“What I believe about God is the most important thing about me.”

~A.W. Tozer

Administrator’s Note:

To new visitors to “A Crooked Path” this section of the website, “Contemplations” is a series of short commentaries, thoughts, quotes, and devotionals. There is no theme. There is only the purpose to further our walk with and knowledge of the Lord our God.

If this is your first visit to this place, or your first visit to “Contemplations” you will find the devotionals following posted one after the other, usually with a photo in between each one. The subject heading is the title of one of the devotionals, usually, but not always, the final one on a posting. The + sign in the subject heading followed by a number let the readers know how many devotionals are in that specific posting. Quotes, while sometimes separated by photos, are not figured in when coming to a sum after the + symbol in the subject heading — the number only pertains to the amount of devotional commentaries. It is my hope and prayer these are of comfort and help to every visitor who comes and spends some of their time here.

Ken Pullen

“In other days wars were won by direct frontal attack and head-on collision. Today some wars are won without fighting them. They are won by infiltration, camouflage, deception, subversion. Spiritual warfare follows the same strategy nowadays. There is the sneaking infiltration of false doctrine and the gradual inflow of worldliness into the church. Satan does far more evil as an angel of light than he wrought as a roaring lion. And matters are made worse because it is considered unloving, unchristian, to attack these wolves in sheep’s clothing. We are honored for killing lions but condemned for battling angels! It isn’t nice to tackle these mock angels who preach heresy in the language of orthodoxy.”

~Vance Havner

Encouragement to A Weary Soldier

by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam

During his ministry at Corinth, the strain of battle began telling on the Apostle Paul. He found himself haunted by fear and depression. Later he wrote of it.

“I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling” (I Corinthians 2:3).

It must not be supposed that fearlessness was characteristic of a nature so sensitive as Paul’s. On the contrary, he was often afraid. His, by the grace of God, was rather the courage that went on braving dangers in spite of his fears.

After having left the synagogue at Corinth, the strain of meeting, week after week, right next door, with all the embarrassing situations inevitably involved, may well have caused some of his followers, and possible himself, to question the wisdom and propriety of the step he had taken, adding to his mental depression (though this step, moving into the home of Justus, next door, was most appropriate under the circumstances). But the Lord was to endorse the act again in an unmistakable way.

It would appear from several passages in the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians (especially II Thessalonians 3:1,2), that this letter was written while Paul was becoming apprehensive about the work at Corinth and that it was after this that the Lord appeared to him in a vision to encourage him.

Let the reader try to place himself in Paul’s position while reading Verses 9,10 of Acts 18 so as to appreciate its force more fully:

“Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, BE NOT AFRAID,–BUT SPEAK,–AND HOLD NOT THY PEACE:–FOR I AM WITH THEE,–AND NO MAN SHALL SET ON THEE TO HURT THEE;–FOR I HAVE MUCH PEOPLE IN THIS CITY.”

Ah, tomorrow he could begin the work anew, assured in advance of the outcome! Whether he “continued” in Corinth (Verse 11) a year and six months longer or all together is perhaps impossible to ascertain, but we know that his ministry there was exceedingly fruitful.

The Supreme Experience

By Vance Havner

My grace is sufficient for thee.
II Corinthians 12:9

Within a few verses Paul goes from height to depth and rises again to greater height than ever. His third heaven experience, his thorn in the flesh, his denied request, should settle once for all what is the supreme matter in this earthly sojourn. We like to play up third heavens, mighty deliverances, amazing answers to prayer. The supreme experience of Paul was none of these but a constant dependence on God’s sufficient grace. That does not sound spectacular, sensational; it does not make as good a story as third heavens and startling deliverances, but God rates it higher. After all, in the strength of it Paul outtraveled, outpreached, outwrote, and, in general, outperformed any man of his day.

It is better to be buffeted by Satan’s messenger than to be exalted above measure by a third heaven experience. Better have something you can tell than hear words you cannot utter! Life’s greatest experience is to live in the strength of Another the Exchanged Life – “Christ liveth in me.” It is better for heaven thus to come to earth than for you temporarily to be caught up to heaven.

Choosing God Every Day

March 27, 2015

This is what the LORD says:

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
or the strong boast of their strength
or the rich boast of their riches,
but let the one who boasts boast about this:
that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,”
declares the LORD. — Jeremiah 9:23–24

The Torah portion for this week is Tzav, which means “command,” from Leviticus 6:1–8:36, and the Haftorah is from Jeremiah 7:21–8:3; 9:22–23.

How much of your life is really in your hands?

On one end of the spectrum, some think that they control everything. They are in charge of how much money they will earn, when they will get married, how many children they will have, etc. That type of thinking works for a while until life inevitably throws us a curve ball and we are reminded all too well that we aren’t in control of everything after all.

On the other end of the spectrum, some say that we aren’t in charge of anything. It is God who determines the status of our wealth, health, relationships, and anything else that is a part of our lives. Judaism takes an outlook much along these lines, with one exception. There is one thing that we are in full control of – and that one thing profoundly affects everything else.

In the Talmud, Judaism’s oral tradition, it is written: “All is in the hands of Heaven except fear of Heaven, as it says, ‘And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God . . .’ (Deuteronomy 10:12).

The Jewish sages explain that all that comes to a person is in the hands of God. Whether a person is tall or short, poor or rich, wise or foolish, light or dark — all of this is determined by heaven. However, whether a person will be righteous or evil is not in the hands of heaven, the sages explain, but in the hands of the person. Two paths are placed before each one of us, and we have to choose fear of God for ourselves.

I am reminded of motivational speaker Nick Vujicic who was born without any limbs. From an outsider’s perspective, Nick wasn’t given very much from heaven. He spent his early years feeling defeated. But Nick made the decision to choose God. He explains that because of that decision, he has been able to transcend limitations and inspire others to do the same.

This week’s Haftorah reading ends with the following: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches . . .” How ridiculous to boast about something that we are not responsible for! It is God who makes us wise, mighty, and wealthy – and He can change that at any given moment.

The verse continues, “ . . . but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me . . .” The only thing worth boasting about is the only thing that we have control of — knowing God and choosing God every day in every situation that comes our way.

With prayers for shalom, peace,

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

“When I see a bird that looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, has webbed feet like a duck, paddles in the water like a duck, and prefers the company of ducks, it is hard for me to resist the conclusion that it must be a duck! “Birds of a feather flock together” and where you feel at home is most likely where you belong. When Peter was released from jail, he headed for a prayer meeting. We gravitate to what lures us most and eventually we show up where we belong. “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren” (I John 3:14). If we don’t love the brethren, we belong to the other crowd.”

~Vance Havner

REJOICE OR GRUMBLE

By A.W. Tozer