And a man of evil devices is hated.
¹⁸ The naive inherit foolishness,
But the sensible are crowned with knowledge. (Proverbs 14:14-18 NASB95)

A few weeks ago I used the term entropy in a sermon to discuss a choice that we all must make in our walk of faith. I explained that entropy is a physics term that describes the regression of matter and energy toward disorder.^[1] Over the course of time, both matter and energy trend toward disorder unless acted upon by a higher authority. I made this comparison to comment on the trend that is found in our fallen state as humanity. We can trend toward disorder if the sin nature is left unchecked. We as people who are free to function according to our sin nature will regress, perpetually toward disorder, chaos and sin. Progressively do we regress toward greater calamity. It is therefore vital that we press into God as the only source of immutable truth, order and encouragement. Faith in God will always build us up and establish us upon a firm foundation (Matt 7:24-26).

            In the verses I quoted from the book of Proverbs, Solomon is talking about this natural trend toward disorder in humanity as we struggle against the influence of temptation and sin. Solomon makes a stark comparison between one who strives to seek God and one who allows entropy or the regression to be a predominant influence in their lives. Solomon speaks of the backslider in heart and the one who is naïve. The backslider in heart is one who should know better, yet they allow themselves to fall prey to regression and conformity with this world. The naïve is one who believes everything but takes no firm position on anything. In both cases they will be given the fill of themselves. Regression toward chaos in the exaltation of the self as the self becomes the source of personal authority. Entropy and disorder is received because the immutability of God’s Word is rejected. Foolishness and carelessness characterize those who fall victim to progressive regression. 

            Sin is regression. Sin is conformity. Sin is a passive choice. It is without effort that we allow ourselves to fall victim to sin because a natural trend in the fallen state of our nature as humanity resonates with sinfulness. Entropy, regression and falling away from the things of God are easy. It takes not effort to regress. Nothing is added, improved or enhanced in regression. There is only loss. Progressive regression  is passive gravitation toward conformity. Regression toward conformity with a world that is choosing to run toward darkness, unreservedly. Progressive regression is conformity with the sin nature. Conformity with sin comes easily for those who reject the truth of God’s Word.

On the other hand, those who strive to seek God will walk with caution and turn from evil. They will be equipped with knowledge and determination to stand firmly planted upon the Word of truth. God will build up. He will impart to us discernment and knowledge leading us to be able to stand firmly on a foundation that will not be shaken. Those who choose to walk in faith with God will be in covenant with a King who has overcome.

Matter naturally regresses into chaos without the intervention of a higher authority. As matter regresses, so too can we (metaphorically) regress if we are not pressing into God. If we reject seeking out His righteousness, we can trend toward disorder. Faith is not a passive choice. To choose faith requires an active, determined choice to cling to the truth of His Word. Faith is then a choice that we must make. Faith is not found in passivity or conformity to the culture. Faith is not the product of progressive regression toward disorder. Faith is deliverance from chaos. Our Savior delivers us from sin. Therefore, I pray that you choose faith. I pray that you choose to be a disciple of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I pray that you allow Him to equip you to actively follow your Messiah as He leads you according to His will. This is not passive, rather it is a faith that is alive and thriving. To God be the glory!

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^[1] “Entropy,” Merriam-Webster Incorporated, 2023, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entropy.  Accessed on May 8, 2023.

^“42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; ⁴³ it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; ⁴⁴ it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ⁴⁵ So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶ However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. ⁴⁷ The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. ⁴⁸ As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. ⁴⁹ Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly (1 Corinthians 15:42-49 NASB).”

There is much to unpack in this passage of Scripture.  I cannot elaborate on all that Paul talks about given the format of this letter.  As I read these verses, there is one pronouncement that the Holy Spirit spoke, clearly to me through this exhortation by the Apostle Paul.  

These verses, and really the entirety of 1 Corinthians 15, proclaim confidence in the Lordship of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Jesus has the power to save.  He is the first born of the dead; the last Adam, the only One in whom we can find life, eternal.  He has the authority to bring hope to the perishable.  He alone holds the capacity to raise the weak, making them strong.  He gives honor to those who are dishonored, mercy to the meek.  He pours out His love, unconditionally, to those cry out for a Savior.  He gives His peace to the broken, offering them rest.  He imparts upon us, His righteousness making us a people who bear His image.  We are a testimony of His legacy of redemption and hope to a world that is suffering.  

Have confidence, therefore, and know that He is our God (Psalm 46:10).  He is with us!  He will never leave us nor forsake us (Deut. 31:6).  He gives us this promise so that we can confidently say, “The Lord is my Helper, and I will not be afraid (Hebrews 13:6).  “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3).”  Brothers and Sisters, we dwell in the pasture of a King reigning over an eternal Kingdom! 

As the prophet Isaiah writes in this promise that is for now as well as for a time that is yet to come. 

^“15 Until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high,
And the wilderness becomes a fertile field,
And the fertile field is considered as a forest.
¹⁶ Then justice will dwell in the wilderness
And righteousness will abide in the fertile field.
¹⁷ And the work of righteousness will be peace,
And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever
¹⁸ Then my people will live in a peaceful habitation,
And in secure dwellings and in undisturbed resting places (Isaiah 32:15-18 NASB).”

This promise is for now because we are indwelt by His Spirit of Righteousness.  He has set a place for us at His table and He offers us rest in our time of distress (Psalm 23).  Yet this promise is also for a time to come as we look forward to the day when the King of Peace will crack the sky with a trumpet blast declaring final victory over the enemies of righteousness.  Hallelujah, praise to our King!  We are His now and forever!  Have confidence and be at peace, because He is our God, AMEN!  

^“7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. ⁸ The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. ⁹ By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. ¹⁰ In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹ Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.¹² No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. ¹³ By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. ¹⁴ We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

¹⁵ Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. ¹⁶ We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.¹⁷ By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. ¹⁹ We love, because He first loved us (1 John 4:14-19 NASB95).”

The title of this writing was inspired by a devotion written by Charles Spurgeon. In this devotion, Spurgeon makes the comment, Christians, meditate often on heaven. He makes this comment as he contemplates the temporal nature of this life and the eternal promises of the life to come. The exhortation to the reader being that of clinging to hope and expectation for the fullness of the Lord’s promises. 

I find it fitting to be reminded of our eternal home. So often in this life we are bogged down with the trials of the everyday. We have tasks to accomplish and work to be done. The more we work to get the list of things done in the day seems to give way only to additions to the list of tasks yet to be finished. The repetition of the day can be draining.

The verses above taken from the book of 1 John serve as a reminder of where our faith should be. John encourages us to know that God is love. And in this love, Jesus came to us in order to Redeem us. John refers to us as beloved, and this we are. We are beloved children of an Almighty Father. As God loved us, so too should we love one another. 

Abide in love and we abide in God. Let your mind dwell on His love for you. Abide in Him and by this, love is perfected. His love causes us to be lifted up in faith bringing confidence in His promises. Cling to the Salvation that He offers, because in love there is no fear. Our faith restores us into His hands of protection. Therefore Christians, meditate often on the things of heaven. 

The title of the book, Deuteronomy, sounds foreign to the English speaking ear.  The title of the book is based on a transliteration of a word originally taken from an early Greek rendering of our Bible.  The original Greek title reads as follows, Deuteronomion.  This term is made up of two Greek words: deutero, meaning second and nomos meaning law.  The book was given this name by early Greek translators because they saw the book as a repetition of the instructions Moses gave earlier in Scripture.  

            While the title of the book Deuteronomy bears the marks of Greek influence, it was originally written in Hebrew.  The actual, Hebrew title of the book is: דְּבָרִים (devarim).  This Hebrew word simply means words.  They referred to the book of Deuteronomy as devarim (words).  They saw the book as instruction, inspiration and encouragement from a loving God, devarim.  As I thought on the title devarim, I was inspired to ponder the miracle of words.  The Lord inspired the following:  

Devarim, “words,” sounds uttered through the vocal cords or lines configured in a discernable pattern often found suspended on the surface of paper.  To convey meaning through the matrix of words seems so mundane.  It is commonplace to speak or write our thoughts to another.  More often than not we do not even take the time to recognize that we have the ability to convey meaning through words.  Communicating is almost reduced to simply another natural body function that appears to happen as a result of life.    

            In this process of conveying meaning through words, we expect our message to be understood by our audience.  Maybe the term expect is too strong a description, presuppose might be better.  In our words, we presuppose that whomever our audience may be a general understanding of our message is comprehended.  In our presupposition, the conveyance of meaning is assumed by the author of the words.  Whether in written form or in speech, we utter decipherable bits of information that can be received and interpreted.  Our words can be concrete, carrying a direct message.  Our words can also be completely abstract allowing understanding to be left to context and emotion.  Words can be powerful enough to drive men to achieve the apex of human greatness yet at the same time, those same words can drive men to perform the most heinous acts.  Words can be heard and believed or they can be completely ignored as they fall upon those who choose to remain intentionally deaf.  

            What fleeting attention we give to our words.  Like dust upon a breeze or a dandelion in the early spring releasing its seeds into the wind, words are scattered unreservedly.  We rarely take the time to consider just what words are.  We often fail to recognize the gift we have been given.  In our words, we possess the ability to wield a complex messaging system.  In both our speech and the written word, we have the capacity to encode and decode information.  This not only in one language but many across the world.  Many languages, each playing their own unique symphony of human intellect, a concert magnifying the beauty we can find in this life in which we have been blessed.  

            Our words are evidence of an intellect that is far beyond our own.  Without an external, higher source of intelligence to draw from, where would such things as words originate?  Why would the primordial man choose to take the time to talk?  I imagine that in this secular view of early history prehistoric man was much more concerned about eating and being eaten rather than conveying meaning through words.  The secular perspective of history paints such a picture of our beginnings.  We began as an organism slightly more intelligent than an animal.  And then throughout the course of millions of years we slowly developed the ability to communicate.  This ability to communicate in written form only really coming to surface just over 3000 years ago, according to popular science.^[1]  What have we been doing with the time before we started to write?  It is estimated from secular science that the first humans evolved some six million years ago.  Other sources state that modern humanity evolved around 200,000 years ago.^[2]  If we are gracious and use the smaller number, that gives humanity roughly 197,000 years to develop the skill of communication.  Not very productive track record.  And even if we accept that communication evolved as we evolved in the view of secular science over this long period of time, one would assume that our ability to communicate would be more advanced than it is at present.  Considering human development from this secular scientific viewpoint appears to me to be profoundly pessimistic.  The glass is not half full, it is not even on the table and there is no water in sight.  In my estimation, from this perspective, we are fortunate to be able to act with any sort of civility at all.  

            From the Christian perspective, we know that our ability to communicate did not develop over the course of millennia at a slower than molasses in winter pace.  We know that we were endowed with the ability to communicate from the very moment God, our Creator, breathed life into the first man.  ^“7 Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being (Genesis 2:7 NASB).”  The Lord God created the first human from the dust of the ground, breathing into him the breath of life.  From the first moment on earth, humanity has been endowed with life given to us from the Father.  We were and are created in His image bearing His attributes.  We were created with the ability to think and reason as God gave humanity stewardship over the earth (Genesis 1:26-30).  We have been created to communicate and to be in fellowship with God and with one another.  Trial and error over the course of unfathomable lengths of time did not grant us the ability to communicate.  The Word came to us in the beginning (John1:1) and in the Word there is life, abundant (John 10:10).  Apart from this life there is only a pessimistic, desperate narrative of human suffering.  

            We are not pond scum that figured out how to talk.  We are the images of an Almighty God who have been imparted the responsibility to represent His Eternal Kingdom (Genesis 1:27; Exodus 19:6; Revelation 1:6; Matthew 28:16-20).  Because we walk on the earth to bear witness of the Almighty, we have been given His Word in what we call the Bible.  This Word did not develop as a result of human evolution.  We did not get our Bible because we figured out how to scratch lines onto a rock and then decide, corporately, to give those lines meaning.  This Word was given to us by God, Himself (Deuteronomy 9:10-11) and through revelation of His Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  It is almost beyond my comprehension that God would trust me, us, with His word.  As I think on this even now, the thought of an All-Powerful God who can speak the vastness of creation into existence deemed it fitting to place His word in my hands and say I trust you child with the key to life and death.  I trust you to carry My Name with integrity as you bear witness to My glory.  What is more, a God who can design something so intangible and abstract as human consciousness blesses us with His characteristics.  He gives us love, empathy, cognition, reason indiscriminately allowing humanity to use or abuse them at our own free-will.  The grace poured out upon us is profound.  What a blessing it is to be able to look upon His word with the eyes He has created for us.  What a blessing to be able to page through His History with the fingers He has crafted for us.  What an indescribable blessing it is to be able to think on the utterances of the One who holds all things within His grasp.  A God who needs nothing from us, speaks directly to us in the intimacy of a devoted Father.  Our limited human capacity to convey meaning through words fails to describe how amazing this truly is.  What a wonder it is to be called a child of God.  May we use our words to proclaim the good news of our King and Savior, Jesus! 

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^[1] Clayton, Ewan.  “Where Did Writing Begin” (British Library, 2019).  https://www.bl.uk/history-of-writing/articles/where-did-writing-beginaccessed on 10/21/2020.

^[2] Howell, Elizabeth.  “How Long Have Humans Been On The Earth” (Universe Today, 2015).  https://www.universetoday.com/38125/how-long-have-humans-been-on-earth/  accessed on 10/21/2020.

^“13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. ¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. ¹⁶ So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.¹⁷ By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as He is so also are we in this world. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love (1 John 4:13-18 ESV).” 

To know God is to know love.  As John tells us, “God is love (1 John 4:7).”  Our faith in the Savior, restores a broken relationship, enabling us to become the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.  John instructs us in the reality that knowing God requires that we abide in Him.  This means that we allow His Spirit to work through us, resulting in His presence being made known to those who do not know God.  The manifestation of God’s love in the heart of His people is evidence of the presence of God abiding in them (1 John 4:13).  He sent Jesus to be the propitiation (atonement) for sin.  He did this because He loves us.  Our response to this love, from God through the Son is part of the redemption story. 

We are part of the redemption story.  You are part of the expression of love from God for His creation.  Because you said yes to the invitation of love from God resulting in the Salvation of your soul, you are part of the story.  Because you called out in faith, because you have stretched out your hand to grab hold of His hand of Salvation, you have become part of the love story.  Your willingness to turn to the Father, in love, makes love perfect.  John tells us, “whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.  By this is love perfected with us (John 4:16-17).”  Love poured out by God in sending us Messiah.  Love embodied through the agony of the cross.    Love triumphant at the dawn of Resurrection.  Love perfected in the faith of His children as we are united with Love Eternal.   

Let the love of God pour forth from your heart.  Allow this love to be a vibrant testimony of hope.  You are part of the love story.  Have confidence, even as the world aligns itself with judgement.  Have confidence because there is “no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18).  You are held in the hands of the Almighty.  Whom shall you fear?  Be His.  Be an expression of His love for the hopeless.  Be love, perfected in faith and upheld by our Savior, Jesus.  To God be the glory, forever and ever and ever…Amen!