The Daily Dose w/Pastor Chad Reisig: Recent Episodes
Chad Reisig
Want a great way to start your day? Grab a cup of your go-to beverage, your Bible and get a daily dose of inspiration from Pastor Chad as he leads us in a devotional thought. There are 365 episodes, one for each day (with a couple of sermons thrown in for good measure!). You don't need to be a theologian, or even have an expert grasp of the Bible. Come as you are. Each episode is about 2-3 minutes long.
I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life. ~ John 8:12 (NLT)
I had an incident which happened to me a while back that was both painful and a bit embarrassing. Back then I lived only a hundred yards or so from the church where I pastored, so I often times ventured over to the building to do miscellaneous things. Often times this involved going over to open or close all of the windows (there’s a lot of them) to either help the church building cool off or keep the warmness in. One evening, a thunderstorm was coming through the area and I knew that the windows at the church were open. So, I decided to go over and get them closed up, lest the wind blow things around inside the church or slam windows shut (We already had one break due to a previous windstorm). Though it was dark outside, I had walked this path many times, so I didn’t grab a flashlight. I headed out into the dark, trotting towards the church. At about the halfway point, things went very wrong. My toe tripped on something unseen and caused my body to fall at a rapid pace toward the ground. In fact, I fell so fast, I wasn’t able to get my hands out to brace myself. I ended up doing a header into the gravel road I was trotting down – skinning up my knee, wrist, and face in the process. So, there I lay bleeding and in a lot of pain. Luckily the wounds healed and nothing was broken. But, next time I venture out into the darkness, I’m taking a light with me.
When it comes to living this life in this dark world, we have two choices. We can stumble around in the darkness, or we can actually allow the light of Jesus to shine into it, lighting our path as we go. As Jesus stated in our verse today, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
So, you have a choice to make. You can choose to navigate this life without Jesus, and you will stumble and fall. You will get hurt and you will never find your way to eternal life. Or you can walk in the light of a relationship with Jesus. Walking side-by-side He will point out the trip hazards. He will light up the path in front of you. He will help to minimize the self-inflicted pain we experience. He will lead us to our eternal home with Him.
Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." ~ John 14:6 (NLT)
When I was a freshman in college, long before the advent of the Internet, smart phones, and GPS, my girlfriend and I decided to take a road trip into San Francisco to see the sights and maybe do some shopping. Right before we left, my girlfriend told me she needed to stop by the bank to grab some cash for our trip. I asked which bank and she rattled off a name that I wasn’t familiar with. I asked if she knew where this bank was located in the greater San Francisco metro area. Her response? “Not really, but how hard can it be to find it?” Let me tell you. We spent what seemed like hours looking for this bank. It was nowhere to be found. I was getting really angry; she was getting majorly defensive. Let’s just say that the words we were using towards each other were neither loving nor encouraging. We were so upset with each other that neither one of us wanted to spend any more time together. So, I turned the car around and drove back to the college and dropped her off at her dorm. The trip was off.
Far too often, our spiritual life can feel like that trip. Now, I’m not talking about a trip to see the sights and get some city swag. Instead, I’m talking about our Christian journey. Notice that I call it a journey, because that’s exactly what it’s supposed to be. Though we may know the ultimate destination (Heaven), we have no idea how to get there.
The only being in the universe who actually knows every twist, every turn, every hill, and every valley that we must take to join Him in heavenly splendor is Jesus. But, here’s the deal. He wants to journey with us. He doesn’t want to just give us a roadmap and say “good luck.” He wants to be with us as we see the sights. He wants to help re-direct us when we take a wrong turn. He wants to point out the wonders of His creation along the way. He wants to build a solid, intimate relationship with us which is built over time and experiences.
This is why He gave us our verse today, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” In other words, unless He is along for the ride, we have no shot at getting to our final destination in Heaven. Only with Jesus joining us on the journey can we experience the perfection which awaits.
Jesus replied, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." ~ John 6:35 (NLT)
It’s one of life’s ironies. In the USA, we tend to be obsessed with our weight. I mean, just look at the dieting industry. There are tons of diet plan options out there (Paleo, South Beach, Keto, etc.). There are diet commercials on TV, on the Internet, radio, magazines, newspapers, and basically everywhere the marketing industry thinks we’ll be looking. The diet industry rakes in billions of dollars per year off of people wanting to lose weight and get in shape. Here’s the ironic part: The majority of people in the USA are either overweight or obese. (Read here for more: https://bit.ly/1nL8c3i) In other words, we’re spending billions of dollars per year on dieting, but we’re not actually following through with the diet plan.
Beyond our physical issues, there is also a problem when it comes to our spiritual diet. The vast majority of Americans own a Bible, but very few actually read it. (Check here for more info: https://bit.ly/2oDFwTN) In other words, we’re good at saying we need the Bible, but we don’t actually follow through with reading it. This results in people whose lives are spiritually out of shape; dying.
Jesus put in simple terms how this needs to work. As He stated in our verse today, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again.”
Our lives are built to be spiritually hungry. But the stats don’t lie. We fill our lives with junk food rather than the actual bread of life. We spend hours watching TV, gaming, and social media, rather than spending quality time learning about our Savior. We fill our lives with things that replace the spiritual nutrition we need. As a result, our spiritual lives gets out of whack. Spiritual disease takes over and we begin to die spiritually.
Family, it’s time for a diet. Dust off that Bible that’s been sitting on your shelf. Open the pages and just start reading. Start simple. Read a chapter or two per day. Read it slowly. Ask questions: What is God saying here? How does this apply to my life? Pray about what you’ve read. Ask God for His wisdom to understand. Get your diet lined up to help you regain spiritual health.
Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. ~ Romans 6:13 (NLT)
We have an epidemic in the world today. Because of our greater connectivity, stress doesn’t just come into our lives every now and again. It streams through every device we own and into our lives. We hear about bad news through our phones the moment it happens. We get called out on social media. Shaming has gone from the school yard to the globe. The keyboard permits people to say things about us globally which they would never say in person. In short, we are saturated with messages of stress everywhere we turn in the modern world.
So, tip # 1 is to take a Sabbath rest from your devices. Stop the flow of stress.
Tip # 2 is to get off your rear. One of the greatest issues with mental health today is that we as a society have stopped exercising. As a result, we are left alone with our thoughts, dwelling on the negative day after day. It eats away at us. It leads us to sinful behavior in an attempt to relieve the pain. We dwell on the evil rather than allowing our bodies to heal through natural stress relief. I don’t have time to detail all of the science here, but Google “benefits of exercise.” The top results will tell you about stress, anxiety, and depression relief.
I believe the issue goes beyond just the physical, however. I believe not taking care of our bodies is a spiritual one. As Paul tells us in our verse today, “Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.” Did you catch that last part? Use your whole body to bring glory to God. But, can we say we’re doing that if we don’t keep it healthy?
Here's my challenge: For the next two weeks, exercise each day. Get your heart rate up. So, go for a walk at good pace, or run. Go for a hike that involves some incline. Hit the weights. Just do something which elevates your heart rate for 30 minutes. Oh, and as you do it, either listen to some good praise music or spend some time talking with God. Invite him into your workout. The results will be obvious: Better mood; better sleep; more positivity; and on and on.
A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones. ~ Proverbs 14:30 (NLT)
A few years ago, I was away at pastor’s meetings. Overall, it was enjoyable. I got to hang out with some friends. The food was amazing. The male pastors who didn’t bring their families got to live together in a bunkroom, we had a good time. We also got to rough it a little – as in we had to bring sleeping bags and sleep on mattresses which are built for 10-12-year-old weighted people, not middle-aged dudes. As I was packing to leave, I began to shove my sleeping bag into its stuff sack. At first, everything went in very easy. But, as the bag got fuller, I had to push harder and harder to get everything in. On the first attempt, I didn’t close the sack quickly enough and the sleeping bag started to slither its way back out. After a few times of this happening, frustration set in, and the bag now became my mortal enemy. (Second only to camping tents. If you’ve never set one up, ask someone who has. They’ll explain.) I crammed harder and harder until it finally all stayed in.
Sometimes, we treat our lives like stuff sacks. When we experience issues in life, sometimes we stuff our anger and jealousy way down deep and pretend everything is OK.
Here’s the issue: Eventually all of that stuff will come back out. And, when it does, you will have no control over it. It might exit in a tirade of anger and foul language which costs you friends, or even a job. It may show up in your relationships, slowly destroying the trust that has been built over the years. It may cause issues with mental health which require long-term therapy or prescription medication. It may drive you to addictive behaviors like self-harm, eating disorders, sex, porn, drugs, alcohol, to numb the pain you thought was dealt with. In short, stuffing our stress, our anger, our jealousy down deep doesn’t make it go away. It causes it to grow stronger and stronger until one day, it comes bursting out in very unhealthy ways.
King Solomon, who was a pretty wise dude, put it this way, “A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones.” In short, we need to stop stuffing everything deep down inside and need to deal with those things in healthy ways. So, how do we do that? That will be the topic of tomorrow’s devo.
There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. ~ Proverbs 14:12 (NLT)
It was my sophomore year of high school. I thought things were going pretty well for me socially (I was an introvert back then – go figure!). I felt confident that this would be a great year. So, I arrived at the first banquet of the year feeling good. It was luau-themed party in the large backyard of one of the family’s homes. Within minutes of my arrival, some of the senior guys were actually hanging out with me. Usually they just made fun of me, so this was a welcome change. That changed after about five minutes when they all gave each other a look and nod. Suddenly, I was lifted from the ground by this group of “friends,” carried through the middle of the entire student body, to the pool where I was thrown into the deep end. This of course brought a lot of laughter and cheers from the rest of the senior class who were in on the hazing. I should’ve known that they were up to something. But I bought their deception.
We have an enemy who is far more crafty and deceptive than a group of teenage boys. He’s been watching each one of us, getting to know our patterns, our personalities, our wants. He’s watching for an opening to begin his deception. You see, Satan knows our weaknesses, our wishes, our desires. So, he crafts plans of deception which feed into those desires. He approaches us through someone or something to present a plan which seems awesome of the surface. It appears like it will help us in our life. It’s not until we are half-way down that path, however, that we realize it was all a deception. As a result we suffer pain, heartache, and sorrow. We develop addictions we wish we never had. We get loaded with emotional baggage.
King Solomon knew this all too well. This is why he wrote our verse today, “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.” In other words. Satan’s plans always look good on the surface, but will destroy us if we follow them.
So, how do we know which path is Satan’s and which is God’s? There are a few skills we need to develop. 1) Stay close to God. The closer we are to God, the louder we hear His voice. 2) Get into the scriptures. God won’t contradict what He has told us to do in the Bible. 3) Prayerfully consider choices when they are presented and submit to God’s directions. 4) If it appeals to your emotions, be suspicious. God doesn’t manipulate us.
Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong! ~ 1 Peter 3:17 (NLT)
Have you ever woken up to a raging headache, a sore throat, and runny nose? It feels miserable, right? Your mind is foggy, and you know that today’s going to be horrible.
Have you noticed that often times we can tend to blame God when we hurt? For example, we could sit there and lament the fact that God could have prevented us from catching that horrible cold. I mean, He’s supposed to protect us, right? This is really His fault, not ours. Nope. In reality, this is the fault of at least two people: The person who decided to spread their germs and us individually, for either getting too close or not washing our hands enough to prevent contamination.
Unfortunately, though this case is pretty cut and dry, we tend to blame God for the consequences of other actions which take place in our life. I’ve heard people blame God about getting pregnant, despite being on the pill. You had sex. One of the side effects of sex is pregnancy. The pill only works 99 percent of the time. I’ve heard people angry with God because they are suffering withdraws as they recover from a drug addiction. They blame God for not taking away the pain in an instant rather than having them work through the pain to recovery. The list goes on and on. All of those consequences have a common element: Humans.
Because God is love, He has given us humans freedom to do whatever we want. We can choose to do things His way, or we can choose to go our own way. It’s our choice. But we are not free from the consequences of those actions. And, please note, often times those consequences are forced upon someone else due to our actions. Humans hurt humans.
As Peter put it in our verse today, “It is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!” In other words, there are consequences for doing good or doing bad. The consequences for doing good help others and lead to an eternal relationship with God. The consequences of doing wrong bring pain and separation from God.
Today, and every day, before you take action, lay your plans at the feet of Jesus. Talk them over with Him through prayer and by reading the Bible. His truth will always lead to positive consequences.
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)
I enjoy playing a round of golf every once in a while. And, by that I mean I get to play maybe once every couple of years. I’m not that great at it. Occasionally, when I hit the ball, it goes where I want it to. And, on those rare occasions, it not only goes the direction I want it to go, but the distance as well. In reality, however, I spend a lot of time trying to figure out which patch of weeds or bushes my ball landed it. I’ve lost a lot of golf balls over the years.
One thing I’ve learned is that golf has its own language. An eagle isn’t bird, it means you got the ball into the hole by taking two less swings than the person who manages the course thought it should take. A birdie isn’t a small bird, but it means you got the ball into the hole in one less swing than thought. Par means you got it in the hole in exactly the number of swings. There are a bunch of others, but you get the idea. Golfers have corrupted the English language. Then there is this word: mulligan. To take a mulligan is to basically get a do-over on your last swing. Your ball flew into the lake? Mulligan! Try again. That last shot isn’t recorded, and you get a new attempt at doing it correctly this time.
God offers each of us a mulligan. In fact, God offers us unlimited mulligans when it comes to our sins. But He is more interested in our soul than our mistakes. The only difference is that God’s mulligan isn’t a do-over for some game we play. Instead, His mulligan redeems us from a life of sin, separated from Him, and restores an eternal relationship with God. As the Apostle Paul put it, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun.” We get a do-over.
However, unlike the mulligans of this world, we aren’t left to figure out how to live life better, we receive a Coach to guide us in everything we do. So, this “new life” which Paul is talking about isn’t on our own. God is with us every step of the way. He’s telling us how to avoid the pitfalls in life. He’s holding on to us as we walk through the darkest valleys. He’s cheering us on when we celebrate the victories of life. This new life isn’t apart from God. It becomes a part of Him. It is the greatest mulligan the universe has ever seen.
On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. ~ Genesis 2:2 (NLT)
I have a coworker in ministry who likes to use a particular word in his sermons, bible studies, books, online presence, and basically anytime he is talking about the Kingdom of God. That word? “Marinate.” For those who have never barbequed or grilled anything, this idea of marinating something might be a foreign concept. Basically, to marinate something, you cover it with a sauce or dripping of some sort (like barbeque sauce) before you put the item on the grill. Often times you do this hours in advance so that the seasonings from the marinade soaks in to the item to be grilled, which will add some great flavor once it is. Master chefs even have secret recipes for their marinade which gives their products a distinctively awesome and unique flavor. So, how does this word marinate apply to the Kingdom of God? Let me show you.
As people, we marinate on all kinds of things during the week. The stresses of our career marinate us with stiff necks, sore shoulders, back aches, headaches, and a hundred different things. The stresses of school marinate us in stress and worry about that next test, project, or the homework we didn’t get to in time. The relationships that surround us day in and day out marinate us in either sweet goodness or sour bitterness. Our finances (or lack thereof) marinate us in anxiety about whether or not we can pay that next house or school payment. Basically, every waking minute of each day marinates us in sweetness or sourness. Then comes Sabbath.
God created the Sabbath as a gift for you and me. He instituted it at creation, and, just to be sure, the Bible says He blessed it. In other words, it’s an extra special day unlike any other. You see, the Sabbath was meant to allow us to shift our focus off of the day-to-day grind and to help us marinate on the goodness of God and what it means to belong to His Kingdom. When we observe the Sabbath, God marinates us with peace, calm, hope, joy, and a million other things that can be in short supply during the week. If we allow Him, by keeping His Sabbath, His goodness soaks into us and prepares us for the fires which await us during the coming week.
Every seven days, God has built in a time to let go of work, of school, of drama, and given us a day to soak in His glory, His goodness. This Sabbath, marinate on that fact.
Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God. ~ Psalm 90:2 (NLT)
The English language is a bizarre thing. We have words that sound alike, or are even spelled the same, but mean something different. For example: “The red fox read a book about reading.” Of course, it also doesn’t help that new words are invented hourly for the English language, such as the word “fleek.” Here’s what it means: “Look good.” Here it is in a sentence: “My eyebrows are on fleek today.” Yup. We invented a word for that. Awesome, right?
Within this crazy language, a couple of letters moved around, repositioned, or added to a word change everything. For example, yesterday we talked about mortality. Today, we’re looking at immortality. That extra I and M in front definitely change things up. While humans are mortal, our God is immortal – as in He’ll never die. But, it goes deeper than that.
God’s immortality isn’t just the fact that He’ll never die – He isn’t a comic book superhero. It’s that He’s always existed. He’s always been around. He doesn’t have a beginning or end as we mortals do. That’s cool! But, what’s the big deal?
The fact that God has always existed means that there is nothing that He doesn’t know about. As humans, we gain wisdom as we age and experience things, learning from them. But, God, who is immortal, knows everything about everything. In fact, our verse today puts it like this, “Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God.” Let’s put this into perspective.
Our God existed before the world began. He has seen every world event, every human born, every human life, every human victory, and every human defeat. His wisdom is beyond anything we can comprehend. In addition, He came down to this planet and became human, so He also has complete wisdom on what it means to be one of us – even though He’s immortal.
This brings me to the point: Do you think there is an issue that you’re facing which God doesn’t have wisdom on? The answer is a big, fat “NO!”
We have an all-loving, grace-giving, compassion showing God who wants to share His wisdom with you. Not a flawed mortal wisdom, but an immortal super-wisdom. Let Him.
Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. ~ Psalm 90:12 (NLT)
When we are young, we have no concept of our own mortality – that this life of ours will eventually come to an end. So, we do stupid stuff to test the concept out. We climb to the tops of trees which begin to bend under our weight. We scale sandstone cliffs without a rope. (BTW, sandstone isn’t really a stone. It’s basically a cliff made up of dirt.) We drive faster than we should to see if we can freak out our passengers. Yeah, there are these and a million other things we do to test out whether we are mortal or immortal.
As we age, we gain some wisdom through our years of experience. The more we age, the more the end seems to loom larger. If death hasn’t found you after a few decades of life, it will eventually. A doctor friend of mine puts it like this: “All we do is try to extend life for a few hours, days, months, or years. Eventually, all of our efforts will fail, and the patient will die.” Indeed, it is one hundred percent true that you will die – unless Jesus comes back first.
No one likes to think about their own death. It’s kind of depressing. We want to focus on the good stuff. We want to focus on the joy. We want to focus on the fun. And, we should.
This Psalm, which is actually a prayer of Moses, gives us a reminder of the shortness of time we have in this world. It reads, “Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.” In other words: This life is short. Don’t waste your time doing stupid superficial stuff. Yes, have fun, and enjoy it. But, also prioritize the things which are important: Loving God and loving others as ourselves. This is the wisdom which Moses is trying to help us remember.
So, how do we live our short life with wisdom? By remembering that this life is indeed short when compared to the eternity which awaits with Jesus. Use this life to prepare us for that one. We love Jesus individually and as His church. We share the love of God with others through our words and actions.
Today, and every day, focus not on the shortness of this life, but the eternity which awaits. Spend time deepening your relationship with Jesus; study, pray, praise, worship. And spend time sharing the love of God with others; show compassion, help those in need, use your finances and time to serve others. Life is short. Use it wisely.
So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. ~ 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NLT)
Every now and again, I would get some time alone with my dad doing stuff just us guys liked. I remember one such day when I was about 12 years old. We went and watched a funny movie (the name escapes me at the moment) and then went to Burger King to eat some non-nutritional food-like products. Of course, I had a soda, and those tickly bubbles began to grow in my stomach as I chugged it. Without warning, the bubbles flew up my throat and out my mouth for the biggest, loudest, longest burp I had ever performed. It was a moment of pride for me. In fact, I noticed that everyone sitting around us in the restaurant were all now silent and staring my direction. One man sitting nearby summed it all up when he said, “Well, at least you know he’s alive!” Everyone started laughing. Of course, I was later reminded about manners – he was still my dad after all. I informed him that, in many cultures, burping loudly after a meal was a compliment to the chef. He reminded me that we don’t live anywhere near those places.
Giving compliments for a job well done take many different forms, depending on where one lives. A nice “thank you” is generally accepted universally. Other cultures have the guests smash the plates to the ground to show their appreciation. Still others demand a completely clean plate, demonstrating that every piece of food was consumed. In short, giving glory to someone for their assistance, for their expertise, is a common thing in our world.
When we say the term, “Praise God” in response to something good, we give Him glory. Of course, it needs to be heartfelt, not forced. Do we actually believe that something good was deserving of praise to God? The Apostle Paul believed so, and took it a step further, when he wrote, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” In other words, it’s not enough to just say “Praise God,” we need to live a life which gives glory to God. Our life should scream “Praise God” through both our words andactions in every circumstance.
So, today, and every day, live a life which proclaims the glory of God. Live a life which praises His name, His kingdom. Let there be no doubt in anyone’s mind that God is good and worthy of our praise.
And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. ~ Titus 2:7 (NLT)
Do you know the difference between a leader and a boss? Many can’t. Here’s an easy definition: A boss tells you what to do, a leader shows you what to do. In other words, a boss is all talk, a leader is all action. One leads by example, the other leads by authority. Now, don’t get me wrong, as a manager of people myself, I give instructions to those who are under my area of influence. But, I don’t just bark orders at them and then complain when they don’t deliver things according to my (often times unspoken) desires. Bosses are generally why people don’t like showing up to work in the morning. Leaders inspire others to do good.
Now, we need to step back for a minute. Because in our 24/7 world we live in, leadership doesn’t just happen between the hours of eight and five, Monday through Friday in the workplace. A leader is an influencer even when they aren’t at the office. Let me explain.
A leader loves their family by not dividing attention between work and wife and/or kids. A leader shows how to have a life balance. A leader takes care of their health by exercising regularly and eating well. A leader shows that without a strong body, a leader’s health will crumble. A leader makes sure to get the needed amount of sleep each night. Lack of sleep leads to brain fog and irritability. Leaders need a sharp mind and pleasant demeanor. A leader makes quality time for God each day. If a leader isn’t full of God’s wisdom, they’re working in inferior human wisdom. A leader says no to extra work, and instead empowers others to seek solutions to streamline the work environment. A leader must demonstrate self-care.
The Apostle Paul, who was a bit of a workaholic himself, penned this verse, “And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching.” So, if we’re teaching/leading others, do we walk the walk? Do we actually practice self-care so that those in our sphere of influence get our very best? Do we work in God’s wisdom, or in our own flawed intelligence?
Today, and every day, practice the spiritual discipline of self-care. When you do, you won’t just feel better, you will become a better influencer, and a top-notch leader.
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. ~ Romans 15:13 (NLT)
Loneliness is an epidemic which is sweeping the world among young adults and teens. I know, it sounds weird, but let me explain. Though we live in the most connected society the world has ever seen, the quality of our friends has been declining since the birth of social media. In today’s world, a teen or young adult may have thousands of people they are “friends” with online. Yet, in real life, they really don’t have anyone who is a close friend – someone they can rely on and trust. Instead, hour upon hour is spent online tending to acquaintances, many of whom live on the other side of the earth. Instead of confiding in friends about the hurt teens feel inside, they instead post their feelings online, and then a horde of wannabe friends come and tell them they are loved. While this may work to ease pain in the short-term, it’s actually a trap. Eventually, after posting so many times about their issues, the likes, or the emojis, begin to become less and less. The words of encouragement dwindle in number. Now the teen drops deeper in their sorrow as their only “friends” don’t seem to be there anymore.
Unfortunately, this vision of online “friendship” can translate into our relationship with God. We don’t spend time building it, so it seems to fade away when troubles strike. But, if we’ve accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, then we know for certain that we will never go through anything alone. As the Apostle Paul put it, “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” In other words, when we focus on our true friendship with God, we realize He is there with us. His Holy Spirit never leaves us. We’re never alone. He does this because He cares for us and wants to fill us “completely with joy and peace.” But, notice, it says that we find this joy and peace because we “trust in Him.”
Today, and every day, limit your online time and, instead, spend quality time with your True Friend, Jesus. Let His Spirit encourage you. Let His Spirit help you in your time of sorrow and pain. Let Him show you how to truly experience hope, peace, and joy.
Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. ~ Romans 12:12 (NLT)
Growing up, I was really, really into sports. I would watch any game any time I could. I listened to sports on the radio (way before steaming was an option), read about them in the newspaper (we didn’t have smartphones), and talk about them with friends at school. These days, my hours for catching a game are a bit more limited. But I try to at least follow my teams.
One of the things I love the most is when one of my teams is just crushing the competition. Why? I enjoy “garbage time” in the fourth quarter. Let me explain. Garbage time is when the game has already been decided. One team is so far ahead that the other cannot possibly catch up. So, the coach pulls all of his superstar players and puts in the guys who rarely get any playing time. I know, that doesn’t sound like fun, but it is. I love watching the superstars now cheering on their teammates from the bench and celebrating with pure joy every time they score. Even when their teammates make a mistake (as often happens in garbage time), they laugh about it and encourage them to refocus and try again. It’s one of the few times you can watch professional athletes demonstrate a child-like joy.
Here’s the deal. It’s garbage time for those of us in the Kingdom of God. The match has already been decided. Jesus wins. Satan loses. There is no turning back. That is the result of the eternal showdown. As a result, our Superstar, and His legion of angels, are cheering us on, waiting for the final buzzer to sound on that wonderful day when Christ returns. They are full of joy and excitement as they watch us help others find faith in their Messiah.
Often times, however, we forget that the whole match has been decided, and we’re on the winning team. This is especially true when we’re going through difficulties in life. This is why the Apostle Paul wrote this reminder, “Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.” So, what is our “confident hope?” It’s simple. Jesus wins and He’s coming back to take us home.
So, today, and every day, live in the victory which Jesus has won for us. Remind yourself that though Satan may score a point or two against you, He cannot win. Every time you remember that amazing truth, give praise to Jesus, and rejoice in our confident hope.
But I am trusting you, O LORD, saying, "You are my God!" ~ Psalm 31:14 (NLT)
I’ve known several teens who like to play a game I call “The Occasional Boyfriend” (or girlfriend as the case may be). Here’s what that looks like. They find a person whom they know is attracted to them and they flirt until they finally become an official couple. Then, the object of their affection does something which upsets them. So, they break up with that person. Then, a little while later, they begin flirting with the person once more and boom! They’re back together again. Everything is right once more! But, then a short time later, the renewed object of their affection does something which irritates them. Break-up # 2 occurs. This pattern repeats itself for far too long. To say that this behavior is unhealthy is an understatement.
Unfortunately, we sometimes do the same thing with God.
It’s easy to worship, praise, and proclaim the goodness of God when His blessings seem to be pouring right on top of your head. Your health is good, your family is amazing, your coworkers or classmates aren’t irritating you. Life is good!
But, then there are the times in life when things are going horribly wrong. A family member or friend dies unexpectedly. That addiction you thought was going away comes roaring back. Your job is now making your life miserable. It seems the blessings have dried up.
So, what happens? Far too often we stop worshipping God. We don’t offer up praises anymore. We question His motives and ways of leading. We flash out in anger at the fact that someone died, and He didn’t stop it. So, we distance ourselves from Him. This type of behavior is unhealthy. Are we truly only using God for the times when He makes us feel good?
King David knew a thing or two about going through rough times, and his life can be an example of worshipping an occasional God (As-in, when it suited him). But, he learned that God is always there. He’s always working for us. That is why he penned our verse today, “But I am trusting you, O LORD, saying, "You are my God!" Notice, this verse doesn’t say “I’m trusting in you when things are going right.” Nope. He is either our God all the time, or none of the time.
No matter what you’re going through in life, put your trust in God. He will never fail you. He will always love you. And, He alone can rescue you.
Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you. ~ Psalm 9:10 (NLT)
When I was a kid, we used to play a game at recess called “Hot Potato.” Maybe you’ve heard of it? If not, here’s what it’s all about. You have an object, like a bean bag, a tennis ball, or something smallish that you can toss from one person to the next. The idea is that the object was hot (like a potato which had just come out of the oven) and you couldn’t grab it. So, you’d form a circle of your friends and hit the object back and forth while acting like it was ridiculously hot. If you missed it when it was your turn to hit it, or you didn’t hit it far enough to make it to someone else, you were out. The circle then shrank to those who remained. The last one standing would be declared the winner of Hot Potato and, I’m sure, go on to receive major awards, praises, trophies, and untold riches.
Of course, there was only one winner, and a bunch of losers. For the most part, we just shook off the loss and jumped back in when a new game was started. Then there were others who pouted or even shed tears over the fact that they lost and were kicked from the game. They usually didn’t rejoin the game when it restarted, even if we tried to get them back into it.
There are many people in the world that believe God is into the game of Hot Potato. Except, in their version, He isn’t playing with a bean bag or ball, He is playing with people. This version of the game calls for God to only save those who don’t have a ton of sin because they aren’t hot. But He drops those who have too much sin because they are radioactive. In other words, they believe that God only accepts those who are good, but not those who are bad.
Of course, this is completely false. God isn’t a God who only picks certain people to love and save. Instead, He is a God who loves unconditionally and never abandons anyone who seeks Him. In fact, our verse today from King David states, “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you.”
Today, and every day, don’t buy the lie of Satan that God will reject you for your sin. To the contrary! God will free you from the penalty of it! Seek God. Run to Him. To Him, you aren’t radioactive. You are loved. He will never abandon you.
Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the Lord will be joyful. ~ Proverbs 16:20 (NLT)
Have you ever tried to assemble something that came with horrible instructions? Yeah. It is a royal pain. The layout doesn’t make sense and the screws they send with it never seem to fit any of the pre-drilled holes perfectly. Nothing seems to fit together properly. Let’s just say that having to put stuff together has nearly ruined many a Christmas day for me and my brother as we tried to piece together the gifts our kids were given. In fact, it was getting so bad that my whole family passed a rule together. The rule goes like this: If we purchased a gift for any child the gift-giver was obligated to put it together.
Maybe you’ve never had to assemble a kid’s toy, but I’m guessing that you can relate in one way or another. Maybe it’s getting lost in a maze of streets in some downtown area. Maybe it’s not being able to figure out how turn on the TV. Or, just maybe, following the directions to solve that ridiculous math problem just isn’t working out. (That was certainly my case in high school. The directions looked worse than the problem itself).
In our faith, God gives us some instructions to follow in order to have a good Christian life. In addition to the 10 Commandments there are others sprinkled throughout the Old and New Testaments. I don’t know about you, but I sometimes struggle to follow those instructions too. I try really hard, but it doesn’t seem to help me obey.
This is why King Solomon helps identify the missing ingredient to following instructions. We need to seek out the instruction-giver so that He can clarify things, help us understand, and lead us through the problem. In our verse today, Solomon wrote, “Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the Lord will be joyful.” Notice that last part. We can have some prosperity if we just try to keep the Lord’s commands. But, when our hope, our trust, our power is securely found in Him, we experience joy!
So today, and every day, don’t just try to do good, put your trust, your hope, in Jesus who is truly good. He will direct your steps. He will give you perfect instructions. And, when you follow His lead, He will flood your life with joy as a result.
O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge. ~ Psalm 62:8 (NLT)
Perhaps you and I have a shared memory. No, it’s not that we did it together. But we did the same thing at the same point in life. I remember it vividly. When I was a kid, at night, the walls seemed creepier than normal. As I lay in my bed, I was sure I could hear something moving around in my closet or under my bed. My mind began to race with ideas of what kind of monster, or monsters, could be lurking in the darkness. The good thing was, I knew what to do in order to be safe. I dove underneath my blankets and made sure there were no open areas from which a hand, finger, or tentacle could infiltrate. I knew that if I stayed secure under my blankets, the creepy things in the dark couldn’t get to me. I had found my refuge.
Now, of course, as we get little older, something like a blanket fort of refuge seem not to make any sense whatsoever. Like a blanket has some sort of magical force-field properties that can’t be penetrated. Or, that if I was under it, I was somehow invisible to the things in the world which wanted to hurt me. Perhaps we were a little naïve about such things.
However, as adults, we do the same thing. We seek refuge in things which won’t actually protect us. We seek out pleasure, drugs, drinking, self-harm, or over-eating to try and cope with the evil which pounds on us day after day. Here’s the problem: They aren’t a refuge. They’re a trap which Satan pushes us towards so we don’t find the one, true refuge.
King David knew a thing or two about persecution. His buddy, King Saul went all crazy on him and tried to kill him on several occasions; even sending his army to seek and destroy. So, how did David survive? He knew who his refuge was. As David writes in our verse today, “O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.”
You see, our refuge isn’t a thing, it’s a being. God is our protector. He’s not weak and flimsy like a blanket. The Bible also calls Him a Fortress for the Weak. In other words, when we are in Him, though the evil surrounds us and the sounds of battle roar, He is our protector.
Today, and every day, no matter what Satan hurls at you, make sure you stay safe in the refuge of Christ.
This is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. ~ Micah 6:8 (NLT)
I used to watch a TV show called The Office. For those who have never seen it, here’s a brief description. The Office was a sit-com which was shot as a reality TV type of way. The “employees” of the office worked for a paper company under a boss, his name was Michael, who had a great big heart, but no leadership abilities whatsoever. They also had an Assistant To the Manager character named Dwight who was power hungry, but none of the employees paid any attention to him and showed him zero respect.
There was an episode at one point where the fake documentary producer was interviewing Dwight and asked the question, “What’s the best advice Michael has ever given to you?” His answer? “Don’t be an idiot. It changed my life.” It was one of the greatest lines from the show.
Oddly enough, in our own reality of faith, we might turn the question back on us. “What’s the best advice that God has ever given to you?” Though there may be a ton of different answers we could all offer up, the Old Testament prophet named Micah actually answers it for us in our verse today. He penned, “This is what he [God] requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”
So, let’s break this down. This is God’s way of talking to Israel, back in the day, and to us today. He’s talking about the fact that He calls us to love everyone. However, not everyone was getting it. So, God broke it down into simple to understand nuggets. “Do what is right.” In other words, always side with what God is calling you to do. Do what is right, even if others say you shouldn’t. “Love mercy.” This one can be a little bit more complicated, but let’s simplify. We should show love, give help, provide assistance, to those who need it. Finally, “walk humbly with your God.” This one should be pretty straight-forward. Realize that God ranks above you. He is the Lord. He is in charge. He is the one who leads. You come second in this relationship.
So, for those of us who call ourselves Christians, here’s what God is saying (in a much nicer way): “Don’t be an idiot.” Love God. Love others. It’s that simple.
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” ~ Matthew 11:28 (NLT)
A few years ago, I was battling an unknown medical condition which affected my gut for many months. The unfortunate reality was that I could maintain focus and have limited issues during the day. But, at night, my gut never seemed to sleep very soundly. It just hurt. This left me feeling very tired most days. Maybe you’ve faced something similar. Maybe (hopefully) not a medical issue, but just feeling exhausted from this battle we call life.
Constantly being tired has several negative consequences, as you may imagine. Your short-term memory doesn’t seem to work so well. The ability to recall even simple things seems to get stuck. Your patience wears thin really fast. That one person who you often times could tolerate suddenly seems a whole lot less tolerable. You can get really irritable. Things that you used to let slide, or even laugh at, now get your blood boiling. And, perhaps the worst part of it, being constantly tired steals much of the joy in life. Now, don’t hear me wrong, I’ve got plenty of joy – I have Jesus after all! But taking pleasure in many things seems to take more effort.
If you can relate to these things, then you too may be way too weary today. But, hold on, Jesus has something for us. As He said in our verse today, Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Isn’t that an amazing promise? When we’re feeling overwhelmed with life, Jesus provides that much needed rest.
Now, let me clarify something. Jesus isn’t talking about physical rest. And, He’s not really offering rest from self-inflicted tiredness. (You know, staying up way too late gaming, watching TV, binging on Netflix, etc.) Jesus is talking about rejuvenating our life with His Holy Spirit when the day-to-day service to others is wearing us down. We need to regularly spend time with Jesus and let Him infuse our faith with His energy, His joy.
So, today, and every day, spend time with Jesus. Though you may be physically tired, let Him recharge your faith, renew your joy, and keep you topped off with the Holy Spirit.
Oh, and just to fill in the blank, the medical issue was caused by a malfunctioning gallbladder. It’s gone now, and I feel oh so much better.
Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. ~ Psalm 25:5 (NLT)
Have you ever been in a store when a little kid threw a tantrum? It’s pure awesomeness! It all begins when a toddler knows for sure that they either want to do something, or don’t want to do something. And, when they aren’t listened to, they throw down. Great big tears start to roll down their cheeks. Their skin turns to the color of ketchup. Their back arches, their arms flail about, and they begin screaming complete gibberish. A human, especially a parent, has upset their delicate little ego and they ain’t having it.
When a toddler latches on to a truth, they do not let go of it very easily. Their truth may be that dad is going to buy them that Hot Wheels car right now; or that doll; or that tablet; or that cell phone; or whatever it is. And, when it doesn’t happen, they don’t think, “Hmmm. Maybe I was wrong about this. Maybe my parents know something I don’t. Perhaps I was mistaken.” Nope. They cannot admit that their truth was not actually true, so tantrum time.
Let’s face it, even as adults we can behave this way. OK, maybe not throwing tantrums but we refuse to let go of what we think we need or want. We know our own truth. And we can be very stubborn about it.
But, what if someone way smarter and wiser than us knows better can actually see that what we want, or what we think we need, is actually going to harm us? What if this person only wants the best for us and tells us when we’re about to do something which will lead to misery?
As Christians, we should know that the someone is Jesus. He is the smartest, wisest being in the universe. And, He loves us so much that He only ever wants the best for us. This is why the psalmist penned a reminder to himself, and to us, when he wrote, “Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. Notice, he is saying that we should be led by God’s truth – what He knows we need – not just for today, but all eternity.
So, today, and every day, lay down your “truth” and allow God to show you real truth as He guides you through this life and into eternity. Let go of your truth and embrace His.
Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish. ~ Proverbs 18:13 (NLT)
When I was working at the City of Salem (before I entered ministry), one of the things the library department hosted were author talks. These were generally pretty cool, and featured very well-known authors of some of the most popular books in the nation. I love that the talks weren’t just limited to those who sold fiction (their books were made up stories), but also invited authors to speak who were experts in a particular field and had written books about it. One of my favorites was an author named Mary Roach. She writes on all kinds of crazy topics, but her stuff is fascinating. The next time you’re on Amazon or at a library, check out some of her stuff. Maybe you’ll find it fascinating too.
One of the coolest things people like Mary get to do is research. She flies all over the world, investigates things, talks to others who are experts in a particular field of study, and learns as much as she can before she even sits down to start writing her book. In fact, the book doesn’t even start to take any kind of shape – no outline or even premise – until the research is completed and it all makes sense in the author’s head. Only then does the author begin to write about topics that can be intriguing, but also accurate.
Unfortunately, in this world, the idea of completing research before actually sharing one’s ideas is a lost art. We often times speak as though we are an expert in a certain area, yet have no idea what we are talking about. Even worse, we won’t let those who know more than we do – those who have gained wisdom in that area – convince us otherwise. Our society is quickly becoming so close-minded that the sharing of truth has become near impossible sometimes. Truth has become what we think, not what is factual.
King Solomon knew a thing or two about a few things. Well, maybe a lot of things. He was the wisest man who ever lived. He saw this ideological train-wreck coming when he wrote our verse today, “Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish.”
In other words, we are called to listen to others. Learn from them. Seek wisdom. Seek knowledge. And, no, learning from only those who think like you already doesn’t count. Find those who have a different view. Seek to understand. Only then is true wisdom gained.
Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. ~ Colossians 4:6 (NLT)
A survey was done quite some time ago. I can’t seem to locate the actual results anywhere on Google, but I’ll summarize it for you here. A bunch of young men were asked about what type of woman they would like to marry. They were given descriptions of three, or so, different women. The first was extremely beautiful. She had the looks of a supermodel. But, she was shallow and only cared about herself and what others could do for her. She was rude and crude. She was hot, and everyone else was made to serve her. The next was very pretty, not quite supermodel status, but still gorgeous. Yet, she had an attitude and complained about everything. Nothing was up to her standards, and basically everyone in the world was stupid compared to her. The next woman was very nice looking, but certainly didn’t have the ideal looks to be a model. She had a little more meat on her bones and was curvy. However, she loved people. She had a great sense of humor and didn’t put people down. Instead, she always seemed to be lifting them up. She was confident in her own skin, but not cocky or arrogant. So, how did the men pick? Overwhelmingly they chose the third woman.
Of course, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that men can look beyond the superficial. Yet, for some it did. I know it shattered my stereotype of what most guys look for in a woman.
Here’s the truth, your attitude dictates how other people see you. It doesn’t matter how good looking you are. It doesn’t matter how rich you are. What matters is how you treat other people. And, of course, God understands this. This is why through the psalmist, He inspired our verse for today, “Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.”
Additionally, we as Christians aren’t just representing ourselves. We are representatives of the Kingdom of God. How attractive does that kingdom look when the people that represent it are constantly griping about things and calling other people names? Not so much.
So, today, and every day, be gracious. Seek to lift other people up. Don’t look for the negative, seek the positive. Use words that are attractive.
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. ~ 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)
Have you ever met someone who complains about everything? This isn’t right. Or, that person didn’t do this. Or that person didn’t do that. On and on and on the complaints go. It’s not enough that they think that way, they have to let everyone else know.
I’ve met a lot of those people over my life. In fact, I’d find ways to avoid them if I saw them coming. The bathroom was sometimes a safe space. But, complainers can even find you when you’re sitting in a bathroom stall trying to get some personal time. It’s gross, but true. Plus, you’re kind of captive at that point. You’re locked in a box with pants around your ankles. Making a speedy exit ain’t gonna happen. Now that you’re stuck, the gripe fest begins.
Sometimes I feel like I do a lot of this type of complaining toward God. (Maybe you can relate?) When I’m praying, I’m telling Him all of the stuff that is wrong in this world He created. (Of course, I sometimes forget that we humans are the ones who messed it up. But, I digress.) I’m telling Him about people who need “God’s guidance,” which is sometimes a nice way of saying “Can you please fix this person?” It’s often times during these prayers that God stops me and says “Reframe your prayer.” In other words, stop complaining about people and things. Tell me what’s really worrying you.
You see, our God isn’t there for us just to gripe at. He is a real, living God who deeply cares for each one of us. So, He doesn’t want the surface level complaining. He wants to get to the root of the complaining – our insecurities. Why? Because God doesn’t “fix” other people if they aren’t asking for it. Instead, He deals with each one of us who come simply to God and say “God, heal me of my worry.”
Our verse today gets at the heart of this, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” It isn’t a license to dump everything on God, but an invitation to talk to Him about what’s hurting you. It’s an opportunity to connect with God on a personal level.
So, today, and every day, spend time talking with God about your worries and anxieties. Don’t complain about everything. Be real. Be honest. Be open. He cares for you and will see you through.
The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. ~ 1 Peter 4:7 (NLT)
A young man was driven to succeed in life no matter what. He was the top graduate of his class from college. He got married and had a family. He began to work his way up the corporate ladder. Soon, he became very wealthy and their little family was able to purchase their dream house, then vacation homes in Hawaii, Spain, and the Swiss Alps. The man became so successful he was running his own company, had his own private jet, and billions of dollars in the bank. Of course, he wasn’t really able to visit any of his vacation homes anymore. Life was too busy for that. In fact, he was working seven days per week and often got home after the family had gone to bed. Soon, his kids were all grown up and had families of their own. The man had seen pictures of his grandchildren, but never actually met them. But he had his success.
Then it happened. In his sixties, at the height of all of his financial success, he was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given only a few days to live. As he lay dying in his hospital bed, his nurse asked, “With all of your success, what is the thing you regret most in life.” His answer? “I wish I would have spent more time with my family.”
Though this story is fiction, I believe it captures a truth about our lives. When we come to the end, whether it is from a health issue or old age, the things we thought were important turn out to be the very things that pulled us away from what truly was.
This is why Peter’s verse for us today is so powerful. “The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers.” In other words, Jesus is coming back at any moment. Don’t waste your time pursuing the things of this life that you think you need. Instead, connect on a deep level with your Savior.
Prayer, regular prayer, is our quality time with God. It’s those moments we get to share with Him. It’s the opportunity for Him to hear our voice and us to hear His. It’s the time we can cry, laugh, and be joyful together with Him. It’s the building block of our relationship with Him.
So, today, and every day, spend time with your Heavenly Father. Create those memories together. Bond over conversation and experience. When it all comes to an end, you’ll never regret it.
Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. ~ 1 Peter 4:8 (NLT)
One of my favorite activities to do when I am blessed to go someplace tropical is snorkeling. Strap on the mask, put on some fins, don the snorkel, and I’m in the water checking out the marine life. I’ve been blessed to see hundreds of different types of fish, sting rays, sea turtles, eels, and even a nurse shark. There’s just something cool and calming about floating up on the sea while looking down at a very unique world.
Of course, getting distracted by what is happening below can often times lead to disaster if you don’t occasionally look up to see what’s going on. That was the case in Maui a few years ago. I was so busy watching two sea turtles eating algae off of rocks below me that I didn’t notice that the swells (the waves of the ocean) had picked up size and pace. All of a sudden, I felt myself being thrust forward toward the sea turtles. This is bad for many reasons. One of the main ones is that it is a federal crime to touch one, as they are an endangered species. So, I began furiously swimming against the current. Just then, the swells let up, and I rocketed in the direction I was kicking and found myself in very shallow water. Which was another issue. Beneath me was a coral reef. It’s also a federal crime to step on a reef. So, I tried may hardest to get away, but the swells came back and knocked me down into the reef. Those things are sharp! I ended up with cuts on my legs as a result. Luckily, I caught a break when the swells let up once more and I swam away from the reef into deeper water, then back to shore.
Getting caught in a loveless relationship (friends or otherwise) is like being caught in shallow water. When something goes wrong, you get hurt. You get cut. You get scars as you are slammed against the sharpness of harsh words or actions. Shallow love is no fun at all.
Peter had some wisdom on this topic, when he wrote, “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.” In other words, we need to show real love, we need to act love, we need to demonstrate love, we need to overflow love towards our friends and family. Our love can’t be shallow. Shallow love leads to hurts. Deep love helps protect us from the scars of life. It keeps us afloat.
So today, and every day, demonstrate deep love toward others.
This is real love - not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. ~ 1 John 4:10 (NLT)
The three words that are hardest for most people to say shouldn’t be. I mean, how hard is it to say “I love you” to someone? Why do we get tongue-tied and all nervous before we tell someone that phrase? It’s like the feelings and brain get all mixed up and the words get jammed in our throat as our brain screams “Red alert! Red alert!”
I believe I have an answer to this. It’s because, in this life, rejection is a real thing and it happens quite often. Think about it. How many movies use the premise of rejected love? How many of them put a plot twist into the romantic relationships to make the audience question whether or not the character’s love is true? Of course, this is Hollywood. It’s fake. We can separate fiction from real life, right? Rejection is also very real in our normal, day-to-day lives. Maybe we come from a split home, or a home where our parents fight, or fought, all the time. Love seemed to be absent. Maybe we were the ones always picked last for teams on the playground. Perhaps no matter how hard we try we can’t manage to get a grade higher than a C or D in math. Then there are the special times. The time when you manage the courage to say “I love you” but the other person doesn’t say it back, or doesn’t feel the same way. In other words, our lives are full of rejections.
So, imagine a God whose very character is pure love. Everything He does and says is born out of an unimaginable, unconditional love for us humans. In fact, His disciple John put it this way, “This is real love - not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” The cross serves as a giant banner to you and me which reads “I Love You!” Notice too, He didn’t do it because we said “I love you” first. He did it knowing that so many of us may never say it back. He did it facing the fear of rejection from His own creation because His love, true love, for you and me wouldn’t allow Him to hold anything back.
So, here’s my challenge to you today. Say it back. How many times in your prayers do you say thank you, and please, and even the word “Lord,” but never actually utter the words, “I love you to Jesus?” In reality, it’s like He’s saying “I love you,” and your reply is “Thanks.”
Today, and every day, practice literally saying “I love you” to Jesus. He’ll never reject you.
And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. ~ 1 Thessalonians 3:12 (NLT)
I was a student worker over the summer at my high school, Fresno Adventist Academy, and was one of the few guys who had his driver’s license and his own car. So, occasionally, the other student workers and I would slip away for lunch break and go get something that had no nutritional value at all. Our favorite? The 7-11 Slurpee. It was 64 ounces of magnificent frozen sugar. And, on a hot Fresno afternoon (which was usually over 100 degrees), it always hit the spot. Then, there was that one time the spot it hit got really, really big.
We entered the 7-11 as usual and headed to the Slurpee machine. It was self-serve. We grabbed the oversized cups, and my friend placed his under the nozzle and then pulled the lever to activate the flow of sweetness. As my buddy finished filling his cup, he pushed up on the lever to stop the flow of Slurpee juice, but nothing happened. He tried again. Still nothing. His cup began to overflow. So, my other friend threw his cup underneath and began filling his. The lever still wasn’t working. His cup began to overflow, so I stuck my cup underneath. I watched as the Slurpeeness climbed to the rim of my cup and began to spill over the sides. We were out of cups. Frantically, one of my friends got the store clerk to come running over who unplugged the machine. The Slurpee flood of 1992 was over. But, the aftermath remained. As we looked around, there was a giant puddle of Slurpee all over the counter, the floor, and our feet. Our shoes stuck to the ground wherever we walked for the rest of the day.
I picture God’s love kinda like the Slurpee machine. Yes, it’s sweet and oh so good! But, I also know that it is limitless. There is no end to His love for you and me. And, if we allow it to, it will pour into us so powerfully that it will overflow into others.
As Paul put it nearly 2,000 years ago, “And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows.” In other words, God’s love is too big for a simple human to contain. Once it begins flowing, it will keep on coming full force into our lives until His love overflows and begins to fill the lives of our friends, families, and neighbors. However, unlike the Slurpee incident, the love overflow doesn’t leave a giant mess behind. Instead, it brings salvation to those who let it in.
Accept the way God does things, for who can straighten what he has made crooked? ~ Ecclesiastes 7:13 (NLT)
When I was in academy, our coach used to make us run a lap or two around the track to warm us up for PE class. To me, running in a circle around a track was boring. I’d much rather be playing a team sport. So, one day, a couple of friends and I decided to take a short cut when we thought the coach wasn’t looking. Rather than completing our two laps, we cut across the middle of the field and only did half-laps. We cheated. We were laughing because we didn’t have to run the stupid track anymore. That is, until we heard the coach’s whistle blow and realized that he was staring right at us. He called us over and, because we were varsity athletes, decided to make an example out of us for cheating. He made us run wind-sprints on the football field. If you’ve never had the pleasure of this activity, let me break it down.
Wind-sprints consist of you starting at the end zone of the football field and running as fast as you can to the next line on the field, touching it, then running back to the end zone. You then run to the next line down the field, and return to the end zone. Essentially, you have to touch every line (there are 12 of them by the way) while running back and forth as fast as you can. They’re called wind-sprints because you lose your wind (and sometimes your lunch).
It turns out that shortcuts never really turn out the way we want them to. Maybe in the short run things seem to be better. But in the long run, they only cause problems. When it comes to our spiritual life, this is an absolute truth. Cheaters neve prosper.
King Solomon, who was a pretty wise dude, put it like this, “Accept the way God does things, for who can straighten what he has made crooked?” In other words, there are no shortcuts in the Kingdom of God. As God leads us, His route through life and into Heaven is always the best route. But we humans tend to question His route. We often times seek a shortcut which will require less work. That’s the issue. We begin to question His motives, His ways, His directions. We think we know better than God.
Instead of trying to be God, we need to accept that it is His job to lead, and our job to follow. We must accept His route – His way of doing things – and quit trying to cheat our way into eternity.
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. ~ Psalm 24:1 (NLT)
There is a well-known scene in the movie Finding Nemo. If you’ve ever seen the movie, I can just say one word and it will instantly pop into your head. “Mine!” If you’re not hearing seagulls, then you haven’t seen it. Here’s the deal. In this scene, there is a dock in the harbor of Sydney, Australia upon which a bunch of seagulls sitting around. Suddenly, a sea creature that they normally eat appears, and they all turn their attention toward it and begin shouting, “Mine! Mine! Mine!” Of course, the way they shout it sounds like a seagull’s call. It’s an instant Disney classic moment.
Of course, are we humans much different than those crazy birds? I mean, maybe the reason it’s an instant classic isn’t just because it’s funny, but because we can relate. If you are a parent, you probably remember when your child went through the phase where they would not share anything. (For those who aren’t parents yet, or your kid hasn’t reached two years old, you’ll get it eventually.) Everything they touched became, “Mine!” I remember prying a straw out of one of my child’s hands because they kept gagging themselves with it. They immediately flew into a temper tantrum. It was a straw! Seriously?
Us adults can be the same way. Maybe we don’t become obsessive about a straw, but we sure do about our lives. And, as Christians, this is dangerous territory because our lives aren’t actually ours. In case you forgot, when you accepted Jesus as your savior, your life stopped being “Mine!” and was instead turned over to Jesus. It is now “His!”
Even King David got this concept – though he struggled with follow through a bit – when he penned our verse today, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.” In other words, there is nothing that exists apart from God. The earth? He built it. Each person? As the bible says, He knit them together in their mother’s womb. In other words, everything in existence is here because of Him. It is His.
So, today, and every day, give God His due. Give Him thanks for this life, and the promise of the one to come. Give thanks for the things He is loaning you. Give thanks for all He has done and will do. Give thanks that He loves us enough to share His goodness.
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing. ~ Psalm 143:10 (NLT)
I remember one winter up at Camp Wawona in Yosemite. I was with some friends playing around in the snow. It was January, so it was very cold, and there was a lot of snow, icicles, and ice pretty much everywhere. One of my friends spotted a frozen pond and we decided to check it out. Basically, we all ran to the pond, hit our knees and slid out into the middle of it. We spent some time sliding around and playing a made-up game of hockey with a rock and some tree branches. We had a lot of fun, luckily. I say luckily because none of us had checked to see if the ice was thick enough to support the weight of three boys running, sliding, and jumping on it.
The unfortunately reality is that many people (and animals) die each year because they ventured out onto thin ice. Though the ice looks OK from the surface, the ice isn’t thick enough to support them. So, they crash through into a freezing environment that can kill them in minutes, and unless someone intervenes, they are on their own.
Often times, we venture out into areas of life which have thin ice. Sure, it all looks ok from the surface, but the real test is what is underneath – what is holding it all together. We take the risk into the unknown. The ice begins to crack, we’re in trouble. If we don’t retreat fast enough, we will face certain doom. In life, the ice can be relationships, or addiction, workplace, school, or a thousand other things. And when it begins to crack, it’s no fun.
King David found himself on thin ice quite often. This is why he penned a reminder to about how to check the ice we’re about to tread upon, “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.” In other words, we must allow God to tell us whether the ice ahead is thick enough, whether to wait for it to harden, or if we should simply take a different path. He’s the expert when it comes to these things. Let Him measure the ice. Let Him pick the route. We must let Him lead us on sure footing.
So, today, and every day, ask God to check the ice up ahead. Make sure He is the one who gets to make the decision on whether it is safe to proceed. Otherwise, you may find yourself standing on thin ice.
Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you. ~ Psalm 143:8 (NLT)
When is the last time you played the game Follow the Leader? I used to play it all the time in elementary school. There was recess time, lunch time, PE time, and after school time to play. Of course, when you’re young, most people would keep their eyes open. Not us, we’d play the game with our eyes closed. It was always fun to see if you could get someone hung up, like walking under a low tree branch that would snag them in the head, or stepping over a curb to see if someone would trip. Of course, as we matured, we played the game less and less. I mean, after all, cool kids wouldn’t do something so silly. We had more grown up sports to play like soccer, or football, or softball. So, Follow the Leader faded into distant memory.
The unfortunate reality is that we often adopt the same attitude when it comes to our daily life. The message most people hear is that you have to carve your own path in life. You have to prove yourself. You have to make it on your own. Except, that’s a lie. Now, hear me clearly, you need to put effort into things (job, friendships, marriage, etc.), but the path we carve is not the best one for us. We actually don’t know the best path to take.
King David, who was the top dog in Israel and had basically everything he could possibly desire, knew a thing or two about the issues of carving your own path (the whole Bathsheba thing comes to mind). It didn’t end well and left him distraught, depressed, and at an all-time low in life. He discovered that following his own desires didn’t actually fulfill him at all.
It’s because of this life experience that David penned our verse a few thousand years ago. He wrote, “Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.” In other words, David was saying, each day I commit to following your lead. It’s not my path I want to walk, but the one which you choose for me.
In our walk as Christians, it’s not about being in the lead, it’s about following the lead of Jesus each and every day. When we rise in the morning, we must give thanks for the blessing of another day. When we climb out of bed, we must commit to following the true Leader. Let Him show us where to walk, when to duck, and when to jump. Let Him lead us through this life and then through the pearly gates of Heaven.
Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. ~ Colossians 4:2 (NLT)
I went to a training seminar once when I was working my way up the career ladder. The seminar was supposed to teach us how to be a good boss. To be honest, it was kinda a rip-off. However, I do remember one of the activities was interesting. It had us focus on active listening. Let me break that down for you.
Active listening is actually being a part of a conversation with someone even though you aren’t the one doing the talking. As an example, an active listener makes eye contact during the conversation, ask questions for clarification, nod their head when they grasp what’s being said. They give a confused look when they don’t get it. All of these are cues to the person talking that what they are saying is not only making sense, but that you’re actually paying attention.
The opposite, of course, is passive listening. We are experts in passive listening. Passive listening is playing on your phone while someone else is talking, saying “huh?” a lot because you weren’t paying close enough attention to hear them the first time, and that your attention is elsewhere. The person doing the talking is not the priority.
I believe we have an epidemic of passive listeners when it comes to our prayer life. We create so much busyness in our lives that we throw some prayer requests at God, but don’t hit the pause button on life to let Him now talk to us. We’re too busy doing other stuff, or our mind is clouded with all of the things we need to accomplish, or all of the worries for the day.
But, notice our verse today says, “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind.” In other words, we need to be active listeners. Our mind must be alert, actively focused on the One who will be speaking. We need to have a time when we drop everything in life and just spend time listening to, and for, God’s voice.
Of course, many will say that they’ve tried that and didn’t hear anything. To that I say, did you fail the first time you played that video game? Yes. But, you kept working at it so that you understood how to play at a higher level. So it is with active listening. You may not hear His voice the first few times because you aren’t at that level of listening yet. You must keep at it. Your mind will tune in, your worries will tune out, and you will understand the sweetness of His words in your ears (or mind, as is normally the case).
How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension! ~ Psalm 147:5 (NLT)
When I was working at a summer camp (in my youth), I had the privilege of working in the maintenance department. I say privilege because I wasn’t particularly interested in working with little kids. So, I enjoyed stacking wood, paving roads, fixing plumbing, hauling garbage, and a thousand other tasks. But, with one week left to go in the summer, my privilege was taken away. During rec. time with the staff, I fell hard playing volleyball and broke my wrist. Because of this, I could no longer work maintenance. So, they made me a substitute counselor. Yippee!
On my very first afternoon with a cabin (whose regular counselor had the day off), one of the boys just randomly hauled off and decked one of his cabin-mates. I pulled the kid aside and angry asked him why he did it. His response? “Because I felt like it.” I kept pressing for an answer, but that was all I got in return. I couldn’t wrap my brain around that one. There obviously had to be a reason: Did the other kid provoke him? Does he have anger issues? Is this kid acting out what he sees his dad do at home? There were lots of questions, but no answers.
I think we approach God in much the same way when we have questions about why He did, or didn’t do, something. Why didn’t He heal someone? Why didn’t He help me on my algebra test? (That was a regular one of mine) Why didn’t He answer my prayer? Often times, we don’t get an answer. Other times, the answer simply is that we couldn’t understand.
I praise God that the writers of the Bible wrestled with this concept, too. In our verse today, the author stated, “How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension!” In other words, our God is so great, that we can’t understand why He does certain things because His thought process and decision-making is so far superior to ours it wouldn’t make any sense.
This is where our faith, our trust, must kick in. No, not a blind faith that just repeats, “God knows better.” Instead, it must be a faith based on a relationship with Jesus where we can say, I know God personally, and if He chooses to do this (or not do this), then He must have a good, loving reason. Though we may not understand it, He’s thought it through, seen every angle, and made the best possible choice for us and those we care about.
But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. ~ Philippians 2:17 (NLT)
The fear of death is what keeps most of us alive. There is something which triggers inside of us when we’re faced with a decision that says, “Nope!” Trying to jump over the Grand Canyon on your BMX bike. Nope! Jumping out of an airplane without a parachute. Nope! (Or with a parachute for some of you!) Asking that girl/guy to banquet who you’ve always thought was cute. Nope! Well, maybe you can summon the courage on the last one. But you get the idea. We are wired with a Nope! sensor which keep us alive when we follow it.
Of course, then there are those in life who somehow override their Nope! sensor. These are the tightrope walkers who walk across a cable only a few inches wide suspended thousands of feet in the air. These are the motorcycle riders who see how many cars they can jump before they crash and break every bone in their body (if they’re lucky). These are the ones who seem to be fearless about death.
When we look at the heroes of the Bible, these peeps seemed to be fearless too. They took on an armor-clad giant with just a slingshot. They walked on water in the middle of a storm. They defeated an army of over 100,000 with just 300 men. These peeps didn’t seem to have a Nope! sensor. It wasn’t that the sensor wasn’t there. It was that they understood the sensor could be overruled when God called them to a task. In other words, they trusted God more than their fear.
The apostle Paul, who was involved in some crazy fear-invoking ministry, knew this all too well when he penned, “But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God.” Paul was OK with laying down his life, because He trusted the Giver of Life. Paul wasn’t afraid to die because he knew the One who had overcome the grave. Paul was a death defyer. He understood that no matter what happened in this life, His eternal life was secure in the hands of his Savior.
Church, may we be death defyers. Yes, listen to our Nope! sensors (don’t be stupid). But, may we allow God to overrule those sensors when it comes to serving Him.
For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, 14 or the officials he has appointed. ~ 1 Peter 2:13-14a (NLT)
If you’ve never had the chance to see the White House (You know, where the President of the USA lives), you should pay it a visit. Though I’ve never been inside, just from the outside it is quite the sight to behold. But, what is even more fascinating to me is the transformation that has occurred over the centuries since it became the abode of our president.
The White House didn’t actually house our first president, George Washington. But it was his idea to have a central residence for the new leader of this great land. It wasn’t until John Adams moved into it in 1814 that it became official. Here’s the cool thing. Back then, anyone could literally walk up to the home, knock on the door, and get an audience with the president (if he was available). There were no fences or security staff. Just John and his family.
Unfortunately, a lot has changed over the last 200 years. No longer can you walk into the White House. It’s guarded by tall fences, motion sensors, armed guards, patrol dogs, infrared cameras, and a small army of Secret Service personnel. You need a special pass just to get on the grounds, let alone into the house. So, why the massive increase in security? Because people desire to kill the President for one reason or another. Their hatred for the person, or position, has consumed them. Therefore, protective measures are required to keep him safe.
The true reality is that this world is in rebellion against the way God has called us to live. We’re called to love our leaders. We’re called to respect them. We’re called to honor them. As Peter put it nearly 2,000 years ago, “For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, or the officials he has appointed.”
Now, let me be clear. We can choose not to like the person occupying the White House. We can choose to disagree with their policies, their antics, or just the way they carry themselves. We can choose to be bummed out that the person we voted for isn’t the one currently living at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW (The address for the White House). However, as Christians, we are called to respect the fact that the person is the leader of our country.
So, church, here is our challenge. Rather than complain, pray. Rather than vent on social media, ask for God’s blessing on our leaders. Demonstrate love, not hate.
Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. Fear God, and respect the king. ~ 1 Peter 2:17 (NLT)
If ever there was a verse that our world needs to get back on track with, this is, arguably, one of the top. In a world that preaches tolerance and respect, the irony is that there is very little of it anymore. The tv news shows cover very little news anymore. Instead of news anchors reporting facts, they have a round table of people who promote their opinions on all matters. The more extreme those opinions, the more tv time they get. On social media, I’ve seen so many people saying things like “If you voted for ___________, we can no longer be friends,” and then proceed to call out such people for being stupid. When it comes to differing views on a whole host of other social issues, people are painted as evil on both sides of the argument. In short, the world that teaches tolerance and respect doesn’t show it.
Of course, tolerance and respect go hand in hand. Tolerance has very little to do with viewpoints on issues. Instead, it can be boiled down to this: Do you respect those who may disagree with you? Will you sill treat them with kindness, compassion, and love?
While it’s easy to point fingers at the world, the sad reality is that this often times looks and sounds like the family of God – the church. We are quick to demonize those whose worship format is different than our liking. We are quick to judge those who don’t use a particular translation of the Bible. We easily judge those who don’t eat a vegetarian or vegan diet (or vice versa for my meat eaters out there). We call out fellow believers publicly, shame pastors who are doing their best to serve, and look with scorn at a generation who wants to worship in different ways. In summary, we look an awful lot like the world we point fingers at.
So, here’s Peter, who knew a thing or two about failing to respect people, writing this verse for his fellow Christians. “Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. Fear God, and respect the king.” Just to make sure, I looked up the Greek word for “respect.” Here’s what it means: To honor and place a high value on a person.
Church, may we get back to who we are called to be. May we honor everyone. May we place a high value on everyone. May we respect everyone. May we love everyone. And, yes, that especially includes those we disagree with.
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. ~ 1 Timothy 2:1 (NLT)
The mysteries of how God works, or doesn’t work, in people’s lives is probably one of the biggest questions we as believers, and even those who aren’t, wrestle with. Why does God choose to do somethings, yet not do other things? For example, why does God choose to heal one person, but not another? Or, why does God call some people in to professional ministry, but not others? Even though, on the surface, we believe God could have, and should have acted for all people in those situations, He chose not to. We prayed for the person, or persons, yet things didn’t turn out the way we hoped. The big question of “Why?” hangs big. I wish I had a simple answer, but I don’t. Why? Because I’m not God. And, a God who is infinitely complex can’t be fully understood by us simple humans. But I have observations that I can offer up.
Prayer is not about manipulating God into doing something we want. It’s about aligning our hearts and minds with God’s. Jesus demonstrated this in the Garden of Gethsemane. As Jesus prayed, He asked God the Father to change the plan so that He wouldn’t have to go to the cross. (See Matthew 26:39) Jesus, in His humanity, didn’t want to experience a horribly painful death. So, He asked for another way. But, the second part of Jesus’ prayer brought alignment with God when He stated that He would submit to the Father’s desire if required.
God wants us to dialog with Him about what our worries and concerns are, but He also wants us to understand that His way is always going to be the correct way. Prayer helps us understand that.
Prayer softens our hearts. This is why the verse today is so powerful. As Paul states, “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.” Got someone you care about? Pray for them. Got someone that is mean to you? Pray for God’s blessing upon them. Holding a grudge against someone? Pray for God’s favor and goodness to engulf their life. Realize, the prayer isn’t going to force them to change. Rather it’s helping align your thoughts and desires with God’s. He wants to bless everyone. He wants people to experience His love. He desires everyone to come to know Him. And, He chooses us to be His instruments to make that happen. So, as we pray, we submit to God’s way of seeing people and we begin to evaluate them based on His vision, not our own.
“The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock! May God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted!” ~ 2 Samuel 22:47 (NLT)
I remember when I was younger, some friends and I would go out into a big open field and play target practice. Essentially, we’d set up a target and grab a bunch of rocks and see how far away we could get while still being able to hit the target. The targets were usually like a branch or a chunk of wood. So, nothing special. But it was a lot of fun.
Of course, target practice came down more to who had the good rocks (at least in my opinion) and less about the skill of the thrower. If you got a nice, balanced rock, it would fly straight and true. If you got a lopsided rock, it would never find its way to the target. Then, there were the rocks which broke apart in the air right after you threw them. Now, they weren’t necessarily rocks, they just looked like them on the outside. They were actually dirt clods – which is dirt compressed together into a big chunk. Though the dirt clods looked like rocks, and felt like rocks when we held them, they wouldn’t hold together under the physical strain of being hurdled a thousand miles per hour (maybe less) and broke up in flight. When this happened, there would be cries of “not fair” from the thrower and laughter from those who were watching.
In our life, we often times think we have something which is rock-solid, something that will help us attain all of life’s goals. For some, the rock is money. For others, the rock is a career. For others, it’s a relationship with that special someone. But, here’s a secret, those are all just dirt clods. Now, hear me out. There’s nothing wrong with having a good job, or money, or a good man or woman. But, when our faith is in those things for giving us the perfect life, they will break apart from the strain.
In life, there is only one Rock which we can count upon. The Bible tells us, His name is Jesus. There is only one real Rock that doesn’t come apart under the strain of sin, death, and eternity. King David put it like this, “The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock! May God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted!”
So, today, and every day, put your faith in the Rock of your salvation. Put your faith in the One who holds it all together.
Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. ~ Hebrews 10:36 (NLT)
I love going on roller coasters. It’s the one thing that bums me out about living in Oregon. There are no amusement parks. Now, before you tell me about Oaks Park in Portland, or Silverwood in Idaho, I’m talking about the amusement parks who are known to have the fastest, tallest, craziest coasters. Growing up, and in my early 20s, I had access to a place called Six Flags Magic Mountain. It has some of the best coasters in the USA. If you ever find yourself down in the Los Angeles area, it’s worth the trip.
I remember when they debuted a brand-new roller coaster called the X2. It was crazy. The seats on the train were below the track, so you couldn’t see it. You just dangled there. Plus, the seats could rotate 360 degrees to the left or right, but also up and down. The seats would spin based on the movement of the coaster. The wait time was over two hours, but everything I’d heard told me it would be worth it. When we finally boarded the train, it was amazing! There were crazy twists and turns and a drop that left me breathless! It was the coolest 40 seconds of my life. Yup, we waited over two hours in line for a 40 second ride. Others in that line were waiting for their second or third trip on the coaster. They were literally waiting all day to ride a few more times before the park closed that night. It was that exciting.
To my fellow Christians, I have a tough question to ask. Why is it so easy for us to spend our cash and time waiting for something which only lasts but a few seconds, minutes, or hours, yet, we don’t get as excited about the soon return of Jesus Christ? I mean, I loved X2, but the Kingdom of God? Jesus in person? Sin destroyed? Immortality? All of these things crush the joy of the temporary rush found here on earth. If we’re willing to anxiously wait for a coaster ride, or a movie, or a concert, or anything, we need to also excitedly be waiting for Jesus to return.
As Paul put it, “Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.” In other words, understand what it is that you are waiting for. Understand the rush that awaits. Understand the excitement of that moment. And, as we did in line with the other coaster riders, share in that excitement. It will be the greatest ride in the history of the universe.
God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor—not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 (NLT)
Sex is a very powerful piece of our human existence. It is wonderful, amazing, awesome, and fun. God created it to be that way. Why? Because He realizes the power it has to unite two people into one. Sex bonds a couple at a very intimate level. It requires a vulnerability which allows a man and woman to experience freedom in ways that nothing else can. Of course, all of this was meant to be done within the confines of the marriage covenant (The I dos part of life).
Satan, who is amazingly good at taking something God intended for good and making it evil, has convinced the vast majority of the world that sex isn’t just for within marriage. In fact, sex can be with anyone at any time. With the advent of technology, one can participate in sex acts 24/7 in a closed room with nothing but a laptop or smart phone. The cold reality is that 79% of 18 to 30-year-old American men watch internet porn at least once per month, and 76% of 18 to 30-year-old American women report that they watch porn at least once a month. Even crazier is that the average age of exposure to pornography is around 11 years old.[1]
Here’s the deal. That porn consumption not only warps our sense of sex, it also leads to a whole host of mental health issues. In fact, “studies have found that frequency of porn use correlates with depression, anxiety, stress, and social problems.”[2]In other words, using sex outside of what God intended is destroying not only our soul, but our mental health.
No wonder Paul wrote with such a dire warning in our verse today, “stay away from all sexual sin.” It’s not to avoid fun. It’s to avoid pain and misery. We need to understand that God knows best, in all circumstances. He created sex, therefore knows the most about it.
If you need more ammunition to help decide about the harm of porn on our lives and our world, go check out a really cool docuseries at https://brainheartworld.org/. If you need help getting rid of porn in your life, visit http://gatewaytowholeness.com/. Both resources are free of charge and completely confidential.
[1] https://fightthenewdrug.org/by-the-numbers-see-how-many-people-are-watching-porn-today/, accessed April 24, 2019
[2] https://fightthenewdrug.org/overview, accessed April 24, 2019
I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations. ~ Psalm 57:9 (NLT)
Talking to people about God who don’t believe in God can be an interesting activity. Sometimes, you find a willing participant who asks good questions and genuinely wants to learn more. These often times turn into bible studies and baptisms down the road. Then there are the ones who are not as receptive. They shut you down. They’ve made up their mind, and they don’t want to hear anything to the contrary. You know, it’s like arguing with a flat-earther about the shape of the globe. There ain’t nothing going to change their mind. They are convinced that they know the truth despite any evidence suggesting otherwise. It’s frustrating, and often times feels like you’re talking to a brick wall. A waste of time.
Yet, God says not to back off on reaching out. In our verse today, King David (who knew a thing or two about arguing with thick-headed people) wrote, “I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations.” In other words, we’re not supposed to suppress the good news of Jesus Christ just because we think the audience might not listen. Nope. Instead, he says we should sing the praises of Jesus to all nations. This message about Jesus must go global.
So, how do we help to spread the gospel when there are so many jaded people out there? How do we get through to them? Here’s a couple of pointers.
The first thing to realize in sharing the gospel is that not all people will respond to it. Jesus Himself was crucified by the very people He came to save. Not even God Himself was able to convince a lot of people that Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior. But He kept teaching.
The second thing is to keep it simple. You don’t need to launch into an examination of Daniel and Revelation. Instead, share from your own experiences. Share stories. How do you know God is real? How have you personally seen Him working in your life and in this world? Jesus did all of His public teaching by using stories. It’s a pretty good model to follow.
Finally, bathe everything in prayer (and shower every day too). Pray for God’s words. Pray for His joy. Pray for His influence. Pray for His impact on those who hear the gospel through you. Pray. Pray. Pray. It’s in His power that people will be saved.
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. ~ Colossians 3:1-2 (NLT)
When I was in college, some of my friends and I would go out into the woods and do target practice with some rifles. We had targets which were fairly up close, and targets which were much further away. We’d keep track of who could hit the targets the most. There wasn’t really an award other than bragging rights.
On the property was a fairly big pond. It was probably about 100 yards wide. Toward the opposite shore floated a five-gallon bucket. Once we spotted it, the competition was on. The first one to sink the bucket wins! But, we decided to keep it interesting. We were only allowed to use our 22-caliber rifle. This rifle shot the smallest bullet of the bunch, so it would be much harder to actually sink the bucket. My friends started firing away. None of them even came close. In fact, all of their shots fell about five or ten yards short of the target. It was kinda cool to see the water splash up from the shots hitting the water (like in the movies). But the bucket stayed afloat. I took note of their technique and stepped up for my turn to fire. I decided to try something different. It worked. On the first shot, I nailed the bucket. On the second, the hole I made was right at the water line. The third shot send the bucket to the bottom of the pond. My friends were incredulous (they couldn’t believe what they just saw). They asked how I pulled it off when all of their shots fell short. My answer? I just aimed higher.
Our verse today tells us to do the same thing when it comes to our spiritual life. The apostle Paul put it like this, “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.” In other words, quit setting your sights so low. Look to Jesus. Look to God the Father. Listen to the heavenly voice of the Holy Spirit. Let them set your sights on loftier things than the world has to offer. Let them set your sights, your dreams, your ambitions, on eternal life in the Kingdom of God.
So, today, and every day, shoot for heaven.
You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. ~ John 13:13-14 (NLT)
I remember the first time I did communion on my own, as-in my parents weren’t there. It was at our high school and was part of a Friday night agape feast. My friend and I agreed to wash each other’s feet as part of the ceremony. As he peeled off his shoes and socks, and all too familiar smell began to emanate. You see, my friend had very stinky feet. And, here I was about to bend low and touch them. It was a bit gross, but I got through it.
When Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, he had to go through something which was ten times worse than just stinky feet. Back in the day, circa 30 AD, people walked everywhere in sandals. If you’ve ever hiked wearing just sandals, you know that your feet get caked with the dust of the trail. They look nasty. Of course, they weren’t hiking on pristine trails up in the forests of Oregon. They were walking the dusty streets of Galilee and Jerusalem. In addition to people, animals were using these same streets – donkeys, camels, sheep, and other land mammals. These animals, of course, were not potty trained, so would relieve themselves whenever nature called. So, mixed with the dust and dirt of the roadways was the pee and poop of hundreds of animals. Finally, the Middle East tends to be very hot. Heat in humans produces sweat. Therefore, their feet would have been caked with a combination of sweat, dirt, and defecation when Jesus sat to wash their feet. It was gross!
Jesus was trying to teach his disciples, including you and me, a big lesson. There is no one too dirty, to gross, too far gone, to be washed clean by Jesus. In addition, we, as followers of Jesus, need to do the dirty work of reaching those who believe they are. We must humble ourselves, get past our own hang-ups, and serve them. As Jesus stated, “And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet.” In other words, it is in humility that Jesus serves us, therefore, we must humble ourselves and serve others, no matter the dirt and filth which have ruled their lives.
So, today, and every day, humble yourself and serve. Look for those who Jesus calls you to encourage. Help those who need to be washed clean by Jesus Christ.
Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. ~ Ephesians 5:2 (NLT)
Have you ever been stuck in a room with someone who had really bad body odor? It’s pretty gross. I had an employee at one point in my life who had it bad. And, as a result, the other employees were in revolt, demanding that I punish this other employee for his stench. So, there sat John (not his real name) in my office. The odor in the room grew stronger by the second. I tried to figure out a nice way to tell John that he was grossing everyone out without hurting his feelings in the process. I decided to be direct (as I’m prone to do). I said, “John, the other employees are complaining about your body odor. What can I do to help you with that?” It sounded like a pretty good opening statement. Except, John’s reply was not what I expected. He said, “Well, what you can do about it is to tell those other employees to shut up and mind their own business.” He didn’t want to address his own issues. John lost his job that day.
I often wonder how our lives smell to God. I’m not talking about our real body odor after exercise. Instead, I’m wondering: Do the things we do in this life, the actions we take, the words we speak, the thoughts we think, glorify God as an act of worship? As the apostle Paul put it, “Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.”
The phrase, “pleasing aroma to God” is a reference to the Old Testament sacrificial system. The sacrifices that were burnt on the alter in the tabernacle for the forgiveness of sins were said to have a pleasing aroma to God. Why was it pleasing? Because it pleased God to forgive sin. It pleased God to see people desiring a closer relationship with Him. It pleased God because it demonstrated the importance He played in people’s lives.
Do you choose to live a life that is a pleasing aroma to God? What does your life smell like? Are you living a life of sacrifice and surrender for God’s kingdom? Do your words lift people up, or does your breath stink? Do your actions help others, or do they smell like b.o?
The wonderful thing is that we have a Savior who can wash us clean when we turn to Him. As one of our amazing worship songs states, “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. ~ Romans 5:8 (NLT)
I often times have an exercise I have people work through in a bible study or bible class. It shouldn’t be difficult, but it turns out to be. It’s actually quite simple. I have the attendees spend five minutes writing everything about themselves that they don’t like. Generally, they start writing immediately and come up with many examples of things they wish they didn’t have in their life. Sometimes it’s cosmetic stuff like their weight, height, eye color, hair color, jawline, big ears, or a hundred different body parts. The other items generally deal with their personality, and, sometimes, their addictions. The list can get pretty long. After the five minutes are up, I ask them to now spend the next five minutes writing about the things they like about themselves. This often causes people to stare at the wall, or their paper, for a good bit before they actually begin writing. The list develops at a much slower pace, in the end, it is usually less than half the length of their list of things they don’t like about themselves.
Why is it that it is so much easier for us to spot the negative things about ourselves than the positive? Why do we generally see ourselves in a negative light? And, if we see ourselves that way, why doesn’t God?
You see, God knows our thoughts, He knows our negative concepts, He knows our sin. Yet, He doesn’t dwell on those things. In fact, He looks past those things and sees the person behind it all. And, when He focuses in on you and me, He only sees somebody He truly loves. In fact, it was that love that carried Him to the cross and through the grave. As the apostle Paul stated, “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” In other words, Jesus didn’t say to Himself, “Well, maybe they’ll stop sinning someday and I’ll die hoping that’s true.” Instead, He knows the pain in our life, the sin, yet can’t stop Himself from loving each one of us so much that He chose to lay down His life in our place.
God sees you as a positive, not a negative. He sees you as His amazing creation. His list of positives regarding you would be so long it would wrap around the universe. Never doubt the love that He has for you. Never doubt that His sacrifice was for you. Never doubt that God actually likes you. And, never doubt that God will save you when you accept His sacrifice.
Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” ~ Luke 9:23 (NLT)
“Work smarter, not harder.” It’s a saying that I’ve heard from business executives for decades. The idea is that we need to think creatively about the problems a particular business faces to find a solution which doesn’t just add up to more work for people. For example, my friend works for the State of Oregon. She was recently hired to help manage their data, which is kept in Excel spreadsheets. She was given a project to re-sort all of the data in a very large spreadsheet based on a particular criterion found in one of the cells on the spreadsheet itself. Her boss and coworkers thought it would take her weeks to complete the project. It only took her about 10 minutes. How? She did some training in Excel in the past and knew that there is a tool in Excel which allows you to automatically sort data based on a set of criteria. She worked smarter, not harder. Had her coworkers stopped to even Google how to sort data in a spreadsheet, they would have known it was a simple task. Instead, for the past few years, they had been hand sorting everything by copying and pasting cells and rows. (BTW, if none of this makes sense, start learning Excel. It will help you when you get out in the real world. Unless, of course, you’re retired. Then, carry on!)
Unfortunately, we often times don’t take the smart route when it comes to our faith journey. As our verse today states, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” This is Jesus’ way of telling us to live our lives smarter by doing things His way. Why? Well, because He is uber smart, infinitely smarter than you or me. He knows everything about everything. He can see every angle of every situation. And, He always wants the best for each one of us.
So, His way is always going to be the best way to do things. Want joy in your life? Focus on the goodness of Jesus, not the negativity of this world. Want to experience true love? Then give love. Want to experience peace? Stop trying to work harder. You can’t fix the sin that is inside of you or in this world. Want to experience community? Invest in your church – not just pew sitting, but volunteer, serve, give. Want to experience salvation? Surrender your way of doing things and embrace the way of Jesus.
Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. ~ Ephesians 5:2 (NLT)
Sorry, teens. But your generation has been labeled as “entitled” by countless scholars, teachers, and pastors. You may be wanting to push back against that label, but let’s examine what it actually means. To be entitled means that you basically believe you should get what you desire. A prime example: Nearly every high school student has a cell phone. It’s considered a right of passage. When you reach a certain age, you get a phone. And, for the most part, they are nice smart phones. And, as I hear the stories, most of you teens didn’t buy them. Someone else used their hard-earned cash to get it for you (and pays the service on it). You genuinely believe you deserve it. Y’all feel entitled to your electronic ball and chain.
Ok, enough bashing on the teens. Adults, are we really that much better? My phone is generally no more than a foot away from me at all times. I digress.
Here’s the issue. We often times feel entitled to the blessings of God. Now, hear me out. God wants to give us blessings, and He does give us blessings. But, when we think we’ve earned them or somehow deserve them because of who we think we are or because of what we’ve done, we are entitled Christians. So, when the blessings don’t come, we get upset and begin to question God like a kid who didn’t get the phone they wanted. Let’s be clear. We’ve earned nothing.
However, Jesus tells us our lives must not be lived in entitlement. Our lives are to be lived in sacrifice. The Apostle Paul writes, “Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.” So, what does sacrifice look like? It’s pretty simple. Sacrifice requires us to give up something. As Christians, our lives shouldn’t be filled with wants, it should be filled with gives. (Horrible grammar, I know)
If we are to follow the example of Jesus, then we must be willing to sacrifice everything. Our finances, our friendships, our families, our careers, our academics, our athletics, our music, our entertainment, and, yes, our electronics, when God calls us to do so.
So, here’s your gut-check moment. What have you sacrificed for God’s kingdom today?
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. ~ Romans 8:28 (NLT)
If I can be completely honest with you all today, this verse was tough for me to swallow. Why? Well, as some of you know, I had a health scare a few years back and went to the emergency room with symptoms of a heart attack. To say that is was traumatizing would be an understatement. Having to tell your kids goodbye in the middle of the night and praying that you would actually come back to see them again is not something I wish on anyone. The good news is that all of the medical tests came back normal – my blood work, my EKG (they check the heart rhythms and circuitry to make sure it’s all working correctly), my pulse, my lungs, my arteries – everything checked out as OK. So, it was a medical mystery at the time.
To try and keep this story short, let me summarize the rest of the week. I continued to have symptoms for many days after my visit to the ER. Finally, God revealed to me that the issue was demonic – Satan’s minions were screwing with me. So, I changed my prayers from healing to deliverance, and the symptoms cleared up. Praise God!
It’s the aftermath from all of that which was tough. I have had anxiety ever since. Sometimes I can’t seem to get out of my own head. If I feel a twinge in my chest, or even for a moment feel lightheaded, my mind starts racing. The unfortunate reality is that this can occur on a semi-regular basis. I manage it through prayer, and some grounding, but it’s still there.
Why then did I choose this verse that Paul wrote over 1,900 years ago? Because I am claiming this promise, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” You see, I love God more than anything, including life itself. And though times can get tough, I know my God, my friend, my savior, is going to see me through. And now, I’m going to use this story to give Him glory. It’s one more piece of my testimony about how amazing our God is and how trustworthy His promises are.
Perhaps you can relate to what I’ve been through. Maybe you’ve had anxiety for years. Claim this promise today. And, if you’re willing, share with me or someone else so that we can lift one another up in prayer. God will come through.
For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time - to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. ~ 2 Timothy 1:9 (NLT)
Have you ever had déjà vu? If you don’t know what that is, here’s the quick definition: Have you ever had déjà vu? Sorry, couldn’t resist. Déjà vu is living a moment in life that you swore you’ve lived before. For example, you see a white cat run across the street just as a green car drives by. Your brain tells you that you’ve seen this exact scenario (every detail is precisely the same) before. It’s a bit trippy when it happens. It’s as if your brain is telling you that it has seen the future, and now it’s playing out just as it had seen it.
Of course, we can’t predict the future or see exactly how things are going to play out. We can’t even predict exactly what will happen from hour-to-hour, let alone years in the future. Sure, we can make predictions about how things are going to play out, but we’re gonna be wrong a million more times than we’re right.
Unfortunately, we sometimes put this human limitation onto God. We struggle with the belief that God can not only predict the future with 100 percent accuracy, but that He has also seen exactly how it will all play out – down to every detail.
In fact, God’s future-vision is so perfect that He saw you long before you were ever born. In fact, He saw you before He even created the world. What’s even greater than that is that when He saw you, He instantly loved you unconditionally. An unbreakable love was established for you. How strong was this love? Well, our verse today clues us in, “For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time - to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.” In other words, before God built the universe, His mad love for you caused Him to make a decision that would fundamentally alter the course of history. God knew He would die for you.
As Jesus hung on that cross, it wasn’t by accident, or by the power of the haters. Instead, it was déjà vu. God had already seen this all play out. It was His plan all along to lay down His life so that you may have life – eternal life. It was a fulfillment of His desire to show you just how much He loves you.
The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. ~ Psalm 23:1 (NLT)
I was watching a comedian the other night, and man, he was funny. The way he connected with the audience was truly amazing. An entire arena of fans was with him for every joke, every story, every piece of his comedic journey. His show was hilarious.
But, what struck me in the middle of the show was a story he shared about how he desired to have a Lexus. For those who don’t know what that is, it is a luxury car which is quite expensive. Why did he want it? Well, mostly because it was nice and comfortable. But, ultimately, reading between the lines, he was wanting a Lexus because it was a status symbol – something which let everyone else know that he was wealthy. OK, maybe I was looking at it a little too harshly. But, there were other hints throughout the show that told me I was on the right track. He joked about how much he was getting paid for the show. He joked about how he toured 46 weeks out of the year. He joked about how his mother had “given birth to an ATM.” So, I don’t think I was reading into the Lexus story too much.
Now, before we all jump on the “I hate rich people” bandwagon, let me state that having wealth is not an issue. The real issue is when the wealth defines who we think we are. Of course, it doesn’t have to be wealth which causes an identity crisis. It can be: job, sports, academics, popularity, or a million other things.
In real life, in our spiritual life especially, we must make sure our needs are not confused with our wants. As our verse today states, “The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need.” The key here is the role of the shepherd. A shepherd is responsible for taking care of his flock by: feeding it, providing water, protecting it from predators, caring for and healing any wounds, leading it to safe pastures, and returning the lost to the flock. In other words, a shepherd is responsible for every need of the sheep. The sheep don’t need to prove their worth to the shepherd. Instead, the shepherd shows the sheep their worth through his words and actions.
So, in this world, and into the next, know that your Shepherd, Jesus Christ, will take care of your needs. You don’t need a Lexus to identify whether you are important to Him. You don’t need a stash of cash to make Him pay attention to you. You are one of His sheep. He loves you, and will take care of you. In the good times, and the hard times, He’ll be there.
How amazing are the deeds of the LORD! All who delight in him should ponder them. ~ Psalm 111:2 (NLT)
Vulnerability (being open and honest with people about your life) is something that isn’t done much in today’s world. After all, if you are vulnerable, people can use it to shame you, or paint you as someone that you really aren’t. Sharing your journey with someone can easily be posted on social media by someone out of context, as a meme, or even just in truth, and then the trolls come out. Trolls are people who “troll” the Internet just to argue, bicker, and point fingers at people. Once the trolls have the information, they spread it far and wide as fact, seeking to discredit the person, or at least to make them look bad. As a result, people in this day and age are very hesitant to share anything personal with anyone.
The issue with this hesitancy to share has resulted several issues in life (and this list is not nearly complete): 1) Most people walk through life being fake because they are afraid to share anything with anyone. 2) People hold in all of their emotional baggage, because they are afraid to tell anyone they are hurting, which leads to behaviors like self-harm, eating disorders, porn, drug, and alcohol addiction, and even suicide. 3) It has led to a very sharp decline in the development of faith in our children. It’s this last one I want to zero in on today.
The testimony of God working in our lives is the most powerful, most convincing thing we have when helping others understand that God is real, He is personal, and He loves each one of us. Yet, we don’t share it because we fear the trolls of the world. Most don’t even share it with our own children (I’ve been teaching and pastoring high school students for a decade, and most of the students don’t know the faith journey of their parents).
But, the Bible tells us it must be different with us Christians. We should never fear proclaiming the great things, or even the good things, God has done for us. As the psalmist put it in our verse today, “How amazing are the deeds of the LORD! All who delight in him should ponder them.” Indeed, we shouldn’t worry about the trolls. We should take delight in the amazing deeds of the Lord. We should never be quiet about them. Tell your kids. Tell your neighbor. Tell your coworker. Tell your friends. Tell all who come into your life about what God has done. Share His goodness far and wide.
The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. ~ Psalm 19:1 (NLT)
Maybe when you were younger you used to do something that many of us did. I remember so many times laying on my back, out on a grassy field, looking up at the clouds and trying to decide what person, animal, landscape, or some other object, the clouds looked like. My friends would often join in, which made it even more fun since we would all see different, and usually crazy, things. Of course, there were the usual unicorns, bunnies, turtles, and horses that we saw. Then there were the castles, race cars, and fierce-looking knights riding on their noble steeds. We basically let our imaginations run wild. It was pretty fascinating what we came up with each time.
Of course, as we grow up, there doesn’t seem to be much time left in the day any more. Between classes, or work, families, and hobbies, our time each day seems to vanish. Finding time to actually just lay back and take in the skies becomes harder and harder to find. (Of course, in Oregon, some days trying to lay back and look at the clouds will result in you drowning!) It seems that other things in life crowd out stuff that we begin to deem as not necessary. I believe this is a huge problem.
Because God created the universe, His magnificent beauty is on full display for all to see. Whether it is up in the cosmos or in white fluffy clouds floating overhead, God built them not only to sustain our lives, but to bring awe to them.
In our faith, we need to recapture that awe. Sure, Bible study, church programs, Sabbath School, prayer time, outreach, are all very important to building and sustaining a faith. But, so is spending quiet time just soaking in what God has made. As King David put it in our verse today, “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.”
So, here’s my challenge to you. On a partly cloudy day, with no rain, find some quiet time, go layout, and look up. Whether it is at night to see the heavens, or during the day to marvel at the skies, let God recapture your imagination. What do you see? What do these things reveal about God? He gave you an imagination. Use it. Have fun. And, while doing so, give thanks to God for creating such marvelous things for us to see.
I will praise you seven times a day because all your regulations are just. ~ Psalm 119:164 (NLT)
I have a pastor friend who was relaying a story to me some time ago. He was talking about how discouraged he was at his church. He had been at the church for several years, yet had never received a thank you note, or so much as a “thanks,” for anything that he had done. He felt like a failure. He felt like none of his church members actually cared for, trusted, or loved him. One day, in a moment of pure truthfulness, he asked his head elder if the church members actually appreciated him as their pastor. (The pastor was thinking perhaps it was time to move on if they didn’t.) The elder responded with, “Oh, yeah, we all love you pastor! We didn’t want you to get prideful.” In other words, the church members never showed any appreciation because they didn’t want their pastor to develop an ego problem.
Of course, this story has nothing to do with pastors, really. It is starting to become a global norm that giving thanks is becoming less and less of a thing. We may nod or smile at someone who has done something nice, but actually showing gratitude seems to be dying out in this world. It’s sad, really. Gratitude goes a long way in helping people feel valued.
Unfortunately, in our faith life, this lack of appreciation can spread from our human relationships to our relationship with God. How often do we spend time actually just thanking God for who He is, what He has done, and what He promises to do? Is it only in song at church? Is it just when we pray before a meal? Does our gratitude only express itself during ceremonies, or do we let it pour out in our everyday life?
As the psalmist wrote, “I will praise you seven times a day because all your regulations are just.” I think it’s a bit weird to have a set number of times to offer praise and thanks to God, but let’s look at it this way. Doing so at that level would refocus us on the thankfulness we need to show to God. At this pace, we’d offer praises forty-nine times per week, 196 times per month, 2,352 times per year. (Not including the songs at church) It’s a good start, but I think we can do even better. We need to let our praises multiply with each passing day.
Today, and every day, when you remember God, see beauty, experience love, observe forgiveness, or a million other things to be thankful for. Stop, pause, and give thanks. After all, Jesus gave up His life to save you and me. We have everything to be thankful for.
Your laws please me; they give me wise advice. ~ Psalm 119:24 (NLT)
“Laws are made to be broken, man!” I’ve heard that phrase spoken out loud before. Several times in fact. The idea is that laws are only there to keep us from having fun. The only reason they exist is because some person, or people, decided that they didn’t want anyone enjoying life. So, they made up a bunch of laws to keep the human population from doing so.
While I may not agree that laws are made to be broken, I do have to admit that some laws leave me scratching my head. For example, in this great state of Oregon, it is illegal to go hunting in a cemetery. Or in South Dakota, it is illegal to sleep in a cheese factory. In Wyoming, you can’t take a picture of a rabbit between the months of January and April without first obtaining a permit from the state. In North Dakota, it is illegal to fall asleep with your shoes on. And, finally, in New Jersey, it is illegal for a man to knit during fishing season. Yup, these are all laws still on the books in this great land of ours. I’m pretty sure all of these get broken on a regular basis – well, maybe not the New Jersey one.
With the exception of silly, outdated laws, rules and regulations are actually put in place to protect people, animals, or property. They are intended for good, not for bad. Speed limits are to keep people from driving out of control. Stop lights are to make sure that intersections don’t become a free-for-all where the winner is the only car still running. Laws against violence are there to protect the innocent. While we may not like the laws, they are there for a purpose.
When it comes to the commands of God, the law exists for a very simple reason: It shows us how to strengthen our relationship with God and with others. We must note, too, that there are no head scratcher laws when it comes from God. All of His laws are perfect, holy, right. In other words, His laws help us understand how to live a life full of blessing, love, and wisdom. As the Psalmist put it in our verse today, “Your laws please me; they give me wise advice.”
The law is God’s wisdom revealed to us. He is helping us understand, from His perfect wisdom, how to keep us safe, how to love, how to respect, how to honor, and how to live a life worthy of the Kingdom of God. His laws give us peace, hope, and joy. His laws aren’t made to be broken. His laws are made to be embraced.
Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. ~ Colossians 2:8 (NLT)
There are lots of “experts” in the world today. Notice I put the experts in quotation marks because the word apparently doesn’t mean what it used to. In the past, an expert is someone who had a vigorous education in a subject which gave them unique research tools to study a particular subject. For example, a doctor would be an expert in treating human ailments. Why? Because they got into medical school (which requires a high GPA), studied for an additional four years beyond college on all things medical, spent a year as an intern, another year as a resident, and then spent every day since using all of those skills to get people healthy.
The sad reality is that we as a world, are slowly losing our ability to discern who is an expert and who isn’t. With the creation of the Internet, anyone can represent themselves as an expert on nearly any subject. Blogs and vlogs are beginning to replace schooling, and the knowledge gained from it. Those writing the blogs often times lack the tools to discern truth from fiction, but put their views out there for all to see. Rumor and gossip become truth without a shred of evidence.
Unfortunately, this worldview has a habit of making it into the church as well. And, it’s not a new thing. The Apostle Paul was warning his churches nearly 2,000 years ago of such an issue. He wrote to the church in Colossae, “Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.” In other words, if someone is trying to teach a theological truth that isn’t rooted in the Scriptures, using the verses in context, then they are spewing forth human reasoning and high-sounding nonsense.
We need to ensure we are teaching, and studying, from the source, the book, the Bible. Blogs, vlogs, daily devos, are great. But they can never take the place of the Word of God. Our faith must be firmly rooted there. Our education must begin and end in the Scriptures. When the Adventist movement first started out, we were known as the “people of the book,” because of our expert knowledge of the Scriptures. Church, let’s recapture that nickname.
Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. ~ Proverbs 2:2 (NLT)
Growing up, we didn’t have Ipods, Androids, MP3 players, tablets, laptops, portable DVD players, Switch, or a million different handheld devices to keep us entertained on long road trips. We couldn’t just play a game on our device, Facetime a friend, stream Netflix, or livestream how bored we were. We just sat there in the car. Hour after hour would crawl by.
However, there was one thing that perhaps helped to save our sanity. If you were lucky enough, you had a Walkman. For those who have no clue what that is, it is a battery-powered radio the size of a cellphone. Plug in some headphones and you got to listen to the radio rather than your annoying brother or sister. Back then, you couldn’t just punch in a radio station number, like 102.3. There was no scan or seek button that would magically scan the airwaves and stop when it found a station. Nope. There was a dial that you would turn which would move a vertical orange line across a bunch of numbers. You would move it very slowly, listening for the faintest sounds. When you started to hear something, you would then begin the process of tuning in the station, which was generally moving the dial very slowly back and forth until the station came in strong. You just prayed that it was the type of music you wanted to listen to.
In our completely digital word, we’ve lost most of our knowledge of how to tune things in. The computer chips do that for us now. But, when it comes to our spiritual life, it’s still very much analog. Tuning in the voice of God requires some work on our part.
When we are seeking God’s wisdom, direction, calling, whatever you want to call it, are we moving the dial slowly or racing through life? You see, when it comes to hearing God, you’ve got to slow things down and listen for Him. You’ve got to make the effort to tune Him in. That means focusing on Him. That means focusing on listening for His voice. That means when you start to hear Him, you focus even more intently so that you make sure you hear Him loud and clear. As King Solomon tells us in our verse today, “Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.”
Each day, spend time in prayer tuning into God’s wisdom. Spend time listening for His voice. You’ve asked something of Him, He’ll answer. But, you’ve got to be paying close attention to hear it. Spend time tuning Him in until you can hear Him loud and clear.
Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe. ~ Proverbs 2:11 (NLT)
Can you imagine a society where there are no consequences for doing evil things? Sure, we might feel good about not having to worry about getting speeding tickets. But, how about those that now are free to run red lights? Maybe we feel good that we wouldn’t have to worry about paying taxes. But, what about the fact that there would be no armed forces to protect our lives from those wishing us harm? Then, we ramp things up a bit. What if there were no consequences for rape or murder? People could do anything they wanted to you, including killing you, with no consequences. No trial. No sentencing. No jail time. It would be hell on earth. Having wise laws about how society is supposed to function is important. Having consequences for those that refuse to adhere to that wisdom is also important. Consequences remind us of who we are supposed to be.
The unfortunate reality is that we agree with the first part – there should be laws – but complain about the second part. We don’t like the consequences.
In our faith life, we often times behave this way toward God. His laws, of course, are wise and just because He is perfect and the source of wisdom. Therefore, His laws are perfectly wise. Yet, we’re not. So, often times we break one of the laws which God has laid down to help protect us. When we do it, often times Satan provides a bit of a rush because we’re doing something we know we shouldn’t do. Of course, this rush wears off, and then we must face the consequences of what we’ve done. Sometimes it’s legal troubles here on earth. But, most often, it’s a ding in our relationship with God and others.
It is in these moments which we understand what our faith is built upon. For those who have a strong (or growing) relationship with Jesus, we repent, we ask for forgiveness. We screwed up. We own it. Others blame God. We cry out “Why didn’t He prevent me from doing that?” or “That rule is stupid!” rather than taking ownership of our own dumb decision. It’s not His fault. It’s ours. Those consequences are a result of our sin. We need to own it.
So, praise God for His wisdom, even if you don’t fully understand it. Pray that He will give you His strength to follow it. When you accept His way of life, as King Solomon says, “Wise choices will watch over you.” In other words, we don’t have to worry about consequences.
Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instructions. ~ Psalm 119:29 (NLT)
There are a ton of reality television shows these days, featuring tons of ordinary people trying to make it big by competing in front of an audience of millions. One show, which has been on television for over a decade, called American Idol, promises those who can sing an opportunity at some serious cash and a recording contract.
As you can imagine, this appeals to millions of people every year who audition for the show. Some of them have amazing singing voices and can move up and down the musical scales with ease. Then there are those who can’t hold a tune if their life depended upon it. They are off key the whole time, they can’t figure whether to go up or down in their vocal range, and their timing is always early or late. In other words, they can’t sing.
It’s this latter group that is a head scratcher to me. Nearly every time they are voted off the show by the judges, it comes as a shock. They can’t believe that the judges (all of whom are professionals in the music industry) can’t recognize their talent. Arguments ensue, tears are shed, and basic tantrums are thrown, all because the person who can’t sing truly believes that they can – that they are the best. They have been lying to themselves so long that they can’t accept reality; which is that they aren’t good enough to make the cut.
The psalmist captures this concept perfectly today when he wrote, “Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instructions.” In other words, we are only fooling ourselves if we think we can live a life worthy of eternity apart from God.
When we believe that we don’t need God’s instructions for life because we’ve got it all figured out, we are arrogant. We are singing off-key. We deny the wisdom of an eternal, all-seeing, all-loving God because we’ve convinced ourselves that we know better than Him. We don’t need His instructions, His judgments. They just get in the way of what we want in life.
However, when we realize that we aren’t perfect, we can’t become perfect, we begin to realize our need of a Savior. We come to the understanding that we need His directions in our life to fully experience this time on earth, and the eternity to come. In short, we must realize that His instructions are perfect, holy, and good.
Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word. ~ Psalm 119:37 (NLT)
I have a lot of books. I think most pastors do, as we tend to read a lot to keep our knowledge fresh and to broaden our ministry tools. So, I have bookshelves full of books. I have books on shelves above my desk at home. I have books laying on both my desk at home and at the office. I even have books on my tablet. I don’t know the exact count, but hundreds.
Here’s the thing. At any given time, I probably have about a dozen books that haven’t been read. They are sitting there waiting to be read. But, I have to find the time and the motivation to actually pick one up and begin digesting the material. There are times when I can easily read several books in a week. Then there are times when it may take a month or two before I get through a single book. Consistency in my reading is not the best sometimes.
Of course, I can make excuses for not following through on my reading. I’m too busy with this or that. I got a few pages in and it just didn’t interest me. The book was recommended by someone, I didn’t really choose it. Or, I just want to chill and watch a movie. I’ll get to it later.
The sad reality is that these books have a great deal of knowledge, information, and wisdom to help me in my ministry and my walk with God. But, until I pick one up, the knowledge never makes it into my life.
It’s the same when it comes to God’s word. The truth is that most Christians never actually pick it up and read it for themselves. Even though the Bible is the number one best-selling book of all time, is generally sits on a shelf, or in a drawer, or is lost behind the couch, and gathers dust. The knowledge contained in those pages gives life. Yet, we don’t make time to take it all in.
As the psalmist penned in our verse today, “Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word.” So, what are worthless things? Excuses, lifestyles, hobbies, which pull us away from time with God. Busyness. Work. School. These are all important, but they shouldn’t take the place of quality time getting to know our Savior.
Take time each day reading God’s word. Pick a book of the Bible and just start reading through. Let the knowledge seep into your life. Let the information help you understand who God is, and who you are to Him. Let His promises permeate your soul. Read the book!
Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help. Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.” ~ Isaiah 58:7-8 (NLT)
There has been a post going around on social media. It is a picture of a sign out front of a church. It has a very simple phrase: “Just love everyone. I’ll sort them out later. - God.”
While there can be endless debates about the details of how one is saved (It’s through faith in Jesus, BTW), the message is so simply brilliant that it is causing a stir in the faith community. Most Christians would agree with this sign. The thought even ran through my head when I saw it, “Of course I love everybody. Duh!” But, there’s more to it than this.
Love can’t just be spoken. It must be acted upon. Love in word only is a Hallmark card meant to make someone feel good, but not really solve any of the issues they face. Spoken love must be followed by active love.
The Israelites were facing exactly this idea. They said they loved God, and they were trying to prove it by making sure they did all of their religious rituals perfectly. They fasted. They prayed. They kept the Sabbath perfectly. They gave their tithes and offerings. They read from the scriptures. Yet, God’s blessings were missing from their community. Why?
God sent the prophet Isaiah to tell them why. And, this is where our verses today come into play, “Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help. Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.” In other words, put your love for God into action by showing others love – not just in word, but in deed. In short, we don’t experience God’s blessings because we don’t bless others.
So, today, and every day, look for those who need to experience love in action. Look for those who have nothing, and give them something. Look for those who are feeling down or lonely and make a new friend. Look for those who need to experience hope, joy, and mercy, and show them Jesus.
Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. ~ Psalm 145:4 (NLT)
Have you ever hit the pause button on life and recounted the miracles that God has done? I mean, He created the universe out of nothing in six days! He caused the entire earth to flood and then dry again. He split a sea in two and created a path on dry ground through it. He caused fire to rain down from the sky to honor the prayer of his servant. He walked on water. He turned water into wine. He healed the sick and lame. He spoke and the dead raised to life. He conquered the grave forever. And this is just a small piece of His highlight reel! The Godhead has done some truly amazing things. They are AWESOME!
Of course, God’s miracles didn’t stop in 90 A.D when the Bible was completed. Instead, His miracles continue on to this day. The broken-hearted find love. The addicted are set free. Sick are healed. Yes, the dead are still raised to life! (True story. I know the guy.)
But, what about in your life? What miracles have you seen or experienced? (The answer can’t be none if you’re a Christian. Because the fact that we can call ourselves sons and daughters of God is a miracle in itself.) How have you experienced God working in you and through you? Really think about it. It’s important that you remember.
In fact, our verse today tells us not to just remember how God has worked miracles in the Bible and in our own life. It makes it known that we’re supposed to be telling our kids about those very things. Our verse today states, “Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power.”
Here’s why this is so important. Our kids, teens, and even young adults aren’t hungry for more doctrinal studies. They want to know how to experience God. The question I get asked the most about God is “How do you know?” As in, “How do you know He exists?” or “How do you know He cares?” or “How do you know He breaks addiction?” They aren’t searching for another Daniel and Revelation seminar on prophecy timelines. They are searching for an experience, a journey, a relationship with God.
So, parents, grandparents, community peeps, share your stories. Talk openly about the miracles of God. Let the next generation know how you know He is really who He says He is.
Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. ~ Psalm 34:5 (NLT)
My coach in high school had a crazy sense of humor. Given that he was less than 10 years older than most of us, he was basically like a big teen. I remember vividly on one trip to a basketball tournament we all decided to go and get food in the middle of the night – like 1:00 AM. We learned there was only one diner open at that time of night, so we all piled in the van and took off, not really sure where we were going (this was before the age of GPS). We found ourselves out in the country. It was pitch black. There was no moon out that night and no street lights; just darkness. Suddenly, our coach turned off the headlights and began screaming, “We’re all gonna die!” Given that none of us had ever been on this road before, and we were travelling at about 70 MPH, the odds were definitely in our favor. Here’s the thing, he left the lights off for a good 10 seconds – which seemed like an eternity. So, there we were, flying down the road, in the black of night, unable to see any turns, bumps, fences, potholes, or wildlife up ahead. Of course, while we were freaking out, coach was laughing hysterically.
Sometimes life feels like that moment. It moves so fast, and everything seems to be going well, when all of a sudden, BAM! Things get very dark. Whether it’s personal issues, family drama, addictions, the loss of friends, getting fired from work, or whatever horrible thing happens, it seems that the lights go out on life and we’re stuck in darkness.
King David was no stranger to this aspect to life. He had some big moments of darkness (I.e. He killed his best friend, slept with that friend’s wife, and lost the son which resulted from the affair). Yet, even in the darkness, he would remember his joy in life; his relationship with God. It’s because of this that he was able to pen our verse today, “Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.”
In other words, when we have a real relationship with Jesus, even in the dark times of life, we will still have joy. Joy doesn’t come and go like happiness can. Instead, joy is knowing that no matter what may come, your God will never leave your side and He is fighting for you every step of the way. Joy doesn’t leave when we screw up and sin. Joy is there to remind us that we have a Savior who forgives and who removes our shame. Joy is everlasting.
You rescue the humble, but your eyes watch the proud and humiliate them. ~ 2 Samuel 22:28 (NLT)
One of the shows my family and I enjoy watching is America’s Got Talent. This show features people from all over the world using their gifts (singing, dancing, illusion, comedy, etc.), to try and wow the judges, win over America, and eventually be crowned the winner.
A couple of seasons ago, the show brought back nearly all of the former winners from past seasons and the runner-ups. It was the cream-of-the-crop. The talent was amazing. The stories of many of the artists were truly inspirational. But what struck me the most was two of the contestants from England. Susan Boyle and Paul Potts. Both have extraordinary singing voices, yet don’t look the part of international superstars. They have both gone on to sell millions of albums and perform for sold out shows all over the world. Yet, every time someone paid them a compliment, they reacted with absolute humility. They weren’t the divas that singers often times can be. They answered with a simple, genuine “thank you.” They never pumped their fist, thumped their chest, or jumped up and down. They didn’t wear a cheesy grin. They simply were thankful for this moment in life.
Humility has a large roll to play in our faith. In fact, it probably is the most important thing for us to practice as Christians. Why? Humility means that the focus is always on something greater than us. Humility also dictates how close God is in our lives.
Check out our verse today, “You rescue the humble, but your eyes watch the proud and humiliate them.” Notice, God is close to us, He is rescuing us because we recognize our need of our Lord and Savior. But, when we think we somehow can manage areas of our life apart from Him, we will be humiliated when we discover that our human abilities, our human minds, cannot give us the joy and love which can only come from God. When we tell God, “I know better than you” in any area of our life, He honors our decision, steps back and allows the train wreck to happen. It is our choice to be prideful, after all.
Today, and every day, humble yourself before God. Accept that you need Him in control of every area of your life – career, school, friendships, finances, romance, family, church, where you live, and on and on. Then, be humble enough to let Him.
The LORD is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. ~ Psalm 145:18 (NLT)
I had a friend who came from a fairly well-to-do family (they were rich). He drove an expensive car, wore the top designer clothes and shoes, and basically looked the part. Of course, this made him attractive to several young ladies, one of which worked her way into his life. He really loved her. He showered her with amazing gifts. When they went out on dates, they went to the high-end restaurants. (By contrast, my first dinner date with my wife was to Taco Bell.) He used all the means at his disposal to help her feel valued and loved.
Then, it was all taken away. No, neither of them died. He got busted, and his parents cut him off from his cash (it was really their cash). No longer could he afford to buy expensive gifts for the love of His life. Within a matter of weeks, the girl broke up with him. It seems she was only interested in the relationship for what she could get out of it. She wasn’t really interested in the guy, just his money. She was a gold digger. He was devastated. He felt used, rightfully so.
Now, let’s bring this into the faith realm. The unfortunate reality is that we’re all the girl in this story. Every time we run to Jesus to get us out of a jam, to give us what we want, but only pursue Him when we need something, we’re gold diggers. We demonstrate that we’re not truly invested in Him. The only thing we appreciate is what He can give us.
King David, who was known to do this very thing, penned these words in our verse today, “The LORD is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.” Notice, He is close to those who come to Him in truth – not fakeness in a desire to manipulate Him into doing our bidding – but those who come to Him seeking, or having, a genuine relationship.
If you’re wondering why you haven’t experienced the closeness of God, you need to ask when the last time was you hung out with Him just to hang out. When was the last time you prayed because you felt like it, not because you needed something? When was the last time you sang praises to Him because He is worthy, not just because you liked the song? How often do you crack open the bible to learn more about Jesus, and not just to keep up with the adult quarterly or bible class? In short, you must pursue a genuine relationship to receive a genuine relationship. Only then will you experience the eternal closeness of our Lord.
For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. ~ Romans 10:10 (NLT)
Causes about helping the world to change are all the rage right now. There are causes which focus on the environment. There are other causes which focus on the plight of children everywhere, whether it be poverty, human trafficking (a cause which I am very passionate about), or whether cell phones are rotting their brains. Still, other causes focus on human gender and sexuality, how we view ourselves as humans. There are thousands of causes around the world focused on something which needs to be fixed. Millions of ads are purchased, billions of social media posts are made, protests and marches to raise awareness are held, and billions of dollars raised to help further one cause or another.
When it comes to speaking up about what we are passionate about, this world has made it easy for us to do. The simple fact that we now have an always-connected device nearby which can feed us information on one cause or another gives us a global reach to mobilize those who are passionate about similar causes, or to help educate those that we feel should be passionate about our cause(s). However, as Christians, there is a danger here. Those aren’t the main causes we’re supposed to be focused on. We get cause confusion.
While it is easy for many Christians to openly discuss politics, the environment, or any other cause, it is rare to see Christians openly passionate and outspoken about Jesus. Hence the confusion. Jesus must be at the center of all that we do, otherwise we have to question whether we have our priorities mixed up. The Apostle Paul put it like this, “For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” Notice that last part, we can’t be closet Christians. In everything we do, it should be made clear that our faith in Christ is the cause which drives the passion for our other causes; not the other way around. There should be no question that we are Christians.
Today, and every day, be passionate about Christ. Put Him as the priority above all other causes. Speak out about His love, grace, and mercy. Can we help our planet and society along the way? Yes. That’s how it’s all supposed to work. But we can’t be silent about our faith. Openly declare Jesus to others. Let Him be the cause which drives all of the other causes in life.
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT)
There is a fascinating episode that happens to every runner in a marathon. It is called “The Runner’s Wall.” No, it’s not a visible wall – though that would be a cool obstacle too. Instead, it is invisible, unseen, and you never know when you will hit it. The Runner’s Wall isn’t an actual physical barrier. Instead, it is a mental one. Their body is tired. It’s getting worn down. The race is over 25 miles long, and their body, at some point, will want to quit on them. The thoughts become overwhelming: Just walk a mile and you’ll be fine. You ran most of the race. Celebrate that fact and go get some ice cream! (Or, something along those lines.) Their thoughts, their mind, their body, is screaming at them to quit. Those that do quit have regret for giving in and not pushing on. Those that don’t quit understand how tough they actually are. That’s why even the person who finishes the marathon dead last celebrates. They not only conquered a ton of miles, they conquered their mind and busted through the wall.
We need to develop that same mental toughness when it comes to loving others. Love shouldn’t be something that we quit on when it becomes hard, when the person we’re trying to show love to is resisting, when they push back and make life difficult. Whether we are a parent, friend, pastor, teacher, or human being, loving others needs to be like a marathon. It’s for the long-haul. Love doesn’t quit when things get hard. Love bears down and pushes through the difficulty because it knows that there are better times ahead.
Our verse today echoes this concept when Paul wrote, “Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” Love is a marathon. We are called to give it, even when our mind, our enemy, is screaming at us to stop. Even in the midst of pain and sorrow, we must continue to speak and show love.
Today, and every day, recommit to loving others with a love that never gives up. Dedicate your day to living a life of love which never loses faith. Show others hope by loving them unconditionally. And, when things get tough, let your love for others endure through every circumstance.
No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. ~ 1 John 4:12 (NLT)
Ah, Valentine’s Day. The day when men go broke trying to prove to their significant other how much they actually love them. The words “I love you” are probably spoken a million times more often that day than any other day of the year. Roses are cut down in the prime of their lives. Strawberries are crushed beneath the weight of a loved one’s teeth. Enough candy is given, and eaten, to make the dentists of the world cringe in horror. (Of course, they make money off of people having rotten teeth, so how true is the horror, really?)
This begs the question: Why do we smother our sweethearts with love one day per year, but not so much the rest of the year? Sure, there are birthdays and anniversaries, but what about the other 363 or so days? Where’s the love?
Sometimes we project this cynicism onto God. We feel Him closest during the big moments of our spiritual life: Christmas, Easter, youth conferences, etc. But, how come He feels so distant during other parts of the year? There are a lot of reasons. I think the main one is a bit harsh, yet absolutely true. We don’t feel His love in a super powerful way because we aren’t focused on loving. We aren’t giving love.
Check out our verse today, “But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.” In other words, if we want to experience the “full expression” of God’s love in our life, we have to love others. When we are concentrated on ourselves, the love of God fades. When we are focused on loving others, the love of God grows in us. In short, we can’t experience the fullness of His love unless we are giving love.
So, it’s pretty simple. If you want to experience the fullness of God’s love on a daily basis, put loving other people first on your to-do list each and every day. As you serve, encourage, pray for, comfort, laugh with, cry with, and love others, you will begin to experience God’s love on a magnitude that, perhaps, you haven’t before. And, it occurs every day.
So, today, and every day, ask God to show you how to love your friends, family, neighbors, and strangers. Pray that He will allow you to experience the fullness of His love as you love others.
Hey everyone! In case you missed it, a new Daily Dose devo did not go out today. Let me fill you in as to why.
I have had a hard time sitting at my computer for the past week due to a very painful pinched nerve in my neck which has not allowed me to work on content. Since I upload a week’s worth of Dose content every week, the buffer which I had built up ran out today. My situation is improving, but it’s far from being back to normal. That said, don’t worry, I plan on posting more devotional content in the near future.
So, for the week of Thanksgiving (here in the USA), I will be taking a pause from posting to both my blog (which is at chadreisig.org) and on the Daily Dose Podcast. This is to allow me to heal a bit more, but also to allow me to focus on quality family time during this season of thankfulness.
I’ll be back at it the following week, assuming we all survive Black Friday.
Wherever life finds you this Thanksgiving season, I hope that God richly blesses you there.
Chad
Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. ~ Romans 12:10 (NLT)
In this world, there are lots of things we are told to love. We are supposed to love our jobs. We are supposed to love our phones (Tinder anyone?). We are supposed to love where we live. We are supposed to love our houses. In short, there are lots of things that we are supposed to love, and perhaps do (I actually love my job!). But, what about the things that matter most? Do we actually love them, or is it words only?
There is a movie set in the future (it’s a comedy) which has a scene of a futuristic Costco, which has basically taken over the entirety of the shopping world. As the main characters enter into the warehouse (which is about the size of the state of Colorado) a greeter looks at them with out any emotion, no smile, nothing, and says, “Welcome to Costco. I love you.” He keeps repeating the same phrase, with no emotion, to every customer who comes in. The words said “I love you,” his actions showed he actually didn’t mean it.
We are supposed to love one another. This might be easy for our immediately family, and maybe even our extended family of cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. But what about our classmates or coworkers? What about the person at church that just bugs the life out of you? What about the person on the street who is living one meal to the next, one night to the next morning? Do we love them? Perhaps you are able to answer yes. But, pause and think about the people you really, truly love in this life.
Our verse today says that we should, “Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.” Notice, it’s not a passive love that Paul is calling us to. He is calling us to an active love. When we love with “genuine affection,” there should be no doubt in the minds of those receiving the love that we truly mean it. Additionally, this love should be “honoring to each other.” In other words, we need to lift one another up. We need to respect each other. We need to celebrate when something good happens in the life of someone else.
So, today, and every day, ask God to show you how to live a life full of genuine love. Not the cold, emotionless, words-only kind of love. But and love that will help others know that you care and that they are honored and respected.
I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts. ~ Isaiah 57:15 (NLT)
One of the craziest games I played in high school varsity sports involved a basketball game my senior year. We travelled to play a team we hadn’t played before. Of course, going and playing a game on someone else’s home court is often times a bit more difficult as they not only practice every day on that court, they also have all of the student body and parents present to cheer them on. This is called the “home court advantage.”
As the game began, it was clear that the intensity of the other team was much greater than ours. They jumped out to an early lead and it kept growing and growing. By halftime, we found ourselves down by over 20 points – which, in a high school basketball game, is rarely overcome. At half time, we entered the locker room with our heads held low. The coach just looked at us and uttered the words, “You guys figure it out for yourselves,” and left the room. What proceeded from the team was a shouting match at one another for poor play. However, something unexplainable happened. We began to admit our own failures and apologizing to our teammates for letting them down. It was pretty awesome. As the second half began, the intensity and teamwork belonged to us. We fought. We played hard. We worked together. We won by two points as my friend hit a buzzer-beater to clinch the victory. Our comeback was complete, and we stood victorious. We learned a lot about humility that day.
Humility plays a key role in our faith journey with Jesus as well. Check out our verse today, “I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.” Humility, for us in relation to Jesus is realizing this: It’s not about me. Humility is admitting that each one of us have screwed up, and we need to own it. When we are humble enough to admit that we are sinners in need of a Savior, our spirits are revived. When we humble ourselves and seek God’s forgiveness, we become courageous. When we submit to His will, His team, we become fearless and confident. But, not for our own purposes. Instead, we become fearless in serving the Kingdom of God.
So today, and every day, humble yourself before God. Realize each day your need of a Savior. Ask for, and thank Him for forgiveness. Find restoration. Find courage in Christ.
People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. ~ 1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT)
There has been a new campaign in modeling that is quite revolutionary. Many models, including super models, have begun to produce content (pictures) that are unaltered. They often times will have pictures done without any makeup or, some models, have begun putting a clause in their modeling contracts that prohibits the photo editors from altering the image. (For those who are unaware, nearly every image in a magazine or used for marketing purposes is digitally altered to make the models look more “beautiful.”) They want the world to see that even those who make a living off of their looks have blemishes too.
Additionally, there has been a rise in what is termed “plus-sized modeling.” These men and women have curves and a little meat on their bones. Why? Because there is a movement which is stating that models should mirror what most women and men in society look like.
Though I applaud these efforts and making models appear more lifelike, we’re still missing the mark when it comes to beauty. We are still judging by outward appearances. And, in many ways, we do the same thing when it comes to faith.
We often times judge the popularity, or celebrity, of a Christian by how well they christian (yes, I made it into a verb). Do they say they proper things? Do they pray in King James English (my personal favorite)? Do they dress the proper way? Do they preach relevant sermons? Do they teach Sabbath School? Do they hold Bible studies? Now, don’t get me wrong, these are all good things (Except maybe the praying in King James English). But we can’t judge someone by their appearances. We have to look deeper. We have to look at their heart.
As our verse today states, “People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” In other words, why are they doing what they are doing? Is it all for show, or is it genuine? Are they the same Christian at home as they are in public? Do they actually believe what they preach, teach, and do? Do they have a Christlike attitude, loving everyone? Do they exhibit humility or pride? These are all ways to judge someone’s heart.
May we be more like God. May we look at people’s heart, not their appearances. May we worry less about our own Christian look, and pray that the Lord produce in us a pure heart, full of pure motives, full of His undying love. May our Christianity be unaltered.
I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called--his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. ~ Ephesians 1:18 (NLT)
If I wasn’t a pastor, I think it would be a good career move to become a weather forecaster – especially in Oregon. You literally get paid to be wrong a lot of the time. Think about it. A structural engineer makes an oops, and the bridge they built based on his calculations falls down. A teacher makes a mistake, and a student can carry that incorrect information with them for a lifetime. A pastor makes a mistake and people call for his dismissal not only from the job, but from the denomination. But, here in Oregon, a weather person makes a mistake and everyone just brushes it off. Not a bad gig.
Of course, meteorologists (the actual name of the job) hedge their bets by assigning a confidence level to their predictions of what will happen weather-wise. For example, tonight, here at my home, there is a 70 percent chance that it will rain and/or snow at some point today. Tomorrow, their confidence in the forecast goes up to 90 percent. Then on Sunday, it drops down to 40 percent. In other words, they are assigning a ranking as to how sure they are that what they predict is going to happen. A low number means, eh, it might happen, but don’t count on it. A high number means it’s probably going to happen, be prepared.
In your Christian faith, how much confidence do you have in Jesus delivering on His promises? 40 percent? 60 percent? 100 percent? Take a minute before you answer. Do you believe with absolute surety that Jesus accepts you, will save you, and will take you home?
The apostle Paul shared this beautiful sentiment, “I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called--his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.” In other words, may you be flooded with the power of God so that you may have assurance, 100 percent confidence that Jesus does indeed 1) accept you; 2) will save you; and 3) will take you home.
Today, and every day, embrace that hope. Embrace the confidence that comes from a relationship with Jesus. Praise Him for His guarantee. With Him, there are no guessing games and forecasts. With Jesus, it’s a sure thing.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. ~ Proverbs 3:5 (NLT)
If you have ever driven around the downtown of any major city you know the headaches it can bring. In particular, those headaches can be brought on by the miracle of modern engineering called one-way streets. On a one-way grid, you have to figure out how to turn left or right onto another street when the signs say you can’t. So, round and round the block you go – often times turning left three times so you can go right one time. (For those of you who don’t drive yet, just wait. Your time will come. Then you’ll understand.)
I found myself in just such a situation in downtown Seattle. I had a van full of teens, as we were heading to a worship conference hosted in that city. I was trying to get us to the hotel we were staying in for the weekend, but my phone’s GPS couldn’t locate it. (This was a decade ago, Google maps was not nearly as reliable then.) Eventually, I spotted the sign for the hotel and turned down the street heading in that direction. I heard gasps and a bunch of “ummmmmms” coming from the back seat. I passed cars heading in the opposite direction and the drivers looked at me like I was crazy. Yup. I turned down a one-way street, heading the wrong direction. The students were laughing and saying things like, “Didn’t you see that giant ‘Do Not Enter’ sign back there?” Uh, no. I did not.
Driving a vehicle in unknown territory can be tricky. But, navigating life is even more complex. In addition to trying to choose from the millions of paths we can take (school, friends, career, spouse, house, etc.) there is a supernatural world all around us. One side of that world is trying to keep us safe, while the other is trying to destroy us. Additionally, we’re sinners with a flawed brain. As a result, always making the right choices on our own is impossible.
This is why King Solomon penned these words, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.” Only Jesus can see the warning signs. Only He knows how to navigate the craziness of the maze of paths before us. Only Jesus knows where home is. Therefore, only Jesus can lead us there.
So, today, and every day, lay down your own understanding of the world, of life, of God, and put your trust in His directions. He’ll never steer you wrong.
My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying. ~ Proverbs 3:1-2 (NLT)
Over the years, I’ve had many lockers. Whether it was Jr. High, high school, or athletics, I had a place to throw all of my junk – oh, and my books and stuff. With each locker came a unique combination in order to open the lock. The combination was set by the school (the locks were built into the lockers), so we didn’t get to choose the numbers for the lock. For a person that is a bit forgetful, remembering stuff can be a challenge. Remembering a set of three numbers per locker (which I didn’t pick) sometimes proved a bit challenging. Imagine racing between classes, trying to beat the bell to class, when you are standing in front of your locker and can’t recall the combination. In addition, the book and homework you need for the next class are securely locked inside. It was not fun. Plus, the school I attended had a “Locker Combination Retrieval Fee” of $20. So, after paying my fine, and getting a tardy for class, I’d do my best to remember the combination – at least for a few weeks.
Storing stuff securely isn’t just for our school years. As adults, we have locks on our homes to protect the valuables, and the loved ones, inside. We have safes to keep all of our important documents and treasures secure from disasters and/or thieves. Making sure stuff doesn’t go missing becomes more important as we move on in life, not less.
King Solomon also believed that locking things in a secure location was important. Not just his treasury of gold and silver, but also God’s instructions. In God’s wisdom, Solomon wrote, “My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying.” In other words, don’t let a thief (AKA Satan) steal the peace from your life by getting you to let go of what God has instructed you to do. Protect it. Live it. Know it. Follow it.
His instructions bring not just peace and joy in this life, but lead us on the journey to eternal life in a perfect kingdom with an all-loving, all-powerful, all-amazing God. And, as we discussed in yesterday’s devo, we store them in our heart. Why? Because those instructions begin and end with a loving relationship with the God of the universe. Because they are important to Him, they must be important to us.
And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. ~ Deuteronomy 6:5 (NLT)
“Rules without relationship breads rebellion.” This is a phrase I’ve heard spoken many times over the years. Generally, I’ve heard it said about students in school who disagree with the school’s standards. The concept of this quote is pretty straightforward. If all you are ever doing is telling people what they are doing wrong, they will eventually stop caring that they are doing wrong and, in fact, begin to do wrong on purpose just to irritate you. Why? Because there’s no relationship. At that point, you’re viewed as a dictator who doesn’t care for the person, just their compliance. But, rebellion doesn’t stop with just students.
Many police forces have begun to adopt a new strategy in helping keep the peace. They are sending officers into neighborhoods that have traditionally been hot beds for murder, violence, drugs, prostitution, and other evil acts, not to look for lawbreakers, but to meet the people. Some police departments have gone so far as to hold regular block parties and barbeques so that citizens can meet the police men and women, getting to know them on a personal level. They have found good success with this strategy. Why? Because relationships are the key to obedience. When you know someone, respect someone, then you honor them in word and action. Of course, we should already know that as Christians.
Jesus is often quoted when giving the Two Greatest Commandments (Matt. 22:36-40) – Love God, love others. But, most people don’t dig beyond His quote in the New Testament to find that Jesus was actually quoting from the Old Testament. In fact, our verse today is found buried in Deuteronomy 6:5, “And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.” And, as you read through the rest of the chapter, you realize that this verse is leading into a whole lot of commands from God – rules, laws, directions to follow.
You see, God realizes that relationship is the most important thing. In fact, He desires a tight, eternal relationship with each one of us. It is only through this relationship that we can be, and desire to be obedient. When you know someone, respect someone, then you honor them in your word and action. Keeping God’s law begins and ends with loving Him.
A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays calm when insulted. ~ Proverbs 12:16 (NLT)
When I began college, I was sure I wanted to be an attorney. It is a noble profession, after all! Well, some of them are noble... I quickly switched majors during my sophomore year to history, but kept my interest in law and business, declaring a business minor. As such, I was required to take several classes on accounting, economics, personal law, business law, and, one of my favorites, argumentation. The last one is basically the art of debating. Probably one of the biggest lessons I took away from the course was something simple the professor used to say, “The first one to lose their cool loses the debate.” Why? Because once emotion begins to rule in the debate, it becomes less about facts and reason, and more about pummeling the opponent. Personal attacks begin and there are no winners anymore – just an ugly fight. In my opinion, there are a few billion people who need to take Professor Kinney’s class.
In our world today, an exchange of ideas based on thought, reason, and compassion is a very rare thing. Instead, conversations turn openly hostile over any perceived slight. And, to make matters worse, the news media doesn’t help. In fact, if you haven’t watched news programming in the past five years, consider yourself blessed. I would wager that close to 90 percent of all news coverage these days is about one person, or group, hating on another person or group. It’s not news. It’s like a daytime talk show which gets everyone riled up!
As Christians, we are called to be better than this. However, the unfortunate reality is that people that identify as Christian are some the of the biggest offenders. Arguments turn into fights with each group calling the others hypocrites, of heretics (people that spread lies about God), or scum. They call for the purging of the churches of those who disagree with them. It’s petty and ridiculous. It’s also ironic. The Jewish elite said the same thing about Jesus and His disciples. In fact, they called those people scum.
King Solomon had some wisdom to share in this area. He wrote, “A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays calm when insulted.” In other words, if you’re consistently losing your cool, trolling people on the Internet, writing anonymous letters to church leaders, and so on, then you are a fool. We need to be able to have conversations, not childish fights and temper tantrums. Be wise. Stay calm. Engage in conversation. Keep your cool.
Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions. ~ Psalm 119:18 (NLT)
The word truth seems to be a relative term these days. In the era of fake news, opinionated-facts, and other countries producing misleading content for us, trying to discern the fake from the not fake can be difficult. Of course, generally looking at the website address of the article will tell you whether it’s somewhat trustworthy or totally bogus. Unfortunately, too many people don’t dig that deep and they buy the lie, or at least the half-truth.
Then there are teenagers. (Yes, I’m going to pick on you guys for a moment.) They know their “truth” but have no idea why they know it. They are sure they’re right, but don’t know the reasoning behind it. Perhaps it just feels correct. This is why parents struggle with kids in their teens. They are old enough to think they know enough to overrule their parents. They believe that the truth that the parents know doesn’t apply to them or their life situation. So, they do things that don’t seem bad in the short-term, but turn out bad in the long-term. Parents tell kids to sit up and not slouch. Why? Because when you hit your 40s, all those years of slouching turn into aching. And it only gets worse as you age. Parents tell their kids to talk about their issues with others. But teens keep it bottled up. Years later, they come apart at the seams because of the stress, guilt, and shame and self-medicate with drugs, alcohol, sex, self-harm, or any other vice. You can’t trade only a decade and a half of experience for four to five decades of wisdom. Parents can understand the impact in mid-life that those teenage decisions had.
Of course, we are all like teens – even if those teenage years are a distant memory. Our Holy Parent, you know, God Almighty, has the same issues with us. He asks us to do certain things in life to help us be productive, on sure footing, to find peace, hope and love, but we overrule Him. Why? Because we know better. And, in the short term, we may not experience those aches and pains, those regrets and shame. But, eventually when we don’t follow God’s directions, our spiritual life becomes damaged, and there are eternal consequences.
This is why we must embrace our verse today. As the psalmist wrote, “Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions.” Our four to five decades pale in comparison to the wisdom of our Father who has existed forever.
“You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all?” ~ Mark 8:18 (NLT)
There are two words which spark my ire as a historian (I actually have multiple degrees in history), “revisionist history.” Now, let me explain. Revisionist history isn’t going back and fixing historical inaccuracies in our understanding of an event, time period, social movement, or even conflict. Instead, revisionist history seeks to rewrite what actually happened to help further one’s opinions or politics. This type of history ignores solid, factual documentation, and instead relies upon less trustworthy sources, words taken out of context, and trying to read into it a 21st century worldview even though the event(s) happened in a different era with different customs, ethics, and social norms.
Prime examples of revisionist histories that are happening right now are some far-flung efforts to deny the holocaust ever happened, that Abraham Lincoln was homosexual, and that the earth is flat, not round. All of these theories, of course, fly in the face of a ton of historical information which gives definitive proof otherwise. It drives me nuts.
Of course, the chief revisionist historian is Satan. He loves to rewrite histories – even those of the disciples. Check out our verse today, “You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all?” These are the words of Jesus to his disciples who had totally forgotten that Jesus fed over 5,000 people with a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish – never mind the fact it had just happened. He wants us to forget the power, miracles, mercy, compassion, grace, and love of God. Satan goal is to rewrite what we’ve experienced with God (or forget it all together) so that we lose track of truth.
The reality is that we fall for these revisions to our spiritual history. In our own lives, we forget the amazingness of God. We chalk His miracles up to chance or coincidence. We forget the joy we felt when His Spirit entered into our life for the first time. We forget the sacrifice He made on the cross and His offer of salvation to everyone.
So, today, and every day, spend a moment reflecting on what God has done for you. If you’re a writer, journal it. Things tend to stick more when we write them down. And, as you remember them, thank God for His faithfulness, His truth, and His history.
The LORD is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. ~ Psalm 118:14 (NLT)
As a nation, the USA has been obsessed with fitness for the past few decades (Which is a great irony considering that over 71% of the population over the age of 20 are overweight[1]). Being strong, or at least in-shape, is a goal that many of us have.
Back in the 80s, and even in the 90s, televised workout shows were the thing. For 30 minutes, you could jump, kick, jive, and dance as you followed your TV instructor while listening to the latest tunes. It was the way to get in shape, particularly for women, in the safety of your own home. It also meant no one was watching you try to dance.
Of course, today, those shows are mostly a distant memory. Instead, we now have episodes that feature incredible feats of strength like American Ninja Warrior, or the latest, Titan Race. These shows don’t feature cool music, but obstacle courses which require brawn and brains to solve. However, you can’t really play along with them – unless you build an obstacle course of your own. Though we don’t get stronger by watching these incredible men and women, we appreciate and admire their strength.
Of course, in our spiritual walk, how often do we stop to admire the strength of our God? How often do we stop to ponder that He holds the entire universe together? How often do we think about the will-power to overcome sin and face the cross? In short, we need to make sure to give God His props. As the psalmist wrote for our verse today, “The LORD is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.”
You see, God doesn’t show off His muscles for entertainment, or a paycheck for completing a difficult obstacles course. Instead, He uses all of His strength to save us from this world, from ourselves, from sin, and from the clutches of darkness. He uses His power to overcome death and the grave, guaranteeing that we will have eternal life through Him.
So, today, and every day, give praise to God for His mighty power. Thank Him for using His strength to love you. Give Him props for using His strength to save you. Give Him praise in song, words, and action. For, as the psalmist says, “he has given you victory.”
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/obesity-overweight.htm
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. ~ Isaiah 41:10 (NLT)
Fear is very real in this world. People are afraid of a number of things. In fact, there are thousands of phobias (or fears) which millions of people have. Some of them are kinda weird (Koumpounophobia is the fear of buttons), while others are life-altering (Sociophobia is the fear of people) and drastically affect every-day life.
Of course, then we, as a society, celebrate those fears by creating entertainment content to prey on the fear within each one of us. The horror genre is huge in Hollywood. Additionally, there are TV shows, webisodes, podcasts, and tons of other media outlets that help us to experience fear. Scaring people is big business. It’s worth billions of dollars.
Our enemy, Satan, embraces this concept wholeheartedly. He loves to prey on our fears – especially when it comes to our eternal salvation. He has convinced millions upon millions of people to abandon their pursuit of God by painting Him as someone who loves to judge and destroy people, rather than as someone who loves to forgive and save.
Even within the Christian community, Satan has created fear. He gets us to believe that we are not good enough for God to want us. Or, that we are too damaged for God to accept us. So, we become afraid of what God thinks of us. It can have eternal consequences.
This is why I love the Bible so much. It tells us about the real God. And, guess what? He is desperately seeking and loving people. He isn’t a God of fear. In fact, He is the God who conquered all of our fears. He is victorious! Check out what He has to tell us in our verse today, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” In other words, our awesome, amazing, loving, all-powerful God isn’t about fear tactics. Instead, He is out to conquer all of our fears and give us that amazing assurance of salvation.
So, today, and every day, when Satan tries to use his fear tactics on you, remind him that you have no reason to be afraid. Satan is defeated. Jesus is victorious. God is with you. And, it is in His strength that you are held securely in His hand.
Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble, but he keeps his distance from the proud. ~ Psalm 138:6 (NLT)
There is often a fine line between confidence and arrogance. Confidence is knowing, believing whole-heartedly that something is going to happen and choosing not to worry about it. Arrogance is more along the lines of knowing that something is going to happen and that you are the one who is going to make it happen because you are awesome. In many ways, arrogance is a prideful confidence. It’s all about you.
A prime example of the differences between the two can often be seen in sports, especially the NFL. Confidence is when the players believe in one another, their coaches, their game plan, and their abilities. They are prepared and are ready to help make things happen and believe they will win the game. Arrogance is the star wide receiver talking trash before and after the game about how great he is and that no one can cover him. Additionally, he grabs the credit for single-handedly winning the game. Confidence is a team that loses and doesn’t blame each other. They remain steadfast in their support and believe they will bounce back in the next match. Arrogance, after a loss, causes that same wide receiver to complain about not getting the ball enough, the officiating, and the coaches. Arrogance is pride being verbalized.
King David certainly had his moments of humility and pride (arrogance). So, David is an kind of an expert on these things It’s from this wisdom that King David penned our verse today, “Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble, but he keeps his distance from the proud.”
Essentially, what David is telling us is that we must be humble enough to realize that we need God in every aspect of our life – that He is Lord. When we are humble, we realize how small we are, and how great God is. But, when we are prideful, or arrogant, we only want what we want. It’s not about God, or our relationship with Him. It’s about what He can do for us. How He can make us great. As David points out, God chooses to care for those who want Him in their lives, who realize how great He is, not those who want to use Him as a magic genie to get out of a jam or to demonstrate how great they are.
Every day, give yourself a gut-check. Are you choosing God out of humility (I need Him, I trust Him, He is Lord) or out of pride (I want Him to do…for me)?
As soon as I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me strength. ~ Psalm 138:3 (NLT)
Have you ever seen the movie Zootopia? If not, you’re missing out on a pretty funny, and cute, Disney story. One of the most remembered scenes, and probably the funniest, is when the main characters are forced to go to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to gain some information on a bunch of unsolved kidnappings. When they get there, they discover that all of the employees are sloths. For those who live in a cave, a sloth is a medium sized furry, cuddly creature with very long limbs who loves to hang out in trees and eat leaves. Perhaps the feature they are most known for is that they move very, very slowly. Every action is in slow motion. Want to swing over to that branch which is a foot away? That’ll take five minutes. (OK, I exaggerate a bit. But not much.) The reason the movie scene is funny is that the main characters are in a bit of a rush, but the sloth employees are moving in super-slo-mo. It is frustrating to say the least. There is much wailing and gnashing of teeth as they wait for the answers they are seeking. Eventually they get the information and they are off and running.
Sometimes it seems like God has sloth-like tendencies. I mean, I throw up a prayer for guidance, healing, or a million other things, and the answer takes forever to come back; if at all. It’s like He’s moving in extreme slo-mo.
In contrast, we have this verse out of the Psalms which has a different take on it, “As soon as I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me strength.” This doesn’t seem to make sense with my own, personal experience with prayer. The answers don’t come quickly.
I believe what the Psalmist meant was that as soon as our prayers go up, God begins to take action. Of course, we’re super impatient. We want things done immediately. But God wants them done perfectly. Perfection takes time. So, though we often don’t get an immediate answer, it is probably because God is lining everything up to provide the perfect answer.
Prayer begins and ends with trust in God. We must trust that He will answer (even if it’s “no” and we don’t like it) in His own time as He provides us with the perfect answer for our unique set of circumstances. He’s not being a sloth. He’s being God, looking at all the angles, options, and possibilities before giving us the perfect answer.
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. ~ Ephesians 1:13-14 (ESV)
“Come with me if you want to live.” It’s one of the most iconic lines delivered in the cinematic universe within the past 30 years. In fact, the actor who delivered it is known for his one-liners in movies. It is none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger. The line was uttered to help those he was trying to save realize the enormity of the moment. If they stayed where they were, they would die. If they followed him, they would live. And, as with any good action movie franchise, they decided to stay and die. They acknowledged the hero, but decided to do their own thing instead. Oh, wait. Nope! They ran with Arnold and lived!
Do you understand that right now you are faced with death, eternal death, when you choose not to accept Christ fully into your life? Sure, many acknowledge that Christ died for their sins, and that is amazing! But, to belong to the Kingdom of God you need to embrace His way of doing things. It’s not enough to simply acknowledge the Hero. You must follow Him if you want to receive eternal life.
The Apostle Paul had some very strong words on what our Christian life must look like, “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” In other words, you must allow the Holy Spirit into, and be Lord of, your life in order to receive the “inheritance” which Christ promises you. What’s that inheritance? Eternal life in the Kingdom of God. To put this into a modern context, Paul is telling you that the Spirit is calling, “Follow me if you want to live.”
Unfortunately, many of us choose to live life on our terms rather than according to the Holy Spirit. I’m not talking about mistakes. I’m talking about choosing not to listen to God’s direction out of pride. The “I’ve got it from here, God” attitude. This is not only dangerous, but will lead to our eternal demise. We don’t have the keys to the Kingdom of God. We don’t have a roadmap of how to live this life, or the next one. Only God, through the Holy Spirit, has those.
So, today, and every day, choose to follow the Spirit if you want to live.
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. ~ Ephesians 1:3 (NLT)
Some time ago, I was offered a job which seemed like a perfect fit. The location would have been very good for my family. The pay would have been a little better than I was receiving at the time. The work hours would have been substantially less than I was working. The team which was assembled to work with me were all long-time professionals who knew how to get the job done. Many of my friends who worked in the area reached out to me and highly recommended that I take the job. Everything looked like it was pointing for me to take the job. That is, everything except a still small voice which was telling me not to take it.
After a lot of prayer, I turned the job down with some hesitation, because it looked like a great opportunity. The Holy Spirit had never led me wrong, and He never will.
It turns out the job wouldn’t have been anything like was promised. The work environment was toxic. Employees held grudges and hated change. Anyone who would suggest a change would immediately be condemned. The board of directors couldn’t agree on any direction for the organization and had burned through several leaders in just a few short years. In other words, it was a hidden blessing not to have taken that job.
The Apostle Paul was no stranger to following the Holy Spirit. He abandoned his former life of luxury and honor to pursue life as a tent-maker who was constantly battling to share the gospel message about Jesus Christ in foreign lands. Yet, despite the hardship that Paul faced, he never lost track of what was truly important – the Kingdom of God.
In his letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul penned our verse today, “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.” Notice that His focus for blessing is not necessarily in the here-and-now of earth. Nope. Instead, Paul’s focus is on the blessing of belonging to the Kingdom of God. His salvation is secure in Jesus Christ, and no one can change that.
No matter what happens in your life, stay connected to Jesus. Listen for that still small voice to lead you. And, keep your eyes fixed on the Kingdom. Don’t chase what seems like good opportunities. Chase after what is eternal and heavenly.
O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, what joy for those who trust in you. ~ Psalm 84:12 (NLT)
Have you ever taken the time to look up what your name means? If not, you should do it sometime. It’s much easier than in days past when you had to go to a library and find a book to do some research. Now, a simple Google search will give you some clues about what your name indicates about you. For example, when you Google my name (Chad) one of the definitions is: “Battle, Warrior.”[1]Of course, in many respects, I’m a lover, not a fighter. But, yes, I can throw down over the things that are important in life, such as my faith, family, and friends.
Of course, in modern society, we often times don’t give a lot of thought to the meaning behind names when we stick one upon our babies. For example, both my kids have names that we just thought “sounded right.”
But, back in the times of the Bible, and in many cultures around the world still today, names were carefully chosen to represent a characteristic of the person or for a historical event that had happened. This is true not just for people, but also for God. Though in western civilization we often just use the generic “God,” or Jesus, or Father, or Lord, in the Scriptures, God has a ton of names – each one demonstrating a characteristic about who God is and how He relates to us.
In our verse today, we see one of those names, “Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” In our English language, this evokes images of power – a mighty warrior. In the Hebrew, this translates to: “Yahweh Saba” which means “Lord of those who wage war.” Pretty cool, right?
Additionally, this verse comes with a promise in this name. It says, “what joy for those who trust in you.” In other words, when we trust in the power of the God who commands the warrior angels, and not our own, we find joy. Let me put it another way, when we stop trying to save ourselves and let God do His job, we find everlasting joy. He is the warrior, not us.
So, today, and every day, put your trust in the power of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Rest secure in His power, glory, and strength.
[1] https://www.thenamemeaning.com/chad/
Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble, but he keeps his distance from the proud. ~ Psalm 138:6 (NLT)
I was at a convention of teachers and pastors a few years back. It was a good time to network with other people, eat some good food, and listen to some good presentations. One of the presenters spoke to us about the need to be humble in our lives. But, he gave a definition of humility that had a different twist to what most of us have heard before. In my mind, humility had been that you must always put yourself secondary to everyone else – that we are somehow beneath others. However, his statement was this, “Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself. It’s about thinking of yourself less.” In other words, our attention should be on helping others, but we must also focus on caring for ourselves: take care of our health, our spiritual needs, pursue careers, etc.
So, if humility is recognizing that we must think of taking care of others needs more than satisfying our wants, then pride is the opposite. Pride means that we do what we want because it makes us feel good, or valued, or important. A prime example would be serving the homeless population. When we go out to deliver meals, socks, toiletries, and other items, are we going because it makes us feel good, or because we genuinely care for those people we are serving? A prideful person goes because they want others to see them ministering, they want recognition, they want the blessing. A humble person goes because they feel compassion towards those who have nothing and struggle with daily life.
This is why our verse today resonates so strongly with me. It states, “Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble, but he keeps his distance from the proud.” Basically, God is telling us that our faith has nothing to do with us. It’s all about Him. Don’t get me wrong, we are blessed in our faith. We are blessed in our ministry. But, God goes deeper than the outward actions and looks at the heart. Are we serving, doing, ministering, because we are thinking of ourselves, or because the love of God compels us to do so?
Today, and every day, think of others more, and yourself less. Focus on truly caring for others, not for the benefits, but because it is the right thing to do.
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. ~ Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)
Nearly a decade ago, I launched a ministry called Impact 4 Youth. The sole purpose of the ministry was to produce weekend youth evangelism conferences which would inspire and train teenagers to reach their friends and family with the good news of Jesus Christ. It was one of the most blessed and cursed times of my life. Let me explain.
It was cursed because I didn’t believe it would actually happen. How could God use a guy who had no theological training to not only produce the shows, but also be the speaker for these events? I hated the idea. Not only would I have to raise the money for each event, but I’d have to create the curriculum, recruit volunteers and professionals to help run each event, and figure out how to reach a teenage culture that seemed foreign in many ways. In my mind, I wasn’t qualified for the job that God kept showing me. The curse was from within me.
The blessing came when I finally gave in to God’s plan. I asked people for money. I recruited friends and family to help produce the shows. I began writing and re-writing content. I studied teen culture and the trends within it. In 2010, we launched our first event, CROSS Training. About 20 teens showed up. It was a good start. Though the crowd felt very small, God worked one miracle after another. At the end of the two-day event, I made an appeal for those who wanted to accept Jesus for the first time into their lives. Hands shot up. In that moment, these teens passed from death to life. God went big for His Kingdom.
Often times we don’t get to see the miracles God wants us to play a part in because His goals and plans are too big (at least to us). That’s why Paul wrote our verse today. “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” In other words, God’s plans will always be bigger than what we ever dream. Why? Because He is bigger, more powerful, wiser, and cooler, than we can even imagine. When we embrace His God-sized plans, God-sized miracles happen.
So, let go of your human-sized plans. Embrace God’s calling in life to “accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” When He calls, answer.
Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instructions. ~ Psalm 119:29 (NLT)
My 25-year reunion for my high school graduating class was last year. Not a whole lot of our class showed up, apparently. (I wouldn’t know, I didn’t go!) So, a couple of my classmates took it upon themselves to create a digital reunion. We now have a group chat going with around 30 people. I have to laugh at many of the comments because our social dynamic picked up right where we left it two decades ago. The class clown is being the class clown. The jocks are showing pictures of their kids playing sports. The drama queens are talking about how rough life is. It’s actually been kinda cool seeing where everyone ended up in life.
Though we may not all see eye-to-eye on a lot of things, we have all come to one very simple conclusion: Our parents were right. Nearly every one of us has a kid or two of our own now, (One is even a grandma!) and we all agree that parenting is the hardest job on the planet. Why? Because parents have been blessed with decades of wisdom that our kids don’t have. We want to give them the best life possible, so we share that wisdom, only to have them ignore it and simply make their own choices – often times ending in disaster. If they would just listen, things would be so much better.
The sad reality is that all of us, even those of us that are parents or grandparents, do this very same thing to our Heavenly Father. He is eternal, so His wisdom is way greater than any puny human. Yet, we often times ignore His directions in order to make our own decisions – which of course are based on our flawed, sinful human reasoning.
In truth, we are doing exactly what Adam and Eve did. God said, “don’t eat the fruit from that tree.” Humanity: “Don’t tell me what to do.” Chomp. We buy the lie that we can somehow have the same, or better, wisdom that God does when it comes to leading our life.
As our verse today states, “Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instructions.” In other words, when we convince ourselves that we can manage life without following God’s directions, it will end in disaster. In truth, it will end, period. Instead, we need to tap into the vast wisdom of the King of the Universe and trust that when He asks us to do something, He’s got a very good reason; even if we can’t understand it.
How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension! ~ Psalm 147:5 (NLT)
Have you ever met a toddler who loved to tell stories? I’ve had my fair share of connections with these tiny-tale-spinners. What generally starts out as an easy to follow story takes a turn somewhere and begins to wander all over the place. For example, the story may begin by talking about a trip to grandma’s house and then end up with her fighting off galactic unicorn space invaders who came to steal her pie. (It kinda sounds like a Hollywood blockbuster movie to me!) As the story is being spun, it becomes really hard to connect one piece to another. How did the child go from talking about grandma’s pies to unicorn space invaders? The answer is pretty simple. Their brains don’t work quite the same way that ours do at that stage in their life. So, what makes perfect sense to them sounds quite crazy to the rest of us. (On a side note, this isn’t just limited to little kids. I’ve met quite a few grown-ups that can tell some crazy stories.)
Of course, our brains function nowhere on the same level as that of our God. In fact, our verse today tells us, “How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension!” In other words, sometimes the stuff that God is telling us sounds crazy. (OK, maybe not just sometime – most of the time.) We stop and try to figure out how all of the dots connect, but we seem to be missing a lot of dots. The story doesn’t make sense.
Unfortunately, this leads us to question God. Why is He asking me to do this thing? How did He create something out of nothing? Does He really forgive my sins, even if I keep screwing things up? Why did He let my dad die? And so many other questions.
But, if this Scripture is correct, and they all are, all the time, then we are not capable of understanding things on the same level as God. No one in the universe is! This is where trust comes in. Though we may not understand, we can comprehend that He always knows best what to do in all circumstances, all of the time, for each and every one of us.
So, today, and every day, don’t put your trust in your understanding. Put your trust in the one whose understanding is “beyond comprehension;” whose understanding is perfect.
But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, "The LORD is great!" ~ Psalm 40:16 (NLT)
In the decade God has blessed me with ministry I’ve probably preached around 300-400 sermons. As I look back on my list of titles, there were a couple that jumped out at me and brought a smile to my face. The reason? Those couple of sermons were based on one word. Let me clarify, it was one word that jumped off the pages of Scripture at me (Not literally. That would be weird). It was that one word that inspired the writing of the sermon. It was that one word that hinged the entire talk. Of course, you’re probably thinking that the word was “Jesus,” or “God,” or something super-spiritual. Nope. Not that those aren’t important words. However, these words were rather mild. They were words like “His,” or “therefore.”
So, how can a theological talk hinge on an every day word? Here, I’ll show you. As our verse today states, “But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you.” Can you guess the word that jumped out at me? It’s not a bold word. In fact, it’s a word that we use on a very regular basis, and I’ve already used several times in this devo. The word? It’s “in.”
Why is this word so important to our understanding? Because, even if we call ourselves Christian, if we are finding the source of our joy and gladness other than in Jesus, then our source is incorrect. Now, let me clarify. I get joy and gladness in my family and friends. That’s not wrong. However, I identify that God blessed me with this family and with my friends. The source of joy is still in Him.
In addition, if we are searching for Him, but we are hoping that our source of joy will come when He removes our addictions and shame, we’re approaching this wrong. Yes, He can, and does do those things. Yet, we pursue Jesus because He is worth pursuing, not because of what He can give us. He’s not a genie. This is why the verse says “those who search for you [Jesus],” not “those that search for what you [Jesus] can give me.” Our joy and gladness are in our relationship with Jesus, our God.
Today, and every day, find the joy in Jesus. Find gladness in who He is. When your source for these things is eternal, as God is, then they will never fade away.
“From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done.” ~ Isaiah 43:13 (NLT)
There is a show that has been airing for several seasons on TV called American Ninja Warrior. The concept is that contestants must navigate a series of obstacles and hit the button at the end of the course to proclaim their victory. One of the things that I marvel at about these contestants is their grip strength. Many of the obstacles involve the contestants hanging from ledges only an inch deep – just enough for their finger tips to grab on. Other obstacles require them to leap from bar to bar while dangling 10-15 feet off the ground. It is amazing how they are able to hang on, not just for one obstacle, but for the five or six different obstacles that they must complete to reach the end – all without falling off once (which disqualifies you).
While we may marvel at the strength of these elite athletes, their grip can’t compare to the one who laid the foundations of the universe and formed man from dust. The nail-pierced hands of our Lord and Savior are the strongest that ever have been and ever will be.
However, unlike our Ninja athletes, God isn’t hanging on to possessions or objects. His grip strength is reserved for those whom have claimed Jesus Christ as their Savior. You see, when we accept Jesus, and enter into that eternal relationship with Him, He grabs us by the hand and leads us through this life and into eternity. And, as our verse today states, “From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand.” In other words, there is no force anywhere, including all the powers of hell, that can rip us away from God. God doesn’t ever lose His grip.
No matter what Satan and his minions may throw at you, know that your salvation rests secure in the hands of your Creator and Savior. They can’t defeat his grip on you. No matter what mistakes you’ve made, the guilt and shame you’ve endured, or the sins you’ve committed, God won’t let go as long as you ask Him in all sincerity to hang on.
So today, and every day, praise God for His grip strength. Praise Him for hanging on to you no matter what happens in life. Praise Jesus for inviting you into a relationship with your Eternal King. And, here’s the kicker, recommit to Him that you will never let go.
I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again. ~ Isaiah 43:25 (NLT)
The other day, I was thinking back on an episode in my career as a businessman. From my office, I could hear one of my coworkers yelling at one of my employees. This was not OK. So, I literally grabbed him by the collar and drug him back to my office and slammed the door. We began an epic shouting match that included some not so nice words and some horrible remarks about each other (and probably our mothers). There was one, small problem. You see, even though my office had a door, the walls only went part of the way up to the ceiling. It was a cubicle office. There was a big gap. So, the entire office not only heard the yelling, but heard every word of it. Needless-to-say, it was not my finest moment as a boss, or a human.
Do you ever just randomly think of something you’ve done in life and cringe? Or maybe you even let out a groan. It may not even be anything recent, but from years and years ago.
What’s even worse is that the thought isn’t just embarrassing, but it drenches us in buckets of guilt and shame. Perhaps it was a sexual sin. Maybe it was the way you treated someone unfairly, or chased away a good friend. Perhaps it is an addiction (either past or present). You now the moments? We call them regrets. The Bible calls them sins.
Here’s the trick, we often times remember our sins, and because of our shame wonder if God could possibly forgive us. After all, if we’re still guilty, He must be horribly disappointed.
Those thoughts, that guilt and shame, don’t come from God. Why? Because if we’ve asked with a sincere heart, He’s not only forgiven those sins, He’s forgotten them. Check out our verse today, “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.” In other words, when we remember sin, God says, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Therefore, that guilt, shame, and memory of sins past has its source solely in Satan. He wants to remind us of our past sins. God wants to forget the past and look forward to the future. Satan wants to trap you in shame and guilt. Jesus has freed you from all of that.
So, when those thoughts and feelings come around, claim this truth from God. Remind Satan you’re forgiven and move forward into your glorious future hand-in-hand with Jesus.
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all. ~ 2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NLT)
In my former life as a business manager there were a lot of stresses in life. Customers needed to be met with, most of who wanted to gripe about something. Then there was the budget, which always needed to be both developed and spent perfectly. In addition, there were thousands of pages of policies that had to be correctly followed. And, finally, there was the City Council who wanted updates on everything and then wanted to make more policies that must be followed. Oh, and I had a bunch of employees that needed to be validated, disciplined, and, well, managed. Every day brought a new type of stress.
Of course, outside of work, we all have additional stresses: family, friends, significant other, money, time, homework, chores, kids, and a million other things. Sometimes it feels like the stress is overwhelming – we wonder if we’ll make it through the day.
That’s why our verse of the day seems very weird to me. Paul stated, “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.” How can we have peace in every situation when there is so much stress in life? The simple answer, realize life can’t be controlled.
Stress results from situations where we try to exert control. Whether it’s family, homework, friends, work, or anything else, we get stressed when we try to control the outcome of something. We get uber-stressed when that control is failing.
So, how do we get less stress? Give up control. As Paul says, Jesus is the “Lord of Peace.” That word Lord comes up a lot in Scripture. It means that Jesus rules – He is in control. So, if Jesus is the commander of peace, then it would make sense that He should be in control of situations where peace is needed. Essentially, since every aspect of life can be stressful, it means we must surrender control of every aspect of life to Jesus. When we do, then the Lord of Peace can give us assurance that He will see us through the trials of life. Peace is the result.
So, today, and every day, invite Jesus to be the Lord of your life. Let His peace take over every part of your existence. Only then will you fully experience the Lord of Peace.
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! ~ Isaiah 26:3 (NLT)
My wife and I enjoy going mountain biking occasionally – as the opportunity arises. We aren’t experts by any stretch of the imagination, but we have fun just the same. I remember the first time we rented bikes in a little town called Sisters, here in Oregon. As we checked out our rental bikes, the employee gave us a bit of advice, since it was our first-time riding. He said, “Look where you want to go, not where you don’t.” That was it. Simple, so I thought.
As we rode on our first trail, I was getting the feel for things and was a much bigger risk-taker than Michelle. As such, when we got to the top of a big hill, she went down it first so that I could go at a much faster rate. Once she was clear, I started my descent. I got going pretty fast, but I was managing it quite well. That is, until there was an s-curve ahead. An s-curve is a curve that weaves itself between two objects. It requires a quick turn to one side, then the other. This particular turn went between a big tree and a giant boulder. As I got closer, I kept staring at the tree. I didn’t want to hit it. But, the more I stared at the tree, the more my bike edged closer and closer to it. Suddenly, I found myself air born, without my bike. While it was giving the tree a hug, I was summersaulting the rest of the way down the hill. It hurt…a lot.
I had ignored the advice of the bike shop employee and stared at the tree because I was afraid I would hit it. Ironically enough, staring at it caused me to do exactly that. Instead, had I l looked at the trail in front of me, I would have navigated the corner just fine – a lesson I still haven’t forgotten.
In our life, it is the same with God. When we start staring at the crazy things in this world –impending doom, or political strife, or a million other things – we become consumed by it. Worry becomes a part of our everyday life. Additionally, when we stare at things that we know aren’t good for us, we are also consumed by the sin that they bring into our soul.
As our verse today says, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you.” In other words, keep your sights set on Jesus and let His peace fill your life. Look at His path ahead of you. Focus on Him alone. He’ll take care of the rest.
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ~ Isaiah 9:6 (NLT)
Nicknames have been a mainstay of life for centuries. Nicknames generally indicate something about the personality or physical characteristics of the person for which the name is given. For example, during a brief period in high school, my nickname was Frisbee. I was named that because of my particular hairstyle. Basically, my hair was brushed and hair-sprayed into place such that the bangs swooped out from my forehead and circled back again. This looked, to some, like a round Frisbee disc was sticking out of my head. Hence the name. I also had a friend whose nickname was Shrimp. He didn’t like it. But he was the smallest guy in our class (only about five feet tall). His nickname ended his senior year when he grew a foot over the summer. Of course, these nicknames have a somewhat negative bent to them. In reality, oftentimes the nicknames point out a positive quality of the individual.
In the Bible, and throughout history, God has been given, and given Himself, many nicknames. Our verse today from the prophet Isaiah states several nicknames for Jesus – who wouldn’t be born for a few hundred years. He writes, “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Let’s break these down to discover some amazing traits about Jesus. He will be the Wonderful Counselor. He will always give great advice and is constantly there to listen. He is the Mighty God, the Creator of the earth, the ruler of the universe, and the warrior who defeated sin. He is the Everlasting Father, part of the godhead which never ends. He is immortal. And, He is the Prince of Peace, giving us calm in the storms of life and the hope of a new life in Heaven.
So, if you were a writer, what nicknames would you give to Jesus? Of course, so many have been taken: Savior, Messiah, Christ, Healer, and so on. However, what personal nickname(s) would you give to our God? Spend some time thinking about it and come up with some good ones. And, if you’re not too shy, share them.
Lord, you will grant us peace; all we have accomplished is really from you. ~ Isaiah 26:12 (NLT)
As a parent, or an older sibling, you may have perhaps noticed that little kids don’t like to share – especially in that two to five-year-old range. It doesn’t really matter what the item is, if they are interested in it (or sometimes even if they aren’t), they don’t want others to have it. I remember breaking up many a fight between our two kids. Often times I would literally find myself saying stuff like, “It’s OK if he gets a straw, too!” or “She is allowed to pet the dog.” I spent a lot of time in the kid’s early years literally saying the phrase, “You have to share.”
The reality is that, though we may grow out of our material selfishness with some things, we continue to selfishly hoard others. Our selfishness just morphs into a more mature selfishness as we age. We become selfish of the things we earned.
The major issue with this reality is that this selfishness often extends into our relationship with God. And, this selfishness generally revolves around two things: 1) Time; and 2) money.
We get so busy in life trying to do things, make people happy, earn a promotion, or even just being lazy, that we neglect spending time with God or His community of believers, the church. We choose to not serve in the church because we’re exhausted from the things we do during the week. So, we neglect what God really wants us to do.
Additionally, we are selfish with our finances. Only around fifty percent of Protestants pay tithe (which is 10% of our earnings), even though the Bible clearly states that we should. Even worse is that a small fraction gives any type of offering (around four percent) to fund local ministry. In other words, we’re busy paying for stuff we desire rather than giving back to God.
As our verse today states, “Lord, you will grant us peace; all we have accomplished is really from you.” Did you catch that? Everything we have accomplished is from God. He owns it. That promotion at work? God. That money in the bank account or wallet? It’s God’s. The time you have each day? God gave you life today. In short, we owe everything to God.
So, today, thank God for the things, and opportunities, He has given to you. And, here comes the hard part, don’t let it just be lip service. Follow it up with your actions.
Our people must learn to do good by meeting the urgent needs of others; then they will not be unproductive. ~ Titus 3:14 (NLT)
I had a job, for one day, at Pacific Union College. It was registration day at the start of the new quarter. This was before online registration was a thing. So, based on your class standing (senior, junior, etc.) you would go down to the gym and register for your classes. Each person was given a specific time, down to the minute, when they could enter the gym and complete registration. My job was: 1) Make sure no one came in before their specified time, and 2) call out the time, minute by minute, for the entire day so students knew when they could go in. It was that last part that got old. Every minute was accounted for and announced. It was a long, mind-numbing day.
Though I did my job for approximately 1,500 people that day, I didn’t feel very fulfilled. People kept trying to sneak in early. People complained that I didn’t call out their time and they were now late getting in. (They were, of course, mistaken. Every minute was accounted for.) No one seemed very thankful; that is, until the administrative staff and many of the professors thanked me for helping keep things manageable for them. I turns out, I wasn’t serving the students. I was serving the faculty. My perspective was wrong.
Often times we choose not to serve others because we have the wrong perspective. We believe we won’t make a difference. Or, perhaps, our service has been met with complaints. Perhaps we don’t want people to feel entitled to help, so we don’t offer it. Whatever the case, it is often easier not to serve.
However, the Apostle Paul says, “Our people must learn to do good by meeting the urgent needs of others; then they will not be unproductive.” In other words, each of us are called to have a productive faith which is measured by whether or not we actually serve others. Regardless of how we think it might go, or how big the job is, it is important for us to serve. We never know how big of a difference we will make. Perhaps God will change our perspective. Because, ultimately, you aren’t serving the people, you are serving God. You are His servant helping His kingdom.
I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word. ~ Psalm 130:5 (NLT)
My coach in high school was talking to us one day about this great opportunity that had been given to him. He had received an invitation to a very special program which would enable him to purchase a high-quality professional camera for only pennies on the dollar. It was a mistake, so it was said, by the company and they had ordered too many cameras, so they needed to sell them as quickly as possible. My coach was very excited, as he had always wanted a fancy pro-style camera, but could never afford one.
The day of the event came and the coach left in excitement. At the event, the sales people demonstrated the product. It was an amazing camera with some great interchangeable lenses. It was easily worth upwards of $1,000, yet was being offered to the crowd for only $200 cash. In fact, the sales people were revving the crowd up by saying such things as, “Trust me, you won’t find a better deal anywhere else!” or “This offer is for today only.” My coach bit. He gave them the $200 and was told he’d receive the camera in the mail. When that day arrived, he quickly opened the box to discover a cheap, plastic, children’s toy camera worth about $3.95. He had been had. He was embarrassed. Of course, we laughed. Sorry, coach.
Generally, in life, when someone says “Trust me” or “take my word for it,” red flags start waving. If their case was so compelling, why do they even need to say such things? Unfortunately, when it comes to humanity, there will always be people out to cheat others through smooth-talk and empty promises.
However, when it comes to our God, we never have to worry. Not only does He say that we can trust Him, but He has proven it over and over again. Our faith isn’t in slick gimmicks or empty promises. Our faith is based upon His character and His proven track record. That’s why King David wrote, “I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word.” In other words, we don’t have to worry whether God will do what He promises.
So, today, and every day, thank God for His trustworthiness. Thank Him for His promises. Thank Him for the peace and hope He provides.
If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. ~ Psalm 66:18-19 (NLT)
I once had a man tell me that he couldn’t remember the last time he’d lied. I asked him if he had a childhood. He responded yes. I then asked if he ever lied as a child. He said that he couldn’t remember. So, there we were, for the next five or so minutes, with him bragging about how he had never lied. I got tired of the topic, so I switched it up and asked him if he could remember the last time that he was prideful. He didn’t get it.
Bragging about our sinlessness is, in fact, a sin. Puffing ourselves up to make ourselves look good is prideful. Now, don’t get me wrong, we should be proud of accomplishments in life – I’m proud of my kids, for example. However, when we are stating things to make ourselves look better than others, we’ve crossed the line from taking joy in an accomplishment to being full of ourselves. When we do so, we are following in the footsteps of Lucifer (Satan), himself.
Lucifer’s sin is that he wanted to be God. He got jealous of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Father, and decided that he would be a better king of the universe. Pride got ahold of him. To this day, Satan still thinks he would be a better king of the universe than God. Except now all of that pride has led Satan to do and say evil things. Pride destroys the soul.
King David was no stranger to those “oops” moments in life. He even battled pride from time-to-time. Yet, David routinely humbled himself and admitted that he was, indeed, a sinner in need of a Savior. In our verse today, David wrote, “If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer.”
In other words, if we are approaching God and telling Him what to do, what to fix, what to forgive, etc. then we are full of pride. We’re trying to do His job, or we’re treating Him like our own, personal, magic genie. Instead, as David tells us, we must approach God with humility. We must admit we are sinners in need of a Savior. It’s only then that our prayers are heard and action taken on our behalf.
So, today, and every day, humble yourself before the Lord. Admit your sin (even those secret sins no one else knows about) and praise Him for His forgiveness.
I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him. ~ Psalm 62:1 (NLT)
There is a Disney film called Wreck It Ralph that came out a few years back. The premise of the story is set in an arcade game that features the exterior of a tall apartment building. Wreck It Ralph (the main character) is trying to destroy the building by slamming it to pieces with his giant fists while another character, called Fix It Felix, (controlled by the person playing the arcade game) is trying to repair the damage quickly so that the building doesn’t fall down. Of course, as the game goes on, the damage that Ralph inflicts gains speed and severity. So, Fix It Felix must repair the building faster and faster with each level. Eventually, the speed of destruction within the game gets to be so much that the person playing can’t keep up and the building comes tumbling down.
Now, imagine that this game is actually your life, and the building represents your soul (Which is the entirety of your existence). Every time you do something which God has asked you not to do, you take a punch at your building. As life goes on, the punches start to add up and the building begins to wobble. It may fall. In reality, we are our own, Wreck It Ralph. In fact, replace Ralph with your name. You are Wreck It _________. (I am Wreck It Chad, for example)
But, here’s the issue, we can’t restore our life. We are sinful humans who, instead, seek to damage it through sin. We wreck it. So, trying to fix things isn’t in our nature, or within our power. In fact, the more we try to fix things, the more damage we often cause in the process.
Instead, we need a power greater than us who is an expert at putting things back together. His name is Jesus. He is the restorer of life. He alone can fix the sin that consumes us.
So, what role do we have to play in this game of life? King David put it this way, “I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him.” In other words, we must stop wrecking and start worshiping. We must stop trying to fix a soul that cannot be fixed by human hands. We must wait on the Lord to repair the damage we’ve done and restore us. And, waiting means we must resist the urge to wreck things.
So, today, and every day, ask God to work on your soul. Ask Him to point out the things in your life that are damaging your relationship with Him. Let Him restore you.
Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling. ~ Proverbs 20:3 (NLT)
When our kids were younger, and still today to some degree, they used to bicker all the time. They would go back and forth about the silliest things. They would bicker about whether or not our dog liked one of them better than the other. They would bicker about whether or not they deserved a turn to pick a cartoon to watch. They would bicker about how much a car would cost (neither one of them were remotely close). They would bicker about whether or not it was going to rain. They would bicker about everything! And, when they couldn’t settle the quarrel among themselves, they’d bring my wife or me into the conversation. When one of us would provide the answer, the winning side would immediately gloat, while the losing side would say something like, “Well, you’re still wrong!” It was great fun.
Perhaps you know some teens or adults like this, too. They love to bicker about everything. They complain and they insist that they are right, even when they aren’t. They always seem to be looking for an argument. It sucks the life out of you.
King Solomon, who knew about bickering (remember the baby he ordered to be cut in half), penned these words of wisdom for us, “Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling.” In other words, those who are always looking for an argument are fools.
In our churches across the world, Satan has given us plenty of issues to quarrel about. He’s smart – smarter than we give him credit for, I think. He knows that if he can get us Christians fighting among ourselves, then the real mission of the church – which is to make disciples and win souls for the Kingdom of God – will be put on the back burner. Unfortunately, it appears in many instances, he is succeeding.
Will we have disagreements? Yes. However, we must approach them with humility. There can be no name-calling, stereotyping, or calling out “heretic” when someone disagrees with you. Have a calm conversation that is more listening than talking. Seek to understand one another. And, if an agreement can’t be made, it is OK to agree to disagree. You can still love one another and treat each other with respect. Behaving like this is the “badge of honor” that Solomon tells us to live up to.
Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes. ~ Proverbs 19:2 (NLT)
There was a man at a football game. We’ll call him Bob. He’d never been to a game, let alone watched one. This was his first exposure to the sport. He was excited to see this great American pastime in person. As Bob took his seat in the stadium, he could feel the enthusiasm of the crowd. They were cheering, singing, stomping their feet. When the home crowd scored a touchdown, the crowd roared to life, clapping, yelling, and expressing their joy. He was hooked by their passion. As the game progressed, the opposing team intercepted a pass and ran it back for a touchdown. This was his moment. He had so wanted to join in the excitement of the other fans. So, he jumped to his feet and shouted with excitement, clapped his hands, and shouted “TOUCHDOWN!” Of course, he was the only one doing this. Instead of the crowd joining in Bob’s excitement, they were all staring at him and booing. He was really confused. Some fans even began to curse at him. He didn’t understand why they weren’t excited. A touchdown was scored, after all. The unfortunately reality is that Bob didn’t understand that the opposing team scoring was a bad thing. He just got caught up in the excitement and knew he must join in. As a result, Bob ended up rooting for the wrong team.
Jumping to conclusions can be dangerous. Of course, we all do it. We hear or see something, and immediately we’ve made a decision about how we will react. What we’ve seen or heard caused a reaction within us that riled us up, made us angry, got us excited, or convicted us that we needed to pursue something with passion. As King Solomon put it, “Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes.” In other words, being excited or convicted about something without actually knowing whether our assumptions are correct may leave us rooting for the wrong team.
So, how to you make sure that you don’t? Investigate, study, gain knowledge. And, here’s the kicker, when someone presents information, check their facts for yourself. If they quote something, find the quote – whether it’s from the Bible, a newscast, or a scientific study. Is the information being used accurately? Is the information reliable? In other words, gain knowledge. This requires effort. Enthusiasm can’t make up for ignorance.
People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord. ~ Proverbs 19:3 (NLT)
In my former life, as a business manager, I had to do a lot of hiring. This was actually a fun part of the job, as I’m a people-person by nature. So, I got to meet a lot of people – some more qualified than others. I remember one such individual who was really well qualified for the job, but didn’t end up getting it.
We’ll call her Lucy (not her real name). She did very well on her interview and her qualifications for the job she was applying for were solid. There was just one last thing I had to do before we offered Lucy the job. I needed to call her references. For anyone who has never applied for a job in the real world, let me fill you in. On the application, or on your resume, you are supposed to list the supervisors from your previous jobs. This is so that anyone looking to hire you can call them to see how well you did your previous job. It’s called referencing your job performance.
So, one by one I called her references. Here’s what they told me. Lucy was always late for work. Lucy was kind to your face, but gossiped about everyone when they weren’t around. Lucy spent a lot of time on breaks. Lucy would complain bitterly about how boring, dull, and unfulfilling her work was. In short, Lucy looked good on paper, and gave a great interview, but her track record from her previous employers meant Lucy wasn’t going to get the job.
Our actions have consequences that are longer-lasting and more far-reaching that we may think. This is especially true of our sinful actions. Unfortunately, we often times don’t own the fact that we made some very bad decisions, and as a result, we must face the music. In fact, many people believe that because their sins are forgiven, they are off the hook for the consequences. Not true. If you murder someone, there is forgiveness, but you are still going to jail for life. As King Solomon put it, “People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord.”
As you make decisions about your life, about your actions today, stop and evaluate them, not by your own desires and wants, but against the Kingdom of God. If God is asking you not to do it, there is a reason. Poor decisions not only ruin your life, they distance you from God.
Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses. ~ 1 Timothy 6:12 (NLT)
In our world, fighting is big business. For example, between the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) and heavy-weight boxing, the fighters themselves (at least those who are good) stand to make millions of dollars whenever they fight. Why are their paydays so huge? Well, it’s because people pay millions of dollars to watch the fight in person or on pay-per-view. Restaurants and bars have watch parties, people host viewings at their home. In other words, people love to watch a good fight, and they pay for the privilege.
While Christians can argue about whether or not it is morally OK to watch such events, we can’t really take the high road. Here’s why. Christians tend to love a good fight, too. Unfortunately, the fighting we do is infinitely more destructive than a pay-per-view match.
Christians find plenty to fight about. We fight about what bible version to use. We fight about music. We fight about media. We fight about dress. We fight about politics. We fight about food. We fight about to capitalize the word “him” when it refers to God. We fight about, well, just about anything. Yet, here’s the problem. We’re fighting for the wrong things. And, as a result, we are becoming known for what we stand against, not who we stand for.
As the Apostle Paul was telling his young pastor-friend, Timothy, “Fight the good fight for the true faith.” This begs the question: What is “true faith?” It is simply this, I believe in Jesus Christ – his life, death, and resurrection – and I know him and he knows me. In other words, we should be fighting to hold on to our relationship with Jesus Christ. But, there is a second fight we are called to participate in, “Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses.” We are supposed to declare the Gospel message to the world. Oddly enough, these two things match the two greatest commandments according to Jesus: Love God, love others.
So, please, church, Christians, fight the right fight. Stop fighting each other. Stop fighting about perceived wrongs. Stop fighting about politics and policy. Start fighting for Jesus. Start fighting to introduce Jesus to your friends and family. Love God. Love others.
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. ~ Psalm 91:1 (NLT)
A few years back, my extended family went on a vacation to a lake up in Idaho to do a few days of R&R (rest and relaxation) and get in some water skiing. One of the cool features at this lake was that it had giant floating docks out in the middle of the lake. These were spread out all over, so you could have your own island to dock your boat, swim from, and basically hang out on for the whole day. They were pretty awesome. The one issue, however, is that these docks didn’t provide any shade. Because they were floating out in the middle of the lake, there were no trees to hide under to find relief from the 103-degree weather. Luckily, we had a pop-up canopy we could all gather under to grab some shade.
It is pretty amazing how much being the shade can cool things down. Instead of being scorched by the sun, the temperature becomes manageable and the sunburns are kept at bay. But, there was one issue we kept facing in regards to the canopy – while it stood still, the sun kept moving. In other words, the shade that it provided would shift as the day wore on, and those of us who had been sitting in the shade would find ourselves sitting in the direct sunlight if we didn’t keep shuffling our chairs to get back under the canopy. Life would be so much easier if the sun just stood still. Instead, shade is a moving target.
Our relationship with God works similarly. As our verse today states, “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Notice, it says that you will “find rest.” However, it doesn’t say you will be planted in the same spot forever. In order to continue to enjoy the rest that God offers, you must continue to move with God in order to stay in His shadow. In other words, when you find Jesus, you can’t stay put. The Son moves. With Jesus, it’s a journey. As He moves, you must move. If you stay put, you will eventually find yourself out from under His shadow and you will get burned.
So, today, and every day, follow God wherever He goes. Stay in His shadow. Give up complacency (wanting to stay put) and choose to join Jesus on His journey. Find the rest that He so graciously offers.
Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. ~ Philippians 1:3 (NLT)
The Apostle Paul can be a bit nostalgic at times. Oddly enough, however, he was nostalgic (remembering the good ol’ days) about people, not things. Sure, he had plenty to be nostalgic about: His former life as a rabbi-in-training. His high-society ranking. The respect that people showed to him as he walked down the street. The great apartment reserved for only the cream of the crop. He had a great life, or so he thought, until he met Jesus on the road to Damascus.
When Paul met Jesus, he was in the middle of serving a warrant for the arrest of every Christian he could find in Damascus. He would bring them back in chains so that they could be executed. That is what his life had led to. He was now hunting people who disagreed with his theology and they deserved to die as a result. He hated people.
Then came that fateful day when the Heavens opened up and blinded Saul (that was his former name) to everything he had known. No longer would he be hunting Christians, he would be one of them. His life was turned upside down. In that moment, he lost his job, his apartment, his social status, his income, and all of his friends. In that moment, everything he had dreamed and worked for were taken away. And, here’s the crazy thing – he didn’t care.
When we meet Jesus, our former life doesn’t matter. Maybe we had everything we thought we could want, like Paul, or maybe our life was pretty horrible. Either way, when we meet Jesus, all of that changes. No, life doesn’t become perfect, but it is filled with peace, joy, hope, and love. We also come to realize what is truly important in life.
Paul grasped what was important: People. Our verse today was written by Paul to the members of the church in Philippi. He wrote, “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.” In other words, Paul realized that people, our loved ones, our friends, our church family, are a blessing for which we should give thanks. He went from hating them to loving them.
So, in this season of life, I want to echo what Paul said to my church family (and beyond). I give thanks for each one of you. You are a blessing, and you provide great joy to my life. May you and your family be blessed.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. ~ Psalm 100:4 (NLT)
As I write this, we are two months away from another Thanksgiving holiday. For many, Thanksgiving is a much looked forward to holiday full of family, friends, food, and maybe some football. It is a time to gather together and reconnect on a special level. It is meant to be a joy-filled time.
For many others, Thanksgiving is a real pain. They don’t like their family, or they aren’t getting along. People are always fighting. We miss those that are no longer with us. Many have lost their homes to tragedy and will need to celebrate in a strange place. The dog steals the Thanksgiving turkey. Whatever the case may be, this particular holiday can feel like a burden rather than a blessing to many of us.
Regardless of how you may feel about our national holiday here in the USA, it provides a chance to take stock of what is good. However, a true Thanksgiving needs to be offered up more than once per year. In fact, it should be anytime we come into communion with Christ. As our verse today states, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name.” In other words, every day is an opportunity to give thanks and praise to Jesus. He certainly has given us plenty to be thankful for.
As we approach this Thanksgiving holiday, hit the pause button for a bit. Grab a piece of paper and begin to write down the things that you are thankful for. It doesn’t matter how big or small the thing may be (both literally and figuratively), write it down, you’ve got time. When you fill the page, flip it over and write more on the back. If you fill that, grab another piece of paper and keep writing. There are thousands of things to be thankful for, many we often take for granted. When you’ve finished your list, share it with others – both in person and on social media (as appropriate). Let’s flood this week with thankfulness and praise to our God.
As we prepare to close one year, and move on to another, make a commitment to regularly spend time each week, or even day, taking stock of what you should be thankful for. Offer up a prayer of endless thanksgiving to our God.
What kind of fruit are we? Sweet? Rotten? And are we only seasonal, or can we make our fruit last all year long?
Based on Matthew 7:15-20, let's take a look out how we can know the difference, and how we can insure that we are producing the best fruit on behalf of the Kingdom of God.
Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him. ~ Psalm 95:2 (NLT)
“What is wrong with these people?! It’s like they’re dead.” This was a phrase that was uttered to me on the front row of a church that I was guest-preaching in. It was my first time there, and I had no idea who the woman was that was muttering such things other than the fact that she had just finished being the chorister in front of a church who refused to sing. It was obvious she was frustrated that the thirty or so people gathered (in a church building that could easily seat 200) couldn’t muster enough volume to be heard. I looked over at this woman as she boiled in her seat. She was angry – on the verge of screaming angry. It wasn’t a great introduction to this particular church family.
At the conclusion of the service, I was able to speak with a few people, and came to the conclusion that most in the church were coming for the social aspect, not really to worship. They complained about the lack-luster song service. They complained about their pastor and his preaching style. They complained that the youth had left their church. They complained about everything except potluck. They enjoyed potluck. So, essentially, they were thankful for food.
In contrast, we have King David telling us that we should come together, “with thanksgiving.” Notice it’s not “for Thanksgiving.” (That holiday wouldn’t be invented until a couple thousand years later. Plus, David wasn’t American.) In other words, we are supposed to gather together to give thanks, or praise to God. He alone is the reason we are to come together. Yes, the social stuff is nice, and important in building community, but if Jesus is not the focal point in everything we do as a church, then we are just a social club and should drop the word Christian from our signs, bulletins, and other materials.
The second part of King David’s guidance is to sing “psalms of praise to him.” In other words, song service shouldn’t be a time to be talking with your pew-mate, it is a time to offer thanksgiving to God. Regardless of whether or not you particularly like the song (since when is singing praise about us), you can still sing it to the glory of God.
So, when you gather together this weekend, belt out the praises to God. Be thankful for who He is, what He has done, and what He promises to do. Join together with thanksgiving.
Shout to the Lord, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy! ~ Psalm 98:4 (NLT)
My daughter was absolutely in love with music. She still likes it, but when she was little, she was enraptured (totally focused) on it. She was always listening to music. But, beyond that, she was always singing. Most of the time, she would just sing along to songs on the radio. Then there were the other times when there would be no music playing, but she’d still be singing. There were several instances I remember hearing her singing from across the house. I’d get closer to her room to discover that she wasn’t singing any song I was familiar with. In fact, she wasn’t singing a song that anyone would know. She was making it up as she went. Whether she was singing with, or to, her Barbie dolls, or her Flynn Rider figure, I’m not sure. But, she was singing, and singing with passion, energy, and volume. I must say, she actually sounded quite good! (Of course, I’m her dad, so…)
As she has gotten older, that type of thing has begun to fade. She still sings along with the radio, though in lower volume. But, I haven’t heard her sing impromptu songs in quite a while. I have to admit, it kind of bums me out. As she is getting older, or more mature, her zest for her singing isn’t what it quite once was.
As we age in our faith, sometimes this happens to us, as well. We tend to lose our passion, our energy, and volume, in living out our faith. As a kid, no problem! We sang, did the hand motions, clapped, smiled, laughed, all in worshiping. Yet, for many of us, as we mature, that energy fades. For some, maybe it’s because they feel that a mature person shouldn’t be doing the hand motions to songs. For others, perhaps it is because they are afraid of what others will think. Still, others, are just going through the motions and praise doesn’t really mean anything. Whatever the cause, our passion for praise fades.
Standing in contrast to this is King David’s verse today, “Shout to the Lord, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy!” In other words, we need to recapture that passion and energy from our youth. Break out in impromptu praise. Recapture the joy and then let it radiate out. Have fun in worshiping Jesus. Smile, sing, shout as the Spirit moves you. Don’t suppress it. Let it out! Let the whole earth know that Jesus is Lord!
How kind the Lord is! How good he is! So merciful, this God of ours! ~ Psalm 116:5 (NLT)
I was watching a video the other day which showed a fantastic rescue. A scuba diver was down exploring a reef system when a whale decided to come in for a closer look. Of course, whales are curious creatures, but they often don’t come right up to a diver, so it was a bit odd. What was even more strange was that the whale kept circling the diver, and even brushed up against him from time-to-time. After a while the whale swam away. The diver,was extremely excited (understandably so) at his fortune to swim with a whale! As he surfaced, he was shouting out to his friends in the nearby dive-boat about how cool it was. What he heard in response, however, was even cooler. One of his friends called to him from the boat and asked, “Did you see the shark?” The diver’s mood changed. “What shark?” He replied. Apparently, a Tiger shark (known to be very aggressive) had been stalking the diver. His friends were helpless to let him know, as they had no way to communicate with him while he was underwater. Then, they all suddenly realized what the whale was doing – it was protecting the diver from the shark. You see, Tiger sharks may be fierce, but they won’t take on an animal that weighs several tons more than they do. The men who had been on the boat verified that it was only when the shark left that the whale left. The whale was this man’s protector.
I don’t know about you, but I was pretty awestruck at this story. That an animal would show protective instincts and compassion for something that wasn’t even the same species is pretty spectacular. He had no reason to do what he did. Yet, it was the right thing to do.
How much greater then is our Savior who guides and protects us every day? How awesome is the kindness and compassion that Jesus shows to us? How amazing is it that Jesus died in defending us from the sin that has corrupted our very lives? How crazy-cool is it that Jesus laid down His life to save us from our enemy? As our psalm states today, “How kind the Lord is! How good he is! So merciful, this God of ours!”
Today, and every day, spend some time reflecting on how amazing our God is. Spend time rejecting the negative and seeking the goodness of Jesus. Spend time praising Christ for his goodness, for his kindness. How good he is!
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! ~ Psalm 139:17-18 (NLT)
As I’ve stated in previous devos, I love the beach. I love the sunshine pouring out that good ‘ol vitamin D and warming things up. I love the breeze that comes in off the water. I love the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. I love hearing the marine life busily going about their day. I also love the feeling of the sand between my toes.
The only thing which would make a beach trip better? Beach volleyball! I love beach volleyball. When playing, that same sand goes flying everywhere. It also ends up caked on your body, in your hair, down in your ears, and other places that I won’t mention here! It makes ya dirty! Of course, that same sand that gets you dirty also cushions you when you jump, dive, and slide to make a play. Imagine if it was concrete rather than a gazillion tiny rocks. Ouch!
It’s because of my fondness for the beach that I can really relate to what King David wrote in our verse today. He penned, “How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!” I think that David liked the beach, too.
Now, I’ve been to quite a few beaches in my lifetime, and some of them are miles long. So imagine the amount of sand on a beach that stretches to the horizon, is a hundred or so yards wide, and the sand runs dozens of feet deep. The total number of grains of sand would be uncountable. No one could measure how many grains of sand were on the beach. It’s just simply too much.
Now, perhaps, we can get an idea of how God sees us. David equates the many good, or precious thoughts, that God has for us with the grains of sand on a seashore. In other words, God’s love for you cannot be measured because it is bigger than anyone can count. It is infinite.
So, every time Satan tries to tell you that you are worthless, think of the beach. Think of how many grains of sand there must be. Then, think of your Creator, your Savior, and thank Him for how precious His love is for you. Thank Him for His sandy love.
I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High. ~ Psalm 9:2 (NLT)
I have been blessed over the years to lead worship each Sabbath with a dedicated team of musicians, sound technicians, video producers, singers, storytellers, and many others who spend their time giving back to their church. Before each worship time begins, we gather together for prayer. We do this out in the open, not behind the scenes. Our leading begins by demonstrating how important prayer is to everything we do. We quickly go over the program, pray together, and then I have a phrase that I say every time. I think they are sick of hearing it, but I do it anyway! I say, “Now remember, we are joy-filled Christians!”
The tradition of that phrase dates back a few years, when it had been a particularly rough week for all of us. We were tired, worn out, and we had some battle-scars from the spiritual warfare that can, and does, rage around us. We also looked the part. We were about to lead worship, but we had no energy. So, we prayed together. We lifted one another up. We wrapped our arms around one-another and decided that we were going to go big for God that day. As we talked, and prayed, we came to the conclusion that, even though we were tired, we still had a lot to praise Jesus about. We came to the conclusion that God was still on His throne. We came to the conclusion that there was joy, even in the weariness. And, then, the phrase popped out, “We’re joy-filled Christians!” I watched as the praise team lit up, and then went big for God that day. The church was filled with resounding praise. Spirits were lifted, God was honored, and we learned yet another valuable lesson. There is power in that joy!
However, this wasn’t just our lesson. King David already knew it, too, when he penned, “I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.” In other words, we have no reason not to be filled with joy! We have all of the reasons in the universe to have, profess, and sing with joy!
So, today, and every day – particularly when you gather with others for worship – remember that you need to be a joy-filled Christian. Sing praise with a joyful heart. Give praise in gladness. Express the goodness of Jesus. Lift others up. Encourage them. Fill them with joy.
And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ~ Ephesians 5:20 (NLT)
A couple of years ago, a wind-whipped inferno tore through the town of Paradise, California. On what should have been a typical day of parents going to work, kids going to school, socializing, or whatever was normal for a Thursday, the community was unaware that life would change forever in a moment. Many of us have friends and family who live there. By most media reports, the vast majority of the town burned up in less than 24 hours. Images and videos posted to social media show families fleeing the blaze down roads lined with fire and blowing embers. It looked like a scene straight out of an apocalyptic movie.
Even through the heartbreak of so much loss, there is also a moment to pause and be thankful. One of my college friends is a doctor at the local hospital there. He, and several of the medical team were trapped by fire as they helped to evacuate the patients. They weren’t sure if they would get out in time. Yet, I was happy to hear from my friend that they all made it out safely and were reunited with their families. Or, there is another of my friends who had only a moment’s notice to flee from their family home, yet they all made it out safely, driving through a tunnel of flames, none-the-less. I was thankful to hear her voice on the phone. Even in the midst of tragedy and loss, we can still find things to be thankful to God for.
In our life, things won’t always go perfectly. Tragedy will strike. Circumstances will not go our way. Bad things will happen. It is a certainty in this sinful world. The only thing we can control is our attitude about it. We can lament – and certainly there is a time and place for grieving – or we can give thanks. Complaining doesn’t fix anything. Giving thanks realigns us with our God who does.
So, today, and every day, as you face trials, unforeseen craziness, and tragedy, look for the things to give thanks about. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Grieve as appropriate, but seek out what thanks you can give to God.
Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. ~ John 13:35 (NLT)
I have been blessed for many years to have good people in my life – people that I will count as life-long friends. Though many of them have moved away for various reasons (college being a big one), the memories of the times we shared together still bring a smile to my face. I have also been blessed to have some great teens that were my coworkers in mission. Yes, I call them coworkers, because even though I was their boss, we labored side-by-side for the glory of God. My student chaplain teams over the years have been diverse, crazy, and fun-loving. But, most importantly, they were on point with God. I have experienced great love from so many people, and I hope that I have shown great love to many other people.
The importance of loving one another must be paramount (the top priority) in our relationships with other human beings. There is no greater calling in our life (other than loving God) than to show and speak love into the lives of those God has placed in our lives. As Christians, when people view our lives, they should see acts of love and hear words of love.
So, here’s my challenge to you today, oh dear reader. Before you act, before you speak, take the love test. What’s the love test, you say? Great question. I’m glad you asked. It’s this: Love Others Very Eagerly. First, is what you are going to do or say loving? Yes, discipline or correction can be loving, if done for the right reasons and the right attitude. Will what you say or do help the person or hurt them? Will what you say or do be seen by others as loving or as criticism? In short, test what you are about to say, type, or do to make sure it is born out of love. The other pieces of the test are pretty straight forward. We are to love others above self. It’s not about us. It’s about them. And, we should do it eagerly. We should look forward to showing others love. We should be excited about it. We should be passionate about it. Loving others should energize us.
So, there you have it. Love people. As Jesus said, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” Every day, be an example of Jesus’s love for you and me. Be a loving example of what friendship looks like. Be a loving example of God’s Kingdom. Demonstrate love. It really is that simple.
To discipline a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child. ~ Proverbs 29:15 (NLT)
I had a friend who was about to become a first-time mother even though she had just moved into her 40s in age. She was excited about the prospect of having little ones, and was putting some thought into how she would raise them. One day, when we were hanging out, she expressed a thought, “I will never tell my child no,” she said. “People hear that word too much. So, my child will never hear it from me.” My wife and I tried to contain our laughter. Our son was about three years-old at the time, and we said “no” quite often. (If you’re a parent, you know how the threes go!) My thought at the time, though I didn’t say it out loud, was this kid is going to be spoiled and drive people nuts!
Perhaps you’ve met a kid like that? Imagine a child who has never been denied anything that they’ve wanted to do since they were born. Want to eat sugar for every meal? Great! Want to forgo naps and stay up late with mom and dad? Sure! You want that expensive toy? No problem! Every impulse the child has is confirmed as valid, and they are granted whatever they want. The world revolves around their wants and selfish desires.
Now, imagine this kid as an adult. They have an ego the size of Manhattan, and act like the world owes them a favor just for being alive. Yeah. I’ve met that kid.
King Solomon must have met that kid, too. He wrote, “To discipline a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child.” In other words, discipline, or actually being told no, helps us gain wisdom. We begin to learn what is good for us, and what is ultimately going to hurt us. We learn that we can’t treat people like objects. We learn that we don’t always get our way. We learn that to function in society, and in the Kingdom of God, we need to put other people first. It’s that last part that is the greatest piece of wisdom.
As Christians, we are called to love others. This means we cannot act out of selfishness. We must act in kindness, mercy, and compassion towards others. The only way to do so is to deny self. It’s not about our wants. It’s not about gimme, gimme, gimme. It’s about serving our friends, family, and neighbors.
If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. ~ Ecclesiastes 4:10 (NLT)
In my life, I’ve enjoyed hiking, mountain climbing, and rock climbing. They are some of the best ways to experience the nature which God has given us. It’s also one of the best ways to get a birds-eye view of the world. However, there is one type of climbing that I have not done yet – ice climbing.
The sport of ice climbing involves going up vertical sheets of ice in order to make it to the top of a snow-covered mountain. Of course, ice climbing requires special equipment such as cramp-ons (basically, metal cleats for the bottom of your boots), an ice axe to stick into the ice and pull yourself up, and the basic climbing gear of ropes and harnesses. It is very risky climbing, as one slip and you could fall to your death. So, in order to feel more secure, climbers are tethered together by rope. Essentially, if you fall, your partner’s job is to dig in with his axe and cramp-ons and be the anchor for you. This, of course, is a big responsibility, because the person being the anchor not only has to carry his own weight, but that of his falling partner. You pray that your axe, cramp-ons, and grip hold strong enough to support the both of you. In other words, your partner is entrusting their life to you.
God gives us friends, good people, to help catch us when we fall. As King Solomon put it, “If one person falls, the other can reach out and help.” Our job as friends is to help one another, to be an anchor in times of difficulty.
However, there are many stories of ice climbers that have died because they chose to climb alone. There was no one to catch them when they fell. No anchor. No tether. They shunned the assistance of another and went at it alone. King Solomon points out the issue with this when he wrote, “But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.”
God calls us to be in community with each other. Being a Christian isn’t a solo adventure. We are part of a family, the church, whose members are there to support one another. We’re all in this together! So, tether yourself to one another. Be an anchor for others, and trust in godly friends to help you when you fall.
This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. ~ 1 Timothy 1:15 (NLT)
“Hi, my name is ________ and I’m an alcoholic.” If you’ve ever been to a recovery group, or even seen a TV show or movie that has a scene from a recovery group (Alcoholics Anonymous or otherwise), you’ve probably heard a similar expression shared – except the word alcoholic would be interchanged with whatever addiction they were battling. The idea is to admit, out loud, to others, that you are struggling with something.
The next part of the recovery session usually involves declaring how you’re progressing on your journey to healing. The statement may go something like this, “I’ve been five weeks sober.” In other words, they’ve made it five weeks without taking a sip of any alcohol. Generally, there is applause when someone states how far they’ve made it in their recovery.
Then, there are the times when someone has to admit to the group that they slipped up during the week. The statement might be “I really struggled this week and drank two beers.” There is no applause, but something else instead: Words of affirmation. The group surrounds the person with love and encourages them to keep on working at it. There is no condemnation.
How different could the church be if we all adopted this model? If the church was a place for sinners to go in order to find healing and support. Indeed, the Apostle Paul captured this sentiment when he wrote, “This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all.”
If we, as Christians, are followers of Jesus, then we must admit that we are sinners in need of a Savior. And, guess what? We’re not alone. There are literally billions of people on this planet who are in the same situation. They are stuck in one sin or another.
It is not a weakness to admit we struggle with sin. Instead, it is a declaration that we need Jesus. Instead of keeping everything locked up, we need to support one another, encourage each other, and keep pointing others to Jesus, our Savior, our Sin Savior. Maybe our own personal statement can go something like, “Hi, my name is Chad, and I’m a sinner. It’s been 10 years since I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior and found salvation.”
So let's stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall. ~ Romans 14:13 (NLT)
Burnout is a very real issue for those in ministry. No, it’s not necessarily the workload – though it does seem a bit insane from time-to-time. It’s that the workload consists of a lot of negativity. People complain about this or that. Others spread rumors about other people in the congregation or the pastoral team. Still, others teach or introduce other people to bad theology or conspiracy theories which cause a rift in the church. For many pastors and elders, this is the bulk of stuff they have to deal with on a regular basis and it wears them down.
In reality negativity doesn’t just make work-life that much more difficult, it also contributes to health issues. An article in Forbes magazine highlighted how being surround by negativity wrecks one’s immune system. This causes a host of health issues including higher risk for infections and diseases, increased stress levels, high blood pressure, and on-and-on.[1]In other words, negativity is literally killing us.
The Apostle Paul, who was no stranger to negative people, had some great insight for us when he wrote, “So let's stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.” In other words, lay off the negativity, lashing out, gossiping, slandering, judging, condemning, and a whole host of other negative ways we treat others.
As we’ve studied before, the two greatest commandments are 1) Love God, and 2) Love others. Being negative and critical towards others accomplishes neither of these two.
So, how do we move from negative to positive? Get closer to the source of all love – Jesus. Let His positive spirit rub off on you. Give thanks for who he is, what he has done, and what he promises to do. Encourage others. Look for the good in them and what they are doing. Compliment them. And, here’s the big one: If you see a problem, be part of the solution. Complaining about it doesn’t resolve it. Passing it on to someone else to deal with doesn’t help. Be part of the solution. Take ownership. And, in a positive spirit, help make it better.
[1] https://goo.gl/8gYoQR, Accessed Nov. 2, 2018
By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. ~ 1 Peter 1:3 (NLT)
One of the best-selling categories of books is the self-help genre. These books promise to give the reader all of the information that they need to attain their greatest desires. Want to become thin overnight? There’s a book that will tell you how. Most likely it will tell you to eat better and exercise more. Want to land that perfect boyfriend or girlfriend? There’s a book that will give you some awesome pick up lines. Want to become a billionaire? There are lots of books about that. Mostly, though, these books help the authors become billionaires while us poor folk scratch our heads and wonder why we aren’t rolling in the cash.
Of course, then there is the more modern invention of life coaches. A life coach is someone that you hire to help you navigate through life. Whether it is romantic advice, career guidance, or just someone to cheer you on, you can rent a coach that will do all of that for you.
In our Christian walk, sometimes we too look for guidance from various sources. We turn to outside help in order to guide us in the ways of being a good Christian. Whether it is a book, blog, vlog, or sermon, we seek wisdom from others on how to live a godly life. Here’s the problem: That’s not biblical.
As Peter, a guy who walked and talked with Jesus, stated, “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.” Our source of information on how to live a godly life must come from God himself.
So, where do we find the knowledge on how to live a godly life? A couple of sources stand out: 1) Prayer. Prayer connects us with God in a holy conversation. 2) A book. However, this isn’t a self-help book. It has all of the knowledge necessary to know God. It’s called the Bible. Both of these sources are infallible. In other words, they can’t lead you wrong.
So today, and every day, spend quality time with God in prayer. Spend time in his book, the Bible. Let God be your life coach. Read His best-seller. You will be blessed.
Haughtiness goes before destruction; humility precedes honor. ~ Proverbs 18:12 (NLT)
I’m not gonna lie. I had to look up the word “haughtiness” in order to remember what it means. So, here’s what I found. “Haughtiness is the appearance or quality of being arrogantly superior and disdainful.”[1]In other words, it is someone who is full of pride.
It was pride that brought sin into existence when Lucifer, the highest-ranking angel in the Kingdom of God, decided that He could rule the universe better than God himself. It was pride that led Lucifer to lead a rebellion and convince one third of the other angels to join him in his attempt to overthrow the kingdom. It was pride that caused Lucifer to target Adam and Eve – payback for being tossed from heaven. It was pride that caused Lucifer to agitate people so much against God’s kingdom that they chose to murder the Son of God, Jesus.
Here’s the thing. That same pride which Lucifer has – who lived in a perfect universe with no death, sorrow, pain, or sin – is alive and well inside each one of us. Humans are prideful by our very nature. So, what does pride look like for you and me? It’s simple. We simply believe that we should get what we want and we don’t care if anyone gets hurt in the process. In other words, life is all about us and our desires. We are the center of the universe.
As King Solomon put it in our verse today, “Haughtiness goes before destruction; humility precedes honor.” As with Lucifer, if we don’t check our pride, it will lead to destruction, both in this life and eternally.
Instead, we are called to be humble. What does humility mean in a real-world sense? Life isn’t about you. Your desires? Not the top priority. In fact, you don’t even make the top three. Humility looks like this: Love God above all else, and love others. You come in third.
But, notice what humility leads to: honor. God honors us. People honor us. Except in this sense, honor isn’t a certificate to hang on a wall. Honor is respect. Want others to respect you? Love them. Serve them. Listen to them. Encourage them. Lift them up.
So, today, and every day, choose to live a humble life, loving God and loving others. You will be blessed.
[1] https://goo.gl/QNqFFv
And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. ~ Jude 1:22 (NLT)
I have been blessed to teach bible classes Christian schools for nearly a decade. It is always amazing to me how hungry teens are for biblical truth. I believe we sometimes take it easy on them, not believing they can handle the deep theology of the scriptures. However, I have found that they are not only willing, but capable of digging into the scriptures and “getting it.”
Additionally, I love the fact that they ask great questions that many of us from the older generations have don’t. They challenge the bible in regard to current events, societal norms (what society says is OK), and why we believe what we as Christians believe. I love that about them! Why? Because they are seeking answers.
The unfortunate reality is that those of us who are supposed to be knowledgeable and mentor our teens in the faith and scriptures don’t help them in their struggle to answer their burning questions. Telling teens “because I said so,” or “because I just know,” or even “trust me” doesn’t cut it. Teens tune out when someone cops out. I’m not just singling out academy bible teachers. I’m also talking to parents, pastors, Sabbath School teachers, and anyone who has a responsibility of mentoring our kids.
As the book of Jude states, “And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering.” We cannot show mercy without getting involved. When we neglect our duties to mentor/disciple, we are not showing mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Giving pat answers or cop outs isn’t showing mercy. It’s demonstrating laziness.
We must dig into God’s word and let it speak to the current society. All of the moral lessons and truths that we need to answer our burning questions are contained in there. The most important questions that we must be able to dialog with our young people are things such as sexual orientation, gender identity, social justice, creation, and ethics. The answers are there if we just dig in.
So, dig in to the scriptures. Ask hard questions. Seek true answers. When we do so, then we can show mercy to those whose faith is wavering.
So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” ~ 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NLT)
One of the more intriguing jobs on the planet has got to be working as an ambassador. These men and women literally move to a different country in order to represent the interests of their country of citizenship. For example, we have a U.S. ambassador to China who lives in China and coordinates with the Chinese government to help build relationships, negotiate treaties, and to help ensure that American interests are heard and understood. As a U.S. ambassador, you get to speak on behalf of the President of the United States and the people of this great land. So, not only do you get to immerse yourself into a foreign culture, but you also have the backing of your government to do so.
In our Christian walk, we too are called to be ambassadors. No, we don’t represent the USA, but we are called to represent the Kingdom of God. We are to be God’s mouthpiece here on earth. We are called to build relationships with those outside of God’s Kingdom. But, to do so, we are required to step outside of our comfort zone.
You see, in order to be an ambassador, you have to leave the confines of your normal, Christian life and take the gospel message to foreign territory. No, you don’t have to move to China, or any other country – though God could call you to do so. Foreign territory is anywhere outside of our faith community. Going to church on Sabbath is not foreign territory. Going out Sabbath afternoon and serving the homeless is. Going to potluck is not foreign territory. Going to a non-Christian friend’s house for dinner and relationship-building is.
When we accept Jesus as our Savior, and we become a Christian, we automatically become an ambassador for God. As such, each one of us is called to fulfill our duty to His kingdom. We are given the privilege to share Jesus with the world. And, it is an honor to do so.
So, today, and every day, seek opportunities to be an ambassador for God. Ask Him to show you where to serve and who to connect with each day. Pray that God will give you His words to speak on His behalf. Pray that God will make you a truly awesome ambassador for the Kingdom of God.
If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ~ Romans 10:9 (NLT)
I remember as a kid playing hide-n-seek with my older brother and some of the kids from our neighborhood. I was pretty good at it because I was very skinny. I could shimmy into a ton of places that nobody would think to look. Of course, my biggest issue is when the seeker got close to me, but couldn’t see me, I would start to laugh. Trying to keep the giggles in was the hardest part of hide-n-seek. Often times I would get caught because they would hear me laughing to myself. But, other times, I was able to contain my chuckling and stay silent. These are the times that I won the game with no issue.
In our life, sometimes we play hide-n-seek with our faith in Jesus. Some of the time, we are able to talk about it with others, while other times we hold it in, lest we be found out. Sometimes we like to follow the directions of God, while other times we pretend we don’t know who He is so we have free license to go along with the crowd.
Here’s the issue: Our faith is supposed to be the priority in our life. It should never be hidden. As believers in Jesus, our faith is our identity. We are sons and daughters of the Most-High King. We should take pride in that fact.
But, often times we behave like we’re ashamed of being a Christian. We often think, when I’m among other Christians, I’ll live my faith. When I’m not, then He doesn’t really matter. Unfortunately, this reveals that our faith is opportunistic – we like it when it’s convenient for our needs. Yet, God calls us to live our faith regardless of the situation.
Jesus is either your Lord, Savior, and Best Friend all the time, or He isn’t truly all of those things. It’s not situational, depending on what audience you find yourself. This is why Paul writes, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
So, today, and every day, be open about your faith. Introduce your Best Friend, Jesus, to others. Openly declare that Jesus is Lord. In other words, it’s OK to name-drop the name of Jesus. Be proud of your faith. Don’t play hide-n-seek with it.
So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! ~ 2 Corinthians 5:16 (NLT)
Have you ever assumed something about someone and it turned out to be false? If you just answered no, you’re either dead or lying. (And, if you’re dead, I’m not sure how you answered…) We may think we have the ability to “read people,” but, in reality, we aren’t really that good at it.
There was an older couple who began visiting a church quite some time ago. He was dressed in a three-piece suit, and she was dressed in a very nice pant-suit with a broach on her lapel. Yet, here they were, in the midst of a church where dress was mostly casual, with contemporary praise music, and a preacher who didn’t preach your typical three-point sermon. I, for sure, thought they would run from the building screaming that we were all heretics. I was wrong. Not only did this couple stay for the entire church service, they kept coming back! After a few months, they decided to become members of that particular church. I had judged them by their age and appearance, and I was flat out wrong.
This is why the Apostle Paul tells us to stop making judgments of others based on our own understanding. Instead, he writes, “So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view.” In other words, we humans can only read people from a human point of view – we observe behavior, listen to words, etc.
However, we need to see people from God’s point of view. We need to put on some God goggles. When we do, we see that person who is acting out not as a jerk, but as someone who is deeply hurting inside and needs someone to care. We don’t see a drug addict, we see someone who has a lot of past regrets who needs quality friends in their life. We don’t see someone who jumps from one relationship to another, we see someone who is desperately seeking love. In short, when we see them from God’s point of view, things are different.
So, today, and every day, pray that God will allow you to see people the way He sees them. Pray that He will give you His God goggles. You will never see things the same again.
For we live by believing and not by seeing. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NLT)
When I was younger, I had a fear. It was a fairly normal fear, in that many people had it, or still have it. It had to do with a certain sea creature that was lurking in the depths, ready to strike without warning. Depending on your own phobia (fear), you are probably imagining one thing or another that could wreak havoc on unsuspecting ocean visitors. But, you’re in the majority if you know that I’m talking about sharks. Any time I approached the ocean, I knew that there were these giant fish called Great White sharks just circling out of view, waiting for me to enter the water so they could unleash their razor-sharp teeth. So, I was very cautious entering the water, and mostly stayed on the beach, where it was safe.
Of course, my phobia was grounded not in actual events. You see, I had never seen a Great White shark. In fact, the vast majority of people have never seen one in person. Sure, they’ve seen them on television or YouTube, or some other media platform, but most people have never seen one actually swimming in the ocean. Yet, we believe. We believe the myth that they are blood-thirsty killers. We believe the myth that they stalk people, ready to pounce. Even beyond the myths, we believe they exist, even though we’ve never seen one for ourselves.
In fact, if you think about it, how much of what you know as true is because you’ve actually witnessed it yourself, versus it has been shown to you by someone else? I’m guessing that the latter statement is true for a big portion of it.
In our faith, we are called to believe, even though we’ve never seen Jesus. He went back to Heaven nearly 2,000 years ago, so we never got the chance to meet Him in person. Yet, Paul writes, “For we live by believing and not by seeing.”
This seems to be a hang up for many people in our world. If I can’t see God, how do I know He exists? Well, follow the evidence. How do you know anything exists? Germs? Bacteria? Your own heart? Your brain? You’ve most likely never seen any of these things, yet you (hopefully) believe they exist. It’s the same with Jesus. Learn about Him from eyewitness accounts found in the Bible. See evidence for Him in nature and astronomy. If you investigate, you will find out the truth – He is alive! In other words, believe, even though you can’t see.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. ~ Proverbs 3:5 (NLT)
When I was in college, I began to notice some changes in my vision. When I would sit far away from the chalkboard or projector screen, the images seemed to be getting quite blurry. In fact, there were some classes where I could not read the writing on the chalkboard at all. It wasn’t because the professor was writing things too small. Instead, the whole board looked fuzzy to me. I couldn’t make out letters, just a green and white jumble. It did not help with my note-taking. The next opportunity that I was at home, I went to see the ophthalmologist (eye doctor) and she delivered the news that I was becoming near-sighted. In other words, my eyes were changing and I would only be able to see things clearly when I was moderately close to them. To help fix the issue, I was fitted with a pair of glasses, and back to school I went. However, now, I could actually see the words my professors were writing and my note-taking was back on point.
In this life, we are all near-sighted. We can only see what is right in front of us. We can’t see down the road in life. Sure, we can make predictions, and sometimes they come true. But, we can’t know for certain exactly what is in store for us in one year, five years, 10 years, or a few decades. Our human eyes, and brain, don’t have that ability. Add in that we are sinful, and our ability to see things clearly is made even more difficult. The future is a big blur.
Unfortunately, there is no human cure which will fix our fuzzy vision. This is made abundantly clear in our spiritual lives when we trip over this thing called sin on a regular basis.
King Solomon helps us better understand how to correct the issue. He writes, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.” In other words, you can’t trust what you think you see. Instead, trust in the One who sees everything perfectly. He can see the sins that lie ahead and steer you clear of danger. He can see the rough road ahead and prepare you for the bumps. In short, trust in God’s vision, not your own.
So, today, and every day, pray for our God to lead you. Pray for Him to plot out your course to avoid the pitfalls of life. Surrender your faulty vision for His perfect one.
Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends. ~ Proverbs 17:9 (NLT)
I had a friend once who would never say that anything was bothering them, even when their demeanor (the way they carried themselves) said otherwise. Like most men, I tend to want to fix things when I notice that something is wrong, so I would ask a simple question, “What’s wrong?” I would expect a response like, “I’m sad because…” or “My grades aren’t that good…” or something, anything. But, instead, what I got from her was an angry, “If you don’t know, I’m not going to tell you!” Productive, right? The gist of what she was telling me was that I was most likely the cause of whatever it was that was bothering her, and that I should be fully aware of how my behavior, or words, caused her misery. This of course led to many fights during our years of friendship. The result? We both became unhappy in the relationship, and it broke apart. We had been friends for over nearly a decade.
Why are we humans so stubborn? Why do we insist on always being right, and condemning those who we are sure wronged us in some way? Why do we fight with friends over petty things? It seems the value of relationships is being placed more and more on how people make us feel, rather than on shared ideals, experiences, culture, and dozens of different attributes. Friendships take work, and that means communication is essential.
King Solomon, a wise king-dude, put it this way, “Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.” In other words, stop holding on to grudges. It will only ruin the relationships you have, and will cost you relationships you should have. Be open and honest with your friends. I’m not saying to go and pick fights. And, I’m not saying you should complain about everything (see previous devos). But, when you are hurt by a friend, someone you value, you need to approach them for a conversation about what is going on. Holding on to the grudge only drives a wedge into the friendship, and you will lose those who should matter most to you.
So, today, and every day, practice forgiveness. Talk things over when friends hurt you. It’s an act of love, not weakness. Strengthen, and perhaps restore, your friendships.
The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. ~ Proverbs 27:9 (NLT)
Have you ever met someone who knows exactly what to do at any given moment? They seem to know just what to say, or do, to make things right, to get out of a jam, or to basically fix things. It’s pretty incredible to watch.
For me, that person was my dad. He seemed to always know what to say at the right time. He knew when to be tough with me. But, he also knew when to have fun as well. His words were always spoken in kindness, never in anger – even when I was being grounded for doing something dumb.
It was really hard on me when he died just a couple of months shy of my 21stbirthday. The person in my life that I always counted on to guide me, to provide the right answer at the right time, was gone. It shattered my world, that’s for sure. But, something so tragic also taught me the value of friendship.
When I returned to college, following the memorial service for my dad, I realized how true my friends were. Of course, us guys don’t like sitting around and talking about our feelings, so we didn’t. However, my guys were there for me. Each one of them, in their own way, let me know that they had my back – that we would get through this together. And, crazy enough, they often had the right words to say at the right time. Sometimes, words didn’t even need to be spoken. But, their counsel, their input, into my life got me through the darkest time.
King Solomon describes how valuable a true friend is, when he penned, “The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.” Friends invest in each other. They are there for one another. They give words of encouragement. They help make life better.
If you have friends in your life that have been the “go-to” person, or have made life better, let them know how much you value their friendship. And, in addition, be that go-to person form them as well. When you do this type of symbiotic relationship (you rely upon one another) you will experience the sweetness that Solomon describes.
Today, and every day, seek out the goodness in your friendships. Lift up your friends. Add sweetness to their life.
Don't befriend angry people or associate with hot-tempered people. ~ Proverbs 22:24 (NLT)
When I worked in business management, I was often times called to our customer service counters to deal with angry customers. As you would expect, it was the highlight of my job. When I arrived, no one ever had to point out who I was supposed to talk with. It was very obvious. They had a scowl on their face. They often times were drumming their fingers on the countertop. They were staring at one spot on the wall, or staring down an employee. The conversation started with an introduction and then lead to a tirade unleashed by the person who felt that they had been wronged. All of a sudden, the whole world was plotting against them, and we were to blame. I became somewhat of an expert at talking people down, but it wasn’t before they belittled me, the organization, and my fellow employees. In the vast majority of situations, the issue could have been resolved with a simple conversation. Or, at the very least, they would have understood why things were the way they were.
Then, there are the people that are satisfied with nothing. In fact, they seem to relish their role as accuser and fearmonger (they like making people afraid). There is no talking them down. They know they’re right, everyone else knows they’re right, the whole world knows they’re right, and nobody is going to change their mind. So, when someone dares to challenge their view, they launch into a tirade. These are the customers I had escorted from the building.
Unfortunately, us Christians can often times behave in the same way. Whether in person, or on social media, we scream and shout at those who don’t understand that we are “right.” We condemn people, churches, pastors, for daring to do something that we’ve decided is an abomination to God, and we want the world to know it. We get angry when someone either stands up for themselves, or we don’t get the audience we think we deserve. This is not the way to be a witness for Christ. This is not Christian behavior (See Matthew 18).
King Solomon had some wise words to share about this, “Don't befriend angry people or associate with hot-tempered people.” In other words, don’t even give them an audience. Trolls love an audience. Don’t give them the satisfaction. Walk away. Don’t engage. Block them from your life. They will only drag you, and everyone around you, down.
Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. ~ Psalm 37:7 (NLT)
Imagine that you have a best friend, someone who has known you since you were little and gets you. You laugh together, cry together, and basically enjoy each other’s company. You spend quality time together each day. You hang out. You Facetime. You share life.
Then, one day, your friend seems distracted during time that you normally spend together. They keep checking their phone, or they seem to be distant. They aren’t really engaged in the conversation or invested in connecting with you. So, you call them on it. They apologize and tell you all the things that are distracting them: too much homework, a new job, they have too many bills, or a million other things going on. You forgive them and move on. But, each day, they get more and more distracted until they feel like a stranger. Those Facetime calls get less and less frequent, until they stop calling all together. They don’t stop by to hang out any more. One day, you notice that they are just gone – a memory of times past.
Perhaps you’ve experienced the loss of a friendship like this. It’s not any fun, that’s for sure. In fact, it hurts to think of losing someone who should be so close, yet drifted away.
Unfortunately, this is all-to-often how we treat our relationship with Jesus. Sure, we may have the best of intentions to hang out with Him, to talk with Him, and to study His scriptures together. But, then life happens and we get distracted. We let other things keep us from enjoying the company of our Best Friend, our King, our Lord.
I believe King David understood this when He penned, “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.” Being still, being present, being invested, is important in a relationship.
In our world, being still is a lost treasure. Busyness keeps us going from sun up to sundown. We have jobs, school, chores, homework, laundry, and a hundred other things we need to do each day. But, ultimately those cannot take away from our quality time with God.
Every day, be still in His presence. Talk with Him. Listen for His voice. Invest in the relationship. Don’t let it drift away.
Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. ~ Colossians 3:13 (NLT)
We live in a society of reaction. What I mean is that it seems the majority of people just react to things rather than actually contemplate (think through) both sides of a story or argument. If it meets with their preconceived (they already made up their mind) opinions, then they accept the argument as valid without even looking at the details of the argument. If the argument does not meet their preconceived opinions, they immediately seek to reject it without even giving it any thought or listening to the other side. This is why we have protests all over the place with people claiming all kinds of “truths.” Yes, I put that in quotations because truth doesn’t seem to matter anymore. The only “truth” that matters is what people believe to be true – and many blindly. We react. And, often times that reaction is to paint those who hold differing opinions than us as evil.
However, the Apostle Paul has some biblical counsel for us, when he wrote, “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” In other words, in this world, there will always be differences of opinion, misunderstandings, and name-calling. But, as Christians, we are held to a higher standard. We must, as Paul put it, “make allowance for each other’s faults.” We must be willing to accept those who don’t think or behave like us. Especially those within our global, and local, church family. We must listen to one another in an attempt to understand our individual points of view, rather than listening to prepare an argument against them. We must allow that we approach life differently due to man different influences in our lives.
Then comes the kicker. “Forgive anyone who offends you.” In other words, don’t fly off the handle when someone says something you hate. You can disagree, but you must also forgive. Pray that the person be blessed, not cursed. Don’t hurl insults at them. Don’t stereotype them into one category or another. See them as Jesus sees you. He forgives you for the offenses you’ve committed against His Kingdom. In turn, we are told to forgive those who commit offenses against us. I’m not saying it’s easy, but it is our biblical mandate.
How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. ~ Psalm 19:12 (NLT)
I love the sport of volleyball. Bump. Set. Spike. That’s what it’s all about! In my youth, I was actually pretty good at it. In my older years, I can still play, but I’ve had to get a little bit craftier in my approach since my athleticism is fading.
A few years back, I challenged our school’s girls volleyball team to play their starting six just against me. (One vs. six) It was an attempt to help them learn to never underestimate their opponent. At the beginning, I let them score points pretty easily. They started getting cocky. The even taunted me. About half way through the match, I started playing. They lost.
So, how did I beat them? It wasn’t that I played particularly well. I don’t think I even got to spike. I examined their team, spotted their weaknesses and then exploited them for my gain. Though they couldn’t see their weak spots, to a guy who has played the game for longer than any of those girls have been alive, it wasn’t hard to see. Successful players aren’t just good athletes. They study their opponents and figure out how to beat them.
Satan is not just a successful, but elite opponent. He has been around longer than any of us, and can spot every one of our weak spots. He knows how to get at us. He knows how to get us to sin in ways that we never thought possible. He knows how to beat us.
That’s why we need God on our side when it comes to defeating our sins. We may think we’ve got it all under control. We’re wrong. Our sinful nature – a craving for sin that we are all born with – cannot be tamed by more effort. Only the master, God Himself, can spot and help eliminate the weak spots in our life.
That’s why King David penned this amazing verse, “How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults.” Even David realized that only God can help turn weak spots into strong points.
So, today, and every day, don’t try to fight your sins alone. You will lose. Your opponent is way more intelligent and craftier than you. Call on God to cleanse you. Let Him set you free from the bondage of sin that holds you back.
There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother. ~ Proverbs 18:24 (NLT)
I was not a popular kid in high school. I know, shocking, right?! I was actually pretty shy, and my self-esteem was wrapped up in my girlfriend at the time. So, how the relationship was going, was how I was feeling. Let’s just say it was a bit of a roller-coaster ride. Aside from that relationship, I didn’t really ever have close friends. In fact, many of the people in school used to treat me like a friend just so that they could make fun of me. I was tall and very skinny. I had braces (those weren’t cool back then, BTW) and really no fashion sense. So, kids would invite me to hang out with them after school and then they would put me down. Usually I would just walk away after they got in a few jabs, wondering to myself why I kept falling for their fake invitation to friendship when I got burned every time.
I’m guessing that a lot of you reading this can relate. Maybe it’s still happening in your life. So, let me share some hope with you in the form of our verse today, “There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.” I love that even King Solomon understood this. He was the richest and wisest king in history. Yet, he too understood that there are people out there who just love to tear others down.
So, is there no hope for decent friendships? Of course, there is! But, here’s the hard part – we have to quit settling for toxic relationships. You see, we are partly to blame for those “friends,” as Solomon put it, that destroy us. We allow them into our lives in the first place and then refuse to walk away from the relationship. The issue is that we choose to hold on to things that are damaging to us because we either: a) spent too much time investing in them to let them go; or b) we don’t think we can do anything better.
Here’s the deal. It’s OK to be alone for awhile and seek out healthy relationships. I know, loneliness can be painful for many of us. However, if we spend our time investing in our relationship with God, (which is the healthiest relationship in the universe!) then God will lead us to healthy friendships. If we spend our time investing in toxic “friends,” then we won’t experience true friendship. Let go of those that hurt you. Embrace those who don’t.
Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. ~ Hebrews 12:15 (NLT)
A friend of mine took his family on a cross-country road trip. He packed up his wife, two teens, probably some clothes, and headed off towards the East Coast. A little over two weeks later, he arrived back home. I got a chance to catch up with him about the trip, curious to see how it went. The dude unloaded. Everything went wrong. The kids were complaining about being in the car so much. The wife didn’t like his choice of hotels. Everything cost way more than he thought it would. The places they visited didn’t look like the pictures online. It was complaint after complaint after complaint. When he was done, I stated what I thought was obvious, “So, the trip stunk, huh?” His answer still has me shaking my head. In all seriousness, he said, “No, we had a great time.”
Maybe you’ve met, or know someone like this. They claim that life is great, but all they do is complain about everything. Something is always wrong. The Bible calls this bitterness. And, to be honest, it’s like a cancer in the Christian community that we call church.
During my years in the business world, I took lots of seminars on customer service (how to relate to people). One of the statistics from those classes that has stuck with me is this: It takes seven compliments to overcome one negative statement. In other words, bitter words are seven times more powerful than positive words. And, bitter words only make life miserable for everyone else, not just the person who is spewing forth bitterness.
As Christians, we have no reason to be bitter. We have Jesus Christ! But, often times we waste time complaining or lamenting about things. What’s worse is that this bitterness is contagious – bringing down others. That’s why the writer of Hebrews states, “Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.”
So, today, and every day, examine what you communicate. Is it bitter, or is it positive? Does it lift others up, or bring them down? Does it imitate the character of Jesus, or does it imitate the character of His enemy? If it is the later, pull bitterness out by the root. Speak words of encouragement, hope, and love. And do it seven times more than you complain.
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. ~ Hebrews 12:14 (NLT)
Have you ever heard the expression, “Don’t poke the bear?” If not, here is the idea: You’re doing something that you should know will irritate someone else and cause severe, often painful, consequences to come your way. We used to use this expression with our oldest child when he would torment his sister when she was a toddler. Doing things to irritate a three-year-old on purpose is like poking a bear. There will be lots of snarling and growling, and, in her case, a temper tantrum that all of us had to endure. So, we’d say stuff like, “Dude, don’t poke the bear.” After a couple of times of this, he figured it out – well, mostly.
Of course, most of us don’t walk around looking for toddlers to irritate. But, there are way too many of us that look, and find, other targets. Don’t believe me? If you’re on social media, just take a look at how vicious people have become towards others that don’t agree with them. I had one Facebook friend literally post that “Anyone who accepts our current president [speaking of President Trump] as the president of the USA will be unfriended and blocked by me forever.” Yet, another has posted a bunch of stuff about how socialism is only for people that are intellectually sound. Therefore, anyone who doesn’t support it must be ignorant fools. And, another who has said that anyone who doesn’t immediately condemn another person based solely on an accusation is just as guilty as the accused.
I don’t really care where anyone lands on the political spectrum. My life and career are about pointing to the One who is truly worthy of our attention. However, when we allow politics, opinions, or even emotions to rule the way we treat other people, as Christians, we aren’t living the life God wants for us. In fact, we have to wonder if we are actually Christians.
That’s why the author of Hebrews had this pointed message for us, “Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.” In other words, don’t tear others down because they believe something differently than you. We are to live a godly life. We are to love others. We are to help connect people with the King of Kings. We are supposed to imitate Christ. If we don’t, we aren’t actually Christians.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. ~ Hebrews 12:1 (NLT)
Running is a sport that the general population doesn’t particularly like. Well, they might like it when they get to watch it on the Olympics, for example. However, most people don’t enjoy lacing up the shoes and going for a run each day – or ever.
Generally, people don’t like running because it’s not easy. When first starting out, they struggle, their breathing is erratic, their feet hurt, and finding a good, even pace is sometimes difficult. Often times, people quit because it is too difficult, the strain is too much.
Then, there is the other group who attack the struggle. This is the group that has my profound respect. Though they aren’t in tip-top shape, they imagine a day when they will be. It’s those that realize that they must struggle at first to attain their fitness or distance goals that succeed. In fact, my running partner a few years back was one such person. She started off not being able to go very far without stopping to catch her breath. But, over a few months, she stuck with it. Every day her distances got longer, her pace faster, and her breathing not as labored. Finally, she met her distance goal. The next day, she exceeded it.
Developing endurance is what running the race is all about. But, developing endurance doesn’t come over night. It comes with training – pushing ourselves to get stronger and faster. It’s pushing through the thoughts of quitting and continuing on toward the finish line that provides success. It takes regular effort to develop endurance. It takes goal setting to develop endurance. (I.e. I will run one mile without stopping today.)
It’s no difference when it comes to developing our faith. If we want to have a rock-solid faith that endures to the finish line, then we need to train like a runner. We need to start small, set an attainable goal (I’m going to read one chapter per day from the Scriptures). We need to practice our breathing. (I’m going to pray at least three times per day.) We need to get into a gym. (Join, and stick with, a church family.) And, when that goal has been reached, set another goal. Then another. And so on. Keep running. Don’t stop. Develop an eternal endurance.
I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. ~ Revelation 3:19 (NLT)
Have you ever met a spoiled rotten, entitled child? You know, the one who gets exactly what they want, when they want it, no matter what it may be? They expect to be served. When they don’t get exactly what they want, they throw a tantrum.
I’ve met many of these children over my lifetime. However, the one that sticks most was a 45-year-old woman. She was my boss’s daughter, but I was her manager at the company where we worked. I caught her in a lie. Essentially, she was clocking in for the day to go out on sales calls, (she was supposed to visit potential customers) but instead went home, or went shopping, or basically anywhere but to actual sales calls. As a manager should, I confronted her about it. What transpired is still fixed in my memory. This woman (who was old enough to be my mom at the time) began cursing, yelling, screaming, and throwing stuff at me. She was the daughter of the owner, and she could do what she wanted, or so she shouted. I fired her. I got promoted. Funny how things worked out.
When parents don’t discipline their children, they grow up to think the world revolves around them. When they don’t get their way, ugliness ensues. A loving parent must discipline their child to prevent this from happening. A loving parent insists upon respect, compassion, and mercy. A loving parent wants their children to gain the trust and respect of others. A loving parent wants their children to realize the word does not revolve around them.
That’s why I find the Apostle John’s verse today (he wrote Revelation) comforting, “I correct and discipline everyone I love.” In other words, as Christian children, we need to be reminded that the world does not revolve around us. Rather, it’s all about Jesus. So, God disciplines us, teaching us right from wrong, as any good father should, so that we aren’t spoiled brats. Through discipline, we learn to demonstrate love to God, and to others.
So, today, and every day, give thanks to God for His discipline. Thank Him for helping to show you what is good, and what is evil. Thank Him for taking the time to show that He cares. Thank Him for showing you He loves you.
God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? ~ Numbers 23:19 (NLT)
Have you ever been stood up? For those that don’t know what being “stood up” means, here ya go: It simply means that the person who promised to meet you at a particular place at a particular time didn’t. It’s not that they were late. They never showed up.
There have been countless movies and TV shows that use this concept in their stories. The main character shows up for a date, for example, and their counterpart blows them off because of some excuse or another. The person is left wondering what happened. Often times, it’s a huge blow to their self-esteem, and they begin to think that maybe it was something they did or said that convinced their date not to show up. It’s a great storyline to illicit sympathy from the audience.
However, the reason it’s a great storyline is because most of us can relate to it. Maybe we haven’t been stood up on a date. But, I’m sure most, if not all, of us can think of a time when someone rejected us, or made us feel less valued. It hurts when people say one thing and then don’t follow through on it.
That’s why I love this quote from Moses in the book of Numbers (of all places). In speaking of God, Moses stated, “Has he ever promised and not carried it through?” In other words, it’s a reminder for all of us about the nature and character of God. God always follows through on what He says He is going to do. He shows up on time and ready to go.
There is no greater evidence than God in flesh, Jesus. The prophecies (predictions about the future) predicted that Jesus would heal the sick, make the blind see, the lame to walk. He did all those things. The prophecies also said that He would live a perfect life, and then lay it down on the cross for the forgiveness of all our sins. Then, three days later, He would rise from the dead, conquering the grave for us. Check. Check. Check.
God doesn’t ever stand us up when He promises something. He will follow through. He will show up. He will act. Always. One hundred percent of the time.
Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. ~ Ephesians 5:1 (NLT)
There is an old-school phrase that has been used for generations to describe people’s children. He or she is a “chip off the ol’ block.” I know, it’s kind of a weird phrase. But, frankly, the English language is weird all the time. But, I digress. The concept of the phrase is basically that a piece of a larger rock has been removed, or chipped, yet still resembles the big rock in many ways – it is the same type of rock, it has the same coloring, etc. In other words, “your child is just like you.” It’s usually meant as a compliment, and a source of pride as a parent.
The Apostle Paul tells us to be “chips off the ol’ block” of God. He wrote, “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.” In other words, we are supposed to be easily identifiable as one of His children.
Here’s the issue: Do we accurately reflect who God is to others?
I posed something like the following question on social media not too long ago: “If the only way people were to know God were from your social media posts, what would they think of Him?” The responses were very interesting. Nearly everyone that commented, and private-messaged me, said that people would have a poor view of God based on their behavior online. In other words, the view that the world was getting from their online behavior is that God hates democrats and republicans, and either hates or loves our current president. He was a political socialist. He is judgmental, angry, and not polite. He cares only for people that have the same view as Him. And on and on and on the insults go.
Here's the problem, Jesus is none of these things. He is pure love, not hate. (1 John 4:16) He came to save, not judge. (John 3:16-17) He shows compassion and mercy. (Luke 1:50) He healed the sick, cast out demons, and restored dignity to millions. (Matthew 11:4-6)
Fellow Christians, today, and every day, commit to representing the Kingdom of God accurately. Say and do loving things. Point people to the Savior. Show compassion and mercy. Care for those who are hurting. Help restore the dignity of those who feel low. In other words, be a “chip off the ol’ block.”
Praise the Lord, everything he has created, everything in all his kingdom. Let all that I am praise the Lord. ~ Psalm 103:22 (NLT)
I have been blessed to work with many praise teams over the years. At my current church, these praise teams consist of individuals wo are gifted in the ability to lead others in singing praise to Jesus Christ. I always sit in awe at how God can use anyone, regardless of age, to bring me to a place of worship.
But, when we limit praise to only our hour or so of worship per week, we aren’t living a life of praise. Instead, we are consumers of praise. We only offer partial praise. Let me unpack that. If the only time we offer up praises to God is during our time of corporate worship, then the other 167 hours during the week, we are not. When we praise at church because of how it makes us feel, not because He is necessarily worthy, then we are consumers of the feeling, not offering genuine praise. (I know, I’m generalizing. But I hope you get the point.)
As our verse today describes, “Let all that I am praise the Lord.” In other words, praise isn’t solely a part of a worship time together. Instead, praise is a lifestyle. In every part of our lives, we are to offer up praise to God.
So, what does a lifestyle of praise look like? In your finances, do you give freely, or do you hold back for the things that you want? Is it your money, or His money? In your romantic life, have you surrendered your wants to God? Or, do you insist on pursuing relationships that you know are not healthy? In your career, do you work the bare minimum in order to keep a job you hate, or do you give it your all to help the organization? (See my previous devo on how we are to work as if we are working for the Lord) In your private time, do you honor God with your choice of media, or do you indulge in stuff that you know takes you away from Him? When you see people that are hurting, and in need, do you turn a blind eye, or do you step up to help, even if it is inconvenient? In the church, do you serve in volunteer positions, or do you decline them every time because you’re too busy?
Praise involves all aspects of life. Why? Because we owe Jesus our lives. He traded His for ours. Now, it is our turn to trade all that we are for Him. And, it is a blessing to do so.
Do what is good and run from evil so that you may live! Then the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies will be your helper, just as you have claimed. ~ Amos 5:14 (NLT)
I don’t know about you, but I love “comfort food.” If you don’t know what that is, here’s the concept. Comfort food is stuff that you eat when you are feeling lousy. Boyfriend dumped you? Eat a pint or two of your favorite ice cream! Have a cold? Eat a grilled cheese sandwich and some tomato soup! (That’s my go-to anyway) Stressed out? Eat something loaded with fat and grease! Comfort food is where we go to drown our sorrows.
Here’s the problem. Comfort food is terrible for you. Eating all of that stuff may make you feel better in the very short term. But, in the long run, all it will do is increase the size of your waistline, clog your arteries, and lead to a whole lot more problems than you had in the first place. Comfort food may provide temporary relief, but it has long-lasting negative effects.
Unfortunately, we approach sin much like we do comfort food. When we feel stressed out, lonely, unloved, or unwanted, we look for a way to comfort ourselves, and Satan is very happy to help us out. There are literally millions of things that Satan can hook us up with that he says will fix the problem, or at least help us forget about it for a while. This is where we see our modern issues of alcoholism, drug use, self-harm, sexual sin (in its many forms), and, yes, gluttony (eating too much and making ourselves fat and sick). Satan promises that they will make our problems go away. But, sin can’t do that. Sin only amplifies problems.
Instead, God, speaking through the prophet Amos, put it like this, “Do what is good and run from evil so that you may live.” So, what does “good” look like? Stressed out? Talk to someone about it. Exercise. Go to the gym and get that heart rate up for at least 30 minutes every weekday. Make sure your prayer life is large and in-charge. Feeling lonely or unlovable? Sex won’t fix it. Find a small group, reach out to others with similar interests. Get plugged in to ministry at your local church. Being lonely is a choice. Not sure who you are? Plug yourself into the Word of God and see who He thinks you are. Let Him define you.
In short, pursue the good things God has provided in life and run from Satan’s counterfeit. Don’t get lost in drowning your sorrows. Get lost in the goodness of what God gives.
For the Lord is the one who shaped the mountains, stirs up the winds, and reveals his thoughts to mankind. He turns the light of dawn into darkness and treads on the heights of the earth. The Lord God of Heaven’s Armies is his name! ~ Amos 4:13 (NLT)
Have you ever sat in silence and tried to comprehend God? If not, you definitely should try it. Find a quiet place, free of distractions and let your mind examine the things we know to be true about God. Yes, it’s an impossible task. For who can actually know everything about God except God Himself? However, doing so will leave you in awe of who He is.
Let’s unpack our verse today to discover some clues as to who God is. (BTW, you can do this with many verses throughout the Bible, not just Amos).
“The Lord is the one who shaped the mountains.” God created the entirety of the earth. He didn’t just hang a rock in space. He spent time sculpting it, as only a master sculptor can do! He formed the plains, the valleys, and the mountains so that the earth would appear beautifully, yet also function in particular ways. Great thought and care was done in creating this place that we call home.
God “stirs up the winds.” In other words, God didn’t just create the earth and then leave it alone. He is still active in the day-to-day operation. He causes the winds to blow, the tides to rise. He causes the rain to fall, and the sun to shine. He gives us air to breathe, and water to drink. He provides the ingredients we need to sustain life.
“He turns the light of dawn into darkness and treads on the heights of the earth.” He gives us day, and He gives us night. He gives us time to work, and also gives us time to rest. He gives the plants, and people, sunshine to make them healthy, yet gives us darkness so that we may sleep. He causes the earth to rotate around the sun, so that we have seasons.
My favorite, of course is that He “reveals his thoughts to mankind.” Even though we have a great BIG God who creates planets and sustains life, He is also a small God who is interested in each one of His children – us. He created the earth and universe for our benefit, after all! In other words, you and I are His most precious creation. He is not just interested in each of us. He is madly in love with us.
A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones. ~ Proverbs 14:30 (NLT)
In my decade of ministry to teens, the number one personal issue regularly presented to me is one of identity. You see, our teenage years can be a very confusing time for many. We begin our final development into a man or woman. Our bodies grow up, sometimes out. Our voices get deeper. We are faced with more responsibility. The chance of dating someone can become a reality. In other words, there are lots of firsts that happen when we are teens. But, it also causes many of us to become confused about who we are, or ought to be.
Unfortunately, we often times seek our identity by comparing ourselves to others. We compare our looks – I wish I was as handsome or pretty as that person. We compare personalities – I wish I was as outgoing as she is. We compare our athleticism – I wish I could play sports as well as him. We compare our academic abilities – she is so smart. We compare our relationships – everyone likes him. We compare our spiritual strengths – I wish I could pray like her. Or we compare our preaching chops – I wish I could preach like him. (Maybe that one’s just for me.) We compare just about everything in an attempt to find out who we are.
Here’s the problem. God didn’t create you to be like someone else. He created you to be unique, unlike anyone else. When we compare ourselves to others, it is a form of jealousy. And, as King Solomon said, “jealousy is like cancer in the bones.” In other words, when you compare yourselves to others, you will never find peace, satisfaction, or health; only death.
Instead, we are to seek our identity in who God says we are – who He created us to be. When we accept that Jesus created us on purpose, for a purpose, we get the gift of peace. And, as Solomon puts it, “A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body.” Not only does peace give us better mental health, it also helps us to discover why God built us the way He did. And, that is the joy of the journey.
So, today, and every day, give thanks to God for who He made you to be. Ask Him to reveal more about who you are, and how He sees you. Let the peace of the Father flood into your life and the jealousy of the enemy flee.
Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong! ~ 1 Peter 3:17 (NLT)
I was one of the lucky few to have my own car during my sophomore year in high school. It provided me a lot of freedom to get to varsity practices, school, and other events on time. It also allowed me the opportunity to hang out with my friends more often. (This was before Facetime, so people actually hung out together. Weird, I know.) My parents had two rules for me to maintain my freedom. I was supposed to tell them exactly where I was going and be back by curfew. That was it. Simple.
For the most part, I abided by the rules. I was careful to tell them where I was and be back before curfew. Of course, there were the very few times when I got home late. This resulted in the loss of my car for a few days. My dad was always good at pointing out that the penalty was earned by my actions, not imposed by him. It was my actions that triggered the consequences, and I needed to learn from them. I chose to forfeit the use of my car.
When we do wrong things, there will be consequences. Sure, maybe not immediate, but there are consequences – eroded trust, broken friendships, health issues, etc. These consequences aren’t the result of the authorities, or even God, being unfair and punishing us. The consequences are a result of our choices. They are the result of our sin. We screw up. We know it. Now, we must face the consequences of our actions, whatever that may be.
This is why Peter states something so simple, yet often times hard to grasp. “It is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong.” In other words, would you rather face the consequences of your sin, or face different consequences because you did the right thing? So, what are the consequences for doing good? As an example, standing up for a person whom your friends made fun of and now they won’t talk to you. It was the right thing to do. Face the consequences knowing this.
All of our actions and consequences are the result of our choices. Choose wisely. Don’t choose sinful consequences. Choose righteous (doing what is right) consequences. One leads to death. The other leads to Christ. One leads to sorrow and misery. The other, peace and joy.
You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. ~ Psalm 16:11 (NLT)
It was my sophomore year at Pacific Union College. I had my roommate all picked out and ready to go. He had been a friend of mine for over a decade, so we were excited to room together. However, things did not go according to plan. When we arrived to get into our room, the room assignment list showed that we each had different roommates. I asked the dean, and he said he had no record of the two of us requesting to room together, so he randomly assigned us somebody. No matter how much we protested, the dean wasn’t going to change the list. So, we went our separate ways to find out our fates. I entered the room to find that my new roommate was already moved in. He was from Japan and spoke barely any English. On top of that, he had a hotplate going and was cooking squid. Yup. You read that right. He was cooking squid in our room. The smell was not pleasant, and it hung around for days afterwards, too. From there, things got worse. My roommate was an early morning type of person. I was a night owl. Whenever he was up, he was not quiet, and he had friends come over. He brought a ton of Japanese tv shows and movies on DVD, which he watched endlessly. Basically, it was not a great experience. At the end of the first quarter, I petitioned the dean to move out, and he allowed me to move down the hall with another friend of mine.
Living with a stranger can be down-right awkward. Sometimes it can work out. But, often times, the experience is similar to what I went through.
Our verse today talks about our eternal Roommate (if you will). Those of us who accept Jesus as our Savior will live with Him forever. However, it won’t be awkwardness, Japanese tv shows, or squid cooking on a hotplate. As the Psalmist states, there will be “pleasures of living with you forever.” In other words, living with God will be an amazing experience every step of the way. There won’t be bad days, just excellent ones.
The best part is that our life with Jesus isn’t supposed to wait until He returns. He desires that relationship now. Eternity has already begun for us. Therefore, there’s no time like the present to get to enjoy our Heavenly Roommate more.
So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. ~ 1 Peter 5:6 (NLT)
Humility seems to be in short supply these days. Whether it is political posturing by professional politicians, fearmongering (promoting fear in an effort to control) to get one’s way, or simply showing prejudice towards a group of people because of their beliefs, pride has taken hold of countless inhabitants upon this earth. It’s as if we’ve said, “Goodbye humility!”
Unfortunately, this sense of ego reaches into God’s family, the church. There is political posturing over policies and procedures which govern our organizational systems, each side casting the other as the devil. There is name calling at different ministries within the church (such as the One Project) because of misrepresentations and fallacies. Some are even so bold as to suggest that those affiliated with such movements should be kicked out of the church, and pastors who have taken part in the events be fired. Still others point fingers of shame at other local churches who worship differently than their own particular congregation. People slap labels on other Christians, such as “liberal,” or “conservative,” or “historical,” all so that they can stereotype others as somehow evil or heathen.
I love the Adventist church. I’ve grown up in it. I worship as part of it. I get the distinct privilege of pastoring for it. Yet, the humbleness to which we are called to live has taken a backseat to ego. The infighting and bitterness are causing the advancement of the Gospel (our sole purpose on this planet, by-the-way) to take a backseat to opinions, rumors, and backbiting. Church, this must stop. Never mind the fact that it’s distracting from our mission, but who in their right mind looking in from the outside would ever want to belong to such misery?
So, here is my plea. As Peter – who knew a thing or two about screwing up – put it, “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.” We must humbly ask forgiveness of one another for our behavior. Heal the wounds in our church. We must humbly ask forgiveness of our Savior, who’s mission we have been ignoring. We must humbly set aside our differences and focus on what unites us – Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. (Not policy) Drop ego. Embrace the love of God and submit to Him.
Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. ~ Psalm 100:2 (NLT)
It’s been a few years. But a certain feline gained celebrity status just because of the way he looked. It wasn’t that he was a beautify Persian, or a cute and cuddly Ragdoll kitty. Nope. It was because he looked like he was ticked off at the world no matter what time of day it was. He has been appropriately named, “Grumpy Cat.” (You can check out what he looks like here, https://goo.gl/E7AWnJ) He has a permanent frown on his face. His eyes are narrowed, like he’s judging your soul. Grumpy Cat looks like the world is irritating him.
The sad reality is that there are many “Grumpy Cat” Christians. Everything they do seems to reflect their displeasure with something. In the church services, their arms are folded, a scowl is on their face, their stare of irritation is evident. Maybe they don’t like the song selection, or the pastor keeps on preaching about the need to reach the world for Jesus. Maybe the bulletin said that church was supposed to get out at 12:15, yet it’s 12:17 with no end in sight. Maybe someone sat in their favorite pew or chair. Maybe they’re just bitter that they were made to be there by their significant other, parent, or staff member. Either way, Grumpy Christians can be found in churches across the land.
Then, of course, outside of church, Grumpy Christians continue their grumpy ways. They complain about the state of the church online or to their friend groups. They voice their displeasure about other members of the body of Christ. They judge others as unworthy of their time, talent, treasure, or testimony. In fact, they just wish the needy would go away, move somewhere else so they don’t bother anyone.
However, Christians aren’t supposed to be grumpy. As the psalmist put it, “Worship the Lord with gladness.” Perhaps we view worship as a Bible study class or church service. However, worship, as it’s described in the Bible, is a lifestyle, not an event. In other words, everything we do each day should be an act of worship. The question is: Who are we worshipping? If we’re the constant Grumpy Christian, then we aren’t worshipping God. We’re behaving like our enemy.
So, today, and every moment, worship God with gladness. Let others see the joy of your faith. Help others to find peace in their Savior. Represent the Kingdom of God as it should be.
Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty! ~ Proverbs 14:23 (NLT)
When I was younger, I had an entrepreneurial heart (I thought of starting new companies and services which would help people). I would sometimes sense a need and then begin planning how I might make that happen. For example, when a plane would crash, I would set about coming up with a system that would prevent it from happening. I “invented” a parachute system that would deploy from the top of the plane that could be activated when a plane lost control, or a wing, or some other important piece of machinery. Once activated, the chute would open, and the cabin, with all of the people inside, would float down to the earth rather than dive-bomb into it. Of course, I was only eleven and had no idea how to run a company, let alone start one up. So, the idea never came into existence. Oddly enough, a few years back (in 2018), following a plane crash, a group of engineers revealed a design for just a system, which they are currently testing on jetliners. They stand to make millions of dollars and save countless lives. All I can do is smile at what could’ve been.
Talk is cheap. Ideas that are never acted upon do nothing for anyone. Ideas that we passionately follow and commit our lives to, those are the ones that change the world. While I can blame my age for why I wasn’t able to get the job done, the reality is that I didn’t even try. I talked and talked about it, but I never made any phone calls or met with anyone that could help me bring the idea from paper to production.
The sad truth is that many of us practice our Christian faith this same way. We talk a lot about helping people find Jesus, winning souls for the Kingdom of God, and helping others develop a deeper relationship with God. But, far too often, it’s just talk. When the opportunity presents itself to share our faith, we don’t. When a person needs someone to help them better understand who God is, we refer them to someone else (if that). When we have the opportunity to serve God’s church, we make excuses about being too busy. Talk is cheap.
As Solomon puts it, “Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty!” In other words, unless we actually do what our faith calls us to do, our faith amounts to nothing. (See also James 2:17) We must put our love for Jesus into action. Teach. Serve. Evangelize. Study. Give.
Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. ~ Colossians 3:23 (NLT)
Have you ever had a job that you absolutely hated? Maybe you teens can’t yet relate, but I’m sure that many of the adults can. Here are the criteria for a miserable experience at work: 1) You dread going in to work every day; 2) Your coworkers drive you nuts; 3) You get no recognition for your hard work; 4) The pay stinks (Though this is not often the case); 5) Your boss is a dictator-type; 6) basically anything else that irritates you day in and day out.
I’ve had a couple of those. The last of which (many moons ago) met most of these criteria. I worked in a gray cubicle with no windows. There was never any privacy. My boss gave instructions which were always confusing at best – I had to make my best guess at what she actually wanted. When I did do something correctly, my boss usually just gave me a monotone “thanks,” and walked off. In other words, my days at that job were filled with irritation.
It's jobs like that one that make Paul’s verse today hard to swallow, “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” No, Paul wasn’t saying that you will always enjoy your work. But, he was reminding us that work always serves a purpose. Our work life is a witness to our Christian faith. Therefore, we must work with integrity – ensuring that we never short-change what we’re hired to do.
I was laid off after working there for a couple of years. When my boss delivered the news, I wasn’t shattered. My faith in God gave me peace to know that He had other plans for my life. My boss inquired why I was so calm at the news. God provided a window to share the Gospel. She cried. I cried. Though she didn’t leap up and proclaim her newfound faith in God, she definitely got a full dose of what the Kingdom of God looks like.
Here’s the deal. I didn’t like the job, but I worked hard at it, with integrity. I always did my best for the company. It was because of this, I believe, that God was able to use me to reach out to my boss. Rather than a quick meeting which gave me two weeks to find a new place to work, I was able to share Jesus with her for about an hour.
Work hard for the Kingdom, my friends, no matter where you may find yourself.
Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper. ~ Proverbs 13:4 (NLT)
They pop up everywhere. Whether they are online or on TV, ads for weight loss pills are a huge part of American society. And, there is great appeal to them. Are you overweight? Then take this pill five times per day and watch the pounds melt away! There is no effort required to gain that perfect body that you’ve always dreamed about. Simply pick up a bottle the next time you go shopping, or, even better, just order it online and have it shipped directly to you. Here’s the problem. The models that represent the product in the ads aren’t actually being fully truthful. I know! It’s shocking! The people that hock the drugs hit the gym every day; they do cardio, they do weights, they do hundreds of sit-ups, and isometric toning. They eat well, burning at least as many calories as they eat. You won’t look like they do by taking a magic pill. You have to work at it. You can’t be lazy. You must be disciplined.
It’s the same when it comes to our faith. Often times we think that there are shortcuts to developing a strong, eternal faith – if I just read a Bible passage when I’m in trouble, that will fix my faith. Surely that’s a magic pill! Alas, it ain’t. It’s like going for a walk around the block and then rewarding yourself with a pint of ice cream. A thousand calories eaten and only a handful of calories burned. Lazy faith doesn’t equal fit faith.
Instead, we must have spiritual discipline – a workout routine – which gets us, and keeps us in spiritual shape. Much like athletes and those fitness models, you must make sure your workout is well-rounded. (For example, just running won’t produce muscle mass, but does increase endurance.) So, how we get in spiritual shape? Here’s a simplified list: 1) An active prayer life. Occasional prayer doesn’t work. 2) Bible study. Fill your mind with the Scriptures, not just a memory verse or two. And, follow what the Bible teaches. Think of it as your personal trainer. 3) Belong to a community. Think of church as your gym. It’s where you go to get motivated to work out and be accountable to your workout buddies. 4) Share your faith. This is a big one that gets missed. Sharing your faith is what all the training is about. Put those muscles and endurance to use. Journey with others and help them develop an eternal faith in Jesus, too.
And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful! ~ Psalm 90:17 (NLT)
The game was over before it had even begun. Our opponent had gotten into our heads. Sure, it was only a two-on-two basketball game, and we weren’t playing in a tournament or championship game, but respect was on the line. Additionally, the two guys playing against us were younger and much shorter, which is generally a recipe for defeat. So, my friend and I were very cocky heading into the game. We told them how bad we would defeat them. We mocked their height. We talked about our superior skills. They just quietly nodded their heads. However, after the first few missed shots by us, and a few made shots by them, we found ourselves on the losing side of the game. The final score was 21-10. We got whooped.
So, what was their secret? How did they beat us? They let us get comfortable and arrogant. They let us believe that we didn’t need to work in order to secure a victory. They let us beat ourselves.
Yesterday, I mentioned in my Daily Devo that one of the things we need to do as the church is invite others to join our faith community. Yet, all across North America, churches are closing at an alarming rate. The average age of most congregations is over 60. Many churches are literally dying out because no new people have joined their faith community.
So, why is this happening? There are several factors, the key one being that people refuse to invite people into that faith community. More than one study showed large percentages of unchurched would consider attending a church if someone simply invited them. The problem is not the attitude of the unchurched; rather, it is often the failure of church members to invite others. In other words, we’re dying out because we aren’t trying very hard.
As the Psalmist put it, “may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful.” Notice, he says “our efforts.” We, as Christians, have work to do. And, there is no greater work than leading people to Jesus. Additionally, we can’t make a half-hearted effort like that basketball game so many years ago. (“I invited someone once and they said ‘no.’”) We must keep trying, keep inviting, keep praying, keep leading, keep sharing, all the days of our life.
And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. ~ Titus 2:7 (NLT)
“Welcome to Walmart” said the employee in the official blue Walmart vest. I smiled at them and said “Thanks.” There was no return smile. In fact, there was no emotion, no expression, just a blank stare from someone who seemed to be hating life at the moment. The employee didn’t even make eye contact and was staring blankly out into the parking lot. Like a caged animal, I believe she wished she could be free. “Are you OK?” I asked. “Fine” was the one-word reply I got – still no recognition that I was even standing there. Needless-to-say, my first impression of that store was not a good one.
The sad reality is that, as Christians, we sometimes behave in this very same manner. Sure, we may not have a soul-sucking job at Walmart, but often times we portray our faith as something that really isn’t that exciting – we just go through the motions that someone taught to us at some point in life. We fold our hands and close our eyes at prayer. Sometimes we kneel, but only when invited. We stand for songs in church when the praise leader says to, and sit when directed to replant ourselves in the pew. We say “Happy Sabbath” at the door of the church on the way out, because that’s what we’ve come to know. And, there is nothing wrong with all of these things. However, we must go beyond the customs and live out our faith.
As Paul puts it, “be an example to them by doing good works of every kind.” So, what might this look like? Well, I don’t want to put a limit on things, because God’s miracles are limitless, but here’s a few thoughts. Feed the hungry. Shelter the homeless. Give to the needy. Visit the sick. Pray for people you don’t know. Share the love of Jesus with others. Invite people into your life. Invite people into your church family (more on that tomorrow). Serve in your local church. Host Bible studies for those who don’t think like you already. Stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves. And, here’s the kicker, do it all with joy and passion. Nobody responds to a grumpy, burnt out Christian.
In short, don’t be that Walmart greeter. Don’t let your faith be seen as a soul-sucking job. Let others see Jesus in you. Let others experience the love and joy that only comes from God.
So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. ~ 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NLT)
I was at a wedding a couple of years back. It was two kids – I say “kids” even though in actuality they are in their mid-twenties – who attended my youth group back in Salem, Oregon. I was also their sophomore Bible teacher. It was several years ago that I received their invitation. I was flattered, and excited for the day when I could watch these two amazing kids tie the knot.
At the ceremony, one of my good friends officiated (he was the pastor saying all the stuff up front). The subject of the entire service was Jesus Christ. You see, Ethan and Cynthia love Jesus, and have accepted Him as their personal Lord and Savior. But, beyond that, they have invited Him into their relationship with each other. Even though it was their wedding, Jesus had to be lifted up and glorified – and He was.
For those of us who have taken the plunge and accepted Jesus into our lives through His invitation to unite with Him, we can’t forget that we too need to issue an invitation to Him. It’s not enough that we just call Him Lord and Savior, we must act upon it. This is what the apostle Paul meant when he stated in our verse today, “whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” In other words, we must invite God into our everyday life.
Of course, the simple answer is “I did,” or “I have.” But Paul’s direction goes deeper than that. He is telling us that in every part of our lives, we must invite God to be a part of it, to be Lord of it. That means we must give Him an invite into our romantic relationships (as Ethan and Cynthia have); into our careers; into our friendships; into our finances; into our families; into our church (it’s sad that this even needs to be stated); into our entertainment choices; into our hobbies; into every little piece of our lives. Because, if He’s not there, He can not be glorified as Paul describes.
If we call Jesus Lord, or Savior, then our lives are to be lived as an act of worship to Him. And, if we are truly worshiping Him, we must glorify Him no matter where we are, or what we’re doing. If we call ourselves “Christian,” then we must make sure that Christ is with us. So, today, and every day, invite Jesus into your activities. Truly worship Him. Glorify Him.
If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. ~ Jeremiah 29:13 (NLT)
Have you ever seen a job that was done only half-baked? I have. Many times. Mostly because it was me. In particular, when I was a kid, I hated yard work. So, when it was time to rake the leaves, for example, I would run out and try to rake them up as fast as humanly possible so that I could just be done with it. The problem was that in my rush lots of details were missed – mainly leaves. I would rake up maybe half of them – enough that I thought my dad wouldn’t notice. Basically, it’s like the little kid that doesn’t like their dinner, so spreads it out all over their plate to make it appear that they’ve actually eaten something. There’s lots still there, it’s just been rearranged. Of course, my lack of attention to detail would pointed out and I’d have to start all over again with the instruction to make sure I got every leaf.
Sometimes, our approach to God is also half-baked. We tend to approach God with only half-sincerity. “Hey God, can you get me out of this mess?” But, just this mess, not the rest of the mess that you see but I’m blind to. In our hurry, or desperation, or lack of belief, we only want God to interact with small portions of our life, not the whole thing. Here’s the problem with that, God gave us His everything, and we owe Him our everything.
As the prophet Jeremiah stated in our verse today, “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” In other words, don’t seek after me in a half-baked attempt to prove or disprove my existence, my power, or my love. You’ve got to go all-in. Our requests of Him shouldn’t be limited to “Jesus help me…” and then only allow Him access to one area of life. (Though, there is value is talking with Him about specifics.) Rather, we also need to ask Him into every facet of our life – social, cultural, career, romance, friends, finance, and every life-choice. We can’t just limit Him to only our church-life. That’s a half-baked way of approaching God.
Today, and every day, approach God with your whole-heart, your whole-life. Invite Him in and allow Him to lead, to heal, to love. Stop treating Him like a job you hate, and instead take joy in the journey you get to take. Praise Him for what He has done, and praise Him for what He is going to do. Invite Him into every aspect of your life. Whole-heartedly seek Him. When you do, you will find Him.
O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge. ~ Psalm 62:8 (NLT)
I don’t know about you, but life can be pretty stressful some times. Depending on the day, things come flying at me pretty fast. There is work, kids, wife, church, studying, learning, exercising, and a million other things that need my attention each day. Please note, I’m not complaining. Rather, I’m thinking that many of you can relate to the idea that living in this world can be very stressful.
The biblical boy-king David can certainly relate to a stress-filled life. He was anointed to be the future king of Israel when he was just a kid. He defeated a giant, which caused jealousy to spew forth from the king that David would be replacing – King Saul. He had a huge issue with lust, which caused him to commit adultery and murder one of his best friends. He lost his baby boy as a result of his sin. He was hunted, persecuted, and tormented. And, that was all at the hand of his own people, let alone the many nations that warred with Israel during this time period. Needless-to-say, David had problems.
However, the one place he never had to stress about was with His God. Sure, God called Him to do some really hard stuff, and held David accountable when he royally screwed up. (Get it? Royally! Never mind.) But, David always knew He could come to God with anything. He knew that God loved Him and wanted him in His life. As David stated, “God is our refuge.”
Back in the day, there were cities designated as Cities of Refuge. These cities were designated as such so that those who had been accused of a crime could find refuge from the lynch mob that was chasing after them trying to kill them without a proper trial. The cities didn’t necessarily serve to get the dude off the hook. Rather, they existed to make sure a fair trial happened rather than mob justice.
So, David is saying that God is our City of Refuge, if you will. When life is pressing down upon us, we can run to God and not receive condemnation and judgment, but peace, a rest from the stresses of life. No matter what is happening in our lives, we can always run into the arms of our God to find peace, to find refuge.
Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock. ~ Isaiah 26:4 (NLT)
Many moons ago, we owned a home in a brand-new subdivision on a ridgeline that overlooked a bunch of farms. This subdivision was built on top of an old rock quarry. It made the foundation of the subdivision very strong, but also very irritating. You see, our house didn’t come with any landscaping – no grass, no flower beds – just dirt. It was up to me to install the landscaping. We wanted half-an-acre of lawn which would require a sprinkler system. So, I began to carve ditches in the front and backyards to lay the sprinkler pipes. There was only one problem. I kept running into a lot of rock (Duh!). About every two feet, the ditch-making machine would jump and spark as a large rock was found. I would have to dig down and remove it by hand. A job that should have taken an afternoon took me three weekends. It was frustrating. It was infuriating. But, I eventually got the lines in.
For homeowners, rock can be a source of peace and a source of frustration. It’s no different when it comes to God. Yes, you read that correctly. God can be frustrating sometimes. As our verse today states, “the Lord God is the eternal Rock.” In other words, He is large and immoveable. Nothing can dislodge God once He has declared something.
His immovability should give us peace. For example, when Jesus declared, “It is finished” from the cross, the work of salvation for humanity was complete. There is no one in the universe that can take that away. The Rock has spoken. The Rock is immovable.
However, that same immovability can frustrate. For example, when Jesus preached His famous Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7), He declared that even looking at another person with lust is the same as adultery. That truth can cause frustration for those of us who fall prey to that particular temptation. Note, the frustration isn’t with the command. Rather, the frustration is with our inability to follow it. Yet, the command stands. The Rock has spoken.
However, this frustration has a purpose. God is trying to turn a sinful human into a rock, just like Him. To do so, we need to learn how to be like a rock. I praise God for the firm foundation He creates in my life. And, I also praise Him for the frustration, because it means He is shaping me into a rock as well – immovable in my faith in Jesus Christ and His Kingdom.
Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you. ~ Psalm 9:10 (NLT)
In the decade of ministry that God has blessed me with, I’ve been asked thousands of questions about God and faith. There are the deeper, theological-type questions, like: “What do the prophecies of Daniel mean?” Then, there are the lifestyle questions, like “Do I have to be vegan in order to be saved?” (The answer is no, BTW) But, the number one question I have been asked (in different ways) is, “How can I trust God?” The question points to a problem we all face in life. How can we trust in a God that we can’t see to take care of our entire existence?
In reality, there are times in life when we do have to trust others. For example, I trust a pilot to fly a plane from point A to point B, knowing that they have a lot of training and a copilot to help in case of emergency. However, I don’t trust the pilot to manage my finances, steer my career, or basically rule every aspect of my life. Why? Because I don’t know the pilot. Sure, maybe he greeted me when I got on the plane, but that’s pretty much it. He is a stranger to me.
This is the point that David is trying to make in this psalm. He wrote, “Those who know your name trust in you.” Ok, what? How does knowing the name of God give us trust in Him? The pilot in our example has a nametag, so I know his name too, but I don’t trust him beyond a small task! The issue is that names don’t necessarily have meaning anymore.
In Hebrew culture, names were everything. Your name indicated a ton about you. For example, Abram became Abraham – a slight name-change. However, that simple change took Abram, a simple nomad who was seeking after God, to Abraham, the father of God’s “Chosen People.” So, when David states “those who know your name” in regards to God, He is talking about those who know God personally and what He is all about. It’s about relationship.
So, in a nutshell, how do you trust God? By getting to know Him on a personal level. The second half of the verse is key here, “those who search for you.” In other words, the more time we spend with God, the easier it becomes to trust Him. Why? Because we come to know Him, and we discover what He is all about. And, armed with that truth and experience comes an unwavering trust in a God we can’t see, but we know.
Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the Lord will be joyful. ~ Proverbs 16:20 (NLT)
I have a pet-peeve (a thing that drives me nuts) that turns me from happy-go-lucky Chad into Hulk-smash Chad (I get really angry). It usually occurs when I’m driving. No, it’s not when someone cuts me off, or refuses to use their turn signal – though those can get on my nerves. It’s when I get lost. Whether the GPS runs me into a dead-end street (Google maps ain’t perfect), someone gave me bad directions, or I simply decided I could find the way, when I get stuck somewhere, my temperature rises and I lash out in some very ugly ways. Ok, time to be honest. Generally, when I get lost, it’s of my own making. I decide to take a shortcut (which may or may not exist), or I decide to “feel my way” though the town. I usually end up stuck somewhere. And, of course, as a man, I can’t ask anyone for directions. So, I fume. And, when I fume, I generally blame everyone but myself for my situation. I know, it’s very immature. Welcome to my life.
In our Christian walk, we often times do the same thing. We decide to go it alone, to ignore the God-given directions, and hit a dead-end. Of course, rather than blaming ourselves, we cast our blame on others, including God. “Why didn’t you keep me from…” is our cry. In reality, it is 100 percent our fault for the consequence to our actions. For example, “Why didn’t you keep me from going out with that boy who was only interested in my body?” Or, “Why didn’t you keep me from getting addicted to pain killers?” Or, “Why didn’t you keep me from watching porn in the first place?” It’s easy to cast blame. Unfortunately, the blame lies squarely with each of us.
As our verse today states, “Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the Lord will be joyful.” In other words, when we follow God’s instructions from the outset, we will live a blessed, prosperous life. Why? Because He tries to keep us from dumb moves, or so-called “short-cuts.” But, it is up to us to decide whether or not we will trust His instructions.
Want peace? Trust His ways. Want joy? Follow His lead? Want to know His instructions? Dig into the Bible and pray for the Spirit’s leading. His directions are always correct.
Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. ~ 1 Peter 3:15 (NLT)
Staring at the page in class, I was completely lost. There were squiggles, numbers, letters, lines – some straight, some at angles, others that were curved, and one that looked like a deranged checkmark. There were lots and lots of them. I was told by my teacher to make sense of them when there appeared to be no order whatsoever. There was no sense to be made! So, I did my best at arranging letters, numbers, and lines. When the test came back, I got a solid D for my efforts. Algebra II made zero sense to me. I know there was supposed to be an order to things, but it didn’t click in my brain. Perhaps some of you can relate?
Outside of this classroom context is reality. Looking at things through a spiritual lens, people are lost, stumbling through life, trying to make sense of the mess around them. Sure, there are those that think they all have it figured out, only to learn that the formula for success that they thought would work only solved half of the equation, and they are left scratching their heads – broke and hopeless. Still, there are others who are sure they’ve solved it, yet, when the test is graded, will discover that all of their work amounted to nothing.
People are looking to solve life. People are looking for their slice of Heaven. But, often times, they are looking at it all wrong. It’s not a formula to solve, it’s a God to know.
You see, the formula to living a life worthy of Heaven has nothing to do with us and everything to do with God. We can spend our entire lives earning money, buying things, living the big life and still discover that we missed the whole point – it’s all about Jesus.
And, for those of us who call ourselves Christians, our job is to help people solve this simple equation, as our verse today tells us. So, I’ve developed a simple formula that helps: C + N = S. This is the entire meaning to life. Let me break it down. C = Christ. N = Nothing. S = Salvation. So, it’s Christ + Nothing equals Salvation. We don’t earn it. We don’t solve it. We put our entire life in His hands. He alone has the capacity to solve the mess that is our lives.
So, today, and every day, put your trust in Him. And, just as important, be ready to help others solve the equation to eternal life.
Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish. ~ Proverbs 18:13 (NLT)
We live in the era of “fake news,” or so it is said. Shade is thrown this way and that. It’s so easy to share information we agree with by simply clicking a button or retweeting. There are lots and lots of stories out there that can fuel anger, or provide inspiration. However, how many of these stories are actually true?
Many years ago, a friend of mine shared an alarming story about a proposed law making its way through congress that would greatly restrict the freedoms of Christians, particularly those that keep Saturday as Sabbath. This law was supported by top members of each political party, and was sure to pass unless we called our congressmen immediately. It even named the bill and its reference number, something like HB 2435-12 (which would stand for “House Bill 2435-12”). I looked at the number of shares this posting had attained, and it was in the hundreds of thousands. The article was connecting with people in such a way that they felt it must be true, so they were sharing it with all of their digital friends to warn them of the impending crisis. There was just one, simple problem. The story was totally bogus.
A simple search of the congressional record (It’s where all of the bills are logged) would show that no such House Bill existed. Furthermore, a quick search of the alleged sponsors of the bill would also turn up zero results. They were simply the creation of someone’s mind.
In a world where people feel like they can’t trust anything, how can we spread the gospel while we spread lies? Any trust we have is gone, and people simply turn away.
King Solomon had some wisdom to share on this topic, when he wrote “Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish.”
Whether it is gossip, a news story, a blog, vlog, snap chat, tweet, or whatever is invented this afternoon, it is up to you to verify whether it is accurate or not. Because, by you sharing it, you are just as liable as the person who wrote it.
So, please, go to the source. Check the congressional register. Go to the person being gossiped about. Verify the information from the source, not the repeaters. Christians are called to be people of integrity. We are called to stand on the truth. So, please, do so.
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. ~ John 16:33 (NLT)
I was blessed with the opportunity to take a vacation to Colorado a couple summers ago. We spent four amazing days in Rocky Mountain National Park. The views were spectacular. The wildlife was entertaining, and the temperature at 14,000 feet was nice and chilly! We were also blessed to rent a very nice cabin a short distance from the entrance to the national park. It had the creature comforts that us civilized folk are used to – electricity, indoor plumbing, and Wifi – so we weren’t roughing it too much. That is, until the second day of our vacation.
We had returned to the cabin in the early afternoon to take a break from our hiking adventures. As we were relaxing we began to smell smoke. We looked around, and it wasn’t in the cabin. So, I ventured outside. It was there that I could see that a cloud of smoke was blowing over our little neighborhood of cabins. There was a wildfire nearby. In fact, come to find out, it was only about two miles away from the cabin. After a little time had passed, we were told our neighborhood needed to evacuate. So, we threw all of our luggage in the rental van and drove off, with no certainty of what lied ahead for us. It was stressful, to say the least.
In our Christian walk, we will face uncertainty. As our verse today states, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.” In other words, we’re going to go through stuff that is stressful, painful, and distressing. We will have issues to deal with, addictions to break, pride to overcome, and hurt at the hands of others. We live in a broken world filled with broken people. We can’t avoid that while we are here on Earth.
But, notice the other half of the verse, “But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” In other words, don’t think of this world as our eternal home. The things that we must struggle through now are only temporary. Yes, they stink while we going through them, but they won’t last forever. When Jesus returns, and evacuates us from this planet, all of those struggles, all of those pains, are destroyed for all eternity. When we grasp this concept, we experience peace – not necessarily in the moment, but for the future – where our eternity has already been prepared. We find peace in the guarantee of our Savior.
No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. ~ Micah 6:8 (NLT)
When I was younger, less round, and less gray-haired, I was a varsity athlete at my school. No, I didn’t set any records, but I was good enough to make the starting line-ups. Every year, we had a sports banquet to close the school year out. We had dinner with our friends and family, and the coach handed out awards for certain accolades to the top athletes on each team. These top athletes were selected by their teammates (and the coaching staff). So, every year, we voted for who should get the awards, including MVP (most valuable player), the most coveted award. And, every year, I voted for myself. Yup. You see, I was good at sports, and I knew I was good at sports, but humility still wasn’t a big part of my athletic life. So, every year, I watched as my teammates celebrated with their trophy, applause, and recognition.
Humility, or humbleness, in its most basic sense, is never praising self – both inside your head and outside with your mouth, keyboard, or writing device. It is realizing that life is not about you. In our Christian faith, life is all about Jesus.
In our Christian walk, how many times does humility take a time-out because we believe we are big enough, strong enough, or wise enough, to walk our faith journey without the direction of the Faith-giver? Or, as is often the case, we give ourselves permission to take a detour or shortcut. As our verse today states, “walk humbly with your God.”
The issue many of us have is that we try to make our life-journey about us. Sure, we might be willing to let Him take the lead at church, or vespers, or Sabbath School. Maybe we let Him take the lead in Bible class or small group Bible-study. However, it’s in the day-to-day, our living outside of the programs, that we must humbly submit to the reality that God is large and in charge if we call ourselves a Christian.
Walking humbly with our God means we realize we are nothing, He is everything. And, because He is everything, we must invite Him into every facet of our lives – social, romantic, career, finances – every part. We must walk WITH God, on HIS path, not our own. We must realize that He is the true MVP over the universe, and over us.
The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. ~ Psalm 34:17 (NLT)
In my youthful years, I used to lifeguard during the summers at inner city pools. I had a lot of fun. I enjoyed the fact that I was in charge of ensuring that nobody drowned. We had practice rescues and regular training so we were ready to go at a moment’s notice. Of course, what no one really talks about is that at a pool, you rarely, if ever, have to perform a rescue. In my four years as a lifeguard, I think I had to get three people. That’s it. Then, of course there was the time I rescued someone who didn’t need it.
He was a little guy, maybe eight years old. He seemed to have very good swimming skills for a kid his age. I watched as he swam around the shallow end of the pool without touching. He did good! Then he ventured out to deeper water. I kept watching (It’s not stalking, it’s what lifeguards are supposed to do). Suddenly, he began going under, then lunging for the surface, gasping for air. After a couple of minutes of this, I thought I noticed a bit of panic in his eyes as he kept sinking deeper and deeper after he surfaced to grab a breath, so in I went. I swooped in, pulled him up off the bottom of the pool and was the hero of the day! Except, he wasn’t drowning. He was diving. He was training. To advance to the next level of swim class, he needed to be able to surface dive down to the bottom of the deep end. I was a bit embarrassed.
Often times, we view God as a lifeguard who will just swoop in and fix all of our problems. In fact, verses, like our verse today, are used to justify that view. But, here’s what I’ve come to know about God. It’s all about timing. He doesn’t make unneeded rescues.
Yes, He will rescue us. Sometimes He realizes that the struggle isn’t so much of a struggle after all. Then there are the times where we create our own mess. God will lead us out of it, but we must still face the consequences of our actions. Then, of course, there are times that He knows we need to practice our faith, diving deeper into the depths, to advance to the next level of understanding Him. He knows that we must go through tough stuff to grow our faith.
God hears us when we call on Him for rescue. But, He alone knows when to go and when to let us train in our faith some more.
Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness, and honor. ~ Proverbs 21:21 (NLT)
Have you ever seen dog track racing? Most likely, you haven’t. If you have, maybe it was a small scene in a movie or tv show. Here’s the gist of it. Trainers find the fastest dog that they can (Greyhound dogs tend to be the favorites). At race time, each dog is put in a small cage at the starting line to the race track. The track itself is just a big dirt track like we have here at the school. However, this track features something unique. It has a mechanical bunny. Yup, you read that right – a mechanical bunny. When the starting pistol for the race fires, the doors to the cages fly wide open, and the mechanical bunny takes off around the track. The dogs, their instinct is to chase, take off after it. Of course, the bunny is programmed not to be caught. As the dogs rocket around the track in search of their prey, they cross the finish line, the bunny goes into his safe little hole, and a race king is crowned. The crowd cheers. The dogs are all frustrated they didn’t catch the bunny.
Sometimes, people paint the Christian faith like a dog track. No, there’s no bunny. However, often times, we are taught (one way or another) that we must constantly pursue perfection. And, only when we attain it, will God love us. This, of course, is complete nonsense. God loves everyone as they are right now.
However, there is a small piece of truth to it. We are to pursue. But, what are we to pursue? In a word: Jesus.
Our pursuit of Jesus doesn’t mean we chase as He runs away. Instead, our pursuit of Him is in seeking a deeper relationship, a greater understanding of who He is and who we are to Him. As our verse today states, “Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life.” I will add a little bit to this verse. (I know, we aren’t supposed to add words to the Scripture, but this will make sense. Stop judging me!) When we pursue righteousness – which simply means to have right standing with God – we not only discover our own life, but we discover the Author of Life. When we seek after Jesus, He is found. As we pursue a deeper relationship, our lives have meaning, we experience life with the King of the Universe.
Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord? Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him? ~ Isaiah 40:13 (NLT)
As a pastor who has served on the campus of a high school, and was the chaplain as well, I got the blessing of mentoring many teenagers. I also got the blessing of giving counsel to many teenagers. Problems that were presented to me ranged from relationship advice to spiritual warfare, and everywhere in between. Over the 10 years of ministry I’ve been blessed with, there aren’t too many questions that catch me off-guard anymore. And, I feel like God also gave me wisdom to impart to people – both through personal experience and through biblical knowledge. But, that wisdom can also be a curse.
In that job, and in my current position, the hardest part is when someone comes seeking wisdom, I deliver it, they disregard it. Their reaction speaks, “Thanks for the advice, but never mind.” Really? Sometimes I just want to grab them by the shoulders and yell, “Why did you come and talk with me for two hours about this and then do the complete opposite of what we discussed?!” Of course, that’s their right. It’s not my life, and they have to live their own.
However, the second piece of this double-edged sword is that when they seek wisdom, then choose to do their own thing, they often suffer the consequences of a bad decision. They then end up right back on my couch complaining about the dumb decision they made. I’ve learned over the years that saying, “I told you so” doesn’t really help. (Though, it does slip out from time-to-time.)
Now, it may sound like I’m griping, and perhaps I am a bit. However, my intention in sharing this thought is this: How much do we do this very thing to God? How often do we pray or search the Scriptures for guidance only to disregard the wisdom found there? Of course, His wisdom is perfect (unlike mine), so we don’t need to second-guess it. But, we do on a regular basis. And, to top it off, we then complain to God about the mess we’ve made and ask Him to clean it up for us. Yup. We all behave like children towards God from time-to-time.
So, let’s do better. When we pray for wisdom, when we find truth in the Scripture, apply it to life. Follow His guidance – it’s never wrong. Accept His directions. After all, He is God.
He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. ~ Isaiah 40:29 (NLT)
In my teenage years, I used to work out quite a bit. The varsity program at the high school I attended had two-a-day practices – as in we had practice early in the morning and then again after school. In addition to these practices, we were encouraged to work out on our own. This included weight training to bulk up. So, I asked for and received a weight set, including bench, for my 14thbirthday. And, so it was, I began hitting the weights.
For the first few days following these workouts, I was pretty sore. But, as time went on, my body adjusted and I found that the soreness eventually stopped, even when I began increasing the amount of weight that I was lifting. Of course, my brother took notice of my new routine and began making fun of me for not lifting enough weight. So, on his dare, I added double the amount of weight that I normally bench pressed. That was a bad idea. I lifted the bar off of the rack, I was able to bring the bar down to my chest. Small problem. I couldn’t lift it back up. I struggled and grunted, and the bar became heavier and heavier as my arms grew weary. I was able to call for help, and my brother came running in. To his credit, he didn’t laugh (immediately anyway). He grabbed the bar and helped me lift it back onto the rack. I was embarrassed and, the next day, very sore.
In our spiritual journey, we often times run into issues that require immense strength. No, it may not be literal strength, like lifting a car off of a person. But, it may be the strength to persevere (get through) a situation. It may be strength to pray for someone we don’t want to pray for. It may be strength to erase the doubts that Satan plants in our mind. It may be strength to push through the temptations that Satan’s minions ambush us with on a regular basis. Whatever it may be, our faith requires some heavy lifting – and we are unable to lift these burdens. Why? Because they are God-sized burdens. The weight is too much for us to lift. We need His mighty muscles.
Here’s the issue. Sometimes we try to lift the bar all on our own, and it begins to crush down on us. We must realize that we are spiritually weak compared to Christ. We must realize we need His help. We must call out to Him for assistance. Let Him do the heavy lifting.
Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. ~ Isaiah 40:28 (NLT)
This passage of Scripture is so packed with quality theology that it’s hard for me to narrow down our devotional topic this morning. So, perhaps I’ll just break it down exegetically (That is a big, fancy word which means “To go word by word, piece by piece.”)
“The Lord is the everlasting God.” Ponder that one for a moment. Within this one phrase, the prophet Isaiah captures so much. God is “the Lord,” which means that He is over us. He is the ruler of His kingdom, this kingdom. And it is everlasting, so it will never fall. He’s the One calling the shots. Why? Because He is “the Creator of all the earth.” He created His kingdom – not just the mountains, oceans, plants, birds, and animals, but every one of us. In addition, He created the entire universe so that life could exist on Earth. The sun, moon, and stars all serve a singular purpose: to allow you and me to exist. So, our Lord, our King, is a loving King.
Additionally, “He never grows weak or weary.” Let that one sink in. Perhaps you’ve had a long day at work or school, the kids are driving you nuts, or you ran a marathon. You will definitely sleep well that night. Why? Because you are exhausted! Sometimes life just takes it out of you. But, God isn’t like us. He doesn’t ever get exhausted, worn out. He perseveres no matter what is going on day or night. He is always watching over us, guiding us, loving us. Even as He works to get us out of our despair, He never gets tired of it. He never gets tired of us. He is always on point, 100 percent of the time.
And, God is flawless. His wisdom, His knowledge is unlike any other in the universe. As Isaiah puts it, “No one can measure the depths of his understanding.” We can trust in His decisions because they are correct all the time. He’s never wrong. We don’t need to second guess God. He is perfect in His knowledge of the universe, humanity, and each one of us.
So, there you have it. We have a King, our King, who loves us dearly and can create something out of nothing. He never grows tired of us, or His work. His wisdom, which He imparts to us, is perfect. How great is our God?!
My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.” ~ Psalm 27:8 (NLT)
I used to have a coworker that was an email spammer. No, she didn’t send ads for different pills or cheap sunglasses, but she would email me about anything and everything. I would often times get at least 100 emails from her in one day. Of course, I would have meetings and other projects that would require me to be away from my computer or have phone access, so the emails would start to build up. This would irritate her to no end. When she would get really frustrated, she would send an email and then call me within 30 seconds to make sure I had seen it. If I answered no, she would ask if I could read it then. Usually, the email was something like, “Can you tell the custodian that the women’s bathroom is running low on toilet paper?” I’m not sure why she couldn’t say that on the phone, why that was so urgent, or why she didn’t just tell the custodian herself, but I digress.
This is not a healthy form of communication (for the record). Especially when it relates to relationships, we need to spend time invested in conversation with each other – not just spam one another with messages. Dialog. Discuss. Tell stories. Laugh. Cry. Enjoy the company.
When it comes to our relationship with God, He’s looking for a deep, meaningful, eternal relationship with each one of us. So, He is invested in our time together. I love the verse that King David authored for us today, “My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”” He’s talking about God. God actually wants to spend time talking with each one of us daily. That’s pretty cool! He’s not too busy running the entire universe to make time to hang out and converse with us.
But, notice that the operative word is “talk.” In other words, we shouldn’t just be spamming His inbox with requests for information and pleas for help. We also need to spend time just hanging out and talking with Him about life, our hopes, our dreams. Ask questions, but dialog about the response. This takes time.
Each and every day, create quality time to dialog with God. He looks forward to it. He invites it. It pleases Him.
Do not scoff at prophecies, 21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 (NLT)
There is a quote that has been attributed to Abraham Lincoln going around social media. Given that he is one of our greatest presidents, and a very good speaker (“Four score and…”), many people give weight to the words that he speaks. The quote goes something like this, “Don’t believe everything you read on the Internet.” It then has Lincoln’s signature and picture beneath the quote. Of course, this should seem ridiculous. Lincoln has been dead for 150 years. The Internet didn’t roar into existence until only about 20 years ago. (If you’re just learning these facts, pay more attention in school.) It’s impossible that he said those things.
Then, of course, there are the million things that circulate the Internet every day that have to do with faith, God, Christianity, and Seventh-day Adventism. Some of them are right on point, others twist things a bit, while still others are a flat-out lie. But, here’s the issue, too many people don’t verify which “truths” are true, which are twisted, and which are false. This isn’t just for atheists or agnostics. There are many people who call themselves “Christian” as well that just buy into information shared on a blog, vlog, meme, or some other information-sharing resource, without checking to see whether it is true or not. Have we gotten that lazy in our faith, or do we truly not understand how to verify truth? As the Apostle Paul tells us, “test everything that is said.” So, how do we test it?
The Seventh-day Adventist church is sola scriptura. (That’s Latin for “the Bible only.”) So, our source to verify things about God, our faith, is the Bible. Of course, many of the blogs, vlogs, and other sites try to use scripture to prove their point. So, we must also test what they say within context of the Bible. For example, there are many out there that believe in an eternal burning hell for the wicked. They pick and choose verses that prove their point. However, when we read the chapters that those verses come from, we learn that what they truly say is not what others imply they mean. They are taken out of context.
So, I implore you, daily get into the Bible. When you find something, or someone says something about God, test it against scripture (me included). Find truth.
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 (NLT)
I was visiting with a young couple the other day. It was a fun conversation about life’s journey. They were also picking my brain a bit about how to keep Jesus at the center of their lives, and their relationship. I recited the often heard, “The family that prays together stays together.” I’m not sure if they had heard it before, but I hope it stuck. Prayer is vitally important to our relationships – both with God and each other.
Prayer, real prayer, offered in humility does so much to help us remove pride and ego from our lives and refocuses us on ministering to the needs of others. In this day and age, we need more of this. Prayer knocks the bravado (the need for praise) out of us and places our praise on Jesus. Prayer helps us to see others as Jesus sees them. Prayer helps melt away the hostility, which Satan tries to place in our heart, and replaces it with compassion. Prayer pulls us out of the distractions of the world around us and puts us in the presence of the King of Kings. Prayer changes us from the inside-out by the power of the Holy Spirit. In short, prayer is integral to the development and sustaining of our faith.
Additionally, as the Apostle Paul states, I believe that prayer helps us to “Always be joyful.” Prayer helps to melt away the stresses of life. Prayer restores peace to our mind. Prayer allows us to hear the voice of God when He says, “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.” Prayer takes away the need to worry and places our hope in Jesus Christ. Prayer is powerful. Prayer leads to joy.
So, you want to experience long-lasting joy? Develop a long-lasting prayer life. Prayer can’t just be when we are about to eat. Prayer needs to be a conversation with God throughout the day. We should pray thanks to God for the good things in life He has given to us, and that He will give to us. We should pray about the heartaches and struggles we have. We should pray for others, including those we don’t particularly like. As Paul tells it, “Never stop praying.”
So, today, and every day, develop a prayer routine. In the Old Testament, a good example is Daniel. He prayed three times per day, at the same time each day. He had a routine. In addition, pray as the Spirit moves. Pray as you go. When you see something to be thankful for, pray. When you see or hear of someone hurting, pray. Develop prayer as a lifestyle.
Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you. ~ Psalm 143:8 (NLT)
My family and I were watching dog agility challenges on TV the other evening. If you don’t know what an agility challenge is, it is essentially an obstacle course for dogs. The dog, at the command of their trainer, must navigate the course in the correct order, and as fast as they possibly can. It is really impressive! If you haven’t seen it before, there are lots of clips on YouTube or other Internet sites. You should check it out.
What always strikes me is how disciplined the dogs are. They obey every word, every command from their trainer. They don’t start the race until told to do so. They navigate to each obstacle as the trainer directs. They race through it with skill and grace. The trainer and dog are perfectly in-sync with each other. And, the dogs love it! (Meanwhile, my husky walked head-first into a pole this morning because he was distracted by a bird and wasn’t paying attention to my repeated warning of, “Pole, pole, POLE!” Dong!)
Of course, what the race doesn’t show is the countless hours that the trainer and dog spend together. They go over things time after time. The dog has been trained to lock in to the trainer’s voice, not getting distracted by the crowd (or birds). The race won’t go well if the dog decides that the trainer doesn’t know what’s best and does his own thing. Their teamwork didn’t develop overnight. It is something they work at for years. And, as a result, a mutual trust is built. The dog trusts the trainer to lead him perfectly, the trainer trusts the dog to fulfill the goal they’ve worked toward.
In our faith journey, we have a trainer/trainee relationship with God. No, He doesn’t consider us dogs. But, in our relationship with Him, He must be in charge. There can only be one in charge. And, much like with an agility challenge, our lives are full of twists, turns, tunnels, hills, and teeter-totters. (If you don’t know how a teeter totter comes into play, you didn’t listen when I said to search for a video.) As the psalmist states in our verse today, “I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.”
Tune in to God. Focus on His voice throughout the day. Let Him lead.
He will listen to the prayers of the destitute. He will not reject their pleas. ~ Psalm 102:17 (NLT)
Do you ever get a Facebook friend request from someone you have no clue about? Not only can you not figure out who they are, but their profile page seems to be lacking in serious detail – as in, there is a profile picture and name only. If you’re on Facebook, you’ve received those types of requests, no doubt. It’s pretty easy to figure out that it is a spammer trying to get you to accept their request so they can flood your Messenger and news feed with links to everything from pornography to a super sale on sunglasses.
Of course, then there are those Facebook friend requests that seem OK on the surface. The name is somewhat familiar, and they have a few mutual friends on the social media site. They also have filled in some family, job, and hobby information. They have several pictures up, so it looks legit. It seems easier to accept their friend request. After all, the request seems genuine. So, we click on that accept button. A short time later, here comes the spam! They too were looking for a sucker, they just put a little more effort into their con game.
Sometimes we play this game with God. No, we don’t send Him a friend request in a literal Facebook sense. We come to Him with an agenda – we want something from Him that we believe we need. So, we try to make deals: “God, if you give me this, I’ll do this for you.” Or, we are in a jam, and have no where else to turn, so we cry out to God. Then, shortly after He leads us out, we forget He exists. We come to Him with an agenda, a motive.
That’s why I love this lyric from the Psalms (our verse today), “He will listen to the prayers of the destitute. He will not reject their pleas.” I don’t believe the Psalmist was only speaking about those who have no resources (which is what the word destitute means). I believe it goes deeper. Being destitute also means we have no agenda, no con game to run. We have nothing but our relationship with God. So, when we approach God as a destitute, we aren’t trying to trick Him into giving in to our demands. We are talking with a friend, asking advice, seeking counsel, desiring healing, all within the context of that relationship.
So, today, and every day, drop the agenda and deepen your relationship with God. Be destitute. Be a real friend. Be a sinner in need of a Savior.
Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak! ~ Matthew 26:41 (NLT)
A couple of years ago, my daughter broke her arm at school. When I got the call at work, the teacher explained that she fell off a piece of playground equipment. I was skeptical how bad it could be. Maybe Megan just sprained something. So, I questioned whether or not I needed to come pick her up right away, or if I could wait until school was out. (I know, not my finest hour as a dad.) The teacher said it needed immediate care and that my wife was already on her way, so this was more of a heads up. I texted my wife, who then sent me back a picture of Megan’s arm. Let’s just say that bones are not supposed to bend that way – yes, I wrote bones. She broke both bones in her lower arm. It took an orthopedic doctor to reset everything, get it casted, and several follow-up visits before her arm was made whole again.
Sometimes in our lives, maybe most of the time, we don’t recognize the severity of the wounds that Satan is inflicting upon us. As waves of temptation crash down upon us, we may notice that we’re getting hit, but we don’t notice that the waves are also sucking us further away from shore – away from the safety of our Savior. We downplay the sinful effect on our life, and just try to power through the temptation. But, will-power doesn’t work against an enemy that is far more powerful, intelligent, and strategic than we are. We can’t defeat the devil (no matter what memes that float around social media may say).
So, how do we fight the strategies of Satan? Bring in someone who knows Him and has already defeated him – Jesus. Jesus said it plainly in our verse today, “Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation.” Notice that the key isn’t just to power through. It’s not to try harder. It’s not to be extra stubborn. It’s to admit defeat and call upon the One that cannot be defeated. “Keep watch,” be observant of the schemes of Satan. Look for his traps. When you find one, call upon the name of Jesus to show you a way out of temptation. He is always faithful to do so – though we don’t always like the pathway out.
Every day, pray that God will reveal Satan’s traps. Pray Jesus will show you how to avoid them. Pray that Jesus will reveal a way out when there seems to be none.
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. ~ Ephesians 6:18 (NLT)
Our prayers often times consist of what we want from God. Something along the lines of “Dear Jesus, please help today to be nice, amen” is fairly typical. For students, the prayer often times goes something like, “Please help me not to fail this test!” Still, other prayers are for life-situations, “God, please help me to get this job.” There’s nothing wrong with these prayers. God wants to hear from us, and He wants us to express our thoughts to Him on things that are going on in our lives. But, often times, our prayers can lack depth. Let me explain.
When we only pray about our wants, the focus of prayer is less on God and more on us. Prayer, by its very nature, is supposed to help us focus on God. In fact, much of our prayer life shouldn’t be expressing our thoughts at all. Our prayers should focus on God’s thoughts. As the Apostle Paul writes, “Pray in the Spirit at all times.” In other words, we need to be tuning into the Holy Spirit and let Him tell us what to pray for.
I’ve had several instances in my life when I’ve heard the Holy Spirit say, “Pray for [fill in the name].” Sometimes the Holy Spirit allows me to have knowledge of what a person is going through (sometimes not). He then prompts me to pray for relief, healing, leading, comfort, guidance, or whatever is needed at that moment in time. I believe this is truly what it means to “pray in the Spirit.” Our desires, our wants, our requests line up with what God wants.
This, of course, makes perfect sense when we wrestle with the question, “Why didn’t God answer my prayer?” One of the things we need to evaluate is whether our prayer lined up with the Holy Spirit’s prompting. Now, don’t get me wrong, sometimes prayers are answered in different ways. I’ve prayed for many people to experience healing who did not receive it in this lifetime. However, I know they will at the return of Jesus Christ. But, when we pray to get that job, or something like it, perhaps it’s not God’s will for us.
Today, and every day, when you pray, submit to the Holy Spirit. Begin your prayers with a desire to hear God’s desires. Listen throughout the day for His leading. Pray accordingly. And, as Paul says, “Pray on all occasions.”
God #Jesus #Christian #Prayer #Devotional #Bible
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. ~ 1 Timothy 2:1 (NLT)
“Dear Lord,” the prayer began. The patron saint continued, “Thank you for Jim. Please help Jim to take his faith seriously like I do. Please make him a ‘good Christian’ as I am. Please make Jim realize that the 10 percent in tithe he pays is not enough – as I pay 12. Lord, make him more like me. Amen.” The prayer was over. The old patron saint smiled at the thought of his prayer. He had let the whole room know that he was the standard upon which Christians should be judged. He was smug. He was self-righteous. He was sinning.
Yes, this is a fictional prayer. But it’s based on the Scriptures. The religious elite of Jesus’ time used to pray like this. They would tout their own holiness while bashing the short-comings of others. It’s no wonder Jesus had to teach His disciples how to pray a real, honest, respectful, loving prayer. (See the Lord’s Prayer) Prayer shouldn’t be all about us.
But, there’s more to the story about how we pray. It’s also about who we are supposed to be praying for. As the Apostle Paul states, “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people.” This makes things a bit more difficult. It should be easy to pray for those who are suffering through a disease, hardships, job loss, or other life-disasters. Many of us have been trained from early on to pray for those people. But, what about the people that truly irritate us? What about the people on this earth that slaughter innocent humans? What about our country’s enemies? What about those who have sinned against us? According to the Bible, we should be praying for these people as well.
So, how do we pray for them? We ask God to intercede on their behalf. Intercession is a complicated concept, but it basically means that we ask God to step into their life and help them. They may not know God, so we ask Him to introduce Himself and give them assistance in the process. Additionally, Paul tells us to “give thanks for them.” In other words, we ask God to bless them. We recognize them as a sinner, just like us. We give thanks that God sees value in them, and so do we. We pray for their salvation. We pray they come to know Christ as their Savior. In short, we pray for anyone and everyone. We don’t get to pick and choose.
God #Jesus #Holy Spirit #Prayer #Devotional #Bible
Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. ~ Colossians 4:2 (NLT)
“Rub-a-dub-dub, thanks for the grub. Amen!” It’s a prayer that was offered up by none other than Bart Simpson. For those of you who don’t know who he is, Bart is a cartoon character from the TV show, The Simpsons, which is the longest running primetime show in television history. Bart’s character is a mischievous boy around the age of 10-12. Those famous, or infamous, words were offered up in prayer after Homer (his dad) asked Bart to pray for the food on the table in front of them. The prayer was definitely in fitting with the attitude of Bart’s character. Bart wasn’t into God. Actually, the whole family isn’t really into God. They go to church on an occasional episode, but it’s mostly to keep God from smiting them. (That’s what they believe, anyway.) When they pray, it’s because they’ve really screwed something up, or they need something from God.
The unfortunate reality is that a lot of us can relate to the Simpsons. We go to church out of some sort of obligation. We pray when we need something, or just to follow protocol before a meal. But, that’s about the extent of our faith journey.
I think that’s one of the reasons the Apostle Paul penned this verse. Paul noticed that some of the believers in Colosse were going through the motions, but weren’t really connecting with God in a real, meaningful way. Paul also realized the need to have a strong prayer life in order for our faith to grow and our relationship with Jesus to mature. But, we aren’t supposed to pray just when we need to get bailed out of a jam. As Paul says, “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.”
Having a devoted prayer life means that it happens on a regular, continual basis. It also means that our prayer life should be intentional. No, “Rub-a-dub-dub” prayers. We should put thought into our prayers. Notice, Paul says to pray with an “alert mind,” not one that is focused on something else. We should not rush our prayers – as if they are somehow an inconvenience to our life. We should pray with a joyful heart, which means that we need to be giving thanks to God, for our friends, our family, our life, God’s grace, mercy, and love. In other words, we need to really spend quality, devoted time in prayer each and every day.
God #Jesus #Christian #Prayer #Church #Bible #Devotional
Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ. ~ Philippians 3:8 (NLT)
In my younger years, many moons ago, I was on a Pathfinder camping trip in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. I hadn’t really camped much before, so it was an exciting prospect – living in a tent, not having to shower, hunting for our own food. (OK, the only hunting we did was to go to the Pathfinder leader’s trailer at the right time to get food.) It was an opportunity to not only smell like a man, but to practice doing manly things. So, that’s what a couple of friends and I did. In addition to hiking, whittling, stick fighting, and making the woods our restroom, we discovered something very cool.
One day, as we were wallowing in the dirt, we discovered some small rocks that were a familiar color. They weren’t black, or brown, or gray like the others. They were shinier. They were gold! We found gold! We furiously began digging all over the hillside we were playing on. We found all kinds of gold nuggets! We filled our pockets until they were bulging with the precious metal. We were rich! Or, so we thought.
We ran back to camp to show our leader. We were so excited! But, our excitement soon turned to disappointment as our Pathfinder leader explained to us that we had found pyrite, also known as Fool’s Gold. Instead of being rich, we only had a few pounds of worthless rocks.
How often do we line our pockets with things that we think will make our lives rich only to discover that they just weigh us down? How often does Satan convince us if we just had that job, that boy, that girl, those looks, that technology, that car, and so on, that our lives would be better than we could ever imagine? It’s all Fool’s Gold. Those things can’t take the place of our desire to love and be loved. And there’s only one being in the universe that has the love we crave in our life. Jesus Christ.
That’s why the Apostle Paul penned our verse for today. To paraphrase, he says, “Stop chasing Fool’s Gold, it is worthless. Instead focus all of your attention, energy, and worship on the One who is priceless. Lose stuff. Gain Christ.”
Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. ~ Romans 12:14 (NLT)
Some years ago, I was invited over to a church member’s house to give them some advice about an issue they were having. It was a pretty vague request, so I wasn’t sure what I was walking into. After I arrived and the small-talk died down, they got serious. The couple explained that they were having a terrible time with their neighbor. He was constantly harassing them and had even resorted to physical violence in an attempt to intimidate them. It wasn’t a good situation, and it did not look like it was going to resolve itself. They didn’t want to call the sheriff but were at their wits end with what to do.
As I listened, I really felt for this couple. How stressful it was to have a neighbor that was treating them horribly. I prayed for wisdom on what I could possibly say to them to help with the situation. The answer came back. It was Romans 12:14 echoing in my mind. “Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them.”
At that, I changed the conversation to find out more information about the neighbor. It turns out, his life was really rough. He had a lot of hurts, pains, and baggage in his personal life. My heart went from anger towards him for hurting my friends to feeling sorrow for what he was going through. So, I mentioned that we should pray for the neighbor; and that the couple should continue to pray for him. So, that’s exactly what we did. I left their home pleading with God to deliver this couple from their tormenting neighbor.
The next Sabbath, after church, the couple found me in the lobby and excitedly told me that things had calmed down with their neighbor. He was no longer harassing them. In fact, he apologized for his behavior and wanted to smooth things over with them. It was a miracle!
I bet you can relate somewhat to this story. Perhaps you don’t have a nasty neighbor, but I’m sure you can think of someone that makes your life difficult. If so, here’s God’s wisdom on that matter. Pray for God to bless them. Don’t pray for them to do this or that, or not do something. Pray that God will bless them. Then, trust, that through that blessing, God will do just that. Repeat as necessary and watch God’s miracle happen.
Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe. ~ Proverbs 2:11 (NLT)
We are all addicts in this life, though we’re not necessarily addicted to the same vices. We all crave our next fix, hit, or encounter. The addiction haunts our thoughts, drives our actions and words. No matter how hard we try to shake it, it is impossible. It never goes away. The addiction drags us down, shames us, and tries to define us. We all have it. We live on a globe full of addicts. It’s called sin, and we’re all addicted to it.
From the moment we’re born, we have sin in our lives. It invades our brain and convinces us to do things that we know are morally, ethically, and spiritually wrong. It convinces us to do things that we know will bring about consequences that will haunt us for hours, days, weeks, months, and years. It’s a loud voice ringing in our ears, “Do it. It’ll make you feel good.” The unfortunate reality is that we all follow that voice. Even when we try to resist, we eventually give in. Then, of course, the sin turns on us and floods us with guilt and shame for doing what it called us to do in the first place. Satan is a punk like that.
On the flip side, we have a still, small, quiet voice that also resides inside us. It doesn’t guilt or shame us. It doesn’t overwhelm us with the constant “Do it. Do it. Do it.” Instead, the wisdom of God is shared, a suggestion given, “Do this, and you will find peace.”
Notice, that unlike sin, wisdom isn’t a quick fix, it’s a process. Wisdom leads us down a path that will mature us, give us insight, help us develop a strong character, learn to trust in God’s plans. Sin calls us to live in the moment. It’s not about development, it traps us in our immaturity. Wisdom builds us up over our lifetime. Sin holds us captive in the moment. There is no growth.
I think this is why Solomon gave us this verse, “Wise choices will watch over you.” How do our choices watch over us? Because all true wisdom comes from God – it’s His wisdom. So, His wisdom, His directions for each of our lives are meant for our benefit, for our growth. Additionally, His wisdom leads us away from shame and guilt and into His glorious Kingdom.
So, today, and every day, tune in to God’s wisdom. Reject the voice screaming “Do it!” Instead, choose wisdom. Choose God’s way. Let Him watch over you.
In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ~ Colossians 2:3 (NLT)
When I go to get my haircut, something weird almost always happens. No, it’s not necessarily anything I do, or even the barber does. It’s what happens when they find out my career. Hair stylists, barbers, whatever you want to call them (just be nice), are generally good at having conversations with their customers. One of the normal questions they ask in the course of the conversation is, “What do you do for a living?” As soon as I say that I am a pastor, one of two reactions happen: 1) They shut up, and the conversation dies there; or 2) they begin confessing all of their sins, the sins of their children, their neighbors, their dogs, cats, and bunny rabbits. They share all of the consequences that have resulted from their poor decisions. I try to kindly let them know that I am not a priest, but it doesn’t do any good. But, generally, I think they just want to unload their burdens on someone. So, I sit, listen, remind them to actually cut my hair, and offer to pray with them when they’ve finally got it all out. It’s weird. It’s awkward. It is what it is.
Here's why I tell that story. Why do we complain about the consequences of our sin? Whether it’s to a pastor, parent, friend, or even God, why do we feel like we should complain about our situation? We’ve made it after all. We’ve decided to follow our own wisdom, rather than that of our Creator. Therefore, our decision-making is flawed, and bad things will happen as a result. It’s like deciding to purposefully smack your hand with a hammer and then complaining about the pain.
As our verse today says, “In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Every time we make a decision apart from God, we will suffer as a result. And, it’s our own fault. His wisdom is perfect. Our wisdom stinks. We will make poor choices when we trust our instincts, feelings, emotions, or any other source that is not of God.
So, how do we access God’s wisdom? In two places: 1) the Bible, and 2) the Holy Spirit. I will say this, the two are not mutually exclusive. In other words, the Bible reveals the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit reveals the Bible. We access the fullness of God’s wisdom by trusting in, and interacting regularly with, both sources.
Your laws are always right; help me to understand them so I may live. ~ Psalm 119:144 (NLT)
I was having a discussion with the students in my high school bible class some time ago about parenting. We were supposed to be talking about prophecy, but I got sidetracked. I’m sanguine, it happens. But I digress. I shared a story with them about one of my biggest pet peeves growing up – when my parents would say “Because I told you so.” Generally, they said this when I questioned why they were making me do something. I hated when they said that. After all, if they couldn’t give me a good reason why I should do it, then perhaps they were mistaken and I could enlighten them. I resolved early on as a child that, when I had my own kids, I would never use that phrase.
Fast forward with me now to the year 2021. I have a 17 year-old son and a 13 year-old daughter. I catch myself using that phrase fairly regularly. Why? Because sometimes trying to rationalize with a child doesn’t work. They don’t see things from the viewpoint of a parent. They don’t have the decades of additional wisdom that the parent has gained through trials, pains, and victories. They can’t possibly fully understand what it means to be an adult parent because, well, they haven’t been one.
Now, take that last sentence and apply it to God. He is our Parent, our Father. Sometimes, He asks us to do certain things. Some of those things He has written down for us, like the 10 Commandments (found in Exodus 20, BTW), or other commands sprinkled throughout the scriptures. Other times, He uses the Holy Spirit to direct us through our thoughts and actions. Either way, it is our Holy Parent asking us to do something – often times things we don’t want to do.
Here’s the deal. We can’t fully understand why He is asking us to do those things. Why? Because we’ve never been a Holy Parent. We’re not God. We don’t have the eternal wisdom that He has. We can’t see the future and know with 100 percent certainty what is going to happen. We can’t see every possible scenario for every situation in life. So, we can’t often understand why God commands us to do certain things.
Therefore, when we ask, we must be OK when He answers, “Because I told you to.”
Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. ~ 1 Corinthians 16:13 (NLT)
Some of the most helpful advice I got when I played varsity basketball had nothing to do with shooting technique, footwork, or defensive schemes. Though those are all important, I was able to pick those up pretty quick. No, what my coach told me was very simple, yet profound. He said, “Chad, basketball is a full-contact sport.” Boom! I know, it’s earth-shattering, right?! OK. Let me explain. Though I was one of the tallest guys on the team, I rarely was getting any rebounds. Why? Because I was afraid to go underneath the hoop where people were running into one another trying to get to the errant shot. I had played football, so knew how to play through contact, but had never thought of basketball as a sport that also required the tall guys to bang bodies too. So, I began going underneath, not afraid of the battle. I embraced the concept of contact. As a result, I started grabbing rebounds, which greatly helped my team.
Now, I get to share some earth-shattering news with you. Christianity is also a full-contact sport. No, not in the traditional sense (Please don’t tackle the deacon or pastor at church this weekend). Daily we battle with the forces of Satan’s kingdom. However, we can’t be afraid of the contact. Our job is to help people find the Kingdom of God, and that requires us to get under the hoop and do battle for their souls.
So, what does it take to do this? The Apostle Paul spells it out for us, “Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.” Be on guard, paying attention to the schemes of Satan that surround us and those we are trying to help find Jesus. Stand firm in the faith, understanding that the battle is not ours, but God’s. He will see this through. We are merely His warrior. Be courageous, don’t fear the enemy. The enemy should fear the Christian who has sold out to the Kingdom of God. Be strong, don’t bring your weak game. Bring the strength of the Holy Spirit with you. It’s the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead and caused the demons to flee in His presence.
Our friends, family, and neighbors need to know about the love of God. But, it will take all of us, as warriors for the Kingdom of God, working in faith to make it happen. Don’t fear the battle, embrace it.
They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. ~ Psalm 112:7 (NLT)
Do you want the good news first or the bad news? It’s a question that we’ve all been asked before – or will be asked at some point. The question is intended to soften the blow of bad news. By giving the option of which news to hear first, the person being questioned takes the burden off of the person delivering the news. Therefore, it was their choice to hear the bad news. I know, it’s convoluted (it’s not easy to follow), but that’s what we do.
In fact, when I was a businessman, my company sent me to training on the proper way to deliver bad news. (No, I’m not making this up. There are actual seminars on it out there.) The instructor preferred what he liked to call “The Sandwich Method.” It sounds appetizing, doesn’t it? Who doesn’t like a good sandwich? Here’s how it went. You give good news. Then give them the bad news. Then, for the finale, give them more good news. That way, the bad news is surrounded by good and isn’t so bad. There you go. I just saved you $199.
Why do we fear bad news so much? Mostly, I think, it’s because of the negative impact the news will have on the future of our life. For example, getting fired from work is generally bad news. You will no longer get paid and be unable to pay your bills. There will be a negative impact. Additionally, future employers will call the boss who fired you for a reference. Odds are, you won’t get a good one. Getting a good job in the future becomes more difficult.
But, what if I told you that there is no such thing as “bad news.” There is only news. How can that be? Because Jesus conquered all of the bad and replaced it with His good. Yes, there will be difficulties and hurts in life. But, no matter the circumstances, we still have good news. In fact, the term “good news” is called “The Gospel” in the Bible. And the Gospel trumps everything.
Satan wants to surround us with bad news. Jesus wants to remind us of His good news, His saving power at work in our lives.
What bad news has Satan trapped you in? What guilt, shame, of difficulty is weighing you down? Ask God to show you His goodness. You will see it. You will know that His good conquers Satan’s bad every single time.
My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises! ~ Psalm 57:7 (NLT)
I have a not-so-well-kept secret. At one of my former churches, I often times led the singing during our worship service when our praise teams weren’t available. I was in choir in high school, so I can generally carry a tune. But, singing with others is one thing. Being mic’d up and helping others hit the correct notes is completely different. So, what’s my secret? I mute my microphone when the singing begins.
So, why do I fear people hearing me sing? It goes back to my sophomore year of high school. We took a trip to San Francisco and the famous Pier 39. While we were there, I stumbled across a pay-to-sing recording studio. Essentially, the studio wiped the lyrics from popular songs, and then would record their customers singing them. The customer got a cassette tape of their performance. I gave it a shot. I lived to regret it. I let my girlfriend listen to it. She said it was good, (she was lying) and decided to play it for the rest of the bus-load of students. Let’s just say that the reviews were not kind.
It's pretty amazing how our confidence can be shaken in life. Mine was shaken in my singing abilities. Perhaps yours has been shaken in other ways. The unfortunately reality is that dings to our confidence can last a very long time. Our lack of confidence can also infiltrate our faith. We begin to question whether or not our relationship with God will last, or if we’ll screw it up. We wonder if God will stay true to all of the promises He has made in the Bible. The quick, easy answer is yes!
David, who penned our verse today, was no stranger to the dings in life. Yet, his confidence in God remained steadfast. Though he suffered human failings, David did not project those onto God. He remained confident in His Lord, Savior, and Best Friend.
Today, and every day, give thanks to the One who we can be absolutely confident in. He won’t ridicule. Instead, He leads, heals, comforts, and loves us unconditionally. Worship Him, not our failures. And, if the mood strikes, sing some praises to Him as well. He is worthy.
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. ~ 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)
Before major events, for which I am in charge, I don’t sleep much the night before. Whether it’s a weekend youth evangelism conference, mission trips, or some other happening, I generally toss and turn all night running through a mental checklist of all the things that need to be accomplished before it begins.
The anxiety that builds up within me causes me to wonder whether or not the event will be a success or fall flat on its face. I wonder if it will cause people enjoyment or if they will be upset that they even attended. I wonder if I forgot something major that will negatively impact the attendees or something small that will just irritate all of us for the duration. Either way, I get anxious about whether or not I’ve appropriately planned every detail.
If we’re not careful, anxiety can consume us. We live in a world where our minds are constantly saturated and bombarded during our waking hours – often times with worrisome information. It’s no wonder why people appear to be more stressed out than ever.
Yet, the disciple Peter has this to say, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” It sounds simple. We just say, “Here God. Take my anxiety,” and then everything is OK. Except, it doesn’t work that way. Why? Because we refuse to let go. We hand it to Him, but we still hold on to a piece of it. We worry about whether or not He will actually take care of it. We still desire control of some sort – as if we can solve things better than an all-knowing, all-powerful, all-loving God.
So, how do we give it up completely? Well, it takes practice. (I’m still learning this, too) When we confess our anxiety to God and lift it up to Him, we’ve got to stop dwelling on it. Instead, when we catch ourselves worrying about it, we must say a prayer, “Lord I reject this worry. I’ve given it to you, and I trust you.” Does it work? Most of the time. But, it requires discipline and repetition. One-and-done doesn’t work. The enemy will keep bringing it up.
So, today, and every day, cast your anxieties on our Lord. He is faithful and true to help us through whatever may be bringing us down. When the worry returns, push it back up to Him. Let Him know you trust Him. Praise Him in advance for His help.
I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. ~ Psalm 16:8 (NLT)
Many of us can’t fully imagine what it must be like for people who suffer with blindness. As many blind people will tell you, they rely on their other senses in order to experience the world around them – mainly touch. They feel their way through the world. They use a cane to identify obstacles when they walk. They feel for walls or other vertical objects. They use their fingers to read braille. Their hands become their eyes. Of course, this only lets them experience objects are close by. They can’t feel a house from across the street, or even the garbage can that is a few feet away but out of reach. The object doesn’t exist until they feel it.
Then, there is a teenager named Ben Underwood. Ben is blind, yet experiences the world not through touch, but sound. Ben has taught himself to echolocate. If that term sounds familiar it’s because it is the same way that dolphins and bats are able to “see” for long distances. The sound waves they emit bounce off of objects and ricochet back to them. The sound of the returning object tells them not just where it is, but what it is. Ben does the same thing. Through a series of clicks and pops, he can navigate the world around him, and even identify things just by the reflecting sound waves, even if they are out of reach. (If you want to see it in action, check out Ben’s story here: https://youtu.be/fnH7AIwhpik)
Sometimes we experience God as the blind experience the word. Because we can’t see Him, we rely on whether or not we can feel Him to know if He is near. However, this only allows us a glimpse into our surroundings. Just because we can’t feel His presence doesn’t mean He isn’t there. Sometimes He is just out of reach, or not where we expect Him to be. But, He is there. As our verse today states, “I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.”
We need to be like Ben Underwood. We need to seek God beyond our feelings, beyond sensing His presence. We must listen for Him. We must open our ears and minds to hear His voice. This, of course, takes practice. Much like Ben, we can’t learn to discern His voice in just 10 minutes. There are no shortcuts. It takes repetition and perseverance.
For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. ~ Romans 1:20 (NLT)
My dog taught me a spiritual lesson. No, that’s not a typo. My dog literally helped me connect with God one morning. Let me explain.
When I return from my jog each morning, I walk about 300 or so yards from the end of the run to my home. A year or so ago, when I was living in Southern Oregon, my route took me through the middle of the oval at Milo Adventist Academy. (Most schools have “quads,” which is the middle of campus with green space and picnic tables. We have “the oval.”) Each morning, as I would walk through, I would stop in the middle (or near the middle) and say a prayer for the students and staff. It was usually a short prayer, but it had been my routine for quite some time. However, on a particular morning, I was lost in my own thoughts. As I proceeded across the oval, I was oblivious to my surroundings. As I was passing my normal spot of prayer, my dog abruptly cut me off. This is semi-normal behavior because he is a stubborn Husky. However, when I looked down to chastise him, I realized where I was standing. My dog then sat down as if to say, “We’re not moving until you pray pastor-dude.” I realized in that moment that God had reminded me, through my dog none-the-less, of the importance of praying for others and connecting with Him. He also reminded me that the short time we have each morning is important to Him as well.
The Apostle Paul maybe didn’t have my Husky in mind when he penned our verse for today, but it is very appropriate. “Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature.”
How often do we get too busy to pause and pray throughout our day? It seems like there is so much going on that we often miss the opportunity to connect with God – even if it’s just to say “hey.” God understands the pressures of this life (Jesus was human after all). So, He will send us reminders to connect with Him because He also knows how important time spent together is for us. It’s also important to Him. He loves hearing from His children.
So, today, and every day, stop, pause, and pray.
For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time - to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. ~ 2 Timothy 1:9 (NLT)
Financial planners tell us that in order to have enough money to last throughout our retirement, we need to start saving/investing the moment we leave school and enter the workforce. It will take about 30 to 40 years in order to save up enough to last the 20 or so years of retirement. Additionally, we need to make sure we are putting enough into that retirement account each month. Putting in a dollar per month for 30 years won’t cut it. It needs to be around 10 to 15 percent of the monthly income we bring in. That’s a pretty huge sacrifice per month when there are other bills to pay. Once kids are introduced into the equation, the number (and dollar amount) of bills goes even higher, saving gets really difficult.
However, we are told to keep our eyes on the future. The money isn’t going into a hole somewhere. It is being saved so that we may each have an enjoyable retirement. We are investing in our future. But, it takes a lot of planning and perseverance.
So, how far ahead does God plan for our time with Him in eternity? Well, check out our verse today, “For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time - to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.” Did you catch it? He began planning for our future “before the beginning of time!” Whoa! God has been planning for our future, a glorious future, a perfect future, a future in His presence, an eternal future, since before the world even began. And, the payment for that future? The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Jesus planned to lay down His life for each one of us before any humans were even created. He not only had to make sure it was planned well, but He had to persevere for thousands of years before His plan could be fulfilled. Of course, He also had to persevere through all the trials that His time on earth brought to Him – including the cross.
Spend some time today, and every day, thanking God for His planning and sacrifice that has made your heavenly future a possibility.
I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. ~ Philippians 3:14 (NLT)
Perseverance. It’s a fancy word which means to push through the hard stuff in life. Those that make it through a certain period of trials in life are said to have persevered. There you go, a vocabulary lesson and daily devotional, all in one!
I’ve recently added a component to my daily exercise routine. In addition to going for a run every morning, I’ve begun planking. For those who have no clue what that is, the basics of it are to get into a push-up position (toes down, knees up, arms planted) and hold your body as straight as possible (like a plank) for a certain period of time. The idea is to hold it for a relatively short period of time as one introduces it into the workout, then gradually increase how long you hold it as your body gets used to it over time. It sounds easy. It’s not particularly simple. I’ve been doing one-minute planks. I can tell you, for the first 30 seconds, it’s not too bad. By about 40 seconds, I can definitely feel my abs and my back starting to twitch. At the 50 second mark, my core muscles are starting to make noise. At the one-minute mark, I collapse as my muscles sing a chorus of “Hallelujah!” because they can take a break. The concept of planking is to persevere through the twitching, burning, and sweating. The ultimate goal is to have strengthened core muscles (abs, obliques, back, shoulders, glutes, etc.) which result in better posture and better tone in the mid-section.
I have friends that tell me to focus on the goal, not the day-to-day pain of the process. Focusing on the goal will get you there. Focusing on the strain and the pain will cause you to quit. Indeed, as all gym owners will tell you, most people who purchase a gym membership quit going within the first year because it’s hard and they don’t see immediate results.
This attitude can often times creep into our faith life. Just because we’ve got Jesus by our side doesn’t mean life won’t be hard. We are sinners living in a sinful world. Perfection returns at the Second Coming. That’s why Paul has this advice for us, “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” In other words, look at the goal that awaits, not the trials that take place right now.
Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. ~ James 3:2 (NLT)
Have you ever heard the limerick that goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me?” If you haven’t, you missed out. I heard this stated on the playground many times growing up. Somebody would say something mean, and then this would be stated in reply – usually with the replier sticking their tongue out at the other person.
Ah, if only life were true to the lies we believed when we were younger. As we age, we find out very quickly that, indeed, words actually do hurt. In fact, words can hurt us so bad that they create wounds within our lives that can take a very long time to heal.
I’d like to say that as we get older things get better, but I can’t. Even those who are not in elementary school anymore still fire words at others that they know shouldn’t be said.
Have you ever said something that you knew was wrong the instant the words left your mouth? It’s like your brain is screaming at the words, “Come back!!!” But, they don’t once they’ve left their lair, there is no coming back. They are on course for arrival at their new destination, the ears of the person they were fired at.
James, the brother of Jesus, put it like this, “For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.” James realized that what we say not only has the ability to damage others, but it also damages ourselves. Those words that pierce the hearer also pierce the one saying them. How? Because it is a sin to speak evil at, or about, someone. And sin, by its very nature, corrupts us from the inside out. The more we participate in sinful behavior, the more corrupt our lives become.
We must learn to control our words. I know, we make jokes about certain people born without a “filter.” However, we often use that as an excuse for objectionable behavior. The reality is, that we each do have the ability to control what we say. The choice is ours. But, we must choose to speak good, to follow the example of Jesus. Speak words of encouragement. Speak words of love. Speak words of truth, not lies. Speak as a representative of the Kingdom of God, not the enemy.
Join Pastor Chad as he leads us into an understanding of where Jesus calls us to serve. "Dining with Scum" will challenge you to look beyond your comfort zone and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you into places you never imagined.
Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses. ~ 1 Timothy 6:12 (NLT)
Satan is one, smart dude. Yes, he is evil – diabolically evil – but he is very, very smart. If we look back at the thousands of years in earth’s history we can see it. This fallen angel caused two perfect humans, who walked side-by-side with God Himself, to choose sin over perfection. He convinced one of the very first siblings in this world to murder his brother, causing the first death in the history of the universe to occur. He convinced all but a handful of the population in the world that God was evil, bringing about the need for a global flood. He swayed prophets and kings to do his bidding. Eventually, he convinced those who were supposed to be devout followers of God to murder Him on a cross. He manipulated the Jews and the Romans to hunt down and kill Christians. He corrupted the Catholic church so bad that they literally killed those who stood against their doctrine or disobeyed their teachings. (These were known as the “Dark Ages” and spanned over a millennium in time.) Of course, these are only a few of the billions upon billions of times that Satan has outsmarted humanity and caused it to his bidding.
Given all of our knowledge of Satan’s capabilities, how do we keep falling for his lies? Let’s look closer at how Satan operates. It begins and ends with Satan attacking the two greatest commandments. For a refresher, they are: 1) Love God above all else; 2) Love others as yourself. Satan attacks the bonds between us and God, and us and others. And, he is just as active as he’s ever been ruining relationships. Whether the relationship is between spouses (or ex-spouses), friends, acquaintances, or those we maybe haven’t gotten to yet, Satan is working hard to drive a wedge between us. Christians are not exempt from falling for the lies.
So, what must we do? The Apostle Paul gives us some tips. “Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you.” Notice, we are supposed to be fighting against the lies of Satan, not each other. We are to hold tightly to our eternal relationship with God. We are to restore and defend relationships, not allow, or participate in infighting, slander, gossip, backstabbing, and condemnation. We are called to hold tightly to Jesus and each other.
So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. ~ 1 Peter 1:6 (NLT)
I love roller coasters. Though I don’t get to go to theme parks very often, I relish the opportunity to fly through the air, twisting, turning, and twirling through the atmosphere. My favorite place to go for coasters has been Six Flags Magic Mountain, down in Southern California. They have some of the best roller coasters in the U.S. My favorite coaster there is called X-2 (You can check it out here: https://youtu.be/6vcTtS1xXzE). It’s my favorite because it gives the most insane ride I’ve ever experienced. You sit in a harness and dangle from the track above you. However, your harness can rotate 360 degrees to the left and right (Also known as the X-axis) and also rotate 360 degrees up and down (or the Y-axis). So, as you hurtle through the sky at freeway speeds, your seat has the ability to rotate in any given direction based upon the physics of the ride. For example, when the coaster goes through a corkscrew, not only does the train spin, but so does your seat! It is definitely the most exhilarating ride I’ve experienced.
Of course, there are those who didn’t enjoy the ride quite as much as I did. They were very thankful when the coaster pulled into the station and they staggered off, vowing never to ride it again. There were also those who left a deposit in the trash can following their experience. Needless-to-say, not everyone found joy in the journey.
It’s that way in life, too. Life throws us some nasty twists and turns, ups and downs, and even a corkscrew from time-to-time. Then there are those zero-gravity drops when the world seems to just fall out from beneath us. While a real coaster may be fun for some, the crazy ride, the trials we face in life are not. They leave us hurting, dizzy, and down-right ill.
The Apostle Paul gives us some guidance as we face down the roller coaster of life. “So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while.” In other words, the ride will end. We will arrive at the station, Heaven, and not have to worry about the trials and tribulations of this life ever again. Keep the end in sight. Don’t get lost in the loops of life, the twists and turns. Remember that this ride of sin-filled life is short, and an eternal perfect life awaits.
God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. ~ Matthew 5:4 (NLT)
“It’s OK to not be OK.” I don’t remember specifically who said it, but it came during a dark time in my life. My father had died not too long before and I was really searching for where to go in life from there. I was a junior in college, dating an amazing woman, and wrestling with that great transition from kid to adult. There was a lot of turmoil inside of me. But, like most people, I didn’t want to show it or speak it. So, I didn’t. I just kept it all inside. It must have been leaking out, however, because somebody took notice and asked if I was OK. My response? Paint on a smile and say “yes, of course!” It didn’t work. The person, in a kind way, then said that line: “It’s OK to not be OK.” In other words, it’s OK to admit you are hurting.
There are too many hurts that happen in our lives to even begin to list them all here. However, I think we can all agree that in this life, there will be pain and sorrow. As a result of this sinful life, we have a few options: 1) Suck it up and act like everything is OK; 2) Self-medicate the pain away through addictive (and risky) behavior (Note: Following 1 often leads to 2); 3) Admit we are hurting and allow others to help us through those dark times.
Jesus was no stranger to pain – emotional, physical, spiritual pain were all piled up on His shoulders during His life and death. He understands that human, sinful life will include our fair share of hurting. Because of the sin in the world, we can’t escape hurt.
Our verse today, however, gives us a different perspective. “God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” It is because we are sinful that we have hurt, pain, and sorrow. It is because of our actions that misery continues to haunt each of our lives. The root cause of our hurts in that we are sinners.
So, how do we respond to our sinfulness? We can either: 1) Suck it up and pretend that our life is great; 2) Self-medicate with sinful pleasures, making the matter worse; 3) Admit we need our Savior. Admit that we need Him to save us from ourselves. When we choose the first two, God respects our choice and allows us to try and fix the sin-problem on our own – which only brings more hurting. When we choose option three, God will help us.
Here’s some words of wisdom: Choose option three.
So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. ~ Hebrews 2:1 (NLT)
“What is truth?” These are famous words uttered by Pilate nearly 2,000 years ago. (See John 18:38) Why are they famous? Because he had Jesus Christ standing before him, in Pilate’s own palace, proclaiming that the world hated Him because He represented the truth about the Kingdom of God. Pilate’s reaction, then, was to mutter that perhaps we are incapable of understanding the truth – or that there is no such thing as real truth. Of course, it was only a short time later that Jesus was crucified and killed for the truth that He preached and lived.
In our world, there are a lot of half-truths and false-truths (lies) about the Kingdom of God. There is the belief in an eternal, everlasting hell where people burn forever. (It’s not biblical. See Psalm 37:38 to start.) There is the belief that when we die we either go straight to Heaven or hell. (The Bible teaches this doesn’t happen until Jesus comes back and resurrects the dead. See 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Plus, again, there is no hell.) There is a belief that there is a secret rapture where God pulls the truly righteous out of this world before things get really nasty. The rest of us stay here for further purification to prove our allegiance to God. (Again, this is not biblical. Jesus’s return won’t be a secret. See Revelation 1:7.) Of course, there are plenty more, but these are the ones that have widespread support.
So, how are we supposed to know what is true about the Kingdom of God? Well, as you’ve seen, test what is said against the entirety of the Scriptures. I say “entirety” because many will point to one verse to support their belief. However, when the verse is viewed in context of the chapter and book in which it is contained, the belief falls apart. For example, Jesus uttered the words, “It is finished” as He died on the cross (See John 19:30). If we take just this one verse, we can make an entirely theology out of what, perhaps was finished. But, when we examine the entirety of Jesus’s work, we understand that the purpose for Jesus coming to the earth was completed. Sin was crushed on the cross. Salvation was won.
Today, and every day, dig into the Word of God. Read about the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Hold on to the truths you find there.
But I confess my sins; I am deeply sorry for what I have done. ~ Psalms 38:18 (NLT)
When I was growing up, I remember one of my Sabbath School teachers talking to us about making sure we kept a list of the sins we committed. This “sin tracker” would serve as a reminder of all the of dumb things we had done. It would also allow us to make sure and name every sin when we ask for forgiveness. This would ensure that we didn’t leave any out – because one unforgiven sin would keep us out of Heaven. So, I diligently kept track of all of the wrongs I committed. Sure, I didn’t write them down, but my memory would serve me quite well. It took about a day until I realized that my memory was corrupt. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t keep track of every sin I committed. Even if I focused really hard, I kept having this sneaking suspicion that I was forgetting one, or two, or three.
If this idea of sin-tracking makes you uneasy, it should. Why? Because it’s not true. Now, here me clearly, we should confess our sins (see the beginning of our verse today), but God is less interested in a laundry list of sinful behavior and more interested in His child, who is you.
The Bible tells us in many places that God examines our heart. There’s a reason for this. He is concerned with the depth of our commitment to Him and to each other and less concerned with our list. There’s a phrase I utter in many of my talks that goes like this: “Satan knows our name but calls us by our sin. Jesus knows our sin but calls us by our name.” In other words, that laundry list of sins has more to do with Satan’s way of viewing us than God’s.
The last part of our verse today provides the indicator of how our repentance should work, “I am deeply sorry for what I have done.” If we don’t have a close, personal connection to Jesus, then it becomes a ceremony to confess our sins. We name them off like we are calling roll-call in class. There’s no heart to it. It is just a list of boxes that need to be checked. But, when we are best friends with Jesus, when we come to understand Him, and He is a big part of our life, then we understand that when we sin, we negatively impact that relationship. As a result, confession is less about check boxes and more about mending a hurt in our relationship with God because it is so vitally important to us. Much like our earthly relationships, we need to genuinely say we’re sorry, hug it out, and move forward in our friendship.
By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. ~ 2 Peter 1:3 (NLT)
Work smarter, not harder. It’s an expression corporations and organizations across the world have adopted to help motivate their employees. The concept is quite simple: Rather than working longer hours, bring in some brain power to help figure out a way to work more efficiently. By doing so, the workers are less stressed, and the organization benefits by saving money on payroll and other things. Many organizations hire consultants to come into their offices to observe the work and then provide suggestions to improve the work-flow and make things operate more efficiently. The strategies these consultants use have cool names like, “Lean,” or “Sigma,” or, my favorite, “Lean 6 Sigma.” They all promise the same thing, reduced effort and improved workflow. I’ve actually heard them called “Workflow Ninjas” before!
When it comes to living a godly life, sometimes we truly believe that if we just work harder, or use our brain power, we can figure out a way to live according to the guidelines that God gives us. If we just develop a strategy, create a service model, memorize an acronym, or focus more clearly on perfection, we can attain it.
Here’s the problem, there aren’t strategies, work flows, models, or other man-made things that can help us lead a godly life. Only God can do that. Why? Because He’s the only expert in the universe that knows anything about being Go. Jesus is also the only human in history to successfully live a perfect, godly life. Let me put it this way: Trying to live a godly life without having God provide His expertise is like inviting a kindergartner into your manufacturing plant to examine your company’s workflows and give you input on how to run the perfect company. It’s a ridiculous concept. God is THE Workflow Ninja.
So, how do we live a godly life? By hanging out with God. By talking things over with God. By reading the Word of God. By surrounding ourselves with people who are on the same journey. By belonging to a church community that pushes us toward God. Are you getting the picture? In order to live a godly life, we’ve got to focus everything on God.
God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives. ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:7 (NLT)
Here’s a great, big, theological word for you today: sanctified. Theologians love their big words. For the record, I’m a pastor, not a theologian. What’s the difference? A theologian is generally a teacher, a professor, who dedicates themselves to studying every nuance of the Scriptures in the Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic languages. They get twitter-pated if they find an extra “the” in the Greek manuscript that does not appear in the English translations. They are more academic. Pastors are more people oriented. Our ministry is less about the academics and more about the people in our immediate care and the community that surrounds us. For the church to function well, we need both the theologians and the pastors. But, I digress.
Sanctification is simply this: The process of becoming holy, or more God-like. So, our verse today is dealing with the fact that God isn’t calling us to live out our lives on our own, sinful terms. Instead, He is calling us to live as if we belong to the Kingdom of God. But, how do we live a sanctified/holy life? We’re sinners after all.
Let me be clear, this verse is not calling us to be perfect – as in without sin. It is telling us where to put our focus. You see, we can’t live a holy life without focusing on the One that is holy. It comes down to the very first commandment, “Don’t have any other gods.” If our lives are focused on other things or other people, and God is not given the priority He is due, then we are incapable of living a sanctified life. We live an impure life.
Anything that commands our focus becomes our god. When we focus on gossip, gossip is our god. When we focus on gaming, gaming is our god. When we focus on beauty, vanity is our god. When we focus on ourselves, selfishness is our god. When we judge others, then pride is our god. When our focus is on music, music is our god. And so on, and so on.
Instead, God is calling us to spend time with Him, to focus on Him. The more time we spend with Him, the more we become like Him. When our focus in life is on Him, and His mission, we begin living a holy life, not an impure life. When we focus on Jesus, we come to more fully understand, and live out, His grace, mercy and compassion. When we focus on listening to the Holy Spirit, He will show us how to live a life of love – a sanctified life.
Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. ~ Ephesians 2:16 (NLT)
Cliques. If you’re not sure what a clique is, count yourself blessed. A clique is a closed group of people who generally consider themselves friends which always hang out together and don’t really associate with other people outside of their group. Cliques also don’t generally allow others to join their group; barriers are established and no one is allowed in lest the group balance be upset. When members are added, it’s because they are deemed worthy and like-minded. Cliques, overall have a negative association – people agree they are not a good thing.
However, with this current generation of young adults and teens, they’ve reinvented cliques. They don’t call them that anymore, because cliques are bad. Instead, they come up with cooler names like “squad.” Though the name has changed, reality hasn’t.
Here’s the dangerous thing about cliques (beyond that they are exclusive): they tend to look at others outside of the squad as inferior. No, they may not state it out loud (though that is often the case), but within the squad they talk about others outside the squad. They gossip. They begin rumors. They laugh about other’s hurts or perceived pain or issues. They seek to take down those that are either popular or are a threat to their own popularity. In their essence, squads seek to destroy others, not lift them up. They are hit squads.
Unfortunately, our schools and churches are full of squads. I’ve seen it in both places, having the unique opportunity to serve as an academy chaplain and church pastor. The sad reality is that these people call themselves Christians – followers of Christ. Yet, there is nowhere in the Scriptures where Jesus tore into others, judging them as inferior. Nowhere do we see Jesus refusing the friendship of others. Nowhere can be found where Jesus turned those away who genuinely wanted to be a part of His life. Nowhere did He gossip or slander.
Our verse today states, “Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.” Here is our challenge: Be hospitable, not hostile. Be open, not closed off. Invite people in, don’t exclude them. Being a Christian is about bringing people together, not tearing them apart.
There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ~ John 15:13 (NLT)
“Is it possible to love someone more than yourself?” It was a question I was asked not too long ago. The concept was this: If we’re called to love ourselves, and love others, how can we do both? By loving ourselves, won’t we, by contrast, love others less? I thought for a moment and then responded with a simple “Yes.” The person looked a little puzzled and responded with, “Give me an example of loving someone more than yourself.” I quoted John 15:13, our verse today, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
Love, by its very nature is self-sacrificing. Love puts our own wants, our own desires, secondary to others. Love must be lived, not just spoken. Love means we serve, rather than be served. Love means life is not about us at all. It’s about others.
The life of Jesus demonstrated this in spectacular fashion. He lived a life of servitude. He went seeking out those who needed salvation (the woman at the well, the demoniac in Decapolis, etc.). He never turned His back on those who needed healing (blind man, lame man, woman who suffered from over a decade of bleeding, etc.). He even raised the dead back to life! Every act that Jesus did was an act of love – self-sacrificing love.
Of course, His greatest demonstration of love happened on a Friday, nearly 2,000 years ago. The King of the Universe allowed Himself to be tortured and murdered in our place. He didn’t just come to this earth to serve, but to die. He took the penalty that you and I deserve for our sins – death. Our God chose to die so that our sins could be eternally forgiven. That’s love!
Even more than that, Jesus chose to die in complete faith that He would be raised to life, conquering the grave. As He hung on the cross, He could not see beyond the grave. He could not see the future, His future. In other words, as He was dying, He had the promise of a resurrection, but nothing more. And, in His judgment, He decided that even if He wasn’t raised to life, if His death saved us, it would be worth it. Even if there was no tomorrow for Jesus, He decided to willingly trade His life for each one of us. That, my friends, is true love.
As we reflect on His sacrifice, marinate on the power of God’s love, His self-sacrificing love. There is none greater in all of creation.
I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. ~ John 13:16 (NLT)
Pride. It caused Lucifer to betray God. It caused Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. Pride caused the religious elite to crucify the Son of God. It causes us to give in to the temptations that surround us. It is what is destroying this planet. Pride causes us to seek out only the things that we think will benefit us, will give us a leg up. Pride causes us to see what others can do for us, how we can use them to bring us what we desire. Pride causes us to see some as worthy of our time and others as beneath us.
Jesus was, and is, anti-pride. Everything He did and said was for the benefit of someone else. The Last Supper, it’s what we call the final meal He had with His disciples before His death, is a perfect example of this.
It was customary for the lowliest servant of a household to bathe the feet of those coming into the home. You see, back then, they didn’t travel in vehicles, and they really didn’t ride animals. They walked everywhere they went. The streets were mostly made of dirt. I say mostly because people also dumped their garbage there. Animals relieved themselves there. So, the “dirt” was a mixture of every foul thing you can imagine. And, people didn’t wear shoes back then, only sandals. All of that crud from the road would be caked on their feet by the time they got home. So, this lowly servant would literally wash the dirt, grime, garbage, and poop off of the feet of those entering the house.
This is what Jesus did to begin the Last Supper. He knelt down and washed all of the nastiness from the feet of His disciples. It was gross. It was smelly. But it was a worthwhile lesson. Jesus, even though He was Master, Savior, Messiah, would do anything necessary to wipe the crud out of our lives. There was no pride in it, only humble service.
The verse right before our verse today, verse 15, states this, “I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.” In other words, we must drop the pride and learn to serve others, no matter who they are, where they’ve been, or how dirty they may be. They are worthy in the Kingdom of God, and we are servants of the King.
Join Pastor Chad as he talks about how the things we hold up as "holy" can often create a barrier which prohibits our friends, family, and neighbors from discovering who Jesus is.
Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise God in highest heaven!” ~ Matthew 21:9 (NLT)
We call Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem during the final days of His life the “Triumphal Entry.” This simply means that Jesus entered into Jerusalem with fanfare, with praises, with worship of who He was/is, and why He had come to earth. He rode into town as a beloved King. People around Him were shouting His praises. They waved palm branches in celebration.
Only a short time later, the scene was vastly different. The crowds had left, Jesus was not welcomed as a king, but mocked as the King of the Jews as He hung from the cross. The shouts of praise were traded for shouts of insult. The palm branches were replaced with a sponge on a stick. Oh, what a horrible scene it was.
I’ve always had this question: What happened to the crowds that greeted Jesus upon His arrival in Jerusalem? We have no record of anyone other than a few people who made it to the foot of the cross to support Jesus (Mary and John in particular). Where was the crowd of supporters? Where were those who we supposed to be His closest friends?
The simplified answer is they were afraid, so they didn’t show up. They were afraid of what the religious elite would think of them if they continued to worship a man that had been deemed a heretic. They were afraid that if they spoke up, they too would be cruelly treated by the Romans. They were afraid of what others thought of their worship, so they stopped.
Church, this happens far too often in our moments of gathering. We don’t worship our Savior with passion and energy befitting the King. We whisper, lest someone think we are being disrespectful. (Reverence has to do with attitude, not volume.) We sing in hushed tones lest someone judge our pitch. We worship while afraid of what others think.
Let me challenge each of us. (Especially as we approach Easter weekend.) Worship Jesus with the passion and energy, which He is deserving. Don’t worry about what others may think of your sudden joy. Express it! Proclaim His glories! Praise God for sending His Son! Sing with the joy that is begging to be released! Shout for joy at the risen King! Who cares who sees it. This is about Jesus, not others.
Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. ~ Psalm 62:5 (NLT)
We are a plugged-in society. Whether at a restaurant, the local park, work, school, or home, we are generally plugged-in to some device, visually or audibly. This is especially true of younger generations, but us old folks aren’t too far behind. We have our cell phones, which are really just small computers now, with us at all times from the moment we wake up until we go to bed. We have televisions running whenever someone is home. We have laptops, desktops, and whatever gets invented today. We have stereo systems in our cars that stream our favorite music wherever we go. We have tablets, Ipods, MP3 players, and a million other little devices. We are surrounded by things that command our attention and add to the noise in our lives.
If we want to listen to something, watch a program, play a game, chat with a friend, buy something, compose our latest novel, order take out, or many other things in life, we need only reach for our nearest device. We have been conditioned to expect things quickly, when we want them. This is why people are always anxious for the latest, fastest technology. You can surf the web faster, Facetime clearer, run bigger, and better apps. Speed is the key. If a company can build a device that runs faster, they probably will have good sales.
Unfortunately, we expect the same thing in our relationship with God. We ask, He delivers. Oh, and He needs to do it quickly. We don’t have time to wait. We have a lot of app time ahead. However, this type of attitude is prideful. Since when does God serve us?
We have this crazy lyric from King David in one of his psalms that spells out how our relationship with God is supposed to work. “Let all that I am wait quietly before God.” Let me put this in 21stcentury terms. “Unplug from the world. Hang out with God. Be present in His life and let Him be present in yours. No plans. No agenda. Just spend time together.” When it is time to act, God will act – always for your good. But, it is in His timing. God isn’t just about speed (though He did create the universe in six days). He’s more interested in a real, deep, meaningful relationship with each one of us.
So, here’s your challenge for today, and every day. Unplug and hang out with God. Spend good, quality time with Him, even if it’s in silence. Be present in His presence.
If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. ~ 1 Peter 3:10 (NLT)
Nearly everyone agrees, people should not spread gossip, rumors, or speak bad things about others – especially behind their back. Nearly everyone agrees that behaving in such a way is wrong. Nearly everyone agrees that this type of behavior causes damage to relationships, careers, families, and a million other aspects of life. Nearly everyone agrees that they hate it when people do these things, especially when they, themselves, are the target. This brings me to a question: If we all agree that this behavior is wrong, and shouldn’t be done, why does it still happen?
The unsettling reality is that it exists because we insist on it existing. Think about it. The only reason slander, gossip, rumors, hate speech exists is because we are the ones who do the behavior. It exists because we cause it to exist. It doesn’t just pop out of nothingness. It has a cause. That cause, unfortunately, is us. We are to blame.
As our verse today states, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies.” In other words, you cannot have a happy life if you speak lies or evil about others. It’s not possible to find joy. Why? Because evil is diametrically opposed to (stands firmly against) joy and love.
Now, here’s the deal. I often hear people say, “I prayed to God to take the temptation away, but He didn’t. So, I can’t control it.” While prayer is an important aspect to living a transformed life, it alone will not cure your bad behavior. God hears us. God gives us the courage to resist the temptation. But, it is still up to us how we act, how we behave. We must make a conscious choice not to participate in evil.
To help eliminate this evil from our campus, our community, we have to choose not to do it. Yes. It’s actually that simple. We have our individual part to play. We have to take ownership of our own actions, our own behavior, and choose to live in peace with others, not tear them down. We must be accountable for what we do. We only have control over our actions, not others. So, the solution must start with each one of us.
Do to others as you would like them to do to you. ~ Luke 6:31 (NLT)
Most of us have grown up knowing about the “Golden Rule,” as this verse is often called. It’s drilled into us from early childhood. Treating others right, with respect, is the way to go. It makes sense, really. We should always approach someone with respect, even in disagreement. So, this should be simple to follow, right? Nope.
In my experience, I can tell you that Christians stink at following this rule. Now, understand, I’m generalizing. There are decent, respectful people out there. But, I have been witness to Christians tearing into one another over a disagreement about chairs vs. pews in the church. I have first-hand heard people personally attacking one another because one of them had proposed selling the church organ, which didn’t work and hadn’t been played in over a decade. I’ve heard people call other Christians false, or ignorant, because they didn’t agree with their position on women in pastoral ministry. I’ve watched vegetarians say mean things about people that include meat in their diet – and vice versa. I’ve heard gossip. Oh, how I’ve heard gossip. Christians are really good at talking about each other to others. Rather than talking with the person who is somehow offensive to them, they instead talk to everyone else about how the person is offensive, and that they should be offended too.
It’s no wonder people are hesitant to join faith communities because the outside world is seeing these same things happen. They see the nastiness, and though they may like Jesus, they sure don’t want any part of His supposed followers.
So, where do we go from here? How do we correct this? It’s simple: Start taking the commands of Jesus seriously. If we don’t want to be gossiped about, then we must not gossip. If we don’t want to be called names, then never resort to personal attacks when arguing a point. If we view something differently than others, it is OK. Let me repeat that: It is OK to hold an opposing view. We must respect the person who believes differently than we do.
In short, we must follow the example of Jesus. He loved everyone. He treated everyone with respect. He didn’t slander others. He didn’t gossip. He didn’t go looking for a fight. Instead, He demonstrated patience, forgiveness, kindness, grace, love, and mercy. Follow His lead.
Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. ~ Psalm 119:1 (NLT)
Have you ever been made to follow rules, laws, or commands that you didn’t agree with? If not, check your pulse, you may not be alive. The reality is that there are rules and regulations that we must navigate in this life. There are some that we whole-heartedly support and agree with, while others we just shake our heads and wonder what people were thinking when they adopted such a stupid (to us, anyway) rule.
Unfortunately, we, as a society, have trained ourselves to outwardly keep the rules when people are watching, but not so much when we know there is no authority figure around. Whether at home, work, or church, we smile and act like we’re following the rules, when in reality we are just waiting until the gaze of any authority figure is no longer upon us so we can do what we want.
Though we can laugh about getting away with things (and we’ve probably all done it), this concept can translate into our walk with God, too. We can act godly at church, or chapel, vespers, Bible study, or the other places and times we are called to be more “holy.” But, when we aren’t in those situations, we often times decide to do things we know aren’t according to God’s plans for us. No one is watching, after all.
This is where our verse of the day comes in. “Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord.” You see, obedience only when others are watching is not obedience. Living a life of integrity means we are still obedient even when we know we won’t get caught. We obey because it’s the right thing to do at all times.
But, notice that we aren’t just called to live a life of integrity. We will be blessed as a result. Indeed, we will be “joyful!” How, or why would we be joyful by following rules? Because, unlike human rules that are flawed, God’s commands are always correct. Not only that, but they are there to give us a rich, full life. They are there to protect our relationship with Him and others. By following His rules, we avoid many of the pitfalls Satan has put in our paths. By following His rules, we can have peace that what we are doing is right.
Join Pastor Chad for a crazy sermon. And, no, that's not a play on words. Just a few minutes prior to getting up to preach to his church, the Holy Spirit switched things up on him, and the sermon was done with no notes, no prep, nothing. It was all led by the Holy Spirit in the moment!
If you want to be challenged in your faith, and in how to listen for, and follow the direction of the Holy Spirit in your own life, this talk will definitely get you rev'd up for serving God!
Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help. ~ Isaiah 58:6-7 (NLT)
Perhaps you’ve studied the “Two Greatest Commandments” before. But, as a review, they are: 1) Love God with all you’ve got; 2) Love others. The first one seems pretty straight forward. God is everything to us. He alone is worthy of our worship. The second one is a little bit more difficult to comprehend. What does this look like in a practical, real-world sense? Take a look at the verses above.
In addition to sharing the gospel with our neighbors (see the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20), we are also called to help them in times of need. Of course, if you live in a nice subdivision or housing development, your literal next-door neighbors may be doing just fine. They have a nice house. They have all the food they need. They’re fine. Therefore, you’re off the hook, right? If only it were that simple. Neighbors are not limited to those who live on our block. Neighbors are those we share this planet with.
Let me make a more controversial point in regards to this concept. These words from our verses today, spoken through the prophet Isaiah, were spoken to God’s people – His followers. In a modern context, this is the church. Therefore, God is calling the church to: fight for justice, help the oppressed, free those trapped in slavery (which is actually bigger than any other time in history right now), feed the hungry, give shelter to the homeless, give clothes to those who need them, and not neglect our extended families. However, the majority of those in the USA, including those in the church, delegate these things to the government. This is contrary to the Scriptures. It isn’t the government’s job. It is the church’s.
We must stop looking to others to do the job that God has called us to do. Yes, it takes work and time. Yes, it pushes us out of our comfort zones. Yes, it requires money. Yes, it requires sacrifice. But, last time I checked, the life of a Christian is supposed to be lived sacrificially. Church, let’s reclaim our calling and truly serve our neighbors.
You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. ~ Psalm 73:24 (NLT)
Sometimes when I pray, I expect God to fix the mess that I’ve created for myself, or someone else’s actions have created for me. If He would just wave His mighty hand, work a miracle or two, everything would return to normal, or better. He’s God, after all. Miracles are kinda His thing. So, why then does it seem that most prayers aren’t resolved through a miraculous, God-sized feat? It’s actually a simple answer: He wants to use us.
In our lives, we actually have a part to play. I know, shocking! But, we often don’t sit back and ponder that thought. Though God created each one of us, we are still our own person. We make our own choices, and we experience the consequences of those choices. So, the majority of the time, God doesn’t wave His hand, He whispers in our ear to help us in those life choices. No, He doesn’t necessarily whisper literally – though it happens. Instead, God speaks to us through a thought, a voice, through others, a conviction that we can’t shake. He provides us with Godly input on the course that we should take in life. But, He doesn’t ever force us to follow His advice.
As our verse today states, “You guide me with your counsel.” This is how God leads each one of us. He looks at our state, our position at that moment in time, and He even looks to the future to determine the best course. He then gives us counsel, advice, with turn-by-turn directions. However, He never forces us to make the turns He suggests. We must choose to follow His guidance.
The enemy, Satan, is also speaking turn-by-turn directions to us. However, His suggestions are obviously not Godly. They are an attempt to lead us to destruction, not “a glorious destiny” as the Psalmist states.
So, how do we discern which voice is which? Test the directions. God’s directions will never contradict His word, the Bible. God’s directions will never be manipulative (He doesn’t guilt-trip us into doing something). God’s directions are always for our good, or the good of others. God’s directions don’t shame us for past failures. God’s directions are not devious. God’s directions give us peace as we follow. Satan’s? They are the opposite of these criteria.
I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers! ~ Isaiah 65:24 (NLT)
There was something magical that happened to my wife after she gave birth to our first child, Nathan. No, it wasn’t that she became “mom.” Nor was it that she showed maternal qualities for the first time (she is married to a big child, after all). Instead, she developed superhuman reflexes. Let me explain. Before she had Nathan, I could gently toss something to my wife, like a throw pillow, and she would either fumble it and watch it drop to the floor, or duck out of the way so as not to be crushed by the softness gently falling through the air. After she had Nathan, all of that changed. I remember one specific instance when she asked me to toss the baby bottle to her while she had the baby on her lap. Without thinking who had made the request, I threw the bottle at her, and it was not an entirely accurate throw. I could see that the course of the bottle would cause it to fly over her head and smash into the wall behind her. I was picturing the cleanup that would ensue, and the dirty look I was going to get. Instead, as the bottle sailed above her, Michelle’s arm shot up, her hand opened, and with catlike reflexes, she snatched the bottle from its wayward course and began feeding Nathan as if nothing extraordinary had happened. I started laughing in amazement, as did Michelle after she realized that she had newly-developed powers.
While my wife’s reflexes are pretty impressive, they pale in comparison to the speed with which Jesus begins working on our behalf when we call upon Him. They are the fastest in the universe. His reflexes are, well, God-like.
As our verse today states, “I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!” In other words, while the words are still coming out of our mouth, even before the soundwaves leave our lips, He is taking action to answer our prayers. He can anticipate what we need before we even ask! Now, those are some super reflexes!
God answers prayers. God always acts on our needs. God is working for us long before we even ask. Trust in His reflexes. Trust in His timing. Trust that we have a God of action.
The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. ~ Psalm 120:1 (NLT)
Have you ever had a “friend” who only wanted to hang out with you when there was nothing else to do, and no other good options for people to socialize with? All of a sudden, they become your best buddy, even though you were their last choice of people to spend time with at the moment. It’s an awesome feeling, right? To be someone’s last choice makes one feel all warm and cozy inside – fulfilled even. No? What do you mean no? Why wouldn’t it make us feel that way? Because it’s a relationship of convenience, that’s why. There’s no value in it.
Since we are most likely in agreement that treating “friends” this way is not a true friendship, or even healthy, let me throw down for a moment. Why do we do this with Jesus?
Far too often, we only call on Jesus when we need something. Generally, it’s in moments of distress – something has gone horribly wrong. Don’t get me wrong, we should call on Jesus when things are not going well, He is our Savior after all. But, if we live our lives apart from Him the rest of the time, then the only value we find in Him is that He can bail us out of trouble.
This is why this verse today helps us get some perspective. “The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.” It’s that last part that sticks it to us. What does it mean to “call on Him in truth?” Quite simply, it’s when we call on Him as a result of a relationship, not treating Him as a magic genie that comes when we need something. Is our relationship with Him true, or are we just trying to use Him to get us out of trouble?
Here’s the challenge, then. In order to have an authentic relationship with someone, including Jesus, we must invite them into our lives, not just when it’s convenient for us, or when we need something, but at all times. If this is supposed to be a best-friend relationship with God, then we need to start treating Him like a best friend, and not the kid that we only hang out with when there’s no other good options.
Invite Jesus into every area of life. He should be present in our friendships. He should be present in our romantic relationships. He should be present in our school life. He should be present in our home life. He should be present in our financial life. He should be present in our career. In short, Jesus should be the friend we always hang out with.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #friend #Scripture #truth #relationship
Yes, you came when I called; you told me, "Do not fear." ~ Lamentations 3:57 (NLT)
“Y’all are gonna get robbed.” I, and my two other coworkers heard a voice say from down the hallway. It wouldn’t have been too concerning except that the store I was managing had been closed and locked up for about 30 minutes. We were in the back room reconciling the cash registers (making sure the cash and receipts all matched up). There was supposed to be no one else in the building. Where, then, was the voice coming from? And to whom did it belong? The even more unsettling reality was that there was only one exit from the room we were in, and it lead into the hallway where the voice had proclaimed the presence of an intruder. We all banded together, wondering what would happen next. The sound of footsteps announced that someone was coming closer. Suddenly, a figure emerged from the darkness of the hallway and entered the room. Immediately, our fears were relieved. It was our security guard, Marvin. He said the phrase again, but this time added some clarity, “Y’all are gonna get robbed. Someone left the back door to the store cracked open. That’s how I got in.” Indeed, one of my coworkers confessed that she had just been out in the alleyway behind the store for her smoke break and must not have fully closed the door on her way back in.
Fear is something that we’ve all experienced. Whether it is because of the unknown, or because something is currently happening that generates those feelings inside of us, we’ve all had those moments in life where we wonder if we’re going to come out of things OK.
In our spiritual lives, sometimes the enemy is able to generate fear – he is supernatural after all. We wonder if we’re going to get through it. We wonder if Jesus truly will save us. Doubts creep in, and fear takes over. That’s where this verse comes in.
Jesus understands that we will have fear in this life. He understands that we will even have doubts. But, He is also willing to save us from those things. When we call, He comes running. It’s as if He’s saying, “Have no fear, Jesus is here!” And, there is no power in all of the universe that can stand against Him.
No matter what fears you face in life, know that we have a Savior who is always there for us. He will come running when we call. He will stand with us. He will be victorious.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #fear #Scripture #trust #robbery
How do we get fired up by the Holy Spirit? How do we go BIG for God? Join Pastor Chad for his sermon called "Get Lit!" to discover how Jesus wants to light us on holy fire for the Kingdom of God.
And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. ~ 1 John 4:17 (NLT)
Judgment. It is a concept that many people have pointed to in an attempt to prove how horrible God actually can be. The imagery of the judgment include a god who sends people to eternal torment in the flames of a mythical place called hell. (I say mythical because it doesn’t exist.) Other concepts of this god show him taking pleasure in destroying those he disagrees with. Still others show him as some sort of puppet-master who insists that his human entertainment do exactly as he bids so that he is happy, lest he smite them. In other words, the concept of the judgment is not a good one.
However, as John tells us in our verse today, judgment has nothing to do with torture or joy in misery. Instead, this verse tells us that we can “face him [God] with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.” In other words, we don’t need to fear the judgment. Why? Because when we are in a relationship with Jesus, the judgment is in our favor.
The first part of the verse is the key, “as we live in God…” Essentially, this is stating that “when we are involved with God…” It’s the relationship with God that is the key. When we experience Him, talk with Him, spend time with Him on a regular basis, we come to know Him. As we come to know Him, we discover the truth about His nature (love) and His desires for us in this life and the next (He wants only the best for us). It is the depth of our relationship that dictates how we see judgment. If we know Him truly, intimately, we have peace with the judgment because we know Him and He knows us. If we have no relationship with Him, then the concept of an evil god who destroys would be an easy lie to buy.
There are far too many people, Christians included, that live in fear, disgust, hate of God because they don’t understand His nature. We must dispel the myth of an eternal hell. We must reveal the loving nature of God – both in word and action. We must proclaim the truth, and stop spouting opinions and conspiracy theories. In short, we need to represent the love of our Savior so that others may come to know Him.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #judge #Scripture #hell #eternity #judgment
The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. ~ 1 Peter 4:7 (NLT)
I’ve found myself praying a lot more lately. It’s not that I think my prayer life was bad before. But, recently, I’ve had a huge resurgence in my life, a conviction, that we need to be praying more often and more purposefully. For example, I was driving to Portland the other night and God would point out different drivers to me. They weren’t necessarily doing anything that would draw my attention, but I would notice them. Then, God would place the thought in my head that I should pray for them – a stranger. So, I found myself praying a lot as I travelled. I didn’t really know what to pray for, but I prayed for the person none-the-less.
The disciple Peter was inspired to write our verse for today over 1,900 years ago. It’s an interesting verse about prayer. The opening gives us the reason (the end of the world), and the closing gives us our part to play. So, what does the end of the world have to do with our prayer life? As it turns out, quite a bit. Prayer has a special way of focusing our mind on God.
When we pray, our attention isn’t focused on us, our attention is focused on Him. It’s a time of bonding. It’s a time to build our trust. It’s our time to share the light-hearted things, and to open up about the emotional baggage we carry in our lives. Prayer changes the way that we see and understand God. Prayer establishes good lines of communication with God.
So, here we are approaching the very end of time itself. Why would it be important to have a good, strong, trustworthy, bond with God? If things are truly going to get very rough on this planet, especially for Christians, we must have good lines of communication with the One who can lead us through it. And, this doesn’t happen overnight. It comes with practice.
This is why Peter says we must be more “earnest and disciplined in your prayers.” Earnest means that our prayers shouldn’t be fluff. Pray for real stuff, real people, real life. Disciplined means that we don’t try to do the bare minimum, but instead make prayer a regular occurrence – don’t keep putting it off for other pursuits.
Establish those good lines of communication that will allow you to hear God’s voice, no matter what chaos may be swirling around you.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #prayer #Scripture
The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces. ~ Proverbs 10:8 (NLT)
It’s kind of crazy to see how each one of us approaches life. As a sanguine, I’m pretty comfortable just going with the flow. I’m generally OK if there isn’t a hard-fast plan in place, things will turn out OK. On the flip side, melancholies reading this are yelling at their screen, “No, no, no! There must be a detailed plan.” The cholerics are saying, “Don’t worry I have a plan and know exactly what you should do.” The phlegmatics among us are saying, “Hey, quit with the yelling and just chillax everyone.” We’re all made a bit differently, and, as a result, see things differently. And, that is perfectly OK. We can see the world differently, yet still love one another and even work well together.
Of course, this depends entirely upon whether or not the person is teachable. Having the desire to learn more, to investigate, to gain wisdom is important in this life, regardless of personality type, age, gender, or ethnicity. In fact, I have a saying, “The day we stop learning should be the day that we die.” It’s a bit harsh, but is accurate. We should constantly be striving to learn more, gain knowledge, experience life, grow in wisdom.
King Solomon echoes this sentiment in our verse today when he states, “The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces.” Given that he was the wisest man in history, that’s some pretty good advice! We should be glad to learn from one another. We should rejoice that we can gain knowledge and wisdom. We should strive to do our research on topics rather than just regurgitating (it’s the nice way to say vomit) information that we’ve heard others spew.
The opposite of learning is ignorance (the lack of learning). Solomon calls these people “babbling fools.” You’ve probably met someone like this. They go on and on and on as if they are experts in what their describing, yet have no clue about the topic.
In our Christian journey, we are called to be wise learners, not babbling fools. We need to constantly strive to learn more about our Savior, while helping others do so as well. We should seek Him every day, learning more about who He is and who He calls us to be.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #foolish #Scripture #wisdom #ignorance
Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses. ~ Proverbs 10:12 (NLT)
Going into college, I was sure I knew what my career path would be. I was going to be a lawyer. Specifically, I was going to be a prosecuting attorney. For those not sure what that is, a prosecuting attorney is the lawyer in court charged with proving that the person accused of a crime is found guilty.
Towards that goal, my junior year of college I was able to take a course in argumentation. It was a natural fit. We were trained in the art of taking our opponents down through words. We were taught strategies about how to out-think and out-maneuver our opponents so that their arguments would be less affective. At the end of the quarter, we were broken down into debate teams and given topics that we would be arguing in front of the class. This was my time to shine! To make a long story short, by the time my team was finished debating our opponents, we had literally rendered them speechless. They had no rebuttal, nothing to say to sway the judges that our arguments were incorrect. We won in a landslide. It was actually a lot of fun. (Well, for us anyway!)
Even though I enjoyed most aspects of the class, I particularly remember one specific thing we were taught. Arguments should never be made personal. In other words, we were never to attack the person, we were only to rebut their argument. Our professor made sure that we would always respect our opponent, regardless of whether or not we agreed with them. We were to treat them with love, not hate. Personal attacks come from hate.
This brings me to our verse today, “Hatred stirs up quarrels.” Let’s clarify what King Solomon meant, here. Essentially, he is telling us that the hatred in our lives causes us to pick fights with others. While argumentation is the art of expressing contrary ideas, quarrels are fights that are personal in nature. They usually begin with something like, “Well you…” or “They are…” It’s an accusation about the offending party’s character, not just their opinion.
Notice the last half of the verse, “but love makes up for all offenses.” When we love the person, empathy comes into the picture. We seek to understand, not attack. We seek to forgive, not condemn. We seek to respect, not hate.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #hate #Scripture #love #argue #judge
If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? ~ 1 John 4:20 (NLT)
Have you ever heard of the expression, “It’s a love/hate relationship?” If not, the concept is this: You hate the person but can’t help but to love them. I know, it’s a complete contradiction. This is the language and worldview that we’ve created. Yay us!
Those from the southern half of the United States have the ability to take this concept to a whole other level. They can hurl an insult at someone, spewing hatred their direction, and then follow it with this wonderful phrase, “Bless their little heart.” (You have to say it with a southern drawl to understand.) The concept is that they can curse and bless you at the same time. How thoughtful!
The unfortunate reality is that we as Christians are known to be love/haters. We profess to love others, yet seem to spend a great deal of time ripping others apart. Here in the U.S., lines of hatred are drawn depending on our stances on immigration, abortion, sexual identity, liberal, conservative, heritage, and a million other things. When someone from a group which we disagree with fires shots that offend us, we fire right back – responding in-kind, or worse. When they spew hatred, we send it right back at them.
Of course, we can try to rationalize it away by saying that we are simply sharing our opposing points of view. Yet when we look at the language used, when we call others idiots, or morons, or other derogatory terms because they don’t think like we do, it is a personal attack. It is not mere words any more. It certainly isn’t loving.
Here’s the problem. Love and hate cannot coexist. Love is the opposite of hate. God is pure love, there is no hatred in Him. We, as His followers, are called to love as God loves us. This means we cannot hate others. When we do, we move from follower of Jesus to hypocrite. We mar the image of God and push people further away from Him (including ourselves).
So, here’s our challenge. Regardless of someone’s opinion on anything, love them. It is possible to disagree without attacking them. It is possible to disagree and respect them. It is possible to disagree and still show them love: both through word and action.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #Love #Scripture #Hate #Argument #Disagreement
Who's privilege is it to spread the good news about Jesus to the world? And, how do we do it? Join Pastor Chad for his sermon called "Now What?" as we learn about the blessing of sharing Jesus.
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT)
What I’m about to write I’ve said to high school Bible classes for the past several years. So, I’ve said it to the teenagers themselves. And, they have agreed to the sentiment. Here it is: We are raising a generation of quitters. Now, I understand this is a generalization, and not all teens are quitters, but hear me out. When things get tough they quit rather than fight for what is needed. This is very true when it comes to our churches.
Research has shown over and over than our churches are leaching teens and young adults at an alarming rate upon their graduation from high school. (The estimates are between 60-70 percent) There are a host of reasons given for their departure: judgmental atmosphere, poor teaching, legalism, and so on. Ultimately, however, they have decided that the church is not significant to their lives. So, when their parents are no longer forcing them to go to church, they quit. Indeed, there are many churches with no one under 50 in attendance.
Here’s the thing, these are our kids, raised in Christian homes, going to Christian schools. Somewhere along the way, we, the adults, have allowed them to perceive the church as insignificant. May God have mercy on us! In other words, we’ve allowed them to quit.
Rather than feeling included in the functions of the church, our young adults slip into the background. Instead of taking leadership rolls up front or in small groups, they exit quietly out the back door. Instead of serving on the church board, or even serving as deacons, they choose to let someone else do the work of the church.
So, what do we do about it? How can those of us with a little more mileage on our souls help teens sense that being part of a church family is important? Challenge them.
I’m not talking about challenging them to sit up straight, pay attention, and act the part (Unless you’re their parent). I’m talking about mentoring them. Those in leadership roles in the church, invite them to work alongside you. Let them see what working for the church looks like. Let them get experience leading. Coach them. Befriend them. Challenge them not to give up on their church, but be an active part of the church. Show them a reason not to quit.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #teen #Scripture #corinthians #mentor #ya #youth #quit
No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. ~ 1 John 4:12 (NLT)
Becoming a Christian isn’t a one-time event when we get baptized. It’s not a date on a calendar, nor a specific moment when we’ve arrived. Though having milestones in our Christian life is important, (For example, God called me into ministry in 2008) there is no one spot in time when you’ve got God all figured out and know everything there is to know about His Kingdom. Never mind the fact that this is impossible – we can’t fully understand the eternal God – but it’s not the end goal of our faith.
We can know a ton about a person, yet not really know who they are as a person. For example, I authored my first master’s thesis on a general that served in the Civil War named William Averill. I know tons of stuff about him, his rank, his family history, the battles he fought, the units he commanded, the successes and failures he had, and a ton of other facts. But, do I actually know William? No. He died long before I was ever born. I never got to meet him. I never got to experience him.
This is the essence of our Christian faith. We aren’t called to just know all of the facts about Jesus. We need to experience Him. Unlike William, who has been dead for over a century, our God’s not dead. He is alive! So, how do we experience God? The disciple John gives us some great wisdom.
As our verse today states, “But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.” In other words, we experience God by using the love He gives us to love others. The last part of the verse is the key. When we love others, God’s love becomes even greater in our own life. We experience Him more powerfully when we love our friends, our family, our neighbors, and even our enemies.
So, today, and every day, pray that God’s love will flow through you and into everyone you meet. Pray that you will experience Him in powerful ways as you share His love with others. Pray that through these experiences, your faith will grow stronger. Pray that we, the family of God, will learn to love like Jesus loves us.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #John #Scripture #experience #relationship #history
Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. ~ Romans 12:17 (NLT)
Reciprocity. It’s a fancy word for the well-known phrase, “What goes around comes around.” It means payback – whether it is a good thing or something much more nefarious (another fancy word which means evil intentions). The concept is that if someone does something wrong, or evil, towards you, that you should be permitted to respond in-kind. For example, if someone is spreading rumors about you, then reciprocity dictates that you should spread rumors about them. If someone steals something from you, per reciprocity, you should be able to take from them. Here’s the problem, where does it end?
You see, reciprocity has two sides to it. Therefore, it can just turn into a vicious cycle. Person A spread rumors, therefore Person B spreads rumors about Person A. Person A finds out, so starts spreading even more juicy rumors about Person B. Person B finds out, and takes his rumor-spreading to a whole new level. And on and on it goes. Nobody wins. No good comes out of it. Instead, damage is consistently done to both Person A and Person B until a hatred develops. Once the hatred sets in, the reciprocity only gets worse, because it becomes a game of doing worse and worse things to one another. The hatred grows and grows until it consumes both parties, their friends, and their families. Love is replaced with hate.
The Apostle Paul gives us some great wisdom when it comes to reciprocity – don’t do it. As he states in our verse today, “Never pay back evil with more evil.” In other words, do not respond in-kind when someone does something evil to you. Why? Because it will destroy our character. When we participate in reciprocity, we become more like the enemy, less like Jesus.
Notice how Jesus was the perfect example of how to conduct ourselves. He never had a harsh word for the guards and soldiers who murdered Him. He didn’t curse Judas, (who betrayed Him) or Pilate. He didn’t call down holy fire from Heaven to destroy those who lied about Him and spat in His face. He was honorable – paying back evil with love.
We are called to live honorable lives, as Jesus demonstrated. Payback evil with love. End the cycle of reciprocity. Rise above it.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #reciprocity #Scripture #payback #evil #love
So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. ~ 2 Thessalonians 1:11 (NLT)
How often do you pray for others? Is it when people ask for prayer? Maybe it’s during a prayer meeting when others bring forward names. Perhaps you pray for others when an email comes out to pray for someone in particular. But, seriously, take stock. How often do you pray for others?
In the busyness of life, I can say that sometimes it’s hard to keep track of who I should be praying for. As a pastor, I get a lot of prayer requests (I’m not complaining, it is a blessing). Unfortunately, I’m not the most organized guy out there, so keeping all of the prayer requests straight is sometimes a challenge. But, by God’s mercy, I try to give it my best.
Here’s a struggle, however, that I’ve noticed – both in my life and in others. We pray for the person once, and then not again unless they seem to need more prayer. For example, Jimmy is heading in for surgery on his hip. His name comes up in a prayer meeting, or some other formal setting, so we pray for Jimmy. But, do we continue to pray for Jimmy when we’re not together? Do we continue to pray for his recovery and life after surgery? Is it an ongoing prayer, or is it kind of a one-and-done?
The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Christians living in Thessalonica, states that we should “Keep on praying for you [others].” In other words, we should be praying constantly for others. I believe the principle here is that we need to pray for others whether we are in a meeting or not.
So, how do we do this? Well, begin with your church family. Grab a church/school directory and make it your prayer list. (Yes, you can put others on the list that aren’t church members. In fact, you should keep praying for the neighbors that aren’t on the church roster.) Divide it into sections where you pray for a certain number each day. If you know an issue they are dealing with, name it. If not, just ask God to bless them. When you reach the end, repeat.
No matter your method, just keep on praying.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #prayer #Scripture #Thessalonians
But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’ ~ Matthew 7:23 (NLT)
Fathers are called to be protectors of our families. It’s not necessarily something that anyone has told us along the way. Instead, I believe that God has instilled that desire, or instinct, into us. We want to make sure our family is taken care of.
So, imagine a father, in the middle of the night one evening, hears a knock at the door. He goes to answer it, and there is a stranger standing there. “Can I help you?” the father asks. “Yes, I’d like to come in” comes the stranger’s reply. How would you answer the stranger? If you’re like me, you would answer a very stern, “No!” But, imagine that the stranger persists on coming in. The father responds, “Who are you?” The stranger describes all of the good things they’ve done in life: feeding the homeless, they are a deacon at their local church, they tithe 12 percent, they give money to those in need, and so on. How do you think the father would respond? Again, I would say, “Yeah, you’re not coming in. I don’t have any idea who you are.” I’d then ask him to leave my property, close and lock the door. I’d probably also watch him leave, just to make sure.
It’s this same type of scenario which Jesus is talking about in our verse today. Many will come to Jesus asking for entrance into His kingdom. They will have a checklist of all the good things they’ve done in life. (Of course, they’d conveniently leave the bad stuff out, because that’s not important.) And, on the surface, they, perhaps, have done many good things to help others in this world. But, here’s the problem: Entrance into the Kingdom of God is not a result of checking things off of a list. Entrance is based on whether or not the King knows you, and you know Him. It’s not based on what you do, but who you know.
Now, replay the scenario of the person at the front door, except this time it is your best friend knocking in the middle of the night. It makes sense, right? Of course you’d let your best friend in and offer them whatever help they may need at that moment.
Today, and every day, work on knowing Jesus – not just knowing about Him, but knowing Him personally. Make Him your best friend. How is that done? You must spend time with Him.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #Matthew #Scripture #relationship #Friend
A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit. ~ Proverbs 15:13 (NLT)
“You’re a hypocrite!” The words appeared on my phone as the text message alert pinged. They were followed by “You don’t love me” and “you are fake.” The insults kept coming over the course of an hour. My message alert was pinging what seemed to be every five seconds. The young person on the other end was letting me know just what they thought of me as their friend and pastor. In their eyes, I was a loser, a failure. I’m not going to lie, the words stung. I had only been in youth ministry for about a year and was still sorting out God’s calling on my life. Of course, Satan did everything he could do to rub it in. He began reminding me of exactly what he thought of me too. Oddly enough, his words echoed the words that were appearing on my phone’s screen.
Over time, the Lord has allowed me to see this exchange of views through His eyes (and countless others just like it). I’d like to share the wisdom He has given me over the years. Here it is: Don’t look at the words; look at the person. Yes, it’s easier said than done. It takes practice and patience. But it is worth it.
As our verse today tells us, when we look at the person, we can see what is going on inside them. Yes, you can even see past their fake smile and the persona they are pretending to be. As you look at the person, pray that God will show you what is causing them to lash out. It will reveal much more than you can imagine.
When someone is lashing out at you, it has less to do with you, and much, much more to do with what is happening inside of them. When they are struggling in life, people lash out at those who appear to have it together. When they are wrestling with the Holy Spirit, they lash out at those who have faith. When they don’t like themselves, they don’t like you. In short, they lash out because they feel miserable inside, and Satan stokes their anger towards those who may actually be capable of helping them. The words they hurl are not their own.
When someone lashes out, pray that the turmoil in their life will cease. When they call you names, pray that God will give them the blessing of peace. When they point out your faults, pray that God will strengthen them. When they lash out, respond with prayers of goodness.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #love #Scripture #Proverbs #anger
Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. ~ Proverbs 3:6 (NLT)
There are tens of thousands of children’s stories shared at churches around the world each weekend. I’ve attended church all of my life, so I’ve heard a lot of them (at least when I was paying attention). Perhaps you have heard a lot of them too. If so, maybe you can answer this question: What is a recurring theme that pops up in most children’s stories? I’ll give you a hint: If you’re a parent, you’ll get this question quickly. (If not, shame on you!) One of the major themes I’ve certainly heard over and over is “children, obey your parents.” Yes, the stories are creative, silly, and sometimes a little too long. But, this theme, in my experience, has dominated children’s stories for decades.
Now, I’m not saying it’s a bad thing that we are constantly reminding our children to listen to us (often times while they’re making faces at people in the congregation, wandering around the stage, or crawling under the piano). What I’m saying is that most of us have heard that we need to listen and obey our parents. So, let me pose this question: Why?
Over the course of multiple decades of life, parents have picked up a bit of wisdom – they’ve done, or seen, people do dumb things and have learned from them. They don’t want you to suffer the same consequences from doing things that make life more difficult.
So it is with our Heavenly parent. No, God hasn’t done dumb things and learned from them. (He’s perfect, after all) But, He has wisdom that is far, far, far superior to any human being’s. He can see past, present, and future. He can see every square millimeter of the universe at once. He sees and knows everything. And, He is trying to guide each of us in our lives to give us the best existence possible, eventually leading us to our eternal home.
So, how do we find our individual path, our way in this life? By dumping our own wants and desires and aligning them with God’s. We’ve got to stop trying to make our own way and follow His. When we surrender our lives, the directions they take, the decisions we make, and seek God in all aspects of our existence, then we can see where He is leading. And, there is peace in this, because we trust that where He is leading is perfect for us.
So, today, and every day, listen to your Heavenly parent.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #parenting #Scripture #Proverbs #Surrender #Path #HolySpirit
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. ~ Proverbs 3:5 (NLT)
“Follow your heart. Trust your instincts. Let your feelings lead you.” These are all expressions that have been stated, and restated, millions of times across the globe. The idea is that our emotions, our feelings somehow have great wisdom to impart upon us. You couldn’t possibly feel emotionally attached to someone without falling in love with them, right? Your first impression of people is always spot-on, correct? Following my feelings has never led me to get my heart broken. Yeah, right. I think we can all agree that we’ve made decisions based on our emotions, or feelings, and things turned out poorly. (If you can’t just give it time.)
How can thousands of movies, TV shows, books, magazines, and blogs be wrong? I mean, the people behind this information surely know what they’re talking about, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to sell their product to us, right? If we just do what our emotions dictate, according to popular culture, life will be good, everything turns out right, and every one of our dreams will be fulfilled. Except, there’s one, small problem here. It doesn’t work that way.
God gave us brains to think and reason. We aren’t mindless zombies just trying to fulfill our basic wants. We are given the ability to think things through, analyze the data, and make informed decisions. Unfortunately, we’re pretty good about shutting that part of our lives off.
So, God does something only He can do. He gives us the Holy Spirit who will lead us. And, the best part is that He’s always, always, correct. We just have to listen to Him.
“But, I can’t hear Him,” some will say. To that I have two answers: 1) Have you put your faith in God? If not, then of course you won’t be listening for Him. 2) You hear Him just fine. You just don’t like the way He is leading, or the answer His is giving. It’s that small voice in your head that is saying something isn’t right.
King Solomon (we’ve talked about Him before) had great wisdom. But, notice, even he states that His wisdom, His emotions, his heart, lead him into trouble. Instead, in his wisdom, he states that we must trust God with everything.
Your challenge today: Let Him lead.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #leading #Scripture #emotions #feelings #heart #instincts #trust
As soon as I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me strength. ~ Psalm 138:3 (NLT)
Talking to someone who is invisible. That’s a bit of a trick. In our everyday lives, whether we realize it or not, we take non-verbal visual cues from people as we talk with them. We notice their eye contact. We notice their posture. (Are their arms folded, or relaxed?) We notice if they are engaged in the conversation, or distracted by everything else around them. In short, communication in our day-to-day lives is much more than just words spoken from a mouth or heard with ears.
I believe this is sometimes why it can be frustrating when we are praying to God. We don’t get those visual cues from Him. Is He making eye contact and engaged? Or, is He busy trying to direct the affairs of the universe? Is He relaxed in the conversation, or is He taking a defensive posture? In fact, often times it feels like we’re talking to ourselves. (Of course, if you’re like me, you sometimes do this whether you are praying or not!)
Because of this, verses like the one we are learning today can seem foreign. How can the psalmist claim that, “As soon as I pray, you answer me?” Often times I pray and don’t feel like I got an answer. Sometimes I pray for the same thing for days and don’t get a direct answer. Maybe you can relate?
But, here’s what I want us to consider today. Perhaps God’s way of answering is different than our human way. This makes sense considering He’s God and all. So, if He doesn’t answer as we expect, how does He answer? He is a God of action.
As soon as we begin praying, things start happening. But, here’s the trick – things happen according to His timeline, not ours. So, while we may pray for direction in life, He does begin laying the plans for our lives, but will lead us one step at-a-time. Or, when we pray for healing, sometimes it isn’t immediate. Sometimes, it won’t even happen in this life. But, He has made plans for eternal healing that lasts forever and is not temporary.
In short, when we pray, we must pray in faith that God will answer. But, we must be prepared to submit to His answer, His timeline, His way of doing things. When we do, we will, as the psalmist says, receive encouragement and strength.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #prayer #Scripture #answers #direction
For I hold you by your right hand—I, the LORD your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.’ ~ Isaiah 41:13 (NLT)
There is something secure about holding hands. When we were little kids, holding the hand of a parent wasn’t gross or weird. It’s what we did. You held their hand because it felt nice, but it also felt safe. There is comfort in hand-holding. It’s as if we are making the statement, “I know you’ll help keep me safe.”
Indeed, in my household, we had a rule that anytime we exited the vehicle and proceeded through a parking lot or on a sidewalk, the kids were required to hold either my hand or Michelle’s. It really didn’t take much encouragement. It just kind of naturally happened. We reassured our kids that we would help guide them through the maze of cars – some moving, some drivers not paying attention – and the onslaught of shopping carts propelled by people on their cell phones. Because we had more experience with navigating through these areas (and we were tall enough to see more of what was going on), we were prepared to handle our job.
When it comes to the maze of life, it’s no different with God. He is eternal, so He’s been around a little longer than we have. He is large enough so see around the entire globe. He can see the past, present, and future. He can see the joys that we will experience, and guide us there. He can also see the sorrow we will have to go through, and He grips our hand even tighter. But, regardless of where we are headed, He doesn’t let go. He is there for us. He is there with us.
As our verse today states, “For I hold you by your right hand—I, the LORD your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.’” That same victorious right hand is the same victorious, scarred right hand of Jesus that holds us today. It’s as if God is saying to us, “Your Father is here. I’ve got you, and I’ll never let you go. I’m in this with you.”
No matter what issues we may face family, know that God is right there with you. He is holding your hand. He will guide you through. And, if you let Him, He will lead you right into an eternity with no more sorrow or pain, but only joy and peace.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #help #Scripture #hand #fear #peace
Truthful words stand the test of time, but lies are soon exposed. ~ Proverbs 12:19 (NLT)
No one has to teach a child how to lie. It’s part of our sinful DNA, we are born with it. We all have the ability to bend the truth, add some details to a story that didn’t actually happen, or to flat out make stuff up. It’s there, lurking inside of us.
Of course, I’ve told my fair share of lies over the course of my life. There was the time I told my mom I drank the glass of milk, even though she had spotted the evidence of a milk-like liquid in the kitchen sink. Busted! Or the time that I called in sick to my job in college because my friends wanted to go catch a movie. Then, there’s also the time that I told all of my neighborhood friends that I had a superpower and could read their minds. (OK, I was like 10. Stop laughing!) We are pretty good at coming up with stuff.
But, what do we do when the lies are about us? What do we do when someone begins to spread false information about our actions, our character, our motives to others? Treat it like a burning house. Let me explain.
If a house is on fire and you call 911, the fire department will dispatch a unit of firefighters with a truck made for firefighting. When they arrive, they assess the situation and begin to setup their hoses and get connected to a good source of water. When the chief/captain gives the command, the firefighters begin spraying the structure down with water because it will douse the flames. It seems pretty simple, right. If you put enough water on it, the fire goes out.
So, what would happen if the firefighters brought a flamethrower to put the fire out? It’s not gonna work. Instead, whatever was salvageable in the house would now be toast. When it comes to a house fire, fighting fire with fire doesn’t work.
It’s the same with lies. When someone lies about us, we can, in turn, spread lies about them. However, it only adds fuel to the fire. Instead, we need to fight lies with truth. As King Solomon put it, “Truthful words stand the test of time, but lies are soon exposed.” In other words, the truth will overcome the lies. The liar is found out, and the trust they had with others is eroded. By telling the truth, we make sure the trust they have in us is not.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #salvation #Scripture #fire #flamethrower #truth #lies
A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays calm when insulted. ~ Proverbs 12:16 (NLT)
My dad was a respiratory therapist for the bulk of his career. Essentially, he helped people to breathe better. Usually, his patients were those who had lung cancer, advanced age, or lung issues brought upon by years and years of smoking cigarettes. It was the latter that he met one day in the hospital. We’ll call the patient Larry. Larry had been harassing the nurses, doctors, orderlies, and basically anyone who walked into his room. He would curse at them, call them names, belittle them. Many staff recoiled at the thought of entering Larry’s room because they knew that they would be subject to some vile verbal abuse. Then came my dad’s turn to serve Larry, who had been a life-long smoker and was dying from emphysema. (His lungs were scarred from smoking to a point that they could no longer pass oxygen effectively to the rest of the body.) Larry saw my balding, slightly overweight father walk through his doorway and let fly with every insult he could think of. My dad had a couple of choices. He could yell back at Larry and call him nasty things, too. He could ignore Larry and not say a word. But, my dad chose option number three – humility. He responded with something like, “How did you know my nicknames? Did the nurses tell you?” Larry’s response, “Ooooh. I’m gonna like you.”
As you’ve probably experienced, it can be very difficult not to fire back at someone when they are insulting you. Our blood pressure rises. The veins in our neck and forehead begin to bulge. Suddenly, insults we can use in reply come to mind, and they begin to work their way down to our mouths. We want to fight back. But, here’s the trick. There is no good that can come from trading insults. We must rise above the insults.
There is a saying that goes something like this, “Hurt people hurt people.” In other words, we need to pause and look at the reasons why someone is lashing out at us. When we do, we will see the pain they are experiencing. My dad saw a dying man who was bitter at the world for the fact that his life was going to end earlier than he wanted. As a result, he was taking out his anger on the very people who were trying to give him a few more years of life.
When you are insulted in life, pause, take a breath. Stay calm. Rise above. Pray that God will show you the hurt that is causing them to hurt others. Respond with humility and love.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #calm #Scripture #hurt #humility #humble
Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them. ~ Proverbs 4:5 (NLT)
There was a pop song from the early 2000s that climbed the charts all the way up to the number one position. It was a song by a young woman who had risen to stardom very rapidly. Her name was Britney Spears, and the song was called “Oops, I Did It Again!” If you’ve ever heard it, it is one of those earworms (a song that can get stuck in your head). Musically it isn’t great. Vocally it doesn’t really have any complexity to it. So, why did this song find such success? Because the lyrics, the concept of the song resonated with a lot of people.
The song is about a girl who keeps giving her heart, her love, her affections to a particular boy. But, then she just ends up playing games with his emotions. She realizes she’s not treating him well, and that it’s not right to do so. But, she just can’t seem to shake the impulse to toy with his love life. So, the “oops” is a statement about her inability to learn from her mistakes.
The unfortunate reality is that this sort of thing happens every day in our own lives. No, we might not toy with other people’s emotional well-being (If you are, you need to stop). But, all of us have made the same mistakes over and over again. We keep going back to the same thing over and over thinking it will somehow turn out differently. It doesn’t.
King Solomon imparts some wisdom on this topic when he writes, “Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them.” Let me put this in a different way, “Wise up! Don’t keep making the same mistakes. Learn from them.” Much like the young man in Britney’s song that keeps going back to a girl who is just playing him, we need to learn that what Satan tempts us with is no good. It will never be good, no matter how bad we wish it was. His intentions are evil, not born out of love (and they never will be).
This is why God’s instructions are so powerful. They aren’t temptations, they are hard fast, wisdom-giving rules that will help us avoid mistakes that will hurt our character, hurt others, and ultimately hurt our relationship with our Creator. They aren’t born out of evil like temptations. They are born out of eternal love. There are no “oops” when it comes to God’s instructions. He’s not into playing games. He’s into saving people from themselves.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #Love #Scripture #Trust #Wisdom #Judgement #Good
Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others. ~ Proverbs 12:15 (NLT)
There is something magical that happens between the years of two and three, and again between 13 and 19. In fact, sometimes the magicalness (yes, I made up that word) continues on all the way into adulthood. Here’s what happens. We get a little older and we pass some serious milestones in life that make us thin that we’ve somehow gained all of the wisdom of the universe, and it resides in our brain. For a two and three-year-old, they can now walk, run, and talk in complete sentences. For a teen, they’ve hit the right of passage called puberty. They are old enough to make babies now, so they must have all of the wisdom necessary to live life to its fullest. Of course, those of us beyond the teen years aren’t exempt from this. We believe that because we have a college degree, or decades of life experience, that we’ve got every aspect of life figured out and don’t need anyone else chiming in on our decisions. I know these are true because I’ve lived them (or am currently living it). I’ve also observed this behavior in billions of people in person, online, on television, in print, or any other place we can see human behavior at its finest.
Here’s the issue. We can never have all of the wisdom in the universe in our own body. Why? Because wisdom is gained through life experiences. We gain it by interacting with others. Through those experiences we learn what works and what doesn’t. We learn through advice given by others who’ve walked the path we are currently on or considering taking a stroll down.
King Solomon, who many consider the wisest man to ever live, had this to say about how to live life: “Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.” Here’s a modern paraphrase, “If you think you’ve got everything figured out and can live life on your own terms, you’re wrong. Listen to those who have been where you are going.” Even the wisest still seek more wisdom.
No matter where you may be in life today, surround yourself with others who can give you good advice. Find people you can trust to impart loving wisdom that will help you, not just feed your ego. And, of course, always seek counsel from the wisest being in the universe, God. His advice, His instructions, will never lead you wrong.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #Truth #Scripture #Proverbs #Wisdom #Solomon
Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions. ~ Psalm 119:18 (NLT)
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where someone wiser than you, someone you can trust, gave you some advice that you chose to ignore? Then, as a result you ended up getting hurt, lost, stabbed, or basically embarrassed? Yeah, it happens.
Nathan was around three years old. He was in that “testing” phase – as in he needed to test everything that his mom and I asked him to do. He had quite the amazing collection of toys. One such toy was a cash register. It had working buttons that beeped, a bell that rang when the cash drawer opened up, and it even had cash! OK, it was fake cash, play money. Nathan really liked the plastic coins, especially the great big 50-cent coin. The problem was, he wouldn’t just roll them around on the floor, or use them in the register. Instead, he would often plunk that 50-cent coin into his mouth. When I would catch him doing it, I’d tell him that he wasn’t allowed to put those things in his mouth because if they moved too far back into his throat, he would choke. Of course, he’d listen and do as he was told – for about two minutes.
One day, I saw him take the 50-cent coin and put it in his mouth, and before the words could even come out of my mouth, his eyes got really big. He looked at me with panic. “Is the coin in your throat?!” I blurted out. He nodded as he started to sob. The panic was starting to overtake us both. “OK, let’s get in the car and head to the emergency room!” We only lived about one mile from the hospital. Just the words “emergency room” caused Nathan to panic even more. But, in his panic, his throat opened up wide enough that he swallowed that coin. It was never heard from again. I can laugh about this now.
The unfortunate reality is that we treat God’s instructions in the same way. We want to do what we want to do. How could God possibly know better than us? We know what makes us happy, or is supposed to make us happy. He’s just a dusty, old man who wouldn’t understand. Except, He isn’t dusty; He’s perfect. That means His judgment is perfect. His wisdom is perfect. His instructions to us are perfect. His love for us is perfect. And, His instructions are love.
Today, and every day, may this be our prayer: “Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions.”
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #Psalm #Scripture #Truth #Obedience
The older I get, the more I tend to appreciate things. I know, there are a lot of old folks that tell us to slow down and appreciate things; but they may be on to something.
One of the major things I've come to appreciate is Friday. I know, how original! There are a multitude of sayings that go along with the close of the work week. "TGIF" (Thank God It's Friday) is probably the most widely used phrase I see on Facebook and Twitter as each week winds down. And really, who wouldn't love Friday? For most, it means two days off from work. Time to spend with family. Time to attend a worship service with a church family. Time to get things done around the house that get put off when the busyness of the week gets to be too much. In short, our Fridays are the lead-in to our rest; our break; our salvation from the stresses of life.
About 2,000 years ago, I believe TGIF gained a whole, new meaning. You see, it was the lead up to something spectacular. On this one Friday, we received the right to rest from our labors; we caught a break from the slavery of the things that weigh us down; and our permanent salvation was won for us.
In fact, the One that provided all of these rights for us uttered a phrase much like we might declare at the end of the workweek,
"It is finished..."
Check out the rest of the story at https://chadreisig.org/?p=267
#God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #GoodFriday #Scripture #Easter #Cross #Crucifixion #Salvation #Forgiveness
Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time! ~ Proverbs 15:23 (NLT)
Throughout the years, I’ve had my hearing checked a bunch. Some of it was required for routine physical exams as I progressed through my childhood, other times were just to check on my ear health. My step-dad was in the hearing aid business for a long time, so I’ve also had my aging ears checked in my middle-agedness. I kind of like it. It’s a challenge to listen for the various tones.
Of course, there were times where I let my mind wander during the hearing test, and I’d totally miss hearing some of the test tones. I’d be daydreaming, or thinking about the sports game I watched on TV the other night, or even wondering what my friends were up to. Either way, if I wasn’t paying attention, actually listening for it, I missed out on what it was that I was supposed to be listening for.
In this day and age, listening is becoming extinct. I’m not talking about just hearing. I’m talking about actually concentrating on what is being said by another human being. Listening is engaging with what they are saying. Hearing is simply realizing that there are sounds coming out of their mouths. We do a lot more hearing than listening these days.
I believe part of the reason is that we are bombarded by sound. There’s the ambient noises of life (sirens, cars driving by, birds chirping), then there’s the music pouring out of our headphones, the droning of the speakers from our televisions or computers, or a million other sounds. We’re used to hearing. Listening, not so much.
Listening requires concentration. It requires our attention. It requires us to show respect to the person speaking to us. It requires us to get out of our own head and selflessly pay attention to someone else.
As our verse today states, “Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!” But, to do this, we must listen, really listen to one another.
So, today, and every day, spend time in conversation. Actively engage in listening to each other. Give thoughtful, fitting replies. Stop just hearing, and begin to really listen.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #Proverbs #Scripture #Hearing #Listening
I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the LORD. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God. ~ Psalm 84:2 (NLT)
I don’t know about you, but I really look forward to vacation time. It’s a time to relax, unwind, have fun, and just slow down the hectic pace of life for a bit. But, there are others in my family who look forward to vacation even more – my kids. Months before our planned departure, they begin to needle Michelle and me with detailed questions about what the trip will be like. They ask questions like, “What’s the water temperature of the pool at the hotel?” or “What kind of snacks will they serve on the plane ride?” They leave no detail to spare. Though I pour over websites searching for the answers, they can’t possibly come up with an FAQ of every question a kid might ask. Of course, the answer to most of these questions is “I have no idea. You’ll just have to wait to find out.” This doesn’t sit well with them, nor does it stop them from asking other follow-up questions. My wife and I have contemplated whether we want to even tell them in advance of our vacation plans or just spring it on them the night before so we only have 24 hours of unanswerable questions rather than a few months’ worth.
I get it. Kids get excited about things that have the potential to be fun, or unique. With kids, their excitement gushes out of them; while most adults try to hold in their enthusiasm a bit. When it comes to our final destination, I believe the kids have it right.
As our Psalmist puts it in today’s verse, “I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the LORD.” Let me put this in more modern paraphrase: “I get so excited about Heaven that I hyperventilate.” (That’s when you start breathing so fast you feel like you’re going to pass out.)
Please forgive this following question, but when did we lose our passion and excitement for Heaven? Why does the wonder and marvel of eternity not burst forth in our words and actions? Shouldn’t we be uber-excited to go to the most incredible destination in the universe?
We need to recapture that childlike excitement for our final destination. We need to dream about what it will be like. We need to study the Scriptures to learn as many details as we can about what to expect. We need to tell others about our pending departure and invite them along – the King has paid the admission price for all who want to go.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #travel #Scripture #Heaven #Lord #Psalm
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. ~ Ephesians 1:3 (NLT)
Unity has become a buzzword in the Seventh-day Adventist church. It has been used countless times, by all sides of the current issues the worldwide church faces. Frankly, I am beginning to tune out whenever someone mentions the word – which is unfair, because the word unity didn’t do anything to deserve the bad reputation that it is getting. In fact, I was at a meeting not to long ago when this fabulous sentiment was stated from the stage, “When did we weaponize the word unity?” (paraphrase)
Indeed, the unfortunate reality is that it seems it has been easy for the church to fragment. There are people unified in that we need to teach only the law! There are others unified that we need to forget about the law and only teach grace. There are those that are unified in their belief that vegans will rule the world, and the meat eaters are unified in their belief that they won’t. There are those that are unified in their belief that women cannot attain the highest level of ministerial credential, ordination. Of course, there are those that are unified in their belief that they should. In short, we have pockets, or cliques, in our global and local churches that are unified against others who hold contrary beliefs or opinions.
Here's the trick. When did unity become about our ideas? Unity isn’t about our opinions, intellect, or gut feeling. As our verse today states very clearly, in fact, unity has nothing to do with us. It has everything to do with Jesus Christ. When we spend resources on anything other than the cause of Christ, we are not unified. We are behaving like Jr. high students forming cliques of like-minded people who make us feel good in our opinions.
So, let me introduce a better word than unity for us to consider – reconciled. Reconciled means that we admit we’ve gone the wrong directions, and we make every effort to return to where we should have been all along. Because where we need to be is in-sync with Christ, then let us be reconciled to Him. Only then will we have true unity. Only then will His church be blessed beyond measure. Only then will we complete our work – spreading the Gospel message – so that we may literally be united again with Jesus in Heaven.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #Unity #Scripture #church #reconcile
Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart. ~ Mark 3:25 (NLT)
"A house divided against itself cannot stand." A young, up and coming politician uttered these words in 1858 as he ran for Senator of the great state of Illinois. It was a radical concept, as the USA was beginning to fracture along political, social, cultural, and economic lines. There were those entrenched in their beliefs on the left, and those digging in for their beliefs on the right. Neither side was willing to fully compromise, or shut up, in order to maintain any sense of peace. These words, spoken by Abraham Lincoln, fell upon deaf ears.
The arguments from both sides became increasingly fierce. What started as a somewhat civil conversation became a ferocious debate throughout the United States. In fact, the arguments got so provocative that often times fist fights broke out, and in one particular instance, one congressman beat another one with his cane during a session of congress.
As a result, the house did become divided. Only a couple of short years later, the first shots of the American Civil War were fired. Blood was shed. There was no turning back.
Within our churches, Satan can, and does, work hard to create a divided house. Everyone staff, students, volunteers, community members, all come with their own worldview, upbringing, and lens through which they view things. While this diversity of viewpoints can be very advantageous, because we can learn from one another, they can also be used by the enemy to stir up dissent, malice, and just plain callousness. Because someone believes differently, or sees things differently, does not make them evil. Yet, Satan often times can cause us to think, say, and do things that make others feel otherwise. Pointing fingers is a ploy of Satan, not God.
We must take the teachings of Jesus to heart (not just today’s, but all of it). As He states in our verse today, “a family splintered by feuding will fall apart.”
It is clear that our calling is to love, show grace, mercy, compassion, forgiveness, and to marinate on the good news of Jesus. May we today, and every day, focus on doing these things well and leave the petty arguments out of our church family. We must stand firm in our calling and not be distracted from the work we have been entrusted with.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #division #Scripture #unity #church #Lincoln #Mark
Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. ~ Psalm 37:3 (NLT)
I’ve had many jobs in my lifetime (pastor being by far the best). Most of those jobs had managerial supervision of employees who delivered customer service. These are the front-line employees that answered the telephone on behalf of the department, or responded to customer inquiries via email or chat. Some served behind counters providing in-person service.
Because I supervised these types of positions, the organizations I worked for would semi-regularly send me to training seminars on how to deliver exceptional customer service. The expectation was that I would return and train my employees on the best ways to serve our customers. I am going to save you a lot of money and time and tell you in one sentence what all those seminars taught (in their own, unique ways). Here it is: Treat your customers well. That’s it. Earth-shattering? No. Simple, yes. You can thank me later.
Of course, this seems like common sense. Why wouldn’t you treat your customers well? If you want to keep them as your customer, you want them to enjoy their experience with your organization. You want them to stop in regularly because they like what you have to offer. You, and your employees represent the organization by what you say and what you do. So, do it well, and treat others well.
When it comes to us in the church (which is the family of God), our verse today tells us to do two specific things: 1) Trust God; 2) Do good. While the first seems pretty straight-forward, the second one might not be. Now, don’t get me wrong, I believe that most of us intend to do good, and all agree we should. But, how often do we actually do good?
Doing good requires action on our part, self-sacrificing action specifically. To do good on as part of the church means to: help the poor, feed the hungry, care for the sick, provide a home for the homeless, share the gospel with our neighbors, and so much more. It takes from our time, talents, and treasures. This is how we treat others well on behalf of our ultimate organization, the Kingdom of God.
So, my fellow Christians, today, and every day, do good. Treat others well.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #Good #Scripture #Customer #trust
Day by day the LORD takes care of the innocent, and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever. ~ Psalm 37:18 (NLT)
Every now and again, the news media pickup a story that sounds too crazy to be true – yet it is. One such story (which is not unique) is about a man who was married, had a good job, a nice house, was a deacon at his local church, and basically had what we would call a “blessed life.” This was the case for nearly two decades until the man died suddenly of a heart attack. It was only then that the truth came out. The man didn’t just have one family, he had two. He was also married to another woman, in a different town, who also had children with him. They had a nice home and he was a deacon at that local church as well. In other words, this guy had two separate lives, two separate families, that he had been keeping secret from each other for more than 20 years. Of course, chaos ensued. There was no last will & testament (It’s a document that tells the courts how to distribute your wealth after you die) about who was supposed to get what. I guess the guy just figured they’d duke it out over his fortune!
The unfortunate reality is that there are many people who put on a Christian façade (they look Christian), but they are leading a whole other separate life in secret – or they think it’s secret. Though humans may not see it, our God does; and, all will be made known.
Now, let me be clear. I’m not writing about making dumb choices that cause us to sin. I’m talking about leading a lifestyle that we know is contrary to what God calls us to do, yet we decide to lead it anyway. We lead a double life. In this way, we try to keep one foot in the Kingdom of God while simultaneously standing in the kingdom of Satan.
As our verse today states, “Day by day the LORD takes care of the innocent and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.” If that’s true, then the opposite is also true – the guilty are on their own. They have chosen a path, even in secret, that is not of the Kingdom of God. They have chosen to follow their own desires and have been cut off from God’s blessings. But, there is grace for those that turn back.
Maybe you’ve been leading a double life. If you can relate, please turn back before it’s too late. Let the blessings of God come back into your life. Experience freedom from the secrets. Experience the love of the Savior.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #life #Scripture #faith #truth #obedience
This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. ~ 1 John 1:5 (NLT)
It was my junior year in high school, and I was attending the final student association party of the year. It was being held in the backyard at one of the student’s homes. The theme was a Hawaiian luau. Everyone was dressed up in their finest Hawaiian shirts and dresses. Flower leas were worn, and tiki torches lit up the night. It was actually a lot of fun, until one of my teammates from football, Jose, walked over and engaged me in conversation. He was a senior, and we never really hung out, but there he was talking with me about life, sports, and a bunch of other small talk. He seemed genuinely interested and even laughed at some of my stories. After a few minutes of this, I was suddenly lifted up from the ground by four other senior guys. No, this wasn’t a moment of victory to be celebrated. They carried me over to the pool, which was right next to where everyone was enjoying the luau, and threw me in.
Jose had set me up. His smile, and his interest in me, even his laughter, was all fake. He was making sure I wasn’t looking while his buddies were sneaking up on me so that they could embarrass me in front of the entire school. It worked.
Perhaps you have your own story of someone appearing to be one thing, but turning out to be something else entirely. It’s not fun. Because of episodes like this in life, it’s no wonder most of us have trust issues.
Unfortunately, this lack of trust often times can erode our ability to fully trust God. Is He portraying Himself as this loving God who is interested in me, or is He really just setting me up for failure? Or, is He only nice to me when I do exactly what He orders, and then He will smite me when I screw up? Maybe you’ve never struggled with this. But, odds are you have.
As our verse today, points out, “God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.” In other words, God is not capable of doing evil things. He doesn’t plot our downfall. He doesn’t seek to embarrass us. He doesn’t seek to condemn us when we sin. He’s not setting us up for failure. It’s not who He is. Instead, He is pure. He is Holy. He only has good, perfect intentions towards us. He has no agenda other than our salvation.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #trap #Scripture #light #prank #trust
The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. ~ Lamentations 3:22 (NLT)
Have you ever met someone who showed conditional love? If you’re not sure what I mean by that, let me rephrase it. Have you ever met someone who only loved you so long as they got what they wanted? It’s very elementary school. “I’ll love you forever if you give me your grape Caprisun!” (This is an actual thing I heard when I was in elementary school.) The person offering their undying love conditioned it based on whether or not they were permitted to swipe someone else’s Caprisun drink for lunch. If the offer were genuine, I’d say it’s not such a bad deal. A person will show me love forever in exchange for an 89-cent drink. I’ll be shown compassion, grace, mercy, joy, blessing, and a million other wonderful things. OK! Sign me up! I’m down for that!
However, the reality is that love which is conditional isn’t actually love at all. That kid who offered their undying love for the sweet nectar of your Caprisun also made the same offer to every other kid in the lunch room. Twenty-four hours later, the promise was forgotten and they resume their lunchroom treachery anew. Apparently, the word “forever” in kid-speak means something like “until I need something else from you.”
Unfortunately, this sort understanding of love that we learned in elementary school can often times carry over into our high school, college, and adulting years. Even worse, sometimes this concept gets misapplied to the love of God. Yet, the truth is quite different!
As our verse today states, “The faithful love of the LORD never ends.” Notice, it doesn’t add “as long as we are good,” or “as long as He feels like it,” or even “as long as He gets His way.” Instead, this verse nails what the Bible calls agape love. Agape love is simply this; unconditional, undying, freely given love. You can’t earn it, it just is. This is the type of love that our God, our Savior, shows to us every moment of every day.
So, what about when we commit sins? The second half of the verse covers that. “His mercies never cease.” In other words, because of His love, He shows us endless mercy. He forgives. He shows grace. He loves us. There is nothing that any of us can do, or ever have done, that will lessen the love that God has for each one of us.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #love #Scripture #mercy #faith
Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close. ~ Psalm 27:10 (NLT)
There is a fear that resides inside all of us. Though some might try to deny its presence, it is there. It is a fear that is alive and well from early on in life, all the way to the grave. It is the fear of being unloved. I know, many of you might be saying, “Yeah, I prefer to be alone.” But realize, this isn’t an introvert versus extrovert type of thing. This is about humanity being built with the desire to be loved. Since we are made in the image of God, that means that love is part of our existence.
The unfortunate reality is that many of us have had someone who was supposed to love us break our hearts, stomp on them, then turn their backs on us.
One of my best friends, was abandoned by her parents at an early age and was left to stay with her aunt and uncle. They were supposed to love her, but showed disdain at the fact that they were saddled with a girl that was not their own. Eventually, the uncle died and the aunt didn’t want my friend in her life anymore either. The giant, gaping, bloody hole that they tore into her life has taken its toll over the years. Though she is part of a family now (my family) that loves her unconditionally, there is still some question as to what true love looks like, feels like. Truthfully, only the love of Jesus Christ is pure enough to fill the desire for love in our lives.
As you’ve read, we humans can do some great damage to the concept of love through our actions and words. Yet, God is constant. He never changes. His very nature is love. He can’t not love. (Sorry to the grammar police about the double negative. But, I feel it is warranted here.) Through both His words and His actions, Jesus proves to us over and over and over again that because of His love, He never gives up on any one of us.
When we accept Him into our lives, His love flows into us – it permeates every part of our existence. And, as long as we desire to have it, He gives it to us freely. He’ll never leave us or forget about us. He’ll never move on to something better, or, out of selfishness, decide we are not worth His time. He will never leave us alone, unloved.
So, let me take some liberty with this verse to get to the point, “Even if everyone else abandons me, the LORD will hold me close.” [Paraphrase]
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #Love #Scripture #Fear #Desire
From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. ~ John 1:16 (NLT)
In case you hadn’t noticed it, we live in a society that thrives on the negative. Just a look at the evening news, websites, blogs, vlogs, microblogs, and a million different avenues of communication, and the vast majority of the news that is shared has a negative connotation. The pundits blame each other for political messes. One country is spewing hatred toward another. One group of people are calling others haters because they don’t believe the same that they do. We have “fake news,” sort of “fake news,” and “made up fake news.” In short, our world is saturated with negativity. And it is having an impact on all of us.
I have lead many small groups through an exercise that proves this point. You can try it if you like. Take five minutes and write down all of the things you don’t like about yourself. After that, take 10 minutes and write down all of the thing you do like about yourself. Having witnessed this survey many times, the majority of those who do the exercise will have a longer list of things they don’t like than they do. This is in spite of the fact that the person doing the inventory had half the amount of time to write down the negative as they did the positive. Our culture, our world has wired us to see the negative first and the blessings last. No wonder many Christians have a hard time expressing joy!
This is also the world that Jesus was born into. Even 2,000 years ago, negativity ruled the culture. The Romans oppressed the Jews, calling them inferior. The Sanhedrin (the rulers of Israel) told people how sinful they were on a regular basis. Taxes were extreme, economic hardship was the rules of the land, and the death penalty was used on a regular basis just to help prove how powerless people actually were. Negativity was everywhere.
Yet, the most positive being in the universe came down into this mire, not to shame, guilt, or cast blame, but to bless us. As our verse today states, “From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.”
This season of life, truly count your blessings. Give thanks for family, friends, a home, food, clothing, etc. Seize this opportunity. But, let that thankfulness, that focus on the blessings, carry forward into every day thereafter. Literally count your blessings.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #blessing #Scripture #grace #truth #John
He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. ~ John 1:10 (NLT)
There is nothing quite like a homecoming. I’ve been away to school, or on business trips, for extended periods of time. I know the work is important, but I really do miss my family while I’m away. I didn’t get married and have kids to spend time away from them. I want them in my life. One of the special moments is when I return home from being away for a while. Generally, when I come in the door, laden with luggage, there are smiling faces that greet me. I get hugs from the kids, and a kiss from my wife. Most of the time the dog even comes to greet me – that is, if he’s not sleeping on his big, comfy bed. It’s a reunion, and it feels really nice.
God has built a longing for family into each one of us. We want to feel like we belong. We want to feel loved, supported, accepted. We want to be greeted by warm smiles and fuzzy feelings. It’s a longing that God, Himself, understands. You see, we are created in His image; which means that He too has a longing for family.
Imagine nearly 2,000 years ago, as God and Jesus were finalizing plans for Jesus to come down to the earth, the anticipation of being reunited with family members who had been apart from Him for far too long, was growing. Jesus would come down to them to restore the family of God. He was returning to the world He created to reunite us with Him.
Yet, the homecoming wasn’t so sweet. As our verse today states, “He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him.” There were very few warm smiles to greet Jesus upon His entry to this world – save that of His earthy parents, the wise men, and the shepherds. In fact, the first official act of the Jewish king was to try and have Jesus murdered! This was definitely not the grand entrance worthy of our God, our Creator, our true King! His adult life wasn’t much better. Yes, more people did begin to recognize Jesus as their Messiah and greet Him warmly. But, the vast majority chose to reject Him, rather than love Him.
So, here’s a couple of gut-check questions for each of us: When given the opportunity each day to welcome Jesus into your life, do you welcome Him with a smile, warm hug, and quality time? Or, as He knocks on the door of your heart, do you choose not to open it because the timing is inconvenient? Does He receive the homecoming that He deserves?
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #home #Scripture #HangOut #QualityTime
So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. ~ John 1:14
Have you ever heard the expression, “Fish out of water?” If not, here it is simplified: Someone who doesn’t belong. Usually this is an expression used to identify someone from a foreign culture who is very awkward in their new culture and can’t seem to figure out how to behave, or say the right things. It’s also used when someone from one social class ascends to a higher class. For example, people who win big playing the lottery suddenly go from very low income to very high income. They are rich! So, they buy cars, and houses, and jewelry, and a million other things, yet they still have the culture and customs of their former life. They are fish out of water. They aren’t refined. Something just doesn’t seem right.
The nativity story, the story of the birth of Jesus, tells a fish out of water story.
Picture a holy, perfect, all-powerful, all-loving being residing in the most perfect place in the universe – Heaven. There is no sin there. There is no sorrow there. There is no hurting there. There is no hatred there. There is only love, joy, peace, and perfect health. In heaven, Jesus hangs out with the other two-thirds of the trinity (the Father and the Holy Spirit) and is surrounded by his best friends, the angels. Every day is better than the last. It is perfection.
Now, picture our world in even a worse state than it is in today. As B.C. turned to A.D., the Romans rule with an iron fist, crushing all opposition in brutal and violent ways. The religious elite are more concerned with their pride and ceremony than the people they are called to care for. There is no middle class. There are rich, and there are poor (the vast majority of people). Deadly diseases are commonplace, and the life expectancy of people is low. Hope of a better life is brutally taken away, and anguish is everywhere one turns.
Yet, God chose to leave his world and enter ours. He did it on purpose. He gave up Heaven to come down to a world full of pain, hatred, sorrow, and grief. He gave up everything to come to us, live as one of us, and save us. He came to be murdered for us.
Today, and every day, spend some time pondering exactly what God gave up for you. It’s humbling, and it shows just how much God loves you.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #Love #Scripture #Glory #John #nativity #fish
So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. ~ 1 Timothy 6:8 (NLT)
I remember when I was a child at Christmas time. The time off from school, the mounds and mounds of candy, time with friends and family, lots of food, and, of course, the presents, all created a wonderful time of year. Of course, the presents were really my focus. Indeed, planning for Christmas began long before December 25. I would begin putting together my Christmas present wish list months ahead of time. After all, I needed to make sure that I’d get only the exact things I wanted! And, I can say, I was blessed with a family that gave great presents (out of love, of course)!
Now, as the years of childhood have gone bye-bye, I don’t make Christmas lists for presents. God has given me a job and a family which tends to be my focus. Additionally, since my brother and I have a generation of Reisig children of our own, now it’s our turn to be the present givers.
We’ve made a pact in the extended Reisig family. Because we now are a family with a good number of children (I have two, my brother has four), we’ve agreed not to purchase the adults any Christmas presents. A nice card will suffice. This keeps us focused on the kids, but also keeps us from going broke. I can honestly say, it wasn’t until I had kids that I really understood the concept that it is better to give. I love watching the Reisig kids rip into their presents. But, I love something even more than that.
I love my family. I love that at Christmas there is no business to be conducted, there’s not a million different demands on my time. I love that we get to spend time together without the distractions of everyday life. I love that we have a home, and food to share. We are blessed in this way. I think this is what the Apostle Paul meant by our verse today: “So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.”
Contentment is a realization that it’s not about what we get – it’s about what we’ve already received. Yes, it’s OK to look forward to the presents, food, and candy. However, life will go on without the latest Xbox game or iPhone. Those things fade away. But, life with God lasts forever. This Christmas, let’s not forget the God who has provided for us all year.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #Content #Scripture #Presents #Christmas #Gifts #Satisfaction #Timothy
I realized that no one can discover everything God is doing under the sun. Not even the wisest people discover everything, no matter what they claim. ~ Ecclesiastes 8:17 (NLT)
In August, I will have been married to my wife Michelle for 23 years. It’s hard to believe it has been that long! When I stop to think about it, on our anniversary, I will have been in a relationship with Michelle longer than I have lived life without her. We got married when I was 23 and we dated for three years before we got married. It’s been quite the journey full of twists, turns, victories, losses, and many, many changes. But, I can’t imagine going through life without her.
One of the most curious things I’ve discovered in marriage is that no matter how long we’ve been married, I’m still discovering new things about my wife. Even after nearly 26 years of relationship, I still don’t know everything about her. Whether it’s little quirks in her personality, or tastes in movies, or even preferences when it comes to going out to eat or on vacation, I generally learn new stuff about her as we journey together. Throw in a couple of kids and a crazy dog and I learn more about her parenting style, her love for animals, her patience for all of us, and a million other things. The best part of the journey is continually discovering more about this amazing woman that God has given me as a partner in life.
But, being married 23 years is just a drop in the bucket compared to some of my friends. They’ve been married over 60 years! Though, they most likely know their partner on a much more detailed level than I know my own partner, they would say the same thing – they are still discovering what makes their partner in life tick.
Our relationship with God is similar. (Minus the romantic overtones) When we accept Jesus as our Savior, our learning about God isn’t complete, it’s just beginning. It’s like our wedding day. And, as we join in partnership with God, He desires a journey with us. As we journey, we learn more and more about who God truly is, and who He made us to be. The longer the journey, the more we discover. The more we discover, the more our faith grows.
Every day, spend time with God. Learn what makes Him tick. Discover who He made you to be. Learn just how much He loves you.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #Discovery #Scripture #Ecclesiastes #Marriage #Wedding #Love #Learning #Bride
The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. ~ John 10:10 (NLT)
I had saved up to buy my first car since I was 12. It was a 1984 Honda CRX, a two-seater that got well over 50 miles per gallon. It was a deep read with the skirt of the car painted gray. The one thing it was lacking, however, was a decent stereo system. So, I began saving my money for that too. Eventually, I was able to purchase new speakers, an amplifier, and a new deck with a CD player. (It was new to have a CD player in your car back then.) It had plenty of volume and, of course, plenty of bass output. I finally had a true, teenager’s car.
Unfortunately, a car with a nice stereo system in it is something that a lot of people desire, including thieves. Early one morning, my dad and I were awoken to the sound of my car alarm going off, then the sound of screeching tires. By the time we got out to the driveway to see what was going on, the thieves were gone. All of the stereo equipment was stripped out of my car. I felt bummed, but also violated.
The thieves didn’t just steal the stereo, they also stole my peace of mind. Every morning as I went out to my car, I wondered if it would still be there. I wondered if my windows would be smashed. I wondered what else could go wrong. It was unsettling. Anyone who has had a car stolen, or a house broken into will tell you the same. It’s not just the stuff that’s taken, it’s the robbing of a sense of peace that often hurts the most.
This is what Satan wants to do in our lives. He doesn’t just want to give us grief each day and try to trip us up. He wants to steal away our peace. He doesn’t want us to be able to rest in the promises of Jesus. He doesn’t want us to have hope. He wants to rob us, ultimately, of our faith. He knows that if he can rob us of this that we are doomed. We are lost.
In contrast, we have a God who wants only good things for us. As our verse today states, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” And that life that He wants to give us isn’t just in the here and now, but all the way into eternity.
Today, and every day, don’t let Satan rob you of the joy Jesus wants to provide. Thank God for His goodness, faithfulness, and the peace that He brings.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #Thief #Scripture #Life #Peace #Hope #Destroy #Satan
So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. ~ Hebrews 2:1 (NLT)
I think people would be surprised by how much a preacher sees in the audience when he is up front. Given that we usually preach from an elevated position, or at least standing up, we can see every row, every seat, and every person. Yes, we try very hard to focus in on the message we are delivering. Yes, it is of the utmost importance that we do. But, we’re also human, and we see what’s going on around us. So, what does a typical Sabbath look like in church from the front? The vast majority of people are paying attention! Yup. That’s right, the bulk of those attending church are actually tuned in to what is being preached. Of course, there are the small minority who choose to snooze, pass notes, plug in headphones, or simply stare at the wall for 30 minutes wishing they were somewhere else. Yeah, we notice that too.
But, this isn’t about calling out those who are doing “good” or doing “bad.” Instead, my intention is to challenge each one of us (this preacher included) to pay attention to the truth about God. Notice, I inserted a “the” in front of the word truth. That is of paramount importance. Why? Because there are millions of little truths out in the world that paint God as someone who He is not. These are not THE truth, but someone else’s version of the truth.
This begs the question: “Where, then, can we find THEtruth about God?” The answer is quite simple, from God. Now, I’m not talking about just going to church (though it’s certainly an important part). We also need to be digging in to the Word of God, the Scriptures. They tell us THE truth about who God has been, who He is, and who He will be to us. The passages of Scripture don’t tell us the opinions of man, but reveal the true nature and character of God.
So, here’s a challenge: daily dig into the Word of God. Learn the absolute truth about God. Listen to the preachers, comparing what they say to what you read. (Remember, Bible trumps preacher every time. If what he or she is saying doesn’t match the Scriptures, go with the Scriptures. We are not infallible.) Let the word reveal the wonders of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Hold tightly to the truth you find there. Keep reading. Keep learning. Keep focusing on God. Then you will know THE truth.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #Truth #Scripture #Church #Hebrews #Preacher
Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.” ~ John 8:31 (NLT)
I didn’t particularly like history in grade school or high school. In fact, our history teacher in high school was also our shop teacher. He didn’t really like history either. So, in class each day, we’d take turns reading from history textbook out loud. That was his form of teaching us. In all honesty, I could have read the book on my own and picked up just as much information. Those classes were boring, boring, boring!
When I got to college, all students were required to take a semester of American history. I wasn’t looking forward to it. My brother, who was a senior at the same college, recommended that I take it from a certain professor, as he made things interesting. I was skeptical at first, but on the very first day of class, I got a little more excited. The professor held up the book and said that if we bought a copy, we could return it to the bookstore for a refund. If we just paid attention in class, and took good notes, we would be successful. He had been teaching the same class, after all, for over 30 years. As he began his instruction, he wove in interesting stories, and taught us history with passion, energy, and authority. As the semester went on, the topic came alive, and I grew not just to understand it, but to love it.
It’s amazing what a difference a good, passionate, knowledgeable teacher can make. It’s also the same when it comes to God. No, I’m not talking about preachers. I’m talking about the greatest Teacher of all time. Jesus.
While on this earth, Jesus taught humanity the most important lessons about God that can, or will, ever be taught. He shared that God wasn’t a fearmonger, full of anger, hatred, and murderous rage toward the human race. Instead, we learned that He is a God of love, mercy, peace, hope, forgiveness, and grace. Jesus didn’t just teach the facts about God, He taught them with a passion and authority – so much so that He laid down His life because He believed in the message so fully.
So, pay attention to His teachings. Take notes on what He has said. Memorize the promises He has given. Believe in all that He has proclaimed. Let His message come alive!
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #history #Scripture #Truth #John
And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins. ~ Hebrews 8:12 (NLT)
Have you ever experienced memory problems in your life? Like, walking into a room to get something, and then forgetting what that things was? Or, maybe you blank on someone’s name, even though you’ve known them your whole life? Perhaps you crammed for an exam the night before, and then, when it was test time, couldn’t recall anything that you studied? Maybe you’ve forgotten an anniversary birthday? If these sound familiar, rest assured that you’re not alone. In fact, I dare say that all of us have experienced memory problems many times throughout our lifetimes. (And it’s not just an “old person” thing.)
Then there are the memories that we wish we could forget. Memories of past abuse. Memories of things did that we now regret. Memories of seeing things that we can’t un-see. Memories of emotions and feelings that hurt us to the core. Memories of the sins we’ve committed in our lives against others and God. Why can’t we forget those memories, rather than things that are more important? The simple answer is that we are sinful, we live in a sinful world. While we may try hard to forget, our adversary, Satan does not. In fact, the nickname Satan literally means “the accuser.” So, when we try to forget, he’s right there to remind us of the things we’d rather forget. He causes guilt and shame to well up in us. It stinks. So does he.
Here’s the crazy thing. Our perfect, all-knowing, eternal God has memory problems too. It’s weird, though, because the problems aren’t really a problem. He chooses to wipe away the memory of our past sins – not just push them off to the side, but literally forget about them. Check out our verse today, “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” Notice that it doesn’t say “I’ll put the memories of their sins on the back burner.” It doesn’t say “I’ll forget them for now.” It literally says “never again.” When we come to God for forgiveness, He eternally wipes His memory of the sins we’ve committed.
So, when those memories of past issues that you’ve talked to God about pop into your head, realize that they are not from God. He’s forgotten forever. It is Satan, guilt-tripping you. When Satan does this, claim the promise from our verse today. Pray thanks to God for His forgiveness. Trust, believe, have faith that your sins are forgotten forever.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #Forgiveness #Scripture #Grace #Faith
Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does. ~ 1 Chronicles 16:24 (NLT)
Getting information out to the world about God is of great importance. We’ve seen this in scripture after scripture in the New Testament. The refrain “Go therefore and make disciples” (Matthew 28:18-20) should be etched into our collective memories and spur us on. However, it often gives us pause, too. Many of us are not comfortable speaking in front of others, or to others for that matter. Perhaps we’re just shy. Maybe we’re insecure about how our voice sounds, or whether or not what we say makes any sense. I get it.
But, what if there was a way for those who didn’t have a commanding speaking voice to share their faith with others? Could that change things? I believe it could. And, I believe we in the 21st century have a great opportunity before us.
As our verse today states, we should “Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.” That word publish is the key to all of this. What does publishing have to do with advancing the gospel? Well, a ton! When we look at the New Testament scriptures, realize that the majority of those books aren’t books at all. They were letters written by Paul to different areas of the civilized world. The letters contained information on a bunch of topics regarding the Christian faith, and served as inspiration to others. Indeed, they didn’t just inspire their original audience in the 50-60s AD. Here in 2021, they still serve as gospel inspiration to billions around the globe.
In the age we live in, the opportunity to publish is literally at our fingertips. With the advent of email, social media, blogs, vlogs, and so many other avenues of information sharing, we can literally reach millions within a matter of microseconds. When we publish online, we have the opportunity to share the great things God has done with a huge audience.
We are pretty good at sharing things online already – some of which should never be shared. So, instead of just posting cute pictures of cats and puppies, throw in some inspiration about the great things God has done. Watch how God can use your written words to inspire others. Watch Him use you to reach others with the gospel message without saying a word. Send out some gospel inspiration each day and bless others 365 times per year.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #Chronicles #Scripture #Old #Testament #publish #Gospel #sharing #inspiration
For the word of the LORD holds true, and we can trust everything he does. ~ Psalm 33:4 (NLT)
Trust is something that is difficult these days. Who can we trust? We have one news outlet reporting one thing, and another reporting the same thing, but with a different message, and a third reporting that the thing the other two news stations covered didn’t even really happen. We have Internet hoaxes that tell stories about things that troll people into giving up their information, or stealing their money. We have made up information floating through cyberspace that is passed on by millions of people as if it is fact. Celebrities are being shown to be truly hypocritical in their outrage against one thing, but their acceptance of other things. Conspiracy theorists spin crazy tales about governments, the church, and other institutions. The list goes on and on about the people we can’t turn to receive pure truth.
Notice this list is all about man-made sources. Humanity is the source of misinformation (as a result of our sinful nature) when we believe that lying, cheating, and stealing to get what we want is somehow justified. The result has been a complete erosion of trust in society.
However, we have this verse today that states, when it comes to God, “we can trust everything he does.” That’s a pretty bold statement! How can we trust everything?
It’s pretty simple. Trust is built by looking at someone’s track record. Let me break that down into simple terms. Over the course of their history, have they consistently told the truth and always done the right thing? For us humans, this can be a tough question because we’re all flawed. But, for God, He is flawless. So, let’s look at His history to see if He is trustworthy. Created the heavens, earth, and everything else? Check. Offered, and offers, grace and forgiveness to everyone who turns to Him? Yup! (David, Abraham, Samson, etc.) Put His life on the line to prove His love for us? Indeed! Never turned anyone away who truly wanted a relationship with Him? True again! Always told the truth, even if it was not going to be received well? Believe it! For thousands of years, God has shown us that He is trustworthy.
In life, it’s pretty straight forward. Put your trust in God. Trust Him with your emotional, spiritual, and physical health. Trust Him in relationships and careers. Trust Him with everything in your life. Trust Him with your salvation. He has truly proven Himself trustworthy.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #Psalm #Scripture #trust #truth #reputation #Lord #grace #mercy #love
We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. ~ Psalm 33:20 (NLT)
Over the centuries, warfare has changed, transformed if you will. It began when Cain killed Abel with a rock and then kind of took off from there. During the times described in the Bible, ancient warfare consisted mostly of armies of hundreds of thousands of men (sometimes into the millions) armed with some form of weapon like a sword, dagger, mace, bow and arrow. In addition, each warrior had some form of protection. Protection for the frontline soldiers usually involved some form of helmet, maybe some arm and leg protection, a chest plate, and a shield. It was the shield that provided the true protection. It could stop the thrust and chop of a sword, whereas the other defensive elements helped protect against a glancing blow.
However, the shield only worked if the soldier actually used it. I know, duh! But here me out. If a soldier decided to wage battle without his shield, he would be unprotected except for his ability to both attack and defend with his weapon. While Hollywood has made a great deal of money showing how this is possible, remember that Hollywood doesn’t generally show things accurately. Their job is entertainment, not information. In reality, the minute a solider lost his shield, or forgot to use it, he was a dead man. He became defenseless.
As our verse today states, “He is our help and our shield.” Given that we are in a war between supernatural forces (the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan), we will spiritually die if we decided to wage war against a force far superior to us without our Shield. We will be defenseless. Only supernatural can defeat supernatural. Only supernatural can protect against supernatural. (Again, don’t believe Hollywood on this one. Evil spirits aren’t defeated by humans, no matter how smart or strong they may be.)
When we choose to go without our shield in life, we are doomed. The enemy will strike, and we will lose. When we choose to step out from behind the protection of the shield, we are defenseless against the attacks of the enemy.
Given that the shield represents Jesus Christ, it shouldn’t be hard to understand that when we accept Jesus as our Savior, and walk hand-in-hand with Him each day, He will protect us so long as we stay behind Him. He is our protector. He is our Savior.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #Psalm #Scripture #spiritual #warfare #defense #shield #supernatural
Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. ~ Colossians 3:2 (NLT)
Priorities. It’s a word I’ve spoken to dozens upon dozens of people over the years God has blessed me in ministry. The unfortunate reality is that the word has become forgotten, a relic of times passed. Why? Because today’s culture is impulsive, calling us to do what we want when we want to do it. Whatever is right in front of us receives our attention. When we follow this mode of operation, our life becomes out of balance, and there are some not so good consequences that follow.
Growing up, I’ve been taught, that priorities need to look like this: 1) God, 2) Family, 3) Work, 4) Friends. It seems like a pretty straightforward way of setting things up. In fact, most people would agree with this order (assuming they are Christians, of course). But, actually following this model is more difficult to follow than simply agreeing with it.
In our lives, one of Satan’s greatest tricks is to get us to reorder this list of priorities without realizing that he has caused us to do so. Over the years, I can tell you that, in general, the priorities of the majority of people place God out of the top three. As a result, their spiritual lives struggle. Why? It’s pretty plain. When we put God anywhere but first on the list, we are focusing on the things of this world, not the things of Heaven. Our lives get out of whack, and things that are temporary replace the things that are eternal.
When we don’t put our primary focus on God, our view of Him becomes less and less clear. We don’t see Him as our provider – there are other things in this world that make us “happy.” We don’t see Him as our healer – We can numb our pain through other means. We don’t see Him as Savior – we can fix ourselves. We don’t see Him – period. When we lose sight of God, we lose sight of eternity.
When God is the priority in our lives, everything else falls into place. He is our provider. He is our healer. He is our Savior. He is our all-in-all. He puts the friends in our lives that will support us. He brings families closer together. He provides the career opportunities, and helps us manage our workload in school. In short: When God is the priority, He figures it all out and provides for our eternity, not just the here-and-now.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #Colossians #Scripture #priority #life #first #focus
But I will give repeated thanks to the Lord, praising him to everyone. ~ Psalm 109:30 (NLT)
Is it possible for someone to say “thank you” too much? Can we actually grow tired of hearing someone saying it over and over and over and over and over and…? OK, you get the idea. The answer, I believe, can be both yes and no. It can certainly be a “yes” when the sentiment behind the thank you becomes lost. The repetition of saying thank you is simply being said out of habit, or just to annoy. The answer can also be a “no.” Thankfulness, true thanks, with meaning behind it, should never get old. A heartfelt “thanks” should always be welcome to our ears.
Here’s the issue. How often are our “thank yous” one-sided? As an example, a waiter delivers the dessert to a child at a restaurant. The child is obviously happy about it. The parent then leans over and says to the child, “What do you say?” The child then replies with “THANK YOU!” to the waiter. It’s cute. But, does it have meaning behind it? Yes and no. We should show gratitude when someone brings us something nice. And, yes, we should train our kids how to say thank you to those who are helping them.
However, I would like us to examine this a little deeper. Are we teaching our kids to say thank you only when we get what they want, or something good happens? Though these are worthwhile of our thanks, I don’t think they represent true thankfulness. We need to also be thankful during the trials, storms, and difficulties in life.
Thankfulness, especially in relation to God, doesn’t come and go depending on whether or not we feel God has done something nice for us in the moment. Our thankfulness begins and ends with the cross of Jesus Christ. What was accomplished on the cross nearly 2,000 years ago deserves our repeated thanks. Sure, it’s easy when we are singing praise songs in church, or hearing an inspirational message, or things are generally going well. But, what about when a loved one is dying of cancer? What about when a mass shooting happens? No, we shouldn’t be thankful that they happened. But, we should be thankful that God will see us through; that this sinful life is short; that death is not the end; that life with God is eternal.
Give repeated thanks to God, during both the good and bad times. Give thanks during the trials in life, and the victories He has won, is winning, and will win. He is worthy.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #thankfulness #Scripture #Psalm #sacrifice #thankless
Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. ~ Psalm 50:14 (NLT)
Manners are in short supply these days. Don’t believe me? Ask anyone who works in a service industry: fast food, restaurant, retail shop, gas station, etc. People are in too much of a hurry to be civil to those that are trying to help them out. “Thank yous” and “pleases” aren’t given out too often. Having managed in retail settings before, I can tell you first hand of the many instances when one of my employees, or me, went above and beyond for a person only to have them complain rather than offering thanks.
One such incident happened over the telephone with my tech support supervisor for a local dial-up internet service we offered. (This was many moons ago) My employee was on the phone with the person for well over an hour. (My employee was very long suffering) It was very clear that the person on the other end of the call had very limited knowledge of computers, or technology in general. They were rude, brash, and demanding. After an hour of trouble shooting, my employee was able to figure out the issue. “Sir,” she said, “are you calling me on a cell phone or a land line?” The reply came back, “On a cell phone.” My employee followed with, “Is your computer plugged into a landline telephone jack?” The reply from the customer was priceless: “Now, why would I do that?” After a few more minutes she got him connected and he abruptly hung up on her. There was no appreciation, no “thank you.” Just a click and nothing.
How often are we like this with God? He gives, and gives, and gives of His time – He invests in us every day. Yet, how many times per day do we stop to give thanks, other than when it’s chow time? If you’re like me, the answer is an embarrassing, not nearly enough.
Yet, the Psalmist declares in our verse today, “Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God.” In other words, state your thankfulness to God for all that He has done, and act upon your thankfulness for what He will do. You see, thankfulness isn’t just words we say – it’s a lifestyle. Do we live like we are thankful, or do we act like He still owes us something?
This season of life, enjoy time with family and friends. But, truly be thankful to the One that has every reason to be thanked.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #manners #Scripture #thankfulness #Psalm
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it. ~ Psalm 139:14 (NLT)
I have owned Fitbit devices for several years. I bought the first one around Christmas time about seven years ago. I wanted to make sure that I was being active, but also, more importantly, I wanted to be able to monitor my heartrate throughout the day. It worked well and did exactly as advertised. I think it was fairly accurate. However, after about a year, it fell apart. The case cracked, and the whole thing opened up so I could see the innards. It was no longer usable, but it was fascinating.
As I studied the circuit board inside the device, I was struck by how complex and complicated it was. Honestly, how hard could it be to track when someone takes a step? But, there were microcircuits, computer chips, and a multitude of connections from one to the next. I couldn’t figure out which piece tracked the steps and which piece tracked heartrate. I couldn’t even really figure out which part was the battery, never mind what could possibly be the Bluetooth transmitter! Granted, I’m not very mechanically inclined, but this thing was very intricate. It was obvious that a team of engineers put a lot of research and thought into making the thing work.
How much more complex is the human than the Fitbit? As the Psalmist puts it in our verse today, “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.” Each person, you and me and everyone, are so complex that no computer, not even a super computer, can mimic what humans do. It is very clear that an Engineer spent a lot of time crafting each one of us.
God is our Engineer. He is the one who built each of us in our mother’s womb. He is the one who breathed life into us. He is the one who called us into existence for a purpose – because everything that is built has one. He has made us wonderfully complex (especially you women!). Though we can’t fully comprehend the how or why He made us to be us, we know it is for good, and we know that it was on purpose. God created each person for a reason. And, we are wonderfully made.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #creation #Scripture #life #engineering #intelligent #design
Shout to the Lord, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy! ~ Psalm 98:4 (NLT)
I love working with teenagers. They have wonderful energy, a fearless attitude, and some really funny quirks! One of my favorite quirks is sing-along-karaoke. Let me explain. Teens will be just sitting around in a group (or solo) just playing on their phones, reading a book, or generally just chillaxing. All of a sudden, a song begins to play from the radio or someone’s device. Suddenly several members of the group come alive! They realize that they are hearing one of their favorite songs and begin singing along. At first, the sing-along might be kind of tame. They’re singing, but not super into it. However, by the time the chorus of the song begins to play, they are singing, bobbing, weaving, even dancing, with everything they’ve got. Some of them have the talent to sing-along on key, and even throw in some impressive choreography. Others, not so much. Either way, I appreciate the joy of the moment. They don’t care what others think. They just want to sing because the music and lyrics resonate with them. I have to admit, it’s not just teens that do this. Us adults tend to do it, too. Just usually not when other people are around, or we’re in our car and can escape from the onlookers.
Of course, we all might not like the song or musical stylings that sometimes are the playlists of our friends and family. But, we should be able to appreciate the joy with which they approach the songs that get them pumped up.
It is the essence of this joy that the Psalmist is talking about in our verse today. “Shout to the Lord, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy!” Our praise, our songs of worship, our singing about our Savior, our God, our Friend, should be full of joy. Additionally, it should have volume to it. Now, I’m not advocating turning the sound system up until our ears bleed. But, I am advocating for an active praise that has more volume and joy than a typical funeral.
When we sing songs of praise, they should resonate with us as we ponder the music, and appreciate the musicality. When we sing lyrics of the majesty and power of God, the walls should echo back. When we sing of the grace and mercy of our Savior, may the volume of our voices reach Heaven’s gates. May our praise be full of joy, energy, and passion for the One who deserves it. Sing loud. Sing proud. Sing of His glory. Turn it up!
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #praise #Scripture #music #worship
How kind the Lord is! How good he is! So merciful, this God of ours! ~ Psalm 116:5 (NLT)
When I was younger, I was the business manager for an aerospace company in Southern California. We made parts for aircraft. Specifically, we made the structural components. Much like with building a house, where a builder uses lumber for the structure, aircraft builders use something called aluminum extrusions which are welded together and shaped to make the skeleton of the plane.
Part of my job was to ensure that we were delivering exactly what the customer ordered, ensuring the quality of the product and that it met certain specifications. This generally involved reviewing the schematics (drawings) of the parts, ensuring we had the right equipment available to produce the extrusion, and then cost it out for the customer. Once the review was done, we’d begin production.
Early in my career, however, I made a big mistake. The customer sent over the specifications for the desired part and I went about getting it ready for production. It was a big order involving the production of about 1,000 pieces. The order was placed, and we manufactured the parts. There was just one, small problem. I didn’t double check the schematics, and the blueprint we were using to produce the parts, all 1,000 of them, was the wrong one. Just before we were ready to ship them to the customer, the mistake was discovered. I had to let the owner of the company know that the parts we produced were nothing more than scrap metal because they were not what the company ordered. This would cost our company over $80,000 in production costs alone.
The meeting with the owner went nothing like I thought. Yes, the owner was upset. But, he was more concerned with how we could make sure it didn’t happen again. He didn’t want to fire me. He wanted me to learn from my mistake and grow from it. Needless-to-say, I never made that mistake again.
Our God works in the same way. He is a kind, merciful, gracious God. Yes, He sees our mistakes. Yes, He wishes we didn’t make them. Yes, He still loves us. No, He doesn’t condemn us. He wants us to grown in our understanding of ourselves and of Him. How good He is!
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #Grace #Scripture #mistake #mercy #kindness #forgiveness
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!" ~ Psalm 139:17-18 (NLT)
The beach is my place of serenity (peace and calm). I love hanging out, listening to the ocean waves break up on the beach; seeing the birds and sea life play in the surf or in the air; watching the humans surf the perfect wave and execute some gnarly (it’s a surfing term) grabs and turns. Yes, I even like the smell. I don’t know what it is, but all of these things combine to help melt away my stress. It calms me. I could just spend all day sitting on a beach and be content. Get me in the water, and it’s just an added bonus! Snorkeling, body surfing, and just lying in the water as the ocean swells and falls beneath me? Woohoo! Exploring sea caves and rock faces? Yup. I love that too!
The funny thing is, it doesn’t take much to get me excited about the beach. The moment my feet touch the sand, the good feelings begin. There’s just something about feeling the sand beneath my feet that begins to set my mind at ease. It’s pretty amazing that trillions and trillions of tiny rocks (that’s what sand is) can make me feel good.
I think it’s a very fitting metaphor that our Psalmist uses to describe God’s thoughts about us. God’s good thoughts about each one of us “outnumber the grains of sand.” Let that one sink in for a moment. How often does God think about each one of us? Trillions and trillions of times. In other words, we’re always on His mind.
If that wasn’t amazing enough, His thoughts toward us aren’t about being angry, upset, condemning, or hate-filled. Instead, we know His thoughts about each of us are good. (Jeremiah 29:11) So, God thinks about us all day long and is desiring, and planning, only for our good. That is amazing! That is dedication! That is love!
We often obsess over things we love. Whether it’s an item, a person, or a concept, we tend to spend a lot of brain power thinking about it, or them. It’s safe to say that God is obsessed with you. Not in a creepy way. But in a pure, precious, good way. He thinks of you often, and sees you with great love. You and your success in life are always on His mind.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #Goodness #Scripture #Mercy #Love
Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. ~ Luke 6:37 (NLT)
I’ve heard this verse quoted, at least the first sentence, many, many times throughout my life. Generally, it is quoted to shut up a Christian who is telling somebody that what they are doing is wrong. So, the offending person proudly states “Do no judge others…” End of discussion. In their mind, they are saying, I can do what I want, and you have no say in it. It’s a way to deflect from what the actual issue is – their behavior.
But, today, I want to reclaim this verse. It was never intended to be something that would prevent others from mentioning that our behavior is sinful. The verse, in fact, has very little to do with behavior. Instead, it has to do with the heart. It has to do with hate.
The idea of judging someone doesn’t mean that we are not to look deeper at someone’s motives or actions. Indeed, we should judge what someone is up to. That person sneaking into an open window in the middle of the night, dressed in black who doesn’t live there? You can probably judge correctly that he is up to no good. Instead, this verse is talking about eternal judgment. We have no right to judge whether or not someone is worthy of eternal salvation. That authority has been granted to Jesus Christ, and Him alone. (James 4:12)
Additionally, this verse calls us not to condemn. So, what is condemnation? Simply put, it is telling someone that they are unworthy of saving. As judgment says yes or no, condemnation is the explanation as to the why. We are not to condemn others, seeing them as unworthy of God’s salvation. No one is truly worthy of anything God has given us. Yet, anyone who turns their life to Him can receive His grace, mercy, and salvation. (John 3:16)
Finally, Jesus takes this verse from what we should not do to what we must do. Forgive. We aren’t supposed to hold someone eternally accountable – that’s God’s job. No, we don’t have to be best friends with them. But, we are called to forgive them. Jesus is so serious about this command that there is an inherent threat tied to it. If we forgive, we are forgiven. The flipside however is pretty harsh. If we refuse to forgive, we won’t be forgiven.
Our job is to show compassion, grace, mercy, friendship. Leave the judgment to God.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #Judgment #Scripture #Grace #Forgiveness
So let's stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall. ~ Romans 14:13 (NLT)
It was my senior year of high school. It’s supposed to be the highlight, the result of making it through three years of high school struggles. Senior year is supposed to be the most glorious year for teens. So, I wanted to make sure I started it out with a bang! I went clothes shopping to get some new threads for my senior year wardrobe. I wanted to not just feel good about my final chapter in high school, I wanted to look good as well. I picked out new shirts, pants, belts, socks – basically everything. As I tried them on, I knew that I looked good, mature even. I was ready. On the first day of school, I had my new, favorite outfit put together. I entered the school feeling on top of the world. However, my day quickly came crashing down. There were a few girls in my class who immediately began to make fun of my fashion choices. And, they weren’t quiet about it. They were running all over the school saying, “Have you seen Chad today? Come one, you’ve got to see this!” Of course, the “this” they were referring to was what they deemed to be a ridiculous look for a 17-year-old. Let’s just say my year did not get off to the start I was hoping. I spent the day feeling sorry for myself.
I’m betting that many of you can relate to this story. You too have been condemned, or ridiculed at some point in your life. It’s not fun.
So, let me pose this question: Why do we do this to each other? Why do we condemn rather than lift up? Why do we judge rather than show mercy and grace? Why do we seek to tear people down instead of helping them through difficulties? The answer is startlingly simple: we’re sinners. But, that’s no excuse. If we have God, we are more than that.
As our verse today states, we must do things different as members and representatives of the Kingdom of God. We must stop condemning, and extend grace. We must seek to understand one another, rather than paint each other as somehow evil, or lesser than ourselves. We must always seek to do good, not bad. We must silence the voice that tells us to judge, and tune into the voice that calls us to love.
Today, and every day, practice grace. Practice mercy. Practice love.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #Kindness #Scripture #Mercy #School
Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles. ~ Psalm 119:50 (NLT)
There are many certainties in life (things you can count on). We can count on gravity to keep us planted on the earth, rather than just floating out into space. We can count on water to be wet. We can count on the earth to spin. We can count on politicians to call each other names. We can also count on the fact that trouble will happen in our lives.
We live in a sin-filled world. With sin comes trouble and heartache. Because of it, we can count on many things that make life stink. We can count on natural disasters that destroy homes, neighborhoods, and towns. We can count on nation fighting against nation. We can count on friends and family dying. We can count on unspeakable acts of murder, as we’ve seen far too many times. Of course, there are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of other horrible things in this world that we can count on happening, whether we like it or not.
In contrast to our world run-amok (it’s gone crazy), we have one more thing we can count on – God. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. And, He always works for our good. This “promise” that the psalmist is talking about is that Jesus promises us that He’ll never leave us. He’s with us. He will save us.
However, we sometimes doubt this promise of God’s. We pray for healing, and it doesn’t happen. We pray for world peace, yet people are killing each other all over the world. Sometimes it seems like God is not keeping His promise. But, we’re missing the point.
Our view of God is far too small. We see the here and now. God sees eternity. When we pray for healing, or any other thing, He is always looking long term. He is more concerned with our salvation than a temporary fix. I can speak from personal experience that the death of my father when I was only 20 years old broke my heart and caused me to question God. A decade later, as I wrestled with Him, God gave me clarity. He said, “Chad, you will see your dad again.” I was mad because I wouldn’t get to see my dad for a few decades. But, God has given me the promise of getting to be with him forever in Heaven. I’d trade for that any day on earth.
When we rest in God’s promise of eternity, the day-to-day troubles begin to fade into the background. His promise brings us comfort. His promise brings us peace.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #persecution #Scripture #Promise #Truth
And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself. ~ Ephesians 1:23 (NLT)
There is a new phenomenon (a unique thing) happening. Atheist churches are popping up in cities across the United States. Yes, you read that correctly, atheist churches. It’s an interesting happening. Here’s how they operate. They open their church doors on Sunday morning and welcome in anyone who desires be lifted up. They sing songs that are joy-filled and fun. They tell stories so the kids are captivated. They listen to inspiring messages about how we can be successful in life. They serve their community by sheltering the homeless, feeding the hungry, clothing the poor. They give of their time, talent, and treasures to help humanity. Their churches are built on the premises of helping their communities through social justice and a place that anyone can feel welcome. And, they are thriving. There’s just one thing missing: God. (You can read more here: https://goo.gl/Aj1hDL)
What they have stumbled upon is that community is one of the most important things in life. People want to feel like they belong. People want to feel like they make a difference in the world. While they fail to recognize that it is the love of God that is driving these desires, they are filling a need in society that the local Christian churches have failed to fill.
While it’s easy to point fingers and cast aspersions their direction for daring to call themselves a “church,” we must realize that when we do, the majority of our fingers point back at us. The atheist churches exist because we are not following the model of church community that God has called us to. Just a basic read of Acts 2 shows us that the very early church did all of the things in their community that our atheist church friends are doing now. Why are the atheists doing them? Because we aren’t.
If our idea of church is going to a worship service once per week, then we have to ask whether or not we are full of Christ, as our verse today says. Church is not a worship program. It involves fellowship, community service, sacrifice, love, learning, healing, and, most importantly, Jesus. If we aren’t doing as Christ calls us, then the Christian church is not fulfilling its mission. And, if we ignore Christ, then we are in danger of being a “Christ-less church.”
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #inspiration #Scripture #outreach #community
The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil. ~ 1 Peter 3:12 (NLT)
There is a word that has come into fashion within the past decade. It is used in corporate boardrooms, government offices, non-profit planning, politics, and in just about any place where business strategy is conducted. The word is “optics.” The word optics actually represents a question: “How will what we are about to do be perceived by the outside world?” In other words, “How many people will get ticked off about this?” So, businesses conduct surveys to see. They call, email, or ask people on the street their opinions of proposed products, theories, or proposals. Once they have a good sample size, they report back whether the proposed business strategy will meet acceptance or doom. If it’s acceptance, they move forward with the concept. If they believe it will meet resistance, they generally kill the concept. It’s considered good business practice. We wouldn’t want to upset people.
Here’s the problem. Optics has begun to creep its way into our churches. We become more concerned with what other people might think than doing what is right. We wouldn’t want to get a bad reputation after all! But, let me ask this question: Since when did the church become a business?
Over and over and over again, Scripture calls us to always do what is good and right. The Bible defines these things, and specific situations that are not defined can be ascertained through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. The only optic we need to be concerned with is if we are doing what God is asking us to do, regardless of how it may play out among the public, our benefactors, or even many of the church membership. As our verse today says, “The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right…” When we serve God and do what is right, we trust Him with the results. We may meet resistance, but it’s actually part of being a Christian.
Let’s put this into the proper perspective. If Jesus and His disciples were worried about optics, we would have no hope in a salvation, in a right relationship with God, or any semblance of a church. People hated their message and what they stood for, yet they carried on doing what was right. But, the Lord blessed them, and us, as a result.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #doright #Scripture #good
I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments. ~ Psalm 119:45 (NLT)
Rules are made to be broken. Or, so I’ve been told many, many times in life. It’s a concept that many truly believe. Rules confine us. Rules restrict us. Rules ruin our lives. Rules make us feel confined, imprisoned even. Rules only seek to keep us from experiencing life to its fullest. At least, that’s what we’ve been told, thought, or experienced.
Often times this thought process translates over to our view of God. There are a lot of rules, regulations, commandments, given throughout the pages of Scripture. These are God’s directions for how we are to relate to Him, to our fellow humans, and basically all of the earth. I can certainly testify that there are commands in the Bible that I don’t particularly like – not because they are wrong, but because they show me that I am. I would argue that the commands of God found in Scripture are one of the reasons people don’t want to be part of our faith community. However, this is because their view of God’s rules is incorrect.
We have this crazy verse today that literally says that by devoting ourselves to God’s commandments, we walk in freedom. How can that possibly be? Rules are meant to restrain life, not set it free! This is madness! And, I would agree.
If we only take the rules at face value, and connect rule-keeping with salvation, or earning God’s favor, then we are not walking in freedom. We are slaves to the commands.
However, when we are in a relationship with Jesus Christ, the reason for the rules comes into focus. The rules don’t exist to earn our salvation or make God like us. (He loves us unconditionally. See Romans 8.) The rules are there to help develop a stronger relationship with Jesus and His creation. The commands are issued so that we don’t chase after the things that God knows will destroy us and our relationship with Him. They are given for our good.
When we understand that God’s instructions to us are born out of a loving relationship, we experience freedom. How? We don’t have to worry about anything. We don’t have to worry about our salvation. We don’t have to worry about the afterlife. We don’t have to worry about the forgiveness of our sins. In short, walking with God, following His directions for our life, frees us from doubt and worry, and replaces it with peace and joy. We experience freedom.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #rules #Scripture #obedience #commandments
Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instructions. ~ Psalm 119:29 (NLT)
Most of us who have grown up in the church have heard of the 10 Commandments. Perhaps at some point in your life, you were even made to memorize them. I know that I certainly did. Though many of them convict me in big ways, the one that always got me when I was younger was “Thou shalt not lie (bear false witness).” Kids are pretty good at lying. In fact, I’ve discovered as a parent that you don’t have to teach a child to lie. They are naturally good at it. Unfortunately, this innate ability usually carries forward into adulthood.
Let’s face it, those of us who have a few decades of life experience can be pretty good liars too. I’ve had to confront employees who lied about their timecards. I’ve had to challenge people who had taken something that wasn’t theirs. I have witnessed another adult telling a story to someone else that was completely fabricated. (It was made up) People lie on their taxes. People lie on their applications when applying for a job. And so on, and so on. I guess it doesn’t matter the age, we are all pretty capable liars.
But, I truly believe that the most common form of lying is to ourselves. We lie to ourselves all the time. We lie to ourselves when we believe we don’t need help to get out of an addictive behavior. “I can fix it on my own,” we often tell ourselves. “I’ll get more serious about my faith when I’m older, after I’ve done the things I want to do” is another lie we think. Yet, I’ve seen over and over that there is no “older.” People keep distancing themselves from God in pursuit of things that leave them empty. Probably the biggest lie we tell ourselves is that we must somehow earn God’s love – eventually leading us to abandon our pursuit of Him because perfection is too high a standard to meet.
Here’s the truth. Stop thinking your own theology and start reading about truth. Our minds are corrupt, telling us lies about who God is, and is not. Yet, the Bible is our source of truth when it comes to faith. As our verse today states, “Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instructions.” Dig into the Word of God. Stop believing lies and get a daily dose of truth. Let Him show you who He is and who He made you to be.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #Truth #Scripture
How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word. ~ Psalm 119:9 (NLT)
When I was a teenager, I used to hate it when older people told me what to do. It wasn’t just me. They would speak to us collectively at school, often times as a group. Sometimes they’d sit us all down and lecture us on proper clothing options. Other times, they’d call us all together to inform us on the disciplinary procedures that would take place if we were caught cheating. Then, of course, there were the seminars on proper relationship etiquette. (What was allowed, and what was not. The focus was generally on the not part.) As with most teens, I would have one of two reactions: I’d nod my head in agreement, while internally saying, “Yeah, whatever!” Or, I’d roll my eyes so that everyone else in the group could see that I wasn’t buying what they were selling. Either way, I didn’t like it when other people got up in my business.
Then, something magical happened. I graduated high school, then college. Suddenly, I found myself counted among the “old people.” I started to gain not just knowledge in my life, but wisdom. You see, knowledge is gained through careful study of a subject. Wisdom is gained by experience. As I grew older, I had more experiences. With more experiences came new insights into life. You know what I learned? The old people were mostly correct. As I experienced more and more of life, I came to realize that they had wisdom in certain areas that I certainly did not when I was a teenager.
Of course, there is none older than our God. He is eternal, so the word old doesn’t even really apply. Imagine the wisdom that a perfect being, who has literally been around forever, has within His existence. He knows everything about everything. There is no option He hasn’t considered. He is the master of wisdom.
Because He loves us so much, He seeks to share His wisdom with us. He doesn’t do it to prove His superiority (though He could). He does it because He desires that we have the best life possible. So, how does He share His wisdom? In His Word, the Bible.
To keep this simple: You want wisdom? Get into the Word. But, it’s not just enough to read it. You must follow it to receive the blessings God has in store for you.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #Wisdom #Scripture
I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. ~ Revelation 3:19 (NLT)
Have you ever met a child whose parents never did anything to discipline their poor behavior? If not, count yourself blessed! I’ve been witness to many kids over the years who have no concept of what is socially correct and what is not. I’ve also been around when kids (and adults) who thought they were entitled to anything they wanted blew a gasket because they didn’t get exactly what they asked for. Sadly, I’ve seen many professed Christians behave this same way – in church, online, or in person.
A prime example was at a church I was visiting. I got there early for the program so I could get a good seat. A few other people had also done the same, and we were generally sitting in the seats with the best view of where the presentation would occur. There was one couple sitting just behind me. It was pretty obvious they were visitors too. They were commenting on the comfort of the seats, the beauty of the stained-glass windows, and the overall warmth of the church. Unfortunately, their nice thoughts about the church were about to come crashing down. Another couple, who were obviously not visitors approached. They addressed the visitors as such, “You are sitting in our seats. Please move.” The visitors were caught off guard. They apologized and stated that they didn’t realize it was reserved seating for this event. The church members replied, “It’s not. But everyone knows these are our seats.” The visitors, confused, moved someplace else. I can assure you that they did not leave with a good impression of that particular church.
Entitlement comes from people who have never been disciplined, nor discipline themselves. It was clear the church members saw the church as their possession, rather than Jesus’s. Rather than welcoming the visitors into fellowship, they cast them out because they were beneath them. They were indifferent (they didn’t care) if the visitors stayed or went, so long as they got their seats.
We can’t afford to be indifferent. When it comes to our faith, we must be disciplined enough to put ourselves second. It’s not about our comfort. It’s about other’s salvation.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #church #Scripture
So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. ~ Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)
When I was younger, I remember many teachers giving me some conflicting information. (I’m sure this never happens at other schools!) On one hand, they would teach me that Jesus was this amazing, loving, forgiving, and wonderful friend that I could go to about anything and He’d always greet me with a smile and a hug. On the other hand, I heard about a God who must be feared, and that we should remember that He has the power to destroy us if we do something wrong in His eyes. So, essentially, the teaching showed me that God was gracious and loving until you did something that ticked Him off. Then, He turned into a monster whose joy in life was to destroy people. Let me be clear. This is an incorrect, unbiblical view of God.
Instead, what we have is a God that is amazing, loving, forgiving, and wonderful. We do have a God with the power to destroy. But, He doesn’t. We have a very long-suffering God. If He exercised His divine right to kill those who broke His laws, we would all have been wiped out within the first couple of years of life. In fact, I would argue that the human race would have literally died out after Adam and Eve took a bite of the fruit in the Garden of Eden. God shows us grace every day of our lives. Though He doesn’t like the sin, He loves the sinner more.
As a result, we have this wonderful reminder in our verse today: “Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.” I love that word, “boldly.” In other words, we should have no fear, no trembling, no anxiety when we approach the King of Kings. We should know that He desires for us to come and visit with Him as often as we can. We should never hesitate to call upon the name of Jesus. He never sends anyone away. How do I know that? Well, my own experience shows me that the second half of the verse is a guarantee: “There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”
Don’t buy into the lie that we are ever too dirty, too sinful, too anything to approach Jesus. All of humanity is given the privilege to enter His presence. Everyone may have an audience with the King. We need not fear rejection or condemnation. In the throne room of God, we find mercy and grace, born out of His infinite love for you and me.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Heaven #Grace #Scripture
Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. ~ 2 Timothy 3:12 (NLT)
I have had the privilege to attend the Oregon Conference Bible Camp for the past seven years. This is an annual retreat where around 600 or so teenagers come to fellowship, have fun, and worship God. It is always a blessing to those that attend.
A couple of years ago, my friend Edwin was asked to speak for one of the morning worships. He was only given about 10 minutes to speak on the topic of discipleship (people who follow Jesus). His talk was insanely intense, and convicted everyone in the room of our need to live our faith out loud. The gist of his talk was this: There should be no doubt from anyone about your faith in Jesus. Then, he dropped the biggest bomb of the conference, and he used our verse today to demonstrate it. He said this, “If the Scriptures are true, then anyone who is a Christian will suffer persecution. Therefore, we have to ask ourselves: ‘If we don’t experience persecution, are we really a Christian?’” The room was silent. The point was huge. It was a gut-check moment for everyone.
This is one of the topics we often misunderstand in the Christian church. We know that the Scriptures tell us that persecution will happen on a large-scale right before Jesus returns. But, the Bible also clearly tells us that it will happen on a regular basis as we live out our Christianity, regardless of what year is displayed on the calendar.
When we live our faith as Jesus commands, we feed the hungry, clothe the poor, proclaim the gospel, teach about Jesus, invite people to join our church family, we live sacrificially, all on behalf of the Kingdom of God. Though this all sounds OK, by societal standards, it’s not. Why? Because within the context of all of our good activities, we are to share our faith in Jesus. In this world, the gospel can be offensive. As a result, persecution will follow, both from humans, and from the spiritual realm.
So, here are some gut-check questions for you: Are you living your faith out loud? Do those outside of your faith community know your faith? If the answer is yes, then persecution will happen. If the answer is no, then you are not following what Jesus has called you to do.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional #Discipleship #persecution #Scripture
Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. ~ Ephesians 5:4 (NLT)
When I was in grade school, we, like most other classes, had a student that was our class clown. He was always doing stuff to get attention. He was also the king of telling jokes. In the early grades, the jokes were pretty basic, like the knock-knock variety. As we aged, they got a little more complex and developed into a series called “What’s grosser than gross?” As we entered the upper grades of elementary school, the jokes began to morph into something else entirely. We were used to this kid cracking us up, so he had a built-in audience for his newest jokes – jokes that included various body parts and activities that are rarely seen in public. Yup, he started telling sexual jokes. And, like good little sheep, we laughed along to them without hesitation.
When we moved into our junior high and high school years, the talk stayed the same, but we weren’t telling jokes. Instead, we were telling sexual stories about thoughts we had toward girls in movies or on TV. Eventually, we began telling sexual fantasies we had about various girls we went to school with. This is often referred to as “Locker room talk.” I’m ashamed to say that we all took part in sharing our various thoughts on the topic.
Looking back, and with a heap more perspective, I realize now that though we thought the stories were funny, or entertaining, they were also completely immoral. God didn’t build both genders so that we can turn one another into mere sexual objects of fantasy. This is both degrading to the person being objectified and everyone who hears it. Additionally, this type of objectification leads to other societal issues such as a market for pornography, which creates demand for human trafficking, which destroys relationships, which destroys us.
So, we must take our verse today to heart. “Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.”
Our focus is not to be on fantasy, but the realities of God. When you hear obscene stories or coarse jokes, stand up for what is right. Don’t repeat them. Additionally, be mature enough in your faith to stand up for those that are being objectified. Be strong enough in your faith to gently help those who tell such stories to stop. Be part of the solution.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional
People who wink at wrong cause trouble, but a bold reproof promotes peace. ~ Proverbs 10:10 (NLT)
There is, or was, a tv show called “What Would You Do?” The idea behind the show was to create a situation that should require intervention by those passing by in order to help resolve it. The situation involved actors, but it all played out in public. The people around the scene were completely unaware that what was happening was fake. An example of such a situation would be someone attempting to steal a purse from a lady on a busy street. The lady fights back against her assailant. What would the people on the busy street do in response to witnessing this? The show was fairly popular for one simple reason – almost no one dared to offer assistance. You read that correctly. When someone was being attacked on a busy street many people watched, and felt concern over what they were witnessing, but the vast majority of them just stared or kept on walking. Eventually, after having run the scene several times, someone would do the right thing and jump in to help. It was only then that it was revealed as a setup; a social experiment if you will.
It turns out, as Americans, we talk a good game about being there for each other and standing up for what is right. But, in reality, we don’t tend to follow through with our actions when we are faced with reality.
The excuses that were given by people that just kept walking by were fairly typical: too busy, didn’t want to get involved, they were afraid they too would get hurt or killed, and so on. In other words, it wasn’t their problem, so why should they stick their neck out for someone else? Because it is the right thing to do, that’s why.
Our verse today hones in on this concept. “People who wink at wrong cause trouble, but a bold reproof promotes peace.” We aren’t called to be bystanders when we witness a wrong being committed. At school, that can be bullying or gossip. In workplaces it can be laziness, theft, or complaining. On the street, it can be just about anything. We are called to be peace makers. We aren’t called to turn a blind eye to injustice.
Christ is our perfect example. Sin wasn’t His problem. He didn’t commit it. It was our problem. Yet, He stood up for us. He did what was right and earned our freedom.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional
Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. ~ Galatians 6:4 (NLT)
In our world, it is very common for us to compare ourselves to someone else. For example, I wish I could preach as well as Randy Roberts, Mark Finley, or Louie Giglio. I wish I could write as well as authors Max Lucado, Lee Strobel, or even Ellen White. I wish I could conduct evangelistic campaigns like Billy Graham. All of these are fine preachers who get lots of kudos for their God-given abilities. They have prestige. Their words carry weight with millions of people around the world.
Yet, comparison is actually not born out of the Kingdom of God. I believe that the desire to compare ourselves to one another is part of our sinful nature. Nothing good can come out of wishing we were like someone else. In fact, one could easily argue that it breaks commandment number 10, “Don’t covet.” You see, coveting isn’t just about wishing we had someone else’s possessions. It can also be about coveting someone else’s personality, charisma, intelligence, abilities, and a myriad of other character traits.
Instead, God tells us that we are all uniquely made, with our own special abilities, personalities, and quirks. We are to work within the life that God has provided for us, not desire someone else’s. He made us to be, well, us. He has a plan for each of our lives.
When we try to become something that we are not, our lives can quickly spiral out of control. Life becomes all about us, rather than about serving others. It becomes about what we want, and how we are going to achieve it. The Apostle Paul warns against this philosophy in our verse today. “Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else.”
Work hard to thrive in the life that God has given you at this very moment. Let Him worry about where it is going, how it will grow, and how He will use you. Let Him lead you. Let Him show you how to serve and use the abilities and personality He has given to you. Thrive where He has planted you. Your satisfaction with life will prosper and your faith in who God made you to be will grow stronger.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional
Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. ~ Psalm 27:14 (NLT)
Patience is a virtue, or so I’ve been told. I’ve never been really good at patience. Sitting around and waiting for something to happen seems foreign. Why wait when we can do something, right?
In this day and age, waiting is something people pay billions of dollars to avoid. Think about it. We have fast food that is delivered in about 60 seconds. We have Amazon Prime, which guarantees delivery in two days instead of the standard three to five. (Two days still seems too long to me!) We can now stream movies and TV shows to our devices anywhere we get a Wi-Fi or cell signal. We used to have to drive down to a store to rent a movie and wait for that TV show to come on during its normally scheduled time on a particular day of the week. We have microwaves that can cook something in just a few minutes, when only a few decades ago one had to use an oven, which would take forever!
Oddly enough, this economy of not waiting has caused our society to look poorly upon those who make us wait. Don’t believe me? I’ve had people get mad at me because it took longer than just a few seconds to respond to their text message. I’ve had employees walk into my office and ask why I hadn’t responded to their email that they had sent me 90 seconds ago. I’ve heard people sigh and complain because it took somebody a minute to order at a fast food joint, rather than just the few seconds that they planned on consuming of the cashier’s time. We are a society that stinks at practicing patience.
Then we have this verse from King David, “Wait patiently for the Lord.” He also follows it up with, “Be brave and courageous.” In other words, being patient is a sign of bravery. How so?
When it comes to the Lord, patience is the ultimate demonstration of trust. It means we surrender our timeline of when things should get done to His. This requires courage. When things aren’t going well, we expect immediate results. But, God often doesn’t work that way. Instead, He makes sure everything is perfectly ready to go before He leads us. The result is that He is always correct, avoiding the snap judgments we make when we rush through things.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional
Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish. ~ Proverbs 18:13 (NLT)
It happens far too often. Someone goes on a rant and people take what they are saying as fact and begin rants of their own. This happened in the past when Walla Walla University was the target of one such rant. A person found a listing of the university church on a website that is not in line with SDA theology. Immediately, the person leapt to conclusions that the university church was somehow partnering with a ministry that was somewhat shady. An article was written and it was shared, and seen, hundreds of thousands of times. People were outraged that the university could do such a thing. People started calling for the entire pastoral team there to be fired. They also turned their vitriol on the university itself. Some even called for shutting down the university all-together, as it was a bastion of inappropriate theological teaching and was, therefore, brain washing our young people.
There was a small problem with all of this. The article was flat out false. It made a huge assumption that the university church, and the university itself, were tied to this other ministry when it couldn’t be farther from the truth. Yes, their name did appear on the other ministry’s website, but the university team was completely unaware it was listed there. Once they were made aware, they contacted the offending ministry to remove their name from the list of sponsoring organizations and it was immediately taken down.
No one bothered to contact the university our church to dialog with them about the perceived issue. No one contacted the offending ministry to see if the name listed there was legit or a mistake. But, everyone who participated in spreading the propaganda immediately went on the attack with zero factual information.
People, please, I beg of you, take this verse to heart, “Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish.” Not only does it reflect poorly on each of us, it also reflects poorly on the church, and our Christ.
We must do our own research. We must not just take someone’s word for it. We must check their sources for ourselves. We should read articles that offer different points of view. We must use the brain that God has given each of us.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. ~ Psalm 19:14 (NLT)
Have you ever said something that you wished you could take back? It’s as if the words flew out of your mouth, and as you heard them out loud you were horrified by what was coming out. In your mind, perhaps you were screaming “Come back!” at the words in an attempt to prevent them from entering the ears of those around you. But, once the words are out, they are unstoppable. Our reflexes are no match for the speed of sound.
In general, what we say and do are a reflection of what is going on inside of us. No, I’m not talking about biology. I’m talking about our thoughts. Our words match our thoughts. If we are thinking negative thoughts, our words carry negativity. If we are thinking positive thoughts, our words generally carry positivity.
So, here’s where our verse today comes in. “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” That phrase “meditation of my heart” is talking about our thoughts, our true desires. In other words, King David is praying that his words and thoughts will reflect positively on God.
As Christians, our words and actions are always a reflection of the God we represent. We are Christ’s representatives to the world. People are watching, and what they are hearing isn’t very positive. In fact, dare I say, that people outside of Christianity generally know what we are against, but have no idea what we are for. Our message is perceived as a message of negativity. This is a bit disturbing considering we represent a God of love and joy.
So, let us change the dialog. Let’s change the way we communicate in life. Let’s pray that God will give us His words to speak. Let’s pray that God will give us His thoughts to think and meditate on. Let’s pray that the dialog we have with others presents God in a positive light. Let’s pray that the message of the Kingdom of God – the Gospel of Jesus Christ – is received with joy. Let’s pray that God will shut our mouths (and shut down our keyboards) when they need to be shut, and open them when He has something to say.
May our words, actions, and thoughts always be pleasing to our Lord and Savior.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional
Honor the Lord for the glory of his name. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. ~ Psalm 29:2 (NLT)
Honor is a word that doesn’t get used much anymore. Sure, there are certain types of honors: military, Pathfinder, academic, and other such things based on the merits of what we’ve achieved. But, using the word honor to describe a person just doesn’t get included in our everyday vocabulary.
So, other than honors we earn, what does it actually mean? The dictionary definition is “good name or public esteem; a showing of usually merited respect.” In other words, a person is shown respect because of what they have done or said that has been found to have great merit. (They did good things) (See https://goo.gl/3idpGB for more detail)
As our verse today puts it, “Honor the Lord for the glory of his name.” Based on this definition of honor, He has done everything for us. So, He certainly deserves our honor. But, what does this look like in a practical sense? It’s quite simple: Do we show respect to Jesus?
Of course, our easy answer is a resounding yes! However, honoring Jesus goes much deeper than simply showing reverence during times of worship. When it comes to a relationship, respect is much more holistic. (It involves every area of our lives)
Here’s where things get more uncomfortable. Do we honor Jesus by accepting His invitation to spend time with Him each and every day? (Not just Sabbath) Do we honor Jesus by praying some thanks His direction, even when nothing is going wrong in our lives? Do we honor Jesus by spending daily time in His scriptures, discovering more and more truth about who He is? Do we honor Jesus by serving our communities, because that’s what He calls us to do? Do we honor Jesus when He calls us to contribute our time, talents, resources, and testimony in service to His church? Do we honor Jesus at home, behind closed doors when no one is watching? Do we honor Jesus by the things we do and say on social media? In summary, do we honor Jesus in every area of our lives?
Those are all loaded questions that each of us must answer for ourselves. They are rough, for sure, but needed to help us evaluate our level of commitment to God’s kingdom.
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional
My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them! ~ Proverbs 1:10 (NLT)
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional
Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. ~ Psalm 65:5 (NLT)
You can read more about the room of silence here: https://goo.gl/fqAA6B
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional
For we live by believing and not by seeing. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NLT)
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional
Listen in on Pastor Chad's sermon, his second in the Resolution series, about moving forward according to God's plans.
Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses. ~ 1 Timothy 6:12 (NLT)
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional
O Lord our God, others have ruled us, but you alone are the one we worship. ~ Isaiah 26:13 (NLT)
God #Jesus #Bible #Christian #Devotional
But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. ~ Jeremiah 17:7 (NLT)
... let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. ~ Hebrews 12:1b (NLT)
God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?" ~ Numbers 23:19 (NLT)
Jesus replied, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. ~ John 6:35 (NLT)
A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones. ~ Proverbs 14:30 (NLT)
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. ~ Proverbs 4:23 (NLT)
You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. ~ Psalm 16:11 (NLT)
Join Pastor Chad for his sermon from Jan. 2 about looking forward to a life with Jesus rather than looking back at our past.
"Your ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, "This is the way you should go," whether to the right or to the left." ~ Isaiah 30:21 (NLT)
But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:8 (NLT)
So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. ~ 1 Peter 5:6 (NLT)
The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. ~ Lamentations 3:25 (NLT)
*For a good look at what I'm talking about in this episode, check out this piece of artwork. Apparently there's a shark in there! https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/Stereogram_Tut_Random_Dot_Shark.png
Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you. ~ Psalm 143:8 (NLT)
Join Pastor Chad for his sermon from Dec. 12, as he shares about how chooses those who don't feel worthy to be his greatest missionaries.
Join Pastor Chad for his sermon from Dec. 5, as he shares about how God's plans often times lead us on epic journeys.
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation. ~ Colossians 1:15 (NLT)
Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people." ~ Colossians 3:23 (NLT)
You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done. ~ Psalm 92:4 (NLT)
Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. ~ Proverbs 3:13 (NLT)
Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgement. ~ Proverbs 9:10 (NLT)
Your laws are always right; help me to understand them so I may live. ~ Psalm 119:144 (NLT)
God's voice is glorious in the thunder. We can't even imagine the greatness of his power. ~ Job 37:5 (NLT)
This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. ~ Psalm 118:24 (NLT)
Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does. ~ 1 Chronicles 16:24 (NLT)
The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. ~ Psalm 19:1 (NLT)
Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. ~ Psalm 10:17 (NLT)
For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time - to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. ~ 2 Timothy 1:9 (NLT)
When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. ~ Psalm 32:3 (NLT)
Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish. ~ Proverbs 18:13 (NLT)
Join Pastor Chad for his sermon called "Are You Truly" from November 21, 2020. You will be inspired/challenged to live a life of thankfulness to God.
Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. ~ 1 Timothy 4:12 (NLT)
He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. ~ Psalm 91:4 (NLT)
This is real love - not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. ~ 1 John 4:10 (NLT)
Join Pastor Chad as he shares his sermon from Nov. 14, 2020 called "Thank God!" Based on Psalm 106:1, this sermon will empower you to be excited about the Kingdom of God.
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. ~ James 1:5 (NLT)
That is why the Lord says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.” ~ Joel 2:12 (NLT)
But Lord, be merciful to us, for we have waited for you. Be our strong arm each day and our salvation in times of trouble. ~ Isaiah 33:2 (NLT)
Join Pastor Chad for the finale of his "Too Far Gone" series with Part 3 - You Are Loved, preached on Nov. 7, 2020. Based on Romans 8, you will be inspired by, and in awe of, God's love for you and me.
Don’t scheme against each other. Stop your love of telling lies that you swear are the truth. I hate all these things, says the Lord. ~ Zechariah 8:17 (NLT)
He will listen to the prayers of the destitute. He will not reject their pleas. ~ Psalm 102:17 (NLT)
For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. ~ 1 John 2:16 (NLT)
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns! ~ Isaiah 52:7 (NLT)
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. ~ Galatians 5:24 (NLT)
Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect the king. ~ 1 Peter 2:17 (NLT)
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. ~ 1 Timothy 2:1 (NLT)
Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. ~ 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NLT)
Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe. ~ Proverbs 2:11 (NLT)
Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ. ~ Philippians 3:8 (NLT)
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow - not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. ~ Romans 8:38 (NLT)
Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. ~ 1 Corinthians 16:13 (NLT)
My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises! ~ Psalm 57:7 (NLT)
The Lord detests the use of dishonest scales, but he delights in accurate weights. ~ Proverbs 11:1 (NLT)
But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too. ~ Mark 11:25 (NLT)
Listen in to Pastor Chad's sermon from Oct. 17, 2020 called Never Too Far Gone -Part 2. This is, of course, the second in a series of three teachings detailing the saving power of Jesus Christ
Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. ~ James 4:17 (NLT)
Think carefully about what is right, and stop sinning. For to your shame I say that some of you don’t know God at all. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:34 (NLT)
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. ~ Romans 5:8 (NLT)
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. ~ John 10:11 (NLT)
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many. ~ Matthew 20:28 (NLT)
Listen to Pastor Chad's sermon from Oct. 10, 2020 called Never Too Far Gone, the first in a series of three teachings detailing the saving power of Jesus Christ.
But despite all the miraculous signs Jesus had done, most of the people still did not believe in him. ~ John 12:37 (NLT)
And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” ~ Matthew 21:9 (ESV)
My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ~ Galatians 2:20 (NLT)
Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. ~ Colossians 2:7 (NLT)
Join Pastor Chad for his sermon called "Breakthrough," preached on Oct. 3, 2020.
If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. ~ James 3:13 (NLT)
Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don't let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. ~ Psalm 19:13 (NLT)
The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in those who tell the truth. ~ Proverbs 12:22 (NLT)
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 (NLT)
Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly. ~ Psalm 5:3 (NLT)
Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly. ~ Psalm 5:3 (NLT)
Join Pastor Chad for his message from Sept. 26, 2020, as he shares how we, as the church, can make a HUGE impact on our community.
Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish. ~ Proverbs 18:13 (NLT)
Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the Lord will be joyful. ~ Proverbs 16:20
The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. ~ Psalm 34:17 (NLT)
Join Pastor Chad for his message from Sept. 12, 2020, as he shares why we get it wrong when we call our worship space "the church."
Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. ~ John 14:1 (NLT)
Our people must learn to do good by meeting the urgent needs of others; then they will not be unproductive. ~ Titus 3:14 (NLT)
For I am waiting for you, O Lord. You must answer for me, O Lord my God. ~ Psalm 38:15 (NLT)
For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! ~ 2 Corinthians 4:17 (NLT)
The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. ~ John 1:4 (NLT)
You are the light of the world - like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. ~ Matthew 5:14 (NLT)
The Lord is my light and my salvation - so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?Psalm 27:1 (NLT) Growing up in Fresno, California, we didn’t get too many extreme winter events that often. However, there was one event that was fairly crazy,...... Continue Reading →
Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” ~ John 8:12 (NLT)