6-8Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger in the dirt. They kept at him, badgering him. He straightened up and said, "The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone." Bending down again, he wrote some more in the dirt.
9-10Hearing that, they walked away, one after another, beginning with the oldest. The woman was left alone. Jesus stood up and spoke to her. "Woman, where are they? Does no one condemn you?"
11"No one, Master."
"Neither do I," said Jesus. "Go on your way. From now on, don't sin." (MSG)
Why is it that we're always ready to judge others, but we have a hard time recognizing our own sin? Doesn't it sometimes depend on what society deems acceptable? In other words, we are quick to point fingers at murderers or burglars or adulterers, but aren't all sins abominable in the eyes of God? And aren't we all guilty at one time or another? So, the next time we find ourselves with stone in hand, perhaps we should instead pray to our merciful God that He has forgiven our sins, and then pray for the sinner that he or she, too will see the errors of his/her ways and repent. After all, Christ didn't condemn the sinful woman. Who are we to?
"A pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life." (Prov. 13:7, MSG)
I think Henry David Thoreau had it right as far as simplification. In his experiment, which he published and titled, Walden, he spent about two years, simply simplifying! He lived off the land and spent time contemplating, instead of running the rat race.
One of the devil's greatest tools against the Kingdom is complexity. Most of us are so busy that we don't have time to truly develop the fullest potential of our relationship with God. So many of us find ourselves too exhausted after a day filled with deadlines and obligations to focus on the single most important aspect of our lives: our relationship with our Creator, our Friend, our Deliverer. What a tragedy!
The devil has to be delighted, because he doesn't really even have to work at distracting us--we do all the work ourselves. He can just sit back and revel in the perpetuation of our superficial relationships with God.
Want to really frustrate the devil and find unfathomable satisfaction in a fully developed relationship with God??? Simplify and find time to contemplate higher things!
"He continued according to plan, traveled to town after town, village after village, preaching God's kingdom, spreading the Message." (Luke 8:1, MSG)
The weather isn't any different. The routine's the same. You didn't eat anything spicy and you didn't have an argument with your spouse or get upset with one of your children. All you know is something just isn't right. Feeling unfulfilled and restless, you move past it. You have to go to work. You have things to do and you can't let this ridiculous unrest interrupt all that. Focus. Do what has to be done. Get through this - it will pass. You're not lazy - you just wish there was more to life today. Do other people feel this way? Are you strange? Are you losing your mind?
I'm willing to bet there's not a single person reading this today that hasn't had some level of the experience above. How do you think I was able to so aptly describe it? Yep - me too. During those times I'm not unhappy. I simply know there's more to my groove - my purpose - than I am allowing to develop in my life and ministry. And it's a darn frustrating thing, isn't it?
So how do we avoid feeling that way again? Just forget it? Will it pass? Well, it will fade a bit for awhile,, but you can bet it will return....unless.....we capture the essence of Christ's mission, purpose and focus in His life here on earth and apply that same modus operandi to our own lives.
The scripture above says "He continued according to plan....." Jesus wasn't shooting in the dark. He had a plan. A Master plan. He was perfectly atuned to the will of the Father in His life and He carried out His mission without a single misstep. How did He stay so in tune with the Father? Relationship. Jesus gave us the secret formula. He said, "I came directly from the Father." (Jn.8:27) and "...I'm not abandoned. The Father is with me. I've told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace." (Jn. 8:32). Jesus also said that apart from the vine we cannot bear fruit. The same held true for Him. He bore much fruit because of His deep love relationship with the Father. That love wrought obedience; that obedience gave birth to miracles and the rest is history, now, eternity. He is Lord - and He's still on task! He's still working the plan!!
If we will truly "abide" in the Father, the Word promises us that He will abide in us. You say, "Michael, what does that 'KJV speak' mean? What's up with abide?" The dictionary defines "abide" fairly simply - "to continue or to remain" (Google glossary). "Abiding" is a state of being - a condition. Abiding should be a chronic condition for the servant of Jesus. He has a Spirit-born, Spirit-filled plan for your life. He will truly guide our every step if we stay close to Him.
Has a restlessness stirred in you recently? Are you searching for more purpose? Want to get back on track and "continue according to plan?" Pray. Read. Seek. Listen. Move. Become the words below:
If I move in You. Lord, You will move in me.
If I'll walk, You'll run and Your Grace will carry me.
If I close my eyes, You will cause my heart to see
That if I dream in You, dreams become reality.
If I move in You, If I move in You, If I move in You,
You will move in me. (MB)
Amen.
"So be careful that you don't become misers of what you hear." (Luke 8:17, MSG)
It was our traditional Tuesday night drive to Fazoli's. I was trying desperately to convince myself that 6 breadsticks are too many. Two are(is?) enough - two. Rhonda was calcualting the cost of the meal...let's see....it was $24.18 last week, but I have this coupon, so it will be somewhere around $22.00 this week, Yea!! Trey was soaking up the last of the iPod tunes before dinner - no iPods allowed at the table. William was watching everything out the window - scoping out some cool cars and/or reading every sign we pass. And Reid Elizabeth was mesmerized by the "Wiggles Christmas" video plaing on the entertainment system.
Apparently, there was very little to look at outside. William, now equally mesmerized by the Wiggles' version of "Away In A Manger" asks, "I thought you weren't aloud to talk about Jesus in these kinds of videos?"
I stopped thinking about breadsticks.
Now understand that William is my most spiritually curious offspring. He is forever interested in the contents of the Bible, always the one who wants to watch "The Passion" or any other Christian video or program and always inquisitive about Bible times and stories. His exposure to the Faith is high - very high. Yet there is for him, and I must assume for many others in his generation, a gap in understanding. We are no longer raising a politically correct generation. We are at risk of raising a "spiritually incorrect" generation. Our ever-closer-to-Godless society is breeding a thought process that assumes it is inappropriate to talk about Jesus in virtually any setting beyond "church". We need to focus and recover quickly.
This is the generation that will be tasked with evangelizing the 29% of the world's population that have never heard the name of Jesus.
This is the generation that will have to reverse the practice of churches of today whose total gross expenditure on financial audits is more than the amount of money spent globally on missions and reaching the unreached.
This is the generation that will be more heavily impacted by terrorism, pandemic disease and Godlessness than any generation before it.
We must answer the call to awakening of this generation of young and energetic youths whose mission it will be to reach the world for Christ. We cannot wait - it must happen now.
Stop the madness today. Pray that god will call our children into Kingdom service and that He will shower upon them the supernatural protection and the unprecedented favor they will need to get the job done. Father, call us all to action and to "Spiritual Correctness", in Jesus' Name! Amen!
"Your word is the truth. So let this truth make them completely yours." (John 17:17, CEV)
sanc·ti·fy
1 : to set apart to a sacred purpose or to religious use : consecrate
2 : to free from sin : purify
3 a : to impart or impute sacredness, inviolability, or respect to b : to give moral or social sanction to
4 : to make productive of holiness or piety <observe the day of the sabbath, to sanctify it — Deuteronomy 5:12(Douay Version)>
Okay, there's the world's definition. There's some good stuff in there. The traditional "set apart" is in there, too. Heck, there's even a scriptural reference in there!! Even the word sanctify is sanctified - that's pretty cool!
In the opening scripture, the CEV gives us some unique insight into what Jesus was praying as He interceded for His disciples - and ultimately you and me - just before his arrest and crucifixion. He prays, "Your word is the truth. So let this truth make them completely yours." As Jesus is praying He is giving us very clear direction. If we are to be truly God's own, wholly devoted to Him, we must be deeply rooted in the Word - God's Truth for our lives. The Word, in essence, seals the deal!
The Psalmist wrote, "As the deer panteth for the water, so my soul longeth after thee." (Ps. 42). The Message says it like this - "A white-tailed deer drinks from the creek; I want to drink God, deep draughts of God. I'm thirsty for God-alive." As God's children, we should pant after His Word. We should be desperate to soak up more and more of His Truth! Jesus recognized that Scripture would be the most valuable resource available to all of us as Truth-seekers here on Earth.
I pray that God's children will embrace His Word daily. Drink their fill - to overflowing. God, give us a thirst and quench it! Teach us to understand that we only become fully Yours when the Word becomes a part of who and what we are. As we abide in You, You will abide in us. Amen.
"God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him." (I Peter 5:7, CEV)
I woke up this morning with a song on my mind. I know you do that too. The song? An old Gospel tune by J.B. Coates - "Where Woud I Go But To the Lord?"
It's old. It's simple. And at first listen it seems shallow and maybe a little corny. But when the Lord sings it over you in the night - I have to tell you that "peace like a river" flows. Here are the lyrics:
Living below in this old sinful world
Hardly a comfort can afford
Striving alone to face temptations sore
Where could I go but to the Lord
Where could I go oh where could I go
Seeking a refuge for my soul
Needing a friend to save me in the end
Where could I go but to the Lord
Neighbors are kind, I love them everyone.
We get along in sweet accord.
But when my soul needs manna from above,
Where could I go but to the lord
Where could I go oh where could I go
Seeking a refuge for my soul
Needing a friend to save me in the end
Where could I go but to the Lord
Life here is grand with friends I love so dear
Comfort I get from God's own Word
Yet when I face the chilling hand of death
Where could I go but to the Lord
Where could I go oh where could I go
Seeking a refuge for my soul
Needing a friend to save me in the end
Where could I go but to the Lord
There's nothing shallow or simple about those words. They are rich with a theme that the world needs to hear today. The message is this - we walk through stuff - that is fact. There are relationships, situations, disappointments, generational curses, disease, war, and turmoil runs amuck in the human heart. But.....no therapy, no medication can take the place of my Jesus. Where will I go when I need a friend.....where would I go but to the Lord? If the church could truly take hold of this blessing, the world would never be the same.
Stop running here and there looking for some flash-in-the-pan miracle substitute! If you are in need, seek God, accept the offering of His Son and allow the Power of His Holy Spirit to fill you, change you and make you new. "And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the Light of His Glory and Grace!" Amen!
"God's Word is an indispensable weapon." (Ephesians 6:16, MSG)
Growing up in the Baptist church, some of my fondest memories are of "Bible School". I can remember Bible School being the highlight of my summer. I loved all of it. From the processional leading us up the front steps of the church building to the cookies and soda or Kool-Aid during the breaks to the crafts we created and the evangelistic call during the recessional - I loved all of it!
One of the big deals in Bible School was to get to be a flag or Bible bearer during the processional. I was always so excited when I got to be a part of that contingent. Walk slowly, slowly....now cross...place the pole in the holder and stand at the ready. The time would come for the pledges. First the American Flag, then the Christian Flag and, last but not least, the pledge to The Bible. It goes like this: "I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God's Holy Word. I will make it a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path and I will hide it's words in my heart, that I might not sin against God." Those pledges meant something to me. I'd bet that some of you reading this remember those days and those times just like I do.
What percentage of kids under 18 years old today could recite that pledge? I'm willing to bet the number is miniscule. There are too many other things to remember, right? Their friends' cell phone numbers, the busy extracirricular schedule with sports and marching band and homework and yada, yada, yada, yada.....! So when Satan forms his weapons against them, what will they do? Recite a verse from "The Raven"? Shoot a "3"? Play a perfect cadence? I'm not saying that these things are bad or wrong - not at all! They are very positive alternatives for kids to be involved with, but call me "old school" - we are raising a weaponless generation and that means a losing battle is to be fought just ahead!!!
We have made God's Word a dispensable weapon!!! And God forgive us!
Parents, let's commit today to providing the "full armor" of God for our children. Let's commit to repairing the "chinks" and the holes. If we are to expect them to be able to "withstand all the fiery darts" that are already being hurled at them, we must act quickly and prepare them well. Start with a simple memory verse every week. Schedule some time for them to sit down, uninterrupted and away from their cell phone to focus on God and His Perfect Instruction Manual. They are looking for answers - and they will find them somewhere. If we will heed God's warning that His Word is a "indispensable weapon" they will find the right and good path! I claim it in Jesus' Name!
"But Lot's wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt." (Genesis 9:26, MSG)
Most of us know this story in Genesis. God visits Abraham accompanied by two Angels. The promise of a son is announced to Abraham and Sarah and then God asks Himself a question - "Should I hold back from Abraham what I am about to do?" God decides to let Abraham in on the plan to destroy Sodom and Gommorah because of their extreme wickedness. Multiple times, Abraham begs for mercy for the two cities, trying to whittle down the number of good people there that, if found, would cause God to spare the cities and their inhabitants. God finally agrees that 10 good people found would prevent the cities' destruction.
The two Angels spend the night in Sodom with Lot, Abraham's nephew and quickly realize they are not going to find the required number of righteous people. They all but pick Lot up (along with his wife and two daughters) and carry him out of the city. As the refugees flee to a nearby village, Lot's wife looks back at the scene of destruction and is immediately turned into a pillar of salt. End of story.
Why a pillar of salt? God could have changed Lot's wife into anything, right? Why not a statue, or a stone, or a frog or something? What is significant about the pillar of salt? Here's what God revealed to me about that.
First of all, I get a little annoyed at the characterization of Lot's wife as a worldy, sinful and materialistic woman. Seriously, those 3 words describe, oh, only about 99.9% of today's living population. We are not a society in any position to judge Lot's wife. Consider the scenario, fire and brimstone are raining down from the sky and the family you borrowed a cup of sugar from yesterday is now being melted into a heap of boiling, burning flesh. How many of us would not be tempted to glance over our shoulder at that scene? Now, please understand - I know they were told not to look back and I understand her death was the result of disobedience. I just don't like the wild speculation regarding her character. In reality, all signs point to the fact that she must have been a good person. Lot married her, she had evidently trained up her virgin daughters to love honor and obedience, and the true evidence of her righteousness is rather obvious in that the angels rescued her. Still, I get it. Fact is, they told her not to look back and she did. Boom. Pillar of salt.
My interpretation? We all look back. We are all, at different times in our lives, haunted by our past. Even when the flesh is dying and being replaced by Spirit, we struggle with this connection to our past. We are remorseful for those things that we have done that are in contrast to God's will for our lives and we often reflect on those things. Guilt doesn't have a hold on us, we hold on to guilt. And when we do this, we are rendered immobile and useless. Nothing good can come from us. Nothing new can be birthed in or around us. We become as useless as a.....there it is......as useless as a pillar of salt. God's message to us in the account of Lot's wife's death is clear: Letting go of the past is the key to receiving a worthwhile future. Sure, that person hurt you - that doesn't mean you should avoid all future relationship. Yes - you did a terrible thing - so just withdraw form everything and everybody? NO! Trust God! Trust that His Mercy and Grace are flowing freely to you. What could be worse than your sin? Allowing that sin to perpetuate a life devoid of service, empty of worship and of zero Kingdom impact. And the real tragedy? Your sin has been destroyed, forgotten, wiped from your record. You are looking back on something that no longer exists - a city you can no longer see.
Okay - I commit to not be your excuse for missing church today. Get up, get out there and get going. Let go of your past and take hold of your future in Him!!
"I've heard all about you.....God reward you well for what you've done...." (Ruth 2:11-12, MSG)
I've done some wrong things in my life. I know you're shocked. Actually, I know you are anything but shocked - especially if you've known me for any length of time at all. I've made bunches of small mistakes and a few really big messes. Fortunately, the older we get and the more we allow God to shape our thoughts, our words and our actions, we improve upon our past mistakes (if we have any sense at all) and put those mistakes behind The Blood and behind us.
Regardless of the mistakes you have made, one thing is certain. People have "heard all about you." Just like Ruth, our reputation - be it good or bad - precedes us. The real problem here is that our reputation is never based upon the present or the future. As a young politician, Abraham Lincoln's reputation wasn't based upon his enshrinement as one of our greatest Presidents that ever lived. He wasn't perceived as the high defender of the Union or the hope of emancipation for an enslaved people. He lost several elections because his reputation was that of a wet behind the ears, informally trained lawyer born in some little shanty down in Kentucky!! No matter our potential it is sometimes very difficult to overcome our reputation.
By the same token, when we are serving God with our lives - not our church attendance, our "good, clean living" or our measly tithe - when we really surrender to Him our ALL, our reputation will precede us. Ruth had demonstrated true compassion for her mother-in-law and others. Boaz heard of this sincere compassion and was pleased to be able to offer the same in return to Ruth. Ruth's reputation literally saved her life. Her reputation ensured her safety and allowed her to become a blessing to all those around her. As Boaz said it, Ruth was rewarded "well for what [she had] done".
What have you done? Will you be rewarded for it when everyone finds out? Rest assured they will find out and your reputation will bear that mark for quite some time ahead. Knowing this, get real about your thoughts, your words, and your actions. Build a reputation that reflects the love of Christ in your life. Then when people "have heard all about you", they will be drawn closer to the Father and be the better for it!
Lord, help us to understand that in this moment we are defining the world's perception of who we are and Who we serve. We are changing our own lives and the lives of others - either for better or for worse. Nothing goes unnoticed and we are never the only ones impacted by our poor decisions or our wrong doing. Give us a "Ruth spirit" - a true heart of compassion and love, focused on You - that we may be blessed and so that You may "reward us well" for what we have done! In Jesus' Name, Amen!!
"When the hay is removed and new growth appears and the grass from the hills is gathered in, the lambs will provide you with clothing, and the goats with the price of a field." (Proverbs 27:25-26, NIV)
Refresh! Renew! Revitalize! Rejuvenate! Brighten and Whiten!! Do these infomercial and "beauty" product container slogans hit you the same way they do me? Have you ever really listened to some of this stuff or read the containers?? Everytime I do, my intelligence is insulted a little bit more! Manufacturers and reatailers would have us believe that their products are so much better than the competitors that our quality of life will be greatly improved if we choose their product over the competition's product. AND God forbid that we might ever go with the "generic equivalent". If you go with generic toothpaste you know you're not going to get that "Blast of Cool Whitening Efervessence" or that "Tingling Clean Sensation"!! We really are suckers, aren't we?
Though there's no fantastical marketing scheme associated with it, there is a choice that is truly life-altering. The writer of Proverbs gives us an example of being refreshed, renewed and revived. You'll miss it if you're not careful, but the scripture above, in a seemingly passive few words really reveals something profound. They write, "When the hay is removed and new growth appears...." The Christian life is a journey. The real journey - not the "Health, Wealth and Prosperity" pitch - is a series of peeling back the layers. It is a journey marked with periods of tearing down and building up. It is intended to be a time for laying down and taking up - dying to self and living in Christ. It is a continual process - a journey and not a destination. A cutting away of the old and the putting on of the New.
I'm often disappointed when my toothpaste doesn't actually give me that "cool tingling" feeling. And I must admit that I'm a little let down when smelling my pillow case doesn't immediately transport me to riding in an air balloon through an amazingly clear blue Spring sky! But when God reveals item after item that I need to shed to become more effective for Him and His Kingdom, there is never disappointment!
I encourage you today to cut out some of the old, dry foliage from your life and allow room for new growth in Christ. Those clippings and cuttings will eventually blow away and fresh new life will spring up in their place! He is faithful to reward our obedience!
"God's name is a place of protection—
good people can run there and be safe." (Proverbs 18:10, MSG)
Almost never fails! The first leg of my flight was delayed, my connecting flight had a computer “glitch” that held us up 45 minutes past takeoff time (as luck would have it the “glitch” stopped the air circulation so it was also like 90 degrees in there!!), and to beat all that, my “Daddy” ended up in the seat next to me. That’s right – as I tried to send my last text message prior to our being told to turn off all electronic devices, the guy seated next to me says, “You’re supposed to turn that thing off.” Yeah – I know that! I tried to subdue the sarcastic overtones in my response. “Thanks, I will,” I said. No one told him he was supposed to turn off his incessant snoring throughout the remainder of the flight!! I love him, in Jesus’ Name. J
I have learned not to question those circumstances I find myself in often. I may not always like it and it may not always be the path or the process that I would have chosen, but I often wonder how many times God’s protective hand has saved me from imminent danger or certain death. His Angels are on constant watch over His children. Never underestimate the power of the untied shoe – and the 15 seconds it causes you to have to stop so you can re-tie it. That accident that happened just in front of you might have happened to you but for that untied shoe! That slow driver in front of you on the way to work may have kept you from pulling out in front of a bus or hitting a pedestrian. That delayed flight....well, you get the picture. You really never know what He may be protecting you from, but you know for sure that He is protecting you.
We have a friend from several years ago whose three-year –old son was involved in a horrifying fall from a second story window at their home. His father had been working on a ladder just outside the little boy’s room. The window was open so he could access some tools he had been using. The little boy’s curiosity got the better of him and as he was standing near the window looking out, he fell the 12 or 13 feet to the concrete patio below. The parents heard his cries and immediately ran to him. Amazingly, there were no scrapes, no bruises, not a scratch! Except for the scare, the boy was essentially unharmed. A few weeks later while they were driving down the road, the boy asked his mother from the back seat, “Mom, you know the other day when I fell?” “Yes,” she replied. “The white people caught me!”, he exclaimed. “The white people” is how a three-year-old boy describes Angels!!
Lord, thank You for Your constant covering and protection. We pray that You will continue to gurad us from the physical AND the spiritual attacks of the devil. He understands that You have a purpose for Your people and he wants to destroy us. We are safe in You, O Lord!! Guard us!! Amen!!!
"Regarding life together and getting along with each other, you don't need me to tell you what to do. You're God-taught in these matters. Just love one another!" (1 Thessalonians 4:9, MSG)
The poet, Wystan Huhg Auden wrote, "Love each other or perish." Life is a series of short, intermediate and long-term relationships. Short relationships are acquaintances and conversations, intermediate relationships are those "seasonal" relationships, friendships, courtships, etc. that blossom for a period of time and then fade. Our long-term relationships are our familial relationships and lifetime firendships - these you either have no control over (related is related, right?) or you don't want to change anything about them! No matter the category, one thing is sure - if you do not love and respect your counterpart in the relationship, it will not flourish. You can get off on the wrong foot in the short term, fail to be considerate in the intermediate term or just be a jerk in the long-term OR you can truly love, care for and focus on the individual with whom you are building relationship.
The world is full of self-absorption. People are so distracted by themselves that they fail to recognize (let alone meet) the needs of those around them. The tragedy is that the most severely impacted victims can be the ones we should be loving the most. Husbands and wives fail to truly serve each other - and marriages fall apart. Friends are friends in need only and not in deed - and the relationship sours - dies in time. Children and parents become so obsessed with their own lives that they fail to appropriately foster the relationship with their own direct flesh and blood. And the family is fast becoming an institution of lore. What can be done?
As Christians, we cannot correct everyone else's issues. We CAN, however, decide to love in our own relationships. We can choose to demonstrate the love that Jesus demonstrates for us still. If a friend is hurting, listen. Married couples, if another couple you know is struggling in their relationship, invite them over for dinner - don't counsel - just love each other and demonstrate the patience and thoughtfulness that fosters 50 year marriages! If your child is distant - shut up and listen - you will learn so much by hearing what they have to say instead of vomiting rules and regulations all over them!
Lord, we know that without Love, we are nothing. We know that without Love, we will surely perish. Teach us to love as You love. Teach us to care as You care. Teach us to see as You see. Amen.
"I can't do a solitary thing on my own: I listen, then I decide. You can trust my decision because I'm not out to get my own way but only to carry out orders. If I were simply speaking on my own account, it would be an empty, self-serving witness. But an independent witness confirms me, the most reliable Witness of all." (John 5:30, MSG)
Who are you? Who am I? Who are we?? Philosophers, psychologists, scientists and politicians have been trying to tell us for centuries. No amount of logic, reason or mathematical calculation can sum it up. Why does the world continue to ask the question? Because the answer escapes the intellectual thought process! As Christians, we know the answer. God has chosen to reveal to us the meaning of life and to answer our question as to who we really are. The secret answer? We are nobody. We are nothing.
Jesus revealed who we are in the 5th chapter of John. "I can't do a solitary thing on my own." If Jesus recognized His dependence on the wisdom, direction and life-flow of the Father, how much more should you and I recognize that we are NOTHING if we are not in Him?
The world could easily appease their longing to find themselves if they'd start by finding Christ and making him the center - the entire focus - of their otherwise miserable and wasted lives. Sound extreme? Maybe to the ear that hasn't heard the call of the Spirit's voice.
Why do we make mistakes? Why do "good" people do bad things? Jesus laid that secret on us too: " You can trust my decision because I'm not out to get my own way but only to carry out orders." Seek God's direction for your life. Stop struggling with what to do! Stop sweating the small stuff AND the big stuff and allow God to take control of your life! You don't have to worry about who you are, where you've been or where you're going. He's got all that covered. Sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. You are who He created you to be and He will unroll your greatest destiny in front of you - if we just get out of the way!!
Lord take complete control of our lives. You gave our lives to us and we surrender them fully back to you! Amen!
"God is higher than anything and anyone,
outshining everything you can see in the skies.
Who can compare with God, our God,
so majestically enthroned,
Surveying his magnificent
heavens and earth?" (Psalm 113:4-5, MSG)
Wow! I don't know if the sunrise looked the same from where you are reading this devotional today, but I never cease to be amazed at the breathtaking scenes that God has designed. he set the rising and the setting of the sun in motion. He alone spoke beauty into existence! He has created all things and is above them - just like the writer of Psalm 113 says.
Let these words become a part of your life and your love-relationship with Jesus:
No highest hill, no deepest sea
Could ever match the wondrous Grace You offer me.
No star above, no wonder of the Earth
Could ever write your words of wisdom on my heart
But all creation sings, the Earth is filled with praise.
The rhythm of the waves resounds the heartbeat of a King
The rain that falls sings of Your tender mercies
The brightness of Your eyes in every day's sunrise
All creation sings!
Thank Him today for all that He has created for us to enjoy!!! Amen!
"He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you?
But to do justly, to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8, NKJV)
Norman Vincent Peale is quoted as saying, "The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have.”
I don't recognize humility as something you do. Humility is something you are. People can smell insincerity 1000 miles away. Dr. Peale describes it aptly in the phrase "lose yourself". Jesus said it long before Dr. Peale - "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30, KJV) Jesus gives us and ultimately shows us the essence of "walk humbly with your God". He taught us that no servant is greater than his master (Matthew 10:34), that there is no life-limit on the extent of our service to our friends (John 15:13), and in Mark 9:35 (MSG), Jesus says, "So you want first place? Then take the last place. Be the servant of all."
How much clearer does it get? Our goal in this life should not be to achieve the highest position, but to offer the highest level of excellent service to God and to our fellow man. Our objective is to give our live away so that others may have the Abundant Life offered through the power of Jesus and His precious Holy Spirit.
As a child growing up in the Baptist church, those who were appointed deacons pretty much ran the show! This very scriptural position was designed to support the ministry of the church and to allow for the management of the "business" of the church so that those called to lead were free to lead, teach and minister. Let me preface my next comments by saying that I have met some wonderful Godly men who served in the position of deacon. There. Now, the term deacon is worded in the Greek word meaning "under-rower". An under rower is a slave on a ship powered primarily by the rowing power of men. There were usually multiple decks of levels that contained row after row of these slaves chained to wooden benches, feet shackled, rowing day and night with only brief periods of rest allowed. They did everything in that seat. They ate there, slept there and "did their business" there. Can you imagine being on the lowest level with a couple of levels of slaves above you? Can you imagine the foulness of the substances seeping through the gaps in the plank floors above? That thought gives new meaning to "sea sickness", huh? Somewhere through the years, many church leaders have lost sight of their role as a servant - as under-rowers. They have abandoned humility and placed themselves in positions of authority well beyond God's design for their mission.
Practice, embrace and become humility. Become the servant that you have been ordained to become - both to God and your neighbor. In Jesus' name, AMEN!
"He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you?
But to do justly, to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8, NKJV)
What is mercy? Isn't it really the same thing as grace? When we pray, "Lord, cover us with Your Grace and Mercy," aren't we really repeating ourselves? The answer to the latter question is no. Grace and Mercy are, indeed, two very different things. Here's how it has been described: "Grace is what God gives us that we don't deserve. Mercy is what God doesn't give us that we do deserve."
Jesus demonstrated both the Mercy of God and the Grace of God on the Cross. He released Grace in that we have now become joint heirs with Him! We are Sons and Daughters of the Living God! We are now free to approach the Throne of Grace just as boldly as Jesus does simply because we come in His Name. The things that we were cut off from before, eternal forgiveness and blessings from the Hand of God like healing and other Gifts of the Spirit, are now ours through Grace. Grace is the unmerited favor of God - much like the father of the prodigal demonstrated. He didn't have to acknowledge the return of the son at all. Even to have made him a servant in his house would have been a demonstration of grace, but instead the father lavished grace upon the son celebrating his return and restoring him fully to family status.
Mercy is demonstrated in that Christ's death on the Cross redeemed us from the punishment and eternal separation from God that we truly deserve.
"We looked down on him, thought he was scum.
But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—
our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.
We thought he brought it on himself,
that God was punishing him for his own failures.
But it was our sins that did that to him,
that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!
He took the punishment, and that made us whole.
Through his bruises we get healed." (Isaiah 53 excerpt, MSG)
Jesus gave birth to Spiritual Mercy when He took upon Himself our punishment and rescued us from eternal death. Charles Sprague wrote, "Hate shuts her soul when dove-eyed mercy pleads." Mercy is the gift of God that, when demonstrated in our lives, allows us to gain the victory over hatred, bigotry, unforgiveness, gossip and judgemental attitudes toward others.
When God spoke of Mercy to Micah, He not only directed us to practice Mercy. He instructed us to "love" Mercy. You and I should dole out Mercy to those around us just as we have been given such extreme measures of Mercy through the Hand of God. Christ's sacrifice which made Mercy possible can only be seen in the level of Mercy we render in this life. We are the reflection of the light of His Love, His forgiveness and His Mercy in a dark, lost and dying world.
Love Mercy! We are the recipients of Grace, but we are the authors of Mercy!
"He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you?
But to do justly, to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8, NKJV)
We have a couple (well, maybe more than that:)) of standard phrases around our house. There's "Did you mean NOT to do it?", "I will think before I say or do.", the old standby - "1....2....", and others I likely would never publish...:)
I have my own favorite phrase though, and the kids can quote it back to you if you ask them to. I ask the question, "Why do we do the right thing?" They answer, "Because it's the right thing."
It's that simple, really, isn't it? I always explain to them that we don't do the right thing because it's always the easiest path or because it feels better or makes us happier in the moment. We do the right thing simply because it's the right thing! If we close the door on the option to do the wrong thing in situations that pose the choice, life really is much easier!
The Word of God as given through the heart of the prophet Micah instructs us to "do justly". How do we fill that bill? I think it's simple. Do the right thing. Notice I didn't say it was easy, but simple. It's not hard to figure out that if we just treat others fairly and do the right thing according to God's instruction and direction in our lives, we can become the essence of "doing justly".
Today, try a simple exercise. When faced with situations or challenges, ask yourself, "What is the right thing to do here?" Seek God's guidance in the matter and then act on His urging. Try it at work, at home, at school, wherever you may be today. I promise the result will ultimately prove to you that this simple approach is effective. Another assignment: I'd love for you to share with us a situation in your life where you applied this priniciple and it proved itself! Let us know by commenting on this site! We are praying for you as you "Do The Right Thing!"
"The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished ...." (Titus 1:5, NIV)
When I read the verse above, all I can think of or envision is Titus standing on the edge of the pier on the island of Crete sorrowfully waving goodbye to Paul as Paul continues his journey as a prisoner headed for Rome. Titus, likely a convert of Paul's early in his ministry, is left behind to finalize the establishment of the church at Crete.
Crete is traditionally known as an island full of sailors and mercenaries on hand to thwart the advance of piracy on the Mediterranean and Agean Seas. Crete's populous was widely diverse having served as a virtual bridge for centuries between Greece and Asia Minor.
So here is Titus, left alone on a massive island purported in Roman writings to be covered by 100 different cities, all filled with sailors, traders and soldiers-for-hire. I'd cry.
Paul's greeting is followed by a 3 chapter series of instructions, directions and suggestions to Titus about how the church in Crete should be shepherded. We see the direction to establish elders, squash theological arguments and instruction as to how the members of the church (all the way from slave to master) should conduct their lives as Christians and newcomers to Faith in Christ.
What strikes me most about Titus is his apparent courage in the Faith! This guy was a brave soul! We whimper and whine because we are afraid to say anything spiritual at work or because we fear rejection if we attempt to share our faith with our neighbor, colleague or even close friends at times. And to beat it all, we have a huge support network in local pastors, church members, Life Group leaders and Christian family members to depend upon. Titus was alone, left to build a foundational Christian presence in a lost and hostile culture!
Lord, give us the boldness of Titus. Place upon us the mantle of courage that he so effectively displays for us. Let us be the light of Hope in a lost and dying world, so that all may see the Glory of Your Son! Amen!
don't make light of it,
and when he corrects you,
don't be discouraged.
The Lord corrects the people
he loves
and disciplines those
he calls his own." (Hebrews 12:5-6, CEV)
For 5 years we looked at that kelly-green carpet - all the rage of the late '80's and early '90's interior decorating world!! We had a million discussions about how worn it was. We painted the walls, hung cornice boards and decorated with accessories almost like it wasn't kelly-green carpet on the floors!!! What were we thinking?? Everything looked great - except that darn green carpet!!!
Several weeks ago, we finally made the decision to do away with that carpet once and for all. We hired a contractor - a dear friend and his son - to do the installation and we purchased our favorite hardwood - cherry stained hard rock maple planks - beautiful. Trey and I unloaded the 2 ton cargo from the trailer late one night and filled our kitchen and dining area with 6 foot long boxes of the stuff.
The day came last week when the carpet was torn out, some old hardwood was removed and the installation of the new flooring began. Even the sub-flooring looked better than that carpet. But here's the thing, we were immediately in a huge mess. The men doing the work were meticulous about cleaning up after themselves and leaving things in great order during the overnights for us, but even in the best case scenario, that kind of work leaves your home in disarray. Dust everywhere, furniture crammed into rooms adjoining the room where the work is being done, etc. The fact that Rhonda and I are both a little OCD doesn't help matters in that situation either!
Here's the good part. They finished the room on Thursday afternoon and WOW! It is unbelievable how much better the room looked when they were done! It made all of the misery of the mess worth it - no doubt! We bought rugs, moved the furniture back in and just sat and admired the beautiful new floor.
"....and when He corrects you, don't be discouraged...."
There is a quote that goes something like this, "Don't give up on me. He isn't finished with me yet." We are all a work in progress. As the Lord carves away at the flesh, this lump of clay can look pretty hideous. The mess we feel we are in can be really uncomfortable, but there is a Light at the end of the tunnel. There is hope for us yet! God is saying to each of us, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV)
While it may seem painful and uncomfortable right now, embrace the change - the renovation - that God, through the power of His Spirit, is making possible in your life. When the dust settles and the smoke clears, He will be able to sit back on His throne and admire the beautiful new creature you have become in Him. He has a plan and you have a purpose. Allow Him to get rid of the old and usher in the new in your life!! You'll be glad you did!
"Through the Spirit, Christ offered himself as an unblemished sacrifice, freeing us from all those dead-end efforts to make ourselves respectable, so that we can live all out for God." (Hebrews 9:15, MSG)
Can you imagine how cumbersome the law was (and is still) for those who practice(d) it? Having to count your steps on the Sabbath? This cloak, that head gear, shoes here and no shoes there? I can eat that and I can eat that, but I can't eat them together? Though ordained by God as a part of His plan leading to the ultimate sacrifice of His Son to cover the sins of all men forever, I am so thankful I am not bound by the law!!! (Although, I do like the frequent washing part...:))
Jesus' death on the Cross released us from the curse of the law. The curse of the law was not ordained by God, but rather engineered by man. The law, taken out of context and interpreted with the simple mind of man, can actually lead to bondage and destruction. Only man can take something so holy and so pure and mess it up!
Unfortunately, the world hasn't changed much in that respect. We still find pockets of people who misinterpret and take out of context the elements of Grace and Mercy the Bible so clearly instructs us about. Folks proudly stand and read scripture announcing freedom in Christ, while judging others because of the way they wear their hair, the music they listen to or the clothes they are wearing! How ridiculous! Jesus said it best when He defended His disciples' eating habits to the temple leadership. He quickly let them know that it is not what goes into a man that makes him unclean, but what comes out.
It's not about the clothes we wear, who can weave the highest hair bun or the length of our sleeves or skirts! It's not about what we eat or the music we sing! It's not about anything other than a desperate love relationship with Jesus!!! We serve a loving, caring and forgiving God who sees the deepest part of us and could not care less about the filthy rags we wear! "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (I Samuel 16:7, NIV)
Lord, rescue us from us!! Teach us Your ways, Your love, and give us Your eyes! Help us to see the inner man and to love deeply what You have made. Don't allow us to get sidetracked and distracted by the petty and ridiculous opinions and whims of man, but to stay focused on our love relationship with You. Amen.
" There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death." (Proverbs 16:25, NKJV)
"There's a way that looks harmless enough;
look again—it leads straight to hell." (Proverbs 16:25, MSG)
You know the phrase - "If it feels good, do it!" How could 6 little words, all of 5 letters or less, bring such pain and wreak such havoc? Generations have followed this mantra so far down the path of destruction! Leaving wisdom behind, ignoring consequences they have often been well aware of, and moving on in their sin-lives only to regret their actions when all is said and done.
A few years ago, I had an idea for a book. The title? "If it feels good AFTER, do it!" What if men and women truly considered the consequences of their decisions BEFORE they make them?? Now, I recognize that there's no genius in that question, but it is amazing how many people will trade a lifetime of peace, a life free from guilt and shame for only seconds or moments of pleasure or immediate gratification. Sound familiar?
I seriously doubt there is anyone reading this today that doesn't get exactly what I'm talking about. We find ourselves in the heat of the moment and give in to our weaknesses, turning ourselves over to the "reprobate mind" Paul warned the Romans about. This conceding to sin doesn't just pertain to sinful and perverse sexual activity - our passions unbridled can lead down many wrong paths. Compulsive behaviors are rampant - overspending, overindulging in food or alcohol, drug use and abuse (yes, sleeping pills and pain killers apply here, folks), casual "truth-bending", and the list goes on and on and on...........
So, here's the new mantra for God's people today and going forward? Will this feel good after? It's that simple. Will this feel as good after I think it, say it or do it as it does before and during? Will I feel better or worse after the few moments of exhiliration are gone and I am left to sort out the guilt, the shame and the embarrassment I feel because I couldn't control myself. Direct your thoughts, words and actions toward conduct with a positive return. Who feels bad after spending quality time with their spouse or family? Who feels bad after eating a healthy meal or drinking alcohol in moderation or having a glass of tea?!?! Who feels bad when they use their prescription drugs for the purpose they are truly intended, administering the appropriate dosage? Who feels bad when they match their revenue to their expenses and come up in the black?!?!? Nobody!!!
Now, you know the secret!! Thank you, Lord for revealing to us how simple it is to live "the good life"!! Teach us to clearly discern the path You would have us to follow and to act according to Your plan for our lives. Give us the courage to follow Your good and perfect will in everything we think, say or do. Help us to understand the fullness we can experience if we will only stop and apply the philosophy of "If it feels good AFTER, do it!!" Amen!!!
"My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up." (Psalm 5:3 - NKJV)
"Keep your eye on the ball." I played baseball when I was in elementary school and on into junior high. I played centerfield. Most centerfielders are out there because of their speed and their keen eye for effectively judging the distance the ball will travel. Me? I think I was out there because very few players (especially in elementary school) hit the ball straight (either swinging early or late sending the ball to left or right field) and they don't hit the ball very far! I'm pretty certain Coach Anderkin put me in the position where I could do the least damage to my own team!! I got lucky on a few occasions and caught a pop fly or two, but for the most part, I had a great seat!
Batting wasn't a whole lot more prodcutive for me. I remember very few hits. Now, that could just be because it was so long ago, but it's likely because I didn't have many! I do remember striking out some. I never really understood the art of batting. Keep your eye on the ball? Yeah, I kept my eye on the ball alright - just enough to know if it were coming across the plate or straight at me! I can remember being afraid of getting hit. Maybe that had an impact on my batting average. At any rate, it was pretty poor.
I love it when David says "I will look up". David mastered the art of worship. When it came to praising God, thanking Him and recognizing the Source of all things good, David batted 1000. When our focus is properly trained and our eyes are set on things above, spiritual home runs are common! My favorite verse of scripture is Hebrews 12:2. It reads, "Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. Who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the Cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God." Here's a different translation: "Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God." (MSG)
Paul said, "I (don't) count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus." (Philippians 3:14 - MSG)
When Peter got out of the boat, he had no issue walking on water until he took his eyes off the Source of his newfound freedom. It was when he took his eyes off Jesus and started paying attention to the waves crashing around him (tranlsated - junk in our lives) that he got into trouble!
Fix your eyes on Jesus. Recognize that your hope is found in looking UP! When the waves start or the world hurls something at you fast, you won't focus there. You'll stand in the box, swing like a giant and knock life out of the park!! You can do it!
"Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn't you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it? When found, you can be sure you would put it across your shoulders, rejoicing, and when you got home call in your friends and neighbors, saying, 'Celebrate with me! I've found my lost sheep!' Count on it—there's more joy in heaven over one sinner's rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue." (Luke 15:4-7, MSG)
I was just telling somebody how good he is. He always stays near home, never roams far and is just so attached to us. He's a great dog! That's "Elvis", our 6 year old Bassett Hound the amazing family pet. Not amazing for what he can do - but for what he doesn't do. He doesn't bark, he doesn't bite and he doesn't ever leave the property - mostly.....that's where the story really begins.
Last night at around 10:00 PM or so, I realized that Elvis was MIA. I didn't really think too much about that because he and the neighbor dog share food bowls freely and if he isn't at our house, he can usually be found very close. I called for him, but got no response. This continued through the night and into the morning. At about 6:15 AM, during one of my many trips through our neighborhood and surrounding areas, I got a text message from Rhonda stating, "He's back."
I was perplexed. I had nightmare visions of him being attacked and killed by coyotes or meeting with some other terrible end. As I drove around, I would close my eyes to slit width knowing I was going to see him lying dead in the middle of the road. I used a flashlight to patrol the ditchlines and came up empty. I had no idea where he was and I was willing to give up sleep, call into work or whatever other measures I had to take to retrieve our family pet.
Later this morning, my neighbor called and apologized for having locked Elvis in their garage overnight unknowingly!! He was so close!! And I was so worried!!
Jesus said, "of how much more value are you than the birds?" God loves you and He wants to keep you close. He cares for all of His creation, but the animals were created for man's enjoyment. Man was created for God's enjoyment! He never sleeps. He calls to us through the night and sings over us. He desires to be close to us and to keep us safe - far from the evils that would devour us in this world. He would leave the "ninety and nine" and pursue you to the ends of the universe. That's why He was willing to give His only Son - so you could be redeemed.
Run to Him when He calls and stay close to Him - always. I wanted to chastise Elvis, but I was so glad to see him!! How much more is our Father delighted when we return to Him and call Him Lord!
"My days come and go swifter than the click of knitting needles,
and then the yarn runs out—an unfinished life!" (Job 7:6, MSG)
Remember the song by the Steve Miller Band? The title was "Fly Like An Eagle". The phrase we most remember is "Time keeps on slippin', slippin' into the future".....
That song is prime fodder for the Christian song coverter!! Read the rest of the lyrics:
I want to fly like an eagle
To the sea
Fly like an eagle
Let my spirit carry me
I want to fly like an eagle
Till I'm free
Oh, Lord, through the revolution
Feed the babies
Who don't have enough to eat
Shoe the children
With no shoes on their feet
House the people
Livin' in the street
Oh, oh, there's a solution
I want to fly like an eagle
To the sea
Fly like an eagle
Let my spirit carry me
I want to fly like an eagle
Till I'm free
Fly through the revolution
Replace "my spirit" with "Your Spirit" and you've got yourself a solid Contemporary Christian tune with a very scripturally based message.
Here's the deal - time does keep on slipping into the future. With the passing of every precious moment we are making decisions that will last a lifetime. In a moment of desperation, the unborn life is taken and the woman may never heal. In a few moments of weakness, the husband or wife unwittingly destroys the family that they love forever. In a moment of rage, lives collide - one ends in death, the other in a life sentence - destroyed. Just a few minutes of smoking that to appease his/her friends sets in motion an abbreviated lifetime filled with addictions and disease. A few moments of greed bring about the downfall of the successful executive - he throws himself from the upper floors and ends his self-made misery - gone without hope. In an instant. And time keeps on slippin', slippin'............
For the human race, there are no idle moments. They are either spent focused on things above or things here below. There's no such thing as a moderate Christian. There are no insignificant decisions. The thoughts we think, the words we speak, the actions we take - all are immediately a part of the "history books". There are no second chances to get it right.
We need to navigate our lives using Christ as our compass. His sinless, perfectly served life is the road map we must follow to Grace. Don't cruise through life today as though your decisions aren't really impacting those around you, those who come behind you and those who are looking to you to find their way as life passes them by at the speed of light.
There is Hope. We will not always get it right. That's where the Grace and Mercy made possible through Jesus and His God-Life come into play. These two elements of the Christian walk are the game-changers. Job said he ended his nights without hope, but you and I have Jesus - the One who knew no sin. In Him there is Hope.
Be careful little eyes, ears, mouths and minds today. Time is slippin' - make the most of every minute.
"Let love be without hypocrisy." (Romans 12:9, NKJV)
In 1955, a movie was released entitled, "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing". Most notably the result? The song titled the same. Here are the lyrics as recorded by The Four Aces for the movie soundtrack:
"Love is a many-splendored thing,
It's the April rose that only grows in the early spring,
Love is nature's way of giving a reason to be living,
The golden crown that makes a man a king.
Once on a high and windy hill,
In the morning mist two lovers kissed and the world stood still,
Then your fingers touched my silent heart and taught it how to sing,
Yes, true love's a many-splendored thing."
The Message translates Romans 12:9 like this:
"Love from the center of who you are. Don't fake it."
The world loves for many reasons: people pretend to love for money, they pretend to love for sex, they pretend to love for companionship, they pretend to love for power or political gain, and they pretend to love to maintain appearances or out of some obligatory situation. Whatever the reasons, we should grieve for, pray for and reach out to those people.
As true believers, you and I know the essence of true Love. Love for us is personified in Christ. The willingness to "lay down His life for His friends" is the pinnacle of Love demonstrated for all of eternity. It is the example for us to follow and the highest goal we should be striving for in our lives. When Jesus was asked what the most important commandment was, He responded with two - both were centered around none other than the topic of Love: "love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself." (Luke 10:27, MSG) He knew that if we could get those right, everything else would fall perfectly into step with God's will for our lives.
Let our love today be real - not fake. Let us love generously, give freely and embrace all that this Love-Life has to offer us! Love is, indeed, a "many splendored thing"!
"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10, MSG)
"Just walk! do you see anybody else walking like that? What if you saw somebody walking down through here bouncing off everything you come into contact with? Wouldn't you think they were strange?"
"Just carry the bag, Son. You don't have to twirl it or spin it or throw it up and catch it. Just carry it!"
"No, Son. No flips. You're going to break your neck! Why can't you just jump and be happy??"
"Don't eat so fast. You're going to choke to death!"
William, we can't hear the music in the headphones and we don't want to! Stop singing so loud!"
The more I write, the more foolish I feel. The more I write, the more I recognize that I'm the one that needs a reality check. Why don't more of us bounce off things while we're walking? Why don't more of us sing at the top of our lungs when we're listening to the music we love? Why don't more of us do flips on the trampoline? Okay, maybe that one is a little easier to explain...:).
Maybe it's unfortunate that we CAN sit still. What are we missing in this "life more abundant" because we don't do our own thing? I'm not talking about going out and having a knock-down, get drunk wild time - please receive all of this in the proper context. I'm talking about a spring in our step for what appears to be no reason at all! What IF everybody walked that way?!?! What IF everybody sang that loud?!?! What IF everybody laughed that hard?!?! What IF everybody danced in the dressing room?!?! (Remember that one?)
Jesus brought us LIFE! And He said He came that we might have it MORE ABUNDANTLY! The Word tells us "do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." (Rom. 12:2, NKJV). "The Message" says it like this: "So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."
So, skip a little - you go, Dad! Laugh until you cry. Dance in the dressing room and bounce off a wall the next time you're walking in the mall!! You'll get a few funny stares and glances, but those people are missing out on all the fun!!
Live this LIFE and live it MORE ABUNDANTLY!!!! We all thank you, William!!
Read Exodus 10.
Pharoah just didn't get it, did he? He wanted relief from the plagues, but he didn't want to give up his essentially free labor force! So, he gave a little inch by inch, all along the way pretending he was outwitting Moses, the Israelite nation and the Living God. Finally, God took the firstborn of every Egyptian household. Still, Pharoah only pretended to give up the fight. Even after releasing Moses - everybody and everything that went with him - Pharoah tried to chase them down and kill them. What part of "Let My people go" did he not understand?? Even Pharoah's constituency tried to convince him to give up, but his stubborness nearly destroyed a nation completely.
How different are we from good ole Thutmose III (likely the pharoah of the period during which this story unfolds)? We want to be released from the consequences of our sin and stubborness, so we often begin a journey filled with a series of messed up concessions. Our sin nature is hard to defeat on our own. Maybe we give up a few major sins in our lives and expect to receive the fullness of the God-Life. We continue to struggle and are perplexed! God doesn't do anything partial! You cannot be partially saved. You cannot be partially forgiven (Christ didn't almost die!!). God has given up everything and He expects the same from us. Paul said "to die is gain, to live is Christ."
Stop holding on to your habits, your feelings, your pain, your sickness, your disease, your hatred, your animosity. Turn it all over to the "Finisher" of your Faith. Don't go halfway to the altar of sacrifice for blessing!! Part of us is never acceptable. God needs all of you in order to give you all of Him. If you're struggling today wanting more of God in your life - more of the Spirit-Life you've been promised, then stop asking why God isn't giving you all of Him and begin understanding the ways in which you may be holding back part of you! You'll be amazed at the things you are holding on to tightly. And when you release them, you'll be amazed at what God can begin to fill the void with!
Give it up! Give Him your ALL!!
"But you'll welcome us with open arms
when we run for cover to you.
Let the party last all night!
Stand guard over our celebration.
You are famous, God, for welcoming God-seekers,
for decking us out in delight." (Psalm 5:11-12, MSG)
I don't sleep much. As a child, I didn't want to miss anything. Our lives were pretty simple, so I'm not sure what it was I was waiting up for, but I just liked being awake. As a teenager and college student, my being an insomniac wasn't such an uncommon thing. Everybody was up! I can tell you - we should have been sleeping - I would have made more classes, gotten better grades and graduated sooner had I been responsible in getting more sleep! Even now as an adult, I don't sleep much. I average about 4-5 hours every night. I still don't want to miss anything! I have also discovered that it is in someway comforting for me to be awake while my family is sleeping peacefully. It is a time that I can be awake and know that they are at peace. That they are comfortable and safe. I love hearing them breathe slowly and rhythmically during the night - and knowing they are at rest.
In his song, "Smellin' Coffee", Chris Rice wrote:
"Well I remember readin' You're the God who never sleeps
And while I've been dreamin' You've been singing over me, yeah
Singin' about my freedom, wakin' me up to hear Your song, and now I can't dance hard enough
'Cause yesterday is gone, gone, gone!"
Some of my most intimate communion experiences with the Father have been during those times during the middle of the night when I take time to worship Him - to thank Him for the peaceful rest He has provided for my family, for the miracles He has performed in our lives. He always shows up! He meets me in the slightest hours of the morning. He sings over us and He never sleeps!
Seek Him early. He's up!
Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him." (Acts 3:1-10 - NIV)
To say this is a great miracle story would certainly be an understatement. But there is a "passing" statement in here that really got me this morning. "He jumped up and began to walk."
Can you imagine how long this man had dreamed of walking? His entire life had been spent wishing he could walk. As a child, he watched other children running through wheat fields and gardens. As a young man, he watched while husbands and wives strolled together to the market or to the synagogue. Now as an older man, he observed thousands daily moving through the temple courts and the streets of Jerusalem. His entire life spent dreaming of one day being able to have the freedom to go where he wanted to go without being carried!
And the Power of God through the suffering of Christ made it happen in an instant. His dream became reality. Yours can too! You've been dreaming all your life about fulfilling your purpose the way you've seen others fulfill theirs. You long for the freedom to be what God intended you to be without having to depend upon some interim mission where you find yourself immobilized - unable to reach your destiny.
That same Power is available to you today. Your dreams in Him can become reality. If you reach out, seek His grace for your life and are willing to surrender your all to Him, He will blow you away with destiny and the fulfillment of all your wildest life's dreams!!
Another word that comes shortly after in Acts 3.....the healed man "hung on to Peter and John". I love that!! Once your dreams are realized, hang on to them with all your might!! The enemy will despise your contribution and your obedience, so prepare for battle!! I'll be praying for you!!
"So, my very dear friends, don't get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures." (James 1:17, MSG)
How do fire investigators determine how a fire started? They work back from the point where the fire is extinguished, following what they recognize to be the primary path and ultimately identifying the source of the blaze. They can determine the soruce of ignition, the flammable agent and the accelerator. Wow....
When folks look back on your life, will the "fire" be evident? Will they be able to look back from the point where your life ends and determine where it truly began? Along the way will they see that God was your Source of Ignition? Will they recognize Jesus as your Sustaining Agent? Will the power of the Holy Spirit in your life be noticeably explosive - impacting events, lives and nations in much greater ways than should be possible for one person?
Father, I pray today that we will become spiritual arsonists. May we set the world on fire for the Kingdom of God. May we burn brightly as You do. There is no shadow of turning with you. You brought us to life - I am Yours and You are mine. Amen.
Let me preface my thoughts today with an endorsement of sorts. I love the History Channel. It's a channel I can almost always turn to and find something that is interesting presented in an entertaining format that almost invariably is something I feel comfortable watching with my children. It's good, educational, family viewing. That stated, there have been a few occasions when I've been disappointed in the content. At any point when the content is in opposition to the Bible.....well....as you might suspect, I'm fairly well offended.
I'm not what the world calls a "closed-minded" individual. It doesn't have to be "my way or the highway" for me to satisfied. But when it comes to the integrity of The Word - I draw the line. Let me put that thought in proper context. I agree that scripture can have more than one meaning - I in no way am prepared to limit God to my understanding of words and how they can be combined or interpreted to influence or impact our emotions, our convictions, our decisions, our lives. However, I believe that any and all interpretations that contradict other scripture or that point to any other outcome than Christ crucified, risen and returning or that point to some deity other than Jehovah, The Living God as our ultimate and singular Creator, are empty and worthless.
So.....I'm flipping through channels and (Dr. Bryant, my famed Biblical Archeologist alter-ego) picks up on a documentary focused on the topic of Moses, the Egyptian plagues and the Red Sea crossing. Some scientists were trying to offer up some natural phenomena as the reason for the plagues and for the crossing of the Hebrew children on dry land in the midst of an ocean.
They said a natural chemical reaction in the water of the Euphrates could have changed the color of the river and killed all the fish in it. If all the fish were dead, the millions of frog eggs they would normally eat could instead develop into live frogs. The enormous frog population might not be supported with limited food source and they could die. Decomposing fish and frog bodies could bring gnats and flies. They said locust infestations were common. They said that any pandemic could have taken the lives of older or teenage children. They said that a 10 mph wind blowing for a sustained period of time over a certain point near a body of water (not at all determined to be where the Israelites crossed over dry land to escape from the Egyptian army) could cause the waters to recede to a point low enough that a person or people could walk across to the other side. (BTW - could is a weird word if you look at it long enough)
Maybe they are correct that those things could happen. It seems logical doesn't it? But logic is lost completely when you calculate th odds of those things happening in rapid successive order! What are the odds that all of these things might occur at the same or near the same time?? And it just happens to come immediately after Moses announces that they are going to happen IF Pharoah doesn't set his people free?? Come on!!!
Here's a joke that brings all of this into perspective for us:
One day a group of scientists got together and decided that man had come a long way and no longer needed God. So they picked one scientist to go and tell Him that they were done with Him.
The scientist walked up to God and said, "God, we've decided that we no longer need you. We're to the point that we can clone people and do many miraculous things, so why don't you just go on and get lost?"
God listened very patiently and kindly to the man. After the scientist was done talking, God said, "Very well, how about this? Let's say we have a man-making contest." To which the scientist replied, "Okay, great!"
But, God added, "Now, we're going to do this just like I did back in the old days with Adam."
The scientist said, "Sure, no problem" and bent down and grabbed himself a handful of dirt.
God looked at him and said, "No, no, no. You go get your own dirt." (www.basicjokes.com)
"The Lord's Spirit
has come to me,
because he has chosen me
to tell the good news
to the poor.
The Lord has sent me
to announce freedom
for prisoners,
to give sight to the blind,
to free everyone
who suffers." (Luke 4:18 - Contemporary English Version)
Addiction. That destructive recipe that begins with just a hint of deceit, squeezes in a morsel of escape, adds a pound of rationalization, and finally tops off with a heaping helping of both destruction and grief.
The spirit of addiction is the most difficult to break. It plays on our mental, our physcial and our emotional well being. Addiction is an endless cycle of action, remorse, temptation, action, remorse, temptation........it tears at the fiber of our relationships, our sense of self-worth and our potential. Addiction renders the human incapable of focusing on anything but the addicition itself - substance abuse, sexual promiscuity or perversion, gambling, etc. - these become the primary focus, the primary source of pleasure, and, ultimately for many, the pure reason for living. The end of the journey? Absolute and total destruction of a life meant to serve God and advance the Kingdom. After all, that's why we were created.
Luke recorded Jesus as saying, "The Lord has sent Me to announce freedom to the prisoners." There is hope for the addict! The chains of addiction can be broken by the One Who knew no sin. There is no valley so low that His Grace cannot reach us. There is no grave so deep that the power of His resurrection cannot raise us up. There is no addiction so strong that His Love and Mercy cannot overcome it! He has announced His victory over sickness, depression, poverty, captivity and the grave. Your battle is already won - all you need do is claim the prize of Grace for your life or for the life of the one you love who is struggling with something in their lives that has become more important than the truly important things in this life and the Life beyond.
Jesus "announced" that He had come to deliver us. We are now His hands, His Feet and His voice to a dark and dying world. Today, pray for those you know are struggling with addiction and take time to announce Freedom for the world to hear! Amen.
"Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger in the dirt. They kept at him, badgering him. He straightened up and said, "The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone." Bending down again, he wrote some more in the dirt." (John 8:6-8, MSG)
I love Jesus. It's that simple. I mean, even if He wasn't the Messiah, the Savior of the world, the One. He's just so cool, calm and collect. He's wise and patient and everyone wants to be around Him and be like Him. He is the ultimate trend-setter - the ultimate teacher - The Man!
We have no idea how many times the Pharisees tried to trip Him up, but we have sufficient accounts to know that they were constantly scheming and planning ways to try to cause Him to misspeak or do something contrary to the Law. Notice too, that they never did this in private. They were trying to nail Him (so to speak) publicly. They knew they needed witnesses to get a conviction. Ultimately, they even paid witnesses to cry out for His execution.
But Jesus......He always turned the tables on those guys. I never know the right thing to say and when to say it, but He humiliated "the robes" so many times! I can see Peter and James and John now - trying desperately to muffle their laughter as the Pharisees stand their with NOTHIN'.....foiled again!! I can see Judas, conflicted. He knows Jesus is right, but wants to appease the Pharisees, too. He wants to have it both ways. He laughs nervously and then stops abruptly when he gets a "look" from one of them. And Jesus, just keeps writing. So cool.
What was He writing? Only He and those Pharisees know. But whatever it was, it was enough to make them so uncomfortable in their own temple that they simply walk away and leave the teaching to Him. Maybe it was their sins - the ones no one could have known - unless of course, He was the Son of God. Maybe He was writing the names of their children - signifying that anyone can make mistakes and what would they do if this woman was their own flesh and blood - I do suspect there were some double standard acitvities going on in that day, don't you? What did He write? We will know someday, but for now we can only speculate.
I've been thinking - what would Jesus be writing about me in the dirt today? What would He be writing about you? What would He say to you and me if we approached Him today with some petty issue or complaint in our hearts? Can you imagine if He looked into our eyes and revealed to us who we really are and what we really look like? The pharisees would have done well to sit down and learn some more - but they walked away. Don't walk away. Stay for awhile near Jesus today. Ask Him to reveal the "real you". Listen to His wisdom, follow His direction in your life and be made fully whole - no longer fragmented, torn. Lay down judgemental attitudes. Lay down opinions, doctrines - the stones that have accumulated around us and become walls.
Free us, Lord. Amen.
Disclaimer: The views or opinions expressed here by Simple Simon Ministries or any other contributor to this information are absolutely and necessarily the views or opinions of Simple Simon Ministries or the contributor!!!
"So get yourselves together. Shape up!
You're a nation without a clue about what it wants.
Do it before you're blown away
like leaves in a windstorm,
Before God's Judgment-anger
sweeps down on you,
Before God's Judgment Day wrath
descends with full force." (Zephaniah 2:1-2, MSG)
I commit that these daily devotions will not become the SS version of GB...:) But just occasionally, I may find it too much to bear to not air my thoughts on some cultural or political story or person of interest. Today is just one of those occasions.
Rhonda shared with me last night that she had read on Fox News (for which I am seeking some support for an intervention with her...:)) that a firefighter in Pennsylvania had been suspended from his job without pay for refusing to move an American Flag decal from the front of his fire station locker. The policy enforced by the Chester Fire Commissioner, states that personal items can only adorn the interior of the employee's locker.
Interestingly, the policy has no real focus on the things you might first assume. It's not intended to maintain uniformity in the physical appearance of the fire fighters' dressing area. It's not designed to necessarily prevent a hostile work environment or protect the religious or political beliefs or ideologies of individual department employees. The commissioner told local media that the policy was "the simplest way to avoid bickering among the staff."
Chester is about 224 miles from Shanksville, PA. That's the location where United's terrorist hijacked Flight 93 crashed after terrorists were overtaken by passengers in order to save the lives of other Americans on the ground. Those passengers, fire fighters, other emergency response personnel, and American people just like you and me were the heroes of that day in September of 2001. In D.C., in New York City, around the country AND in Shanksville, PA.
I am glad that no representative or committee of the Colonial Congress felt like it might be too much of an infringement upon the rights, opinions or beliefs of others to create a new Flag, representative of a New Nation built upon the strongest of foundations - a belief in Almighty God and Liberty and the freedom to demonstrate that belief without the fear of punishment or ridicule or supsension without pay to avoid bickering!!!
What have we become? Zephaniah's message to Jerusalem in approximately 630 B.C. might as well have been written yesterday and the audience could have easily been the people of the United States of America.
"Get yourselves together. Shape up!
You're a nation without a clue about what it wants!!"
God, we pray that Your influence alone will reign supreme in our nation and our world. You are high above the Heavens. You are above all kingdoms - above all nations - above all of our wrong and deceitful ways. Give us wisdom and strength to stand in a world of chaos. Teach us to seize righteousness in the midst of evil and to hold on tight. We await Your arrival, Jesus! Until that day, we will bear witness to the cross and all the wonders You have performed in our lives. We are those trees planted by the Water. We will not be swayed. We will not be moved. Amen.
"Therefore I love Your commandments more than [resplendent] gold, yes, more than [perfectly] refined gold." (Psalm 119:127 - AMP)
$1,054/ounce. That's what gold bullion closed at on Friday. And the value is increasing rapidly. Some experts say it will reach $4,000 or higher in the next couple of years. For those of you who understand investment strategies - THAT is a margin opportunity!
(Sideroad: I often wonder why limestone isn't "precious". Why can't we just change things up and everyone would be wealthy. What's the line from the song? "If dirt were dollars, I wouldn't worry anymore." I supposed God knew that if something like limestone were considered a precious material, we'd chip away at the world, pound by pound, and eventually it would disappear down to the core.)
Everybody loves gold. We give it as gifts on special occasions. We meticulously measure its purity. The highest of athletic awards are formed in gold. Treasure hunters and archeologists spend their entire careers and lives searching for trunks of gold at the bottom of the sea or for some priceless artifact of fame in some cave or tomb in a distant part of the world. Our pursuit of gold is relentless and "Go For The Gold!" has become a common American household catch phrase.
Gold was valuable in the day of King David as well. The world's most renowned historians are still trying to translate writings to determine the wealth of David's son, Solomon and for hundreds of years the search for Solomon's mines has been a focus for those treasure seekers I mentioned and the inspiration for movie characters like Indiana Jones.
David, a king of great fame, power and wealth, had access to all the gold he could ever need, but still he recognized that faithfulness and obedience to God far outweighed the value of the most precious metal known to man in his day. Gold - for all its splendor - still is of little value when compared to the blessings and the mercies of God the Father.
With all of the things in life that the world deems "valuable" are we avoiding the distractions of earthly "treasures" and instead "building up treasures in Heaven"? Are we seeking the rarest of treasures - eternal life. Earthly gold will eventually cease to exist - the streets "like gold" that John describes in Revelation are eternal and "His Mercy endureth forever!"
No highest hill, no deepest sea
Could ever match the wondrous Grace
You offer me.
No star above, no wonder of the earth
Could ever write Your Words of wisdom
On my heart.
Amen.
The scripture on my heart this morning is 1 Peter, Chapter 1. There are 1 million devotional topics that could be gleaned here, but instead of trying to add to it, let's let The Word from Peter just speak for itself today. Let it become new to you like it did to me after reading it again - just like it was the first time I'd ever opened up The Bible! Thanks, Pete!!
"I, Peter, am an apostle on assignment by Jesus, the Messiah, writing to exiles scattered to the four winds. Not one is missing, not one forgotten. God the Father has his eye on each of you, and has determined by the work of the Spirit to keep you obedient through the sacrifice of Jesus. May everything good from God be yours!
The prophets who told us this was coming asked a lot of questions about this gift of life God was preparing. The Messiah's Spirit let them in on some of it—that the Messiah would experience suffering, followed by glory. They clamored to know who and when. All they were told was that they were serving you, you who by orders from heaven have now heard for yourselves—through the Holy Spirit—the Message of those prophecies fulfilled. Do you realize how fortunate you are? Angels would have given anything to be in on this!
Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ's sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. It's because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God.
Now that you've cleaned up your lives by following the truth, love one another as if your lives depended on it. Your new life is not like your old life. Your old birth came from mortal sperm; your new birth comes from God's living Word. Just think: a life conceived by God himself! That's why the prophet said,
The old life is a grass life,
its beauty as short-lived as wildflowers;
Grass dries up, flowers droop,
God's Word goes on and on forever.
This is the Word that conceived the new life in you." (1 Peter 1 - MSG)
Many of us spend our lives trying to have the latest, the greatest, the best. For some of us, it is simply to prove ourselves in a materialistic world--to prove our worth to others. If that's you, I urge you to think of the temporary nature of our time on Earth. The Bible calls that time a blink of an eye. When we stand before our Creator, what will He think about what we have accumulated on Earth? Will He be pleased that our clothes were name brand or that our car was luxury class? Of course not! Will some of us feel sorry that we spent so much time focusing on those things instead of on what was really important? Possibly.
Psalms 49:12 (NIV) says, "But man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish." While wealth is coveted here on Earth, and while the rich man often seems to prevail in a money-driven world, we all, regardless of wealth or social status, will stand before the same God to account for our actions. Will he be pleased that the pursuit of or the display of money did not drive your actions? Will he pleased that, instead, his instructions through a living Bible drove you to action? Will he be pleased that instead of trying to amass things in this temporal place you invested in the eternal?
Not scripture but nonetheless noteworthy, Don Henley said it like this in a popular song, "You spend your whole life just piling up there. You've got stacks and stacks and stacks. When Gabriel comes and taps you on the shoulder, you don't see no hearses with luggage racks." Although we can all probably quote a dozen more ways to say, "You can't take it with you," do we really live like we believe it? Do we really believe that what we can take with us into eternity are the accomplishments we have made for the Kingdom of our living God?
The last two lines of Anne Bradstreet's poem, "Upon the Burning of our House" form a couplet that reads, "The world no longer let me love. My hope and treasure lies above." Early in the poem she describes her horror as she watches her things disappear in flames. Then, she chastises herself for worrying about the loss of tangible items, because she quickly realizes their unimportance in light of the bigger picture. She expresses her belief that her true wealth abides in heaven, so what she has accumulated on Earth pales in comparison to those heavenly treasures. Where do your treasures abide?
Lord, forgive me for falling prey to the pressures of a materialistic world. Your Holy Word instructs us to be in the world but not of it. Give me the strength to overcome the tendency to try to impress people, and give me the unceasing passion to please You and to truly internalize the truth that Yours is the only opinion that truly matters. Amen.
"Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get," are the famous words of fictional character, Forrest Gump. We've heard it quoted, seen the t-shirts, and read the bumper stickers. While it is catchy, and while Forrest Gump has become a pop culture icon, those words don't exactly ring true for the believer. If you put your faith in a living God, you don't have to shoot blindly in the dark, hoping for the best.
The Bible says in I Samuel 2:6 (NIV): "He protectively cares for his faithful friends, step by step, but leaves the wicked to stumble in the dark. No one makes it in this life by sheer muscle!" What that means to me is that I don't have to choose any piece of chocolate in the box; God has already carefully chosen each of them for me! If I put my faith and trust in him, he will lead me, step by step or piece by piece, if you will.
God, help me to give it all to you, the author of my life story. I know that without you, I am lost, and my life is like a ship tossed about at sea. With you, I have direction and purpose. Give me the wisdom and the willingness to relinquish control so that my life is meaningful and purpose-driven and not like the wicked stumbling in the dark. Amen.
If you can, read 2 Samuel, Chapter 6 before you go any further.
I was in a hurry to get home. I had been traveling all week, Reid Elizabeth had just been released from the hospital, Trey had just finished a marching band competition out of town and I just wanted us to all be at home together for the first time in 8 days!! William had traveled "shotgun" with me to the band competition and I needed to exchange some jeans we had bought for him. We stopped at the shopping center and went in so he could try on some different sizes.
We check the exchange jeans at the Customer Service desk and move quickly toward the Kids' Jeans section of the store. We find a couple of different sizes and I send him to the fitting room to try them on. The fitting rooms have only partial doors. There is an approximately 12 inch gap at the bottom of the door - just wide enough for you to see the feet of the person in the fitting room. I'm looking for some other sizes when I happen to glance over to check on William's progress. His jogging suit pants and shoes are lying on the floor, but he isn't trying on the new jeans. He's dancing! There is an "oldies" song playing on the intercom system and he can't resist the urge to dance. He has no idea anyone can see his feet!
I stop what I am doing and just stand there laughing - crying. I watch his young feet moving to the beat of the music. I can tell he is watching himself in the mirror - thoroughly amusing himself. He is happy. I am happy. He is dancing - without a care in the world.
In 2 Samuel 6, David is dancing. He is dancing before God and before the the people of Israel. He is celebrating all that God has done in his life and his kingdom. He has had great victories over his enemies. He has known love. He has been chosen to serve the Living God. God has prospered him - spared his life on many occasions. He is in a covenant relationship with the Creator of the Universe. David had reason to dance! He didn't care what anyone thought of him for it either - not Michal (his wife and daughter of Saul), not the armies of Israel or the people. His dancing was "before the Lord". It was pure joy - laughter, singing - a celebration. And it was worship. It was David - happy beyond imagination - filled with the Spirit of God - dancing before the Lord with reckless abandon.
When is the last time you danced before the Lord? Maybe I should pose a different question for some....have you ever danced before the Lord? Has He done anything for you that is cause for celebration?? Of course He has!! Everything good in our lives comes from Him! He is worthy of our extravagant praise - our highest level of abandon!! We need to dance before the Lord - worshipping Him with that same reckless abandon with which David danced!! He has broken the shackles off of our feet! He has forgiven our many sins! We are free from the bondage of death and the grave! We have the promise of eternity with Him in PARADISE! DANCE, SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE LIVING GOD!!!! DANCE!!!!
"And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying: Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.'" (Joshua 4:1-3, NKJV)
Do you have a list of dream jobs? Professional Fisherman, Bakery Owner, Philanthropist, Writer, Stay-at-home Mother, Pro Athlete, Professional Musician, Missionary, College Professor, Field Tester for Outdoor Gear, Meteorologist, Model, Astronaut?
Me? First love - hands down - ministering with my family, but "jobs"? One of two things - Biblical Archeologist or Nursery/Landscape Center owner. For those of you that know me, the latter is no surprise. But Biblical Archeology?? Where did that come from? Well, I love uncovering layers of connection to our past as a culture and as a race. I have walked through freshly plowed farm fields near rivers and creeks and found knife and arrow points that could be up to 10,000 years old. A totally euphoric experience for me!! I immediately begin to think about the individual that touched that artifact "just before" I did. There is a connection established. He or she had no idea that I would find that piece of flint thousands of years later. What was on their mind? Who were they? Where did they come from? Were they a parent? Who were their friends? Who were their enemies? The whole concept is totaly fascinating to me.
The Biblical Archeology dream job stems from many of the same drivers. Combine the passion for past cultures with a heart for God and the prospect of uncovering artifacts that build up the Faith for the world and physically substantiate Biblical stories of the Patriarchs and the New Testament Church and you've got yourself a dream job!!
I've seen photos and read stories of potential Noah's Ark finds, chariot wheels at the bottom of the Red Sea at the site where the Children of Israel are believed to have crossed on dry land escaping death at the hands of the Egyptian army, pictures of the 12 stone altar Joshua and the tribal leaders laid after having crossed the Jordan on dry ground and the scorched top of Mt. Sinai where Moses received the Ten Commandments! What great physical evidence to support the Truth of the Word that you and I know in our hearts already! I get so excited! Can you tell?
Earth to Michael. What's my point? The Patriarchs - the Fathers and Mothers of our Faith that we read about in the Bible, left us a heritage. They built momuments to honor God and to demonstrate their recognition of His Awesome Power and Mighty Miracles. While these were physical structures, they play an important role in building up our faith. More important are the acts of faith that they performed. When things got tough, the tough turned to God for help. He stretched out His hand and delivered them. When victories were won and miracles occurred, they celebrated God's Mercy and His Faithfulness to the generations of their time and those to come.
What momumental faith will you and I leave behind for the generations that will come behind us? What acts of faith will they read about? What miracles that happen in our lives will be chronicled in order to build up their faith and sustain their trust in God through their victories and their losses? If the Lord's return is in 1,000 years or 10,000 years, what connection will someone make with you or me because they discover some record of our lives of faith and trust in God and His Son, Our Deliverer? Will our record leave no doubt as to how passionate we were in our pursuit of Righteousness? Will they see our "12 Stones"?
Let's commit together today to leave a legacy and a heritage of Faith that "neither rust nor moth" can destroy. Record the miracles that happen in your life. Keep an actual spiritual scrapbook! Give thanks to God for the wonders He performs in our lives. Build altars to commemorate His Great works in your life! And most importantly, pass on to your children and their children the importance of loving and serving God the Father and sharing the Good News of The Ultimate Sacrifice - His Son - Who died on the Cross for the forgiveness of the sins of all the world. Let's leave our mark. Let's make a difference. Amen!
"Our inner selves wait [earnestly] for the Lord; He is our Help and our Shield. For in Him does our heart rejoice, because we have trusted (relied on and been confident) in His holy name. Let Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us, in proportion to our waiting and hoping for You." (Psalm 33:20-22 - AMP)
David did some terrible things. So....why is it again that God labeled David "a man after God's own heart"??? Seems crazy, doesn't it? Maybe not so much.
You see, David recognized the complete source of his strength and his hope. He weathered some storms with that in mind, huh? In his youth - lions, tigers and bears (oh my....i couldn't resist). As a young man - Goliath. As a member of the king's court - assassination. As a king - war, lust, murder, grief and pain.
In all of life's trials and troubles (and they do come), David stayed his mind and his heart ultimately on God. David recognized God's unfailing love for His creation. You could say he took terrible advantage of God's grace and mercy, but only if you forget all the mistakes you and I have made. David was the weakest and strongest of men. He is representation of the human spirit in rare form - just like you and me. David made mistakes just like many kings before him, so what was different about him? The secret to David's success was no secret at all. He wrote volumes and volumes of publicly performed music that spoke of the unfailing Love and the great mercy of God the Father. His writings spoke of the awfulness of man and the greatness of God. He sang of his demise and God's rescuing arms. He wrote of victory in battle - both on and off the battlefield. He grieved and penned, "This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life." (Psalm 119:50 - NKJV)
Today, whatever mountain top or valley you traverse, whatever terrible and dark secrets your past (or present) may hold, there is hope. Stay your heart and mind on the Source of all strength - Your Deliverer, The Rock of Ages. While life gets at us and the world about us is in turmoil and full of confusion, remember that "there is no shadow of turning with Thee. Thou changest not, thy compassions they fail not, Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!!"
1989. That's the year the movie "Dead Poet Society" was released. It didn't recieve great reviews, but I loved it. It spoke to individualism, following your passions and I liked poetry - there was some of that in it, too. The movie ended tragically, with one of the main character students taking his own life as a last desperate attempt at convincing his father that he really is in control of his own destiny. As I remember, I wrote a poem that night. I really liked that movie.
The central driving theme was verbalized as Robin Williams, playing the part of an eccentric prep school literature professor, teaches his students about the meaning of the phrase from Horace's Odes Book I - "carpe diem". Translated - "sieze the day".
Horace lived in an interesting time. He died in 8 B.C., near the time of Christ and certainly during the period of Roman occupation of Judea. Paul, a Roman citizen born in 10 A.D., would have certainly read Greek poetry as a part of his education. Could Paul have been quoting Horace when he wrote the following instructions to the church at Ephesus? "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:15-16, NKJV). Paul's edict to the church here? Carpe diem! He is telling the Church - "Don't mess around letting grass grow under your feet. Be on the move for the Kingdom." The Message translation says, "make the most of every opportunity."
The secular world sure subscribes to this notion, huh? Buy low, sell high. Refinance now. Don't wait until they're gone! While supplies last. Offer good this weekend only! Hostile takeovers. Timely acquistions. Live Strong. Win now.
What if the Church, the Body of Christ today, were driven as hard to "make the most of every opportunity?" What if we were to really focus on preparing for Christ's return just like the bride focuses on preparing for the day she will be joined to the groom? No detail left unconsidered. No expense spared. Color coordinated, perfectly timed, places everyone....and music......
What if we really siezed the day? Can you imagine the impact we could have on the world in that "day"? What's stopping us? Pride, conformity, opinion, our reputation? Jesus warned us against allowing these things to interfere with the mission He gave us. "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." (John 15:18, NIV) We need to put aside what others think about us and move quickly toward concern for how pleased God is with our fulfillment of His purpose in our lives.
Today, commit to not let another single "Kingdom-idle" moment pass in your life. Show love to those around you. Reach out to those in need. Lay healing hands on the sick and speak life to the brokenhearted. Fan the flames of Holy Spirit fire. Look for any opening to talk to others about the love of Jesus and what it means to your life. Share the Good News that He is alive and is waiting to become Lord of all hearts - yes, even that one. Get up. Get out. Get going. Time's a'wastin'. Carpe diem! Sieze this day!
""This is to be your regular, daily Whole-Burnt-Offering before God, generation after generation, sacrificed at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. That's where I'll meet you; that's where I'll speak with you..." (Exodus 29:42 - MSG)
I can smell it as I write. The smoke of the campfires, breakfast cooking, the morning dew. I hear sheep and cattle bleeting and bellowing above the noise of children laughing as they return from the river with water skins overflowing for morning washing. I hear the ringing of the blacksmith's strike on the iron and the pounding of the carpenter's hammer - wood on wood. Babies crying, women chatting and men calling to one another, "!בוקר טוב"..."Mah Shlom'chem!" I see the ever-presence of God, The Father - Jehovah, Yahweh hovering over the millions of his chosen people who are beginning a brand new day in the wilderness - en route to the inheritance promised them through Father Abraham's Holy Covenant - a "land dripping with milk and honey."
As I move toward the temple tents, I hear singing. It is Aaron's voice, he is before the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, there is a sacrifical lamb waiting to fulfill his purpose. The smells are intense, boiled ram, olive oil, blood, wine, incense and freshly baked bread. Smoke fills the air and the presence of God is overwhleming - physical. Aaron's sons kneel before the throne. God's people are in perfect harmony with their God and God is visiting His people.
The morning and evening offerings, as described in Exodus 29, offer us some unique insight into a "day in the life" of Aaron and his sons, the Priests of the Tabernacle. The ritual is full of detail and discipline. It is a Holy time, intensely focused on Communion with the Father. It is where He promises to meet His people. It is where His people hear Him speak.
What is your morning ritual? Is it filled with worship, the sweet offering of prayer, praise and His Word becoming new in our hearts and minds, preparing us for the purpose ahead? Or is it screaming, "Hurry!!", "Are you done yet?", "Where are your shoes?", "Why don't you have your backpack?", or my favorite - "GET IN THE CAR!!!!"
I'm sure most of us would have to agree that the latter describes most of our mornings. The Bible encourages us - "Early will I seek Thee." Like the Isralelites, we need to begin our mornings in a place where God can "meet us and speak to us". Find time to be obedient and disciplined in the searching of His Word and His heart - His purpose for your life and direction for the day. Let the ssweet incense of your praise rise before His Throne. Let His presence fill the room and fill your life. Be still and know......
"Listen. What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled among the weeds and nothing came of it. Some fell on good earth and came up with a flourish, producing a harvest exceeding his wildest dreams." (Mark 4:3-8, MSG)
In the 21st Century King James Version, that last sentence reads like this: "And other fell on good ground; and it yielded fruit that sprang up and increased."
Good ground. What kind of ground were you planted in? What kind of environment did you grow up in? Fortunately, I don't have any war stories about that. I have been blessed. I grew up in a pastor's home where the concept of Christ's love was taught and demonstrated - where service to the Church and ministering to others was a part of the fiber of our lives.
Not everyone is so fortunate. What was your childhood environment like? Was it good ground or was it less than ideal? Maybe your home wasn't a Christian home. Maybe your parents divorced. Maybe a parent was taken away prematurely. Maybe you were an only child and relationships are challenging for you. Maybe you were abused, neglected or otherwise subjected to anything but good ground. Now what?
Interestingly, neither scenario guarantees a life filled with all good things - a life that "yields fruit that springs up and increases..." The foundation is different, but we are individuals with choices and sinful natures until we find the Lord and our purpose in Him. I was fortunate enough to fall on good ground, but I've made a lot of mistakes and taken alot of missteps. I knew right from wrong, but chose wrong at differenet times in my life.
Others fall on "not so good ground" and live lives full of success, wise choices and joy in the Lord. So what can we learn from that? Well, the ground we fall on can make a difference, but perhaps the most important thing in life is this - as individuals, what kind of ground do we become?
The power of Christ to change our lives is beyond my ability to express it. Generational curses can be broken - you can prepare better ground for your children than the environment or circumstances you may have been exposed or subjected to. Wounds can be healed - Jesus came to heal the sick and to bind up the brokenhearted. Forgiveness is possible - even in the most painful of experiences, grace abounds. You can become good ground, produce fruit and change the world - one seed at a time.
Lord, make us good ground! Amen!
"Listen. What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled among the weeds and nothing came of it. Some fell on good earth and came up with a flourish, producing a harvest exceeding his wildest dreams." (Mark 4:3-8, MSG)
I hate weeds. And I hate all the chemicals and compounds that claim they can get rid of them with any level of permanency for any length of time. My arch enemy - crabgrass. Last weekend, I spent over an hour dealing with one patch of crabgrass in my landscaping (talk about a root system...wait, that was yesterday...:)). Seriously, this stuff is tough to get rid of. You can cut it, pull it, spray it - and it just keeps coming back. Very frustrating. I hate weeds.
Life's garden is full of weeds. They can pop up anywhere - even in the most unlikely places. The weeds of life are the people, the addictions, the situations, the obsessions, the possessions and anything else that might keep us from fulfilling the beautiful plan God intends for our lives. These things overtake us. The job becomes more important than your family. That person begins to take more of your time and get more of your attention than your spouse. That addiction becomes your reason for getting out of the bed in the morning (or not). These are the things that can choke the life right out of us. They suck up all of our energy, our time and our ability to reason - to think clearly, rationally. Soon we find ourselves dying from lack of nourishment. We replace the truly important things in life with imposters - half truths. We are overcome and we eventually die, surrendering forever to the weeds the beautiful flower that could have been.
There is a remedy. Jesus, the Master Vinedresser knows alot about weeds. As a matter of fact, the Word tells us that He dealt with every possible weed you can encounter on this path we call life. And He won the ultimate vicotry in the midst of them. The combination of His love for us and our willingness to serve is a potent concoction! The ultimate form of weedkiller. If we will immerse ourselves in Him - through study of the Word, prayer and relationship - He will protect us from the ever-pressing threat of being overtaken by the weeds that spring up as we move through life.
Father, we pray that you will give us the wisdom, strength and courage to allow you to prune what needs to be pruned from our lives. Feel free to dig around us and remove those things that would distract us from the Truth in You. Pull up by the roots any situation or stuff that might threaten the abundant Life that is ours by Your design. Keep us from the weeds! Amen!
"Listen. What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled among the weeds and nothing came of it. Some fell on good earth and came up with a flourish, producing a harvest exceeding his wildest dreams." (Mark 4:3-8 - MSG)
Roots. Roots are important. Roots are multipurpose components in the life of a plant. They draw water. Without water, photosynthesis (the process by which plants create their own food) is impossible. Roots also hold the plant firmly in the ground and protect its position from the elements above - rain, heavy wind - those forces that might wash the plant away. Roots are important.
Jesus speaks the parable recorded above to a large crowd of people. He doesn't fully explain the meaning until later when he is alone with his disciples. One of the 12 asks Jesus what the parable means. He explains today's focus passage like this, "And some are like the seed that lands in the gravel. When they first hear the Word, they respond with great enthusiasm. But there is such shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it." (Mark 4:16-17 - MSG).
Jesus is talking to a group of people who will be responsible for carrying out the greatest discipling conquest that had been or ever would be carried out on Earth. Jesus knew the importance of discipleship - true, deep, knowledgeable, faithful, unconditional and unending commitment to the only cause worthy of such intense service and sacrifice.
Christianity is not something we do - it is something we become. How many times do we see individuals caught up in the emotion of the moment (during an alter call, following a tragic or traumatic event, etc.) make a desicion to follow Christ? When the emotion fades or the tragedy is forgotten, they return to their previous life and ways. All too often. If every convert in the history of the last 2000 years had put down deep roots, how different would the world be today? If you and I had deeper roots, how much more impact could we have on the world around us every day?
How do we hold on to that fire? It is possible and here are some ways to ensure our flame of enthusiasm and our desire for relationship with the Father are not extinguished:
Get some roots!
In Mark 4, Jesus tells a story to his newly called disciples and a huge crowd of people that have gathered to listen to him speak. We know it as the "Parable of the Sower".
Jesus said, "Listen. What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled among the weeds and nothing came of it. Some fell on good earth and came up with a flourish, producing a harvest exceeding his wildest dreams." (Mark 4:3-8 - MSG)
In the first planting scenario, we read that the seed scattered by the farmer lands on the road. What does the road represent? Life. Whether the road is meant to represent a specific phase in life (perhaps Jesus is speaking of youth here) or the whole of it - I believe it represents our journey. On life's path, there are many distractions that draw us away from fulfilling the purpose for which we have been created. Seed was created with a singular purpose - to perpetuate life. Like the seed, you and I were created with a singular purpose - relationship with God.
The lifecycle of the flowering seed is basically this: pollination, germination, seed formation (nourishment and growth occur here) and then fruit! That's the perfect plan! Unfortunately, not all seed gets to experience every stage depending upon the circumstances they encounter through their developmental stages. Sound familiar? God forms us, convicts us, makes His Word and His Spirit available to us to nurture us and He expects us to bear fruit!! Again, unfortunately, not all of us have that perfect run at life.
As human beings, we know that we are significantly impacted by the environment around us. The enemy is out there on the road "seeking whom he may devour" he and his companion group of fallen angels are about the business of eating us up before we can become the beautiful thing that God intends us to be. Popularity, wealth, power, knowledge, career, politics, sports, entertainment, education and a million other distractions would draw you and I away from relationship with our Creator. The list is seemingly impossible to overcome. Not all of them are horrific things in life. Many of them can be very beneficial when applied in appropriate proportion. But we tend to move to extremes. We allow these things to become our primary focus and we find our time, our energy and our lives gobbled up and rendered useless in our purpose. Oh, many people talk about making changes - simplifying, downsizing, spending more time with family, focusing more on the "important things in life", but most of us continue down life's path - waiting for the birds to finish us off. Who was it that said, "What a tragedy to come to the end of life realizing you have never really lived?"
Here's the good news - you and I aren't seeds! We are mobile! We can, with the help of the power of the Holy Spirit change our circumstances! We can overcome our past! You are not subject to being devoured. You belong to the Great Farmer!! It will not be easy. The song says, "breaking up is hard to do". Leaving all of our stuff - our things, our schedules, our bad habits - easier said than done. But it is possible if we will allow Him to move in us and through us. Paul said, "I die daily". I heard a story of a young man who made a pilgrimage to the home of Martin Luther. The young man knocked on the door and Luther himself opened it. The young man asked, "Is this were Martin Luther lives?", to which Luther replied, "No. He's dead. Christ lives here."
As seed in the hands of a loving and nurturing Father, you and I have the opportunity to overcome all of lifes fiery darts. In Him, we can bear fruit. We can become what He created us to be.
"But God told Samuel, "Looks aren't everything. Don't be impressed with his looks and stature. I've already eliminated him. God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7 - MSG)
I chased the sunset for nearly 3 hours last night. Beautiful. The flight encountered mostly clear weather, but there are always a few clouds to look down at as well. Sometimes more than others, but always a few.
I've flown in many different kinds of weather. Clear. Rain. Snow. Lightning - even more spectacular from above. Calm. Slight winds. Heavy winds. Blizzards. You name it, I've seen it from the air.
Here's one thing I've noticed. Regardless of the conditions on the ground or the appearance of the clouds from below, they always look the same from above. It doesn't matter if it is a terrible thunderstorm, the blizzard I flew over near the Rockies, or just some scattered clouds in the sky. The view from the ground can vary, but the tops of the clouds are always a beautiful, pillowy, clean and bright white illuminated by either the light of the sun or the moon. Always. From the earth, things can look pretty terrible, but from a position above the storm, the weather's always perfect.
I thank God that He is above the storms we encounter in life. While we look at people and situations with varied appearance and pass judgement or form opinions and perceptions, He sees the real inner beauty of the person and their potential. In our darkest hours, while we are sometimes weighted down with guilt, shame and depression - He is looking down from His position above and He sees His beautiful and beloved creation - shining in the Light of the Son.
Father, give us "tops of the clouds" perspective. Teach us, as you taught Samuel to see the inner most part of people and situations. Teach us to love unconditionally. Teach us to recognize the potential in others. Teach us to pursue Your plan for our lives and encourage others to chase after the same. Thank You for looking down on us with Love and compassion. Thank You for loving us in the storm and in the calm. You are God. You are positioned high above the heavens!!
Remember Mary, Lazarus' sister? Remember her annointing Jesus' feet with oil in her home in Bethany? What a great story!
Remember Martha? The Bible announces her as "Mary and her sister Martha."
Songs are written about Mary. We all wish we had been there to smell the fragrance of the oils in that room. We all admire Mary's worshipful attitude, her eagerness to learn more about the Kingdom of God and to hear Jesus speak of redemption and love and sacrifice.
In contrast, most of the things you hear about Martha point to the possibility that she was a party pooper (like the aliteration there?? :)). Remember, Martha complained when Mary sat at Jesus' feet the first time. She was busy trying to make dinner and Mary wasn't helping. She even tried to get Jesus to make Mary get up and get to work, but we know what His response to that was!
Martha was also the one that met Jesus as he entered Bethany after her brother Lazarus had died. She had sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was sick, but the Lord tarried and her brother had died as a result. She heard Jesus was coming into town and went straight for Him - mourners in tow, wailing, wearing sackcloth covered in ashes. Martha let Jesus have it with "both barrels". "If You'd have gotten here earlier, this wouldn't have happened. Where have You been?", Martha said. I can almost see Jesus, sheepishly awaiting the tongue lashing from the woman. He didn't move from that spot for awhile, so the encounter must have had a significant impact on Him.
But there's more. Martha finally gave up her rant and offered up her true heart's cry to Jesus. She said, "I know whatever You ask God, He will give You." (John 11:22 - MSG). Martha wasn't a party pooper. She was a straight shooter, that's for sure, but she was far more than that. There are some things you should know about Martha:
All of us have our calling and our role in the life of the Church. There is plenty of room in the Body of Christ for people like Mary, Lazarus and yes, even Martha. The Church needs worshippers and workers. You may be one or the other. You may be both. Regardless, don't be too quick to form your opinions regarding individual character of folks in your flock. Own the house! Work hard! Learn quickly when the Spirit is trying to teach you more about service and its importance in the advancement of the Kingdom!
Okay, let me preface today's thought with a confession. I am a terrible personal witness. If advancing the Kingdom depended upon my faithfulness and persistence in pursuing souls one on one, the world would die and spend eternity in hell. There. I confessed it.
There will be at least two types of responses from people who read this today (by the way, not just members have access - so I may not be talking to you!). First, there will be those that will readily identify with my confession, see it in their own lives and join me in working toward positive spiritual change in their lives. Secondly, there will be those folks who, at first glance, begin to process the advice they could give me on how I can become a better witness. I recognize the extreme value of both of those responses, and while I covet your prayers and your advice for my situation (sincerely), let's be careful to focus on our own pattern of personal witnessing today and start there. I hope all will receive that in the manner intended and come back tomorrow to read again!!
Whew! Okay, now....
Before you read the rest of this devotional, read the 8th Chapter of Acts.........
Do you feel like I did when I read that this morning? Now do you understand why I'm so down on myself for not being more aware of the people around me who need Jesus and for not being a bolder witness for Christ?? I'm comparing myself to some pretty amazing folks!!
Acts Chapter 8 comes in the wake of our reading of the story of Stephen's martyrdom. Saul unleashes hell on the New Church and the response of the apostles is to begin the first missions blitz in the history of the Church! Here's what this passage revealed in me:
Let's just take the last example for a minute (and I'm really beginning to love Philip!!). What would you and I do if one of our dear friends in our churches had just been killed for speaking of their faith to others? I know...I'd start a daggone revivial and when an angel came and told me to walk down to Times Square this afternoon and jump into the Ethipoian Ambassador's limousine motoracade, I'd just run along side and bang on the window, right? Are you kidding me? I'd be so well hidden, even an angel would have a tough time finding me!!
Now does my confession make sense? Believers, you and I have to do a couple of things and do them quickly:
Lord Jesus, I pray that the power of your awesome Holy Spirit will fill all who read these words today. Create in us an irresistable urge to share your Message of Hope with everyone we come into contact with. Strengthen our awareness of the needs around us all day every day and give us a boldness unmatched since the days of the Samaritan revival we read about this morning. Move in Your Church NOW, in Jesus' Name!! Amen
"There were some Greeks in town who had come up to worship at the Feast. They approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee: "Sir, we want to see Jesus. Can you help us?" (John 12:20-21 - MSG)
What else can we learn about witnessing from Philip?
Philip didn't go it alone!
John 12 goes on to read. "Philip went and told Andrew," (Verse 22). Philip included Andrew in his plan to take these converts into the presence of "Emmanuel". Do you think Philip may have been intimidated by the situation or just needed some help to fight through the crowd? Maybe, but more likely, Philip knew two hearts were better than one and he called on a friend to help out. Jesus' disciples knew there was strength in numbers and they had been trained accordingly. In the Gospel of Mark we read, "Jesus called the Twelve to him, and sent them out in pairs." (Mark 6:7 - MSG). Sure, they might have posted bigger "numbers" if they had all been sent out seperately, but as we minister there is priceless wisdom in ensuring appropriate levels of accountability and adequate prayer support. There is also immense value in simply having a spiritual partner whose knowledge and understanding we can lean on to compliment our own personalities and enhance our understanding of people and situations.
Are you plugged into a group of believers that can help you be a more effective witness? Are you accountable to your spouse, your pastor, your friends who have submitted to true Lordship in their lives? Are you drawing upon the knowledge and discernment of others in your church, your Christian community and your family as you seek to fulfill your part of the Great Commission? There is strength in numbers and value in the knowledge of those around you who love the Lord and are immersing themselves in His teachings and His Love for the world around us. Philip could depend on Andrew to help him. Who are you leaning on? Are others able to lean on you? Don't go it alone!
Lord, You said, "where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there." We need You! We pray that you will surround us with Spirit-filled "on fire" family and friends that have a passion for seeing the lost be found, the sick healed and the broken hearted gathered up. Let us also become the rock that others can lean on as they minister to a dark and dying world. Amen!
"There were some Greeks in town who had come up to worship at the Feast. They approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee: "Sir, we want to see Jesus. Can you help us?" (John 12:20-21 - MSG)
Yesterday, we developed some context around Philip's personal relationship with Jesus and how that can relate to you and me today as we move in the Spirit to bear witness of our faith in Christ to those around us in our daily lives. While Philip had a deep and personal relationship with Christ, there may have been more to their decision to approach Philip instead of any one of the many other disciples and followers near Jesus during that triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
Philip was approachable.
Though the speculation surrounding why they approached Philip may vary from scholar to scholar, one thing is for sure - this group of foreign proselytes felt comfortable asking a major courtesy of Philip. Allowing non Jewish folks to have contact with such a prominent (a gross understatement) figure as Jesus - a Rabbi and a teacher of teachers - would not really have been appropriate given the nature of the "event" occurring, and the Greeks knew that. Putting aside their political correctness, something about Philip made them believe he could get them near the Master. And they were right.
Are you approachable? Do you exude a Spirit of joy, peace and love drawing folks toward the Cross? Are people around you sometimes puzzled by your positive attitude? Does your demeanor drive their curiousity as to how you can remain so calm, cool, collect and available to talk with them or listen to their needs even in the midst of a chaotic day at the office? Can you take time away from your daily routine to answer your child's question about Jesus even though it may put you behind on the laundry or interrupt your favorite television program or newspaper reading? Do non-believers look at you and recognize anything "peculiar" about you - something different or special?
Jesus was approachable. The crowds pressed in. Zaccheus climbed down out of a tree to get close to him. He didn't keep office hours - Nicodemus came to him in the middle of the night to hear more about this being born again thing. Jesus didn't feel interrupted or bothered that the woman touched the hem of His garment - she was a part of His purpose that day. How are we responding to those "interruptions" that may be our purpose?
Father, cramp our style!! Make us approachable and ready "in season and out of season" as Your word prescribes, so that we may always be ready to share Your Love with a lost and dying world! Make us approachable! Amen!
"There were some Greeks in town who had come up to worship at the Feast. They approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee: "Sir, we want to see Jesus. Can you help us?" (John 12:20-21 - MSG)
The scene above takes place in the midst of a wild frenzy. Christ's deity is being revealed and recognized by an enormous crowd of people as he enters Jerusalem. The pharisees are bewildered and angry, the disciples are pushing back the throng surrounding the small burro Jesus was astride, and the noise level is deafening. As this scenario unfolds, some Greeks "who had come up to worship at the Feast" approach Philip in an attempt to get some face time with Jesus. Theologians aren't exactly sure why these Greek converts approach Philip. Some suggest they heard his name called - Philip is a Greek name. Others suggest it might have been the way he was dressed. Maybe it was as simple as Philip was closest to them in the midst of the crowd. Regardless, there are some important things to note about Philip that you and I can learn much from in the next few days.
Philip was a real smart guy!! We can learn much from his approach to witnessing.
Like Philip, you and I need to be sure that our relationship with Christ is rock solid. I've heard it said that people can smell insincerity from 1000 miles away. That's true. Lip service - a life full of words, but no appropriate action to back them up - is worthless to the mission of advancing the Kingdom of God here in this life. In your spirit, you know when someone is genuine and when they are "puffed up" and not being honest with your or even themselves.
As Christians, you and I need to be "prayed up" and ready at an instant - like Philip - to lead others to the Cross and to a saving knowledge of the Lord. Do folks recognize your servant's heart like the Greeks recognized that Philip was in the service of Jesus? Is your relationship with Him so evident in the things that you say and do that folks will want to seek your help in getting to know Him?
Seek the "Philip-type" relationship with Him today. Let those who you come into contact with today and in the future have no doubt Who you are in love with!!
Stay tuned for "Lessons from a guy named Philip (2)!!!
"When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it—she'd know everything!—she took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate." (Genesis 3:6 - MSG)
Eve really messed things up, huh? I mean, having babies hurts, we have to go through the hassle of picking out something to wear, I can't just eat off any tree (I have to own it or get permission - not to mention the trips to the grocery store that wouldn't have been necessary), we have to get a J.O.B., AND while MTV isn't interested in showing off my crib to their viewers, what if I lived in Eden with all those cool waters slides, hot tubs, etc.?!?!?! Dangit, Eve!!!
You know, Eve always seems to get the bad wrap in that she wasn't just disobedient to God - she convinced Adam to sin too. Think about the sequence of events here for a minute. Satan tempts Eve, she eats. Suddenly, she knows all this great stuff she didn't realize before and she just wants to share it with her companion. Not so hard to understand. And what about Adam? Suddenly, Eve comes to him with all these new ideas and her new understanding and encourages Adam to eat. She's not dead - just like the serpent promised. We scoff at these two, but if you consider the circumstances and the fact that they were, indeed, human, it's not so strange that they might be easily tempted.
You know the old saying - "the worst thing about being deceived is you're deceived." If the devil would just walk up and say, "Hey, Michael. I'm the devil. I'm evil. I'm anti-God. I want you to do something, but here are the advantages and disadvantages should you choose to do what I'm about to suggest." If he went on to list the benefits and then talk about the terrible consequences, we'd all likely make the choice to remain obedient to God, right? Too bad the devil doesn't work that way. He's sneaky. He's a liar and the master of all deceit. He's up to no good. He has a terrible end awaiting him and he doesn't want to go it alone. He doesn't fight by the rules and he doesn't play fair. He's just plain irritating and I hate him.
The Good News is that he has already been defeated. He was defeated from the beginning. The Word tells us that Christ was "slain from the foundation of the world." Remember that God didn't find himself in a mess in Genesis 3. Part of His love for us is demonstrated in that he doesn't force our obedience. He just wants us to love Him enough to, as I tell my children, "do the right thing." Simply because it's the right thing. If we could just fully give ourselves to that philosophy, the devil would have an allout fit - and I'd love to see him throw a tantrum over your obedience to Our Maker!! Tick the devil off today - do the right thing!!
Do you remember the 1980's Bonnie Tyler song, "I Need a Hero"? Let me remind you: "And he's gotta be strong, and he's gotta be fast, and he's gotta be fresh from the fight." That song reflects our society's need for the archetypal dragonslayer--the brave and selfless hero who rushes in to rescue his people from the enemy. We have evidence that Anglo Saxon bards, as early as the 5th century, sang of the fictitious Beowulf who didn't use a weapon against the murderous Grendel, because Grendel was weaponless. What about current "heroes" like Superman, Spiderman, and Batman? Why did the Anglo Saxons gather in their mead halls to listen to songs about Beowulf, and why do we rush to theaters to watch fictitious characters battle their on screen nemeses?
The heroes of any society reflect the values of that society. The Anglo Saxon culture of war demanded bravery and steadfastness because of an ever-present threat of invasion. Today, we have our own threats and enemies. Our fictional heroes, like Spiderman and Batman, provide a sense of hope that, despite present difficulties, there are those among us who are willing to selflessly stand in for us and to protect us from enemies. You know where I'm
going with this . . .
We don't have to place our trust in fictional heroes. We have the real thing! Christ did, in fact, stand in for us and selflessly save us from a real enemy. The Bible says in I Peter 5:8, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." Because of Christ's sacrifice, the battle is won! Our hero is truly victorious!
"He's gotta be sure, and it's gotta be soon, and he's gotta be larger than life," the song says. Sound like anyone you know? If not, I highly recommend a personal relationship with the greatest hero of all time!
I was driving along a very winding mountain road. It was daytime and I could clearly see cars driving behind me on the treacherous road. In my rearview mirror I caught a glimpse of a car veering dangerously over toward the edge. There was no guardrail - no abutmnet. As we entered a sharp curve, I glanced back to see the car plummett over the edge of a cliff seemingly thousands of feet above the valley floor. The car crashed and tumbled, turned end over end, flipped several times and then came to rest on a ledge still several hundred feet from the bottom. Much to my surprise the driver was still moving and seemed to be relatively unharmed, but I was frustrated that I could not reach them.
This is a bit of a different twist on the normal devotional track. I struggled this morning with the leadership to share this dream. It feels quirky, awkward and just plain uncomfortable, but if you're reading, know that this is absolutely a God thing that I am sharing this. Without the Spirit's urging, this is not something I would normally share.
What does it mean? Life's path is treacherous. Each of us is making his or her own way following the lines, the signs and the landscape in the best way we understand. Just like driving in the real world, we can take all the necessary precautions in our own approach, but we often have little control over those around us. In life, you and I and others can veer wildly from the course that God intends for our lives. We take chances, go faster and more wrecklessly than our spirits are designed. And the results can be catastrophic.
Today, you or someone you know may have gotten too close to the edge. They crash, they tumble. They are falling, end over end, falling helplessly toward the bottom of life's canyon. You want to help, but believe their condition may be beyond repair. You are frustrated today because you feel you cannot reach them.
The Spirit is saying don't give up. The situation is not too great for Him. With His help, you can rescue the dying, the diseased, the addicted and the broken hearted. No situation, no terrible incident, no unspeakable horror is too great for Him to correct. The work has already been done. Redemption has been completed. Our Rescuer has come.
I can remember my father preaching a sermon during which he quoted Alfred, Lord Tennyson as saying (roughly remembered). "My tailor is the only intelligent man around me. He measures me anew each time I buy a suit of clothing. All others are using the same measurements they've been using for years."
The past is a dangerous beast. Others will sometimes not be able to move beyond it, but as Christians, we must think, speak and act differently than the world. We have to move in the flow of Christ's Mercy and Forgiveness when dealing with 1) our own past and 2) we must overcome the temptation to continue holding on to the past mistakes of others, limiting our desire and opportunity to minister effectively to those around us.
In dealing with your own past, the Word tells us, "Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it!" (2 Cor. 5:17 - MSG). The Amplified Bible says it this way, "Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!" Relationship with Jesus changes everything. While it doesn't erase your past, His Blood wipes clean your spiritual "record". His Grace, The Word and seeking God for deliverance from your past is how you handle overcoming the pain and bitter memories often associated with those poor decisions we have made in our own "previous lives".
Dealing with our perception of others based upon their past should be a simple matter given all that we know you and I have in our "spiritual skeleton closet", right? Wrong. It is much easier and much more convenient to put our own past behind us! We forgive ourselves pretty quickly as a general rule! We are much less adept at covering the past mistakes of others as prescribed above - especially when those poor decisions had an impact on yours truly! What does the word prescribe here?
"Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you." (Colossians 3:13 MSG).
We must remember that the same Jesus Who bore our sins bore the sins of those around us and the same power of forgiveness is available to them! Jesus died for you, but not just you. His death on the cross was a "whosoever" sacrifice. We must forgive or the Word goes on to tell us we can't be forgiven.
Think you can't live up to that? You're right. Our "physical man" is not capable of forgiveness in and of itself. The same Power that rescues from our own past gives us the Power to forgive others. If we have the mind of Christ, we cannot and will not condemn others, regardless of the terrible nature of the offense. We must pass on His Grace freely - yes, even when someone has done something terrible to us.
Lord, grant us the understanding of the depth and width of Your Streams of Mercy! Heal our self-inflicted wounds and the wounds caused by others. Give us the strength to allow those situations, those harsh words, those terrible acts of unkindness to be drenched in the Blood of Jesus. May we become Love - a new creation - not like the world understands new - but reengineered, changed and forever Yours. Amen!
"Jesus provided far more God-revealing signs than are written down in this book. These are written down so you will believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and in the act of believing, have real and eternal life in the way he personally revealed it." (John 20:31 - MSG)
The disciple wrote that if all the works and words that Christ did and said were written down, "the world itself could not contain the volumes." John tells us that these things he did write are to serve as a testimony to the divinity of Jesus - "so you will believe".
What does the "Gospel of (insert your name)" tell us about what Jesus has done or is still doing today in your life? Your faith, your spiritual victories , your healing, your deliverance (from drugs or alcohol, from spiritual bondage, from pride, from some sinful or abusive relationships), your career or your ministry - whatever it is that you need to share with others today and for those who come after you. Are you sharing the wonders of this Life you've been given?!?!?
Before He ascended, Jesus gave us the following instructions: "you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8 - NIV). You and I have the awesome responsibility to establish the heritage of Faith for the generations that will come behind us. As the Holy Spirit gives us strength, wisdom and encouragement, so to will He give us the words to speak and the knowledge to share Christ with the dying world around us.
We are the "great cloud of witnesses" the writer to the Hebrews speaks of. Let us not fail in our service to the King of the Ages!!
"He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—He is supreme in the end. From beginning to end He's there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is He, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in Him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of His death, His blood that poured down from the cross. (Colossians 1:18-20-MSG)
If there's any doubt for you as to whether or not Christ should be the highest priority in your life, please re-read the above passage!! He wants to be first. He deserves to be first. We are commanded to make Him first.
John MacArthur said, "He is the Star of astronomy, the Rock of geology, the Lion and the lamb of zoology, the Harmonizer of all discords and the Healer of all diseases.
Great men have come and gone, yet He lives on. Herod could not kill Him: Satan could not seduce Him: death could not destroy Him: the grave could not hold Him."
What an amazing Savior we serve! His very being demands preeminence in our lives, our situations and our struggles. He deserves first recognition for everything good that happens in our lives. The Word says that "all good things come from the Father of Lights with Whom there is no shadow of turning."
Put Him first in your life today. Focus on making every thought, every word and every action count for His Kingdom as you go through your routine today. The result will be anything but routine! You will change the world forever in Jesus' Name! Amen!
"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16 - KJV)
The Message puts it this way: "The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with." I love that!
I wouldn't really even have to write much, would I? There are no massive revelations that come to mind immediately about this verse. What I know is that I was awake several times during the night last night and prayer was on my mind. God revealed this scripture to me encouraging me to share it with you today.
Two things seemed to be required in order for you and I to have an effective prayer life. Are you ready for this?
Deep stuff, huh? No. God hasn't put together a communication plan that is complicated and He hasn't set the bar at an impossible level for your prayers to qualify for an answer. All He asks is that we follow these 2 simple instructions. (Simple instructions are good - I just put together a trampoline earlier in the week. If prayer were designed similarly, I think I might have given up on a powerful prayer life a long time ago!!)
Living right with God won't mean you do everything perfectly. Now, this is not the bumper sticker rule. You know the one - "Christians aren't perfect, they're just forgiven." I hate that! I feel as though non-believers look at that as some license to sin for folks professing Christianity. No, we aren't perfect, but we should be striving to be like Christ daily and He was.
Living right with God is about relationship. Walking side by side with His Holy Spirit guiding and directing your thoughts, words and actions. If we "abide in Him and He abides in us" how can we go wrong? Alone, you and I are in big trouble, but led by His Spirit we are an amazing force for righteousness!
Finally, Just Do It!! (Yeah, there's some trademarked stuff here...:)) Seriously - PRAY!! Set a time each day when you know you won't be interrupted - first thing after you wake up, during your commute (recommend the "open eye" method on that one), during your lunch break, but make it consistent and make sure you can be as free from interruption as possible.
To keep your prayer organized you can follow the 4 steps of the Prayer of Jabez or some other model. Sometimes I follow this simple model someone shared with me years ago:
Prayer changes everything. Be faithful in your prayer life. He is faithful to hear and answer. The only prayer He does not respond to is the one never prayed!
"He was pierced for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him,
and by His wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5 - TM)
Helen Keller wrote, "I do not want the peace that passeth understanding. I want the understanding which bringeth peace."
What Helen didn't realize is that these things are one in the same. You see the only way peace can even be defined is in relation to the Prince of Peace, Jesus. For without Him, peace does not exist. No Jesus - no peace - it's that simple. His suffering made possible our physical healing. His sacrifice on the Cross paid our sin debt. And "the punishment that brought us PEACE was upon Him."
When trouble comes - and it will - hear Our Lord speaking these words to you: "In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I've conquered the world." (John 16:33 - TM). He recognized the "godless" world for what it is. We should too! We will never be content here without truly making Christ Lord over our families, our jobs, our ministry (yes, we all have a role to play - a spiritual destiny to fill - a legacy to establish), our churches (pastors, elders, deacons, staff members, you need to be led before you can lead)and our situations. There is a peace that passes understanding, but you must know The Source of that peace in order to receive it!
Father, I pray Your peace upon all who read this today. I pray that they might have the inner peace that only comes through relationship with You. Jesus, Your sacrifice defeated anger, wrath, turmoil, stress and strife and we are no longer bound by a spirit of restlessness, but by Your Spirit of Peace. We claim that peace for our lives right now, In Jesus' Name! Amen.
Yesterday, we talked about Christ's suffering and the physical healing that was made possible. But Isaiah's prophecy promises much more than just physical healing.
"He was pierced for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him,
and by His wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5 - TM)
When Jesus gave His life freely for us on the Cross, He did prevail against the battle of physical attacks that satan wages against our earthly bodies. But most importantly, He conquered the power of sin and its eternal condemning impact on us as sojourners here on earth!! From the moment Adam and Eve failed to follow God's plan for them, sin was born and physical death became an eventual final reality for all mankind. The word teaches us that "the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." That gift could have only been made possible by the ultimate act of sacrifice. The sin nature that was set into motion in Genesis was stopped dead in its tracks at the moment Christ proclaimed, "It is finished!"
He bore our punishment. He became the substitute for the terrible and eternal death you and I deserve. Why? Because He loved us. While we may strive to study and understand, I am convinced that we will never be able to truly grasp the depth, breadth, height and width of that Love until we can look into His eyes and see Love personified. Oh, what Love!! Oh, what a Savior!!
Jesus, thank You! Thank You for bearing our sin weight. Thank you for being readily willing to be abandoned by Your Father that we might never be lost. Thank you for shedding Your precious Blood so that we might drink freely from that "Fountain filled with blood." Thank you for Your righteousness that made possible the ultimate sacrifice - the Spotless Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world!! All highest praise, honor and glory belong to You alone!! Amen!!
God's plan is amazing!! He does nothing small! There are no partial plans with our God. This could not be more effectively demonstrated than through His Name - Jehovah-Rapha (God, Our Healer).
In Isaiah, we read: "He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)
"And by His stripes we are healed..." Clearly, Christ's suffering made possible our physical healing. How awesome to understand that He bore the pain and suffering that we would be helpless against in order to be able to offer us supernatural physical healing.
Don't believe it? When Bartimaeus, "The Beggar Formerly Known as Blind" :) reported his healing to the Pharisees, they had to determine if it was really him. Then when they tried to explain it away, Bartimaeus simply told them, "Look, I don't know exactly what happened, and frankly, I don't care. What I do know is that I was blind, but now I can see." (Bryant Paraphrased Edition). I can't tell you exactly how it happened, but our 9 year old son wasn't supposed to live to be 9 days old. My mother, now looking healthier than she has in years, should have died from her aggressive advanced-stage cancer. That deaf lady we prayed for during a service a few years ago should have never been able to hear the whisper from across the room after we finished claiming her hearing in Jesus' Name!! I believe it! He paid the price for our physical healing and that flow is available for you and me today just like it was when Jesus was with us physically on Earth.
But Jehovah-Rapha means more than just physcial healing. In the next two days, we will cover the other meanings of this Name and how Isaiah's three-fold healing prophecy can change our lives!
Father, thank You for giving us the gift of Your Son making possible our physical healing during our life here on earth. We recognize the amazing power of His sacrifice and we claim healing for those who are afflicted in Jesus' Name. Jesus, thank You!! Your torn body makes it possible for ours to be whole! Hosanna to the King!!
As he grew older, my paternal grandfather became a man of fewer and fewer words. My grandmother made up for his decrease in conversation! She could talk for hours either in person or on the phone while my grandfather just sat quietly, observing, watching old westerns on television or tinkering in his tool shed.
More often than not, when "Grampa" did say something, it was hilarious! He had a keen sense of humor and sly grin that stayed with him right up until his death many years ago. I distinctly remember his hat bearing the words "Older Than Dirt" and the funny stories he would tell about his courtship with my grandmother. I also remember that he kept a picture he would show to folks indicating his "Pride and Joy". You may have seen those. It was not a picture of my grandmother or his children or grandchildren. It was a picture of a box of "Pride" detergent and "Joy" dishsoap! He thought that was so funny! He would laugh sheepishly after reeling someone in on that one.
He did keep actual pictures of family in his wallet and he and my grandmother were so very proud of all of us. They always bragged on us to everyone. When you were around them they made you feel like the most talented, most special person on the face of the earth. They were our biggest fans! I always felt like a million bucks when I was with them!
We do the same thing. All of us like to brag on our children or our family members. We love them and it's okay to take pride in the accomplishments and talents or skills of those you love. I love to share pictures of my kids, my wife and the memories we are creating.
Today, I wonder what our spiritual photo albums look like? Paul boasted regarding the church at Thessalonica when he said, "Who do you think we're going to be proud of when our Master Jesus appears if it's not you? You're our pride and joy!" (I Thessalonians 2:20 - TM). Paul was proud of his converts and this righteous pride was part of what drove him to carry the Message of the Cross to the ends of the earth and to eventually give his life as a martyr for the cause of Christ.
I often think of the Day of Judgement as a series of Powerpoint slides. When they cue mine up, what will it show? How many slides will contain pictures of the faces of those I shared The Good News with? How many slides will demonstrate my contribution to missions and the local church? How many slides will show me committing acts of love? Will I be able to stand and say, "these are my pride and joy"? Or will I be ashamed at how little content there is? Will I be embarrassed and disappointed that my contribution has not been significant? What about you? Will that moment be one of "pride and joy" for you? What will you have to show? What will you have done with this Life God has given us?
My prayer for all of us is that our reflection upon our lives will be rich with significant work completed for the Kingdom of God. I pray that we will see thousands of images of faces that were changed forever by our service to the King of Kings. We are His feet. We are His hands. We are His pride and joy.
Most of you are probably very familiar with the story in Genesis where God asks Abraham to make the ultimate sacrifice - his son Isaac. For many years, Abraham and Sarah had tried unsuccessfully to have a child. Sarah was barren. Abraham wanted an heir so badly that he even fathered Ishmael with Sarah's Egyptian servant, Hagar. Ishamel, however, was not the offspring of the patriarch with whom God intended to grant the blessings of covenant.
God visited Abraham and told him that, within the year, Sarah would become pregnant and bear him a son. Neither Abraham (100 years old at the time) or Sarah (90 years old) were easily convinced that this pregnancy would actually develop, but it did!! And they named the child Isaac as they had been instructed by the Lord.
A few chapters later, begins a journey that disturbed me a little bit when I was younger (I used to pray God wouldn't test my parents like that!!!). God instructs Abraham to take Isaac to the top of Mount Moriah and offer him there as a sacrifice - a burnt offering - to God. Here's the part that's hard to understand. Abraham had questioned some things God had directed up to this point. He had a hard time believing god for Isaac and he objected when God wanted to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. But when the Lord asks Abraham to sacrifice his covenant heir, it is only recorded that Abraham got up early the next morning and said, "let's do this thing." he even made Isaac carry the wood up the mountain!! (As a kid, I always knew I wouldn't fall for that old trick!!) And REMEMBER - ABRAHAM DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS A TEST!!!
They get to the top, Abraham builds an altar, straps Isaac to it and raises the knife, but the Lord steps in and holds his hand from finishing the gruesome ceremony. And has Abraham had promised Isaac when he inquired about the sacrifice, God did, indeed, provide a lamb.
Why did the Lord spare Isaac? Because Abraham passed the test! What was the test? To determine if Abraham feared the Lord enough to be willing to give up his only son. Because he did not withhold Isaac, Abraham not only the ram tangled in the thorns, he received the full covenant blessing from God and for the nation that would become mighty Israel. And Abraham called the place "Jehovah Jireh" meaning the Lord will provide.
What about you? Could you pass the same test? Let's not just focus on sacrificing a child. What would you give up in order to receive covenant blessing from God Our Maker? His Word teaches us that "to live is Christ and to die is gain." God wants to be our Jehovah Jireh. He wants to be able to bless us so immensely. But like the story of the monkey and the cookie jar, there may be things we need to let go of to be released into covenant blessing.
Search the heart of God today. Seek His direction in what things you might be withholding today. Release those and get ready for Jehovah Jireh to open the portals or Heaven and our out His Goodness on your life!
To say that life provides challenges is an understatement. I often wonder how the non-believer deals with life's challenges, because it is my faith that carries me through tough times. It is knowing that Christ suffered before me and that earthly suffering is temporary, because of His promise of eternity, that gets me through tough times.
When my mother was first diagnosed with Pick's Disease (an Alzheimer's-like disease) five years ago, I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. I didn't think I could stand helplessly and watch her being systematically stolen from me. I would, on a regular basis, cry until
my whole body ached. I just didn't want to accept it. In my mind, I knew God was in control, but my heart broke over and over again. I think I might still be in that place, broken-hearted, if it weren't for Michael who reminded me that what happens here on Earth is so temporary in relation to eternity. She will be whole again in Heaven, and I will get to rejoice and praise
God with her. Although she doesn't speak anymore, I know that when we get to Heaven, she'll be shouting to the Lord!
If you're walking through something difficult, remind yourself that in the scope of time and life, our time on Earth is so short in comparison to eternity; it is like the blinking of an eye. Remember, too, that God is in control. He is by your side, waiting for you to rest in Him.
Although life provides challenges, God provides solutions (another understatement). His grace is sufficient!
"As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God." (Psalm 42:1 - Today's NIV)
I used to pride myself in the fact that our dog, a Bassett Hound named "Elvis", was not like other dogs. He didn't eat table scraps - only dog food. Not just any dog food either. The food had to be a certain percentage digestable before I would buy it. Every year, on his birthday, August 28th, we would get him a "Happy Meal" from McDonald's - fries and a plain cheeseburger. That was the extent of his non-dog designed fare.
As he has gotten older, we have relaxed our regimen "some". He now gets a regular morning treat of three or four hot dogs. We started with dog biscuits, then we moved to those fake bacon strips and we finally broke down and went to full blown hot dogs made from various parts of animals that can't be used for anything else worthwhile. We're over the health kick for Elvis - and he is happier than he has ever been!
You might imagine how excited Elvis gets every morning just before "hot dog time". After we let him out each morning, he stands at the door and whines incessantly until someone brings those hot dogs to him. When he sees you coming, the tail begins to wag the dog! He is overcome with the anticipation of what he is about to recieve.
The Psalmist demonstrates that same kind of anticipation when he compares his thirst after God to the deer that is panting after water. As Believers, you and I should have a strong natural desire to be nurtured daily from the storehouse of God - His Word, the Bible.
Maybe you already have this strong desire. Maybe your day can't really begin or is already not complete until you've opened up your Bible, your devotional booklet or this website and spent time feeding your hunger and quenching your thirst for The Word. Or maybe, just maybe, you haven't taken the time to feed your soul in awhile.
I know if Elvis didn't show up at the back door every morning looking for his daily dose of "tripe" (look it up - yuck), I would wonder what had happened and become concerned about him. Our Heavenly Father wants us to pursue Him desperately. He wants us to live our lives in anticipation of the next portion from His Word that will feed our souls, give us direction and keep us on the track of destiny he has designed for our lives. And what He provides is anything but junk! It is the most nutritional thing we can ever imagine feeding our souls!
Beware spiritual anemia! Feed upon the Word of God with a passion and be filled today!
Peace to you all!
Heart-wrenching. There is a children’s hospital fundraising program that I came across last night while surfing through television channels. Part of the presentation and plea for support includes some testimonial from parents whose children have been treated by this hospital for diseases like cancer and other serious and/or terminal conditions requiring in-patient types of care.
One father speaks about his two-year-old son and asks the interviewer, “How do you thank someone for giving you time.” The hospital was able to prolong the son’s life for 6 months before the cancer overtook him and he passed away.
A mother spoke about her daughter and her bone marrow transplant. The transplant was the daughter’s only hope of survival having exhausted all other treatment regimens for her Leukemia. Fortunately, the girl’s older brother was a bone marrow donation candidate - a perfect match. The program showed the brother being wheeled into the lab for the withdrawal of his marrow, then transitioned to an image of the doctors pulling the bag of marrow out of a cooler to connect it to the girls body. I couldn’t help but notice how careful the doctors were being with this precious substance. It was the girl’s only hope of survival.
Jesus said, “My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. By eating my flesh and drinking my blood you enter into me and I into you. In the same way that the fully alive Father sent me here and I live because of him, so the one who makes a meal of me lives because of me." (John 6:57 - TM).
"What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the Blood of Jesus! What can make me whole again? Nothing but the Blood of Jesus! Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow! No other fount I know - nothing but the Blood of Jesus!"
You and I must recognize that Christ's precious shed Blood is our only chance for survival. We must bathe ourselves in this "Fountain filled with Blood, drawn from Emanuel's veins." More importantly, we must share the good news with others that Jesus SAVES!!! It is their only hope and we are the only messengers. If we do not tell them, who will? We know The Perfect Match! We know the Secret to eternal life! We cannot and must not keep Him to ourselves!
Oh, Lord, thank You for laying down Your Life and calling us friends. We thank You for Your Blood, the Blood of the Spotless Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world. You are our Redeemer. You have purchased us for a price - Your Blood. We receive the transfusion of Your Blood into our veins and claim the royal status You have bestowed upon us - sons and daughters of The King of Kings. You alone are Worthy. You alone are Holy. To You alone is all Glory, Honor and Praise given. Amen and amen!
"Jonathan repeated his pledge of love and friendship for David. He loved David more than his own soul!" (1 Samuel 20:17 - TM)
When Jesus talked to his disciples about friendship He called them "deep spirited friends". Jesus was an expert storyteller and being from the lineage of David, undoubtedly He knew the story of David and his deep spirited friendship with Jonathan, son of Saul, very well. King Saul and David, interestingly, were friends first. David came to the aide of Saul when he slayed Goliath and paved the way for Saul's Israelite army to defeat the Philistines at Kidron. Saul awarded David generously and gave him a seat at the King's table. In Saul's darkest moments as King, it was the sound of David's masterful harp playing that soothed his tormented soul. They were close friends. Yet when Saul became jealous over the divinely appointed exploits of David in battle and David's popularity with the people (exceeding that of Saul's), Saul set out to kill David. You know the saying, "with friends like that, who needs enemies!!!"
Saul miscalculated one thing. His own son, Jonathan, had discovered something about deep spirited friendship that Saul apparently never understood. Jonathan and David loved each other as brothers. They had a convenant relationship. True convenant relationships like deep friendship commitments, marriage and spiritual bonds don't come weighed down with the baggage of non-covenant relationships like abuse, abandonment, estrangement, defamation and MURDER!! Godly friendships and relationships aren't based in unrealisitc expectations nor do they operate with sets of unfair comparisons or unreasonable requirements. These covenant relationships are deeply rooted in what Jesus proclaimed as the greatest of the commandments - "Love your neighbor as you love yourself."
Today, I encourage you to take an inventory of your relationships. Are they covenant in nature? Are your friendships focused on serving others? Would you be willing to "lay down your life" for your friends?
Jesus called you and me His friends. How is that covenant relationship going for you? Are you serving Him, loving Him more than you love your own soul like Jonathan did David?
Lord. give us deep spirited friends. Help us to love deeply and passionately. Develop within us the Agape love that only you can bring into the hearts of man. We commit our lives to you and make you Lord. In Jesus' Name - Amen.
The boys and their cousin Jordan wanted to camp out in the backyard last night. We set up the tent, built a fire, got the flashlights all charged up and they were set. Oh yeah, we also had to hook up an extension cord so they could take the portable television into the tent and watch a movie before going to sleep.....really roughin' it, they were...:)
Rhonda, Reid Elizabeth and I joined them for awhile around the fire. The boys roasted hot dogs, burned up a few marshmallows and laughed about some of the disgusting bodily functions guys usually laugh about around the campfire (that was mostly after their mother had gone inside). All in all it was a great experience. A couple of pictures are attached here for those of you who want to see the "I Survived The Backyard" proof.
Here's the catch....I got absolutely no sleep at all. I stayed out by the fire waiting for it to burn down for awhile and then finally came inside. While the boys were, comfy, warm and sleeping like logs, I was up most of the night checking on them multiple times. Call it crazy. I know the backyard isn't some terrible, desolate wilderness, but I couldn't help it. I just had to know that they were okay. I know that many of you would do the same thing.
Chris Rice wrote a song once with a line that said, "While I was dreaming You were singing over me." Our Heavenly Father watches over us much the same way I was watching over the boys during the night. He dispatches angels to watch over us and protect us. His Spirit presence is much more critical to us because you and I are in an isolated, foreign and inhospitable land. We are far away from Home and we need the protection and the guidance that only Jehovah God can provide.
His Word says, "God is bedrock under my feet, the castle in which I live, my rescuing knight. My God—the high crag where I run for dear life, hiding behind the boulders, safe in the granite hideout; My mountaintop refuge, He saves me from ruthless men." (2 Samuel 22:3 - TM)
Thank You, Father for keeping watch over us continually. Thank You for Your protection. You are are Refuge. You are our Strength. You are our everything! Amen!
As a child, I can remember sitting in the car with my father while my mother ran into the grocery store to “pick up a few things“. It was always going to be “just a minute“. I think it was such an amazing opportunity for her to get some “alone” time. That’s why it felt like minutes became hours! Well…I don’t blame her. She deserved the peace, quiet and tranquility that only the supermarket can bring….:)
One of the highlights of those times in the car were the magic tricks…..er…..trick that my father would perform for my siblings and me. Amazingly, there was always a gum wrapper in the car (particularly strange now that I think about it). My dad would take that gum wrapper, wad it up into a little ball and with one quick move of the hands, it was gone. We would all then begin to climb all over the HUGE interior of some of those old 60’s and 70’s model cars we owned - the ‘72 Green Plymouth was my favorite - as we searched for that little wad of paper and foil. We would never find it, of course, and when we would finally give up, with just one more swift motion of the hand, he would reveal that it had magically moved from his hands to a spot over the visor or in the glove box. I was always amazed. I can remember being slightly disappointed when I found out his secret. Imagine that - TWO gum wrappers! There was also that bit about, “okay, close your eyes and watch this“…(wow, was I naïve!!). I wanted the illusion to continue - but we had discovered the “trick” and the mystery was gone.
I’ll never forget the first magic set I got. I was 7 or 8 years old and it came with EVERYTHING! A deck of cards, a disappearing coin trick, a couple of mysterious rope lengths, the always necessary black handkerchief, the black wand with the white tips on each end and a comprehensive guide guaranteed to help me become the world’s next greatest magician. I mean it was NICE! And I wore that magic set out. I loved it.
I’m still fascinated with magicians. How cool is it that David Copperfield can make an elephant or an airplane or the Statue of Liberty vanish into thin air?!?! What about Criss Angel and his amazing levitation demonstrations? How is that possible? Have you seen David Blaine and his mind-blowing street magic? He doesn’t just get the card right. The card with the personal message from the individual on the street instantly ends up stuck to the inside of the window of the store or restaurant they happen to be standing in front of! How?!?!
Here’s what we know: There’s a trick to everything - a secret. From the disappearing gum wrapper to the levitation between skyscrapers on the Vegas strip - there’s a logical explanation. A series of complex hidden wires and pullies. Smoke and mirrors. Hands that are not quicker than the eye - but smarter, crafty.
You know where I’m headed. Life has its own tricks up its sleeve. The world is full of illusions - distractions. These illusions pull our eyes and our minds from reality and we slip into a fog of deception and confusion. We follow and choose to believe in things that simply are not as they appear……and we soon find out that the grass isn’t really greener…..that road isn’t really smoother….that choice isn’t better for everybody in the end……
When we become a part of the Kingdom of God, it’s as though the scales drop from our eyes. Suddenly, we see the ropes. The smoke clears. We can’t believe we missed those mirrors right in front of our faces! We catch on - TWO gum wrappers??
Lord, teach us to see with Spirit eyes. Guide us through the illusions the world would have us buy into and give us the wisdom to discern the Truth. We bind the “wiles of the devil” in Jesus’ Name. We will not be deceived. Amen.
Today is one of America's finest days. Today, my good friend Milos from Croatia and his wife and two children, become American citizens! Congratulations, Cupac Family!
Milos and I became acquainted through work over the course of the last couple of years. Before he and his family were harbored in a refugee camp for more than four years, Milos was a Biology teacher in his home country. During their time in camp, he and his family shared a space no larger than most folks' living room with 3 other families. Milos and I have talked about their experience many times. As you can imagine, the memories fire a mix of emotions in Milos.
What kept Milos and his family from giving up during those years as refugees in a civil war torn region? What kept Milos from becoming bitter about his circumstances? What kept him from losing it when his children were convinced that they would never get to leave the camp alive?
Faith. As a devout Orthodox Christian, Milos knew that God would see his family through the trials they were facing. While others were executed, he and his family passed quietly into the camp without incident. Missionaries from the Methodist Church befriended Milos and eventually helped pave the way for the family to be released from the camp and to travel to the United States. Milos and his wife, Marice, both found meaningful work that provided not only income, but benefits like complimentary health and dental care for the entire family. Both of the Cupac's children earned Bachelor's degrees and both have gone on to graduate school - one to pursue a Master's in Education (so he can become a teacher like his father) and the other is pursuing her Doctorate in Psychology. And today, the Cupac family will take the oath of United States Citizenship!
Milos is a small and wiry individual. He is also one of the sweetest people I have ever had the privilege to call my friend. But at the center of this humble facade is the heart of a lion and a faith of Old Testament proportion! You can see in his eyes, the love and compassion of Christ shining through. I love Milos, my dear friend and now, FELLOW AMERICAN. And I love what Milos has taught me about dealing with disappointment, discouragement and difficulty. His strength has made me stronger. His faith, like that of the biblical Partiarchs, is contagious and convincing.
What struggles are you facing today? What giant stands before you, taunting and ridiculing you and those you care for? What fears are holding you back from taking big steps down the path of your God-given destiny? Jesus said to the woman who touched the hem of his robe, "Courage, daughter. You took a risk of faith, and now you're well." (Matt. 9:22 - TM)
Today, the Holy Spirit is encouraging you and me. The Spirit says, "Courage, (insert your name). You took a risk of faith, and now........." Risk faith today and fill in the blank tomorrow!
We've all seen the news headlines: Parent Attacks Coach at Little League Game. When the details surface, we find out that the parent thought his or her child had been treated unfairly. While we may not understand why a parent would take such drastic measures, as parents, we've all wanted to, at some time or other, rush to the defense of a child. Can you think of anything that would cause you to refrain from protecting your child? Can you think of any cause so great, you would allow your child to endure abuse, be it verbal or physical?
The Bible says that spectators at Christ's crucifixion taunted Him by saying, "You bragged that you could tear down the Temple and then rebuild it in three days—so show us your stuff! Save yourself! If you're really God's Son, come down from that cross!" (Matthew 27: 39-40, The Message). Could I be a cause so great that God didn't rush to Christ's defense and call the whole thing off?
Let's take this a step further. Can you imagine anything for which you would sacrifice your child? Can you think of any cause so great, you would abandon him or her, even for a moment?
Matthew 27: 45-46 (The Message) reads,
From noon to three, the whole earth was dark. Around mid-afternoon Jesus groaned out of the depths, crying loudly, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?"
It wasn't until I had children that I fully understood this. Of course, like most good Christians, I could recite John 3:16 on cue; however, I never quite comprehended the words until I became a parent. God loved you and he loved me so much that He watched while his only Son was tortured and nailed to the cross. Wow. Could I be a cause so great that God would abandon his Son, even for a moment?
A mother of three incredible children, I can still recite John 3:16, on cue, but it has a whole new meaning. God loved me so much that he gave his only Son so I could have eternal life! Wow! I am a cause so great!
“How do I love thee; let me count the A’s” reads the bulletin board in my high school English classroom. An allusion to Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s famous poem, it provides a place for me to display proficient work. Of course, I don’t just “love” the A students; however, I thought it a clever way to get the students’ attention.
I’ve been thinking about the “Christian bulletin board” and what it might say. What if God only loved the “A” Christians. What if we could only win his mercy through proficiency in living Christ-centered lives? Further, I’ve thought about what some of our “A’s” might represent? Apathy? Avarice? Adultery? (like Hester Prynne’s in Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter)
The good thing is that no matter what our “A’s” stand for, God is merciful to accept less-than proficiency. It’s not that he is content with mediocrity; however, like most good teachers (and Christ is the ultimate one) he accepts our faults while teaching us to do better. So, strive for the “A” but if you find yourself falling short of the “Principles” list, accept that God’s mercy is enough.
For all returning to face the world after the holiday - Jesus prayed this prayer for you!
"I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them....."
"....Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one......"
".....I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified......"
".....My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." (Excerpts from John 16 - TM)
Be encouraged! "If God is for us, who can be against us?!?!" Be the Light today in a dark and dying world and find joy in Him who is still interceding on our behalf!!
Jesus said, "When the Friend I plan to send you from the Father comes—the Spirit of Truth issuing from the Father—he will confirm everything about me." (John 15:26 - TM)
I don't know about you, but on occasion, a sense of doubt creeps into my mind. I begin to try to systematically prove to myself that everything I believe in is real by going through a series of logical and analytical steps to work out the truth and make sense of the seemingly impossible. I don't struggle with this on a daily basis. Just every once in awhile, my mind takes over where my heart should be focused and a brief moment of humanity pulls just a small corner of the rug out from under my Spirit feet. If you ever have a similar feeling, I wish I could tell you how to avoid it - but I can't. I can, however, tell you how I overcome it.
Getting back to the basics of my Spirit man always works for me. Recognizing the reason we were created - God Worship - and plugging into that power source always recharges my Faith "batteries".
You know, I never close my eyes and focus on how much I love NFL football and become overwhelmed with emotion and feel deep kinship and communion with the Commissioner of the league. I never reflect on how much I enjoy my favorite restaurant and feel the need to humble myself and kneel and speak a prayer of praise and thanksgiving for the sustenance it provides. I have never felt the need to lift my hands toward any preacher, teacher or boss or surrender my all to a powerful performance by an actor or the oration of a political leader.
But when I begin to privately or publicly express my deep devotion and love for Jesus, I often describe the physical sensation as though someone has just poured out a bucket of warm oil over my head. It is in those moments when I begin to sing within my Spirit the words, "there is none like You. No one else can touch my heart like You do. I could search for all eternity, Lord and find there is none like You." Nothing compares to the Spirit's response to our praise. That return alone validates everything you and I believe. It is through this communion, this strengthening of our personal relationship with Our Redeemer that you and I find the kind of unshakeable Faith that Paul spoke of when he said, "so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power." (I Corinthians 2:5 - TM).
Lord, we pray not for Faith, but for Spirit and Truth worship. For by and through these. we know that all Faith is confirmed and that all things of the Kingdom are revealed to us. We know that as we Worship, doubt flees in terror, sickness and disease are overcome and the gates of hell are battered. There is truly none like You, Lord. Amen.
Rhonda and I both have some OCD tendencies. I admit, hers are worse than mine...:) I stress about the yard, the landscaping and the structural pieces of our home that I would like to change - the outside stuff. She stresses about a single piece of unwashed laundry, ripples in the comforter on a bed and dust in any form on any surface - the inside stuff. I stress about the outside of the vehicles and she stresses about the interior. We both are a little over the top in these areas. But given our different areas of obsessive focus, we are a perfect match!
That's OCD of the Earthly nature.
What if there were more people with OCD of the heavenly nature - Obsessive Christianity Disorder.
Obsessive Christianity Disorder is a peculiar and rare condition. OCD of the heavenly kind inspired Paul and Silas to lead Praise & Worship in prison and hold camp meetings in dungeons. OCD of the heavenly kind has given martyrs the courage to stand tied to a stake at the top of a burning pile of wood and sing hymns and lift their hands in worship until their bodies were consumed by the flames. OCD of the heavenly kind moves people to action without counting the cost or recognizing sacrifice. OCD of the heavenly kind has no cure and is highly contagious!
OCD of the heavenly kind can be summed up in the words of the Lord when He said, "Put your life on the line for your friends." (John 15:13 - TM)
Do you have this rare condition? Are you obsessing today about spreading it to others? Do you lie awake and pray for those in your own family or office or neighborhood who have not chosen to make Jesus Lord of their lives? Are you panicked by the thought of anyone dying and spending eternity separated from the love of God?
Father, infect us with an obsessive desire to see Your Kingdom come to the hearts of all men. Never let us count as a success any day that we fail to share the Greatest News with those around us in the world. Let us be obsessed with Your Word - never satisfied - always wanting more and more of You for ourselves and for the world around us. Amen.
Big win for the North Laurel Jaguars last night over their "across town rival" South Laurel. Not a big score. 7-6, but that's all it takes.
Just before the game, I bought Reid Elizabeth a "Jaguars" t-shirt. She was so happy to get it, but she didn't get to stay for the game. She got to spend some time with Aunt B while Rhonda and I were actually able to watch the game!
After the game, when Aunt B brought her back, Reid Elizabeth asked her mother, "I have my Jaguar shirt. Why I not play football?" She was certain that if she had the shirt, she would not only get to be at the game, but she would actually get to play! "Out of the mouths of babes - wisdom."
"Well done, my good and faithful servant" is not a phrase heard by folks who just show up on the day jerseys are passed out. No, being a part of the team means more than standing on the sideline looking good. It's not enough to be a good person, call yourself Christian and attend church regularly. While these are all significant forms of fruit, they never come to fruition without strong branches connected to a deeply rooted tree. Precious playing time coveted by most athletes comes by way of a lot of sweat, hundreds of grueling workouts, incessant repetition of plays until you have it 100% right and the determination to settle for nothing less than victory. Active Christianity is much the same. It is the same determination, that "pressing toward the mark" that Paul spoke of, that lets the world, beyond the shadow of a doubt, know what you and I stand for and what we are committed to in our lives all day everyday.
How many people will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ and feel confident they look good in the uniform only to hear, "I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" (Matt. 7:23 - The Message) It's just not enough to have the t-shirt, wear the uniform or talk the talk. These are works. Jesus said, "This is how my Father shows who he is - when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples." (John 15:8 - TM).
Father, thank You for showing us what it takes to be on Your winning team! Help us to be disciplined and determined as we "press toward the mark" You have set before us. I pray that everyone who reads this will stand before You as "good and faithful servants" - both now and on that day when we see Your Glory. Make us branches bent to the ground with loads of fresh and wonderful fruit! Amen.
It wasn't quite like I remember it. It took us a long time to find it, but we finally came across the small cave opening I remember going in and out of 1000 times when I was around the age of 12 or so. My friend Patrick and I had been digging another cave closeby, but I couldn't shake the feeling that "my" cave was still out there. Sure enough, there it was. A tiny hole deep in the middle of a straight vertical drop on all sides.
Interestingly, I also don't remember having an ounce of apprehension about going down into that little space as a young boy. Today, Patrick went it alone. I was good enough to let him borrow my lantern, but that was the extent of my participation in that part of the day's excursion. I called out to him several times to make sure he was still alive - just doing my part...:)
I admit it, the older I get, the fewer risks I take. I blame it on having a family, responsibilities and purpose. I can't just abandon sound judgment and "go for it" anymore. Those days are behind me, right? Not exactly.
The Word is full of stories about God's people stepping out in faith when any logical individual would have lent their lantern and called out to make sure the other guy was okay. Noah built an ark when everyone called him an idiot. The prophets said things to kings that would have been enough to get anyone else executed on the spot. David stepped up and said he could take that giant out while his brother called him a show-off and told him to go home and the woman that touched the bottom of Jesus' robe knew she really wasn't supposed to do that.
Each one of these Biblical rock stars had one thing in common with the others. They really didn't care what people thought about them - they cared about the leadership of God in their lives and being fully obedient to Him without counting the cost. As a result, they all came out on top of their situation!
My prayer for you and me today is that we will step out, be obedient to His direction in our lives and take some chances for the Kingdom. Just like that trust building exercise where you have to fall backward into someone's arms, He will be there to make sure you succeed. Trust Him - He is faithful.
Patrick, thanks for bringing my lantern back safely...:)
We took the kids fishing this evening out at our dear friend Charolette's farm. I spent part of the day preparing for the big excursion. Shoring up the rods and reels, throwing the tackle bag and fishing vests in the back of the truck along with a cooler full of drinks and a cab full of hot dogs and "all the fixin's". Once Rhonda and the boys arrived home from school, we were ready to set out to spend a great evening in the country fishing a pond full of HUGE hybrid Bluegill!
As soon as we arrived and could get the first baited hook in the water, we were in the big fish! Trey, William and Reid Elizabeth all caught several nice keepers.
Long ago, I made the important decision to not even attempt to do any serious fishing when the kids are along. Truly, they require a lot of attention. Between baiting their hooks, helping get fish off the hook and simply trying to keep them from falling headlong into the water, there's just no time for my serious kind of fishing. After years of frustration, I finally made up my mind to just serve them while they fish. Tonight, though, even Rhonda and I caught a fish or two. (I promise not to mention Rhonda's worm phobia during this tale.) We were having a blast and I was thoroughly enjoying myself!!
At some point, William made his way to the opposite side of the pond from the rest of the outfit. As I watched him from a distance, I realized fairly quickly that he was going to make a mess of the line if he continued his antics of intentional "miscasting". In a spirit of patience, I decided not to say anything and quickly got back to the business of baiting someone else's hook.
Only a few minutes later, here came William back around to our side of the pond with a frustrated look on his face. You guessed it. The line was as twisted as the fibers in a cotton ball. It's strange - the fishing line tangle. It is hard to imagine how a line so well wound, so thin and so straight can become the rat's nest I held in my hand.
Needless to say, I lost my patience at that moment. I got the line untangled, said a few menacing words to William about how ridiculous it was that he let the line get in that shape, baited his hook and got him back on the dock fishing where I could keep a closer eye on the little knot tier.
Reflecting back on the experience tonight, I realized how much patience God has with me. How many times has he let me wander over to the outskirts of His purpose for me? How many times have I taken the perfect things He has given me and made a terrible mess of them? How many times has He had to bail me out of crisis situation after crisis situation? I get things so tangled up and I am AMAZED at how skillfully He is able to untangle it all!!
William is learning....and so am I.
Know today that God is the Master Knot Untier!!! When we get all tangled up in the world, He can set us FREE!!!!
Get great Simple Simon music and gear all right here!!
To order any of the items below, please call 606-843-2683:
"all of me" - Michael's current CD project is scheduled for release in mid-November. You can preorder now and get FREE SHIPPING! Price: $14.99
Simple Simon Ministries T-shirts - Get a great looking SimpleSimon t-shirt with graphics on the back depicting Jesus walking on water and rescuing Simon Peter and an inscription on the front reading, "Jump out of the boat!"
hey mike thnx for the daily devotional...and really encouraging study last wendsday!!!!
This is great stuff. You are anointed and Blessed. I can't wait for us to do Simple Simon with the choir.
Maker of my heart
Savior from above
How my spirit sings
Of such Amazing Love
Lord, let Your all-consuming fire
Ever burn in me, ever burn in me
You are the Maker of my heart
MB
You can be a more active part of Simple Simon Ministries in several ways:
1. Pray. Please pray that God will open doors for Simple Simon Ministries to help reach the world for Christ. Our commitment is that no opportunity is too small or too large for us to walk through. We will go where He calls us and leads us to go.
2. Share. Tell others about Simple Simon Ministries. Share this website and other information with those you know who are a part of the Kingdom and, more importantly, those who you know do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Also, please share your prayer needs with us so we can be a part of sowing deep seeds of faith into your lives, situations and challenges you may be facing. We want to pray for you!
3. Give. Finally, only as God clearly leads, support Simple Simon Ministries through single gifts or a monthly pledge. Support the ongoing ministry efforts as Michael and his family endeavor to share with the world the Message of Hope in Christ through music and the Word.
Travel, studio recording, ministry materials, web presence, live sound equipment and other ministry related expenses are simply a part of the reality of ministry, and we believe that God will provide. We are commited to the highest level of stewardship in handling His provision, and we are committed to the highest level of excellence in presentation and content as we share our heart with others. Your commitment will also help to ensure that, even if a church or organization cannot cover expenses, we can continue to go and minister.
If you feel led to support, feel free to call us at 606-682-1195 to find out more about ways you can help. You can also reach out to us at Simple Simon Ministries, 175 Helvetia Road, London, KY 40741.
Simple Simon is in the process of applying for 501C-3 status but is NOT an official non-profit organization at this time and your current contributions will not be tax-deductible.
