| Text: Luke 1:5-13 Luke
says that he wrote these things carefully in order so that we may know the certainty of
these things and that we won't be distracted by all sorts of stories and slander.
Luke wrote these things to his friend Theophilus, so that he may
know the truth and that he won't be led astray through the many things that people say.
A person who knows God writes and speaks the things of God, but
one who doesn't know God speak many empty words and slander the faults of others.
Rumours harm Christianity more than many other things.
Rumours kill and can even start a war between nations.
Do our conversations spring forth from the well-spring of heaven?
Do we really believe with all our heart that gossip and slander is sin? If we continue
with it, we show that we don't have saving faith.
If we read God's Word and don't believe in child-like faith what
we read, then we won't even believe though an angel should speak from heaven.
Luke understood that at that time there were many rumours going
around about Christ, even as stories are spread about Christians in our day.
Why is it that when a rumour is going around your ears pick up and
you want to take in everything, but when God's Word is preached and someone speaks about
the things of God you lose interest? Very often you can gauge very accurately where a
person stands if you speak to him about the things of God.
Water that flows keeps clean, but stagnant water gets rotten. How
is your heart?
The problem is, no-one understands the heart. You don't even
understand your own heart. Only God knows the heart.
Judas also saw God's work as Luke did. He was there when Jesus
healed the sick. Jesus knew the state of his heart, but the other disciples did not.
Christ came to save you to the uttermost. Not only to forgive you,
but to save you from that sin that's entangling you.
Jesus placed his finger on Judas' problem, but Judas still did not
want to come out with it and cry for help. For years he walked with Christ. One word
would've changed his life, but he didn't cry for help. Why? He loved the money more than
his Saviour.
Judas was so good at covering his sin that the other disciples
didn't know anything about it.
Maybe you're the same with your cellphone. You're looking at all
manner of filth on the internet, but you're very good at hiding it, just like Judas.
Nobody knows or suspects anything, but unless you repent and bring it to the light, your
end will be like Judas.
God doesn't want you to repent and walk in the light to degrade
you, but to help you that you might overcome and He can accomplish His will with your
life.
You might make light of your sin and think it no big thing, but it
will eventually destroy you. You will become luke-warm and then blame everyone else for
your back-slidden state, whereas you can only blame yourself.
You might think it enough just to stop using your computer or cell
phone for awhile. But maybe God says that you must "cut off your right hand" and
destroy that cell phone or computer, if you want to live spiritually.
Remain small in your own eyes. Saul the king of Israel became big
in his own eyes and that was his downfall.
Zacharias only had this opportunity to burn incense in the temple.
He longed for this time and did it with all his heart, and God used this time to meet with
and work in Zacharias' life. See how God works if we remain close to Him in His presence.
Zacharias' case was impossible humanly speaking. It was a hopeless case, but still they
trusted in God. See the attitude of their hearts and their humility and thankfulness when
God heard them.
If God could do it for Zacharias and Elisabeth, how much more can
He do it for us and help us in our need when we cry to Him?
They were blameless in their conversation and conduct.
Maybe your children are the way they are and act the way they act
and speak the way they speak because of how you've acted and spoken about others in front
of them.
Have you made those things right? How far have you gone in making
restitution and making right?
Zacharias doubted the angel of God that spoke with him. He should
not have doubted.
God's Word is enough. We do not need an angel to appear to us, for
we still won't believe even if an angel appears.
Because of unbelief the children of Israel couldn't enter the promised land.
We have God's Word and men of God. Can't we learn of them? We
think we're right, but maybe we're wrong. Let's be humble and open to God's Word and learn
what He teaches us.
May we not doubt God's Word through unbelief, but believe God in
child-like faith.
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