Devotionals from Dad: Recent Episodes
Jeff
I am a simple man that wants to be able to share short 5 to 6 minute Christian devotions based upon my own personal life experiences. The devotionals have been created for my children and grandchildren, however I am hopeful that many others will find them inspirational.
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I don't consider myself old, but at 60 years old I have gained a few more life experiences than some. I have have struggled with a marriage that ultimately failed. I have had two infant sons that I have buried. I spent 4 years as a single father raising 3 young girls. I shared my sister's grief when her 19 year old son was killed in an auto accident. And now my wife and I are in the phase where we are assisting our parents as the age and are no longer able to physically do the things they once did when they were younger. Here is my difficult question for you. What does God's word say about caring for our elderly parents.
Exodus 20:12 ESV Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
Caring for our aging parents is not only a command from God, it is beneficial to us and distinctly embodies the kind of practical expression of love that God's people should be known for. The obligation of parents to care for their children is universally accepted. Countless books, blogs, and podcasts have been created to direct and encourage parents in the support of their children. Yet strangely enough, there is not the same plethora of information when the cycle of care comes full circle. God's Word clearly teaches that every generation is to care for the men and women that preceded them. Honoring our fathers and mothers is the fifth commandment and sets the standard that is echoed throughout Scripture to submit to our parents, for this pleases the Lord.
Ephesians 6: 2-3 ESV “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”
Caring for our parents in their later years is the culmination of a life submitted to honoring them. Perhaps one of the greatest ways we can honor them is to care for them when it becomes more difficult for them to care for themselves. In Scripture, Moses, David, and Job all taught of the value that the older generations have to offer. Deuteronomy 32:7 “Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations; ask your father, and he will show you, your elders, and they will tell you.” Proverbs 16:31 “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.” Proverbs 23:22 “Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.” Caring for the aging is a natural and fitting expression of Christianity. In fact, the Apostle Paul said that to not provide for the elderly reveals a heart that is completely inconsistent with our faith and is worse than that of unbelievers.
1 Timothy 5:8 ESV But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
As God's people, the Church, we should graciously attend to the needs of our seniors and parents and display the love of God as we do so. As your support in your aging parents life grows, some task that you can provide assistance with might be tasks like grocery shopping, mowing the lawn, and getting them to medical appointments. Perhaps the day will come when an individual in your life will require more support, such as the need for a professional caregiver, or detailed estate planning. Whatever the expression of your care is for a family member, approach such service with the heart of Christ, and seek to learn from and honor them as you do so.
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The year 2026 marks the 250th birthday of the United States of America. It has become a year long celebration for our nation. I will be the first to tell you that I feel very blessed to have been born in a free nation where I can worship and gather without fear. I do not consider myself to be a rich person but in comparison to other countries I am wealthy. The poorest 20 percent of Americans are richer. on average, than most European nations. The privilege of living in the US affords poor people more material resources than the averages for most of the world’s richest nations. The United States was built by visionary rulers who united fragmented groups and colonies and established centralized government. The United States government has changed over time by shifting power from individual states to a stronger central federal authority, expanding civil rights through constitutional amendments, and growing the power of the president and other federal agencies. The United States government faces deep political division, high national debt, and intense debates over executive power. I love my nation but one day all people in every nation will bow their knee to Jesus Christ.
2 Philippians 2: 10-11 ESV so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
In second Corinthians chapter 5, the apostle Paul discusses the future hope and glorious reality that awaits believers in heaven. He begins by describing a spiritual, eternal dwelling place that God has prepared for believers after they die and depart this earth: “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” Being a tent maker by trade, Paul considered the tent a fitting analogy for the temporary nature of our current earthly, mortal bodies. The human body is temporal, weak, and prone to decay, muck like the tents Paul made with his hands and much like my beloved country. By contrast, our future heavenly bodies will be permanent, beautiful, and glorious.
2 Corinthians 5:1 ESV For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Right now, we live in a tent, but our permanent home is a heavenly house and our citizenship is in heaven. This “house not made with hands” is durable, built to weather every storm. No matter how much of a patriot you are you must recognize the possibility that one day The United States could cease to exist. As Christians we need not fear the fall of our nation or even death itself. As Christians, we need not fear death or the destruction of our bodies. No matter what happens to these mortal tents we live in now, we will inherit imperishable, glorified bodies. The house not made with hands in which we will dwell completes the transformation and redemption that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. After Jesus was resurrected, He told His disciples, “Because I live, you also will live.”
John 14:19 ESV Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.
One day, this tent will be taken down. When we die, our physical bodies will be destroyed. When Jesus returns for His church, He will raise our dead bodies in glory. Body and spirit will be joined together for all eternity, comprising a glorious building from God, a house not made with hands.
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I got married at a very young age and for all the wrong reasons. After 8 years my marriage failed. It was during this point in my life, I believe I developed OCD. My life seems to be in chaos, so I did everything I within my power to try and control that chaos. I had red and blue plates and those plates always had to be sorted by color. In my cabinets I sorted all the fruits into a section and all the vegetables into another section. I developed an odd affinity for even numbers. The volume control on the TV and radio had to be on an even number or at least a number that was a multiple of 5. None of this stuff really fixed the problems I was facing but it gave me and odd sense of control during a period of my life that seemed to be spinning out of control. One of my OCD habits that has stuck with me to this day some 30 years later is I alphabetize all the spices in my spice rack. My children, who are grown adults now, get a big kick out of messing up my OCD spice rack when they come to visit, just to see how long it will take dear old dad to notice. So my difficult, maybe even crazy question is this. Does God share my OCD? Is God a God of order?
1 Corinthians 14:33 CSB since God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints.
Let me begin by making this perfectly clear, I don't believe God has a disorder like my OCD, however I do believe that He is a God of order. First Corinthians 14:33 is a rebuke of the Corinthian church. Their worship services were out of control, chaotic, and even offensive to unbelievers who visited. The book of first Corinthians is, in part, a letter outlining proper conduct in the worship of God. Paul bases the command for order in the church service on the fact that God Himself is a God of order, not chaos. Order implies a neat and logical organization of items, tasks, or people. When a room is in order, it has been tidied and everything is in its proper place. God’s universe is orderly. He created everything in an orderly sequence, in a six-day span, that set the world as we know it into motion. He created the sun, moon, and stars to regulate time and seasons and the heavenly bodies operate with precise predictability.
Psalm 104:19 ESV He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting.
God exists outside of time as we know it, but He created time as a way to mark change. Time is orderly, sequential, and does not vary based on anything mankind can control. Time keeps us orderly. Rich or poor, young or old, we all have the same number of hours in a day. The sun will rise and set on schedule no matter what may be happening on earth. Because God is a God of order, He keeps everything in motion as He first designed. It is His orderly hand that holds the world in place. God even holds together the smallest of pieces of creation, the atom, which is extremely small, around 100 pico-meters across. A human hair is about 1 million pico-meters wide. And we all know what happens with you split an atom, you get destructive power of an Atomic bomb.
Colossians 1:17 ESV And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Since God is a God of order, it makes sense that we appreciate order, too. This gives me a sense of peace, maybe my desire to put everything in order isn't so bad after all. God created us to think in orderly ways, to reason, judge, and consider all aspects of a matter. God enjoys our communion with Him, our questions, our studying of His Word, and our willingness to let Him bring order to our chaotic thoughts. The more like Him we become, the more orderly our lives will be because He is a God of order.
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I am confident that if you are a devoted and faithful Christian you have experienced an unanswered prayer. In the fall of 2020 my father in law, Garland Hendren, was going to the doctor for some health issues, at the time seemed they seemed insignificant. A mass was found on his pancreas and surgery was scheduled to remove it. We learned he had pancreatic cancer. Garland was a faithful Christian. He had many Christian friends at his church and throughout the community that were praying for him to be healed from the cancer. Everyone in our family was praying for him as well. I know that myself and my wife Joyce, his youngest daughter, were asking God to give us a miracle and heal his body completely. However in May of 2021 the cancer got the best of him and our prayers went unanswered.
Lamentations 3: 31-33 ESV For the Lord will not cast off forever, for, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men.
Why do you think some prayers are unanswered despite their heartfelt, sincere, and unselfish motives? I don’t think we can know why God answers some prayers the way we want and not others. Sometimes God reveals his glory by answering our prayers the way we hoped, but sometimes he reveals his glory through our learning to depend on him as we experience his faithfulness and trustworthiness through a difficult trial. He uses our life situations to make himself known to us and to the world, to draw others to himself. No matter how he responds to our prayer, we can be confident he is working to reveal his glory more fully to us.
2 Cor. 1:8–9 ESV For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.
Think about it, even your salvation is based on and unanswered prayer. Just before Jesus was arrested. In the garden of Gethsemane He prayed to his Father three times asking, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as my will, but yours be done. The cup to which Jesus refers is the suffering He was about to endure.
Matthew 26:39 ESV And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
Jesus is fully God, but He is also fully human. His human nature, though perfect, still struggled with the need to accept the torture and shame that awaited Him. His flesh recoiled from the cross. Jesus knew of what was to come. The agony He faced was going to be more than physical; it would be spiritual and emotional, as well. Our God is a Holy God, so much so, that he can't be in the presence of sin. He is so holy that at the moment Jesus took upon himself all the sins of the world, past, present and future, at that very moment God turned his back on his only Son.
Mark 15:34 ESV And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
If God had listened to his Jesus prayer and responded, you know my son, man is a mess, his thoughts and heart is filled always with sin. Let's just destroy him and start all over. But God didn't answer Jesus prayer and because of that I can place my faith in Jesus and spend eternity in Heaven.
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I can always tell when I have said or did something that made my wife Joyce unhappy with me. As soon as the words leave my mouth, the expression on her face tells me what she is thinking, without her saying a word! Joyce speaks as much with her facial expressions as she does with her words. I have always jokingly told her, I was going to make a calendar that displayed her facial expressions, with a definition on each month. The only problem with this idea is that 12 months is not enough to display all the different expressions she uses. So my difficult question to you is why do so many Christians think that it acceptable or even pleasing to God to attend church and worship with a facial expression that looks like they have just drank a glass of vinegar?
Luke 2:10 ESV And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
If we are honest, all of us must admit that it is very easy to become grumpy and disgruntled at times while we are working or serving others in the church. Perhaps we are overworked and interrupted by overly demanding people. That being said Christians should avoid the sourpuss syndrome at all costs! What message is this giving those attending the church, that may not yet have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior? I have a low tolerance for gloomy, melancholy Christians whose sourpuss faces contrast with the joy of the Gospel! Instead of living from a profound sense of security that you should have from knowing the love of Jesus Christ and the assurance his forgiveness! This should give us a deep-down joy! The “Good News” is a gospel of peace, because it brings peace between God and those who put their faith in Jesus Christ: Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ, He has brought you into this place of undeserved privilege.
Romans 5: 1-2 ESV Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Christians are ultimately just people, meaning they struggle with the same bad days, stress, and relationship issues, just like everyone else. Unfortunately, a joyless disposition can act as a poor advertisement for your faith. Some people live right but they always look like they have spent the night drinking a bottle of lemon juice. If you struggle in this area, you need to listen carefully. Your salvation should be the source of great joy, and that joy and happiness should be expressed in your life in a dynamic way!
John 15:11 ESV These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
Joy is one of the hallmarks of the Kingdom of God. Even when we are going through a rough patch, the Bible says we are to be full of joy. Joy makes the gospel attractive. If you put on a sour face all the time and you have a negative disposition, you will scare people away from church. You make the gospel seem like something people would never want. Like the old hymn says: “Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take him at his word; just to rest upon his promise and to know, Thus saith the Lord.” I may not know what tomorrow brings but I know the one who holds tomorrow!
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If you know me very well at all you know that I have a mental illness. I have no official diagnoses and I don't seek medical attention, I just manage my own symptoms. I am sure if I went to a doctor I would be diagnosed with Obsessive Control Disorder or OCD. I count everything. I alphabetize the spices in my spice rack. The volume control on all my electronic devices must stop on an even number or at least something that is a multiple of 5. Everything has a place and everything must be in it's place. All joking aside, mental illness is a real issue in the United States. According to Mental Health America, approximately 1 in 5 adults, over 60 million people, live with a mental illness. The most common conditions are anxiety disorders which affects, 42.5 million adults that live daily with an anxiety disorder. This is followed by major depression. 14.6 million adults in the United States have experienced conditions that significantly interfere with their daily life. 21 million people experience at least one major depressive episode per year, and women are nearly twice as likely to suffer from major depression as men.
Romans 5:12 ESV Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned!
Mental illness, like physical illness, is a consequence of the Fall. Sin has corrupted all of creation, including human minds, leading to disorders such as depression, anxiety, and psychosis. Just as legs can break and eyes might not see, it is also possible for minds not to work as they were designed to either. It is a sad reality of the world in which we live.
Roman 8: 18 ESV For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Even in the midst of mental illness, God is at work, and believers can hold onto hope. In Christ, we have the hope that the broken world we inhabit, the way things are now, is not how they will always be. Jesus is coming again to make all things new. There will be an end to our suffering. In the meantime, in the midst of our suffering, we can remember that, even our suffering is not wasted. God is using it, even if we cannot see or feel exactly how, to make us more like the Lord Jesus.
Romans 8: 35-39 ESV Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul is pretty comprehensive here! If we have genuine faith in Christ, if our sins, past, present and future, have been nailed to the cross of Christ, than nothing can separate us from God. As the old hymn rightly says, ‘our sin, not in part, but the whole’ is included, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Not even mental illness! Christian theology generally emphasizes that God's grace and salvation are not dependent on a person's mental capacity to remember or profess faith, but on God's perfect love. Further, believers are instructed to care for the vulnerable. We are to care for the less fortunate whether that be because of physical or mental illness and we are to respect and care for the elderly.
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Upon occasion I have been to a large office facility and just inside the door is a map of the building with locations for all the office and names of the each person, in each office. Also on the map is a big star with the words “You Are Here.” I know, at least for me, I can study that map intently, and even though the star is indicating to me where I am, I am still not confident that I know exactly where I am or even where I need to be. Sometimes my spiritual life can feel the same way. At times it can be so hard to know God's will for my life that and it can be confusing, so confusing that I am not exactly sure, where I am or where God is calling me to go! In the book of Jeremiah the prophet is given directions for the people of Judah to follow. Jeremiah sent a letter recording a message from God to the elders in exile, the priests, the prophets, and all the people taken by Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. In that letter, God foretells that the people of Judah would one day return to Him.
Jeremiah 29: 10-11 ESV For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
God promises to return his people to their land after the captivity. He will hear their prayers for their return. So my difficult question to you is this, is it necessary to plead with God to do what he has already promised to do? Shouldn't their prayers be that of thanksgiving to God as they wait for the expectant answer to God's divine promise? From a theological perspective, it is not necessary to plead God in an attempt to change God’s mind or force His hand, as His promises are already certain, they are unchanging. However, pleading with, or reminding God, of His promises is a vital spiritual practice meant to align your heart with His, build your faith, and demonstrate your trust in His character.
Jeremiah 29: 12-14 ESV Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
While these prophecies and promises are specifically related to the people of Judah and Israel, the principle that God will draw near to those who draw near to Him is a universal truth... But we have to draw near to God on His own terms, with clean hands and purified hearts. Clean hands and a clean heart that only God can provide by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
James 4:8 ESV Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
While Jeremiah’s letter recorded the words of God for the exiled people of Judah, readers today can benefit from recognizing that the same God who said, “You will find me when you seek me with all your heart,” has also told us that we can draw near to Him and He will draw near to us and that He will never leave or forsake us.
Hebrews 13:5 ESV Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
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I got married when I was 18 years old and my bride was only 16. I had this dream that if I loved my wife, like my father loved my mother, my marriage could survive anything. I truly thought love conquered all, boy was I ever wrong! My marriage lasted 8 years. During that time I had 3 daughters. After my divorce I spent 4 years as a single parent. This time was the most agonizing and difficult days of my entire life. One night I had a dream that my home was on fire and I couldn't find my daughters or get out of the house. In my dream the fire surrounded me and I was helpless to do anything about it. When I woke up I found myself wrapped in the sheets from my bed and drenched in sweat. The dream was so real that I called my mother and woke her up just so I could hear her voice and be assured that I wasn't burning to death. The bible describes Hell as a place of suffering, separation, and judgment. It is portrayed as a place of eternal punishment, unquenchable fire, total darkness, and a deep separation from God.
Matthew 13: 47-50 ESV Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
I hear so many people talk about Hell in such a flippant manner. They think that Hell is just one giant drunken party where they will go to hang out with their friends and really raise some Hell! I also hear people out of frustration and anger tell someone that they can go to Hell! Hell is such a terrible place I wouldn't want my worst enemy to be sent there. Hell is a place far more frightful than we could ever imagine. The Bible uses many very graphic pictures to describe Hell. Each image is terrifying. But the combination is even more horrifying than you can imagine. Second Peter 2:17 tells us that Hell is a place of total darkness. Matthew 5:20 says Hell is a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. Revelation 21:8 says it is a lake that burns with fire and sulfur. Jude 6 says Hell is a prison of everlasting chains from which there is no hope of release. The suffering in hell is beyond all comparison to any suffering found in this world today.
Revelation 20:15 ESV And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Knowing theses truths about the torment of Hell why then was it so hard for me, when I was younger to bow my knee and surrender my life to Jesus Christ? The bible tells us that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Philippians 2: 9-11 ESV Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
For those of us who are still living we must heed the warning in God's word about eternity in Hell. It is appointed for each of us to die once and then to face the judgment. Because one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Those who have hardened their hearts to the call of the gospel will bow their knees with great fear and trembling. Hell is a place of eternal punishment, where the suffering will never end! So it is better to bow your knee now, than to do so at the Judgment day.
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I have to admit at times I can have a very sharp tongue. Sometimes the sarcasm just flows out of my mouth so quickly and easily, it is amazing! Stupid people really get my sarcasm flowing. Some of my favorites quips of sarcasm are, “I would agree with you, but then we would both be wrong,” “If I were any better there would need to be two of me,” and one of my most favorite ones is “I talk to myself because sometimes I just need some intelligent conversation.” To be completely honest I kind of love sarcasm. I understand that it may not be the most proper or civilized trait, and I fully recognize that I’m often too sarcastic for my own good. Often times my sarcasm is just unfiltered truth. Sometimes when I see someone doing something really stupid I point out their flaws rather than treating them with respect and helping them correct what may have been an honest mistake. So is sarcasm a sin? Scripture doesn’t explicitly say that it is, so we can’t make that claim. However sarcasm is often rooted in sinfulness and therefore used to increase sin, rather than increase holiness.
Proverbs 26:18-19 ESV Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, I am only joking!
This might be the closest thing to a clear example of sarcasm being condemned in the Bible. What is described here in Proverbs 26 goes against what Jesus said in Matthew 5 about just talking in a trustworthy way, with integrity and honesty.
Matthew 5:37 ESV Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
Let your yes be yes, means that you should say what you mean. It’s that simple. However sometimes the truth can be hurtful! Christians often talk about the need to speak the truth in love, a command found Ephesians.
Ephesians 4:15-16 ESV Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body is joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Truth may give you the message you need to share, but love gives you the method! Many times the truth I need to share is difficult, however when the truth is shared in a gentle, kind, inoffensive manner it will be more likely to be listened to or even accepted. From a practical standpoint, we know that difficult things are best heard when our defenses are not up. In a loving, non-threatening environment, hard truths are more readily received. By the grace of God, my sinful sarcastic tendencies have been confronted many times over. If yours have, don’t despair. There’s grace for the sarcastic. Christ died while we were yet joking, jabbing, and laughing at others. He came to pardon our prideful, mocking, and rebellious hearts. He made a way for us to be restored to fellowship with the Father when we deserved punishment and hell. In light of eternity, choosing to encourage and lift a soul is infinitely more valuable than my sharp tongue will ever be! God’s unmerited grace through Christ leads me to repentance when my sarcasm goes too far. It compels me to apologize when my words cut deep. So the next time you feel the need to be sarcastic do you best to bridal that sharp tongue. Your words are more powerful than your may ever know on this side of eternity!
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I am a type A personality. I love to make plans of all I am going to accomplish for the day. Every week almost without exception, I write a todo list for the weekend. My inner control freak gets a bit of a sense of accomplishment, when everything on my todo list completed. On the other hand it gives me a great deal of anxiety when my list doesn't get completed. When this happens I start a new list for the next week and move that item to the top of my list. What does the bible have to say about making plans for the future?
James 4: 13-16 ESV Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit” yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
My difficult question to you is this, do I make plans for my days or is my highly structured possibly, OCD todo list a sin? After all, according to God's word I do not know what tomorrow will bring for me. If you think about it, God is a planner. In Genesis 1:26, we hear the Trinity say, let us make man in our image, in our likeness. That sounds to me like the God head is making plans for the future. But God doesn’t just make plans for himself, like I do. He laid out his plans to both Moses and Joshua Exodus 3 and Joshua 6. He had detailed instructions for how the nation of Israel was to worship Him Leviticus. He has written out every day of our lives as well.
Psalm 139:16 HCSB Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began.
God is the one who is in control and in charge. He has determined the beginning and the ending. He has placed us in our various roles in His Story. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t plan. Even though God has already determined our future, it doesn’t mean that He will give us all the details. You must daily pray and spend time in God's word and He will reveal to you His plans, but He doesn't hand us all the details. He assumes we will plan too, counting the cost, and affirms the wisdom of His plans. It is an awareness that even if I am not the one in charge, I am still responsible! I am not in charge of my own destiny, but I will need to answer to God on how I have managed what He has given me. When we take the time to plan, we are living proactively. However, we need to remember that when we make plans, there are some guidelines we should follow when making those plans. First, our plans need to reflect God's purposes. Secondly, our plans need to bring glory to God. And lastly, we need to commit our plans to God so that he may establish them.
Proverbs 19:21 ESV Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
We are saved be the grace of God to do His good will. Doing good works instead of flying by the seat of our pants, hoping that we’ll get to it sometime. I say to things to myself as much as I am to those who may hear me. Make sure that your plans include God and bring glory to God and don't forget to take advantage of the opportunities at hand when they arise, even if they don't happen to be on your todo list or according to your plans for the day. Remember God is in control even when it feels like life is out of control!
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Many of us have pet names for our spouse. Common pet names include: babe or baby, hun, sweetheart or sweetie, cutie pie, pookie and honey bun. For years I have called my wife, my beautiful bride or my queen and I am her humble servant. All joking aside I consider myself a blessed man to have a devoted, loving and Godly wife. What exactly does it mean to have Godly wife? To define a godly wife, we must first consider what the word godly means. In 1st Timothy 2:2, Paul uses the word in conjunction with being, peaceful, quiet, and dignified.
1 Timothy 2:2 ESV for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
The Bible says the Holy Spirit, who is in every believer, both men and women, produces visible and invisible acts of godliness: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. However there is a strength of character that is found more frequently in a godly wife, that is not commonly found in men. A godly wife, whose life is rooted in faith, exhibits grace and forgiveness, unwavering trust, quiet dignity, and compassionate leadership. Fortunately, the Bible gives more specific qualifications as to what a godly woman, particularly a godly wife, looks like. Proverbs 31 says An excellent wife is far more precious than jewels.
Proverbs 31: 10 ESV An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.
A godly wife has the heart and trust of her husband. She does him good, and not harm She works with willing hands. She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household. She dresses herself with strength and dignity. She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. She opens her mouth with wisdom. Her children rise up and call her blessed; and her husband praises her. The world defines a trophy wife as a beauty queen, but the bible says beauty is vain.
Proverbs 31: 30 ESV Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Finally, a godly wife should be submissive to her husband.
Ephesians 5:22 ESV Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
What does a submissive wife look like? Not what you might think. The Bible teaches that Jesus submits to His Father. Yet Jesus is equal to the Father. Therefore, a submissive wife is not less valuable as a human being; her role is not less important, but it is different. Christians know that Christ is every bit as divine as the Father and the Holy Spirit, but each plays a different role. In the same way, men and women each play a different part in marriage. So, for a wife to be submissive to her husband as Christ is submissive to the Father means she willingly allows her husband to lead. Jesus went willingly to the cross, although not without distress. He knew the Father’s way was best. A godly wife may find the path of submissiveness painful at times, but following God will always result in spiritual rewards that last for all eternity. Submission does not imply weakness; a submissive wife is not “unintelligent” or “unimportant.” Submission requires strength, dignity, and devotion. A woman can be a godly wife without being perfect, we know there is no such thing as human perfection. But my beautiful bride is as close to perfection as they come. I thank God daily for my wife.... My wife, my beautiful bride, makes me a better man!
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My younger listeners you won't remember the TV show Hee-Haw. It aired from 1969 to 1993. Gloom, despair and agony on me was a reoccurring skit on the show. Four moonshiners, typically Grandpa Jones, Gordie Tapp, Roy Clark, and Archie Campbell, would sing about their troubles with women, and the song went like this: Gloom, despair, and agony on me. Deep, dark depression, excessive misery. If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all. Gloom, despair, and agony on me! I feel confident that many of us have gone through seasons in our life when it felt like your misfortune would have no end. Jesus told the disciples to “be of good cheer” just as they were about to face the darkest, most troubling time of their lives. He would soon be leaving them and He knew that severe persecution, suffering, and the possibility of death awaited each of them.
John 16:33 ESV I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
I once heard it said that if your bible is tattered and held together by duct tape then your life is likely in pretty good shape. Don't take this wrong I am not trying to brag, but my bible was given to me by my mother more than 30 years ago. It is a study bible, in the Living Bible translation. I have a nice leather cover over on it, but if you remove the cover you will see that the binding is being held together by duct tape. The inside cover has five questions written in it that you should ask a someone you are trying to witness to and underneath that are the verses to the Romans Road complete with the page numbers. Although the pages of my bible are torn and tattered I wouldn't trade it for a million dollars. Look at you bible. Is it covered with duct tape or has it sat in the same place on a book shelf for so long that if you moved it you would see the dust imprint from where it was. All that being said Jesus told us that there would be times of tribulation in our lives. In the letter to the Hebrews, the author writes to a group of believers who were weary and worn from suffering. They were experiencing persecution for their faith.
Hebrews 12: 3-4 ESV Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
Though we don’t often face the same levels of suffering that the early church faced, we do find ourselves worn by life in a fallen world. We find ourselves battling the same temptations and sins, wondering if we’ll ever conquer them. We experience rejection from family, friends, and co-workers for our faith. We grow weary from standing for truth in an increasingly post-truth world. We are worn from illnesses, caring for loved ones, watching a loved one lose the battle with cancer or any number of other issues. So if your life seems to be in shambles take out your bible and dig into God's word. Spend so much time in your bible that you begin to wear it out, even if that means holding it together with duct tape.
John 15: 10-11 ESV If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
To grasp the significance of John 15:10 and 11, we must set our eyes on Jesus, who is the embodiment of joyful, loving obedience. In the face of fierce opposition, Jesus found joy in fulfilling the will of His Father. Obedience stems from love and is the one and only source of true joy.
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Every month my credit card company send me a statement that shows what I have purchased and what I owe. With this statement comes a report of my credibility and my credit score. My credit score is calculated by and includes all the actions and details of the things I did financially during that past 30 days. My financial choices may have either had a positive or a negative impact on my credit score. My credit score is a measure of how much I can be trusted, believed in, and deemed reliable, financially speaking. It is a worthiness of trust and belief. If there was such a thing as a “Christian Credit Score” would you have positive or negative score? As Christians, life choices act as a witness, either drawing others to Christ or creating barriers to the gospel.
John 13:34-35 ESV A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
When we choose to give our lives completely to the Lord and invite His Holy Spirit to fill our hearts, we become one with Christ. He gives us a little bit of heaven down here. The way we live will affect those around us. Our desire should be to live so that others will desire to know the Lord as well.
We may have made some wrong choices in the past, and today are living with the consequences of those choices. But we serve a God of second chances. As we confess our failures, the Lord forgives and restores our relationship with Him. He can take the broken pieces of our lives and put them back together again, producing something beautiful. It is never too late to make a new choice. If you find yourself on the wrong road because of choices you have made in the past, stop, turn around, find the right direction in the Word of God, and walk in the way that the Lord leads.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
My difficult question to you is this, How do you improve your “Christian Credit Score?” Small, consistent daily decisions, like kindness, patience in traffic, or integrity in business, create a positive ripple effect, often motivating others to re-evaluate their own actions and faith. By choosing to act with love, forgiveness, and generosity, we become the more like Christ. But what does this look like what are some ways I can love, forgive and be generous? Well you can start by attentively listening to those around you. Rather than planning your response, just stop and listen with your heart and your ears. Another action you can take is to stop your so called busy day and give to the person standing on the street, holding the cardboard sign, without judging them. Choices in relationships and daily life provide a visible example for others, often leading them to seek a similar foundation of faith.
Matthew 5:16 ESV In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Now more than ever, others need to see Jesus in us. Not the Jesus the media portrays. Not the Jesus that others have created in their minds. But the Jesus of the Bible. The Jesus of the cross. The Jesus who lives in our hearts and loves without reason!
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I have blue jeans that I wear that I have owned for many years. They are the most comfortable clothing I have, but they no longer resemble what they did they day I bought them. The knees are worn through. They have been patched, where I have snagged them. They are no longer the bright blue they were when I bought them. Over the years they have been transformed by daily life and use,.. oh but they are so comfortable! I could replace them with a new pair a jeans but then I would have to start the process all over, transforming them into the comfortable jeans I love and by the time that process is complete they are nearly ready to be replaced again. Time transforms everything. My body is not the same as it was when I was younger. I have grown gray hair. I have lost hair. My skin has become wrinkled. I have aches and pains that I never could have imagined I would ever have, when I was a young man. Time transforms everything. When I am planting my garden in the spring. I open a packet of seeds. The seeds inside of the packet look nothing like the plant they will become. They must be put into the soil and die before they can become useful to me.
John 12:24 ESV Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
Being a tent maker by trade, Paul considered the tent a fitting analogy for the temporary nature of our current earthly, mortal bodies. The human body is temporal, weak, and prone to decay, much like the simple, temporary structures Paul made with his hands. Tents serve a purpose, but they are not meant to be permanent dwelling places. By contrast, our future heavenly bodies will be permanent, beautiful, and glorious. They are our “forever home” that will never show signs of weakness or decay. They will be made for us by God himself, not by human hands.
2 Corinthians 5:1 ESV For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
As we age, our bodies and our minds change. Just like my favorite pair of jeans that I have grown to love, they wear out. Our bodies and those of our loved ones get weak and our minds grow forgetful and eventually they are completely worn out. Just like my garden seeds, our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies. What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later.
1 Corinthians 15: 40-44 ESV There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
As Christians, we need not fear death or the destruction of our bodies. No matter what happens to these mortal tents we live in now, we will inherit imperishable, glorified bodies. The house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
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I have grown up in church and I have heard many people pray, in many different ways. I can tell you that I pray differently when I am asked to do so in a public setting, than I do in private. When I am in a public with my co-workers some of which I know have faith in God and some I am pretty confident don't, and I am asked to bless a meal, I pray differently than I do when I am asked to pray in church with my brothers and sisters in Christ. Finally, when I am in the privacy of my home I pray much differently. I would even say that depending upon my state of mind, if I am struggling emotionally with the trials and tribulations of life and my heart is in distress, then my prayers are totally different than they are when God is blessing me and everything in life is well. So my difficult question to you today is this, is there a correct way to pray? Is there a wrong way to pray?
Matthew 26: 36-39 ESV Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” and taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
Praying correctly means engaging in honest, heart-felt conversation with God rather than using perfect words. When Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane he fell on his face and poured our his heart. Prayer does not require special formal language or a specific posture; you can pray silently, aloud, sitting, or kneeling. The goal is to build a relationship with God. I have known people that when they have been asked to pray in church, they suddenly begin speaking in the King James dialect. This has always left me wondering, why their prayer suddenly sounded more like a sermon from an 70's Evangelist then the person I know. The prayer of the Pharisee, found in Luke chapter 18 verses11 and 12, is a self centered monologue rather than a humble petition to God. Standing in the temple, he boasts of his moral superiority saying I am not like other people and points out his religious achievements of fasting twice weekly and tithing. But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, he beat his breast and said, God, have mercy on me, a sinner! So what is the proper way to pray? There is an acrostic formed from the word pray that will help you remember how to pray. P is for Praise. Start by praising God for who He is and thanking Him for what He has done. R is for Repent. Honestly share where you have fallen short and ask for forgiveness. A is for Ask. Express your needs, concerns, and desires for yourself and others. Y is for Yield. Align your will with God, trusting His wisdom and timing.
1 John 5: 14-15 ESV And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
Far too often, prayer is viewed as a magic formula. Some believe that if we do not say exactly the right things, or pray in the right position, God will not hear and answer our prayer. This is completely un-biblical. God does not answer our prayers based on when we pray, where we are, what position our body is in, or in what we words we use. The proper way to pray is to pour out our hearts to God, being honest and open with God. He already knows us better than we know ourselves. God is more interested in the content of our hearts than the eloquence of our words. God’s desire is for prayer to be a real and personal connection between Himself and us.
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As winter comes to an end and spring begins I find myself looking forward to planting my garden. I will watch the forecast and think I sure hope we have past the last frost of the year. Once the garden is growing and the spring showers and storms begin I watch the weather and say I sure hope that there isn't any hail in that thunderstorm forecast for this afternoon. On those days when I have to take my wife to her doctor in the city I will say to her, I sure hope there isn't very much traffic on our way to the doctors office. Each one of these are hopes that are based upon my own personal preferences, on my own personal desires. As a faithful Christian our hope is different from that of the world.
1 Peter 1:3 CSB Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
We often use the word hope as wishful thinking. If you have ever had a loved one that is suffering with cancer you may have said, I sure hope the doctor's treatment is successful and that they can be cancer free. We have a desire for something to go a certain way with no real guarantee that it will. But the hope that Scripture offers is something far greater. As believers, our hope is alive. It’s grounded in the unshakable reality of Jesus Christ, who defeated death and rose from the grave. Hope in Jesus Christ is not a mere wish for a better tomorrow; it is a "living hope" anchored in the resurrection. Unlike worldly optimism, which depends on changing circumstances, biblical hope is a firm assurance based on God’s unchanging character.
Romans 15:13 CSB Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
When life feels overwhelming and darkness seems to linger, as faithful Christians our hope acts as an anchor for the soul. We can navigate difficult times by shifting our perspective from temporary circumstances to eternal promises. A Christian’s hope isn’t dependent on what might happen in the future. It’s a steady anchor in what’s already been done. Peter reminds us that our hope isn’t based on changing circumstances but on a past, unchanging truth: Jesus is risen. And the same God who raised Him from the dead is at work in our lives. Because of God’s great mercy, we are born again into this living hope.
Philippians 3:10 ESV That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.
If we look at life only through our current circumstances, we’ll find ourselves constantly chasing temporary hopes - hoping things will improve, hoping this season will pass, hoping our situation will change. But that kind of hope drains us, leaving us on a roller-coaster of emotions. A Christian’s hope isn’t dependent on what might happen in the future. It’s a steady anchor in what’s already been done. Jesus didn’t just die for our sins; He conquered death, rising in victory. And with His resurrected life, He offers us the same hope, the same assurance of life beyond death. We too are only passing through this world. Our present struggles, trials, and even victories aren’t our final destination. Biblical hope, however, lifts our eyes to the eternal, to the certainty that Christ holds all things in His hands.
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I frequently say that we live in a microwave society. We all want our wishes and desires to be answered just like we warm up the left overs in the microwave, 30 seconds and ding, our desires are answered. I suppose we could also call today the now generation. When pain comes we want relief now! When wrong occurs we want justice now! When disease and sickness comes we want complete healing now! From fast food, to fast relief, we seek drive through window solutions to the wide range of painful experiences in our lives. Society today has been raised on 30 second commercials and 30 minutes sitcoms. We want our lives problems to be packaged in small neatly wrapped boxes. Often we as believers in Jesus Christ we find ourselves like Jacob in Genesis wrestling in the dark with and overpowering source.
Genesis 32: 24-26 ESV And Jacob was left alone. And man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
So often in this now generation we misinterpret God’s patience as His absence. We want God to act on our timeline and according to our ways. I know it is hard to imagine, but maybe, just maybe our perspective is out of alignment. We read into God's postponement of judgment, a cancellation of judgment. When God doesn't heal our loved ones in a week or two or even a month or two, then God must be out of touch, He is just simply absent! When I say these things I must admit that I am really preaching to myself. Often my prayer to God is “Grant me patients God and give it to me now!” Unfortunately, God does not set his time by my clock. God does not take his cues from my requests. Oh, how I wish God would align his clock with mine, well at least most of the time anyways. Sometimes later on I say, Oh Praise God, you gave me a no answer 3 months ago, I wanted you to act so swiftly, but now I see that your no answers was really in my best interest. It is in those moments when I thank God that he didn't listen to my fervent prayers and hopes for things to work out the way I wanted them to.
Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Sometimes life seems overwhelming. We want our difficulties cured right now. We want answers now! We want healing now! Just as grapes must be pressed to create wine, or olives crushed for oil, intense pressure is God's method for bringing out the best in you. When the weight feels unfair and you are being squeezed from every side, you are in a season of transformation rather than destruction. When life feels overwhelming, remember that, like grapes, you are not being crushed to be destroyed, but to release the sweetness within. Pressure is not punishment; it is preparation. Your trial is transforming you into something useful and beautiful that couldn't emerge without the pressure.
James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Fix your eyes on the moment you will see Jesus face-to-face. Endure persecution and affliction with courage.
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I have been blessed beyond measure to have had a Christian family. Not only have both my parents placed there faith in God, I had Christian grandparents on both my mother and father's side of the family. Additionally all of my many Aunts and Uncles were Christians that professed faith in God and that lived the Christian lifestyle as well. One of the fondest memories of my childhood was standing in a circle with my cousins, aunts and uncles, my parents and grandparents all of us holding each others hand so tightly that sometimes it was a bit painful and then together reciting the “Lords Prayer” before a meal. On my fathers side of the family I had 24 first cousins and that was before any of us got married. Of those 24 cousins I have 5 that either actively preach the word, serve as a deacon in their church congregation, have been a missionary or serve in some other office of the church. I am sure I have many more cousins that serve in some other function that is more behind the scenes. Many of my family members have passed away and are already walking the golden streets of heaven. Our relationships on earth mean more to us than anything else. I love my dad and mom; I love my brother and sister and their family; I love my wife, my daughters, their husbands, and my grandchildren. These relationships are more valuable to me than any other single thing in this world apart from my relationship with Christ. I never want to lose these bonds of love. It doesn’t matter if I lose everything else on earth, I don’t want to lose those dearest to me. I want to be where they are, and I want them to be where I am and so did Jesus.
John 14:3 ESV And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
Many people say that the first thing they want to do when they arrive in heaven is see all their friends and loved ones who have passed on before them. That will indeed be a joy filled moment as we have a heavenly reunion, but will finding our loved ones in heaven be the first thing on our mind when we pass through the pearly gates? Ultimately, it is difficult to say the greatest joy of Heaven will be. In my humble opinion, the greatest joy in heaven will be seeing God face to face and knowing God completely.
1 Corinthians 13:12 ESV Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
In heaven we will experience the perfect, sinless love for God and for one another, entirely free from jealousy, envy, or competition. In heaven we will also have perfected bodies, free of pain and disease. Also our knowledge of God will increase forever, meaning our love and joy in Him will continue to grow, making every moment better than the last.
2 Peter 3:18 ESV But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
All though I am looking forward to my heavenly reunion, I believe the greatest joy of heaven will be, being in the presence of God, the eternal expansion of our knowledge of God, and the ever-increasing love, joy, and delight that we will experience in God and in one another. Heaven is not like the steady, placid state of a mountain lake where barely a ripple disturbs the tranquility of its water. Heaven is more like the surging, swelling waves of the ocean!..... And with that I say Come Lord Jesus Come!!!
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According to Merriam-Webster dictionary success is defined as getting or achieving wealth, respect, or fame. According to a Gallup News poll Americans with a lower household income tend to report a lower rate of success than those with a higher household income. It could be said that money is the root of a majority of the problems in our homes and families. The devil's plan is to keep families in financial bondage. For many people money is a god. Credit is another god that promises us things that God has not necessarily supplied. You may think that money can buy you almost anything. Well besides happiness there is one that money can't buy you and that is poverty you need credit cards to attain that.
1 Timothy 6: 5-10 ESV and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
The corporate minds of marketing have done a master full job of using advertising to create in us needs and desires, so that we will go out and buy things. Most Americans want something new, bigger, better and more shiny. The Apple company is so successful at doing this that many people think that having the newest I-Phone is a necessity, somehow the company has convinced many people that a new I-Phone is a need, that you have worked hard and that you deserve this new electronic device when in reality it is only a want. First Timothy 6 verse 8 tells us that we really only have 2 needs, food and clothes. If you are depending upon worldly possessions for your contentment and happiness you will never find any peace.
Ecclesiastes 5:10 ESV He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.
Imagine this, you have been ship wrecked in the middle of the ocean and your on a raft surrounded by sea water. You have ran out of drinking water, yet your surrounded by water. So you think that maybe just a little drink of saltwater would be better than no water at all, but if you drink saltwater it just makes you thirstier. That is the way money and material possessions are, it is like trying to satisfy your thirst with salt water. To many people try to measure their success by the number things they own or by the size of their bank account. I am sure you have heard this saying before, “He who dies with the most toys wins!” Sooner or later we are all going to die and they are gonna have your funeral. If Jesus doesn't return first, we are all going to die! Now imagine your funeral. Here you lie in your casket. Everybody is lined up and coming by to have a final look at you. What do you want the people at your funeral to say about you? Do you want them to say, “Well he really did spend long hours at work, he really was a good business manager, he really knew how to invest his money.” Is that what you want people to say about you? What do you want your children, your grand children your wife or husband to say about you. What are you leaving behind in the hearts and lives of your children and grandchildren.
Job 1:21 ESV And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
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Jesus was about to make his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. He and the 12 disciples were were at Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two disciples with these instructions, Go over to the village across from you. You’ll find a donkey tethered there, her colt with her. Untie her and bring them to me. If anyone asks what you’re doing, say, The Master needs them! He will send them with you. The disciples went and did exactly what Jesus told them to do. They led the donkey and colt out, laid some of their clothes on the donkey, and Jesus rode the donkey. Nearly all the people in the crowd threw their garments down on the road, giving him a royal welcome.
Matthew 21: 1-3 CSB When they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives, Jesus then sent two disciples, telling them, Go into the village ahead of you. At once you will find a donkey tied there with her colt. Untie them and bring them to me.
The bible is filled with stories of people that gave up their worldly possessions in order to glorify Jesus. Mary took a pound of costly, pure nard perfume, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The perfume was worth over 300 denarii, representing a typical laborer's wages for an entire year. John chapter 6 verses 1 thru 15, tells of a young boy who offered his small meal of five barley loaves and two fish to Jesus. Jesus multiplied this meager offering to feed over 5,000 hungry people, leaving twelve baskets of leftovers. Jesus observed a poor widow putting two small copper coins, worth only a few cents, into the temple treasury, noting she gave more than the wealthy because she gave all she had, while they gave from their surplus.
Luke 21: 1-4 CSB He looked up and saw the rich dropping their offerings into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow dropping in two tiny coins. Truly I tell you, he said, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For all these people have put in gifts out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.
There are several things that the story of the widow’s mite teaches us. First, God sees what man overlooks. The big gifts in the temple were noticed by everyone; that’s probably what the disciples were watching. But Jesus saw what no one else did, He saw the humble gift of a poor widow. This was the gift that Jesus thought worthy of comment, this was the gift that the disciples needed to be aware of. The other gifts in the treasury that day made a lot of noise as they jingled into the receptacles, but the widow’s mites were heard in heaven. Giving in faith is an act of trust, that God is our ultimate provider, not our bank account. It is easy to trust God when the bank account is full. But what happens when resources are tight? Giving in faith isn't about giving from abundance; it is about giving out of trust, when things look scarce. It is a declaration that our security comes from God, not from money. We don’t know the details of this particular widow’s future, but we can be certain that she was provided for. In the story of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, we see how God uses the simple, the humble, and the available to accomplish something divine. At first glance, it’s just transportation, Jesus needs a ride. But this donkey is loaded with meaning. In that culture, a donkey symbolized humility and peace, not power. It wasn’t majestic, like a warhorse. It was common, overlooked and lowly. Yet it’s exactly what Jesus chose. So what is the donkey in your life that God has asked you to untie, to let go of? Your career, your dreams, your past, surely it is not your bank account? When we surrender everything, God does the miraculous. One man’s yes, made his donkey available, and prophecy was fulfilled. Generations were impacted! So untie your donkey and see how God can use you, to accomplish miracles with even with the common everyday things of your life!
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A solid house foundation provides essential structural support by evenly distributing the weight of the home, which includes dead loads, such as the walls and roof and live loads, the occupants and furniture, to the soil beneath. It prevents uneven settling, sinking, or collapse, while acting as a barrier against moisture, pests, and natural disasters like floods or earthquakes. Once the foundation is complete it is covered up and forgotten about and as long as it is correctly constructed you don't even give it a second thought. Without a solid foundation, homes suffer from cracked walls, uneven or sloping floors, doors and windows that stick or won't close, and long-term, costly, and sometimes dangerous structural damage. A solid foundation in a church is built on Jesus Christ, acting as the cornerstone for all teachings, beliefs, and actions. It represents an unshakable spiritual base, built upon biblical truth, obedience to God's word, and, ensures stability against life's challenges.
Matthew 7:24-25 ESV Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
No one else can live the life you’re building and you can’t live the life anyone else is building; but we’re all building. The question is, are you doing it wisely? The answer depends on whether you’re building your life on a solid foundation. Jesus illustrated this point by describing two builders, one wise and the other foolish. The difference between the two isn’t about their intellect but their understanding. While the first man wisely built on rock, the second man foolishly built on sand.
Matthew 7:26-27 ESV And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.
While the first man wisely built on rock, the second man foolishly built on sand. You see wisdom isn’t knowledge, it’s recognizing what to do with what you know. The foolish man just wanted to get his house up. He didn’t consider the unstable nature of his foundation and his house couldn’t withstand the wind and the rain. The wise man went to the expense of digging down before building up. He put in sweat equity and it paid off! Here’s the point, our lives can look similar on the outside yet have a crucial difference below the surface. You can even claim faith and attend church regularly, and still be a foolish builder. We each choose whether to base our lives on the Solid Rock, Jesus Christ, or on the shifting sands of personal preference and cultural acceptance. Building your life on a solid foundation requires sweat equity. It requires following Christ in complete obedience.
James 1:22-25 CSB But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at his own face in a mirror. For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who works, this person will be blessed in what he does.
So, what are you doing with what you know about God and His Word? Has He brought to mind an area of your life that’s not in total submission to Him? It’s foolish to ignore it, because at some point a storm will come and test your foundation. Going along with culture might be easier, but it’s shifting sand. Building your life on a solid foundation requires not just knowing what Jesus said, but doing it!
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When I was young I spent many a Saturday morning in front of the television set watching cartoons. Some of my favorites were the Road Runner and the Coyote, Speedy Gonzales, Marvin the Martian, The Tasmanian Devil, Elmer Fud, Yosemite Sam, Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig. The Looney Tunes cartoons got their start in 1937. The Iconic cartoons had a signature ending. Porky Pig would pop out of a drum stuttering “Th-Th-Th-That's All Folks!” How many times do you find yourself with a similar ending to your prayers? I do my best when I am praying by starting off giving God a list of all the big things in my life that I am thankful for. Then I shift my prayers to asking God to heal all those I love. Usually I end my prayer by asking God to forgive me when I fail him and to make me a better servant. Finally, just like the character Porky Pig, only without the stutter I end my pray with a hearty Amen, or a That's All God! If, Amen, means, the end or that's all, what am I saying to the minister when I shout out Amen in the middle of his sermon. Am I calling for an end to the preaching? What does the bible say about the word Amen?
1 Peter 4:11 ESV Whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
The Hebrew word translated amen means truly or so be it. Nearly half of the Old Testament uses of amen are found in the book of Deuteronomy. In each case, the people are responding to curses pronounced by God on various sins. Each pronouncement is followed by the words “and all the people shall say Amen” These are found in Deuteronomy 27 verses 15 thru 26. This indicates that the people applauded the righteous sentence handed down by their holy God, responding, So let it be.
Deuteronomy 27: 15 ESV Cursed be the man who makes a carved or cast metal image, an abomination to the Lord, a thing made by the hands of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’
Most of the New Testament writers use amen at the end of their epistles. The apostle John uses it at the end of his gospel, two of his three letters, and the book of Revelation, where it appears nine times. Amen in Hebrew means so be it, truly, or certainly, serving as a declaration of agreement, affirmation, and faith at the end of prayers, signifying, yes I believe it or let it be so.
1 John 5:14 ESV And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
When Christians say amen at the end of our prayers, we are following the model of the apostles, asking God to, please let it be as we have prayed. So when we say amen at the end of our prayers is means a lot more than just, that's all God. By saying amen at the end of our prayer we are asking God to let it be so and we are saying that we fervently believe that God is capable of answering all our prayers we are saying let it be so! Don't forget this fact all prayers should be prayed according to the will of God. Then when we say amen, we can be confident that God will respond and grant our requests. Can I have an Amen to that!!!
1 Peter 5:11 ESV To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
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Many last will and testaments during the 19th century began with this quote, “Knowing the uncertainties of life and the certainty of death….” The certainty of death has been a human constant since the fall of Adam and Eve into sin. Yet in the twenty-first century, death often seems a taboo subject. Even the word “death” has become infrequent in our speech. In an effort to avoid the difficult topic of death people have come up with many phrases to use in place of saying my loved on has died. Some will say their loved one has passed away, they have gone home or gone on to a better place, they are at rest or at peace, they have left us, departed or are no longer with us. The most common terms used in place or saying someone has died is to say that have passed away or kicked the bucket. The truth is while most of us say we are comfortable talking about dying and death, the reality is that many of us are not making any preparations as it feels a long way off or something that will cause unnecessary and difficult emotions, both for us and the people around us. The truth of the matter is this, the scriptures tell us that death is an appointment you have to keep.
Hebrews 9:27 ESV And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.
We all have this one thing in common, death. It doesn't matter if your as smart as Albert Einstein or your not so smart, like me. It doesn't matter if as rich as John D. Rockefeller or your a homeless person living on the street. It doesn't matter if your the Pope or your Charles Manson. Physical death is an absolute certainty for all of humanity. Death is the great equalizer!
Ecclesiastes 9: 2-3 ESV It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil, to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who swears is, as he who shuns an oath. This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
All people share this same destiny. Ultimately, our lives and the appointed day we will die are in God’s hands, so we must appreciate life and make the most of it while we still have breath. In Ecclesiastes Solomon says, if your still living there is hope, “for a living dog is better than a dead lion.”
Ecclesiastes 9: 4-5 ESV But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.
The key to grasping the meaning these verses is understanding their cultural context. In ancient times, dogs were not cute and cuddly pets. Instead, they were looked down on with contempt and considered unclean, revolting scavengers. Conversely, lions were esteemed as regal, valiant, powerful hunters, the king of beasts who ruled and roared at the top of the food chain, while dogs crouched and groveled at the bottom. Since death is the great equalizer, it is foolish to spend our days in meaningless pursuit of things like power, fortune, and notoriety. Death diminishes the majestic lion to a position below that of the living dog. God gives us one life, one priceless opportunity to know Him and receive His gift of salvation. If you never think about death and your eternal fate, you will miss the chance to spend eternity with Him.
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The “I love Lucy” show aired from 1951 to 1957. Lucy and Ricky Ricardo slept in separate beds on the show to comply with 1950's television censorship codes, which considered it indecent to show a married couple sharing a bed. While they occasionally appeared in twin beds pushed together, network standards forced them apart to adhere to conservative moral standards. Television producers and networks in the 50's followed strict guidelines, which deemed it poor taste to show a man and woman in the same bed. Flash forward 75 years to 2026 and tune into a soap opera around lunch time and within minutes you will see men and woman in sexual explicit scenes. According to a recent Gallup poll, 54% of Americans say the state of moral values in the country is poor, a record low. The study is based on more than 12 million surveys administered to people around the world between 1949 and 2021, argues that people have felt this way for at least 70 years.
Genesis 1:27 ESV So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Man was created in God's image and part of that image is to reflect the moral image of God. The way we know difference between right and wrong is our knowledge of God’s law. Without the 10 Commandments, the world would descend into chaos, characterized by rampant murder, theft, and a lack of respect for authority. Scripture tells us that in the end times people will turn away from God, which will result in perilous times.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 ESV But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
When society abandons biblical principles, it loses its moral compass. Many people don't even remember the 10 commandments. Walk up to a stranger on the street and ask them to name the 10 commandments and what they come up with is vastly different. The will get some correct, like don't kill, don't steal and don't commit adultery, however after that they’ll have rules about being true to yourself and don’t judge anyone. The Bible also says that God wrote His law on our hearts, so even if you can't quote the 10 commandments you really have no excuse.
Romans 2:15 ESV They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them.
A generation or two ago, homosexuality, divorce, and adultery were not accepted, even considered sinful. Nowadays, both homosexuality and divorce are considered normal. Without God's law we are left to follow the whims of society which tend to change frequently, which is what happened to the Israelites a couple generations after conquering the promised land.
Judges 17:6 ESV In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
The people abandoned God, and within two generations they were doing what was evil in the sight of God.
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I must begin by saying that this devotional is written to myself as much or more than it is to those who may hear it. I have always thought that if I have a question, a quandary, an uncertainty, or a difficult dilemma that I am struggling with, I bet someone else is facing a similar problem. Here is my hearts cry, my difficult question, does the devil focus his attention more on me when I am being faithful, than he does when I am not? Over the last 5 to 6 years I have grown considerably in my walk with Christ. Don't get me wrong, I still have a lot of growth to do and I am far from a saint, but I am a much more devoted and faithful person now than I was say 10 or even 20 years ago. Yet life just doesn't seem to be getting any easier. As I look back on those days when I wasn't following God's will for my life at times it seems like I had less difficulties and trials. It is my belief that when you step boldly into your God-given purpose, the enemy takes notice. Satan hates nothing more than when you stand with Jesus waging spiritual warfare against the darkness of this world. In Revelations the bible says that Satan brings charges against God's people both night and day.
Revelation 12:10 ESV And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.
When you step boldly into your God-given purpose, the enemy takes notice. Satan hates nothing more than those who stand with Jesus waging spiritual warfare. On the other hand if you don't focus your attentions and passions on growing spiritually you pose little or no threat to Satan. He is God's enemy and therefore the enemy of Christians as well. When you focus your life on Jesus Christ you draw the attention of the enemy. Satan will target your relationships, your faith, your finances, even your sense of self-worth. If you ignore your weaknesses or refuse to examine your heart, you give him a foothold.
Ephesians 4:27 ESV And give no opportunity to the devil.
The Bible calls us to examine ourselves, to test our faith, and to make our calling and election sure. In 2nd Corinthians 13:5 scripture tells us to examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. So let's take a look at ourselves! Many times we wake up and the first thing we do is what? Check our phones! Our first thoughts are not with God, it’s with the world. Do you think it’s any wonder that many believers are then overwhelmed by the chaos of the world? When was the last time that the first thing you did after you got up was to get on your knees in prayer and have a few moments of silence, focusing your thoughts your heavenly Father. We need to do this so that we are putting on the full armor of God, but instead we pick up our electronic devices and check social media or we turn on the TV to see what the news media is sensationalizing. To answer my own question from earlier, Does the devil pay more attention to me when I am being faithful, well the answer is yes!
1 Peter 1: 6-7 ESV In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith - more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
So if you find yourself in a battle that seems unwinnable or insurmountable, or it just feels like your gonna loose this one, just remember this. Place your faith in God and he will fight your battles for you and one day every knee will bow and and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!
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One of my greatest struggles is working with God rather than for God. God cares deeply about our work, our impact in this life, not because he needs us to serve him or work for him, but because he wants to work with Him. He wants to give us a picture of His goodness and love at work in the lives of others, and He wants to deepen our relationship with Him by identifying and empowering us in our unique calling. “Work” typically has a negative connotation in my mind. I associate work with something I have to do, but don’t really want to do. But with God, the word “work” couldn’t be more different. Work is designed to be the expression of our abundant, life-giving relationship with our heavenly Father. God doesn’t call us to work out of obligation or to earn his love, but to live our lives in response to his love. It’s for this reason that Scripture is clear about God’s intention for the marriage between faith and works.
James 2:26 ESV For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
What is our faith if it doesn’t produce action? What is the nature of our relationship with God if it doesn’t cause us to live differently? Often we have a misunderstanding about what it is God would have us do if we were to truly submit our life fully to Him. Often we believe if we were really to hand over our life to God in faith he would call us to do things we don’t want to do. Maybe we believe he’d call us to a foreign mission field, or to live our lives in a manner that is not as comfortable as we hoped it might be. If you are truly walking in faith and fully submitting your life to God then the desires of your heart will change. The things that used to make you comfortable before turning your life over to God, like money and possessions, won't seem nearly as important to you. Remember this, there are many ways God can use you. The are many different “works” that you can do to serve God. Not everyone is called to be a preacher, teacher or missionary in a foreign country. You can serve God by doing something as simple as loving on the people you work with and living a holy life. The life you live may be the only bible some people every read! Maybe God is calling you to something you don’t fully understand yet, but if you say yes to him, the very calling that you possibly feared most may turn into the dream you didn’t know you had. God calls us to a life of works because he loves us and has designed us for such a purpose.
Ephesians 2:10 ESV For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
The work God is calling you to is perfect for you because He is the one who formed you and knows you. Have faith in perfect will of your heavenly Father. Choose to live a life of good works. And experience the joy of living every minute of your day with intentional and eternal purpose. This advice is meant as much for myself as it is for those who may hear it. I tend to be a bit of a control freak and I like to make a to-do list and plan out my day in a manner that makes me feel good. Plans that make me comfortable. I need to learn to let go and be more willing to follow God's will for my life, no matter where it may lead me!
Titus 3:14 ESV And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.
We are saved by faith alone but a faith that is real is never really alone. What would your life look like if you chose to do your work filled with purpose of the Holy Spirit? All you have to do is choose to live your life with a different perspective. Enjoy your days working and bearing the fruit of your faith.
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When I was a child my Grandpa Miller used a lot of idioms, which is to say he used a lot of figurative language, sometimes vivid and descriptive phrases, to get his point across. A couple of his commonly used phrases were, “Well isn't that just crooked as a dog's hind leg,” and another was; “Now that's just as slick as snot on a Teflon door knob.” His Country or rural phrases are burned into my memories. One of the things my father used to tell me that is burned deep into my memory is; “Don't slouch, throw those shoulders back, son.” This one is so deeply ingrained into me that even now as a 60 year old man, when I am a bit tired and I begin to shrug my shoulders and hang me head, I hear that voice in my head and I look around, then I stand up straight and through my shoulders back. Now I am certain that if you ask my father if he remembers saying this to me, he probably will say, “well maybe I said it once or twice and I am sure it needed to be said,” but I am certain he probably doesn't remember it as vividly as I do! No matter what the truth may, both the figurative language of my grandfather and my father's drill sergeant like orders, “throw your shoulders back son,” are memories I will never out live. I say all that just to ask you, what are you telling your children and your grand children that they will remember even when your dead and gone?
Proverbs 22:6 ESV Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
God created the family. His design was for a man and a woman to marry for life and raise children to know and honor Him. Adoption is also God’s idea, and He models this in His adoption of us as His children.
Romans 8:15 ESV For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
Ephesians 1:5 He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.
Regardless of the means by which they enter a family, children are a gift from God and He cares about how they are raised. Several places in Scripture give specific instructions to parents about how to raise their children. Ephesians 6:4 says, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Psalms 103:3 says, “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.” Proverbs 29:17 says, “Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.” I could go on all day, but I think you get my point, the bible is filled with instructions on how parents are to be raising their children. God desires that as parents we fill our homes and our children's minds with his truth, and his truth is way better than any book man has ever written.
Psalms 127:3 ESV Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb, a reward.
So what are you teaching and saying to your children? What are they hearing you say? Remember a picture and your actions are worth a thousand words. The real goal of good parenting should be to produce wise children who know and honor God with their lives.
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When I was younger I was working in the kitchen and cut the first finger on my left hand all the way to the bone. I was living in a very rural community and I went to the doctor, who was bit older and near sighted. He stitched me up and I survived but the tendon in that finger was damaged so that I can no longer straighten the tip of my finger. Genesis 32 recounts the story of Jacob in an all-night wrestling match. Alone in the desert wilderness, Jacob had the ultimate restless night. A stranger visited Jacob, and they wrestled throughout the night until daybreak, at which point the stranger crippled Jacob with a blow to his hip. Even then, Jacob held on. He must have known there was something supernatural about this stranger, because he demanded a blessing from him.
Genesis 32: 29-31 ESV Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.
Jacob does what many of us do. In our weakness and as we walk through the Valleys of fear and doubts we wrestle with God. Jacob was separated from everyone and from his worldly possessions, and that’s when he wrestles all night for what is truly important. It was a struggle that left him crippled. It was only after he ceased his struggling, that he realizes he could not go on without God. Then he finally received God’s blessing. So the moral to this story is never trust someone that doesn't walk with a limp! Trials and tribulations are an inescapable part of human life, testing our resolve and challenging our faith. Frequently the difficulties of our lives change us forever. Sometimes, like Jacob, we are left physically crippled, but many times we are emotionally crippled. No matter how difficult our life is James tells us that we are to rejoice in the trials and tribulations.
James 1: 2-4 ESV Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
If I was allowed to ask God just one question it would be, why did I have to suffer through the death of my two infant sons? If there is one question you want to ask God, what would it be? The number one question, many people would like to ask God is, why is there suffering in the world? And, why does God allow the righteous, the Christian, the believers to suffer?
2 Corinthians 1: 3-4 ESV Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
So if you are walking today in the valley of despair, If you like Jacob have wrestled with God and came out with a limp, consider it a blessing rather than a curse. Because tragedy has happened to you, it helps you to see those around you that are walking with a limp. It gives you a greater sense of oneness with others who have experienced tragedy. You can feel for them and have a greater understanding of their situation. Because you have been comforted by God in the midst of your difficult days, you in turn may be able to comfort others.
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We hear the term, forgive and forget, but how can we forget? Don’t you wish there was a delete button for your brain? We can choose to forgive the person who has hurt us and not allow the memory to control our lives. So in that sense, we can forgive and forget. It is very hard to do, but it is possible to forgive those you have hurt or wronged you. That being said the one person I have the most difficulty forgiving is myself! On March 8, 1988 my son Jerry Craig was born. He had a rare genetic disorder that caused him to be a bleeder and need frequent transfusions of blood platelets and had suppressed immune system. He lived for 3 months and spent only 1 day out of the hospital. The doctors told me that he would never have a normal life but with medical help he might survive a while longer, but they were unsure how to treat him. My wife and other two daughters were suffering because I was unable to provide for them both physically or emotionally because all my attention was focused on my sick son. So I made the difficult decision and told the hospital staff to treat my son as if he was a healthy infant. He got the care and nutrition that any every child his age would receive and within a week he got sick and passed away. For many years after his death I blamed myself. I could not forgive myself I felt like I had caused his death.
Psalm 103:12 ESV as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
Many people are trapped because they can’t forgive themselves. I don't think that I am alone. For years I felt trapped. Because I could never hear her my son offer me forgiveness, because he was no longer with me I felt trapped and unable to release myself from my guilt. Why can’t you release yourself from your sin? Is it because the weight is too much? Because you know you haven’t changed? Because the ripple effects of your sin can’t be reversed? I have good news! You don’t need to forgive yourself, because you can’t forgive yourself. There is no category of self-forgiveness in the Bible. And what a freeing truth! Your shame and guilt does not depend on your ability to forgive yourself. There are two—and only two—biblical categories of forgiveness: forgiveness of others and God’s forgiveness. Horizontal and vertical. Horizontal forgiveness marks us as Christians. Seeking to forgive of others is not optional. Forgiving one another is not optional.
Colossians 3:12-13 ESV Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
As important as horizontal forgiveness is, the forgiveness of those who have hurt you, even more fundamental is vertical forgiveness, which comes from God alone. After committing the heinous double sin of adultery and murder against Bathsheba and Uriah, David cries out to God.
Psalm 51:4 ESV Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.
David realizes that as awful as his sin is horizontally, it’s much worse vertically. He has profoundly offended God by devaluing one life and snuffing out another. But what never hear David struggling with? The process of self-forgiveness. He doesn’t entertain for a second that he must forgive himself. Once he’s sought forgiveness from God, he must release himself from his sin. So forgive and forget your sins because the Almighty God already has!
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What is at the center of your life? What is it that you strive for? What is the one thing that anchors your life? I would venture to guess that a large portion of the world centers their lives around their careers and the size of their bank accounts. Some may focus their lives around their children. Behind every Olympic athlete is a parent or two, who have encouraged and pushed their child through tens of thousands of hours of grueling training to keep them on track. Jim and Cecille Adrian watched their 23-year-old son Nathan qualify for the 100 meter freestyle with the fastest time in the preliminary rounds. They drove about 100,000 miles in four years, taking vacations in about 15 different cities in the US, and flew 100,000 air miles or more “and that's just the start," Jim Adrian told ABC News. "It wasn't cheap, but it was worth it.” On the day this parent will stand at the Judgment seat of Christ to receive his rewards, do you think his investment in his child will pay off?
2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
So back to my original question, what is the center of your life? There are 31,174 total verses in the Bible. Psalm 118:8-9 are the 15,587th and 15,588th verses. The very center of the Bible. Do you suppose that it is just random chance, or maybe it’s God’s way of winking at us, but these two verses in the very middle of the entire Bible seem to capture well the bottom line of faith. Where the rubber meets the road.
Psalm 118: 8-9 ESV It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.
There are really only two basic religions among men, one of which is man-centered and the other one God-centered. One is based on evolution; one on creation. One is humanism; the other is theism. The Bible begins by setting forth God as Creator in Genesis 1:1 and ends by invoking the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in Revelation 22:21.
Revelation 22:21 ESV The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.
But mankind’s greatest and most basic sin has always been that of seeking to replace God with man. Ye shall be as gods, was the lie that Satin told Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden which resulted in the fall of man.
Genesis 3:5 ESV For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.
Paul teaches us in Romans 3:23, For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. In Gods eyes all people are created equal. It's only people who elevate and devalue other people. The center of the Bible is teaching us an important lesson; TRUST GOD, not men. We have been given a gift of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Don't let faith in men keep you from the gates of heaven. Put your faith and trust in the One who loved you and died for you. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life! It is infinitely and eternally better to trust in the Lord, than to put your confidence in men.
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A good friend of mine recently made a post on social media stating that she believes we are living in the end times and we should be careful not to be deceived. She went on to say, as we get to the end of the year, she thinks about the end times, and wonders if she will live to see it. There are so many things that the Bible talks about, that is happening in our world today. She asked the question, do think you will live to see another year completed or will Jesus return to rapture his church?
Luke 21:8-9 ESV And he said, See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, I am he! And, The time is at hand! Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.
At times I wish Jesus would return today, so I would no longer have to struggle with my sin and the worries of this world. However, on the other hand I feel selfish for those I know and love that will be left behind when Jesus raptures the church out of this world, because it may seem difficult now but after you remove all the Christians from the world it will become truly evil! Do you worry about it or do you have the faith of knowing where you will be? Are you saved? What does that mean to be saved? I ask this question because another person online confronted me and said, if Jesus freed you from sin, what would be the reason for the struggle? When a person is saved, All things are new. This is a quote from 2 Corinthians 5:17 that says Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. I posted one final reply in which I said, I am only human and I still struggle with the fact that I fail and fall into sin daily. I know I am forgiven, but if you don't struggle with sin, your just not telling the truth. Being saved doesn't mean your suddenly a saint! Even the apostle Paul struggled with sin and his fleshly desires.
Romans 7:15 ESV For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
The Bible is clear in several passages how to receive salvation. It doesn’t mean you are perfect after you are saved, but it does mean that you are forgiven and saved from the penalty of sin by God’s grace. When we accept salvation, we are saved from the penalty of sin. Jesus paid for our sin on the cross, and when a person trusts Him for salvation, that person is forgiven and justified before God. This is a once-for-all transaction. However, Christians still struggle with the power of sin in their lives. Even though they are forgiven, they are not perfect. While we are still alive we are being sanctified. The same apostle, Paul, that told else he struggled with sin goes on to tell us how we have been saved from the penalty of sin and he urges us to live in that reality, by not letting sin continue to control your actions.
Romans 6:11-13 ESV So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.
I am saved, I am forgiven, not perfect! 1 Peter tells us that we must put away all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander and like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation!
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I enjoy cooking and I grew up in a family that had many great cooks. When I was younger my fathers family gathered for reunions, I think sometimes just to eat. I have 24 first cousins and I had seven Aunts and Uncles and they were all amazing cooks. There always more than enough food, enough you could feed a small army. I was taught by my conservative parents that I was to eat whatever was put in front of me or go hungry. My mother was not a short order cook, at least not until she started having grandchildren, then all the rules went out the door and she made each child exactly what they wanted. My mother made some meals because the were cheap and would feed a lot of people. I still make many of those meals and I consider them, comfort food. She made goulash from a recipe that was handed down to her from her mother. One of my favorite meals my mother made was sauerkraut and weenies. If my mother called me in the morning and invited me over for dinner and told me she was making one of my favorite meals, even if I got hungry, I wouldn't make a trip to the convenience store before dinner and get something to snack on because that would ruin my appetite for her good cooking. The junk food would quench my appetite for the good food! Sin in your life does the same thing. Sin quenches your appetite for Gods word. The definition of the word quench is to satisfy one thirst by drinking or to extinguish a fire.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 ESV Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.
Just like you can be hungry for your favorite food, you also can have an appetite for sin. We all have a desire to satisfy our fleshly appetite. A fleshy appetite is having an inner desire to satisfy your sinful hunger. In the book of Galatians, God's word tells us what it means to have a fleshly appetite.
Galatians 5:19-21 ESV Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Are you hungry for the things of the world or are you spiritually hungry? It's not hard to comprehend what it’s like to be physically hungry. Do we feel a similar craving for spiritual food? Jesus said, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. We live in a time when people have all they want to eat. They constantly entertain themselves. They are restless and go from one pleasure to the next. Yet they feel empty and depressed because there is something missing deep inside. 2.3 billion people around the world experience food insecurity, meaning they did not have consistent access to food and often faced uncertainty about where their next meal will come from. Of those, about 864 million people face severe food insecurity, sometimes going without food for an entire day or more. When I am even just a little bit hungry I will say I am starving to death, if the truth be known I have never not known where my next meal would come from.
Matthew 5:6 ESV Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
In Matthew Jesus tell us we are to have a spiritual desire, hungering and thirsting after righteousness. That’s not just a mild craving. That’s an intense feeling, a desire to do what’s right and to be right in the sight of God. We need to pursue or hunger and thirst for what is good for spiritual growth!
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During the Christmas season many of us get super focused on stuff. Some get obsessed with Christmas decorations, some get obsessed with greeting cards and some of us think we need to buy everyone gifts. The world bombards us with advertisements, there is Black Friday, Cyber Monday and countless other sales. It is easy to see how we can get distracted from what the true meaning of the Christmas is! It is so easy to listen to the Christmas carols, look at the Christmas manger scene decorations and get confused about what really happened the day Jesus was born. The Christmas carol, We Three Kings, has at least three errors in the song. First, the Bible does not identify these men as kings. They were magi, a Greek term that translates to wise men. They would have been known for studying the night sky for signs or omens. Since they were from the east, they were probably from Persia or Babylon, which is modern day Iran or Iraq. Second, the Bible never tells us that there were three magi. The notion that there were three magi is based on the three gifts that they presented gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Finally, the wise men definitely did not arrive on the night Jesus was born. Since we sing this song at Christmas time, many believe that the wise men were at the nativity. Modern nativity scenes also include the wise men, but the Bible clearly teaches otherwise. Matthew 2:1 and 2:11 ESV 1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. If you were paying close attention you noticed verse one begins with, after Jesus was born. It is a common misconception that the wise men visited Jesus at the stable, on the night of His birth. In fact, they came days, months, or possibly even years later. Another common myth is that the wise men rode camels. Because the lyrics of the carol says, We 3 kings from Orient are, most of us envision men wearing ornate, crowns riding camels. The bible simple doesn't tell how they traveled. What we do know is that camels were considered pack animals. It is possible they were wealthy and could have been riding Arabian horses or the simple truth is they could have walked. That really messes up all the modern day manger scenes doesn't it. The world is filled with Christmas traditions that while they are not evil, they are not good either and they don't bring glory to God. How many times have you wasted away your evening shopping for stuff on Amazon or spent hours driving to the city to find every bargain you can at the shopping malls. I would be willing to say that nearly everyone of us have done this at some point in our life. We want to buy everything our children and grandchildren have ever dreamed they of. However in reality what our children really need more than gifts is to know the truth. John 1:14 ESV And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. We as Americans have truly been blessed. We have so much abundance, that we have become spoiled and think we are entitled to everything all the time! When you are given to much, then you don't rely on God to give the things we need. With the blessings of plenty comes great responsibility. The bible says in Luke 12:48 “To whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. There is no sin in enjoying Christmas movies, watching your children in Christmas plays and singing Christmas carols. It is important that you be able to separate the true biblical Christmas story from the common Christmas myths!
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Have you ever looked up at the night sky on a clear night and tried to count the stars. There are so many it is impossible to count them. Stars are giant, glowing balls of hot gas that produce light and heat. The vary greatly in size, temperature and distance. Our sun is just one of trillions of stars in our milky way galaxy we live in. Humanly speaking stars our innumerable, there are so many you can't count them all. The milky way galaxy that we live in is just one of billions of galaxies and it contains trillions of stars. The star nearest earth is 4.24 light years away or 25 trillion miles. To put that into perspective if you could get your hands on one of the decommissioned space shuttles and fly it to the nearest star it would take you tens of thousands of years. The bible tells us that our amazing universe was created by and is held together by that little baby in the manager.
Colossians 1: 16-17 ESV For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
At Christmas it is not uncommon to see a cradle in a manger scene, but what do you see when you look into that cradle? It looks like a little baby boy. But who is this baby? This is God, wrapped up in swaddling clothes. The sovereign of the universe, born into the world He created. That cradle was made of wood, and filled with straw. But the One lying there is the One who said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, seeds, and trees.” And the earth, at His command, brought forth plants and trees of all types. Whether it’s a giant redwood or a little clover, He created them all. And here He is, resting on that straw, splitting time in half. His birth is so remarkable that it marked time, BC and AD. Even those who deny the existence of God and that Jesus is his Son in human form acknowledge his existence every time they use a date to mark time. Despite Christ’s tiny, human frame, let’s not think of that baby as anything less than the almighty Creator God, who spoke galaxies into existence and breathed life into man. The bible says Jesus is the image of the invisible God. The word image, meaning copy or likeness, expresses Christ’s deity. This word involves more than a resemblance, more than a representation. He is God! Although He took on human form, He has the exact nature of His Father!
Hebrews 1:3 ESV He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
God took on the human form in the humblest of manners, a manger, a feeding trough for livestock that would have been made of wood or stone in a space that was filled with livestock, dirt and most likely manure. This was our Saviors first baby crib.
Luke 2: 6-7 ESV And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
So as you contemplate the scenes of Christmas, recognize who it is in that manger: not just a fully human child, but in fact the Creator of all the heavens and the earth. Through faith, in Jesus you can be declared righteous in God's sight. Place your faith in this baby, the miracle in the manger!
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What is the one thing that instantly strikes fear in your heart? Is it public speaking? Maybe you fear losing your job and not being able to provide for your family. Not having enough money for retirement or the fear of losing your job and facing a financial crisis are the cause of major anxiety and fear for almost everyone. I have a fear that my wife could have a health crisis and I would find myself a widower. There is nothing else that causes me more anxiety than the thought of living alone. When I was a boy once in a great while I didn't obey my parents, okay maybe more frequently than I want to admit, I was a difficult child. My mother had one phrase that would instantly strike fear in my heart! She would say, “Don't make me tell your father!” The minute she uttered these words I immediately changed my behaviors. When the bible says that God has not given us a spirit of fear, does that mean that we should never feel fear? Feeling fear is part of being alive. If you don't feel fear upon occasion you must be insane. Even if life seems to be going well and you don't feel any of the fears I mentioned before you may feel fear when you are doing something you have never done before, or when obstacles seem insurmountable. But does feeling fear mean you are a coward? No not at all, you are only cowardly when you allow your fears to dictate your actions or decision.
2 Timothy 1:7 ESV For God gave us a spirit, not of fear, but of power and love and self-control.
We live in a sin filled world and because of that any number of things can fill you with fear. Feeling fear is not the same as being afraid, when you are truly afraid you let those fearful thoughts control your actions and decisions. I might feel angry, but I choose not to act on my anger and the same applies to fear. I might feel fear, but I don't have to let that fear control my life and the decisions. The bible says, do not fear, hundreds of times. But what does that mean? Are you wrong to feel fear when you’re not sure how to pay next month’s rent or when you get that dire health diagnosis or when your job is on the line? When God says, do not fear, he is not commanding us to shut off our brain and emotions. God doesn't want us to be without fear, to be emotionless and stoic like a robot. The real issue God wants us to wrestle with is, where we go when we face fear. Where do you go when you have fears? How do you deal with your fears?
Isaiah 41:10 ESV Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Simply put, God wants us to go to him. Fear can paralyze us! Yet when we place our fears in the hands of God, when you place your faith in God, even in the midst of your fear, your no coward, and you can overcome your fear! God is all powerful and He desires to be with us in the midst of our fears! Unfortunately, no one will be able to completely escape fear in this sin filled and broken world. It is real. It can be paralyzing. It is powerful. But God is more powerful.
Psalm 46: 1-3 ESV God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
There is a song from the 70's that goes something like this; Put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water. Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea. Place your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee, place your faith in Jesus!
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All my life and have had a disability, I am vertically challenged, in other less friendly words and am short. I used to claim I was 5 foot 7 inches tall because I am 5 foot 6 and ½ inches tall, so I just rounded up. As I have matured I have come to the conclusion that it is just easier to admit my short comings and say I am vertically challenged. I tell all my co-workers that I have a disability and because I work for the state government that have to provide me with the tools I need to overcome my disability. In order for me to complete my job on many occasions I need my vertical assistance device, a 3 step ladder, so that I can reach my work. Have you ever felt like you were vertically challenged? I am not talking about your physical characteristics I am talking about spiritually. Does it seem at times that your prayers are not rising up to the ears of your heavenly father.
Isaiah 59:2 ESV but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and our sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
Every Christian I know struggles with unanswered prayer. If you don’t, then either you’ve been only Christian for about 10 minutes or you’re lying. There are many reasons why you may feel like your prayers are going unanswered. It may be that your being impatient. The world today has become what I like to call a “Microwave Society.” We expect all our desires to be 30 seconds and ding, they are answered! God's timeline simply does not line up with ours.
2 Peter 3: 8-9 ESV But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
In general, unanswered prayer is something we need to accept, it moves us to a deeper trust in God and a greater persistence in prayer. But there are a host of reasons God might not be answering your prayer. You may have wrong motives or selfish desires. Maybe you have been disobedient or have unconfessed sin in your life. It could be that the thing you are praying for is not aligned with God's will. Finally and I know none of us like admit this, but maybe you think there is simply no way God can do the thing you are praying for, you have doubt or a lack of faith. A lack of genuine belief and faith can weaken the effectiveness of prayer. For today I would like to focus on the one item that hits closest to home for me. My prayers are not being answered because they are selfish in nature.
James 4:3 ESV You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
Sometimes God doesn’t grant us our prayer request because we ask with the wrong motives. Even if the thing we’re asking for may be good, in its own right, God doesn’t want to honor a heart asking from the wrong motivation. When we ask for things for our own selfish pleasures, God will not hear us. When we want things that are not in the will of God, He doesn’t listen. When we make vain repetitions with words that don't really come from the heart, He isn't going to listen. But when we ask according to His will, with our hearts, and in His name, He will hear, and we will receive.
1 John 5:14 ESV And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
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In my household we try to be as conservative as possible. God has richly blessed us in many ways, but we still try to be as financially responsible as possible, especially during the Christmas season. I would love nothing more than to be able to give my children and grandchildren their every desire, but doing that really isn't being a responsible parent. I have tried to teach my children that nothing good is free! One way I try to be financially responsible is by not putting any Christmas gifts on the credit card. We have a large jar that we both put our spare change into. Around the Thanksgiving we take the change to the bank and cash it in. This year there was $240 in change in the jar. I also have an account at the credit union that I put $20 a pay period into. The credit union is 85 miles away, so it is easy to just forget about it. Just like the change jar each year around Thanksgiving withdraw most of the balance of the account. This year it was $400. I also have a bank bag at home that we keep all the cash from the sales of eggs. This year we sold $1,100 in eggs. The total cash I set aside for Christmas was $1,740 now “That's not Chicken Feed!” It is nice to be able to set aside the cash and to avoid debt. In Revelation 13, the beast forces everyone in the world to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads in order to control financial transactions. No more buying eggs from your neighbor with cash.
Revelation 13: 16-17 ESV Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.
These verses in Revelation indicates that during the tribulation currency will become cashless or digital. In order for the Antichrist to control all buying and selling, a cashless society will be necessary during the tribulation. As long as people are using cash, transactions can be completed in private, but, if currency becomes electronic, then every transaction can be monitored. According Clearly Payments, a payment processor that provides digital payment solutions, including websites and credit card machines, 84% of payments in the US are being made digitally in 2025. Why is this a problem you ask? If Christianity were to fall out of favor with those in power, a government-controlled digital currency could be used to target Christians. The government would have the ability to monitor or even block transactions and could be used to shut down churches, confiscate funds, or penalize individuals based on their political or religious views, and that's only the beginning. In a digital society those who control the currency could assign everyone of a carbon foot print and once you have purchased your allotment of petroleum products, no matter what the balance of your bank account, you wouldn't be able to buy any more gas for your car or propane or natural gas to heat your home. The same could also apply to the grocery store. Each and every household could be assigned a certain portion to be used to buy groceries and once you reach that limit your money would no longer be any good.
2 Timothy 3: 1-5 ESV But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
The end times started with the r
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When my children were young at times they would come to me and tell me they were afraid to go to sleep. Sometimes there were monsters under the bed and sometimes they were simply afraid of the dark. As they grew up they still had fears, but the fears were different. When they were preteens, their fears were that they wouldn't be liked by their peers and friends. As they grew older and were well into their high school years their fears became getting the grades they needed to graduate, among other things. My fears in life have changed as well. I used to be afraid that my teenage daughters would make a bad decision, get into a car with the wrong friend and have a life changing or even fatal injury. Now that my children are adults I don't worry so much about them. I do still have one thing that I worry about occasionally. I worry that something may happen to my wife and I would suddenly find myself alone, a widower. My wife makes me a better person and I can't imagine life without her. What does God's word have to say about worry and anxiety?
Matthew 6:27 ESV And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
In Philippians the bible clearly teaches that Christians are not to worry. Philippians 4:6, says, Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.If you watch the news at all it is hard to not be worried about something. When the pandemic hit, I really didn't worry about getting the virus or getting fatally sick, the things I did have anxiety about may surprise you. I wasn’t worrying about masks, vaccines, or lock-downs. Rather, I saw the world falling apart around me and I wondered if it indicated a final slide into the end times, the final days of the world as prophesied in the bible. Instead of being joyful at the soon return of Jesus, I found myself a bit anxious about the end times. The headlines of the nightly news sound like they are quotes taken directly from the bible. Biblical signs of the end times include religious deception, wars and rumors of war, famines, pestilence, earthquakes, and the persecution of Christians. Other signs mentioned are; increasing lawlessness, immorality, and a decline in love among people. Maybe you can relate to my fears, about the world.
Mark 13: 7-8 ESV And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.
As Christians, we know that God will accomplish his perfect will. God is in control in in the midst of what seems like chaos. He controls the events that will lead to the fulfillment of his word. For those who do not know the Savior, worry and fear will be a part of life. But to those who have given their lives to Him, there is a confident hope. We should not be worried or afraid of the darkness of this world. When we hear of conflict and unrest these are the signs of Jesus imminent return. If you have placed your faith in God you will agree, the world is filled with lost people doing what lost people do, lying, cursing, breaking laws and living immorally. Jesus will come back and in the twinkling of the eye there will be destruction. Saints will be saved. Sinners won’t be and Jesus will make all things new.
Revelation 21:5 ESV And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
So don't be afraid of the dark there is good news! This world is not th
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I am truly blessed. As a young boy and a teenager my parents drugged me. They drug me to church every week and sometimes multiple times a week! I grew up all my life understanding the ABC's of Christianity. “A” admit that I am a sinner.
Romans 3:23 ESV For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
“B” Believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that his death and resurrection provide salvation from sin.
John 3:16 ESV For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
“C” Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead.
Romans 10: 9-10 ESV because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
For many people once they have said “The Magic Prayer” and asked Jesus into their heart they believe they have now entered “Club Christianity.” Congratulations! You have made a life-changing decision! Perhaps you are asking, now what? How do I begin my journey with God? The real unfortunate thing is,... mature Christians put nearly all their effort into evangelism, or more simply said, leading the lost to Jesus Christ, after that they are not given much further attention. Mature Christians have several vital roles after someone first accepts Jesus Christ as their savior. Mature Christians need to focus on discipleship, mentorship, and integration into the church community for the new believer. This involves nurturing them to help them grow in their faith, understand Christian principles, and develop a personal relationship with God.
Ephesians 4: 11-16 ESV And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Ultimately, the job of the mature Christian is to help the new Christian grow to a point where they can, in turn, help others who do not know Jesus as their personal Savior come to know the truth. So once your, friend, neighbor, brother or sister has said “The Magic Prayer” and confessed Jesus as their savior your job, my job, as a mature christian is not done,.. it has only just begun! Now we must come along side them disciplining them into a healthy growth and service for God, in the family of God.
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I made a post on social media recently about how my grandparents and parents were able to afford the American Dream of owning a home, yet my children and other younger people can't seem to save enough money to buy a home. I made the mistake of accusing the younger generation of making poor financial choices and putting things like a $10 coffee at the convenience store and expensive vacations as top priorities. I received a lot of backlash. A younger member of my family said, “Judge not least you be Judged.” I didn't believe I was passing judgment, I was just making an observation based upon my own personal experience. My difficult question to you is this, was I being judgmental and exactly what does this verse in Matthew mean?
Matthew 7:1 ESV Judge not, that you be not judged.
I am sure all of us have felt judged at some point in our lives. Judgment can often leave you feeling sad and hurt, especially if it comes from someone important or close. Scientific studies have determined that judgment is an instinct of the human brain. As humans, our basic instincts are to survive and thrive. As a consequence, we automatically end up judging people around us to determine if they are safe to be with. Everyone, without exception, judges the people around them based upon their appearance. I will be the first to say when I see someone in the public who has a serious case of bed head and their hair looks like it has not seen a comb in months, they must be a lazy person. Other ways people are judgmental include: assuming someone is lazy because they are overweight, assuming someone is selfish because they have no children, thinking someone is a bad parent because their child is throwing fit in a public place, thinking someone is poor because of the way they dress. I could go on forever, but I think you understand my point. We pass judgment on people every day. My failure was that I assumed all young people, that could not afford to buy a home, were financial irresponsible. Some may be, some may not. Exactly what does, “Judge not least you be Judged” mean? Sadly, the passage is one of the most misunderstood and misapplied teachings in Scripture, by believers and non-believers alike. When Jesus said, “Judge not lest you be judged,” He wasn’t issuing a blanket rule that people are never to judge others. To truly understand this verse we need to look at the verses that follow it.
Matthew 7: 2-5 ESV For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
A closer look at these verses reveals what Jesus was really trying to teach us. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. Jesus teaching was primarily directed to believers, but the principle can be applied to anyone. How can anyone deal with the speck in our friend’s eye, if we have a log in our own eye? The purpose of judging someone weakness is to help him or her be free of it. But how can we help someone else if we are not free? We must first be willing to look honestly at our own lives and exercise the same judgment toward ourselves. When we do this, we judge from a position of humility. A faithful servant of God will see himself as accurately as he sees others. He will recognize his own sinfulness and need for God’s mercy as much as he does those around him.
Romans
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Frequently we associate faith with a feeling, an invisible force that seems to be leading you to a destination that you may or may not know. Faith is often thought of as something we have a belief in or someone we trust. But in the Scriptures, faith is more than a passive possession, it’s a firm confidence that results in action. In the bible every mention of faith is followed by an action. Noah built an Ark in a land where it had never rained, because of his faith. Abraham placed his only son, Isaac on and alter to be sacrificed, because of he had faith in God. The Israelites marched around the walls of Jericho once a day for six days, with priests blowing trumpets. On the seventh day, they marched around seven times, blew their trumpets, and shouted, because they had faith in God's Divine instruction and the walls of Jericho crumbled!
Hebrews 11: 1-3 ESV Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
There is a song by Hillsong United that speaks of faith. The lyrics of the song go like this: Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders. Let me walk upon the waters. Wherever You would call me. Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander. And my faith will be made stronger. In the presence of my Savior... I don't know about you, but there are often places I would not choose to go if it were not for my faith in God. Do you have complete faith and trust in God, even when He calls you into situations that are unknown and intimidating? Instead of sitting back, believers should count on God’s promises and act accordingly The book of Hebrews is often called the, “Hall of Faith.” Hebrews highlights numerous men and women of faith, primarily in chapter 11, figures like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses, it also mentions others such as Rahab, Gideon, and Samson. The Lord accomplished amazing feats through their lives when they believed Him and acted in obedience. Like a muscle, faith grows the more we put it into action. In this way, believers strengthen their trust in God and His promises.
Mark 11: 22-24 ESV And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."
You may be experiencing mountains in your life right now. You may be juggling work, school, family or dealing with a personal trial. Whatever the mountain it is that you are facing at this time in your life, you must do your best and keep the faith knowing that all things do come to pass. Do you have a faith that can move mountains? True mountain-moving faith isn't about the strength of the individual, but about the power of God working through a surrendered heart. It involves trusting God's power over your circumstances, praying with the assurance that nothing is impossible for Him, and acting in obedience to His will. Are you acting on your faith in God and His Word? When you see a command or warning in Scripture, do you obey it? Are you letting biblical truths about God’s character and power shape your thinking and responses? Be grateful for the difficult mountain that God has placed in your life, for it is giving you the opportunity to rely on God. Place your faith in Him, then to respond or act in a way that brings Glory to God!
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When I was a child I learned in Sunday school class the song, Jesus loves the little children. If Satan had a song it would be called, Satan loves all the good people. The song would go something like this.... Satan loves all the good people, all the good people of the world. The generous and kind, the friendly and the caring. Satan loves all the good people of the world. Satan is not opposed to good morals. What he is opposed to is Jesus Christ. Satan doesn’t care if you’re a good person. He doesn’t care if you volunteer at the food bank, recycle your trash, and help old ladies cross the street. He doesn’t care if you are kind, generous, and well-liked by everyone in your community. He cares that you don’t bow your knee to Jesus. Here’s the deception that is damning millions. Satan has convinced people that morality equals spirituality. That being a good person is the same as being a Christian. That if you live right, treat people well, and avoid the big sins, you are acceptable to God.
Titus 3:5 ESV he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.
The Pharisees had impeccable morals. They followed the law meticulously. They were well respected, disciplined, and religiously devoted. Jesus called them children of the devil. Why? Not because their morals were bad. Because their morals replaced Christ. Satan’s greatest trick is not making bad people worse. It’s making good people think they don’t need a Savior. Most of the world has Satan pictured as a red horned man with a pitch fork and a pointed tall. They think of him as the evil one that convinces people to kill, steal and cheat. However Satan's greatest tool is deception. Think about it, the atheist who feeds the homeless thinks he’s good enough without God. The Buddhist who meditates and practices compassion thinks they are enlightened without Christ. The Muslim who prays five times daily thinks he’s righteous without Jesus. The moral Christian who goes to church, pays his tithe, and avoids scandal thinks he’s saved without surrender. All of them are headed to the same place, hell and eternal separation from God. Because morality doesn’t save.
Ephesians 2: 8-9 ESV For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Satan loves good people who reject Jesus. They’re his best advertisement for the lie that you can earn your way to heaven. They are living proof that you can be kind without Christ, be generous without God, be disciplined without the Holy Spirit, be respected without redemption and still be lost. Here is what most people fail to comprehend, Satan doesn’t need to make you do bad things, to murder your brother, to steal from your friends or to have an affair with another man's wife. He just needs to keep you from doing the ONE thing that matters the most, surrender to Christ.
John 3:36 ESV Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
You can live a moral life and still die lost. You can be a good person and still face judgment. You can avoid all the big sins and still end up separated from God forever. Because the only sin that damns you eternally is rejecting Jesus Christ. The murderer who repents and believes in Christ will be in heaven. The thief who turned to Jesus on the cross is in Heaven. The prostitute who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears is in heaven. However the moral, religious person who rejects Jesus Christ is damned to hell for eternity. That is why Satan loves all the good
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I pride myself at being good at a few things. I believe that I am pretty good at mowing my yard and keeping it weed free. I spend a lot of hours in my garden making sure that it is perfectly tilled and that I have the biggest and best possible produce. I may not be perfect at either, but I feel confident I am pretty darn good. Also, I tell my wife that I am the perfect husband and there are none better than me, so far I think she believes me! For the majority of my life I have wanted to excel at everything I do. Perfectionism can lead to finding your identity in accomplishments and when things don't work out as you have planned you may find yourself at the least feeling disappointed and at worst becoming depressed. No matter what I may tell my wife, I am not perfect and I never will be! In my walk with Jesus, I want to be a perfect Christian. In my mind, the ideal Christian is someone who lives a sacrificial life. This person is obviously a missionary, lives among the poor and has adopted at least seven children and they have hour-long quiet times every day. They never yell at their kids or spouse and their house is immaculate. They also disciple many younger adults or teens and have an ideal marriage. They are, in a sense, perfect!!! However, perfectionism can be devastating for a Christian.
Romans 3:23 ESV For all have sinned and fell short of the glory of God!
The perfect Christian does not exist! It is easy for us to look at someone who is living an “extreme life” for the Gospel, someone who is a missionary in some far off location or is leading a large congregation of people and be convinced they have it all together, but I promise you, even though they may look perfect on the exterior, they struggle with sin daily. There is one thing that I am perfect at, I am the perfect sinner. I can always count on myself to do that thing that I shouldn't do and fail to do the things that I should.
Romans 7:15 ESV For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
In Romans, Paul confesses that he does not understand why he continues to sin. He wants to do righteousness, but he does not do it. Rather, he finds that he commits sin, the very thing he hates!!! I have to admit that I really connect with Paul when it comes to failing to be the Christian I want to be. We live in a day, when sin is normalized. The world does its best to make sin seem acceptable. They sit comfortably in it and make it look so good. For example, the LGBTQ community says that all sorts of sinful relationships are perfectly fine, because they love one another. It is so easy as a Christian to look the other way so that you are not accused of being hateful or intolerant. It is the nature of man, even the nature of a believer, to over look sin, to be entangled in sin. It happens so easily.
Hebrews 12:1 NASB Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us.
When we constantly strive for unattainable perfection, we are chasing after something that will never satisfy. We are chasing after a fleeting goal that will never compare to the love and peace found in our sweet Savior. God never meant for us to spend our days toiling to reach an eventual state of human perfection. Our idea of perfection is often rooted in selfish ambition and a desire for more. So friend, let us lay aside our desire for perfection and instead cling to God's perfect grace and love!
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Soon after my marriage to my first wife ended, I became a single father doing my best to raise 3 little girls, My oldest Samantha was 8 years old, Sophia was 6 and Sara was 18 months. I spent the next 4 years of my life earnestly searching for and praying for a wife, someone that could come along side me and help me raise girls. Because I was not the smartest guy in the world when came to understanding females. Oh, I knew the physical anatomy of girls but I knew nothing about the emotional issues. I was a typical man, I just wanted to know how to fix stuff and as their father I felt a high calling to fix every problem that arose. Little did I know that some female problems can not be fixed. So in my anguish and absolute failure to fix things, I prayed for a wife, but it seemed God was not listening.
James 4:3 ESV You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
It was hard for me to believe that God did not want me to have a wife to help me raise my girls, after all in the very beginning God said it was not good for man to be alone. However, looking back over the years now I have realized that the reasons I was asking God to answer my prayers for a wife were selfish and had nothing at all to do with bringing Glory to God, they were for Jeff alone, so that I could get out of life the one thing I desired the most, love!!! There are many different ways God answers our prayers. Some of the most common answers to prayer are: No, I love you too much, Yes, but you'll have to wait, Yes, but not what you expected, Yes, and here's more, Yes, I thought you'd never ask. In my case, God answer to my prayer was, Yes Jeff, I have a wife for you, but your gonna have to wait.
Psalm 27:14 ESV Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
Waiting, I must say, is not something I do well. It seems there is not a day goes by that we do not spend a portion of it waiting. We wait at the stoplight. We wait in line at the grocery store. We wait for our children get ready for so that we can get where we are going. We wait at the restaurant for our food. We wait for the insurance company to approve a medical treatment. I could go on but I think you understand, waiting is part of life, even if you don't like it.... Immediate answers to prayer, you want them, I want them, but God does not always work that way. And to get his best, we must be patient. However there is one prayer that God always answers the same and always answers immediately. That is the prayer for salvation from repentant sinner.
Romans 10: 9-11 ESV because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
Many people think prayer is complicated, but it is not hard at all. Romans 10, verse 9 couldn't be any simpler, it says very plainly. “confess with your mouth and believe in your heart.” If you pray, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world. Today, I make Jesus the Lord of my life. I believe He died so I could be forgiven and rose again to give me life. This prayer God always answer immediately and with a resounding yes!
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A thousand ways to die was a television series that aired from 2008 to 2012. The program recreated unusual deaths, some based on true events and some on urban legends. The show interviewed experts who describe the science behind each death. Over the years the human race has become experts at killing each other. The history of war begins with the evolution from primitive hunting with spears to organized warfare, marked by the first recorded war in 2700 BC. During, The Bronze Age, warfare intensified, with dedicated armies and the development of metal weapons like swords and spears. Two other commonly named periods of the increase of warfare are the Axial Age and Modern Times. The invention of gunpowder, and its use in warfare, together the invention of the atomic bomb has forever changed warfare. Currently the acceleration of technological is changing war all together!
Isaiah 54:17 NKJV No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me, Says the Lord.
No matter how many ways man finds to kill each other, as Christians our confidence rests upon the sure promises of the all-powerful God. Who reminds us throughout His Word, that He is the Almighty, Sovereign Ruler of the universe, and has given us His assurance that no weapon, whether physical or spiritual, will prosper against His children. A weapon is anything designed to inflict harm. The apostle Paul tells us that we have been given tools to fight against our enemy, but our weapons are not ordinary weapons or even like modern day weapons such as automatic guns, fighter jets or even atomic bombs. The weapons we fight with are not like the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power.
2 Corinthians 10:4 ESV For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
Often, the enemy hits us with spiritual attacks such as confusion, depression, anger, anxiety, fear, temptation, and loneliness. But the Lord has given us His Word as our sword and faith as our shield.
Ephesians 6: 13-18 ESV Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.
God is in command. He controls both those who make weapons and those who use them. He has already won the war. Through Jesus Christ, He has defeated the final enemy, death, and purchased for us eternal life. As God’s people, we can be confident in the Lord’s victory over every enemy. Nothing built, sharpened, aimed, or fired against you, your family, your church family, God’s kingdom, or God’s people will succeed. This is a promise from God, every child of God can say, no weapon formed against me shall prosper!
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The octagonal Heinz ketchup bottle was patented in 1890. The bottle is know for its iconic shape. However, the eight sided ketchup bottle posed issues for both the consumer and the brand. Consumers were often perplexed by the difficulty of getting the thick condiment out of the bottle. Sometimes, they resorted to sticking a knife in the bottle, resulting in a messy red goo all over the handle. Pounding on the bottom of the bottle sometimes worked. But, at times, it produced a flying burst of ketchup that could land anywhere. Eventually, Heinz found a way to take the stress out of the ketchup bottle. The inverted the plastic squeeze bottle let people start applying the ketchup with a lot less effort and frustration, even when the bottle was nearly empty. Stress and pressure that comes from stress comes in many forms, much more frustrating then getting some ketchup on your hamburger. Here are some things that may cause you stress: the toilet is plugged, the water heater burst and flooded the house, the alarm didn't go off and your running late for work and on the way to work you hit every red light possible, the temperature is freezing and your car won't start and your kids are sick and you must stay home from work and your already so far behind you feel like you will never get caught up. This is only the beginning of the list of things that can stress you.
Philippians 4:6 ESV do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Stress, pressure, we work under it. We are driven by it. We suppress it. We deny it and try to escape it. We take vitamins for it. We feel it in our chest. Our stomach churns. Our palms get sweaty. And all of us are squeezed by it. What comes out of you when you are squeezed? What comes out of you when milk is spilled all over the brand new carpet? What comes out of you when a child throws a tantrum at the worst possible time or when you get cut off in traffic, or your husband says something unloving? Thank God I never say anything unflattering to my wife!... The truth is: whatever is inside of you will spill out when you are squeezed under the pressure and stress of life! The bible tells us that there is a holy war going on inside of us. Our flesh wants to scream and lash out at the person or thing that has squeezed us and caused us stress.
Romans 7: 18-19 ESV For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.
When the stress of life puts the squeeze on and I want my own space, my own way, my own silence or rest. I need to remember that Jesus left the comfort of His home in heaven, where He was worshiped and adored to die on a cross for me a rebellious sinners!
Romans 5:8 ESV but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
He died for me, even though when I am squeezed by the pressures of life and I react in a way that is far less then heavenly and am everything or anything but perfect, He still forgives and loves me. He loved me enough to send his only begotten Son to die for me. Christ died for us while we were still sinners, which is to say that Christ didn’t die for the perfect and the put together, as if there are any such people. He died for the weak, the wicked, the broken, the rebellious, the ungodly. God, in His divine nature, didn't wait for us to be worthy or even to seek Him out, but actively pursued us, a rebellious and evil people.
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There is a faith based marketing campaign titled, “He Gets Us.” They use advertising to encourage people to explore their questions about Jesus. Essentially, "Got Questions" is a creative marketing tool by the "He Gets Us" campaign to spark dialogue and invite people to ask questions about Jesus and their personal faith journey. I have no idea who is behind this campaign or what their core theology is and I don't want to start a debate about the content of the television ads they run. I do know this, they have spent millions of dollars to get what appears on the surface as a faith based message into a Superbowl ad and for that I applaud their fortitude and tenacity in witnessing and evangelism. The bible tells us however that cautious skepticism is always important.
1 John 4:1 ESV Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
When you have questions where or to whom to you turn? For the majority of my life, my “Go to” person to ask both difficult questions and to get reassurance that I am making the right decision is my father. He has always made time to listen to me and to give me simple straight forward advice, without being critical of me. I know you may say that I should be going to God in prayer for the answers I am searching but I have been blessed by God with an earthly father that I know has a personal relationship with God himself and I am confident that the answers he gives me are based on his relationship with God. It is an amazing blessing!!!... to be able to both see in his life actions and hear in his words the way a Christian man should live.
Deuteronomy 6: 6-7 ESV And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
I don't feel like I have any personal abundance of knowledge, or to put it simply, I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I have found that my children on occasion now come to me with their difficult questions. I am not as nice or as patient with my children as my father was with me. Occasionally when they say, “Dad what should I do with my misbehaving teenage child?” I reply with, well I remember a teenage child that once lived in my home that did the same things, do you remember what happened to you?... I know that is not a very nice response, but even in my criticism I want them to pause, cool down and take a deep breath and not fly off the handle with the discipline of their teenage child realizing they once did the same thing. I am thankful that when I have to most difficult questions in life that I am either to shy or to embarrassed to ask my earthly father, I can go to my heavenly father without fear!
James 1:5 ESV If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
You need wisdom every day. You need wisdom in dating, communication, marriage, parenting, finances, and conflict. You make decisions every day. How you react to your family, what you say to others, or what you don’t say, how you spend your money, how you handle an offense, and how you handle a crisis. Your lifestyle may be the only bible many ever read and for that you need wisdom every day. Got Questions? Ask God!
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I was listening to Christian radio the other day and the host of the program asked this question. Why do so many people have dusty bibles and shiny new electronic devices? This really made me take a deeper look at my habits. I opened up the settings on my phone. In the section called, digital well being, a very appropriate title I must say, I looked up the amount of time I spent on my cell phone. In one week, my total screen time was 12 hours and 31 minutes. Wow! I must admit I was a bit ashamed that I had wasted so much time. It is my personal belief that the Devils greatest tool is distraction. If Satan was to look me in the eye and say, I want you to steal from your employer, or I want you to cheat on your wife or even worse yet I want you to kill that person that most irritates you, I would without hesitation reply absolutely not! However, Satan is so much more subtle and sly. I don't think twice about the amount of time I spend on social media. I even believe that some of the time I use social media and the internet can be a tool to spread God's message and while it is true that some of time I spend using my electronic device is for evangelism, it is only a very small portion of the over 12 hours a week I spent staring at the screen of my cell phone! Everyone, no matter who they are, has 168 hours a week, and we’re supposed to spend about a third of it sleeping, and then another large amount of that likely goes to work. But in terms of what we call discretionary time, how much do we actually have? And how are we spending it? Scripture tells us to redeem the time and make the most of the time we’ve been given.
Ephesians 5: 15-17 ESV Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
I must admit that modern technology has really changed me. It hasn't made me into an evil person, a thief, a mass murderer, but it certainly has transformed me into a person that not the best version of myself. Before it became so easy to pick up my cell phone and just google anything I wanted a quick answer to I spent more time talking to my parents and other more mature Christian friends. If you take the cover off my bible the binder is held together with duct tape. Inside the front page I have hand written the verses that are the “Romans Road” and I even have the page numbers written down so that I can quickly find them. I have many hand written notes and highlighted verses in my bible. Now I rely on artificial intelligence and the posts of people that I don't know. I have no idea if the information aligns with the word of God or not unless I stop and take time to get out my good old fashion bible and look it up in God's word. This doesn’t mean that there’s no time for fun, hanging out with friends and family, barbecues, or watching a good movie. Our leisure time can be used in ways that please God.
1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
So the answer isn’t believing that spending time doing the things we enjoy is automatically wrong. Hobbies and God-honoring entertainment can be an enriching part of an abundant, satisfying, and happy life. If your approach to free time is staring at your cell phone and wasting countless hours on social media, then we’re likely neglecting other important things God has called us to do. Are we building relationships with our neighbors and the people God has brought into our lives? Who are we serving or reaching out to? So put down your shiny electronic device and dust off your bible!
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Many people have suffered the loss of a spouse or a child and in a moment of despair have cried out to God and said, “If you really loved me then why did you let my loved one die?” If God is all powerful, and if prayer really works, then why I am here at this tombstone morning the death of my loved one? This is such a difficult question and to be honest with you I don't have a good answer. However, I can tell you this; it is important that we confess to God how we really feel. He already knows it, of course, but we need to be honest with Him and ourselves and face our own need of healing. The real proof of God's love is the fact that he allowed His only begotten son to die on the cross so that we can be forgiven.
John 3:16 ESV For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
For those of us who have placed our faith in Jesus death is only the beginning, not the end. At the moment we close our eyes in this world and our heart beats it's last beat we will enter the kingdom of heaven and be in the presence of God.
Luke 23:43 ESV And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.
So how are we as Christians supposed to react when our spouse or child is terminally ill? Second Samuel chapter 12 says that King David prayed fervently for God to heal his son. David would not eat, he fasted and prayed day and night. The elders tried to get David up, they tried to get him to eat something but he refused, his life, all his thoughts and prayers were focused on his prayers for God to heal his son. He prayed non stop for seven days, but on the seventh day the child died. Because God did not answer David's prayers for his son to be healed, did that mean He didn't love David? No not at all! In a way the child was healed because at the moment his life ended, he entered into the kingdom of Heaven where is there is no more sickness.
Revelation 21:4 ESV He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.
The Bible tells us to be thankful to God for all things in first Thessalonians 5:18. It is not that we thank God that loved ones have been taken from us, but that our loved ones are in Heaven where pain and death will never touch them again. Be thankful that God is with us in our own grief. God is still in control, even when we do not understand all that happens in this life. I personally had two sons die. The first had genetic disorder, that at the time could not be cured. The second got his umbilical cord around his neck and was still born. My grief was nearly unbearable. If it had not been for the love and support of my wonderful Christian parents and siblings I am not sure I could have managed the grief. When you are in the midst of the deepest, darkest, despair you have ever felt because your spouse, your child or other loved one has died, remember the pain that Jesus endured for us on the cross. He suffered unlike anyone in all of history. I will never know in this life my my boys had to die but one day when I rejoin them in heaven, I will finally understand!
1 Corinthians 13:12 ESV For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
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Forty-four percent of Americans say they are very satisfied with the way things are going in their personal life. This is according to information gathered by surveys conducted by the Gallup corporation, a firm know for its public opinion polls. According to Gallup there has been a continued decline in personal satisfaction since January 2020, when the measure peaked at 65%, just before Covid. Gallup also reported that those who attend church on a regular basis and those who are wealthy are more likely to report that are satisfied with their lives. What would it take for you to be satisfied with your life? In Philippians Paul describes has he has had both abundance and need and was still satisfied.
Philippians 4: 11-12 ESV Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned, in whatever situation I am, to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
Like Paul, James had learned to be joyful and optimistic through trials and testing because he understood them to be privileged occasions for growth.
James 1: 2-4 ESV Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
There is a tale of a king who suffered from a painful ailment. His counselors advised him, the only cure was to find a contented man, get his shirt, and wear it night and day. So, the king sent messengers to find such a man, with orders to bring back his shirt. After months of searching the kingdom, they returned empty-handed. The king asked his servants, did you find a contented man in all my kingdom? Yes, O king, we found only one they replied. Then why did you not bring back his shirt, the king demanded? The servants replied, my king the man had no shirt. I am a lot like the king in this story. In this imperfect world I am searching for a cure, for satisfaction... and there never seems to be enough for me to be satisfied. I would like to say that I am satisfied with all that I have, but unlike Paul and James I have not yet perfected my faith and I fear that I won't be truly satisfied ever. I know I sin and fall short of God's glory daily, and I feel I will not be satisfied until that day when I awake in Glory. There is an old hymn that describes well where you can find true satisfaction and the lyrics go like this: I am satisfied with Jesus, He has done so much for me: He has suffered to redeem me, He has died to set me free. I am satisfied, I am satisfied, I am satisfied with Jesus, But the question comes to me, As I think of Calvary, Is my Savior satisfied with me? For those who are believers, the question of God's satisfaction is answered through faith in Jesus Christ. If you have placed your trust in Jesus, God sees you as holy and righteous, not based on your own actions, but because of what Jesus has done at Calvary!
1 Peter 2:24 ESV He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
We can carry around our Bibles every day and remain unchanged. However, if we study Scripture and persist in prayer, by faith, we encounter the One who is worthy of our worship. He provides us with true satisfaction, no mater if you currently are living in prosperity or total emptiness. No matter the challenges you face today my friend, come to Jesus. He will satisfy your deepest needs!
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I am confident at some point in time you have heard the saying, “A job worth doing is a job worth doing right!” This means that if a job is started, it should be completed with care, and to the best of my ability. You should take pride in what you do and emphasize quality over quantity, rather than just going through the motions or doing a half-hearted job. Essentially, if something is worth doing at all, it's worth doing well. I spend a lot of time in my garden. I call it my dirt therapy! I take pride in my garden and when things don't go as I had hoped, I am is very disappointed! It also gives me a great sense of accomplishment to share the things I grow in my garden with those I love! Have you ever wondered what you will be doing in heaven? I bet work and having a job is probably the last thing you think of when you imagine Heaven. After all, doesn’t the Bible describe Heaven, as a place of rest? How could there possibly be work in a place of rest?
Isaiah 65: 21-23 NIV They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands. They will not labor in vain, nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them.
If you were to ask the average Christian to describe what Heaven is like, you are more likely to hear descriptions of floating on a cloud than you will building houses or planting and tending to vineyards and gardens. The thought of working in heaven may be distasteful to some, especially to those who have spent their lives at a job that was physically or mentally demanding. But work in heaven will be quite unlike our jobs that we work at in this world. Our job in eternity will simply be to serve God. Heavenly work is often described as service to God and others, a continuation of the good works that believers are called to on Earth, but without the weariness and limitations of this life. I am not sure where the idea of heaven being a place where we lounge around on clouds, strumming a harp comes from, but it does not come from the Bible. From the beginning, God intended work to be part of the human experience. Work was His design; even before the fall, Adam had a job, as God placed him in the garden to work it and take care of it, and Eve was to assist with the work, as God created Eve to be Adam’s helper.
Genesis 2:15 NIV The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
Genesis 2:20 NIV So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found.
Before the fall, the work God gave Adam and Eve was fulfilling, invigorating, and provided a sense of purpose. Only after the introduction of sin into the world did man’s job become difficult. Even in our sinful world, work can still be good and can provide purpose and fulfillment. The problem is many things get in the way of enjoying a job, personal problems, unrealistic demands and physical or mental fatigue. In contrast, work in heaven will be pleasant and satisfying. There will be no conflicts, impractical expectations, or fatigue, and we’ll have the perfect Boss. So until that day when we reach our final destination and get our heavenly jobs. Do everything as if you were already working for God.
Colossians 3:23 NIV Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.
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Have you had one of those days when nothing seems to go right? I know I have my share of days when I look back at what I have accomplished for the day and I feel like I have been working my tail off... all day... and I still don't have anything to show for it. Days like this just make you want to through your hands in the air and say, I give up! There is a song by Brandon Lake titled, Hard Fought Hallelujah. The lyrics to the first verse and chorus go like this: I don't always feel it, but that's when I need God the most. So I'll keep on singing, Til my soul catches up with my song. There are times when my hands go up freely and times that it costs me dearly. There's days when the praise comes out easy and days when it takes all the strength I've got. So I'll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt, been-through-hell hallelujah. I'll bring my storm-tossed, torn-sail, story-to-tell hallelujah, Cause God, You've been patient, God You've been gracious and faithful whatever I'm feeling or facing. So I'll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt, it-is-well hallelujah!
John 16:33 ESV I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.
While we will face persecution and hardships as Christians, God will comfort and reward those who remain steadfast in faith! Jesus told the disciples to be of good cheer just as they were about to face the darkest, most troubling time of their lives. He would soon be leaving them, and Jesus knew that severe persecution, suffering, and even death awaited each of His disciples. The disciples were grieved and confused as Jesus said, “In a little while you won’t see me anymore. But a little while after that, you will see me again.” They would all scatter, and most would abandon Him at the cross. But soon after, their doubt and fear would be transformed into faith and peace. Jesus told them, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” In the original language, the words translated as be of good cheer and take heart can also be understood as be bold, be confident, or be courageous. Jesus taught the disciples that they could have inner peace and courage. amid tribulation only by placing their faith in Him.
1 John 2: 28 ESV So now, little children, remain in Him so that when He appears we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at his coming.
In this world, you will encounter persecution and suffering, just as Jesus did!... Even if you face the threat of death, you can say, thanks be to God! Persecution to the point of death, now that is what I call a “Hard Fought Hallelujah!” However, be of good cheer, be joyous, be lighthearted, exuberant even, because Jesus has conquered the world. While the world offers only trouble, threat, and danger, we do not have to be anxious or afraid. We can be of good cheer because we belong to the One who has overcame the world! Nothing in this world can harm us because we belong to the One who is the most powerful and sits at the right hand of God. If you believe in Jesus and belong to Him, you too have overcome the world because the One living in you is greater than the one in the world.
1 John 4:4 ESV Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
So the next time your wrestling with the darkness of this world, the next time your struggling just to get through the day, bring your hard-fought, heartfelt, been-through-hell hallelujah to the one to whom one day every knee will bow!
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When I was a teenage boy I questioned all authority, especially that of my parents. If my parents asked me to do something well then that was enough motivation for me to do the opposite. It didn't matter if they asked me nicely, tried to bribe me or simply demanded that I do something, I did everything in my power to do the opposite of what they asked, even if I knew it would be good for me. They were the ultimate authority in my life I wanted to be my own ultimate authority. Many years down the road I began to raise my own family and I soon developed a bit a respect for what my parents were trying to do for this very strong willed child. I think I have since apologized to them for all the trials and tribulations I caused them, but if I have not, I will now, sorry Dad and Mom for all the trouble and grief that I caused you. It doesn't matter who you are in this world we all have some authority we must answer to from the homeless person living on the street to the President of the United States living in the white house. We will all answer to someone, and one day we will all bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Philippians 2:8-11 ESV And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Who or what is the ultimate authority in your life? Is your employer your authority, is it law enforcement or is it still your parents? How much authority does the holy word of God have in your life? How has God and the scriptures influenced your life? When I was still living at home my parents drugged me, they drug me to church every time the doors were open. I am sure I acted up in church doodled on the bulletin and did everything I could think of to distract myself and those around me, but this was most certainly one of the best things my parents forced me to do. Even though I thought that I was totally ignoring the preacher and all the Sunday school teachers, some of what they were saying sunk into my hard head.
Proverbs 22:6 ESV Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
My parents were committed to teaching and raising their children to know Jesus Christ as their own personal savior, and I thank God they were! You must be committed to everything the bible says. Every single word in the bible is the truth and not one single dot or tiddle, even the smallest letter, or one single pen stroke will pass away before all things written in the bible are accomplished. If you claim to be a Christian you must be committed to every single word, every command in God's law. Look at the 10 commandment for example. Some of the commandments are much easier to keep. It is not hard for me to obey, thou shall not kill, thou shall not steal, honor your father and mother is easier for me now than it once was, but some of the others are not so easy to keep, such as you shall not covet your neighbors stuff and you shall not have any other God's before me. Wow! Did that last one surprise you a little bit! I know it did, admit it! The person telling you that you must be committed to every word of the bible is saying that he struggles with having other God's. Oh my gosh how can this be! You hypocrite, yes I am a hypocrite and I bet you are as well. Yes from time to time I tend to give other things in my life a higher priority, more importance than I do God's word. Sometimes my camper or my garden is more important to
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When my kids were still living at home and going to school upon occasion they would attempt to fake an illness to skip school. Maybe they had a test or report due at school that they thought they were going to do badly on or they may have been afraid someone was going to pick on them. No matter what the reason they had for not attending school, dear old Dad had a stead fast rule, if you were not puking to pooping uncontrollably, you were going to school. Most of the time this worked for me, however there were a few times it backfired on me and the school nurse would call me and tell me I had to come pick up my sick kid. Forty percent of all Americans say they attended worship on the previous weekend. However, Sociologists of religion have questioned that figure, saying Americans tend to exaggerate how often they attend. By actually counting the number of people who showed up at a representative sample of churches, it was found that only 20% of the population attended church each weekend. Recent research using cell phone data has indicated that significantly fewer people are likely attending every week. The estimate could be only 10% of Americans attend church weekly. In 2000, the median worship attendance was 137. In 2010 it was 105. In 2020 it was 65. Today 55 is the Median worship attendance that is a decline of 60% in two decades.
Hebrews 1: 24-25 ESV And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
My children came up with some very creative ways of faking illness in an attempt to skip school and Americans today have as many or more different reasons for skipping church as my children had for skipping school. According to Pew Researchers 4 in 10 Americans who do not attend church say they practice their faith in other ways. Now that is about as ambiguous answer as I have every heard! According to this same study 37% do not attend because they have a dislike for religious services. 23% said they said they have not found a church they like yet, 18% said they didn't like the sermons, 14% said they did not feel welcome, 12% said they simply didn't have the time. However, in my personal opinion here is the scariest data of all, 28% of those surveyed said there were not a believer in God at all! Yes, I know these figures may not add up to a total of 100% but that is because many of those surveyed gave multiple reasons why they did not attend church! Outwardly people may seem religious. They may make a profession of Christianity, but their actions speak louder than their words. By their ungodly behavior, they show that they are living a lie. There is no evidence of the power of God in their lives.
2 Timothy 3: 1-5 ESV But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
Many have given up on the church because they have experienced hurt, betrayal, and abuse. However, Christ said the gates of Hell will not prevail against the church. Christ loved the church and gave his life for her. We must love the church as well and be faithful to her. We must persevere in, love, we must minister to the church. Do you still love your church? Are you faithfully tithing, attending and ministering in your church?
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Unless you have been living under a rock you have been to Walmart and seen some really weird outfits. I know there have been times I have noticed someones outfit and thought to myself I wouldn't have left the house in that, let alone worn it in public. There is even a website that is devoted to the strange outfits and antics of Walmart customers. The site, “The People of Walmart,” is a humorous site that depicts the many customers of Walmart stores across the United States and Canada, through funny photos. My difficult question for you is this: what are you looking at? What are you focusing on? If you spend to much time looking at the world you will soon become distressed, If you spend to much time looking at yourself you will become depressed but if you focus on and look to God you will find rest! As Christians we are called to be in the world but not of the world.
John 15:19 ESV If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
Jesus understood the tension we would experience as Christians living in a hostile world. So what does it really mean to be in the world, but not of the world? How do we decide which shows we should watch, which environments we should avoid or which activities are out of bounds? Look to the word of God, focus on bible study. The sad fact is that the only way to completely avoid all sinful experiences or influences is to leave this world altogether. You will always experience temptation until that day you enter into eternity in heaven. The fact that you might be in a location where your Christian view is challenged is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, God may have placed you there so you can have a positive impact on those who don’t yet know Jesus. As Christians we are to be a light in a dark and sin filled world.
Matthew 5:14-16 ESV You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
So the question we must ask ourselves is how bright is our light. When you see that person dressed in some crazy outfit at Walmart that you just can't un-see it burns a memory in your head. What exactly are people seeing in your day to day actions? What influence is your life having on those around you? Living the Christian lifestyle is so difficult! Sometimes our light stops shining because we have started to crave the world more than we want to change it. This can happen to anyone, even those of us who are active in our church. We begin to pursue pleasure, attention, and money more than we strive after spiritual things like faith, love, and a close relationship with God. Worldly things promise us a lot, but ultimately leave us empty. God’s path leads to an inspiring, fulfilling, and purposeful life.
1 John 2:15-17 ESV Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
Worldly distractions can pull your focus away from your faith. So who are you looking at, the things of the world or the things of God?
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I am pretty confident that most of us have had one of those, “What If” moments where you wondered just how things may have turned out differently if you had made a different choice. My biggest, “What If” moment has just recently came across my mind. When I turned 18, I signed up for the draft because I was required to. I thought myself I will serve if drafted, but I am not going to volunteer. I had several of my classmates signed up to serve in the armed forces right out of high school and now they are comfortably retired and only working at things they enjoy doing. It has made me think to myself, how would my life had been different if I had joined the military and made a career of it? First I would have gotten married at a very young age and had 3 girls and 2 boys, that passed away as infants. I also wouldn't have had a failed marriage after 8 years and been a single father for 4 years. I also wouldn't have met the love of my life Joyce Ellis who helped me raise my 3 girls. Finally, I wouldn't have 6 grandchildren ranging in age from 18 years old to 12 years old. There is no way to know what my life would have looked like. The choices you make in life are similar to throwing a rock into a body of water. It makes waves which ripple out for a long way. Here is my difficult question for you, what if you had enough faith in this life to do all that God would have you to do?
Matthew 17: 19-20 ESV Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.
If I had the faith to follow God without fail the impacts of my actions wouldn't be like the ripples caused by throwing a rock into a body of water, it would be more like the wave cased by a tsunami. Everyone and everything around you would be effected by your actions. However the truth of life is that we all live in a broken and sin filled world. We have all been betrayed in one way or another and this causes us to lose our trust in others and ultimately find it difficult to completely trust God. True Faithfulness comes from a place of trust and loyalty.
Hebrews 11:1 ESV Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
As a Christian, it is important to be faithful to God. It is one thing to simply believe in Him, but another to be faithful to Him. When we are truly faithful to God, this shapes the way we live. Faithfulness requires us to submit our ways to God. It comes from a place of realizing that we are in need of a Savior and that He is in control of our lives.
Proverbs 19:21 ESV Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
So, how do we grow in our faithfulness? We can grow in our faithfulness by having a personal relationship with Christ. If we are truly faithful to Him and obey His commands, this will be evident in our lives. My challenge to you is this: Think about the ways you show your faithfulness to God. Are there things that are getting in the way of your faithfulness? What areas of your life have you not given over to God? Through spending time in prayer, ask God to make these things clear to you, so that you can grow in your faithfulness. “What If” you were completely faithful in all you do? What If?
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I have a common response to all who ask me how I am doing, most days I reply, “If I were any better there would have to be two of my and my wife would say, WOO HOO!” If the truth be known my wife's response would likely be something more like, “OH NO!” My wife has the patience of Job! She has the ability to accept or tolerate all the harassing, teasing and torments I hand out without getting angry or upset or at least she doesn't lash out at me, but I can tell by the expression on her face she is angry. I can be a bit of a trouble maker and that is putting it nicely. I am so grateful for the grace my wife extends to me. As I have grown older and more spiritually mature I have become more aware of the grace that is extended to me by God. Daily I sin and fall short of the glory of God. Grace is not something earned through good works or merit; it's a spontaneous gift, offered freely and unconditionally.
Ephesians 2: 8-9 ESV For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
The Bible does not attempt to conceal the sins of those God choose to do his will. The people that adorn the pages of scripture made mistakes just like me! Adam and Eve disobeyed God's command and ate from the Tree of Knowledge, Cain murdered his brother, Noah got drunk and slept in the nude, Abraham and Isaac both lied about their wives, David committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed, Moses killed an Egyptian, Jonah disobeyed God's command and ran from Nineveh and Lots daughters got him drunk and had children with him. Despite their sins God still used these people.
Romans 3:23 ESV For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Let us face the fact, we came into the world with nothing, and we will leave it with nothing. Where do we get the notion that man’s idea of success and God’s are the same? You may have written a book and achieved some success. You may be a talented outdoors men and hunter. Maybe your a very successful farmer or maybe your good with your finances and have invested wisely and accumulated a great deal of money. Without the gifts of intelligence, imagination, personality, and physical energy, which are all endowed by God, where would you be? We are born poor and we die poor! We come into this world with nothing and we will leave with nothing. If we are anything, it is because God has blessed us with some talent or physical ability. Let's face it God doesn't need us! But he chooses to use us despite all our failures and sins to show his greatness. I once knew a person who told me, God can strike just as hard a lick with a crooked stick, and God knows I am a crooked stick. If God can use a lair, a drunk, an adultery and a murderer the he can use you and he can use me. God’s grace is amazing. His forgiveness knows no bounds. Whether you make one or one million bad choices, God will always take you back. He will always forgive you, because Jesus suffered the punishment for your sins on the cross. So if you mess up, admit it. Don’t let one bad choice lead to another. But also trust that no matter how hard you fall, no matter how low you sink, God’s grace for you knows no limits. Turn to him and find full and free forgiveness.
1 John 1:9 ESV If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
God accepts me warts and all! All I have, has been given to me by God's almighty hands. Forgive me when I tend to boast about my own accomplishments for I am nothing without Gods grace and love.
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In the early 90's there was a movie called, Wayne's World. Wayne and his best friend Garth run a popular cable access show called, Wayne’s World. They get the the attention of a TV executive who wants to exploit their show. In the movie there is a scene where Wayne and Garth repeatedly say, We're not worthy. It occurs when they meet Alice Cooper, a rock and roll icon. After Alice Cooper suggests they hang out with him, Wayne and Garth, in a state of extreme excitement and awe, react with the phrase, We're not worthy, which they repeat multiple times, along with other exclamations of self-deprecation. This may seem strange to you but there are times when have a strong desire to lift someone up in prayer, but as I begin my prayer I suddenly feel especially remorseful. I want with all my heart to approach the throne of God with my prayers, but I recognize that because of my sins, I am Not Worthy!
Psalm 51: 1-3 ESV Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
The world wide waste of time, the internet, especially social media has a tendency to occupy or waste way more of my time than it should. Frequently I find myself on Facebook and I stumble across a post that really infuriates me. I know I shouldn't pay attention to it but I find myself getting lost in the comments. Many of the responses are a retaliation to what this person shared in their post. My heart yearns to leave a witty comeback! With my fingers poised over my phone's keyboard, I try to devise a reply to that will let all those who have hatefully lashed out that this person know just how they are wrong they are! I come up with several retorts that I really want to post, but I ultimately decided it is better to do nothing than it is to reply in my furious state, so I hit close all apps and put my phone down. Satisfied with my good behavior, I mentally pat myself on the back for my ability to exert such excellent self-control. Doing the right thing is good in many ways, but it doesn’t change what’s in our heart. Jesus tells us that sin starts in the heart.
Matthew 15: 18-19 ESV But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.
If our sin isn’t dealt with at the core, it will grow out of control until it permeates our entire being, affecting our relationship with God. Although I practiced self-control by not posting a comment, my heart was unrepentant. Outwardly I looked clean, but on the inside, my heart was a muddy mess that still oozed pride and fury. Despite my good behavior, I still need to seek the Lord in true repentance. God delights in a heart that is truly remorseful!
Psalm 51:17 ESV The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Rather than assuming that my good behavior is enough to make me right with God, I need to approach Him with the recognition that, I am Not Worthy, that even my most righteous acts are no more than filthy rags to God. I should have a repentant heart that wants to be made right so I can enjoy a better relationship with my heavenly Father. Because none of us are worthy, We are Not Worthy!!!
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When my children were young there were several things that I was known for with all their friends. First, if your car blocked the driveway and you parked me in you would find your car at the top of the hill, a couple blocks away. If your car was not running right, I would fix it for you or if you wanted a new stereo installed in your car, well I was your man. I was also a bit ornery, matter of fact I was infamous for being a a joker. Children frequently describe their parents by the job or careers they have, their hobbies, and the types of activities they enjoy, such as reading, gardening, or cooking. Children describe their parents beliefs about right and wrong, based on the rules they are given. They describe their parents, using adjectives like "funny," "strict," "kind," "generous," or "helpful". In essence, their descriptions of their parents is a snapshot of how they perceive their parents characteristics, actions, personality, beliefs, and values. What would your children say your infamous for?
Proverbs 22:6 ESV Train up a child in the way he should go; and even when he is old, he will not depart from it.
I will be the first to tell you that when I was raising my kids, they were more likely to find me in the garage working on my race car than they were to find me with my bible studying God's word. As parents, we bear the responsibility of being a good example for our children. Our words and actions shape their understanding of God. Just as we are encouraged to learn from God's Word and apply it to our lives, we should also teach our children to do the same. There is a delicate balance between parental authority and ultimate obedience. The most successful parents have the wisdom to guide their children, not just through rules, but through the example of their lives. In Ephesians the bible tells us that Fathers and mothers, should not provoke their children to anger, but teach them discipline and instruction of the Lord. This verse encourages parents to discipline and instruct their children with love and guidance, not anger. I was blessed with two parents that kept God at the center of their lives. No matter what foolishness I had done on Saturday evening, I knew that my parents would be dragging me out of bed to go to Sunday school and church the next morning!
Psalm 103:13 ESV As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
I am confident that when my parents stand before God they will receive a crown so full of jewels it will be hard for them hold their heads up. I know this because as a teenager if my parents asked me to do something I would intentionally do the opposite and yet the kept their composure. My parents showed me compassion and love when I deserved the opposite. I am sure there were moments when my parent questioned my sanity and prayed to God and asked Him what they did to deserve such treatment! My parents and my grandparents of both my mother and father's family were infamous for attending church nearly every time the doors were open and that trait was also demonstrated in their lives Monday through Saturday. Children will use words and phrases that they have seen and heard their parents say. I received a call from my daughter when she was in college one day and she said I can't believe it but I have become my father. I asked her what she meant and she told me that she had just told her room mate, were your born in a barn? Close the door and shut off the light, a phrase I had said to her many times when she was a child. Some of my most vivid childhood memories are was reciting the Lords prayer before a meal at a family reunion and receiving a bible as a Christmas gift. I still
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I got married and started my family at a very young age. When I married my first wife I was 18 and she was only 16. We were married for 8 years and had 3 girls, who I love with all my heart. Our marriage failed for many reasons, but the main reason it failed is because God was not in the center of our relationship. I will be brutally honest with you! I chose my first wife for the same reason many men choose a bride. She was beautiful and I was consumed with fleshly desire for her. After the marriage failed, I spent the next 4 years of my life as a single father doing the best I could to raise 3 little girls. I had primary custody of the girls and their mother spent weekends and summers with them. I must say these were the most difficult years of my life. In Genesis God says it is not good for man to be alone!
Genesis 2:18 ESV Then the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.
In Genesis 2, God brought the creatures to Adam to see what he would call them. This act of naming was not just a matter of labeling, but a demonstration of Adam's dominion over creation and a way to show him the difference between himself and the animals. It also served as a test to see if Adam could find a suitable helper from among the creatures, ultimately leading to the creation of Eve. You really have to think deeply about this task to understand the real reason God asked Adam to name all of the animals of creation. God could have easily done this himself, with just his words he spoke them all in to existence, so why did God need Adam's help? The truth is God didn't need Adam's help. What I believe God was doing was teaching Adam a lesson. Naming a creature requires that Adam recognize that creature as God's creation and that the creature has a role to play in the world God created. As a result of getting to know the all of God's creatures it became clear that none of them were like Adam. None of them could be a suitable helper, which resulted in the creation of Eve, because it was not good for man to be alone.
Genesis 2: 20-23 ESV The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
It was not good for Adam to be alone and it wasn't good for me either. In May of 1997 I married Joyce Hendren. Joyce and I have always put God first in our relationship. I will be the first to tell you that she makes me a better man. I have a tendency to be a bit ornery. To some I may seem to be a difficult husband, but I love my wife more than I do myself. I love her with all my heart and just like the bible says I would give up my life up to protect her.
Ephesians 5: 25-30 ESV Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.
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We all have that one person in our lives that the moment they walk into your presence just makes you grind and grit your teeth. When they speak there is just something about them that grates on your nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard. Maybe this person is your next door neighbor, maybe they are a co-worker or worse yet, and I hope I am wrong,.. maybe they are a fellow church member! The minute you see this person you start searching for the nearest exit so you don't have to listen to them, to be irritated by them. Surrounding yourself with like minded people can be awesome. The encouragement you receive and the focus you’re able to achieve can be incredible. I’m convinced that creating a circle of like-minded people should be a non-negotiable task on my to-do list and if you know me very well, you know that I love my to-do list! I hate to inform you of this but there is danger in surrounding yourself only with like minded people. People who constantly agree with you. People who never challenge you and only affirm your beliefs. It becomes very easy to simply accept that something is true because enough of the people around you say it’s true. You accept that what you believe is right, just because people around you say it’s right... But you say, the bible tells me that I am not to forsake the gathering together of like minded believers.
Hebrews 10: 24-25 ESV And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Yes you are right, we are not to forsake the gathering together of believers, but in the very first part of this verse is a couple very important words, stir-up. This verse tells us that we are to stir the pot, to motivate one another to love and good works, because the Day of the Lord's return is drawing near. There is another bible verse that many people misunderstand. The bible says that iron sharpens iron and one man sharpens another.
Proverbs 27: 17 ESV Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.
Most people think that this just means surrounding yourself with good friends makes you better. But sharpening isn't comfortable. It is friction with sparks flying everywhere. Iron doesn't sharpen iron by sitting next to you. It sharpens by clashing with you, by creating heat and irritation. If your friends never challenge you, call you out or push you to be stronger, they are not sharpening you. True Christian friendship is not about comfort. It is not about affirming your desires. It is not being a consumer of Christianity and getting all you can get. It is about forging Christians that are strong, wise and holy through real accountability. If no one ever irritates you, if no one every applies pressure to you and creates some friction, you will never be sharpened. You must be challenged in order to learn. I can tell you from my own experience that there are times that God's word, spoken to me in love by a brother or sister in Jesus Christ, can cut to the bone.
Hebrews 4:12 ESV For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
If these words have some how irritated you then they have accomplished their purpose. Hopefully I have helped you to discern your thoughts and showed you the intentions of your heart, sharpening you into a better person!
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Influencer marketing has become one of the most popular and effective forms of online marketing. Millions of internet users are browsing social media platforms for entertainment, inspiration, and product recommendations daily. It is no surprise that marketers are harnessing the power of social media’s most recognizable faces for promotion. Influencers help brands grow quickly because they have a lot of followers who trust them! They're experts at creating visually appealing content and have a loyal audience that's interested in a specific topic, like food, fashion or fitness. I grew up in the day before the explosion of the internet and my biggest influencers were my parents. Nothing made me pay more attention to the decision I was about to make than when my mother said, “Jeffrey Jay, don't make me tell your father!” When my mother did have to provide me with some positive influence she would carry out her threat and when she told my father what I had been up to he never asked any questions His belt came off his pants so fast I swear it made a sonic boom!
Proverbs 13:24 ESV Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.
The bible says that children are a blessing from the Lord. Having many children is a reward from him. They are like arrows in the hands of a warrior. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.
Psalm 127:5 Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
The most significant influences on children are their family, environment, and the culture they are raised in. As children become teenagers their peers and social circles become increasingly important, influencing their behavior, values, and choices. Exposure to the media, including television, movies, and social media, can impact a child's beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors.... If you know very much about archery you know that there are many factors that will influence the path of your arrow and whether or not it will hit the bullseye. First, on the bow there is the arrow rest, your arrow most be held in place by the arrow rest, but only lightly. Next, there is the nock point where the rear most part of the arrow is again only lightly attached to the bow string. The archer must carefully draw the arrow back to the same point each and every time, then look carefully down the shaft of the arrow to insure that the arrow is pointed at its target. Finally, the archer must let go of the arrow and hope that they have taken into account all the things that could influence the path of the arrow to it target after they release the arrow, such as distance to the target and direction speed of the wind. There are so many similarities between arrows in the archers hand and children it is incredible! Just like in archery at some point in your child's life you are going to have to let go and hope that as a parent you have pointed your child at the bullseye. So as a parent what are you doing to influence you children. The lessons you teach your children not only come from the words you say, they come from your actions. If my mother had repeatedly said, “don't make me tell your father”, but she never took action on those words and actually told my father of my foolish choices, her words would not have had much impact on my choices. As a parent what influence are your actions having on your children? Do you say one thing and do another? Do your words say, “do as I say not as I do”, or do you walk the walk and talk the talk? Do you drop your children off at church functions or do you worship with your children. I promise you that if as a parent you don't provide them with a positive influen
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I am blessed to have a job with great fringe benefits. I earn sick pay and vacation pay ever 2 weeks and my sick pay is unlimited and has no cap. I have great health insurance that is very inexpensive. I have a pension plan and a deferred compensation plan. I get 14 paid holidays a year and my employer provides basic life insurance. For the most part I have every weekend off and only on a rare occasion do I get called in to work a night or weekend. According to the website census.gov about 86% of U.S. private-sector employees worked for establishments that offered employer-sponsored health insurance. Even if you have a job that provides for you great pay and benefits it is all only temporary.
Matthew 6:19-21 ESV Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
In general, “treasures on earth” includes money and possessions. Earthly treasures include the things you can touch, cash, clothes, cars. Money, money, money. You think about money. You work for money. You save money. You spend money. Hopefully you tithe your money. Finally most of us at some point in our life you will stress over money. Even if money isn’t a controlling factor in your life,.. something that your life revolves around,,,, a significant portion of your life will revolve around earning, saving, giving, and spending money. So your relationship with money isn’t something you can just brush aside as not spiritual or unnecessary. Here’s something you need to know about money. Bible verses or not, money is amoral. Money doesn’t have a life. It cannot act on its own. It cannot do good deeds, and it cannot commit crimes. Basically, it’s neither good or bad. No matter how many Bible verses about money there is. Money can only do what you tell it to do. Money is not the root of all evil. But the love of money is the root of all evil.
1 Timothy 6:10 ESV For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
Now, before you jump to the wrong conclusion, Jesus didn’t say that …You can’t own a phone. You can’t buy a computer. You can’t purchase a home. You can’t drive a car. You can’t buy gifts for someone. You can’t save or invest money for retirement. You can’t buy more than one shirt or a pair of jeans. What Jesus did say was, Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth. Said another way, stop focusing on accumulating money and things and set your heart on pursuing, treasures in heaven. Real wealth is obtained by investing in, treasures in heaven. You are eternally rewarded when, you give. When you pray and fast in private. When you forgive someone. When you share the gospel. When you love your enemies. When you endure insults and persecutions. When it comes to rewards, the greatest reward every follower of Christ will receive is seeing God face to face.
1 Corinthians 13:12 ESV For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
I may not know what the future holds for me, but I know who holds the future! As a faithful Christian servant our future is in the hands of the one who has planned the future!
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The American flag flying upside down signifies dire distress or extreme danger, while flying at half staff indicates mourning or remembrance. Communicating with flags, particularly in a maritime setting, involves using a system of visual signals, where flags represent letters, numbers, or specific messages, allowing ships to communicate at a distance. The white flag is an internationally recognized sign of truce or ceasefire. It is also used to symbolize surrender. We recognize things by what characterizes them. If someone described something to you with the words leaves, branches, trunk, and oranges, you’d most likely say, oh that’s an orange tree! And you’d be right. The tree is known for these characteristics. The same is true when it comes to being a believer in Christ. Jesus said on several occasions, a tree is recognized by its fruit.
Matthew 12:33 ESV Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.
Your actions always speak louder than your words. If you profess to be a Christian, the world is watching you no matter how insignificant you may think you are. No matter what you say if your actions don't align with your words, all those who are watching will pass judgment on you and everything you have said that contradicts your actions will be ignored and held with little or no regard! True believers in Christ are recognized not by what they say they believe, but by how they live their lives on a daily basis. Before the invention of the radio ships used flag signals to communicate their intent. So my difficult question for you today is what flag is your life flying? What message is your life communicating to those who you work and spend time with daily? If you profess to be a Christian the world should be able to see a person who has truly changed, a transformed life!
Galatians 2:20 ESV I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
So what are some Christian characteristics that should be easily recognized by the world? Let's start with obedience, believers trust God to be in charge of their life. They say yes, to what God asks them to do. Obedience is a characteristics of a believer that makes them easily recognizable. Forgiveness is another trait that should be easily recognizable in every believer! Christians should forgive much, because they have been forgiven much. You should have an abundance of grace for forgiving others, knowing that God has forgiven you with an immeasurable grace in your life! Meaning, purpose and priority, should be characteristics of a Christian. Believers in Christ should live with renewed meaning and redefined purpose. They no longer live for themselves but for Christ and His Kingdom. Their focus and priorities become centered around what pleases the Lord! Most importantly a believers life should be characterized by love! Love for God and love for others. Believers must realize that loving God means also loving others. You should begin to love and sacrifice for others the way Jesus did. Believers love others because Christ first loved them.
John 13: 34-35 ESV A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
So what flag is your life flying? Is there enough evidence for others to see your life and say, there’s no doubt your unmistakably, unquestionably, a believer in Christ!
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Have you ever thought that God is not hearing your prayers, maybe God is hard of hearing or deaf even? I know there have been times that I have prayed for something so hard, so fervently and not received the answer to the prayer that I am seeking, that I have begun to think maybe God wasn't hearing me. I think the answer to my question is actually quite obvious. The answer is that I am searching and seeking for God to answer my prayer the way I think it should be answered. This leads me to ask this question, does God hear every prayer?
John 9:31 ESV We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.
John says that God does not listen to the prayers of sinners. The only prayer that God hears from a sinner is the prayer for salvation. He listens to those who have placed their faith in Him and do his will. For those of us that have placed our faith in God not every prayer is answered. I believe that because I have placed my faith in God, He hears all my prayers, but He only answers those prayers that aligned with his will. So if I ask God to help me win the lottery He is not going to answer that prayer because it obviously is not aligned with his will, no matter how much I may tell Him that I am going to give back to my church.
1 John 5: 14-15 ESV And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
I say all this to bring you back to this point, God is not deaf, He hears my prayers He just doesn't always answer them the way I expect. I have learned in my life that If I am asking God to move a mountain, I had better be ready to wake up next a shovel! Here are some of the ways God may answer the prayers of believers. First “No I love you to much!” The Lord of the universe isn't under obligation to say yes to every prayer. That's a good thing, considering some of the things we request! Next, “Yes, but you will have to wait.” Immediate answers to prayers is something everyone wants. You want them. I want them. But God simply does not always work that way. We must be patient, unfortunately patients is not one of my greatest character traits. Another way God my answer your prayer is, “Yes but not the way you expected.” The perfect example of this may be Joni Eareckson Tada. At the time of her diving accident, Joni likely thought it was unfair that God would leave her in that state for good. But it has turned out for her good and God's Glory. Finally, God my answer your prayer by saying, “Yes, I though you would never ask!” Many people think prayer is complicated. Actually, the simplest prayer can bring you the miracle you need, when you need it!
James 5:16 ESV Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
The most difficult way God may answer your prayer is by saying NO. This is the most disappointing of all is when God answers prayer with a definite, no. When all other answers are exhausted and his obvious response is no, then we need to humbly accept it and move on. These are just a few ways the omnipotent God may answer your prayers. So God is not deaf, but there are some things that God will never do no matter how hard we pray. They are simply not in his will or plan.
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I must admit I have been blessed with a great father. When I was a child he knew when to be stern and when to be kind and loving. My father has always loved me even when I was a rebellious teen and was very difficult to love! Some people carry childhood emotional baggage that skews their perceptions about the goodness of God. These individuals often come from an abusive background, so their ability to trust a father figure has been severely damaged. To them, God lives only to bring them grief. In Jesus Sermon on the Mount, He speaks to these injured souls, saying that God is an exceedingly loving Father who gives good gifts to His children. Jesus asks the crowd, if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.
Matthew 7:11 ESV If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
As I said in the beginning I have been blessed. I have both a good and loving father and a good and loving mother, both have remained married to each other their entire lives. As of October 2025 they will have been married 61 years and that is no small accomplishment! In the US, a significant portion of families experience a breakup, roughly 50% of children witness their parents divorce and a substantial number live in single-parent households, around 23%, giving the US the world's highest rate of children in this type of household. About 16% of children live in blended families with a stepparent, step-sibling, or half-sibling. Children whose parents divorce have a higher likelihood of experiencing behavioral problems. From these facts you can see how it could be difficult for people to trust a Heavenly father when they have been let down by their earthly father.
Psalm 37:25 ESV I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.
God wants His children to open their hearts in total dependence upon Him, trusting that they are safe and secure in His embrace. The Lord won’t trick us by giving us a stone instead of bread. Nor will He mock our prayers by presenting us with something harmful, like a snake instead of a fish. If we need food, He won’t abandon us or leave us begging for bread. Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us, from God our Father. Just like my father took such great care of me when I was a child, I can trust that my heavenly Father will take good care of me because I am His treasured child and because He loves perfectly. Our earthly parent are only human and even the best ones will fall short, but God's love is perfect and eternal. The heavenly Father knows what’s best for His kids. He gives them what they need and not what harms them. Believers can trust God completely; because He is truly good, He cannot give anything but what is good.
Romans 8: 31-32 ESV What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
I hope with all my heart that like me you were blessed with a good and loving earthly father. But if you were not no matter how badly you may have suffered, the Bible offers hope and comfort to broken adults who still carry the scars of childhood abuse and abandonment.
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Is it a sin when someone knows the right thing to do and doesn’t do it? This very scenario goes all the way back to the beginning of time. God gives Adam some instructions on what he can and can't do in the Garden of Eden It's pretty basic, and very generous.
Gen. 2:16-17 ESV And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.
Notice what God doesn't tell Adam. There is no warning or instruction over what is about to occur, the Temptation of Eve. Missing from the conversation between Adam and God is something like this: Hey Adam, one more thing. A week from Tuesday, about four in the afternoon, you and Eve are going to be down in the orchard and something dangerous is going to happen... Adam, are you listening? The eternal destiny of the human race hangs on this moment. Now, here's what I want you to do.......….. Let me ask you a question. Where is Adam, when the serpent is tempting Eve? He's standing right behind her. The bible tells us She gave some to her husband, who was with her. Then he ate it, too. This lack of action by Adam has impacted the history of all of mankind. You never know what impact your lack of action may have. Several years ago I was actively organizing a monthly gathering of men for breakfast and fellowship. Our former sheriff, Josh Esckerson, had been attending church services on a regular basis and I had been visiting with him. The Holy Spirit told me I should invite him to join us for men's breakfast. I procrastinated the prompting of the Holy Spirit and one short week afterwards he took his own life. Would this situation have had a different outcome if I had been obedient and followed the prompting of the Holy Spirit? I will never know. We are all guilty of being silent when we needed to do something, say something, or take a stand for what is morally right and just. A Christian who chooses to do nothing in the face of need or injustice commits the sin of omission, failing to live out their faith by neglecting the opportunity to show love and compassion. This I do know the bible says if you know the right thing to do and to fail to do it, you are sinning. God is God and He doesn’t need defending, however we are warned by Jesus.
James 4:17 ESV So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
As followers of Christ, we are called to actively participate in the world, reflecting God's love through our actions, not just our words. Doing nothing can be just as devastating as doing the wrong thing, especially when we are in a position to speak up or offer support to those in need.
Matthew 10:32 ESV So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven.
When faced with a situation where you might consider doing nothing, ask yourself why. Are you truly unable to help, or are you simply avoiding responsibility? When unsure about how to respond, pray about your situation and seek God's wisdom and direction on how to act. Remember that even small acts of kindness can make a big difference. By choosing to act when faced with a need, we demonstrate our faith and live out the teachings of Jesus Christ. Your life may be the only bible some people every read. May we all listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and know when to act, and when to be silent!
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Everywhere I go from the smallest community - to the big city, I see storage rental units. What does it say about society when we do not have enough room in our homes to store all our stuff, so we fill up rental storage units. Our possessions wield a remarkable power over us. They give us a false sense of security and an inflated sense of worth. They promise freedom yet they only enslave us. We think that if we just had that one thing our heart desires we would be happy, so we put in the extra hours at work, to come up with the money we need to buy that thing that we think will make us happy. Then for some reason we think we need something more and we start the cycle all over again. We aren't really bad people, we attend church, we are morally upright in all that we do, we treat others with respect. In the book of Mark Jesus tells us about the rich young ruler. In many ways, the rich young ruler was a model of faithfulness. He was sexually pure, honest and trustworthy with his words and money, respected his parents, and studied the Bible. If he had grown up in my church, he would have been on the fast track to Christian leadership! And yet, the only reason we know anything about this man is because of his inability to follow Jesus in every area of his life. Mark 10:21 ESV And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me. We are told that Jesus looked on this man and loved him deeply. Jesus wants nothing less than your whole heart, the whole of who you are. What is it in your life that you think you just can't live without? The rich young ruler loved his possessions so much that he couldn't turn loose of them. He was possessed by his possessions! The core of our being, our heart, is where our deepest desires, motivations, and values reside, and therefore, what occupies that space significantly influences our actions and life choices. Maybe it is stuff, but maybe it is something else. What holds the key to your heart? You may say well I don't have so much stuff that I am filling a storage unit, so possessions are not a problem for me. Well possessions are not the only thing that could fill your heart. Maybe you spend your time following the activities of your children or grand children. Maybe the focus of your heart is on food, maybe it is on camping or some other hobby. While none of these things are evil or are sinful, when you place them before God they become idols. The one thing Jesus was asking of the rich ruler was not a life lived perfectly, but a heart of perfect surrender. Complete surrender letting go of anything pulling him away from God. Proverbs 4:23 ESV Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Have you bought the lie of the world, He who has the most stuff in the end wins? What are the things that currently hold the most space in your heart? Are you intentionally cultivating a heart that is filled with compassion, love and forgiveness? Are there any areas of your life where you need to actively choose to let go of negativity and allow God's love to fill the space? Maybe your heart is not filled with how many possessions you have or even with activities, maybe your heart is filled with grudges, anxiety or worry. Negativity can fill you heart just the same as possessions. Consider what might be possessing your heart right now – possessions, anxieties, worries, grudges, or is it positive passions like love for family, serving others, or pursuing your faith. Pray for strength to guard your heart and to let God's love fully inhabit your life. Let this be your prayer. Everything I have. Everything I own.
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Many of us have a hobby that we love. Some of us love to golf, some go hunting, others love car racing and some love gardening. No matter what hobby you are passionate about there is only one way to get better at it, practice! I have recently become interested in shooting hand guns. Unless you spend a lot of money on a custom gun the average gun is made to fit the average person. If you happen to be above or below the average you have two choices: you either learn to adapt to how the weapon shoots or you change the weapon so that it adapts to the way you shoot. I have one hand gun that I know shoots high. When you align the sights you must place your target above the sights otherwise you are gonna shoot above your target. The sights on this gun are fixed so I must adapt the way I shoot if I want to be accurate.
Matthew 5:16 ESV In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.A successful Christian's actions should align with their beliefs. A successful Christian will speak openly about their own experience with Jesus and how it has transformed their life. They are not afraid to share their faith with others, even when it's challenging. To become a successful Christian you must fall back on what you know, you own personal experiences. Not all of us have a golden tongue like the preacher, or a mind that has total recall and is able to quickly remember and quote bible verses. The only real tools you have is your personal testimony and the skills that you have have learned throughout your life. Furthermore, not all of us are people persons. Having the ability to have spontaneous conversation is simply not a gift everyone posses. But, God has a use for those people as well. You may be a great listener, maybe you are a willing worker who lets your actions speak louder than their words. Maybe your a great care giver and you feel more comfortable with infants than you do with adults. No matter what your good at God can use you! As a Christian we are God's tools. If your hobby is racing, the car is your tool. If your hobby is golf, the clubs are your tools. If your hobby is hunting, the gun is your tool. A tool can do nothing on it's own. It must be placed into the hands of the person using it in order to do what it is intended to do. The person holding it determines is use and how successful it will be. The same is true for the successful Christian, we are only tools that can do nothing on our own, however when we are placed in the hands of God, then you are able to become a successful Christian, capable of more than you can imagine, more than your can dream possible.
Philippians 4:13 ESV I can do all things through him who strengthens me.With all tools, without the person who operates it, it has no value, it is useless, it is little more than a paperweight. The bible is the same. Without someone willing to pick it up and use it, it has no value, except to gather dust on a bookshelf. If your bible is perfect shinny and new, most likely your life is not perfect. If your bible is a mess, held together with duct tape, the pages are tattered and there are notes scribbled in your margins, than your life is probably in pretty good shape. If I was to hand someone a hammer, but no nails or a gun, but no bullets it would do them no good. If a Christian only offers prayers to someone in need, the impact of Christ is partially lost. The prayers may help, but a sandwich or a cool drink of water may fill their immediate needs far better. By helping both the physical and spiritual needs the full power of the Lord can be witnessed. To be a successful Christian you must be God's tool to be u
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Not everyone that professes being a Christian actually follows Jesus Christ or has a saving knowledge. They may know some facts from the bible but they don't understand the truth of the word of God. They can probably even quote from memory several of the most recognizable bible verses. What does it mean to be a Christian? Does being a kind loving person make you a Christian? What about being morally upright or a honest person? Does following the commandments in the Bible make a person Christian? What about doing kind deeds for others, does that make a person a Christian? Abstaining from drinking alcohol and being generous to others, does that make a person a Christian? Taking sacraments or going to church doesn't make a person a Christian either. Even praying and studying the Bible does not make a person a Christian.
1 John 2:19 ESV They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
We all know people that may be almost Christians. In America we have plenty of churches with plenty of almost-Christians. It’s easy to get caught up in the crowd, sing the songs, and go through the motions. Eventually, they feel like they belong, and they can’t even remember a time when they weren’t a Christian. They attend church a frequently. They put some money in the offering plate. They attend many of the special events like the carry in dinners, baptisms and children's programs. If you ask them if they are a Christian they will respond with a confident yes, I attend church and I believe in God. You must know that in heaven, there is no membership roll. Almost-Christians will almost get to heaven. But almost isn’t going to be close enough, almost heaven is still hell. Even the demons believe in God and they Shudder!
James 2:19 ESV You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe and shudder!
So how do you know if someone is a really a Christian? The only real way for us, as humans, to know if someone has truly become a Christian is to observe that person’s life on the outside. Since we cannot see the interior of the human heart as God does, we have to look for some result or indicator of their faith. If a person does not show any fruit, that is, any visible evidence of the change that has taken place in their heart since receiving Jesus Christ as their Savior, well then they may not be a Christian.
Matthew 7: 20-21 ESV Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
As I said in the beginning, not all who profess to be Christians are truly followers of Jesus Christ, regardless of the Christian language they use or the Christian activities in which they participate. These, almost Christians, try their best, struggling to do for themselves what God in His grace has already accomplished.
John 14:6 ESV Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
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I came home from work the other day on my way feed the chickens and pick up eggs I noticed smoke was rising up out of the door on the chicken coop. When I opened the door the entire building was filled with smoke, but there was very little flames. I quickly flipped the breaker box switch and turned off the electricity. I began kicking out the straw on the floor, but within a few seconds the inside of the coop was engulfed in flames. A heat lamp bulb had somehow came in contact with the straw bedding and when I opened the door I provided a source of air and the fire was quickly out of control. I ran to the storage shed and dug my garden hose reel out, while calling 911 on my cell phone at the same time. I stretched the hose out and of course the hose reel lacked about 15 feet of reaching the fire. So I ran back to get another hose. I did manage to somewhat keep the fire under control until the fire department arrived, with the help of my neighbors who saw the smoke or got a frantic call for help from me. I was able to keep the fire from spreading into the dry trees and grass the surrounded the chicken coop. The chickens were smart enough to get out of the fire and none of them were harmed, but the chicken coop was a complete loss. The following morning I opened the door of my home to let the dogs out and the air around my home was filled with the smokey stench of the fire from the day before. When I went to work my co-workers could also smell the smoke that had soaked into coat that I had been wearing the day before as I was trying to put the fire out. In the Bible, the smoke from the fires of hell symbolizes the eternal torment of those who oppose God. The smoke is used to describe the uncomfortable state of the wicked and the irreversible nature of their punishment.
Revelation 14:10-11 ESV he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.Smoke is a product of combustion. If the fire is quenched, the smoke ceases. This is a graphic image that the flames of hell causes burning and that the smoke of the combustion signifies the torment of those who are afflicted. The smoke is from the carbon material of the human body being burnt. The human body is composed of 4 key ingredients, oxygen, carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen. If the thing that smokes is taken out of the flame, or is wholly consumed, then the flames that causes the smoke ceases. But the fires of hell can not be quenched.
Mark 9: 43-48 ESV And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled, than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.This may seem to be ghastly, but this is the truth of God's word. Those who refuse to accept Jesus as their savior will have no rest day or night. The devil, his demons, and those who followed him, will burn yet not be consumed. They will beg any who will listen to give them a drop of water on their tongue to relieve their anguish from the flames, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, not silence or the mere roaring of a fire. The bible i
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I was a single parent for about 4 years. While that in itself is a difficult task, I was a single father doing my best to raise 3 little girls. One day I decided that life was just a bit to busy, hectic and just plain messy, so I was going to give myself a break from preparing a meal for my children. I loaded up the girls in the car and we went to Subway for dinner. My older 2 girls Samantha and Sophia were 8 and 7 years old and were able to see over the counter and order their own sandwich. My youngest girl Sara was almost 4 year old and so she was in my arms and together we were trying to order a sandwich for her. The older 2 had placed their order and were standing at the cashier waiting for myself and Sara to finish our order. We were almost finished when Sara looked me in the eyes and said, “Daddy I don't feel good!” I looked at her pale face just as she barfed all down the front of my shirt. No further explanation is needed! It suddenly became a very messy situation. How often do things in our lives go exactly as we have planned? Even what was supposed to be and evening of relaxation with my girls at Subway turned out very unexpected and messy. The reality is this, you have little or no control over your life. What will happen is going to happen regardless of how well you have planned.
Psalm 23:5 ESV You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
In the midst of our enemies the trails and tribulations of our lives God is preparing a table for me. This is eating in style! Forget grabbing a sandwich at Subway. We are talking a Thanksgiving Dinner! All the fixings, the place settings, festive decorations, a table loaded with all your favorite fixings. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, pies and desserts as far as your eyes can see. All this being said the Christian life is no walk in the park. In order to receive these blessings we must walk through a messy sin filled world. And if you think about it even when God is blessing you to the point your cup runneth over, a cup that is spilling over can still be a bit messy, wonderful messy, but still messy. David’s life was an unrelenting battle. In his early years, he was a shepherd, despised by his older brothers. Then, he lived as a fugitive, hunted by king Saul. When he became king, he inherited a divided kingdom, where rival tribes were filled were filled with a deep distrust for each other. How in the world did he keep going? How will you keep going in the light of the many burdens, conflicts and your messy life?
John 16:33 ESV I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
As Christians our desire for a comfortable life is often overshadowed by our desire for a Godly one. We have become spiritually complacent. For the most part I live a very comfortable life. I have a warm home, my cabinets and my stomach is always full. I have more than one vehicle and a full time job. My kitchen garbage disposal eats better than many people. Many families are finding that grocery bills are increasing every day and food banks are running out of donations. The poorest Americans, while facing challenges, are still significantly wealthier than the majority of the world. Many times it takes the messy trials of life to get our attention. In the midst of our pain, God asks us to do one very important thing, Trust Him!
Proverbs 3: 5-6 ESV Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
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Most everyone would agree that if someone commits a crime the punishment should not exceed the damage done to the victim by the crime, at least until they become the victim, then all holds are removed and no amount of punishment is to much. If you do a quick internet search on the term an eye for an eye it will tell you that the phrase was first stated by Cicero in106 BC as he spoke about letting the punishment fit the crime. However the truth is that the phrase truly originated as a part of the mosaic law way back in 1500 BC. The concept of an eye for eye, is part of the Mosaic Law used in the Israelites’ justice system. The principle is that the punishment must fit the crime and there should be a just penalty for evil actions. If there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
Exodus 21:23-25 ESV But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
This concept remains a core principle of criminal justice to this day. There are even traces of it in the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, according to which excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. When someone hurts us; we want to hurt them back. Getting even is a natural response to being wronged, but God calls us to live above our natural responses. Retaliation for harm done is the world’s way of making things right. But God’s way is to heap burning coals on his head by refusing to stoop to the level of the offender. Proverbs 25 tells us If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you. When we retaliate with evil for evil, we join our offender in his error, his sin. In the sermon on the mount Jesus told us not to return evil for evil, but to overcome evil with good. Getting even is a natural response to being wronged, but God's way is almost always opposite of my way.
Matthew 5: 38-42 ESV You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
When we retaliate we take matters out of God’s hands and insist on fixing things ourselves. These commands against retaliation are for individuals, and they should not be applied in matters of law enforcement. When we try to apply Jesus’ words about loving others to matters of national security, they fall apart. Jesus’ followers are to seek to practice every scriptural principle in their personal and family lives. But governments must operate by a different standard. Government was instituted by God for the common good of a people. There are times when a nation must retaliate in order to preserve its freedom and its people, such as the United States’ response to Japan’s bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. A nation is given permission by God to exercise force and retaliate against other nations in defense of its citizens.
Romans 13:1-2 ESV Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointe
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Most Americans say the Earth is getting warmer. According to the Pew research center 53% of Americans say global warming is mostly because of human activity, such as burning fossil fuels. Most also view global climate change as serious problem. When it comes to what Americans most often pray for, the environment ranks lower than other topics. Those who pray regularly are more likely to pray for the healing of someone who is sick, for peace on Earth, for the poor or their family’s well-being, than they are to pray for the environment. However one of God's first commands to Adam and Eve was to take care of their environment.
Genesis 1:28 ESV And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Another instance of God directing us to care for our environment can be found in Genesis chapter 41. Joseph interpreted a dream God gave the Pharaoh which predicted devastating changes coming to Egypt. He foresaw seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. Joseph did not ignore the signs of this coming catastrophe, and Pharaoh was wise enough to heed his warning. He placed Joseph in a position of leadership enabling him to address the situation, and to save many lives in the process. In Leviticus 25, God gives instructions regarding Israel’s agricultural practices to ensure the land would never be permanently ruined.
Leviticus 25: 2-5 ESV Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you, the land shall keep a Sabbath to the Lord. For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its fruits, but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the Lord. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. You shall not reap what grows of itself in your harvest, or gather the grapes of your undressed vine. It shall be a year of solemn rest for the land.
However the greatest climate change that has taken place and is still drastically changing is the climate of morality. What is morality? Who defines right and wrong? This may seem like a question with an obvious answer, but what should be our Christian stance be on abortion? The Canadian Government, recently stated that pro-life groups are not in-line with Canadian Society. They are saying that Canadian society is the standard and that pro-life groups should conform to that standard. The problem with developing a moral code that ignores God is that whatever a group accepts becomes what is right. In the Canadian government’s example, the government says that killing children in the mother’s womb is right. But did Canadian society always agree to this? Prior to 1969 all abortion was illegal in Canada! What changed? The morality of Canadian Society changed. Did it change for the better? Some will argue yes because the mother is free to choose. But is it morally right for a woman to be free to choose to kill? Does the child have a say in this, can we give him or her a choice to live? The problem with this shift in morality is that there are no fixed principles. Biblically, this reminds us of the time of Judges in the Old Testament when the Israelites were not seeking God.
Judges 21:25 ESV In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Our social and political climate today is inundated with angry voices that are convinced of their own righteousness and their opponent’s depravity. We are quick to highlight the sins of others and call for t
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My wife and I frequently have disagreements. Not argument or fights, but just disagreements about who is right. I often tell her, “I thought I made a mistake once, but I was mistaken.” Joyce usually responds by saying, your not always right Jeff! My attitude at work is, it is only a mistake if someone else knows about it. If I can fix my mistake before someone else is aware, well than it is if it never happened. In Proverbs chapter 3, Solomon tells his son to trust in the Lord. In verse 5 Solomon tells his son to trust the Lord instead of his own understanding, and in verse 7 he says, don't be impressed with your own knowledge.
Proverbs 3:7 NLT Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
Those who are wise in their own eyes do not fear or trust the Lord. Instead, they think all they need is found within themselves. To be wise in your own eyes means you think, you have it all figured out. You do not listen to advice of others, and you tend to live by the saying “it’s my way or the highway.” Society as a whole believes that it is a good thing to be fully self reliant. I must say that I pride myself in the fact that I pay my own bills, that I am able to meet all my own needs. I have a home that is warm, my kitchen cabinets and my stomach is full. I have gas in my vehicles and for the most part if I need something I just go buy it. I am self-reliant and self-sufficient, I don't need anyone's help. I believe that I have life figured out, But God is not impressed.
Proverbs 28:26 ESV Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.
Solomon continues by saying it is better to trust the Lord instead of your own understanding. This does not mean we're to act recklessly or without thought. The point is that our intellect, our wisdom is nothing compared to that of God, the one who created us. Human wisdom falls far below God's wisdom. It is infinitely better trust the Lord, and turn your back on evil, your own understanding, than it is to follow, your own ideas. Job did not understand why he was suffering so greatly, but he was convinced that the Lord knew what he was doing. He acknowledged that his only responsibility was to trust in God.
Job 28:28 ESV Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.
Don't be impressed with your own knowledge and abilities. We need to see ourselves as we are, flawed and imperfect. This requires humility, we must realize that we are not as smart as we think we are and recognize that everything we have is from God.
John 1: 1-3 ESV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
God gives wisdom through His Word and through His discipline. “Do not be wise in your own eyes” is not just a rule of etiquette or a personal improvement tip; it is a principle of godliness designed for your own good. Your not as smart as you think you are and believe me God is not impressed with your knowledge, so “Don't Be Impressed with yourself!”
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When I was drag racing I was always looking for something that would get the results I was searching for. And the results I was looking for was going faster and winning races. One year I put together a plan in my mind to go big or go home. My wife didn't understand my plan at all. I began by trading an all steel,full frame race car, that had a beautiful blue job for an all fiberglass, tube chassis car, that was a basket case. When I brought it home there were more pieces in the back of my pickup than were on the car trailer. After I unloaded it I had to ask Joyce to steer the car while I pushed it into the garage. I left home with a car that looked like something you might see at a car show. Then I drove 7 hours one way to Chicago Illinois to bring home what my wife thought looked like a piece of junk, but I could see its potential. I took several months but I did end up getting the results I wanted, a faster race car. So here is my hard question for you. What should be the results of accepting Jesus Christ as your savior? Many people will acknowledge Jesus Christ as a good man, a great teacher, or even a prophet of God. These things are definitely true of Jesus, but they do not fully define who He truly is. The Bible tells us that Jesus is God in the flesh, God in human form.
John 1:14 ESV And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
We all have two lives, one on earth and one in eternity. We die a physical death on earth, but we live an eternal life in Heaven if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. If we do not accept his free gift of eternal life in Heaven, we go to Hell; the Bible is very clear! Jesus said that punishment in hell is just as everlasting as life is in Heaven.
Matthew 25:46 ESV And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
Life on earth is a dress rehearsal as we get ready for eternal life in Heaven. While good works do not get us into Heaven, we will be rewarded in Heaven based upon the good deeds we performed while we were on earth. Galatians chapter 6 tells us, do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will reap from the flesh, he will reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap from the Spirit, he will reap eternal life. It goes on to say, let us not grow weary of doing good. When someone becomes a Christian, their life should change significantly by experiencing a new sense of purpose, peace, and love. This leads us as Christians to live a more ethical life aligned with Christian values, which include greater love and compassion towards others and a new family of Christian brothers and sisters. You should prioritize your relationship with God and seek to incorporate the teachings from the bible into your daily decisions and actions.
2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
This doesn’t mean you are never tempted to do wrong or that you will never sin again. However, as you become a more mature Christian you will turn your heart towards God, and you will desire to serve and please God with your life. The results,... will be your life will display the fruits of the Spirit. You life should exhibit greater love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And these are the Results of being a Christian!
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Many Christians believe that the most important part of our devotion to God takes place from the chin up. We focus on gaining more head knowledge. We study scripture. We pray. We attend Sunday school. While knowledge of the scriptures is very important for spiritual growth, physical health is also important, because it allows you to better serve God and live a fulfilling life. How much does God want me to care for my physical body? Good question... What do the scriptures say about caring for your physical body?
1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 ESV Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
I love food. There are very few things that I do not enjoy eating. It is so easy to become enslaved to food. A sweet treat has immediate reward and delayed consequences. A piece of my favorite pie gives me immediate satisfaction, but it doesn't have immediate consequences. After eating a piece of pie my waist size does grow immediately. My pants are not instantly to small. However, if I was to eat a pie a day over an extended period of time I am going to get fat. The opposite is true as well. Exercise has an immediate consequence and a delayed reward. If I exercise my muscles will ache. The pain will be almost instant, but the reward of continued exercise is delayed. I must exercise every day for a long period of time in order to lose weight, gain strength and stamina. Many people are over weight and unhealthy because they're enslaved to food. They eat too much and they exercise too little. They have heart attacks and get diabetes.
1 Corinthians 3:17 ESV If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.
If your health is poor, then you will lack the strength you need to serve God. Everything we do reveals the condition of our hearts. Yes, even the things we choose to eat and drink can say a lot about how we honor God. If it matters to be disciplined about reading the Bible and praying, it matters to stay healthy. I don’t believe that God is calling all of us all to be muscle bound athletes in perfect health. But we have all been given living, breathing bodies. Our bodies are gifts from God. You wouldn’t trash a precious gift from a good friend, would you? So, in the same way, you shouldn't trash your bodies. God calls us to do our best with the gift he has given us. Some of us are given near perfect health and others have health challenges. No matter where you are, steward this gift well. The Bible has a lot to say about healthy living and how our health can honor God. Again, all the gifts God has given us are meant to honor him. So, we can and should honor him with our bodies.
Third John 1:2 ESV Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.
Ultimately, our lives are meant to honor and glorify God. Getting up each morning and choosing wholesome food to eat, exercising, and taking care of our physical health honors God. As Christians, the Holy Spirit dwells within our bodies. Finally, this is the only body we have. We do not get another one. Our bodies cannot be replaced. We should value all that God has given us and steward it well. Treat your body well and give thanks to God for this beautiful gift. Because Every Body Matters!!!
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New year resolutions come around like clockwork. Every year, folks decide they are going to make big changes in their life. Some common resolutions are: to eat healthier, lose weight, exercise more or to finally tackle that mess in the garage. Despite our best intentions, most of us will give up on our new year's resolutions after only 17 to 18 days into the new year, according to a study by the, Resolution Clinic. By Valentines Day our New Years resolutions are little more than a fond memory. Oddly enough, one resolution I have never heard anyone say yet is a commitment to not change. It seems that we are so busy looking for things to fix we forget that some things are perfect. God, unlike humans, is completely without flaw, possessing perfect love, wisdom, justice, and power, and that this perfection is a source of comfort and security, allowing us to trust in His goodness even when we face challenges in our own imperfect lives.
Psalm 18:20 ESV This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
Being perfect, God is the standard by which everything else is measured. It would be impossible for God to be imperfect, because that would mean that another standard has found a flaw in Him. But whose standard would that be, certainly not that of a man? Can creation be greater than its creator? If there is another standard higher than God’s standard, then that means God is subject to judgment by something else, by someone else, making that other thing or person a god. Humanity often tries to elevate its own opinions above God’s decrees, God's word, implying that He is flawed. Any time someone says, “If I were God, I would do such and such” or “If I were God, I would never do this or that,” he reveals his own haughty spirit, not the imperfection of God. When we judge God by our own standards, we are in effect placing ourselves on His throne.
Deuteronomy 32:4 ESV The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.
When we evaluate some of God’s actions from our own perspective, we unwittingly set ourselves in judgment over God. That is a dangerous position to hold because God is our judge; we are not His! We must relinquish our perceived right to judge and approve of God’s methods. When we begin our quest for understanding with the premise that God is right, and we are wrong, we gain greater insight.
Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
God is perfect; we are not. But when He saves us, the Holy Spirit moves in and begins to transform our imperfections. God’s goal is that we become, conformed to the image of His Son. Although we know we will never attain absolute perfection in this fallen world, He wants us to pursue it. So this year when you consider making your New Years Resolution do your best to make resolutions that will better align your life with the only one that is perfect and needs to make no changes what so ever. The Unchangeable creator God.
Isaiah 40:8 ESV The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.
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When I was growing up it was just a given fact that on Sunday morning we would be attending Sunday School and Church. The same is true for my Father and his family. My grandparents and my fathers and his 7 siblings went to great efforts to be in church on Sunday morning. When my father was a boy the road to his home was dirt and sometimes it was very difficult to travel, but that did not stop his family from attending church. I remember seeing a photo of my father, his parents and siblings all piled on an old Ford tractor because that was the only vehicle that was capable to making it down the muddy road to his church. The same is certainly not true today. Most of us live on well maintained roads, even paved roads, but if it is a bit to cold or snowy we use the weather as an excuse to not attend church. God forbid there is a sporting event on a Sunday morning or any other form of entertainment we may be interested in, because it often will given a higher priority than attending church and worshiping our Savior. In January 2018, Christian researcher, George Barna, stated that Generation Z, those born between 1999–2015, is the first truly post Christian generation. According to current trends there is and increasing number of religiously unaffiliated individuals within the younger generation. There is a strong possibility that within one generation, those who believe in God could significantly decline, leading to a society where a substantial portion of people no longer identify with traditional religious beliefs. The world we live in today is facing a crisis of unbelief.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 ESV But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
The family is the backbone of the culture. The family is the educational unit God set up to pass on a spiritual legacy to the next generation and to impact the world for Him in the next generation. It only takes one generation to lose the spiritual legacy, and the devil knows this. That’s why the family has come under incredible attack. Sadly, there is now a generation of kids have been taught through the education system, media, the internet, and movies that the Bible is a book of mythology, man is just an animal, and morality is relative.
Proverbs 29:18 ESV Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.
We live in a time where we this is happening. The younger generations are casting off restraint. Their guidance in life is to do those things which brings them pleasure. They put themselves first and believe that self gratification is the most important and life is whatever they can get out of it right now. They rebel against God, and they do whatever they can to justify doing whatever they want to do.
2 Timothy 4:3-4 ESV For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
Notice that the verse in Proverbs finishes with, blessed is he who keeps the law. People will not be happy until they are obeying God’s law. Even though we live in a world that faces a crisis of unbelief there is hope if you place your faith in God. It is time to get back to the fou
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You've probably been there. Maybe it's a prayer group, and you are a very small group to begin with. It's time to start and several members of your group are still missing, so you go ahead and start the meeting, perhaps saying that Christ has promised if even where only two or three are gathered together, He will be with you.
Matthew 18:20 ESV For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.
My difficult question to you is this. Does this verse mean that if I am alone in my home or office in my personal prayer time that God is not there, because there are not 2 or 3 of faithful gathered together? I am sure that we have all had moments in our lives when we felt like God was nowhere to be found? I know I have. When I was burying my second infant son in a little over 1 year after I had buried my first infant son, I was in such a fog of depression! I felt like God was so distant, so far away and I was all alone. However the truth is no matter where we are or what we’re going through, God is always with us.
Jeremiah 23:23-24 ESV Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.
The truth is there is no place where God is not. Wherever you go, wherever you are, God is there. We can take comfort in knowing that God is always nearby. In our most isolated moments, God is there, fully present, fully aware, and fully engaged. When life feels overwhelming, or when we’re tempted to believe that you are alone in your struggles, you can rest assured that God is right there with you, never distant, never unaware. We can talk to him anywhere, knowing he hears us. So what can we do when we feel alone? Make it a point to remind yourself of God’s presence throughout your day. Whether you’re at work, school, or home, take a few moments to pause and acknowledge that God is right there with you. When you feel alone or overwhelmed, whisper a prayer, inviting him into your situation and trusting that he is already there, fully aware and fully present. We need to embrace the truth of God’s omnipresence and allow it to deepen our faith in Him. We can find peace in the reality that we are never alone.
Psalm 139:7-10 ESV Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.
You can take comfort in knowing that God is always nearby. You can talk to him anywhere, knowing he hears you. Let’s embrace the truth of God’s omnipresence and allow it to deepen our relationship with him, finding peace in the reality that we are never alone. Here is a prayer you can use when you feel alone. Heavenly Father, thank you for always being with me, no matter where I go or what I face. Help me to be more aware of your presence in my daily life. When I feel alone or burdened, remind me that you are near, ready to listen and guide me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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I have a photo of myself, my father and my nephew sitting on the porch of my fathers home. It is not hard to see that all three of us are closely related. My sister and my middle daughter also share a striking resemblance. I guess you can say the quote, “The nut never falls from from the tree,” is a very true statement. In my family, we all share some characteristics that define us as being a part of the Ellis family. In Genesis the bible tells us that we were created in the image of God.
Genesis 1: 26 ESV Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
So what exactly does that mean? In the Ellis family many of us have dark hair, a dark complexion and unfortunately we are usually a bit short and fluffy! So what are the characteristic's, that we as human beings, share with God? It certainly can't be the color of our hair or skin. The children's song, Jesus loves the little children, makes it clear that God's children come in ever color. The lyrics of the song say, “Jesus loves the little children. All the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white. They are precious in His sight.” So if we don't share the color of our hair or skin with God, Maybe it is something else. Do you think maybe God share the similar features such as 10 fingers, 10 toes, 2 eyes and 2 ears? Let us be clear, the bible says we were created by God in his image, so we did not evolve and have not ever evolved from lower forms of life. We were created directly by God to represent Him on the earth and have dominion over every other creation in His name.
Genesis 1: 27-28 ESV So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Having God’s image means we are fashioned to resemble and represent God on the earth. Some Christians like to say we are, Image bearers of God. Image and likeness are similar yet different terms. A person may be described as an exact copy of his parents, just like myself and my nephew are very image of my father. However, that similarity does not does no mean we are identical. To be like someone else means to possess many, but not all the characteristics of each other. Obviously, we don’t possess God’s omnipotence, His wisdom, righteousness, perfection, divinity, and so on. Having the image and likeness of God means, in simple terms, that we were made to resemble Him. The truth is that all humanity was created in the same image and likeness of God; all human beings reflect and express the image of God, unlike animals, plants and minerals. We possessed a special likeness to God for we are capable of developing a personal and spiritual relationship with Him. There are some basic attributes of human nature we have in our likeness with God, such as our intellect, our free will, and our capacity to relate. We are able to think in spiritual ways, acquire knowledge and wisdom. We have the ability to distinguish right from wrong and to make intelligent choices. Free will is another characteristic we share with God. We may use this freedom to worship God or to curse God. Through the Holy Spirits leading we are guided in the right direction, but He does not force us. While God is always reaching out to develop a relationship with us, it is us who choose to accept his invita
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Christmas is celebrated on December 25th and is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For two thousand years, people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. Hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus Christ. People in Europe celebrated light and birth in the darkest days of winter. Many people rejoiced during the winter solstice, when the worst of the winter was behind them and they could look forward to longer days and extended hours of sunlight. In Scandinavia, the Norse celebrated Yule from late December through January. In recognition of the return of the sun. Men would bring home large logs, which they would set on fire. The people would feast until the log burned out. The Norse believed that each spark from the fire represented a new pig or calf that would be born during the coming year. In Germany, people honored the pagan god Oden in December. Germans were terrified of Oden! They believed he made flights through the night sky to observe his people, and then decide who would prosper or perish. Because of his presence, many people chose to stay inside. This is just a few ways that people celebrated the Christmas holiday in a secular manner. n the early years of Christianity, Easter was the main holiday; the birth of Jesus was not celebrated at all. In the fourth century, church officials decided to institute the birth of Jesus as a holiday. Pope Julius the first chose December 25. It was first called the Feast of the Nativity. The custom spread to Egypt by 432 and to England by the end of the sixth century. By holding Christmas at the same time as traditional winter solstice festivals, church leaders hoped to increase the chances that Christmas would be popularly holiday. In the early 17th century, a wave of religious reform changed the way Christmas was celebrated in Europe. When Oliver Cromwell, a Puritan, took over England in 1645, he vowed to rid England of decadence and he canceled Christmas. The pilgrims, that settled America were English separatists they came to America in 1620. They were even more orthodox in their Puritan beliefs than Cromwell. As a result, Christmas was not a holiday in early America. From 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was actually outlawed in Boston. Anyone exhibiting the Christmas spirit was fined five shillings. Christmas wasn’t declared a federal holiday until June 26, 1870. What does the Bible say? Does the Bible give clear direction as to whether Christmas is a holiday to be celebrated? Some Christians do not celebrate Christmas because the holiday has become increasingly secularized. There’s really not much “Christian” about how most of the world celebrates on December 25th. Those Christians who do celebrate Christmas often see the festivities as an opportunity to proclaim Christ as “the reason for the season” and point to the virgin-born Savior of the world who came so humbly to Bethlehem. In the end, while there is no biblical mandate to celebrate Christmas. Whether to celebrate Christmas in traditional fashion is still just a personal decision.
Romans 14: 5-6 ESV One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
Whatever Christians decide to do regarding Christmas, their views should not be used as a club with which to beat down or denigrate those with opposing views. Neither should one’s view
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For most of us we don't have to put much effort into thinking of someone that has either offended or mistreated us. The most frequent reaction to being mistreated is getting angry. When someone is mistreated, they often feel a sense of injustice and unfairness, that leads to an angry response. Other common reactions to being mistreated include: feeling hurt or upset, becoming resentful, withdrawing from others, anxiety or fear and difficulty trusting others. So what does the bible say about how we should react when someone has offended or mistreated us?
Luke 6: 27-28 ESV But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
We live in a fallen world filled with fallen people, and we all experience mistreatment at one time or another. It’s important to remember that you’re one of those fallen people, too. Your first instinct might be to lash out against someone who has mistreated you. But before you do that remember, at some point in the not so distant past, you likely have been the one that has offended or mistreated someone. The normal worldly human response is to lash out or get even with the person that mistreated you. This is not a biblical response to mistreatment. So what did Jesus say we should do when we have been mistreated? What if that person that mistreated you was a fellow brother or sister in Christ. How then should we treat that person that has mistreated us?
Matthew 18: 15-17 ESV If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
Jesus told his disciples, if your brother sins against you, go to them and talk to them in private. In other words keep this conversation between yourselves. If your brother or sister in Christ listens to you then you will have restored your relationship. This is a tremendous witness to the lost world which would rather harbor a grudge, than they would restore a relationship. But if the one-on-one approach doesn't work take one or two fellow brothers in Christ with you and make every effort to restore this relationship. If they still refuse to make amends well then treat them like a Gentile or a tax collector. The Jews treated Gentiles as unclean persons that had to be removed from the community. Tax collectors were hated in biblical times and were regarded as sinners. They were Jews who worked for the Romans, so this made them traitors. So this means that if someone offends or mistreats you, you confront them and the continue to refuse to make amends, then you can just turn your back on them and never speak to them again, right? I think it means exactly the opposite. I think it means, love him! Treat them with exceptional and unusual kindness! And keep on challenging them to be transformed into a faithful disciple of Jesus! Jesus treated tax collectors, not to mention prostitutes, thieves, and all other kinds of "undesirables" with love and respect. He didn't just talk to them for the purpose of encouraging them to get their act together. He invited them to have a personal relationship with him. So, exactly how did Jesus treat Gentiles and tax collectors? He healed the daughter of the Canaanite woman. He ate with sinners and tax collectors. He healed the Centurion’s servant. He even called a tax collector to be his disciple!!! Love them! Eat wit
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Every year around the Thanksgiving holiday you start seeing lists of things that people are thankful for on social media. Common things you see people expressing thanks for include: family, friends and neighbors, health, their home and car, their job, food, pets, freedom of religion, a loving spouse, grand parents and even their favorite dessert on the Thanksgiving table. Have you ever thought about being thankful for troubles? I doubt you have. Why would you ever be thankful for troubles in your life? Simply put if it were not for the difficulties in life the the lowest valley's in your life how would we ever be able to recognize how great the blessing, the mountain top moments in our life are!
1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 ESV Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
But is this realistic or even possible? How can we be thankful for trouble! The answer is yes, you can be thankful for difficult days. Even the days that seem unbearable! In order to thankful for the troubles in our life we must understand why we should be thankful. For example, the death of your spouse or a diagnosis of cancer is a terrible life altering moment. Cancer or the death of a loved one is a most difficult moment, that may even seem evil and we aren’t called to be thankful for things that are evil. But you can be thankful that God has promised to be with you, even when life isn’t the way you wish it were.
Hebrews 13:5 ESV Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
As crazy as this might sound, you can come to the place where you can be genuinely thankful for all of the pain, difficulty and loss you have experienced, even the searing pain of the loss of a loved one. No matter how much you have suffered, you can look back on the way God has used your desperation to make you more dependent on him and for that you can be deeply grateful. I’ve discovered that being thankful for pain is a hard concept to grasp because I live in the United States of America, a country which has convinced us that the pursuit of happiness and comfort is our inalienable right. The Declaration of Independence states that all people are endowed with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Therefore, when our comforts, conveniences, and cushions are threatened, we cry foul. This has deeply affected our understanding of what it means to give thanks and the types of things we are to be thankful for. In Second Corinthians Paul ask God three times to remove the thorn in his flesh.
2 Corinthians 12: 7-8 ESV So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.
To be thankful for our comforts only is to make an idol of this life. God-sent afflictions, have a health-giving effect upon the soul, because they are the medicine used to purge you of self centeredness. Pain and the troubles of this life, sharpens us, matures us, and gives us clear eye-sight. Pain transforms us like nothing else can. If we are perfect and complete, we won't think we need God! So during this season of Thanksgiving don't forget to be thankful for the troubles God has given you!
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When I was a kid I used to watch the sitcom called “Hogan's Heroes.” The sitcom was about a group of men that were prisoners of war in a world war II German prison camp. One of my favorite characters was Sargent Schultz. Schultz was constantly encountering evidence that inmates of his prison camp were actively conducting anti-German espionage and sabotage activities. He frequently feigned ignorance with the catchphrase, "I see nothing! I hear nothing! I know nothing!" No matter what Sargent Schultz did the prisoners seemed to have their way and accomplish whatever they wanted. This reminds me of God's irresistible grace. What is irresistible grace you ask? Irresistible grace is the doctrine that says God's grace and salvation cannot be resisted. When God determines to save a man, that man is saved! Neither that man himself nor the devil, nor the wicked world are able to prevent his salvation. Nothing can stand in the way of God's saving purpose.
John 6: 44 ESV No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
Simply put, the doctrine of irresistible grace refers to the biblical truth that whatever God decrees to happen, will come to pass,... even the salvation of individuals. Why does one person believe the gospel and another doesn't? Is it because one person is smarter, has better reasoning capabilities or possesses some other characteristic that allows him to realize the importance of the gospel message? Or is it because God does something unique in the lives of those whom He saves? If it is because of what the person who believes does, then in a sense he is responsible for his salvation and has a reason to boast. However, if the difference is solely that God does something unique in the hearts and lives of those who believe in Him and are saved, then there is no ground for boasting and salvation is truly a gift of grace.
Ephesians 2: 8-9 ESV For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Of course, the biblical answer to this question is that the Holy Spirit does do something unique in the hearts of those who are saved. To help me better comprehend “Irresistible Grace” and remember this concept I use the acronym, TULIP. TULIP stands for "Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints. T or Total Depravity is the belief that humans are completely corrupted by sin. U is Unconditional Election, God chooses certain individuals for salvation without any merit or action on their. L is Limited Atonement, Jesus' death only atoned for the sins of those God has chosen to save. I is Irresistible Grace, When God extends grace to someone, they cannot resist it. P is Perseverance of the Saints, once saved, a person will remain saved and cannot lose their salvation. The doctrine of irresistible grace recognizes that the Bible describes natural man as “dead in his trespasses and sins.” Because man is spiritually dead, he must first be made alive or regenerated in order to understand and respond to the gospel message. The heart of irresistible grace is the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit takes a man dead in his trespasses and sins and gives him spiritual life so that he can recognize the unsurpassing value of God’s offer of salvation. Is there any hope for Christians without this doctrine? If it were up to the Christian to become saved, we would never be able to do it. You know yourself!!!! There is no power in me apart from God's grace. I see nothing! I hear nothing! I know nothing, I can do nothing on my own!!!
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Five year old little Johnny brought his shoe to his father, which he had gotten in a knot. Nobody can get a shoe string in a knot like little Johnny! Little Johnny's approach to getting the knot out is to pull the strings harder. Rather than bringing the shoe to his father earlier, he brings it later and the knot is so tiny and so tight that it is takes an act of God to get it undone. Little Johnny's father looked at him and said, son how many times have I told you that when you pull your shoe stings and the knot won't open up like it should, don't pull harder. It will only make the knot worse, to which Little Johnny replies, I pull harder on the strings because I think I can get it out, that's why I pull harder, dad. When you think about this concept of pulling harder on the knot,... isn't that the way it is with the child of God? We get our lives into a knot and we will not admit that it is a self made knot and so we pull harder and harder until it takes an act of God to get it out, to get our lives untangled! As children of God will we be held accountable for our actions, for the knots we get our lives into!!! The Bible is very clear that God will hold His people accountable before Him on the “day” of final judgment.
Matthew 12:36-37 ESV I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.
Most of us have seen the children's demonstration of the toothpaste tube. The teacher explains that when they squeeze the toothpaste, it is like the words coming out of your mouth. Students are then asked to try to put every last drop of the toothpaste back in the tube. Finally, the teacher explains that just as the toothpaste can't all be put back in the tube, their words cannot be taken back once they've been said. The same analogy applies to all of us. And one day we will be held accountable for the careless words we speak. As Christians we do not think soberly enough, about this. We forget or neglect the fact that we will be held accountable for every word we say. We engage in flippant speaking, all the while thinking that no actual accounting will happen. The truth is that it will! Our words matter; they matter for eternity!
Romans 14:12 ESV So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Some Christians seem surprised, if not stunned, at the idea that they will have a day of accountability. What about God’s mercy and grace, they ask? I thought Jesus’ death in my place, cast all my sins and failures off my record. For what am I going to be held accountable? It is true by faith in Christ, we will not be accountable for the death penalty our sins deserve. On the other hand, Christians are called to follow Christ, become like him and to live obediently. Our habits of sinning are to diminish; our habits of living rightly are to increase. And, because we are responsible for cooperating with the Holy Spirit, being obedient, we will be held accountable to God for that obedient cooperation. Some future day, in the presence of Our Lord Jesus, we will be held accountable for our words and actions and all of it will become evident!
1 Corinthians 3: 13-15 ESV Each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
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I have a tendency to be a bit driven. Once I get mind set on doing something there is no stopping me! The carrier bearing in my wife's car had gone bad and it needed a new driveshaft. I had ordered the part and it was delivered on Friday morning. When I got home from work I decided that I would put the new driveshaft in. I had 2 hours to do the job before my wife got home, just enough time. I don't have a lift at home so I had to find a way to raise the car enough that I could get under it and replace the driveshaft. I had driven it up into my shed which has a ramp about 18 inches high and then backed it up on car ramps so I could have room to lay underneath it. I was in a hurry and forgot to block the wheels. Nothing good ever comes from being in a hurry! When the last bolt came out of the driveshaft the car slowly rolled off the ramps. I tried to use my left foot as a wheel chock and it just rolled over my toes, but I had steel toe boots on so my foot was not hurt, but I was trapped under the car and couldn't get my fat belly out,... but I was not hurt. I dug my cell phone out my pocket and called my sister in law Pat. I was pretty sure she was home and she was less than a quarter mile away. When she answered the phone I told her, I am in trouble! I am trapped under my car! She yelled, I will be right there. She got a jack out of my shed, jacked up one side of the car giving me just enough room to slide out. The she remained there until I finished the job. My only injury was a scratch on my fat belly! Evidently God's not done with me yet!
Philippians 1:6 ESV And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
As a believer in Christ you must know that God has a purpose for your life and nothing can stand in the way of the completion of that plan in your life. Now, I don't recommend that you put God to the test quite like I did,.... but that being said I still believe the God will preserve us as believers so that we can accomplish His plan. There is no retirement plan for the faithful. No matter how long you have been a faithful servant of God your work is never finished. Until that day that you stand before the throne of God and hear him say, Well done my good and faithful servant.
Romans 8:28 ESV And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
We are saved by grace through faith, but we are saved to do good works. Jesus tells us that we are to lay up treasures in heaven. To hear those words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant,” from Jesus, first you must place your faith in Him, you must be saved. The unbelieving will never hear those words. Once you receive salvation you must faithfully serve God. Here are some ideas on ways you can serve the Lord. First, share what God has done for you, share your testimony. Tell others of how Jesus has changed your life, or in my case preserved my life from being smashed underneath my wife's car. Another way to serve God is to serve the less fortunate. The bible says, If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Another way is to forgive others of their offenses. This means you let go of your desire to get revenge. Jesus modeled forgiveness. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate, when he suffered, he made no threats. Finally, seek to know the character of God better through worship and fellowship with other believers. Listen to sermons and devotionals, study your bible and pray. As a faithful follower of Jesus Christ you must believe that God has a p
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What are the things that people treasure the most? According to a Google search the top 4 things people treasure are: the beauty of nature, the joy of friends, the love of family and the thrill of learning. However, I would tell you that all you need to do is take a quick look at someone's check book ledger and you will soon learn what they truly treasure, what is most important to them. If you look at my checkbook you will see that I spend a lot of money on groceries. One thing that I treasure is a good meal! Around Christmas time if you look at my checkbook ledger you would soon learn that my children and grandchildren are very important to my. During the spring and fall I enjoy going camping, cooking over and open fire and relaxing around the campfire with my wife, family and friends. My difficult question for you is this; would you still love Jesus if the things you treasure the most in life were taken from you?
John 21:15 ESV When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
Honestly, it’s hard for me to even imagine what my life would be if certain things or people weren’t in it. God forbid if something unexpected were to happen such as the death of my wife. That would rock my world and shake the foundation of my life and make me question God. What if my house was to catch fire, I was suddenly homeless and all had was the clothes on my back. What if I faced a serious health diagnosis like a terminal cancer diagnosis. These are things that have happened in life to people I know and love, but what if they happened to me....what if? As a true believer, no matter what happens in my life I am supposed love Jesus, even if the thing I treasure the most is taken from me! The core of the Christian faith is that love for God is unconditional and not dependent on external circumstances. Love is not just a biblical principal. It’s the foundation of who God is.
Matthew 22: 37-40 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Is it possible to love God more than the person I love the most in the world, more that even my wife? The answer is not only yes it is possible, the answer is, I absolutely must! This is what it means to be a Christian. I must love God first and love God most. I must love God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength. Being a Christian means that I love God with everything I have and everything I am. I cannot do that if I love something in this world more than I love God.
Luke 14:26 ESV If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
Jesus doesn’t want us to despise our families, our spouses or our children. He wants us to know that following Him means choosing Him over anything and everything else. If you want to be a Christian, to be God's disciple, you must love Him more than anything or anyone else in your life, in fact you must treasure God more than even your own life. So what do you treasure most in life?
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When I was a child Saturday mornings television was filled with cartoons. There was Bugs Bunny, Road Runner and the Coyote, Scooby Do, The Super Friends, The Land of the Lost and a few others that were educational like School House Rocks and Sesame Street. One of my favorite Sesame Street characters was Count Von Count. He had a comical resemblance to Count Dracula, but that is where the similarity ends. The Count was a happy and helpful character who enjoys counting anything and everything. The Count and I have a few things in common. I enjoy counting things and I have a few eccentric number tendencies. The thermostat in our house must always be set on an even number. If I am running the volume on the TV it makes me feel better if is on an even number. It is okay if it is stopped on a multiple of 5 such as 20, 25, 30 or 35 but in my mind it is better if it is on an even number. Thinking about Count Von Count made me stop and think for a moment,... just when was the last time that I stopped to count my many blessings? Just the fact that I live in the United States of America make me a very wealthy person. Poor people in the United States have more material resources than most of the world’s richest nations. A groundbreaking study by “Just Facts” has discovered that after accounting for all income including charity and welfare benefits like subsidized housing and food stamps, the poorest 20 percent of Americans consume more goods and services than most people in other affluent countries. In other words, if the US poor were a nation, it would be one of the world’s richest. So what should I do with all my wealth?
Malachi 3:10 ESV Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
Sometimes I confuse wants and needs. I can become so focused on my wants that they feel critical to my well-being. Then, when God doesn’t meet my so called needs, I get frustrated, impatient and to be honest maybe even a bit upset with God. If you ever feel this way, you need to ask yourselves, are my wants essential to accomplishing God’s purpose, or is it only for my enjoyment? If your will is aligned with the will of God, He will answer all your prayers because you will be wanting what is needed to glorify God. God is happy to satisfy your wants when they fit within His purpose and will.
Psalm 37:4 ESV Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
God isn’t obligated to grant your wishes or fulfill any plans but His own! The bible says that those who seek Him won’t lack any good thing. The heavenly Father wants His children’s greatest desire to be Him! When that is true in a believer’s life, then you won't require a lot of stuff, entertainment, or people in order to be happy.
Matthew 6:33 ESV But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.
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I have many fond childhood memories growing up with a large extended family. My father was one of 7 children. He had 3 brothers and 3 sisters. When I was younger I had 10 Aunts and Uncles and 24 first cousins, my fathers oldest brother died in a car accident before I knew him. When everyone was present there was about 50 family members and at some point in time someone was going to pick you up and give you a loving bear hug that left toes dangling in the air. We frequently had our family reunions outside at the pond near my grandparents home. We would fish, swim and roast hot-dogs around a large bonfire. As the sun was setting we would all pile on the hay wagon and go for a hay ride around the dirt roads near my grandpa's farm. One of the treasured traditions that we held sacred was reciting the Lord's Prayer. Grandpa would gathers us around the table in a large circle before the meal and we would all join hands and then he would leads us in the Lord's prayer.
Matthew 6: 9-13 NKJV Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
This prayer should truly be our hearts desire, something we strive for! When we pray "hallowed be thy name", we are acknowledging that God's name is holy and should be treated as such. We ask God to forgive our debts or sins as we forgive those who sin against us and to not lead us into temptation.... But are we to quick to look past the petition, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven! For more that 2,000 years, faithful followers of Jesus have prayed these words, that He taught His disciples: “May Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” But have we paused to think through what it really means? When I pray and when I say, on earth as it is in heaven. I pray for God’s will to be done instantly, that there will be no delay in His will being accomplished. I pray for God’s will to be done constantly, that there will be no cessation or vacation from the will of God being accomplished. I pray for God’s will to be done completely... that there will be no half measures in the accomplishing of His will. And, finally, I pray for God’s will to be done worshipfully, just like the angels of heaven, who happily, vocally and brilliantly speed to do God’s bidding, His name may be glorified, His kingdom may come, and His will may be accomplished here on earth. Of course, implicit in the prayer for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, is my own prayer for my submission to God’s will. It makes no sense to pray for these things to be accomplished everywhere but in me. So for me to pray, may Your will be done, means that I will do what You God says, I will go where God leads. So, for me, praying, on earth as it is in heaven, must be a daily act of surrender of my own will I must be an eager, obedient servant. It is a renewed commitment of my life to the cause of Jesus Christ.
Proverbs 3: 5-6 ESV Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Most days I am pretty darn confident that I know what I am doing. Just ask my wife and she will tell you that it is my way or the highway! So for me to fully surrender my will to Go and to acknowledge that God's will is better than my will is a humbling and difficult task for me. My plans aren't your plans God,my ways are not yours. Just as the heavens are higher tha
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Nothing is more demanding than a newborn baby that is hungry. The child will scream at the top of its lungs until the he or she gets what they desire. Newborns crave milk with a passion. When they are hungry, they have no patience, they cry out to be satisfied and to be satisfied right now! Their hunger is not some passive, “I can do that later,” kind of thing. The bible tells us that we are to crave the milk of the word just like newborn babies.
1 Peter 2:2 CSB Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow up into your salvation,
How often do newborns crave milk? Do they only want to eat once a week on Sundays? Or perhaps once a day? No! A newborn baby is likely to want to eat every 2-3 hours, resulting in eight feedings a day. This leads me to ask myself the question; How often do I crave the Word of God? In Deuteronomy chapter 6 the bible gives us a clear answer to this question.
Deuteronomy 6: 6-9 CSB These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.
I don’t know about you, but it wouldn’t hurt me to be a little more hungry for God’s word. I get hungry on Sunday mornings and most Wednesday nights and occasionally during the week I will study God’s word. Can you imagine how you would feel physically if you only ate 3 times a week? I don’t know about you, but I get hungry for a meal or a snack many times, sometimes more than 3 times a day! And if I miss a meal, I feel the physical effects of it almost immediately. At times I think I could use my stomach to keep track of the time of day. So why don't I have the same desire and need for spiritual nourishment? The bible also says that I should hunger and thirst for righteousness and that if I do it will be a blessing.
Matthew 5: 6 CSB Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
To hunger and thirst doesn’t resonate today like it did in Jesus’ day. When food and water were scarce, people were often hungry and thirsty. In our culture, food and water are plentiful, so are we missing or not grasping the urgency Jesus intended? Hungry, thirsty people work hard, urgently, to get food. To hunger and thirst for righteousness, means we should urgently pursue righteousness. To hunger for righteousness is to yearn for God’s rule in our lives. It is to have a thirst for God’s Word and for the company of our Christian brothers and sisters! Do you hunger for righteousness? Do you pursue holiness? Or are you satisfied with a snack of righteousness once a week on Sunday mornings. Do you have a passionless routine, a dull, dutiful life, no different than the rest of the world around you? Or like the newborn baby do you cry out for the word of God in such a way that everyone can see that you are not satisfied, that you are starving for more time in God’s word! Real disciples yearn for God’s righteousness and pursue it. It is my prayer for both me and you that we are hungry for God’s word just like the newborn baby is for milk!
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I can’t understand it. I make suggestion after suggestion that’s better than what other people propose and at best, I get but the most obligatory thank you, but no thanks. Then to make matters worse, the bad idea proposed by the group gets implemented. Why can't these people see that my idea and plan is in their best interest. Unfortunately, I do the same thing with God. I make these great plans, I implement my plans, then I invite God to come join me in my plans. Sometimes I am just to smart for my own good. “Too smart for your own good” is an expression that means a person's intelligence or cleverness causes them problems. More times than I can count, I have listened to people outline the plans they have in store for the next season of their life. And I've done the same exact thing. We like to talk about the things we're going to do, the places we're going to go, and the open doors we're going to walk through. Occasionally, our plans work out like we expected, but more often than not, they get amended, sometimes drastically.
Proverbs 3: 5-6 NIV Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
No matter how smart you may think you are you probably don't have everything figured out. You are not supposed to figure out your path through this life alone! God will guide you throughout all the twists and turns of life. He will protect you and take care of you. He will lead you to a life of freedom and purpose, greater than any life you could figure out you by yourself. Allowing God to be your guide begins with a commitment to trust that God's plans are better than your plans. Trusting God's plans for my life is one of the most difficult things for me to do. I am a bit of a control freak and it so difficult for me let go and follow the plans of God. I often see stickers on vehicles that say, “God is my Co-Pilot.” This is so true for me but unfortunately if you are putting your faith in God and, trusting his plans than God should be your pilot, not your co-pilot! For some of us we take life decisions and plans to the opposite extreme. We make no decisions, we say, “I will pray about it,” but for some reason we never hear God's plans. We lack confidence or faith and think,.. well if I do nothing than I can't have done anything wrong. If you’ll let him, God will guide you in and out of every circumstance by tugging on your spirit and speaking to your heart. With God in charge of your life you will be perfectly led. You just have to trust him to lead you better than you can lead yourself.
Matthew 6: 31-33 NIV So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
God cannot lead you where you will not follow. Do you have a plan for your life? Have you submitted that plan over to the Lord? Can you confidently say that the Lord is pleased with that plan? Friends, our desires, if left unchecked, will open the door to a life that is fueled by pride, selfishness and idolatry, turning us away from the Lord. But if we seek God in all things, we learn that, what our hearts truly desires can only be found in Jesus. When we make plans, we need to make sure that those plans align with God's greater purposes. A plan that aligns with His purposes pleases Him. A plan that aligns with His purposes is blessed by Him. A plan that aligns with His purposes brings Him glory. So don't be to smart for your own good! God's plans are better than yo
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For the most part I never have a problem voicing my opinion. Matter of fact I am pretty confident in my abilities. I have a sign over my dresser that says, “I am not a control freak, but I could tell you how to do that right!” However, when it comes to sharing about my faith it seems I have a shortage of words and lack of confidence. Why is it that I can be so confident about so many things except the one thing that is most important, telling the lost about how Jesus died for their sins and how they can have eternal life in heaven. I am confident that I am not the first person that lacks confidence when it comes to sharing my faith with the lost. Even Moses in the old testament told God he had trouble speaking.
Exodus 4: 10 ESV But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.”
Stuttering may have been a problem for Moses, although it is unknown what speech difficulty the prophet had. Some scholars take Moses’ words as simply an excuse to avoid carrying out God’s instructions, but it is possible that Moses did have some type of speech impediment. It may have been a stutter, although there’s no way to know for sure. It could be that Moses lacked confidence due to what he considered a lack of proficiency in formal speaking. Why is it that we don't have enough faith to trust the one who made our mouth to give us the words we need to say? God used only his words and spoke into existence absolutely everything in creation. Despite Moses’ stuttering, if that’s what it was, God used Moses in great ways, showing that He is sovereign over everything, including speech difficulties.
Exodus 4: 11-12 ESV Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”
Even though you can be confident that God will give you the words you need to speak to the lost that does not mean you will not be faced with tribulation and difficulties. In Matthew chapter 10 Jesus warns his disciples that they will face persecution and opposition as they carry out their mission.
Matthew 10: 18-20 ESV and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
These verses speak to the challenges and trials that Christians may face as they seek to live out their faith and spread the message of the gospel. These verses tell us that you will face persecution and the living out the Christian faith. It serves as a reminder that following Jesus will not always be easy, and will require great courage, faith, and perseverance. How do you gain confidence that God will use your mouth? First remember that God keeps all his promises, next know that God is on your side. God didn't create us and redeem us without giving us the ability to carry out His will. God promises that the Holy Spirit lives within us and will be our advocate. Finally, be patient and avoid judging yourself too harshly. Understand that you'll make mistakes. You are only human. As believers, we are called to take up our cross and follow Jesus, even in the face of opposition and adversity and trust the one who made your mouth and He will give you the words you need to say.
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A daily shower has many important health benefits. Most people need a daily shower. In addition to the most obvious benefit, the reduction of body odor, a daily shower also improves immune function, eases muscle aches and pains, reduces swelling, increases blood flow, improves concentration, lessens fatigue and makes it easier to breathe. Showering cleans the skin and removes dead skin cells to help clear the pores and allow the skin cells to function. It washes away bacteria and other irritants that could cause rashes and other skin problems. However, the main reason why people shower as much as they do is that it helps them meet social standards of cleanliness and personal appearance. In other words the average person is ashamed by the body odor that can occur if they have not taken a daily shower. So my difficult question for you is: Why do we not not feel the social pressure to spend time in God's word daily? Which is more important your health and personal hygiene or spiritual health and hygiene?
1 Timothy 4: 13 ESV Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.
Spending time in God's word daily is as crucial for a good spiritual health, as taking a daily shower is important for good physical health. Reading your bible daily allows you to deepen your relationship with God by understanding His character, receiving guidance for your life, finding encouragement, and aligning your actions with God's will. Reading Gods word creates a foundation for living a life according to Christian principles.
Deuteronomy 6: 6-9 ESV And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
When we spend time with God, we can unlock God’s plans for our lives. We can receive direction from Him on the steps we should take and decisions we should
make for our lives. Many of us have questions about our lives; what are we supposed to do, what is our purpose in life, what steps should we be taking concerning our lives? Who better to guide us than the One who created us?
Jeremiah 29:11 ESV For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
The people we choose to spend time with can either “make or break” us, they affect our character and can even shape who and what we believe. We essentially become like those who we choose to spend time with. If we choose to spend time with God, we will find ourselves becoming like Him. We will not only get to know His character, but we will begin to adopt His character. The more we spend time in God’s word, the more we will begin to adopt His character, we begin to think like Him, love like Him, see others the way that He does. The more you spend time with God and look to Him, the more you will become like Him. Spending time with God daily is just as important to your spiritual health as taking a shower daily is to your physical health. So shower yourself daily with the word of GOD!!!!
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I like to show up unannounced at my good friend, Ginger Melvin’s, home. When she answers the door she uses the door like a shield to hide behind. She grips the door jamb with her fingers and slowly pokes the top of her head out from behind the door so that all you can see is her eyes and forehead. From her reaction it is not hard to tell that my unexpected visit has caught her off guard. She is happy to see me because I am usually bringing her either some garden goodies or something that Joyce has canned for her. Just like when I show up unexpectedly at Gingers home, Jesus Christ’s return will happen when you least expect it!
Luke 12:40 ESV You must be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
What does it mean to be ready? The definition of the word is: to be in a suitable state for an activity, action, a situation; to be fully prepared, to prepare for someone or something to be ready for an activity or purpose. With this definition in mind are you ready for Jesus Christ Return? Are you sure that you are living in a state of preparedness so that you will not be caught off guard by Jesus returns? Jesus said to be dressed and ready for service and to keep your lamps burning.
Luke 12:35-36 ESV Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.
What does it mean to be dressed? To be dressed is to be ready emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. We are not to go about our lives as though Jesus' return has no bearing on how we live today, but neither are we to sell everything we have and go wait on a mountaintop for His coming. He wants us to be living in anticipation of His return. To have our lamps burning so that everyone will see the light of Christ shine, by the way we live. We are to be witnesses, alert and not asleep, understanding the times. In addition to being ready, ourselves, for Jesus return we must do all we can to make sure that others are ready. For those who are unprepared for His coming. He says His appearance will be a like the arrival of a thief in the night. There will be many people who are busy building their nest egg here on earth, distracted by their responsibilities, jobs and relationships and too concerned about what others think of them to give even a moments thought to what will happen if they are not ready for Jesus return. Those left behind for find themselves in a world that is rapidly changing and not for the better! Can you imagine what the world will be like when the Holy Spirit’s restraint is taken away. At that moment, the world will have no born-again believers anywhere. All the Christian workers in hospitals, nursing homes, orphanages, rescue missions, relief agencies will be gone. Every Christian in law enforcement, social work, and health care,... all gone. But there is hope!
Acts 16:31 ESV And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.
For those who love the Lord and are waiting for His return, His coming will be like the joy that a new born baby gives their mother. Unspeakable joy and overwhelming gratitude belong to the believer who is looking for Jesus' return. The faithful will rejoice at the sight of the Lord's coming because great will be their reward!
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All of us place our trust or faith in things everyday and most times we don't even realize it. Every Sunday morning, you find your favorite pew and you sit down. You didn't even think twice about sitting down, did you? You know what a church pew is and you know what it is supposed to do and so you trust that it is going to hold you up. So for the most part you sit down without a second thought. Sure maybe you have encountered a well worn lawn chair that the webbing looked frayed and you wondered, will this hold me up? Or maybe you sat on a chair that was on an uneven surface and it suddenly sifted to one side giving you a momentary scare that you might get dumped on your backside, but for the most part we don't worry about where we sit. Just imagine what it would be like if every time we sat down we had to examine the place we were going to sit, to check it for cracks, make sure it was solid in construction and to test the chair to see if it would hold us up. That would take forever, and it would be so awkward.
Hebrews 11:1 NIV Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Real faith requires action! A mere profession of faith proves nothing; only action can demonstrate if your faith is genuine. It is not enough to claim to have faith, we must live it. Our actions indicate who or what we have placed our faith in. Just saying you have faith is not enough, you have to do something. Without true faith, you are stuck at home on the couch. You will be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Opportunities exists every day and all around you, but if we don’t have the faith to follow the path that God reveals to you, you will never experience the presence and blessing of God. All my life I have loved racing, hot rods and classic cars, so here is an illustration of faith that really hits home for me. God can't steer a parked car! Driving a car takes a great deal of faith. First, you must start your car. Most people have no idea, especially with new complex computer control cars what makes them run. They simply have faith that when they turn that key or push that button on the dash, the car will start. Next you must demonstrate you faith by putting you car in gear and pressing down on the accelerator pedal. Do you really understand how the power of engine under the hood of your car is transferred to the wheels and motivates your down the road? Probably not you just have faith it will work. And let's not forget about the brakes on your car, trusting them to stop your 5 to 6 thousand pound car that is traveling at 70 miles per hour is a real testimony of placing your faith in something.
James 2: 14-17 ESV What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
We can say we have faith but if it doesn’t result in action, it is useless. We see that in some people’s lives all the time, all talk no action. They tell a good story but when it comes time to do something they don’t follow through. Many of us are simply selfish. We have the mentality that we have worked hard for what they have and we have earned every bit of it! When you truly place your faith in God and you believe that God will provide for all your needs, then you are free to give what you have to others. You show your faith by living without the fear of losing what you really do not possess. We should act with a faith that God is able to provide for us no matter how much we give away. Because nothing you have is really yours anyway it is a gift from God!
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When you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior the Holy Spirit comes to live in you. I find that truth simply amazing,.. that the Spirit of God who is eternal, perfect, holy, all-powerful, and all-knowing actually lives within me! I also find it a bit humbling,.. scary even! Think about it! The Holy spirit is within me both physically and mentally. He goes everywhere I go and the knows all my thoughts. Knowing this worries me, it scares me even! Am I taking the Holy Spirit places that makes Him uncomfortable? I must be because at times I hear His voice in my mind saying Jeff really,... what are we doing here again? Why is you mind going to this place again? You know what you are thinking or doing does not bring Glory to God! When Jesus was with us in person He was confined to a body. When He physically lived on earth, He could only be in a single place at a time. But the Holy Spirit is in every place around the globe where a believer is found, because when you receive Christ as your Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell with you and in you.
John 14: 16-17 ESV And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
We make the Holy Spirit sad, distressed even when we disobey the Lord. God’s own people can make the Holy Spirit sad by some of the things we do, even the things we think, causing the Spirit to mourn or grieve. To grieve the Holy Spirit is to make Him lament. What does it mean to make the Spirit lament? To lament is a passionate expression of grief or sorrow. To lament is that moment in life when your sorrow is so great that you cry uncontrollably, your grief is so great that you can barely breath! I am confident I have done this to the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 4:30 ESV And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
God's word definitely tells us that we are not to grieve the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 4 verses 17 thru 19 God's word tells us that we grieve the Spirit by living as we used to before our salvation. We grieve Him when we don’t speak truthfully to our brothers and sisters in Christ, Ephesians 4:25, when we let anger control our actions, Ephesians 4:26 and 27, when we steal from each other, Ephesians 4:28, when we speak foul and abusive words to one another, instead of uplifting and encouraging words Ephesians 4:29. We also grieve the Spirit when we don’t get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior, Ephesians 4:31, and when we fail to be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you, Ephesians 4:32. The Holy Spirit of God lives within every Christian. We are His temple, and when we don’t walk in the holiness and love of Christ and in harmony with fellow believers, we grieve the Spirit of God with our sinful thoughts and behaviors! When we do not allow God’s Spirit to be seen in our behavior, in our lives, when we do what we know is wrong, we grieve, lament and suppress or quench the Holy Spirit. We do not allow the Spirit to reveal Himself in our lives and do what He wants to with , with “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. So how do avoid grieving the Holy Spirit? The only way is the one that leads the believer closer to God and purity and farther away from the world and sin. Just as we don't like to be grieved, we should not quench or grieve the Holy Spirit by refusing to follow His leading!
1 Thessalonians 5:19 ESV Do not quench the Spirit.
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Samson was God’s chosen man during a time when the judges ruled Israel. From birth, he was destined to liberate Israel from the Philistines. While Samson was incredibly strong in body, he was very weak in character. Time and time again, the Bible tells us that the power of God came upon him. Samson killed a lion with his bare hands, caught 300 foxes and tied their tails together and slaughtered a 1,000 men with a donkey's jawbone. Somewhere along the way, Samson began to believe his own press release! He began to believe his strength was his alone. He could rely on his own muscles and power. So coming up against Delilah, a woman no less, was a joke to Samson. He’d been able to conquer anyone else who had gotten in his way. He was certain he could make quick work of Delilah, too. Samson became great in his own eyes!
Proverbs 11:2 NIV When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
This reminds me of myself. Sometimes my opinion of myself pretty high and mighty. Samson did many feats of powerful strength in his life. He snapped the ropes that bound him as though they were little strings. He tore off the city gates of Gaza and carried it to the top of a hill. Far to often I find myself doing things in my own power. Making my own plans and then later inviting God to come join me in my plans. It seems Samson didn't learn from his mistakes and sometimes I don't learn from my mistakes. I know it may be hard for you to believe but I am just a bit hard headed and from time to time I repeat my mistakes, just like Sampson did! Satan knows just what my greatest weakness is and that is the tool he will use against me, causing me to stumble and sin.
1 Peter 5:8 NIV Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Modern believers are continually faced with worldly temptations that can divert them from their faith. Samson's story serves as a reminder to remain vigilant and faithful, resisting the seductions of the world that can weaken your spiritual resolve. It is an illustration of the dangers of spiritual compromise. Samson decisions, demonstrate how disregard for God’s commands can lead to downfall. The pride of life is a weakness we all succumb to at times. Satan tempts us with the desire to be our own gods, and he is adept at stroking our ego. In the beginning Eve’s desire to be wise led her to sin. She rejected the Lord’s right to rule over her and chose instead to make her own decisions to be her own god. Samson’s final act of calling upon God for strength serves as a powerful testimony of the power repentance. Even when believers fail, there is always an opportunity to return to God and fulfill His purposes.
Judges 16: 28-30 NIV Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.” Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.
God’s grace is available even in the midst of failure!
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Why do you go to church? Is it because the service makes you feel uplifted? Maybe it is because you need someone to bear your burdens. Do you go to church to get something for yourself? "Consumer Christianity" is a term used to describe an Americanized version of Christianity that focuses on the individual. Consumer Christianity can be debilitating for a church congregation because it encourages people to go to church for what they can get rather than what they can give. If everyone attending church is there for what they can receive then no one will receive anything, because there is no one serving the needs of others, everyone is taking and no one is giving! Consumer Christianity encourages people to be consumers of Christian goods and services, rather than contributors to Jesus' mission and ultimately is is at odds with God's plan for the church. A consumer approach to church life favors pragmatism, in other words what is useful or makes good sense in the moment, over true theology. The consumer approach focuses more on marketing, over evangelism and large crowds, over devoted disciples.
Matthew 20: 26-28 CSB It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
So what are some signs that you may be a consumer Christian? First you stop attending small group bible studies, Sunday school and maybe even don't attend Sunday service as often as you once did. You have a negative attitude towards the activities of the church and you become more critical of the church as a whole. You decrease or stop your financial support of the church, and finally you become critical of the sermons offering much criticism, rather then listening with a prayerful ear! A pastor leading a consumer-Christian church doesn’t issue threats of Hell or calls to salvation, nor preach for hours on end; instead, he (or she!) makes placid, gentle, easy, funny, and most of all short sermons that make congregations smile and nod along. Such a pastor makes no demands on their congregation. Consumer Christians pick their churches according to the perks those churches offer to members, how nice the sermons are, and a variety of other feel-good perks. They leave if a competing church opens up nearby with programs and preaching that they like better. My hard question to you is this, how can we call ourselves Christians if we are not servants? The Bible has a great deal to say about servant-hood because the central theme of the Bible is the one who is the greatest servant of all—Jesus Christ!
Mark 10:45 CSB For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
What was one of the greatest examples of servant-hood in the bible? The moment when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, even the feet of the one that would betray him! Walking in sandals on the roads of Israel made it imperative that feet be washed before a communal meal. The dirt roads were used by both people and livestock. The heat of the day would have caused your feet to sweat and that combined with the manure that was in the streets would have created a very pungent and undesirable task... of washing of the feet! People ate, reclining at low tables, and feet were very much in evidence. Your neighbors feet would have been inches from your face. When Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, He was doing the work of the lowliest of servants. When He washed the disciples’ feet, He told them (and us) “I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” As His followers, we are to emulate Him, serving one another in lowliness of heart and mind, seeking to build one another up
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When we have an especially wet spring there is a creek in between my home and town that floods and occasionally covers the highway. This creek strangely enough is named “Big Creek.” One time the flood waters of the creek covered the highway. I pulled up to the highway and there was department of transportation trucks flagging people down. The road was hidden beneath the water. The workers told me that I could cross at my own risk. The water was only a few inches deep, but you couldn't see the road for about a quarter mile. I was told to pick a point on the other side of the water and keep my eyes focused on the other side. If you look at the rushing water your eyes will follow the current and you will drive your car off the road. Did you know that 6 inches of rushing water can cause your tires to lose traction and slide, and can reach the bottom of most cars, leading to loss of control and possible stalling. 12 inches can float many cars. 18 inches will float SUV's and pickups. 2 feet will carry away most vehicles. If you have ever tried to swim or even wade upstream into rushing water you know that it is very difficult to fight against the current. You can apply the same theory to your spiritual walk. If you don't keep your eyes focused on the truth of God's word it is very easy for you to loose you way to be swept away by the current of culture.
Proverbs 4:25 ESV Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.
In our culture, the only wrong is saying something is wrong. Tolerance is held as the world’s moral standard. In world today, Christianity and culture are colliding constantly and some Christians are giving in to the pressures. As they immerse themselves into the culture in the hopes of leading some to the Lord, they themselves are being led astray. As Christians if you try to change the culture of the world you will find yourself swimming upstream. You can’t get flowers by pulling weeds. If you want flowers, you have to plant flowers. If culture is to be redeemed, it will not be because we remove evil, but because we grow the kingdom of Jesus. If we really want to redeem culture, then, go and make disciples. Tell people about Jesus and demonstrate His transforming power in our lives. If making disciples is the battle plan, then what is our weapon? Jesus did not say, “All men will know you are my disciples if you win the culture war.” Rather, He said they will know you children of God “if you love one another.”
John 13:35 ESV By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
When it comes to the culture of the world we live in, as Christians we don't embrace. However we don't withdraw either. We don't try to overthrow, we engage. Jesus means for us to live our lives right where we are, in the midst of the sinful world. The only way for Christians to win a “culture war” is to grow the kingdom of Jesus, and the weapon of choice must be love.
John 13: 34 EZV A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
How we treat others is the living example of the love God demonstrated to us on the cross. To be a disciple of Christ means to love others unconditionally, forgiving the inexcusable sins of the past, showing mercy, and loving unconditionally with eyes focused on Jesus, so that the we are not swept away by the current of the culture of the world!
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Do you ever feel tired of waiting, weary of fighting to find your joy, and exhausted from hoping for better days? Do you push down feelings of despair and hopelessness because you don’t think a Christian is allowed to struggle with such “faithless” feelings? Well, let me assure you – you aren’t alone! For the most part I am a person that is optimistic and I often see the glass as half full and not half empty. However, I have known a time in my life when I felt defeated, despair and loneliness clouded my view of life and left me wondering if I would ever find love again. I had been a single father of 3 girls for 4 years and I was tired of going it alone. I thought I would never find a good Christian woman to share my life with. God’s word says that it is okay to perplexed, but don't be led to despair.
2 Corinthians 4: 8-9 CSB We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed.
Why, then, do I feel such a sense of hopelessness and despair? Almost without exception we all have seasons where it feels as if darkness is closing in around us, creating confusion and doubts. We cry out to God – but He seems silent. We plead for relief, but the pain only intensifies. Suddenly, the God we thought we knew is at odds with the circumstances of our life. How do we fight for hope when we begin to despair of life itself? Recognize earthly despair for what it is, temporary. If your feeling hopeless because your life isn't working out the way you had hoped, your not alone, even Paul felt despair and a loss of hope.
2 Corinthians 1: 8-10 CSB We don’t want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our affliction that took place in Asia. We were completely overwhelmed, beyond our strength, so that we even despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a terrible death, and he will deliver us. We have put our hope in him that he will deliver us again.
Christian, when suffering leaves you feeling hopeless, convinced that you will never know anything but the pain that aches within you, fix your eyes on the promises of God and trust that he is faithfully working in and through you for his good purposes. Allow yourself to grieve the disappointments, pain and the loss of those we love in this world, be honest with the Lord as you wrestle with your emotions and sense of hopelessness. Ask God to give you his strength to endure when you’re strength has dried up, remember what appears hopeless to us is never beyond the redeeming power of our Savior. One day, the darkness will be no more, and your faith will become sight.
2 Corinthians 4: 16-18 CSB Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Standing on the promises that cannot fail. When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail. By the living Word of God I shall prevail. Standing on the promises of God. Standing on the promises I shall not fall, Listening every moment to the Spirit’s call. Resting in my Savior as my All in all, Standing on the promises of God.
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My wife and I share many household tasks. My wife does the laundry, cleans the house and we both cook meals. The only difference is when I cook, she does the dishes and when she cooks, she does the dishes. Don't know how it works out like that but is always does. On the other hand I take care of servicing the vehicles and mowing the yard, because I am confident Joyce could not mow the grass correctly, or at least not the way I want it done. It is also my job to get rid of the garbage. Since we live in the country, I have a burn bin and periodically I have to dump the trash cans into the bin and set it on fire. There is nothing more disgusting then dumping the trash can on a hot summer day and having trash can juice dribble out of the can onto your pants or shoes. Once in a while when it is really hot and I have left the trash to accumulate a little longer than normal, the trash can will have maggots in it. They are disgusting and repulsive little creatures and so I cover them with a little used motor oil and diesel fuel and then I set them on fire. I probably use a little more fuel than usual because I want nothing to do with the disgusting little creatures I want them gone as soon as possible.
That’s how God feels about our sins: Repulsive!!! Disgusting!!! We treat sin like it’s not really that bad. Maybe it’s more like regular old household garbage. You can let it pile up for a while, right? Wait until it stinks. Wait until the can gets completely full, then pack a few more things in it, then finally think about doing something about it. Isn’t that our attitude with sin? It isn’t that bad. A few sins here and there aren’t that big of a deal! But to God they stink to high heaven! Our sin is like a garbage can full of maggots. God can’t stand it! God knows our sins. He can see all the maggots crawling around and in our hearts and in our lives. We deserve God’s anger and wrath! We deserve to have God get rid of us. Our hearts convict us. God’s Word convicts us! We need someone to take our garbage out. How? Who can take out our garbage? Jesus. Jesus put himself in our place. Jesus took on himself all our sins. When Jesus says, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened,” in Matthew 11:28, he wasn’t just talking about us being tired. He took onto himself our guilt and the burdens or our sins, and He took them to the cross. He took them away. God doesn’t overlook sin. God doesn’t say, “Hey, no big deal!” God forgives sin.
2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Whatever sins you’ve committed, Jesus has taken our garbage out. Whatever junk is weighing you down from the past, Jesus has taken our garbage out. Whatever smells from your past seem to cling to you, Jesus has taken the garbage out. Jesus has taken your sins away!
Psalm 103:12 ESV as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As Christians we should never be content to live in our sin. Some people use God’s name in vain in almost every phrase. “Oh my God.” As if God were nothing. Over and over again. But they go to church! Two men refuse to talk to each other. They can’t stand each other. But they go to church! Being a Christian doesn’t mean we have an excuse to sin more. It means Christ’s love compels us to turn away from sin. This “getting rid of sin” is an always thing. Like the garbage that needs to be taken out every day. Christ’s forgiveness doesn’t make sin okay. Christ’s forgiveness is what motivates us even more to rid sin in our lives. Give God your Garbage!!!
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If you have ever paid attention to the roadsides in Missouri you have seen a Teasel weed. Teasels grow in open, sunny habitats, in wet or dry conditions. Teasel weed flourish in the summer months because they have a very unique and hardy design. The plant can grow to be more than 8 feet tall and the taproot may be more than 2 feet long and 1 inch in diameter at the base. If you look closely at the plant you will discover that coming up from the taproot the the stem splits into 3 branches that are surrounded by a cup shaped leaf. This cup will hold rain water for extended periods of time making the plant able to withstand extended droughts. It is an invasive weed that can be very difficult to manage because once established it pollutes the soil with its durable seed that can germinate throughout the growing season. The dictionary defines the word invasive like this: “tending to spread prolifically, undesirably or harmfully, to intrude a persons thoughts or privacy!” The Devil can be like an invasive weed in your spiritual life. So you need to ever watchful, for the Devil is on the prowl looking for any weakness he can find.
1 Peter 5:8 ESV Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
The scriptures tell us in John chapter 8 verse 44 that the Devil is a liar and the father of lies. Revelation chapter 12 verse 10 tells us he is the accuser of the brethren, who accuses them before God day and night. He wants to steal souls from the Lord. The Devil uses our weaknesses against us in order to cause us to sin, in hopes that we will stray from God and continue to live in sin, making your witness in the world ineffective. One of the tactics that Satan uses in his battle against us is invading your thoughts. Have you ever wondered where certain thoughts come from? Out of the blue, negative thoughts, or even crazy thoughts, come to your mind and you have no idea where they came from. This is one of the tactics that Satan uses to fight against us. Satan wants to fill your thoughts with doubt, fear and guilt. The devil wants you to believe that your life is worthless! What's even worse, Satan does NOT want you to forget the mistakes that you've made in the past. He will constantly remind you of the negative things that you've done to others, past sins that you have already been forgiven of and wrong choices that you've made. Remember, Satan's goal is to steal, kill, and destroy.
John 10:10 ESV The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
So...how do we stop negative thoughts from trapping us or even worse, leading us down a destructive path? It would be easy for me to say, just stop thinking the negative thoughts, but it's not always that easy! How do we resist the devil? Well, it's not easy, but if we are in submission to God it is a lot easier!! Submission and resisting go hand-in-hand. We have to make every effort to push negative thoughts out of our minds. We have to avoid situations and people that can cause us to stumble. To resist is to evaluate what causes us to sin and then turn away from it, remove it from your life. When we do these things, it says in James chapter 4 verse7 that the devil will flee from you. The devil has to flee the Name of Jesus. So don't let the Devil become an invasive weed in your life and thoughts! Don't let Satan pollute your mind! Fill your mind with good thoughts and don't forget Paul's advice in Philippians 4:8, Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things."
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In 1859, Charles Blondin became the first man in history to walk on a tightrope across Niagara Falls from the United States into Canada. The tightrope was 270 feet above the raging waters of the falls and was 1,100 feet long. There was no safety harness or net. Some reports state that over 100,000 people gathered to watch him walk the 1,100 feet across the falls the first time. The Niagara walk made Blondin famous and wealthy, and he was asked to perform for audiences worldwide. He would make 17 more daring walks across Niagara, which drew more and more crowds. He traversed his tightrope on stilts, riding a bicycle, blindfolded and stopping in the center to do tricks, like cooking omelets with a small stove he carried on his back. He walked across carrying people on his back. At one point he asked a man in the crowd if he thought he could carry a person in a wheelbarrow across the rope. The man excitedly said, “Yes!” When asked if he would get into the wheelbarrow, then man emphatically said, “No!” The man's response is a great lesson between believing and having faith. While the man believed Blondin could carry someone across the falls in a wheelbarrow, he did not have the faith needed to trust Blondin and get into the wheelbarrow himself. Faith is a choice. It's stepping into the unknown because you know God. It's trusting His certain plan even if you are uncertain where it will lead. It is getting into the wheelbarrow.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
The bible has gives us many examples of those who had faith in God. Noah built an ark in a dessert, where it had never rained, because he had faith in the warning he had been given by God. Abraham left everything and everyone he knew to go to an unknown place. Moses chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than enjoy the pleasures found in Egypt. The Israelites passed through the Red Sea without getting wet, and on another occasion marched seven times around Jericho until the walls fell down. Peter and Andrew left their family's fishing business to become fishers of men. The same God that created everything that exist with just his voice, works in you and through you while you are going through struggles! When you feel your faith is fading, read these Scriptures for guidance, support, and reassurance that there is hope. Matthew 21:22 - And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith. Luke 1:37 - For nothing will be impossible with God. 2 Corinthians 5:7 - For we walk by faith, not by sight. Romans 10:17 - So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Whether you need faith for healing, faith to understand an unanswered prayer, or faith to persevere, our God is waiting and ready to give us His supernatural strength. It is in our actions that we see where our faith lies. It is when we choose to get into God's wheelbarrow and let Him take us through the tightrope places of life such as when there is an argument and we are quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. When someone has hurt us and we choose to forgive because we know we have been forgiven. When we choose to love with all our hearts, all our souls, and all our strength in spite of the hatred in the world. Choosing to get into the wheelbarrow displays the true nature of our faith, the faith that saves us. Often, when we have new failures and fears, it's easy to lose hope and falter in faith, but when you have confident faith that God holds the handles of the wheelbarrow, you can be content in every circumstance. We know nothing in the world happens by mistake and God never says, “Well I didn't see that com
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A credit score is designed to measure your risk as a borrower. The calculation incorporates few major components, your payment history, how much debt you have, how long your accounts have been open versus how much is new credit and finally the mix of different types of debt you have. If you want to maintain a good and healthy credit score you must understand what influences your score and you can develop a strategy for improving your credit score. Everything you do, nearly every action you take with your money influences your credit score, either for the good or bad. If you make wise decisions you will be more likely to be approved for loans at better rates, which can put you on the road to financial success.
Just like your credit score, your actions as a Christian are also being watched and the world is building a Christian credit score for you that they will use to measure your risk or that is to say determine how real your faith in God is. You may think you don't have any influence on others. Your not a professional athlete or a Hollywood movie star and your certainly no entertainment icon like Taylor Swift. What impact can my life possibly have on the world around me? I keep to myself, I go to work and come home, there nothing special about my life. Every single one of us has influence though, even if it’s just with our mom, a coworker, or best friend. Whether you realize it or not your life and your actions influence others. The fact that your vehicle is parked in the church parking lot has an influence on those that see it there, especially when it is there on more than just Sunday morning. So how can I possibly have an influence on others you ask? I am glad you you asked me that question. Being a Christian is lot like grade school game, show and tell.
Romans 10:17 ESV So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
There is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching. So what can I possibly do, how can my actions influence other? Jesus answers that question in Matthew chapter 20.
Matthew 20: 25-28 ESV But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Jesus tells use that must be servants, slaves even to those around us. As Christians we live to be the hands and feet of Jesus, called to represent Jesus Christ to a hurting and struggling world. People are watching, they are building a Christian credit score for us. The gospel is a story that must be told. For people to come to faith in Jesus, we need to tell them about Jesus. But they also need to see the fruit of the gospel at work in our lives. When we exhibit integrity in the midst of temptation, kindness in response to abuse, and forgiveness in return for harm, we demonstrate the how being a Christian has transformed our lives. In a sense we are building a Christian credit score. We tell the world around us, the gospel isn’t just something I believe. It’s something that’s changing me. This doesn’t mean that we need to be perfect all the time, but we do need to be aware that people are watching us. When they see how serious we are about our faith and how it impacts every area of our lives, they’re more apt to take it seriously themselves. Your actions and your lifestyle choices are as important as what you say, maybe even more important!
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We live in a world that is focuses on me first. The world will tell you that you should prioritize your own needs and desires above anything else. The world says in order to be successful you need to be self sufficient and fully independent. However the bible tells us that we are to not to focus on our self. Scriptures say in order to be successful you must be a servant to others, even a slave.
Mark 10: 43-45 ESV But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Unfortunately many of us have the wrong attitude. We may not think we are being selfish but the reality is we are apathetic, we lack true concern for the well being of others, there is no sense of urgency, we do not see it as our responsibility, our attitude is “someone else will take care of it” or “what’s in it for me?” As Christians we have a higher calling, a divine mandate even, that should set us apart from the rest of the world. The scriptures tell us that we are to bear one another's burdens. Bearing one another's burdens is not just about being nice or lending a hand to someone when it is convenient. It is about stepping into difficult situations, the messy realities of life.
Galatians 6:2 ESV Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
So what some very practical ways to bear one another’s burdens today. Ask how people are doing, not just, “Hey, how are you?” But really, Hey, how are you doing? What is worrying you? Is there anything heavy on your heart? And then look for an opportunity to bear that burden with them. Just think about your own life. When your burdens are heavy, it’s really good to have someone who bears them with you, who steps into your burden with you, who shoulders the load of it with you, who seeks to understand, as best they can. They step into the difficult moments in your life and help you carry the load. It may be an emotional burden and they lend a listening and caring ear or it may be that life is physically demanding and they lend a helping hand to carry some physical burden. What can you do to show that person they are not alone with that burden? It may be as simple as praying for them... with them. That simple act goes such a long way. Or there might be something you could do for them, drive their child to a ball game, mow their yard or fix them a meal. Or it might just be listening to them and letting them share with you. The last one is the hardest one for me because I do not really listen. I listen just long enough to make my response, when in reality they don't need or even want to hear what I have to say, they just need someone to listen so that can get the burden off their shoulders. We are surrounded by people who are walking through so many difficult things, that are heavy on their hearts. Ask God today to help you to look for opportunities to bear one another's burdens. God, we pray that you would help us to live daily bearing others’ burdens. And as we pray this, we praise you for your love for us, that bears our burdens with us. First Peter chapter 5 tells us to cast our burdens upon God because He care for you.
1 Peter 5: 6-7 ESV Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
Jesus, has borne the burden of our sin and death for us. He conquered sin and death and ultimately suffering and made a way for us to have eternal life free from burdens.
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There is nothing more refreshing on a hot summer day that a large drink of cool water. Water is essential to most bodily functions. The body has no way to store water and needs fresh supplies every day. The human body can last weeks without food, but only days without water. The body is made up of 50 to 75% water. Water forms the basis of blood, digestive juices, urine and perspiration, and is contained in lean muscle, fat and bones. Since the body can’t store water, we need fresh supplies every day to make up for losses from the lungs, skin and urine. The amount we need depends on your body size, your metabolism, the weather, the food we eat and our activity levels.
The scriptures use a lot of metaphors. One of the most common is water. The bible refers to living water, a well-watered garden and streams in the desert. In general, the use of water, especially living water, symbolizes the Holy Spirit and the Spirit-filled life. In John Chapter 4 Jesus asks a Samaritan woman to get him a drink of water. The Samaritan woman said to him, How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman from Samaria? For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus replied, If you only knew what a wonderful gift God has for you, and who I am, you would ask me for some living water! The Samaritan woman replied, but you don’t have a rope or a bucket and this is a very deep well! Where and how would you get this living water?
John 4: 13-14 ESV Jesus replied that people soon became thirsty again after drinking this water. But the water I give them, he said, becomes a perpetual spring within them, watering them forever with eternal life.
Have you ever been so thirsty that you couldn't think about anything else but water. Have you ever thought that as a Christian you could be a water bottle for Jesus. For the bottle to be of any use it must be filled. What are you filled with? Is your life filled with anger, impatience, contempt and jealousy? Or are you filled with joy, peace, patience and love? So let's assume that you are filled with Gods love. It feels so good to be filled with the Holy Spirit, but what good is it if we are not poured out? Have you ever thought about the fact that the first taste that people will ever get of the holy spirit may be the water within you? Wow!!!! That really convicts my heart, because I am not always a refreshing drink of water, at times I can be a bit bitter. My wife has an large collection of water bottles that she takes to work and drinks from. How gross would it be if she never brought her water bottle home and washed it. How do we wash ourselves out so that when we have the opportunity to pour the refreshing water of the Holy Spirit to the lost it is not a luke warm, bitter drink. If you gather with believers, humbly seek forgiveness when you fail and look to the Holy Spirit to guide your life and fill you, then you can be a refreshing drink that leaves the lost wanting more? We must continually come before the Lord seeking to be constantly renewed and cleansed.
Matthew 10:42 ESV And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.
Revelation 22:17 Says, come and let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life come and drink without price. This verse extends the final invitation to sinners to come to Christ and quench their spiritual thirst. The Holy Spirit extends this invitation through us, the Christain water bottle, his Bride, the church!
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My father in law, Garland Hendren, told me once that he thought he was living on borrowed time. I asked him what made he think that. He told me that he had already lived longer than all the other men in his family. At the time I just overlooked his statement and thought he was just being a bit dramatic. During the same time period he started going to the doctor because he displaying symptoms of diabetes. I also didn't think this was to strange because he was a pleasantly plump. I thought a change of diet and some additional activity and all would be well, besides I had lived with my wife Joyce, a Type 1 diabetic, for many years and she had managed it well. In October of 2020 Garland was told he had a tumor on his pancreas. We later learned that it was a cancerous tumor. The tumor was removed along with several lymph nodes. The doctors told him they thought they had found and removed all the cancer but that it would be a good idea for him to get all his affairs in order. He took a few chemo treatments but the side effects of the treatments were causing heart failure so he stopped the treatments. In May of 2021, just a short 7 months later he passed away. It turns out my father in law was right, he was truly living on borrowed time. It is not unusual to hear people talk about living on borrowed time. It is a pretty common expression. What is meant by that is that somebody is alive that should be dead. Usually these people have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and given only a few months to live and for some reason have lived longer than the medical professionals have predicted they would, they are living on borrowed time. We are all living on borrowed time because of this fact, because we are all sinners and God is a just and righteous God! However, God is also compassionate and merciful. “To borrow” means to obtain or receive something on loan and to use it as your own with the intention of returning it to its rightful owner. Every day of our lives is on loan from God. We are all living on borrowed time. The lives we are living are not really ours to use as we please. God is lending them to us because He loves our souls, so you should feel an urgency to use your life to its fullest potential! God’s time is valuable, and He is being gracious to lend it to you. So it is important thay we invest wisely and spend the days of our lives on things that will profit His Kingdom. Be careful not to spend excessive amounts of time with the pleasures and cares of this life.
Isaiah 38: 1-3 ESV In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover.” Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, and said, “Please, O Lord, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.God did not disagree with Hezekiah, so He gave him borrowed time. Isaiah chapter 38 verses 4 and 5 say that God heard Hezekiah's pray.
Isaiah 38: 4-5 ESV Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: “Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life.Every minute of our lives is borrowed time, none of us are promised tomorrow. God has planned all the days of our lives. How have you spent your time? Has it been used on eternal matters or on things of this earth which will perish? Some of your time may have already been wasted and not used wisely if you have not been living right before God. I know I have wasted many of the days of my life! So, use your borrowed time wisely for God and for lost of this world, and then the Lord will be pleased.
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When I was in my early to mid 20's I had two boys die. Jerry Craig, lived 3 months and died of a genetic disorder, May 31, 1988. Levi Blake was still born and died June 16, 1990. Many things are spoken to the family of those who have lost a child in an attempt to comfort their aching hearts, however a lot of them simply are not true. Some of the common phrases said to those who are grieving include: God won’t give you more than you can handle, everything happens for a reason and God must have needed another angel. The last phrase, God must have needed another angel is the one I really want to focus on! Most of us have heard this phrase before and the truth is that, it simply is not true. God did not need another angel. God doesn’t need anything!
Acts: 17 24-27 ESV The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,
God is more powerful than we can even begin to imagine and has everything He needs. This phrase, God needed another angel, makes it sound as if God was unable to fulfill His plan without the death of our children and thankfully this is far from the truth. It is not as if He is unable to act or unable to carry out his will without the heartbreaking death of our children. God is sovereign over all. He holds every life in His hands. But God is not petty. He doesn’t play silly games with us. He loves us. As humans, we were created in the image of God. We do not become angels when we die. Scripture tells us we have an even greater promise to look forward to. If we are in Christ and I believe babies are, we have been adopted as sons and daughters. God’s children will judge angels. We will be co-heirs with Christ. What an incredible promise! What an amazing gift!
1 Corinthians 6:3 ESV Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!
Romans 12:15 says, Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. While we embrace the first part of this verse, Rejoice with those who rejoice, we fall short in the second part, weep with those who weep. The worlds pursuit of comfort and happiness has pushed us to avoid sadness at all costs! We seek to numb and distract our pain, rather than minister to the emotional pain and wounds, and point people toward the one true Hope. Yes I am convinced that my boys are with Jesus in heaven but they are not angels. I can't explain and will never understand why my boys had to die, but this I do know. God’s ways and His thoughts are higher than my ways and my thoughts.
Isaiah 55:9 ESV For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.
On this earth we will suffer from the death of our children. So for now I will mourn and lament the loss of my children. However, the word of God promises me, that God will wipe away every tear from my eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away. And my heavenly father who is seated on the throne says, “Behold, I am making all things new.”
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I can remember when I was younger going to the amusement park, Worlds of Fun. At the time it seemed huge. At various places in the park there would be a map giving you directions to all the different rides, food courts and other attractions in the park and right smack in the middle of the map would be a brightly colored star with the words, “You are Here!” Once I found out where I was, then I could figure out where I needed go, in order to reach my destination. Isn't this very similar to our Christian faith? If you don't know where you are in relationship to God, if you not asking God for directions, how will you ever get your bearings and know where he wants you to go next? In Luke chapter 2, twelve year old Jesus and his parents were in Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. After the festival was over while his parents were returning home and Jesus stayed behind, but his parents were unaware of it.
Luke 2: 44-45 ESV but supposing Him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him.
If you listen closely to these verses you will notice, Joseph and Mary lost Jesus when they were returning to their place of comfort, to their home. I can imagine that during the festival of the Passover Jerusalem was a mad house and I feel confident that Jesus parents kept a watchful eye on him. However, once they were headed back home and in the comfort of family and friends they relaxed and they were no longer focused on where Jesus was. In other words they didn't make communications with God a priority since they knew where they were headed. The scripture even states that they went on traveling for a day and didn't even know that Jesus was not with them. So how did Joseph and Mary lose Jesus. The same way you and I do, we stop making proximity or communication with Jesus a priority in our life. You become more focused on your destination than you are on your devotion to God. Once Joseph and Mary returned to the temple courts they finally found Jesus and Mary said to him, “Son why have you treated us like this your father and I have been anxiously searching for you?”
Luke 2: 48 ESV And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.”
Jesus reply to Mary was, “Why were you searching for me? Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?” Remember this, anytime God asks you a question it is not so he can figure something out about you, He is Omnipotent and doesn't need your answer. The reason He asks the question is so that you can learn something about yourself. So why did Jesus ask this question? Remember Jesus is 12 years old and these are his parents so in essence, they are closer to him than anyone else. So Jesus asks this to influence a moment of reflection, but not only to his parents, to you and me as well. What Jesus is really saying is, you claim you know me so well, but your being anxious about this situation is an indication that you don't really know me as well as you think you do. Because, if you did you would know there is nothing to worry about. So what is the lesson we need to learn from Jesus question to his parents, “Why were you searching for me? Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?,” The lesson is this, maybe the reason it has been hard for you to hear from God because he is in the last place you left Him, after the decision you made without him. You can go from person to person searching for answers in life, but you will never receive the peace you looking for until you return to Jesus! Let God be your focus, the brightly color star on the map of your life, that guides you to your f
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When I was younger I used to go fishing frequently. I prided myself on my ability to cast my lure just about anywhere I wanted to. I didn't have a boat so I was fishing from the bank. If I wanted to fish the deep waters I could cast my lure all the way out to the middle and let it sink to the bottom. Sometimes I wanted to fish the shallow waters along the bank and with a nimble flick of the wrist I could place my lure just a few feet from the edge and slowly retrieve it. The coves were the most difficult place to fish because you had to concentrate so you could cast your lure around the trees and brush, but that was where the biggest fish usually were. 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 7 says, were are to cast all our cares or anxieties on God. However, I must admit that when it comes to my anxieties and the troubles of life I cast them on God kinda like I was fishing. I often overestimate my ability to solve my own problems and underestimate my inability, and like a fisherman I cast my problems out, but I don't fully trust God to solve them and I end up reeling them back in.
1 Peter 5: 6-7 ESV Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
To cast literally means to throw, to throw them away and not try to hang on to them. We should not hold onto our cares. Instead, we should throw them to our Father God who cares for us. He has big shoulders; He can handle our burdens. Cares refers to worries, difficulties and needs of this world. The New Living Translation says to “give all your worries and cares to God,” and the NIV says to “cast all your anxiety on him.” Everything that worries us or weighs us down is to be given to the God who cares deeply for us. These verses do not promise that God will remove the source of our anxiety, although He certainly can. Instead, the assurance is in knowing that He cares for us, which is why we can cast our cares on Him. God is trustworthy to handle our cares in the best way. God works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. We can trust that God is able and willing to deal with our cares.
Romans 8: 28 ESV And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
In Matthew chapter 11 verses 28 to 30, Jesus also invites people to cast their cares on Him: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Jesus calls us to come to Him and cast our cares or burdens on Him. When we do, the promise is that we will find rest for our souls. We can come to Him with any of our concerns in prayer, and, while the burden may still exist, our souls will find rest as we trust in Him to help us carry it and to sustain us through the trial. God does not want us to be weighed down by the difficulties and worries of this life. Instead, He cares for us and promises rest for all who come to Him. If you trust that God is in control and able to handle your concerns, cast all your cares on Him, quite fishing for trouble! Let your troubles go, don't reel them back in as if you can solve all your own problems. Cast them away! Don't look where your throwing your troubles! Take your eyes of the things of this world...... O soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? There’s light for a look at the Savior, And life more abundant and free. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.
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It’s the end of your workday and you’re staring at the to-do list you made earlier. You have one project at the bottom of the list that you’ve been putting off. It’s already late and you still haven’t gotten to it. You tell yourself I will do that task tomorrow. We all procrastinate from time to time, besides does anyone really wash, dry and fold the laundry all in one day. At our house you know it is time to do the laundry when dirty laundry starts crawling up the wall, out of the top of the basket, even then it can be put off a little longer, at least until you run out of clean under wear. Experts define procrastination as a self-defeating behavior marked by short-term benefits and long-term costs. If you put off doing the laundry you will get the short-term benefit of not having to do it, but the long term consequence is the task get even bigger, or you have to go to the store and buy clean underwear. I pretty sure Joyce has bought clean clothes rather than washing the one she has. Procrastination is the act of willfully delaying the doing of something that should be done, and in some people it is a habitual way of handling any task. While the word itself is not found in the Bible, we can find some principles to help guide us. Sometimes, procrastination is the result of laziness, and the Bible has plenty to say about that. The Bible commends hard work.
Proverbs 13:4 ESV The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.
The Bible says that when it comes to some things, we should never delay. Jesus taught that reconciling with an offended brother should be done immediately upon our remembrance of the situation. In Matthew the bible tells us if you are offering your gift at the altar and remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift at the alter and go get right with your brother, and then come to the alter and offer your gift. However distasteful it may be to pursue peace with your brother or even your enemy, we must avoid procrastinating. In Ephesians the bible tells us, “Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.” Christians must not procrastinate when it comes to sharing the gospel with the lost. There is no time to waste. Some people, upon hearing the gospel and knowing their spiritual need, delay in making a response. This is the most dangerous type of procrastination. Life is short, and we do not know what will happen tomorrow.
James 4: 13-14 ESV Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
Some decisions have eternal consequences! The lost of the world do not realize it, but the truth of the matter is, we will all live for ever either in Hell or Heaven. So in the matter of our spiritual life, we dare not procrastinate. When it comes to your spiritual life a day is coming when everyone will be forced to stop procrastinating!
Philippians 2: 10-11 ESV So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
In short, procrastination is a bad habit that can have eternal effects.
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When my children were growing up we had a lot of magnificent accidents. It was not uncommon for me to get concerned because suddenly the house was silent. Silence was not golden in my home, it was a sign that something was wrong, the kids were up to something and they were trying to hide from their father. So in the midst of the silence I would begin my stealthy search for my children. I would sneak up on them and when I found them they would be in the middle of mess that looked like a small bomb had exploded in their room. They would have no idea that I was present and in a stern fatherly voice I would say, “What happened here!” They would jump up and turn around and look me right in my eyes with a startled look on their face and say, “I don't know Dad, It Happened on an Accident!” The big bang is how some astronomers explain the way the universe began. They believe that an accidentally collision in the empty expanse of the universe, which began at a single point, then expanded and stretched to grow as large as it is now! This explanation of creation is just as hard for me to believe as my children's explanation that the rooms became a mess on an accident. There room didn't dirty itself and creation didn't create itself. God created everything that exists in an intricate fashion. For example the Earth seems to be in just right place for life. Venus is too close to the sun, and too hot for flowing water on its surface and Mars is too far from the sun, and too cold for flowing water on its surface. God also created our bodies in a delicate and intricate fashion.
Psalm 139: 13-16 ESV For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
The human body is an engineering marvel. God took dirt and formed our body into a miraculous, intricately designed creation, that is truly amazing! If you place just 1 square inch of skin under a microscope your will find in that piece of skin no bigger than a postage stamp, 3 million cells, 1 yard of blood vessels, 4 yards of nerves, 100 sweat glands, 15 oil glands and 25 nerve endings. All this in a piece of skin no bigger that a postage stamp. The heart pumps every minute of our lives, moving about 10 pints of blood through 60,000 miles of veins and arteries. That 10 pints of blood contains 25 trillion red blood cells that carry oxygen, 25 billion white cells that fight disease. If you were to take all the blood vessels, arteries and capillary in your body and spread them out, they would cover a 1 ½ acre field! All these vessels are interconnected to provide our body the nutrients we need to survive. That would be like the post office delivering millions of packages, over 60,000 miles of roads every day to exactly the right destination without ever loosing a package or delivering it to the wrong location. The heart is a muscle about the size of your fist. This amazing muscle never gets tired. If you work with your arms, they will get tired and sore. If you work with your legs, they will get tired and sore and eventually you will have to rest, but not your heart. It will pump 1 ½ million gallons of blood every year for the rest of your life. In a lifetime your heart will pump 40 million times. Some people would have you think that all of this just happened by accident, just like my kids used to tell me that their rooms just got to be a mess on a accident. None of Gods design of our body or any of his creation, for that matter, happened on an accident!!!
Colossians 1: 16 ESV For by him
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About 7 out of 10 U.S. adults say they believe in angels, according to a poll by The Associated Press. Angels mean different things to different people and the idea of loved ones becoming heavenly angels after death is not unusual. When I was 22 years old my son, Jerry Craig, lived for 3 months then passed away from a genetic illness that the doctors, at the time, didn't know how to treat. Then just 2 years later my son, Levi Blake, was still born. I am sure we have all have either said, or heard, common phrases spoken in an effort to comfort someone during a moment of intense grief. I am sure our friends meant well, but many of these expressions are not true, for example: “God won’t give you more than you can handle,” “Everything happens for a reason,” “Don’t cry, they’re with Jesus” and “God must have needed another angel.” While we certainly want to be caring individuals to our friends and family, I believe we have a duty as Christians to speak the truth with love and grace. As you walk alongside a hurting loved one, take very seriously the words you speak about God and be certain they are true before you say them. Let’s not spread misinformation about God and His Word. So God did not take my two baby boys or anyone else infants, because he needed another Angel. First of all God doesn't need anything!!!
Acts 17: 24-25 ESV The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.
God is sovereign over all. He holds every life in His hands. God is not petty. He doesn’t play silly games with us. He loves us!!! God is more powerful than we can even begin to imagine and He has everything He needs. This phrase, “God needed another angel,” makes it sound as if God was unable to fulfill His plan without the death of our children and thankfully this is far from the truth. As humans, we were created in the image of God. We do not become angels when we die. As professing Christians we have an even greater promise to look forward to. God’s children will judge angels. We will be co-heirs with Christ. What an incredible promise! What an amazing gift!
1 Corinthians 6: 2-3 ESV Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!
Angels in the bible do many things. In Revelation chapter 15, verse 7, one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels, seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God. The angels of the Bible are just as likely to assassinate individuals and slaughter entire populations as they are to offer help, comfort, protect and deliver. Angels are God’s obedient soldiers, doing the task at hand. Angels have delivered messages to humans that have provided guidance and encouragement. Angels can be ministering spirits. At the end of a believer’s life, angels provide care at the time of death. Angels cannot experience salvation, however the do celebrate when a lost person accepts Christ as their Savior.
Luke 15:7 ESV Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
So speak the truth in love! Share difficult truths in a gentle, kind, manner that is not offensive. Because we love one another, we must speak the truth. Because we know the truth, we must be people characterized by love!
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During the days that leading up to Jesus Christ triumphant return, liars claiming to be the Messiah will arise, and so will deceptive people, pretending to be prophets of God. The ability of these frauds will be enhanced by their ability to perform great signs and wonders. They will attempt to deceive even those chosen by God, who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God sent to save the world.
Matthew 24:24 ESV For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
Jesus adds "if possible," since the true elect cannot possibly be lost by God. However, they may be mislead, diverted or deceived for a time.Jesus warned that deception would grow worse as we draw nearer to the end times, saying, “Take heed that no one deceives you.” Distinguishing truth from lies has become increasingly challenging. We live in a time when falsehoods assault us from every direction. Packaged with just enough truth to make them appear trustworthy, they have grown more difficult to detect and avoid. As the time for Christ’s return approaches, evil and social chaos will intensify. The Bible says that evil men will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. Are we living in those days, the days of deception? Only God knows the answer to that. The Bible makes it clear that we aren’t to predict the exact time of Christ’s return or claim to know when it will happen. However at the same time, many of the signs or events that Jesus said must take place before His return are certainly in place. For me, there is no doubt that we are living in the days of deception!
Matthew 24:7-8 ESV For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
Currently the nation of Israel is at war with the Humas and being attacked by Iran, Russia is at war with the Ukraine and according to a quick search of the internet as of April of 2024 there are 29 countries that are either at war with another country or in a state of Civil war inside their own borders. According to the 2023 Global Report on Food Crises there are, 258 million people are affected by acute food insecurity across 58 countries. According to records kept since about 1900, we can expect about 16 major earthquakes in any given year. The National Earthquake Information Center now locates about 20,000 earthquakes around the globe each year, or approximately 55 per day. According to the National Library of Medicine there is evidence that shows deadly pandemics have been happening more often. They warns us that more deadly pandemics are likely to keep happening, spreading faster, and killing more people than COVID 19. Finally, the apostle Paul wrote a warning for the church; he said the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
2 Timothy 4:3 ESV For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions.
The evidence today of people having “itching ears” includes the popularity of messages that people don't need to change, that repentance is not needed; that people are basically good; that God is too loving to judge anyone; and that God wants His children to be healthy, wealthy, and content in this world. So how are we to live in these days of deception? Just tell the simple truth of the bible directly, humbly and with love! Come Lord Jesus Come!!!
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Recently I have been attending a bible study entitled, “The Preachers Institute.” Our pastor started the class for the men who felt led to possibly follow the Holy Spirits calling to preach. I will be the first to tell you that I do not feel the calling to be a minister, but I thought it could be an opportunity for me to learn some new skills that I could use when writing my devotionals. Some of the others in our group may go on someday to become a minister, some may just be a lay ministers and others of us just want to learn how to get the most our of the scriptures. You may not realize it but everyone is a minister of sorts. Just the fact that your car is parked in front of the Church on Sunday morning is preaching a sermon to everyone that knows you.
Philippians 2: 14-15 ESV Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.
You may be looking at a calendar full of school, work and other commitments, ball games, and doctors appointments, work and business meetings and be wondering, “How am I going to add sharing my faith to this?” The answer to that question is to be intentional about keeping God in focus no matter what you are doing. Any situation where you are already committing your time and energy can offer opportunities to tell others about God. You have probably heard the quote, “Your life may be the only Bible someone will ever read.” That can be an intimidating thought. Whether you are aware of it or not, you’re witnessing about Jesus everywhere you go and every time you open your mouth. So what sermon is your life preaching to those who know you? On our own we tend to be terrible representatives of Christ. But when we trust the Holy Spirit to led us moment by moment, repenting when we mess up, confessing to our friends when we say something less than loving, then asking for their forgiveness, we are witnessing to them. When we repent and return to what God would have us do, these things will bring glory to God, our lives can be a powerful witness.
Luke 10:27 ESV ...“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
Your actions, your choices, your lifestyle matters. Even if you never go knock on a door with your bible in hand and ask if you can share what God means to you, the fact that your attend church on Sunday, Wednesday and other opportunities is a witness! Your lifestyle, your conduct is likely a bolder witness than your words. Your actions truly speak louder than your words. Does the way your treat your neighbors and co-workers align the scriptures and bring glory to God? Do you witness with your life? When we practice Godly behavior around others, He uses our behavior, our lives as a testimony to all those we encounter. Even if they speak badly of us, deep down inside, they know differently. And God may use that conflict in their life to convict them. When you keep your calm and don't lash out as them like expect you to, when difficult situations arise, they may want to know why or how you can remain so calm, even when everyone else is betraying you. This may be your opportunity to led them to Christ. Unfortunately for some it may be the final judgment day when they are confronted by all the choices they have made. Either way, God will use your good deeds for his glory in his time. So what Sermon is your life preaching?
1 Peter 2:12 ESV Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
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When I was young I would get up on Saturday morning and watch cartoons for the majority of the morning. On of my favorite cartoons was the Justice League. The Justice League featured Batman & Robin, the Flash, Green Lantern, Aqua-man, Wonder Woman and Superman. Superman of course was my favorite. By day Superman took on the identity of Clark Kent who was a near sighted reporter who never seemed to quite get it right, but when the evil villain put innocent citizens in danger Clark would slip around the corner into a phone booth and out would come Superman to save the day! Superman seemed to be invincible. He was faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Look up in the sky! It's a bird, it's a plane.... No it's Superman! My question to you is this, does your Christian faith more closely resemble the near sighted bumbling Clark Kent or are you a “Super Saint?” Do you think it is possible to be a “Super Saint?”
Matthew 19:26 ESV But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.
This phrase, “With God all things are possible, speaks of God’s omnipotence, his absolute power to do what he pleases. It’s a theme that is echoed all throughout the bible. When Sarah and Abraham doubted God’s promise to give them a son, God said, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” Genesis 18:14. When God displayed his absolute sovereignty to Job in his distress, Job replied, “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted” Job 42:2. Jesus himself, when he prayed to his Father in the garden before he was crucified, cried out, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you.” Mark 14:36. The phrase, “with God all things are possible,” proclaims the absolute sovereignty and uncontested power of God. If you have absolutely no doubt, if you have complete faith, nothing is impossible, You could be a Super Saint! You could move mountains.
Matthew 17: 20-21 ESV He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
But even the disciples, those who were closest to Jesus, who witnessed first hand his miracles, still lacked faith at times. When a young boy with a demon was brought to them they were unable to cast it out. So his father brought him to Jesus and said “Sir, have mercy on my son, for he is mentally deranged and in great trouble, he often falls into the fire or into the water; so I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t cure him.” Jesus replied, “Oh, you stubborn, faithless people! How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to me.” Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy. Even those closest to Jesus failed at times for all of us are human and we all fall short of the glory of God! Is it possible to be a “Super Saint?” Is there a moral of the story of Superman? I believe there is. We must learn to live with the fact that we can't save everyone. If you let the weight of all those you are unable to save rest directly on your shoulders it will crush you! Your child may be far from God. Someone you love maybe on the wrong path in life, a path that leads to destruction! But don't ever give up! Be a “Super Saint!” Pray earnestly for the lost! Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face and the things of Earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.
Psalm 123:1 ESV To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
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In the world of sports the media is always talking about what player is “The Goat,” the greatest of all time player. Every sport and every person has their opinion of who is the “Goat” in their favorite sport, so I am not going to start that conversation, but it did get me to thinking, what is man's greatest of all time invention? Some people consider the wheel to be the greatest invention of all time. The wheel led to other innovations, including wheelbarrows and chariots, which changed the way people lived, worked and traveled. Mills, steamboats, and a few other inventions, also owe their creation to the basic, but incredible, wheel. In 1436, Gutenberg refined printing in a way that forever changed history. Gutenberg’s press used metal blocks and molds. He used a wine press to exert even pressure on the metal type. His crowning achievement was using his press to produce 200 copies of the Bible within three years, which was astoundingly fast at that time. Vaccines go back to Buddhist monks who drank snake venom and people in 17th century China who purposely exposed their skin to cowpox in an effort to protect against smallpox. British doctor Edward Jenner pioneered the field of vaccinology with his development of the smallpox vaccine in 1796. Louis Pasteur made advances in vaccines, developing cholera, anthrax and rabies vaccines. The computer and the internet, it’s hard to think of an aspect of modern society that hasn’t been affected by the computer. Although many people have contributed to what we call the computer, several great minds are noteworthy. Charles Babbage, envisioned a device that could execute math operations and would include a memory unit. His invention was named the analytical engine. John William Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert, two scientists at the University of Pennsylvania, created the first general-purpose computer, the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer. No matter what you may think is the greatest invention of all time all of these very intelligent people all had one thing in common, all of their inventions used elements that were created by one that is truly the “Greatest of all Time,” God!
Genesis 1: 1-5 ESV In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
When God began creating the heavens and the earth, it was a shapeless, chaotic mass, Then God said, “Let there be light.” and light appeared. God stepped out of no where and using nothing at all, He spoke all that exists into existence!
Genesis 1: 14-15 ESV And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so.
Nobody knows for certain how big the Universe is because we cannot see to the edge of it. We don't even know if it has an edge. The greatness of God is infinite! We serve a God who can be described as AWESOME and THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME!
1 Chronicles 29:11 ESV Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.
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Work, work, And more work! The stacks of paper on your desk, the things you must get accomplished seem to have no end. You feel as if you have a mountain of unconquerable work. Many people burn the candle at both ends in an attempt to save enough money to be able to do all things they want to do during their golden years. How much money is enough? Can you ever have too much? There are some people who have more money than can spend and yet they are still not happy. So what is the right amount? How much money is enough money? For John D. Rockefeller the answer was “just a little bit more.” At the peak of his wealth, Rockefeller had a net worth of about 1% of the entire US economy. He owned 90% of all the oil & gas industry of his time. Compared to today’s rich guys, Rockefeller makes Bill Gates and Warren Buffett look like paupers. And yet he still wanted, just a little bit more. In Luke chapter 12 Jesus tells the parable of the rich farmer. Jesus says, There was a rich man who had some land, which grew a good crop. He thought to himself, what will I do? I have no place to keep all my crops. Then he decided to tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and other goods. Many who hear this parable, may wonder: why is the rich farmer called a fool? One could easily argue that the rich man is a wise and responsible person. He has a thriving farming business. His land has produced so abundantly that he does not have enough storage space in his barns. So he plans to pull down his barns and build bigger ones to store all his grain and goods. Then he will have ample savings set aside for the future and will be all set to enjoy his golden years.
Luke 12: 18-20 ESV And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’
The rich farmer is a fool not because he is wealthy or because he saves for the future, but because he appears to live only for himself, and because he believes that he can secure his life with his abundant possessions. Most of us go to school for 18 to 25 years so that we can secure a job, to earn a living and save for our golden years. Then we spend the next 40 years working and saving, so that we can live it up during our golden years. The average person lives to be 75 years old before they leave this world. So on the average you only get to enjoy the labor of your life's work for about10 years.
2 Peter 3:8 ESV But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
So what are you investing it? Are you like the rich farmer in the parable and investing in worldly things or are you investing in eternal things. I put together a spreadsheet and developed a formula I call the, “Eternity Formula.” I calculated the number of hours in 1 year, multiplied it by the number of hours in a day and then by the number of hours in 1,000 years. Then I divided it by the average life span of 75. Then I divided that by the number of hours in the average life and finally the number of hours in 1,000 years. If 1,000 years is like a day to God, then in the light of eternity our lifetime is equivalent to about 7 1/2 hours! In the light of eternity those 10 years that most of us consider to be our golden years, using the eternity formula, are equal to only a few minutes. Like the rich farmer, we are tempted to think that having large amounts of money and possessions stored up will make us secure. No amount of wealth can secure your life with God.
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According to Pew Research the majority of U.S. adults say they believe in heaven and hell. Nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults say they believe in heaven. While 73% of U.S. Adults believe in heaven only 62% believe in hell. Here’s an important question for you..., really, it’s the most important question anyone could ask: What do you need to do to get to heaven? Or, put another way...What Must I Do to Be Saved? In Luke chapter 10 Jesus responds to a Jewish leader when he asks, “Teacher what must I do to get into heaven?”
Luke 10:25-28 ESV And behold, a lawyer stood up and put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
The Jewish leader may have known the correct answer but what he really wanted to know was how to justify his actions. So he asked Jesus another question, “Who is my neighbor?” This question brings us back to the most important question, what must I do to get into heaven? What must we do as Christians in order to be successful in evangelizing or in other words witnessing to the lost? The most important task you have when you witness to the lost is to convince them that what matters most is the next life because it is forever and this life can be very short! Many people die way to young. If you live to reach the average age you will live to be 73 years old, and a handful of us are lucky enough to live into our 90's. Even if you live to be 100 years old, that is only a momentary blink in comparison to eternity! The next life is what is most important because you will spend it either in the bliss of heaven or in the horrors of the conscience punishment of the flames of hell!
John 5: 28-29 ESV Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
The next time you attend a funeral, take a look at the faces of the people there - especially the unbelievers. Look closely into their eyes and you'll see questions. Questions like: Where are they now? What actually happens after death? Is there really a literal heaven?...a literal hell? I don't care how much education you have or how many degrees hang on your wall, a face-to-face confrontation with the reality of death will make even the most educated person stop and think. The truth about heaven and hell is a powerful thing. John 8:31 says; "And you will know the truth and the truth shall make you free." However, merely acknowledging the existence of heaven and hell is not enough. I'm convinced that very few believers have ever really grasped the reality of heaven and hell. If they had, they wouldn't act the way they do. Back to the most important question, what must I do to get into heaven? It is so simple that it doesn't even seem possible! Believing in Christ means that I understand that I am not good enough to earn my way into heaven. We don't get to Heaven by being "good." No matter how hard we try to be good, we end up stumbling. Jesus is our salvation and our redemption. Through him, we can find forgiveness for our sins and rejoice in the life to come.
Romans 10:9 ESV because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
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Revelation chapter 2 begins with a series of letters to seven churches. One of those was the church in Ephesus. The city was famous for its temple of Diana and pilgrims came to Ephesus from all over the Mediterranean to worship the goddess. Jesus affirms the Ephesians’ positive actions. He tells them, I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. The Ephesian church was a hard-working group of believers full of fortitude. However, Jesus also notes their shortcoming. He said, yet I hold this against you. You have forsaken your first love. They were hard-working, but they no longer had the same passion for Christ as when they first believed. Their work was no longer motivated by love. To explain this better let's our imagination for a moment. Suppose I told my wife Joyce, we need to talk. We sit down and I tell her that I just don't love her anymore. I tell her that I haven't been unfaithful and I am not going to leave her. I am going to continue to do all the things a husband should, I will provide for our household and family. I will take part in all the activities that we have always done. I will attend church, go to work functions and come home every night as if nothing has changed and as far as the public is concerned no one will know any different, but I simply don't love you any longer. How do you think Joyce would respond? I am confident her response would not be, okay no problem... This is what was happening at the church at Ephesus. They were still working and serving but they had lost the love they once had for Jesus Christ. All your effort and hard work is worthless if you don't have love!
1 Corinthians 13: 1-3 ESV If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Like the Ephesian church, we can easily fall prey to a cold, mechanical observance of religion. Like the Ephesians, we can have everything but the greatest thing, love! Many tend to focus solely on hard work, programs and events for everyone, children's church, Sunday school, bible study and a multitude of other programs and forget that the most important thing, the greatest thing is a true love for Christ. As the letter the Ephesians shows, no amount of zeal for the truth or true doctrine can replace a heart full of love for Jesus. The 16 inches between the head and the heart can be the greatest distance of all!
1 Corinthians 13: 13 ESV So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
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Do you want to be spiritually strong and have a moving impact on your lost friends and family, do you want to hear the words, well done my good and faithful servant. If so, you must whole heatedly follow God! Your life, your walk with God needs to be fully devoted, completely surrendered, a sold out walk with God. If you gonna be a Christian, than be a Christian! Be a 100 percent sold out Christian! There are a lot of half hearted, part time people, attending church today. The Barna Group has been gathering survey data on the long-term shifts that have occurred in the United States over the last several decades. In their survey they collected data from among 96,171 separate surveys, over more than 20 years. Just one in four Americans is a practicing Christian. A practicing Christians is someone that identifies as a Christian, agrees strongly that faith is very important in their lives and have attended church within the past month. Perhaps the most significant change is that practicing Christians are now a much smaller segment of the population. In 2000, 45 percent of all those sampled qualified as practicing Christians. That has consistently declined over the last 20 plus years. Now, just one in four Americans 25 percent is a practicing Christian. One-third fewer Americans attends church weekly now than in 1993. Don't be a part time Christians, be a sold out Christian. You need to live every day of your life as if it is your last day, because one day it will be!
During Jesus’ earthly ministry, He didn’t restore sight to just one eye. He didn’t feed most of the 5,000. He didn’t calm the storm on only half the Sea of Galilee. And He didn’t give part of His life on the cross to pay for some of our sins. The Hymn, “Jesus Paid it All” doesn't say, sin had left a crimson stain, and He washed it light pink. NO it says; Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow!
Romans 5:8 ESV But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
1 Corinthians 7:23 ESV You were bought with a price; do not become bond servants of men.
Christ paid the full price to set us free from the curse of the law. He absorbed it completely. He became a curse in our place. What a powerful truth! Jesus paid the full price to set us free from the curse of sin! Jesus told us, in John 14:12 “ I tell you this timeless truth. The person who follows me in faith, believing in me, will do the same mighty miracles that I do and even greater miracles. Jesus is the perfect example for us to live by. What He did in His 3 1/2 years of ministry here on earth is what we’re called to do. As Jesus was in this world, so are we! As Jesus went about teaching, we are to go about teaching. Jesus did miracles signs and wonders. We must be 100% sold out and believe and expect the same, miracles signs and wonders!
Mark 16:17 ESV And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues.
There seems to be fewer sold out Christians, and an increasing number of sellouts. Sellouts are those that say they love Jesus, own a Bible or two, occasional visit a church, but do not show evidence of a transformed life. They claim to follow Jesus and genuinely believe the Gospel, but their enthusiasm to actually follow Jesus ebbs more than it flows. So decide today! Will you be a 100 percent sold out Christian!
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What is the process you go through when you are making a new car purchase? How much time do you invest studying the vehicle you’re about to purchase before you buy it? I will spend some time comparing features and comparing prices but all together I doubt I spend more than an hour or two, for a couple days, definitely less than a week, before I make the purchase. I may look at and test drive several cars before I decide but in the big scheme of things I do not invest a lot of time. With the cost of new vehicles being so much it is a decision that must be discussed between my wife and I because it could potentially be a life changing decision, at the very least we will have to change our spending habits, maybe put in some extra hours at work or dip into the rainy day fund to pay for the license and taxes after the purchase. How different would the car industry be if we treated purchasing a new car like we do bible study? How would the salesman at the dealership react if you asked him for a copy of the owner’s manual to vehicle so you could study if before you bought it? Once you receive the manual, you take it home and spend 1 maybe 2 hours a week really studying each section of the manual then you put it away until the next week. I know this sounds ridiculous! By the time you have read through the manual and made yourself familiar with every aspect of the car it would be sold, or next year’s model would come out and it would be different, and you would have to start the entire process all over again! In the book of Matthew Jesus gives the disciples the great commission. The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Matthew 28 19-20 ESV Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
The most important word in these verses is the first word “GO!” When you finally make that new car purchase you don’t spend months studying the car before you drive it. You get in the car, and you drive it until the day comes when you don’t understand something about the car, then you get out the owner’s manual and you study it until you figure out your problem. I am not saying that you shouldn’t attend bible study on a regular basis and gain every ounce of knowledge you can about the scriptures, no not at all! What I am saying is that you need to put feet to your faith. What good does all that knowledge do if you never use it to witness to the lost? How different would the church, the entire world be today if the disciples had listened to Jesus words and then started a weekly bible study on them and never followed through with Jesus’ command to “GO!” As Christians we have a duty to “GO”, make disciples, teach, and baptize. Although the command was initially given directly only to Christ's eleven Apostles, it is a directive to all Christians of every time and place.
Mark 16:20 ESV And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.
We need the whole Church to band together to minister to the whole world. We have three options in responding to the Great Commission: Go, send, or disobey. There are many ways to participate in the Great Commission, and each is an extension of God’s individual call on your lives. What God, does not do, is leave as an option to not to participate at all. We Must GO!
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An encounter with Jesus is not something that is spooky, super natural or made up by fanatics. There are many ways you can encounter Jesus in the every day details of your life. Some people may encounter Him when they are serving Him, some while they are worshiping and others may encounter him when they are in the midst of a turbulent storm in their life, I had such an encounter. I was recently divorced and I felt like my life was unraveling at the seams. My girls were away for the weekend and I was alone, something that I was not comfortable with. I went to bed, during the night I had the worst nightmare I have ever had in my life. I dreamed that my home was on fire and I was crawling on the floor trying to get my girls and myself out of the house, but I couldn't find my girls or the door. I woke up from the dream wrapped up in the blankets on the floor, drenched in sweat. The dream was so realistic that for a few moments I was unsure if it was real or a dream. I immediately called my mother because I was alone and needed someone to reassure me that it really was a dream. This may seem like a strange way to encounter Jesus but He was speaking loud and clear to me that I needed to be closer to my family. It was not long before my girls and I moved back to Bethany to be near family, because I desperately needed their help! Saul, who later became Paul, didn’t know the Lord at all in fact, he was a persecutor of believers. He had a miraculous encounter with God. He was on the road to Damascus when he was blinded by a heavenly light and heard Gods voice say: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?” God had a plan for Paul, but He knew it would take a radical event to break through to him. God will do whatever it takes to break through into your life too. After Jesus was crucified some of his apostles were walking to Emmasus when they had an encounter with Jesus. As they walked along the road they were talking of Jesus’ death, when suddenly Jesus himself came along and joined them and began walking beside them. But they didn’t recognize him. You seem to be in a deep discussion about something, he said. What are you so concerned about? Cleopas, replied, You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about the terrible things that happened there last week. What things? Jesus asked. The things that happened to Jesus, the Man from Nazareth, they said. He was a Prophet who did incredible miracles and was a mighty Teacher, highly regarded by both God and man. But the chief priests and our religious leaders arrested him and handed him over to the Roman government to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. We had thought he was the glorious Messiah and that he had come to rescue Israel. Then Jesus quoted to them passage after passage from the the prophets, beginning with the book of Genesis and going right on through the Scriptures, explaining what the passages meant and what they said about himself. By the time they arrived at Emmasus it was getting dark and so the apostles invited him to stay the night. As they were sharing a meal they had their encounter with Jesus. Luke 24: 30-31 ESV When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. We talk to God, pray, read our Bibles, and interact with Him daily, but a true encounter with him is different. It usually happens when we least expect it. It is deeply personal and relevant to your situation at the time. It may be life changing in some way. It's purpose is to reveal God's glory. A true encounter with Jesus is timely, specific and purposeful. Finally an encounter with Jesus may leave you breathless, speechless or immobile while you process what has happened, or in Paul's case even blind. When you experience such an encounter, what makes it
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No where in the bible will you read that the Christian life is an easy one. The Christian life is no walk in the park. Matter of fact what you will find is the opposite. In John chapter 16 verse 33 it says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” If you want to have a strong faith, a muscular faith then you must exercise it. If you have ever broken a leg and been unable to use it for a time, you know that you will have to work hard to rebuild the muscle that has been weakened by prolonged inactivity. The physical therapist will work with you to rebuild what has been lost through lack of use. So, faith is like a muscle and needs to be exercised. Here is an example of someone that devoted his life to being intentional and diligent to achieve his goal. Rowdy Gaines is a member of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame and the International Swimming Hall of Fame, Gaines set 10 world records between 1978 and the 1984 Olympic Games. The three-time Olympic gold medalist also tallied 16 total medals (12 gold) representing the United States at the World Championships and Pan American Games. For 8 years leading up to the 1984 Olympic games Rowdy Gaines swam in increments of 50 yard laps a nearly 20,000 miles. After he won the gold medal for the 100 meter freestyle swim he said, “I swam around the world for a race that lasted 49 seconds.” To everyone that claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ, is your faith so strong, so muscular and dedicated that you, like Rowdy Gaines you would swim around the world for a race that lasts 49 seconds? As Christians what kind of diligent devotions should we be striving for with eternity as our goal!!!
Colossians 3: 23-24 NIV Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Faith is the gift of God. It is not of ourselves; we receive it from Him. It is the special work of the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to who Jesus is and to show us our need of Him and to create within us the capacity to trust Him. He gives you a new heart, the gift of faith. But Jesus in Luke 8:25 makes it clear that you can have this gift of faith and never use it. “Where is your faith?” He asks the disciples, after a storm blew up as they were rowing across the lake. Jesus had been asleep in the back of the boat, and the disciples panicked! But Jesus awakens, calms the storm, and then asks, “Where is your faith?” In other words, “Why aren’t you exercising the faith I have gifted to you?” Having faith in God often requires choosing to have confidence in Him, who He is, what He has done for you, and His promises. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God and believing what you have heard and read. When you believe God’s Word as truth, you are exercising your faith. To exercise means to use or apply something. As Christians, we use or apply our faith when we believe God’s Word as truth and live our lives according to the principles and lessons found in it. In times of difficulty, it is helpful to read first John.
1 John 4:4 NIV You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
In times of doubt or confusion, you can rely on Proverbs 3:51 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding.” Reading and knowing God’s Word is not the same as the act of obeying His Word. When you live by faith, obedience is extremely important. Every time your obedient, you exercise your faith, your faith becomes stronger. You develop a muscular faith!
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I am not good at remembering dates. I can barely remember my wife and children's birthdays and don't even ask me to tell you the birthdays of my grandchildren. I do remember events and things that happened during those special events but God just didn't gift me the ability to remember the day and date of special events. I remember the moment I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal savior. It was at the First Baptist Church in Stanberry, Missouri. I think I was in the 4th or 5th grade. I remember the floors of the sanctuary sloped downward to the pulpit. I especially remember the feeling of warmth, comfort and peace I felt during that moment. The day I accepted Jesus as my Savior must have really irritated Satan, because after that day I faced many trials and tribulations. When I was 14 to 15 years old I was sexually assaulted by a male school teacher who was also my wrestling coach on several occasions. When I turned 16 years old I began using drugs and drinking alcohol in great excess. I drove my car like the devil was chasing me and on at least one occasion probably should have been severely injured in a car accident, “But God” had different plans for me. On the night of my Junior prom I drank so much alcohol that I passed out and my friends put me in the passenger seat of my car, drove me home and parked my car in the drive. When I didn't come in my father came out and carried my lifeless body into the home. He later told me that for a moment he couldn't find a pulse, I likely should have died of alcohol poisoning, “But God” had different plans. My parents and our neighbors, Jim & Sherry Lerette, prayed over my lifeless body until I finally awoke. During my senior year in high-school I was dating a young girl from Albany. I started double dating with another friend who was then dating, Dena, the woman who became my first wife. One night Dena confided in me that she had been sexually assaulted by the person that I thought was my friend. I think this common experience may have been what initially attracted me to her. I wanted to try and protect her. When we got married I had just turned 19 in November, she was 16 years old, and our first daughter was born in January. I will let you do the math on that. Our second daughter was born just 18 months after that. When I was just 23 years old my first son, Jerry Craig was born. He was very ill and spent 3 months in neonatal intensive care and only 1 day at home. The doctors finally told me they didn't think they would ever be able to cure his illness so I told them to take away all his drugs and just care for him like you would any other child and in just a week he passed away. My heart was broken. For the longest time I felt like I had killed my son. In 1990 my wife Dena gave birth to our second son who was still born. On Christmas day of 1991 I chased a life-flight helicopter and my youngest daughter, Sara was born prematurely. When she was born she weighed 2 pounds 9 ounces and was only 14 inches long. Looking back on all these difficult days I still don't know how I managed, “But God” had plans for me that I didn't yet understand. In 1993 after 8 years of marriage I was served with divorce papers. I am not going to go into the details of why my marriage failed other than to say, we were both immature. We both thought that if we were not getting our needs met by the other, our marriage was a failure. I can tell you now that I am much more mature. One characteristic of a good marriage is when each person looks to give more than they receive.... In the 1990's it was very uncommon for a father to get custody of his children, especially when they were all 3 girls, “But God” had plans for me! Hindsight is 20/20, but I feel very confident that the main reason I got custody of my girls is because I was surrounded by family that was present at court dates and praye
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Who is Jesus to you? A survey done in 2020 by lifeway research reveals that 52 percent of American adults believe that Jesus was a great teacher and nothing more. It may not be a great surprise that the majority of the U.S. population rejects the deity of Christ, almost a third of evangelicals (30 percent) agree that Jesus was merely a great teacher. And while 66 percent of American evangelicals disagree with the statement, "Jesus was a good teacher, but he was not God," nearly as many (65 percent) still agree with the statement, "Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God." Statistics like these from the State of Theology survey are quite shocking, but they also shed light on the concerns that many American churches have expressed for decades. As the culture around us increasingly abandons its moral compass, Americans are sadly drifting away from God's absolute standard in Scripture.
2 Timothy 4: 3-4 NIV For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
Jesus is just one of many gods to the Hindus. Islam believes Jesus was a prophet and wise teacher, but not God. Buddhists recognize Jesus as only a wise teacher and a holy man. To some Jesus was a healer. He restored a shriveled hand, reattached an ear, and raised the dead. He healed cripples, mutes, and the deaf. He healed every part of the body, eyes, ears, hands, feet, legs, backs, and skin. Jesus healed everyone who placed their faith in Him and came to Him for healing. To the Romans, Jesus was a troublemaker who had got his just desserts. To the Pharisees Jesus was a threat. He regularly exposed their hypocrisy and inconsistencies and He was a threat to their entire worldview. The Pharisees tied salvation to performance of the law, and Jesus tied salvation to faith in Him. If Jesus was not who He claimed, then He would have been the blasphemous teacher the Jews spoke of. Only a handful of Jesus faithful followers believed that he was the messiah, the Son of God. As far as the Bible is concerned, Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. He died for our sins and He rose from the dead for our justification. We can only get to God through Him.
John 14:6 NIV Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Throughout a good chunk of my life, I have believed that Jesus was my savior. I believed this because that’s what everyone told me. As I have grown older my views of God, Jesus, and faith have evolved. Referring to Jesus as just my savior feels insufficient. Yes, Jesus Christ is my Savior, but more importantly, Jesus is my Lord. And if Jesus is my Lord, I should focus my life on doing his will, and not fitting Jesus into my will, my world.
So, with Christ as my Lord, I must now live my life for him. Ideally in a perfect world, where Christ goes, I follow. Where Christ decides to send me, I go. What Christ wants me to do, I do. But, sometimes I aruge with Jesus. Sometimes I fight His will! I can’t lie, I argue, fight and resist. I am a bit of a control freak and it is very difficult for me to let go and trust that Jesus Christ knows better than I do what is best for me. But in the end, Jesus love wins me over. Because Jesus is Savior and my Lord. He is full of love, grace and forgiveness. Who is Jesus to me? He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is my Savior. He is my LORD. He is my GOD. That’s who Jesus Christ is to me.
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The following is and excerpt from a sermon from Adrian Rodgers titled, "What the bible says about faith."
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Saving faith is faith that not only knows and comprehends the facts about the gospel of Jesus Christ but also trusts in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone for salvation. Even Satin comprehends the facts of the gospel but he doesn't accept Jesus Christ alone for salvation.
James 2:19 NIV You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
Some people don't have any more faith than the devil himself. The devil himself believes more of the the bible than many people. The devil and his demons have a very extensive intellectual belief and understanding in the truth of the bible. In Matthew chapter 8 Jesus has and encounter with two demon possessed men. The two demon-possessed men came out from the tombs to met Jesus. They were so violent that would not let anyone pass. As Jesus approached the two demons confronted him.
Matthew 8:29-31 NIV What do you want with us, Son of God? they shouted. Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time? Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. The demons begged Jesus, If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.
What if the devil was in our church service. When the invitation was given the devil made his down the aisle and said I want to place my membership in Immanuel Baptist Church. First Pastor Issac would say you know Mr. Devil before you join our church we need to ask you some questions. First do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Yes I do. Do you believe that Jesus was born of a virgin? Yes I do. Do you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross a substitutional death? Yes I believe that. Do you believe that He arose from the dead? Oh yes I do. Before we receive you into our church would you be willing to serve in our church? Oh yes, I will join the choir, as a matter of fact if you ordain me I will serve as a deacon and if you will let me I will be glad to preach! The devil sounds like he would be a great candidate for church membership, right. However we have just one more question for you Mr. Devil before we put our stamp of approval on you. Will submit to Jesus Christ as the king of Kings, as your Lord, your personal Savior? No, I absolutely I will not!!! Belief that Jesus exists is not enough.
John 14:6 NIV Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
The sinner must place their trust in Jesus Christ, believe that Jesus is the son of God and that he came to save sinners through his life, death, and resurrection. Here is another illustration of what a saving faith is. Let's say you have 2 letters I front of you. The first is in a gold envelope. It is addressed with letters written in the most perfect script and sealed with a wax seal to protect it's contents from being tampered with, but there is no postage stamp. The second envelope is dingy and looks like it was dropped in a mud puddle. The hand writing on the outside is barely legible and it has scotch tape holding the envelope shut because it was previously opened and is being reused, but it has a stamp on it. When the mail man comes to pick up the letters which one do you think will be delivered? The one that outwardly looks perfect or the one that obviously has external flaws, but has a postage stamp. A bare knowledge of Christ and is not enough for salvation. We must trust that he is the only way to be saved from our sin and the only one who can give eternal life.
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What is an example of a dilemma in the Bible? There are several moral dilemmas presented in the Bible, some of which include the story of Abraham being asked to sacrifice his son Isaac, the story of King Solomon deciding the true mother of a disputed child, the story of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness. Maybe one of the greatest dilemmas in the bible is the one that Joseph faced. He discovers that Mary is pregnant. He must decide what he will do with Mary. We are told, Joseph, being a righteous man was unwilling to expose her to public disgrace so he planned to dismiss her quietly. Later he is told by an angel that she is with child from the Holy Spirit. I feel very fortunate, because my greatest dilemma is deciding what to have for dinner and knowing when to push away from the table so that I don't get so fat that I can't get my jeans buttoned. One of the greatest dilemmas in the bible maybe found in the greatest commandment found in Matthew.
Matthew 22: 36-40 NIV Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.
Do I have you confused? What possible dilemma can this commandment have it seems so simple, direct and to the point. The dilemma lies in the word commandment. If you look up the definition of the word commandment you will find that it means to command someone, the act or power of commanding or something that is commanded. What are some things you can be commanded to do, pass the salt, get out of my way, shut the door, clean your room. However it is impossible to command someone to love. You can't command someone to love anything or anyone, including God himself! You don't have to command me to watch football, eat a fine steak, spoil my grandchildren or kiss my wife because I love all of these things! If love could be commanded then it wouldn’t be called love, it would be called duty. Duty is not love and love is not duty. Love must be chosen, not commanded, but the greatest commandment in Matthew is not the only place we are commanded to love!
John 13: 34-35 NIV A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
How can God command us to love if love must be chosen? The answer is in the second sentence of that verse from John 13:34: “As I have loved you.” We are to love as Christ has loved us. As a Christian, you have the ability to love as God loves. You did not have this ability before you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior. Can unbelievers love others? Sure, but it’s not the same love as God’s love. God’s love is an agape love. It’s unconditional and never-ending. Love is not just a characteristic of God or a description of our Creator it is what He is!
1 John 4:8 NIV Whoever does not love, does not know God, because God is love.
Love comes from God, so Christians who demonstrate love show they have relationship with Him. The opposite is also true. The person who does not demonstrate love, does not know God. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
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In the bible the book of James tells us that, whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, has become guilty of all. This is a hard concept for me to comprehend. I have never murdered anyone, but according to James 2:10 because I have broken one of God's laws I am guilty of breaking them all.
James 2: 10-11 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
Whether you want to admit it or not we all struggle with temptations and some of these temptations are more difficult, more tempting for us than others. When it comes to the 10 commandments I have no problem with the commandment don't murder or don't steal, but more than once I have coveted my neighbors stuff. I will see someone that has a brand new car and think to myself, man I wish I had a nice new car like that. Yeah, I know that may not seem like a big deal but Deuteronomy 5:21 says You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor’s house or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. Here is an illustration that helps me understand this concept better. Let us pretend that you have been placed into a harness. Next attached to the harness is a steel chain with 10 links in it. Each of these links represent one of the ten commandments. Each of the links are solid steel except for the one that represents your greatest temptation, that link is made of a baling wire. Finally the harness and chain that is attached to you is fastened to a gallows. Under that gallows is a kettle of boiling hot oil. What do you think will happen to you when that weakest link breaks. Even though I didn't break all of the commandments of God I am still going to suffer the same consequences. Romans 3:23 says for all have sinned and fell short of the glory of God.
Romans 7 19-20 NIV For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do, this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
We all face a daily battles with the temptation. If you struggle with sin, it is because you are converted to Christ. Once you have been justified by faith, an internal battle begins in you. There is a new desire in every believer to do what is right. To love God, the church, the truth, and to do the will of God. But there are other desires in us that love our self and the world. There is a relentless battle between our new man in Christ and our old sinful flesh. There is never a truce between these two forces. There is never a white flag waved in this battle. There is never a ceasefire. There is a song by Shane and Shane titled, “You've Already Won.” The lyrics go like this: There's peace that outlasts darkness - Hope that's in the blood - There's future grace that's mine today - That Jesus Christ has won - So I can face tomorrow - For tomorrow's in Your hands - All I need You will provide - Just like You always have - I'm fighting a battle - That you've already won - No matter what comes my way - I will overcome - I don't know what You're doing - But I know what You've done - I'm fighting a battle that You've already won. So just remember when your struggling with your greatest temptation, your weakest link. The full and final sacrifice for ALL your sin was paid at the Cross, all your past, present, and future sins are forgiven.
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I believe that if you are a Christian you must believe that every word in the bible is the truth, but my curious minds wonders, how many times is the word “Truth” in the bible? The word truth appears 333 times in the King James Version, 224 times in the Old Testament and 109 times in the New Testament. The number of times the word appears in the Bible varies slightly depending on the translation you choose. In a world where truth is often questioned and subjective, the Bible affirms absolute truth and its calls Christians to live by it. As believers, we are to be people of truth, guided by the unchanging principles found in God's Word. Denying or distorting truth has serious implications. It can lead to moral and spiritual confusion, relationship breakdowns, and a general decay of society. In order to understand absolute truth, we must begin by defining the word truth. Truth, according to the dictionary, is conformity to fact or a statement proven to be accepted as true. Some people would say that there is no absolute truth, only perceptions and opinions. Tolerance has become a cardinal virtue of the world today, and intolerance is the only evil. Anyone who has a dogmatic belief, especially a belief in absolute truth, is viewed as intolerant, the ultimate sin in today's world! Those who deny absolute truth will often say that it is all right to believe what you want, as long as you do not try to impose your beliefs on others. But this view itself is a belief about what is right and wrong, and those who hold this view definitely try to impose it on others!!!
John 14:6 NIV Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
All though the entire Bible is the truth, the bible can be summarized into five basic truths. First God is the good and Holy Creator of everything. Second, man is sinful and has fell short of the glory of God. Third, man's sentence for being sinful is eternal death, torment and separation from God in Hell. Forth, God has provided us a way to be forgiven of our sins and Jesus Christ is the one and only way to be forgiven. Fifth, man must admit he is sinful, believe in Jesus Christ death and resurrection and confess this truth in order spend eternity in heaven. The world today wants to deny the absolute truth of the bible. If men deny the truth of the bible then they are free to live as they please and are accountable to no one for their actions. If there is no absolute truth, then there are no absolute standards of right and wrong, to be held accountable to. This accountability is what people are really rejecting when they reject absolute truth.
Romans 1:22-25 NIV Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human beings and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator who is forever praised. Amen.
Yet no matter how much sinful men deny the existence of God and absolute truth, they still will someday stand before Him in judgment.
Romans 14: 10-12 NIV You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God. So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.
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How long can a person survive without food or water? When a person’s body does not receive enough calories to carry out its usual life supporting functions, it starts functioning differently to reduce the amount of energy it burns. If nutrition is not restored, starvation leads to loss of life. With no food and no water, the maximum time the body can survive is thought to be about one week. With water only, but no food, survival time may extend up to 2 to 3 months. How long can you survive without oxygen? After only 30 seconds to a minute and one half you may pass out or lose consciousness. At the one-minute mark, brain cells begin dying. At three minutes, lasting brain damage becomes more likely. At five minutes, death becomes imminent. Now here is a difficult question. How important is scripture or God's holy word to your survival? At the risk of sounding ungrateful, is Scripture really necessary? If someone claims to be speaking the word of God how would we know without the scriptures? If you were to hear a voice speaking directly to you, a voice claiming to be God Himself, how would you know it was God speaking and not just indigestion, your own desires, or something else? The Apostle John addresses this in first John.
1 John 4:1 NIV Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
The way we “test the spirits” is to measure everything against God’s written Word. If any voice doesn't align with Scripture at any point, then according to bible it shouldn’t be treated as being, from God. Another reason why Scripture is necessary, it gives us a supreme court by which all the moral values of the world are measured. Without the scriptures, in particular the 10 commandments the world would be chaotic! It would be a murderous, cruel free-for-all. Can you imagine a world where it is acceptable to kill anyone you don’t like? Where anyone can grab anything they want, including someone's home, their crops, clothes or livestock? Where you can grab any woman you want? Where you kill off your old parents when they become a burden? Where you cannot trust anything that anyone says or does? The scriptures in the bible should be the rudder that guides us down the river of life!
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Many don’t realize it, but almost every aspect of our life finds its roots in Christianity. Here are some powerful ways Christianity has changed the world. Christianity gave us the concept of holidays. The word “holidays” came from the phrase “holy days,” a term of Christian origin to describe Christmas, Easter, Good Friday, and Pentecost. Christianity gave us hospitals. The idea of the hospital grew out of the Christian emphasis on charity, especially toward the sick. It was decreed, beginning in the 4th century, that for every church built, a corresponding hospital be built next to it. Christianity gave us a higher view of sexuality, women and marriage. It was Jesus who revolutionized the way of viewing sex, even gazing at a woman lustfully is committing adultery in the heart. Jesus was the first to recognize the rights of women. It was scandalous, but Jesus elevated the status of women. Now, wherever Christianity spreads, so does the value, respect, and dignity of women. So you need the scriptures in your life just as much as you do food, water or even oxygen.
Ephesians 5:29 NIV After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church.
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If you have children you know that getting your children to be obedient is very difficult, as I am certain my parents will attest to! When my children were living at home one of the most difficult tasks for me to get them to do was washing the dishes, and we had a dishwasher! If I asked them to do the dishes they would always respond, “I did them last time Dad” and it didn't matter which child you asked that was always their response. Another difficult task was getting them to clean their room. For some reason they never thought their room needed to be cleaned even when the bed was unmade and there was piles of dirty laundry all over the floor. If they would only listen to me then life would be a lot simpler! However, even if they were obedient they still had to complete the chore that, to them, seemed so hard. You would think being obedient would make the task ahead of you easier, right? But it doesn't seem to work that way. You can find a perfect example of how life can be difficult even when you are obedient in Matthew chapter 14. Jesus told the disciples to get in the boat and go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee and they were obedient, they did as they were told. However, as they were on the way a storm came and they were battered by the waves.
Matthew 14: 24-27 NIV Meanwhile, the boat was far out to sea when the wind came up against them and they were battered by the waves. At about four o’clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them walking on the water. They were scared to death. “A ghost!” they said, crying out in terror. But Jesus was quick to comfort them. “Have courage, it’s me. Don’t be afraid.”
Obedience is supposed to bring blessings, right? What happens when obedience brings pain? Following Christ will eventually lead to suffering. Scripture tells us not to be surprised when trials come.
1 Peter 4:12 NIV Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.
Scripture is filled with stories of those who obeyed even when it was hard. Consider Mary when the angel Gabriel visited to tell her that God was about to make her, a virgin, the mother of the Savior of the world. Mary knew some of what she was getting into. She knew she was in for a life of scandal and persecution. Not to mention the pressure of raising God’s Son! Consider Hagar, Sarai’s servant. She was given to Abram by Sarai, so she could bear him a son. She did what Sarai wanted, became pregnant with Abram’s child, and then Sarai turned on her. She was so mistreated, she fled to the wilderness. The angel of the Lord found her and told her to return to Sarai and submit to her. Hagar was given to a man she did not choose, she becomes pregnant, and the woman who forced her into this treats her harshly. It’s no wonder she wanted to run away! Returning to Abram and Sarai meant more suffering, yet she obeyed. We need to look no further than Jesus Christ for the ultimate example of someone suffering for their obedience.
Luke 22:42 NIV Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.
He chose to submit to His Father’s will, knowing the great cost He would pay. Jesus desired His Father’s will more than His own. He obeyed even when it hurt! He gave his life so we could have eternal life with Him! Laying down our will is a death must die every day. And death is painful! It is no wonder obedience is so hard!
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I don't know about you but when Christmas day is near I don't want things to get messy. Truth be known I am a bit of a control freak and I like things neat and orderly. I really don't like surprises. The last thing I want to happen before the Christmas holiday is for myself, my wife Joyce to get sick. Also it is certainly not a good time for the car to break down or for refrigerator or stove to quit. I have enough trouble paying for Christmas and don't need any additional expenses or stress from someone getting sick. When Christmas comes I want everything to be perfect. Most of us want a Martha Stewart, Wonder Woman, Christmas, not an Erma Bombeck left over fiasco. Here is a letter written from Martha Stewart to Erma Bombeck and Erma's response. “Hi Erma, the letter I am writing you today is being written on paper I made myself. I am writing to let you know what I have been up to. It snowed last night so I got up early and made a sled with old barn wood and a glue gun. I hand painted it in gold leaf, then I got out my loom and made a blanket to wrap up in. When I finished it was time to start making the place-mats and napkins for my 20 guests I am having for breakfast. I must admit that I am disappointed that I didn't have time to make the table and chairs. So I am using the ones I had on hand. Well I need to go know. I must finish the buttons holes in the dress I am making to wear while I serve my breakfast guests. I will get the sled out, hook it up to the team of horses and take this letter to the post office as soon as the glue dries on the sled. Love Martha.” Here is Erma's reply. “Dear Martha, I am writing this letter on the back of an old shopping list. Pay no attention to the coffee stains and the sticky jelly, it just adds some additional character. My daughter didn't wake up on time and is going to be late for school. I am writing you this letter with one hand, while holding the phone with the other. It seems Fido needs bailed out of the dog pound once again. I couldn't find my scissors to cut out paper snowflakes so I tried using a razor blade and I trashed the table cloth. Oops the smoke alarms is going off! Gotta go, Love Erma!” Most of us have the idea that Christmas must be perfect! You know chestnuts roasting over an open fire and silver bells lining the streets. If your Christmas isn't picture perfect don't feel bad, the first Christmas very messy!!!
Luke 2: 5-7 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
The first Christmas was real messy, matter fact it was beyond messy, it so bad you would have never planned it that way. First of all it happened in manger, likely surrounded by lambs and maybe other livestock. The typical nativity scene features the holy family in a neat stable that looks like a clean barn. But if the truth be known it was likely a dark – damp - cave that smelled like manure. Jesus was placed in a manger, which was a feeding trough for livestock. Then He was wrapped in swaddling cloths. Here is an interesting fact. Baby lambs were wrapped in swaddling cloths to keep them from injury and laid in mangers for their own protection. Thus, when Christ was wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid in a manger, and then worshiped by the shepherds, it was a clear reflection of Jesus Christ.
John 1:29 NIV The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
So if your Christmas celebration seems a bit chaotic and messy, don't worry so was the first Christmas!
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What is in your hand? This question appears for the first time in Exodus 4:2, where God called Moses and told him to go and lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land. Moses however was afraid that they wouldn't believe him and he asked for a sign of the power of God. God asked Moses this question ‘What is in your hand?’ To Moses, it was just a staff used to herd stubborn sheep, but to God, it was the instrument by which miracles could be performed.
Exodus 4:1-4 NIV Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?” Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” “ A staff,” he replied. The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.” Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. Then the Lord said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand.
The staff of Moses by the power of God became the rod of God. When it was in Moses hands it was nothing more than a stick used to keep stubborn sheep in line, but when it was in Gods hands it was used to part the red sea, perform the 10 plagues and bring water out of the rock. Another example of God using something that seem like nearly nothing in the hands of the person holding it can be found in Second Kings. The wife of a prophet cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” Elisha replied to her, Tell me, what do you have in your house?” There woman replied, I have nothing there at all, except a small jar of olive oil. Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”
2 Kings 4:5-6 NIV She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.” But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.
My question to you is: What has God put in your hand? Do you wonder how God might use you? God equips people in various ways. Maybe you like to have people over to your home, than open your home to a bible study. Maybe your good with your hands, there is always something at the church that needs to be fixed or repaired. Maybe you have some extra time on your hands and you like to get things done. Come set up chairs for a funeral dinner at the church. Maybe you like to cook, the youth of the church are always hungry. Maybe you have the gift of gab, go visit someone in the hospital. Offer to God in faith what He has given you, no matter how simple, and God will use it to do His work. I challenge you to see how God will use what you currently have to get you to where he needs you to be. Nothing happens by chance; you are not in your current situation by chance, it’s all part of God's plan. Step out in faith let God use you. Don't despise what you have now, or consider it to small to make a difference, instead be grateful for it, nurture it with all of your heart. Speak the word of God into it then watch God use it to increase you. To paraphrase Zechariah 4:10 Don't despise the small beginnings! So once more, what is in your hands?
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Everyone wants to be chosen. I have vivid memories from my childhood gym class. We would playing a game and needed to divide up and choose teams. First captains had to be chosen. Then one by one the captains would pick those that wanted on their team. Those who were the most physically gifted always got picked first. I was never the first one to be chosen, but I usually wasn't the last. I must say it was brutal for those who were the last to be chosen. One by one the captains would pick their teams until there were only 2 children standing side by side. Once the there was only one person left you could hear the disappointment in the captains voice and he or she would say, I guess I will take Johnnie. It is not much different for adults. Sometimes as adults we are seeking awards for a job well done or maybe it is a promotion at work that we just must have. So what does the bible say about being chosen.
Matthew 22:14 NKJV For many are called, but few are chosen.
This verse is the conclusion to the Parable of the Wedding Feast. Jesus spoke this parable to show what the kingdom of heaven will be like when the end of the age comes. In the parable, the king sends his servants out to gather the wedding guests to the wedding feast. But those invited refused to come, some because they were too busy with their own worldly pursuits and some because they were positively hostile toward the king. So the king commands his servants to go out and invite anyone they find, and many come and fill the wedding hall. But the king sees one man without wedding clothes, and he sends him away. Jesus concludes by saying that many are called/invited to the kingdom, but only those who have been “chosen” and have received Christ will come. Those who try to come without the covering of the blood of Christ for their sins are inadequately clothed and will be sent into outer darkness, or hell. Many people hear the call of God But only a few will respond because they are the ones who are truly hearing. If you have placed your faith in God it is because he chose you first, before the even the foundations of the earth were created. You weren't God's last choice. He did settle for you because there were no other options.
Ephesians 1:4-6 NIV For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to son-ship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
How do we know if we are among the few that chosen? By responding to the call from the Holy Spirit. If we listen with our spiritual ears and respond to the invitation, there will be fear and trembling in our souls as we recognize that it was God’s work in us that caused our salvation. God is still calling us to be His. He has called us from the ends of the earth and has chosen us and not rejected us. God sent His son Jesus to die for us so that we would be redeemed and become his children.
John 1:12 NIV Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
We may be forgotten by others, not chosen, but we are not forgotten by God. No matter what we’ve done, Jesus has already paid the price and has given us an opportunity to live a new life. No matter what you have done in your past God can still use you. Paul used to kill Christians but God still chose to use Paul.
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I think it goes without saying sometimes life is so difficult, it may even seem impossible. When I was a single father one day I decided I just didn't have the energy to fix my 3 girls dinner so I took them out to eat at Subway. The older two girls Samantha and Sophia were standing on their tip toes looking over the countertop trying to decide what toppings they wanted on their sandwiches and Sara was in my arms. I looked at Sara and I asked her what she wanted and she looked at me and said, Daddy I don't feel good. Then she puked all down the front of my shirt. I learned that day just exactly what those glass shields were for at Subway. I took Sara and myself to the bathroom and cleaned us up the best I could then went back out and finished ordering our dinner. Needless to say our order was to go that day.
When I was 23 years old I had a little boy named, Jerry Craig. When he was born he had a very rare genetic birth defect that caused him to have no platelets so he was a bleeder and he also had nearly no immune system. He lived 3 months before passing away. Eighteen months later I had another little boy, Levi Blake, who was still born. I was so overwhelmed with all the details of arranging the funeral services and caring for the rest of my grieving family that I didn't even realize that my still born son had been born on fathers day. At times life can seem so impossible! Abraham was 75 years old and had no children yet God told him that he would be the father of many nations. If that didn't seem impossible enough when his son Isaac was born God asked him to offer his son as a sacrifice on Mount Moriah.
Genesis 22: 1-2 NIV Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”
So what are we to do when God seems to be giving us a mission impossible task? Trust and Obey! When God calls you to an impossible assignment, the first response you need to have is trust. You need to trust, that God will carry you through the assignment to completion. You need to trust that he will be with you each step of the way. The second response is obedience, doing what God has called you to do. Trust that doesn’t move can’t be trusted! Obedience without trust leads to grumbling. But trust that wears the shoes of obedience is powerful.
Luke 1:37 NKJV For with God nothing will be impossible.
Maybe one of the greatest, “Mission Impossible” moments happened more than 2,000 years ago, a young woman from the town of Nazareth named Mary was visited by an angel named Gabriel. The Angel Gabriel told her that she would have a son named Jesus, who would be God's Son. Mary wondered how this was possible since she had not been with a man.
Luke 1:34-36 NIV How will this be, Mary asked the angel, since I am a virgin? The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.
So how did Mary respond to her Mission Impossible moment? She was obedient and said, I am the Lord’s servant.
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Have you ever wondered what the greatest miracle ever recorded in the bible might be? The greatest miracles in the bible would be different depending on who you ask. Is the greatest miracle in the bible the day the sun stood still for Joshua? Is it the parting of the Red Sea in Exodus? Is it the movement of the sun’s shadow backward ten steps in Isaiah? The resurrection of Christ recorded in Matthew must be in the top 5 at least. Is it the feeding of 5,000 in Mark? Or maybe the greatest miracle in the Bible is the creation of the world, in Genesis. Here is a miracle I bet you have never even considered a miracle. The divine inspiration of the bible itself. If I hand picked 10 people and told them that together we were going to write a book. Each one of us is going to be responsible for a chapter. None of us are allowed to speak to each other about our writings and none of us are told what topic we are to write about. Then I tell you that you have 1 year to write your chapter, then turn it into me and I will assemble our book. I guarantee you that our book would be nothing more than helter skelter ramblings that make absolutely no sense at all, but not so with the bible! Ultimately, the Bible was written by God. Second, Timothy tells us that the Bible was “breathed out” by God. God inspired the human authors of the Bible so that, while using their own writing styles and personalities, they still recorded exactly what God intended. The Bible was not dictated by God, but it was perfectly guided and entirely inspired by Him!
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Humanly speaking, the Bible was written by approximately 40 men of diverse backgrounds over the course of 1500 years. Isaiah was a prophet, Ezra was a priest, Matthew was a tax-collector, John was a fisherman, Paul was a tent maker, Moses was a shepherd, Luke was a physician. Despite being penned by different authors over 15 centuries, the Bible does not contradict itself and does not contain any errors. The authors all present different perspectives, but they all proclaim the same one true God, and the same one way of salvation, Jesus Christ. Over centuries, billions of people have read the Bible. Scholars have spent their lives studying it. Rabbis, ministers and priests have focused on interpreting, teaching and preaching from its pages. The Bible has also influenced architecture. This can be seen in the design of churches and cathedrals, where elements such as height, light, and arrangement of space are used to symbolize the transcendence of God and heavenly. Many churches and cathedrals are famous for their beautiful stained-glass windows that show stories from the Bible. The Bible has also had an unmatched influence on literature. It has been translated into nearly 700 languages, and while exact sales figures are hard to come by, it’s widely considered to be the world’s best-selling book. There’s another miracle that we must include in the list of the greatest miracles of the Bible. It’s a miracle that happens every day, as God takes a rebellious sinner, forgives his sin, grants him life, lavishes him with grace, adopts him as a child, and seals him for all of eternity, all because of the death and resurrection of Christ. Praise the Lord for the miracle of salvation!
Ephesians 1:13-14 NIV And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
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Are you aware of God's presence in your daily life? The reality is that God is always with us. But we don't always recognize Him. We see Him when we read the Bible or go to church, but we overlook His presence in the small details of our days and we never think God is present with us when we are compromising our faith. In those moments when you are viewing something on the internet that you shouldn't or your laughing with your friends at that inappropriate joke or when your listening to the latest juicy gossip about someone how would you react if you looked over your shoulder and you saw Jesus looking at you? What expression would be on his face?
Jeremiah 23:24 NIV Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord.
Whether we want to accept it or not, God is omnipresent, meaning he is everywhere all the time. I like to use the KISS method when explaining things and I think the sign in our church nursery bathroom best explains what it means to be omnipresent it says; “Jesus and germs are everywhere, so wash your hands and say your prayers!” Every aspect of our lives should be impacted by the omnipresence of God. Your thoughts, your decisions, your words, your actions, your relationships, absolutely every thing you do, say and even think! God is always present with us. When we put our faith in Jesus, God gives us His Spirit, who dwells with us and in us.
John 14: 16-17 NIV And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
This verse tells us that God, through the power of the Holy Spirit is not just standing behind you - looking over your shoulder, He is living inside you! He is inside your head and he knows your thoughts before even you do. I don't know about you but that scares me to death, the fact that God knows my every thought not only scares me, it embarrasses and humbles me! Knowing now that God is not just there looking over your shoulder, He is inside your head, shouldn't that change everything we do? Unfortunately in the stress and rush of everyday life it is easy for us to forget God's omnipresence and it can be difficult for us to remember or even recognize God's presence. Satin uses the chaos of our lives to drown out the voice of God, and he is very subtle and good at it. The Holy Spirit isn’t just some wimpy, mystical idea. He is God Himself, and He comes to live in us when we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. As believers, we have direct access to God’s presence. We can speak with Him like speaking to a friend any time we want to, because He’s right there with us and inside us! You don’t have to depend on your own effort to get closer to God, because He’s already made the effort to get as close to you as He can get, He is inside you! So when life seems chaotic and turbulent, just remember that the God that spoke all of creation into existence is living inside you!
Isaiah 43:2 NIV When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
Wherever your are, whatever you are doing, whatever your are thinking just remember God is right there with you!
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Let's use our imagination for just a few minutes. Imagine you are on an overnight business trip. Your employer puts you up for the night in a very nice motel. The room is on the fourth floor. You settle int, watch a little TV then decide to turn in early for the night because you know your going to have a full day tomorrow. In the middle of the night you are startled awake by an ear piercing loud alarm. You instantly sit straight up in bed. You rub your eyes and try to figure out what is going on. You make your way to the door, open it up and look out into the hallway. In the hallway are strobing lights in addition to the blaring alarm. With each strobe of light you see that the hallway is filling up with smoke. You go back into your room put on your shoes and grab your essentials. Once back out in the hallway, you make your way down the hallway towards the elevator and staircase. As you look around the corner towards the exit you realize it is blocked and you see it's fully engulfing in flames, both the staircase and elevator, so you make your way back to your room. Once in your room again you go over to the balcony, slide the glass door open and look outside. As your surveying the situation you see that the building is fully engulfed in flames. Emergency vehicles are gathering on the street below, which looks like organized chaos. Using your cell phone you call 911 and tell the operator the floor and room your in. The 911 operator tells you to remain calm help is on the way. A few minutes pass by, which feel like an eternity, when finally a fire fighter on a ladder shows up at your balcony. He tells you to make your way to his ladder that he is going to get you down. You go to the edge of the balcony and the space between the railing and his ladder to you seems to be to great and your tell the firefight you can't get to him. He assures you that you can. As your climbing over the railing you look down at the street below and your are overwhelmed with fear because of the height. So you begin arguing with the man who is there to save you. You ask is the only way! He assures you that this is the one and only way to salvation and that if you do not follow him you will perish in the flames! Finally after much fear and trepidation you yield your will to the one who has came to save you.
John 14:6 NIV Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
This story illistrates the way the lost world approaches receiving salvation, there simply must be another way! A survey conducted by an Arizona Christian University found that a majority of people who describe themselves as Christian (52%) accept a works-oriented means to God’s acceptance. The study found that huge proportions of people associated with churches whose official doctrine says eternal salvation comes only from accepting Jesus Christ as savior believe that a person can qualify for Heaven by being or doing good. That includes close to half of all adults associated with Pentecostal (46%), mainline Protestant (44%), and Evangelical churches (41%). A much larger share of Catholics (70%) embraced that point of view. 54% of U.S. adults believe they will get to Heaven after they die and only 2% believe they are going to hell. As Americans we are abandoning our moral standards and traditions, and replacing them with inclusive and conditional preferences and practices in an effort to not offend anyone who may not believe the truth of the bible.
Matthew 7: 13-14 NIV Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
There is only one way to heaven, Admit, Believe and Confess that Jesus Christ died for your sins!
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The Ten Commandments. Every major religion embraces them. Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, Jehovah’s Witness, Catholics and Christians. Even people who are not religious acknowledge the ten commandments. The phrase written in stone is a reference to Exodus 38:18 where God gave Moses the 10 Commandments on two tablets of stone. The Ten Commandments are a basic moral code that most people would say they agree with. So how many of the commandments can you name? Gotcha.... Most of you are thinking, don’t murder, don't steal, something about adultery, I think God's doesn't like that, obey your parents, I think that is one, maybe God helps those that help themselves. The Ten Commandments is the most influential document of all time that no one really knows. I can name all 7 of the castaways from the sitcom Gilligan's Island; there is the Skipper, Gilligan, the Professor, Mary Ann, Ginger, Thurston and Lovey Howell. So what has had more influence on my life, Gilligan's Island or the Ten Commandments? We would all agree that the ten commandments are a great moral compass that we should follow, but somehow they have slipped off our radar screen. Let's focus on just two of them, how about we start with the very first one. You shall have no other God.
Exodus 20: 3-5 NIV You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.
When we read in the bible about the Israelites making a golden calf it’s easy to think, “I’m off the hook on this one. No golden cow in my backyard. What really is an idol? An idol is anything you look at and say, If I have that, then I’ll feel like my life has meaning. I will feel secure. Or from the other side of the coin. That thing in my life that is so valuable if I lose it, my life would not be worth living. So you may not have a golden cow in your yard, but what about money? Is it that one thing that if you had it you would feel like your life had meaning or you would feel more secure or the opposite without money you feel insecure, like life is not worth living. So let' move on to one more commandment.
Exodus 20:14 NIV You shall not commit adultery.
This is one that is so overlooked. Most people would frown on someone having an affair with another married person, but adultery is much more than the physical act, or should I say it is much less than the physical act. It is the lustful look, the leering glance, the secret lustful thought, the imagined act. Of all the commandments you might break, the sin of adultery, is the most slippery. So how do we obey the Ten Commandments if we can't even remember them? Very simple, just love God and love your neighbor!
Matthew 22: 36-40 NIV Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.
If you love God you won't have any idols or use God's name in vain, you will keep the sabbath holy and you will honor your father and mother... If you love your neighbor, you won't kill anyone, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness, or covet your neighbors stuff. So just love God and your neighbor and the rest is easy!
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The Biblical account of David and Goliath is one of the most popular stories from scripture. It is a lesson of courage, faith, and overcoming what seems impossible. The nation of Israel was called to fight the Philistine army. The two armies gathered on opposite sides of a deep valley. A giant named Goliath, came to the front of the battle line every day for forty days and mocked the Israelites. Goliath called to them to fight, but King Saul and the Israelites were scared and did nothing. David was sent by his dad Jesse to visit the front lines and bring back battle news from his brothers. David heard Goliath mocking Israel and God, so David volunteered to fight Goliath. He persuaded King Saul to let him go fight and decided not to wear any of King's armor. David carried his sling and gathered five smooth stones. Goliath laughed at David. David put a rock in his sling and threw it at Goliath's head. The rock sank into the giant's forehead, and he fell. David then picked up Goliath's sword and used it to cut off his head. I tell you this bible story to ask you an important question. What do you think was the most difficult moment for David? Was it gathering the five smooth stones? Maybe it was telling Saul he did not want to wear his armor? Was it slinging the rock or maybe it was running up to Goliath in front of the Philistine army and using Goliath's sword to cut off his head? That had to be the most difficult moment, right?... No, in my humble opinion the most difficult moment is the moment right before you decide to place all you faith in God and follow the Holy Spirit with all your heart and soul. The moment just before David placed the stone in the sling had to be the most difficult moment! Up until that moment David could have had a change of heart and likely Saul and all the soldiers of the Israelite army would have not have been surprised by his running away. Once David fully surrendered to the Holy Spirit the rest was easy.
1 Samuel 17: 48-49 NIV As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground.
This bible story reminds us of the courage we can have when our faith is placed entirely in God. At some point we all face giants. Have you ever identified the giants in your life? Fear, doubt and temptation are giants. Worry is a big giant for many of us. So is depression, bitterness and pride. I could go on but I think you get the point. That moment you stand face to face with the giant in you life, that is that most difficult moment! Will you place you faith fully in God, will you try to face down your giant in your own strength or will you try to ignore it, run and hide. For every giant there is a solution. The solution is the Lord. Jesus is bigger than any giant that will ever come your way. The devil tries to makes us forget how big our God is so he can magnify the giant you are facing. David used 5 stones to defeat Goliath. God led Him to do that. Your giants can also be defeated. God will show you what “5 stones” to use. One of them is definitely prayer. The Word of God is another stone. Push that giant out by using the Word of God. Gratitude is another stone that strengthens us and helps us stay in God’s will. Another stone could be praise and worship. Praise and worship are powerful and can bring us into the presence of the Lord and fill us with his Holy Spirit.
John 16:33 NIV I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
The moment you stand face to face with the giant in your life and you seem to be holding on by thread just make sure that the thread is in the hem
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Nearly every year in the fall, after the leaves have fallen I rake them up into a large pile and burn them. This year I had an especially large pile of leaves. It was about 6 foot wide by 20 foot long and 3 foot deep. I set the leaves on fire and stood by with a garden hose and a shovel to ensure the fire didn't get away from me. The fire was especially hot and I had to back away because I got to close and singed my eyebrows. In the beginning the pile of leaves looked very large but it was consumed by the flames in just under 30 minutes. Burning leaves marks the end of a season for me and a transition into a new season. The bible tells us that the heavens and earth are being reserved for a day when it will be cleansed by fire marking the beginning of an new season.
2 Peter 3:7 NIV By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
The very God Who created the world is the same Almighty God who has promised a great, final, fiery judgment upon this fallen world. This fire will be a cleansing, purifying flame that will sweep across the earth and heavens, and bring an end to all wickedness. It is hard for many to imagine that a day is coming when the world as we know it, will be utterly destroyed. Many scholars believe that the earth as we know it will be destroyed by nuclear weapons. What happened in Hiroshima during World War II is only a microcosm of what could take place in the future. Today’s nuclear weapons are far more powerful than their World War II era weapons. In addition, enough nuclear weapons now exist to destroy the entire planet several times over. Our God is all powerful and if He chooses to use man to destroy himself then that is what will happen. I personally believe that God will destroy the heavens and the earth with an atomic explosion but I don't think it will happen because man started a nuclear war and here is why I believe that. All of creation is made up of atoms. An atom is made of 3 parts, positively charged protons, negatively charged neutrons and electrons which hold the atom together and keep the balance between the positive and negatively charged particles. A strong nuclear force holds together the protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom. That force overcomes the repulsive force between the positively and the negatively charged particles. When the bond between particles in the nucleus is broken, a large amount of energy is released, a nuclear explosion. The bible clearly tells us the God holds all things together, even the atom.
Colossians 1:16-17 NIV For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
In my humble opinion when God decides to destroy the heavens and earth with fire he won't need to rely on man, He will just release his hold on creation and it will destroy itself. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But for those who do not come to repentance, who do not come to surrender their lives to the Lord, judgment will come.
2 Peter 3:10 NIV But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
The Bible does not specifically mention nuclear war by name, but this certainly sounds like it. The judgment of God could come in cosmic fashion. It could come as a result of human war or it could come as a direct divine judgment from God Himself!
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I have to admit there are few things I enjoy more than “Fair Food!” Even though the cuisine created at the local fair may be a heart attacking looking it's next victim it is oh so good! Few things are better than a good old fashion corn dog on a stick or caramel apple or deep fried Twinkies. But it is hard to beat the classic cotton candy. In case you were wondering, machine-spun cotton candy was actually invented back in 1897 by dentist William Morrison and confectioner John C. Wharton, who debuted it at the 1904 World's Fair as “Fairy Floss.” Everyone has there own favorite way to eat this sinfully sweat delicious treat, but I like to grab a large handful, open my mouth as wide as humanly possible and just shove it in. Cotton candy give me and instant sugar high and that large handful of spun sugar melts so fast in your mouth that is leaves you wanting more and more. So I continue just stuffing it in my mouth. It never seems to fully satisfy me, I just want more and more. Then finally after over indulging my desire for this sweet treat, I suddenly start feeling sick to my stomach. Sin is a lot like cotton candy. In the moment sin can be very sweet and satisfying, but the momentary satisfaction never lasts.
Hebrews 11: 25-26 NIV He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.
Sin can feel good for a time. Whether it be eating what we shouldn’t, gossiping or looking at stuff on the internet, there can be a temporary thrill involved that obscures the true nature of the what we are doing. It can feel good even pleasurable for a short time, but since it is sin there are always consequences. Sin can taste sweet to our flesh for a season, but the Bible promises the wages of sin is death!
Romans 6:23 NIV For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Sin often seems awesome for a time. It can be shiny, tasty, attractive and sweet, just like cotton candy, sin can tastes good initially to get us hooked. It uses its power to try to get us to ignore the warnings of the Holy Spirit prompting us to flee for our lives. To run from the sweet temptation of sin. We have a choice we can either keep on going past it or dive headlong into it. Once we taste the sin, it is hard to turn away….it is just so sweet. Just like cotton candy we know to much sugar is not good for us, but we just cant stop because it tastes so good. Yet, no matter how good it tastes, sinful behavior is always filled with poison. It is a trap meant to kill us.
Galatians 5: 19-21 NIV The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Sin is enticing, Sin can taste good initially, Sin can be intoxicating but it always kills in the end. The good news is we can turn away at any time. Jesus died to give us that freedom. God always provides us a way to escape.
1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
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I really enjoy playing practical jokes on my wife and once in a while she tries to do the same to me as well. Joyce frequently likes to hide the bath towel from me while I am in the shower. Once she thought it would be funny to fill a pitcher full of cold water and then dump it over my head while I was in the shower. As she was laughing out loud at my demise I informed her that if you mess with the big dog you will get bitten every time. So I began planning my revenge. I told her that she needed to sleep with one eye open because when she least expected it I would exact my revenge. About a week later I seized my opportunity. The garden hose was connected to the hydrant on the front of the house. I turned it on and let it run until the warm water was out of the hose and it was running ice cold. Then I drug the hose through the living room, hallway and into the bathroom. I climbed up on the toilet so that I would be sure not to miss my target and then I unleashed the cold water. Joyce screamed at the top of her lungs and did her best to get out of the stream of cold water but I kept it coming until my revenge was complete!!! Revenge for most of us is almost like an involuntary reflex reaction. You’ve got to admit, it’s almost automatic. If someone pushes you, the natural response is to immediately push back. Of course, some don’t respond immediately. You’ve heard the saying, "Revenge is a dish best served cold.” If they did it to you, you should do it to them worse! The Bible tell us to deny our automatic, natural response to get revenge. Needless to say, this is very hard to do.
Romans 12: 18-19 NIV If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
The Apostle Paul says in Romans chapter 12, bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Do not take revenge. On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. Paul’s plea here is not to pretend that it doesn’t hurt, or to convince yourself it’s not that big of a deal. No, it does hurt, and it is a big deal. It’s one thing to not plan your revenge against that person that has hurt you, but the Bible says to takes it one step further: not only don’t get your revenge, but actively bless those that have hurt you. If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
Romans 12: 20-21 NIV On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
It’s one thing to forgive someone and not seek to get your revenge, but can you imagine doing something that will bless or help the person who hurt you? To repay evil with evil is to immediately lose the battle to evil. The only way to defeat evil is by doing good to the one who has done you harm. In other words, if you hate a person who has wronged you, then that person has won! I have to admit that I don't do a good job and blessing those how have hurt me. I struggle. To be honest, that’s why I go to church, to be reminded of these things, and to encouraged. As Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. God causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. So the next time your plotting your best revenge, stop instead and pray a blessing over those who have hurt you. The best revenge is no revenge at all!!!
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I am sure you can all think of someone that promises to do something and then doesn't live up to their promise. Without naming any person in particular I am sure we can all agree that we have heard a campaign promise from a politician at least once, if not more, that they did not live up to. Politicians are notorious for making promises in order to secure your vote and then not keeping that promise. Whatever you do, don't make a promise to one of your children or grandchildren and not live up to it. They can forget absolutely everything, but a promise made by a parent. On more than once occasion I have promised my grandchildren that I would take them out for ice cream at Dairy Queen after church. This promise is usually made as a bargaining chip after I pick them on from their parents home on Friday. Most frequently the promise comes shortly after the chaos in the car gets to the point I can't bare it any longer and in a moment of weakness I shout out, “If you kids can keep quiet the rest of the way home I will take you out for ice cream after church on Sunday and before you go back home to your parents.” Generally the remainder of the ride home goes pretty good, but when I am putting the grandchildren to bed Friday night they will remind me, don't forget about ice cream after church on Sunday Papa. Then Saturday morning as soon as their eyes are open I will get another reminder, Papa don't forget ice cream after church on Sunday. Shortly after lunch Saturday I will get another reminder and yet another before bed on Saturday night. Then before the sun rises on Sunday morning a small hand will tap my shoulder while I am still in bed and from an innocent child's mouth will come the words, did you remember ice cream after church today Papa? I tell you this story just to illustrate to you the importance of keeping your promises. I am not sure how accurate of a count this is but according to a quick internet search the bible records 7,487 promises that God has made to man and God keeps all his promises.
Psalms 145:13 NIV Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.
Here are just a few of the promises God has made to man. Fear not for I am with you; Isaiah 44:10. He will never leave you - nor forsake you; Deuteronomy 31:8. Take heart for I have overcome the world; John 16:33. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest; Mark 11:28. Trust God for I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future; Jeremiah 29:11. This is just a few of God's promises. There simply isn't enough time for me to read them all to you. The Bible is full of promises from God. But sometimes we get discouraged because it feels like God doesn’t come through for us. Can we actually trust God to keep all the promises he makes in Scripture?
Numbers 23:19 NIV God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
We can trust God to come through because God is faithful. It is contrary to his divine nature to lie or to make an empty promise. We can also trust that God's promises to us are in our best interest even when our lives seems to be spinning out of control and we can't seem to see any good in our current situation. We can see this from this promise in Romans.
Romans 8:28 NIV And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
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As I have became older and a bit wiser, not to say I am a genius, but I have learned from my life experiences, I have realized that God must have purpose for my life. When I was younger I did so many terrible things. I drank alcohol and did drugs. I drove my car like a mad man. Many of the things I did as a teen I have seen others get into trouble with the law or even worse loose their life while doing. So the big question is why am I here? God must have some purpose for my life because I lived such a reckless life when I was younger. I am sure I exhausted my guardian angels! One of my favorite examples of a life being preserved for a special purpose comes from the book of Esther. If you have ever heard someone use the phrase, “For such a time as this,” they quoting a verse from the book of Esther.
Esther 4:14 NIV For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
The beautiful Queen Esther had been raised by her cousin Mordecai. He was like a father to her. When she came of age, she was among the many young women considered by the powerful King Xerxes to be his new queen after his former queen, Vashti, angered him. Mordecai ordered Esther not to reveal her nationality as a Jew to King Xerxes. Eventually, Esther was chosen as the new queen. But when the fate of all Jews in the land was threatened, Mordecai knew Esther might be able to help get the king to change his mind and reverse the edict to kill all Jews. His words to his adopted daughter, “for such a time as this,” spoke courage into her heart, reminding her of the purpose God had intended for her life, because of all the women King Xerxes could have chosen, he had chose Esther, a Jewish girl. God is orchestrating the events in our lives according to His good plan. In fact, even before we were born, He knew all the days of our lives.
Psalm 139:16 NIV Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
God has a purpose for us that reaches beyond what we can ever imagine. If you had told me when I was teenager that one day I would be a single father raising 3 girls on my own I would have told you that you were crazy! If you had told me that I would stand in front of my church family nearly every Sunday morning and share a devotional inspired by the Holy Spirit and my life experiences, I would have told you not in a million years! But God had a plan for me and he preserved me! God knew what a difficult child I was going to be and He surrounded me with Godly people. I was blessed to grow up in a with a strong Christian father and mother. I also had Christian grandparents from both my mother and my father's family. In addition to that I grew up in a neighborhood that was filled with Christian people. I am so thankful today for my neighbors Jim and Sherry Lerette, Bill and Janee Leilightner and Bruce and Rita McCall. And although they may not have been my next door neighbors Gary and Suzanne Hatten have also been there for me in some of the most difficult times of my life. God surrounded me with so many prayer warriors and I am confident if it had not been for their intercessory prayers, I would not be here today! God is intimately involved in our daily lives to accomplish His purpose. If every day is in His book, then His purpose must be very detailed! I don’t know everything that He has planned for me. But, I do know that He works out every little detail according to His plan and for His glory. To God be the Glory for such a time as this!
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I am sure you can recall a time when you were asked to do something that you really didn't want to do and you reluctantly said, I will do it but only on my terms. When my children were growing up they were masters of doing things on their terms. I could always tell when they wanted something because when I came home from work they would be doing some task that I normally couldn't get them do to without a great deal of persuasion. One of my favorite memories was when the girls first got their driving permit. They wanted to go cruising around town, but they couldn't do so without a parent or grandparent. They knew I would likely be busy doing something and they also knew that Joyce was a bit of a push over and a lot easier to talk into going cruising with them. What they were unaware of was that Joyce more sly then they realized. The girls would call Joyce after school and ask her if she would go cruising with them and let them drive. Joyce would then lay out her terms. She would tell them that she would go cruising with them but they would have to clean the house, do the dishes, wash the laundry or some other household chore she needed done before she would go cruising with them. It was amazing how many things she could get them to do all just so they could drive around town for a couple hours. Isn't this how we treat God at times?
Negotiating with God is something we are all tempted to do and most of us have at some point. Even people who claim to not believe in God find themselves doing this. God, if you get me out of this I will go to church! God, help me win the lottery, and I will triple tithe. Sound familiar? In Judges Chapter 11, the bible tells us about Jephthah. Jephthah’s mother had taken him to live in another nation where the people worshiped false gods. The Ammonites, declared war on the Israelites and the leaders of Gilead, where Jephthah was from, came to him and asked him to lead their army into war. The Bible says God was with him to accomplish this task. Jephthah prepared to attack the Ammonites, but before the battle, he made a vow to the Lord that if God would give him the victory, he would sacrifice the first thing that came out of his house to meet him. Jephthah won the battle and returned home to be greeted by his only child, his daughter.
Judges 11: 32-34 NIV Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into his hands. He devastated twenty towns from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel Keramim. Thus Israel subdued Ammon. When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of timbrels! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter.
This is not a story about the death of an innocent child, but how catastrophic a skewed view of God can really be. What Jephthah ultimately wanted was God’s help. He knew that victory in the battle he was facing would require divine intervention. We all face challenges that we know are too big for us to handle on our own. Deep down we know that we need God’s help to do what’s in front of us, but it’s how we seek that help that’s the issue. Jephthah chose to barter. He thought God’s favor required him to make a deal. When we make God’s favor about what we can do for Him rather than what He has done for us, we put a price tag on His grace, which in the end, only cheapens it. God’s favor is not based on what we can offer Him. Whenever God’s saving power is at work in our lives, it’s never because we made a deal God couldn’t refuse.
Ephesians 2: 8-9 NIV For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast.
Whatever you are going through, God wants to help you. Don’t be swayed by the notion that you have to do something
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My wife and I recently purchased a new washing machine. I don't do much laundry, so I barely knew how to operate the old one. The new washing machine has a specialized cycle for everything. You just pick the cycle you want and it begins it's programmed routine. First it fills to the appropriate level. Next it begins a washing stage, then a rest period, a rinse, and finally a spin cycle to remove the water. With every load of laundry we do the washing machine repeats the different cycles. If your not careful your worship can become routine, boring, and predictable. You go to church on Sunday. You hear a sermon that convicts your heart and you say to yourself, I need to change my life. Maybe you are struggling with jealousy and envy. So you pray to God to forgive you of your sin, then you leave the building and you notice one of your fellow church members is driving a brand new vehicle and you think to yourself, man I wish I had a new car or truck like that. Maybe you struggle with lustful thoughts. During the alter call the you pray to God to give you the strength to overcome these thoughts. Then on your way out the door you notice an attractive young man or woman. The first look is really not a problem, but before you realize your taking a second look and your eyes linger longer than they should. Before you know it your having lustful thoughts. In the book of Romans Paul says; “I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.”
Romans 7: 19-20 NIV For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
So we say to ourselves I want to do what is right. I want to be satisfied with what God has given me. I want to love my wife like I should. I want to love my neighbor as much as I love myself, but as I am leaving the church and before I even get to my car I find myself falling back into sin once again.
Romans 7: 24-25 NIV What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
To sin is to deliberately choose to give in to desire in a moment of temptation. The desire to gossip. The desire to be jealous of another persons property, to look with lustful desire at another person. I am fully aware that it’s sin, and yet I don’t have the power to resist it. I’ve received forgiveness for this very sin many times before, yet here I am again. I give in to my temptation, even though I knew it was wrong. Thank God for His grace, I think to myself. Full of regret, I confess my sin and ask for forgiveness once again. The most amazing part of God's grace, is that after you repent and ask for forgiveness, He will give you all the help and power you need, to not to commit that sin again! So how do you use the grace that is available to you? How can you actually break the chains that bind you, and stop falling in the same sin once and for all? You have to be humble, acknowledge your weakness and need, pray and ask for help before you fall. You know your weaknesses! Prepare yourself. Pray about it. Be vigilant, so that the temptations don’t take you by surprise. Avoid situations that you know are dangerous. When you acknowledge that you are weak and powerless, then God will be strong on your behalf. All of the incredible power God has, a power so huge that He created the heavens and the earth from nothing, is available to you! Ask God to pour it over you, to fill you with the Holy Spirit, so you can stand fast in that moment when sin is standing at the door and knocking!
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Contagious or Infectious diseases are illnesses caused by harmful organisms that get into your body from the outside. The flu, measles, HIV, strep throat, COVID-19 and salmonella are all examples of infectious diseases. Cancer, diabetes, congestive heart failure and Alzheimer’s disease are all examples of noninfectious diseases. Infectious diseases can be viral, bacterial, parasitic or fungal infections. There’s also a rare group of infectious diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalitis. Now that is mouthful to say and even harder to comprehend.
People can be contagious or infectious as well. Just like the common cold, people and their emotions can be contagious or infectious. You can catch someone's emotions just by being in the same room with them. A contagious, infectious person is someone who energizes others with their enthusiasm. It can also be someone that negatively affects the spirit of those around them as well. I am sure you know one of those “Negative Nelly” type of people. They seem to always be having a bad day! So what type of person are you? When you enter the room does it fill full of smiling faces or do you fill it full of frowns! The bible has a lot to say about being a contagious, infectious Christian with an uplifting faith.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
It might seem like a contagious faith is impossible or is only reserved for the few. That’s just not true! Having contagious faith is not a superhuman experience or one that is left to pastors, teachers and famous Christian leaders. Contagious faith is meant for all of us! People with a contagious faith still struggle. They have doubts and feel regret when the words of their heart fly out of their mouths and weren’t properly filtered. We all have those moments when our emotions get the best of us and overload our filter. Moments when hurtful words come out of our mouths. People who have a contagious faith have a love for Jesus is not like their love for their favorite pie, their pet, or their nation. It’s a love that exceeds all other things in their life. Their love for Jesus is so deep, authentic, and desperate, without Jesus they are nothing. Their love for Jesus is not weaker in a difficult season of life or stronger during a time of success. And out of their love for Jesus flows their love for others and a reckless abandonment to do anything they are called to.
Ephesians 4:29 NIV Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
People with a contagious and infectious faith are genuinely excited about reading the bible, attending bible study, going to Sunday school and church. When was the last time you got as excited about attending church as you do about, going on a special vacation, or watching you favorite football team on TV, or even watching your children or grandchildren's at a school event? Christians who have a contagious, infectious faith are as quick to read their the bible as they are to answer a text message or check their social media account. Ouch that one really hit close to home! When you get a free moment what is the first thing on your mind? Do you spend more time reading your bible or catching up on social medial. For people with contagious faith, Jesus is not just an aspect of their life. He is their life! A person with a contagious and infectious faith is completely reliant on and in love with Jesus. Are you a contagious, infectious Christian?
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When I grew up I was taught that men didn't cry. Men and especially fathers and husbands were the rock of the household. We were to be there for our children and wife in their time of need. We were to be the anchor in the storms of life. If we had any fear or anxiety of our own it was not to be shown. I believed that real men just stuffed their emotions down and put a big cork in the bottle. Don't take this wrong my father never explicitly told me this, it is just what I came to believe from watching the men that surrounded me. They always seemed to have it all together and there were no storms in life that they couldn't withstand. So I have became very good and stuffing my emotions down and keeping them all inside. No one really needs to know what is going on inside my head. Besides if I told my wife and mother of all the things I worried about then they would be upset as well, and in my point of view men were to be the problem solvers, not the problem makers. Well recently my emotions got the best of me. I work as a civilian vehicle inspector for the patrol. I have applied for the position of commercial vehicle officer. If I am selected for this position I would become a commissioned officer of the state. One step of the process is a polygraph, a lie detector test. I had never been through this process so I had no idea what to expect. The person administering the test began by showing me a sequence of numbers. In the middle of the sequence was a missing number. I was asked to write the missing number in. Then he hooked my up to the machine and told me he was going to ask me if I had written each of the numbers and I was to respond with “No” to each of questions including the one I had actually written. Once the questions were asked and answered I was shown the results of the polygraph. When I was asked about the number I had written down and I replied with a lie there was and obvious spike in the reading. It was obvious that I couldn't even hide a simple lie. I was told the point to the test was not to convict me of anything, but rather to see if I was a man of integrity. I was given an opportunity to answer every question asked on paper before the machine was hooked up again. Then when I was asked again the test administer would say, now other than the things we have discussed have you ever... Over the next 3 ½ hours I laid my life bear. I spoke about things I have never told anyone ever in my life, because in my mind I was certain if I didn't, I would be caught in my lie. 1 Timothy 1:15 NIV Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. When I left the room I felt like I was the scum of the earth, the worst sinner ever. My stomach was so upset I couldn't even eat my lunch. I am confident that everyone at work knows of my faith in God. I don't hide it, but now there was someone that knew all my dirty laundry and I do mean all of it! The devil immediately began telling me that I was nothing but a loser and now that the patrol knew the real me there is no way they are going to want you! I felt the weight of my past sins like I have never felt before in my life and it made me sick, literally! So today I am doing something I rarely do!!! I am asking for your help. I am admitting that I can't do this alone. I am asking that you pray that those who are going over the results of my polygraph test, that they see that I am not that man I once was. That because of the grace of God I may not be perfect, but I am forgiven! James 5:16 NIV Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. I know that God will provide for all my needs but right now the devil is in my head telling me that I am big loser and that I will never again be seen as a
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I think we have all been around that person that can't seem to put together a sentence without using some vulgar swear words. Theses word are referred to as 4 letter words. No disrespect to these people, but I think my vocabulary is a little more refined. When I hear someone who curses like a drunken sailor all I can think is that they must not be very well educated, because I could have found other vocabulary that would have got my point across just as effectively or maybe even more effectively. The use of obscene language, or swearing, is often seen as a sign that the speaker lacks vocabulary, cannot express themselves in a less offensive way, or even lacks intelligence. Psychologically, people have a tendency to swear when they are out of logical arguments to support their opinion, so they revert to swearing or cursing in an attempt to beef up or add emphasis to their conversation. Many times people swear because it allows them to express emotions, to vent or to release, but using 4 letter words, cussing and swearing often becomes habit and is even used in casual conversation.
“PR-Reply.com” surveyed over 1,500 residents of 30 major U.S. cities. They asked them how often they swear, the situations they swear in the most, and even the age they uttered their first swear word. Here is what they found. The average respondent swears 21 times per day. The U.S. city that swears the most frequently is Columbus, Ohio, at 36 times per day. The average age Americans start using swear words is 11. Places Americans are most likely to swear in include work, in front of strangers, and at the dinner table. Over half of Americans use swear word substitutions. Favorites include “fudge,” “shoot” and “frick.” While the bible has no specific prohibition against swearing, I can tell you from my own personal experience that my mother considered it a sin that was punishable by the washing out of my mouth with soap!
You may be wondering where I am going with this topic. Did you know that the bible uses 4 letter words also. I know what you thinking, Whoa!!!! Jeff I think your cheese has done slid off you cracker. You're crazier than a pet coon!!! Here are some of the most common 4 letter words used in the bible: “Love”, “Obey” and “Holy.” What does the Bible say about love and obey? John 14:15 says If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 1 Peter 1:14 - As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, Acts 5:29 - But Peter and the apostles answered, we must obey God rather than men. 1 John 5:3 - For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.
Mark 12: 30-31 NIV Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.
If we Love God, we will trust Him and obey Him! But we know that by ourselves and in our own will, we can't love, trust and obey Him. Luther wrote, “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me Holy.”
1 Peter 1: 15-16 NIV But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.
When we know, believe and receive all that God has so graciously given us, all without any merit of our own, or worthiness in us, how could we ever desire to do anything less than “Love God and Obey the most Holy God? So there you have it the bible does us 4 letter words!
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Intimacy is the experience of really knowing and being known by another person. An intimate friend is someone we feel very close to; they know us at a deep level. Because of my job I know a lot of people. I easily recognize those who don't really know me though because they call me by my last name “Ellis” because that is the name on my uniform. Intimacy also has nothing to do with how physically close you are to someone. When my work requires me to travel for training and there is many miles between my wife and I, we can still be intimately connected to each other. The opposite is true as well. You can be sitting right next to someone and still feel very distant from them. Joyce and I use google docs to save important information so that we can both access it. For example Joyce has a document saved that is a list of all the medications she takes. It also has a list of all her doctors and their phone numbers. If I was to give you this list and add to that list other personal information such as the fact that Joyce is 5 foot 6 inches tall, weighs 135 pounds has gray hair and blue eyes and snores when she sleeps you would have some very personal information about Joyce, but would you know Joyce intimately? No not yet, you may have some very private and personal information but you wouldn't know here intimately? Joyce and I have been married for 26 plus years and I can tell you that she cares deeply about everyone she knows. I can tell you that when she makes a mistake at her work she takes it personally and it sometimes brings her to tears, because she wants her work to be perfect. I can tell you that Joyce loves to sing and has a beautiful voice and that we hold hands during church and sit so close to each other that nothing can come between us. And I thank God that Joyce is a very forgiving person, and God knows I need a lot of grace and forgiveness. God wants us to have an intimate relationship with him and He has known you since before you were even born.
Jeremiah 1:5 NIV Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.
The bible shows us that God is intimate with those who trust him. The more we trust God, the more intimately we come to know him. One common mistake is thinking that nearness to God can be achieved through knowledge accumulation. Of course, to intimately know God, we must have knowledge about God. Jesus said, “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. But having a vast knowledge of God does not create and intimate relationship. Never in the history of the Christian church has so much knowledge been available to so many people as it is today. The American church enjoys perhaps the greatest amount of this abundance. We have available to us many Bible translations, good books, insightful articles, recorded sermons, interviews, movies, documentaries, music, and more. But knowledge of God is not the same as having an intimate relationship with him. That’s why Jesus pointed out to the religious leaders of his day they knew the scriptures but they didn't know Him.
John 5: 39-40 NIV You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
To know God intimately means that you have developed a relationship with God that is personal and is consistent. Intimacy with God is the place where we live in consistent fellowship with Him throughout our day, and we can honestly say that our love for Him far outweighs our desire for the things in the world. James 4:8 says Come near to God and He will come near to you.....
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What is the difference between truth and facts? Society today has a difficult time telling the difference between the truth and facts. Facts are like a recipe and truth is the meal. Facts deal with knowledge and your knowledge may double, but truth never changes. If it is new it is not true. The truth has been the same since the beginning of time and has never changed. We must be able to tell the difference between truth and facts. We acquire facts, we learn truth! We live in a strange world today. Society says we must make room for everyone's beliefs. We must be tolerant of others beliefs. Society today will tell you we must believe in pluralism. What is pluralism you ask? Religious pluralism is the state of being where every individual in a religiously diverse society has the rights, freedoms, and safety to worship, or not, according to their conscience. But do they really mean what they say! For example, in a public gathering when it is time to pray. A Jewish Rabbi will be asked to pray and all will be fine. A Muslim will be asked to pray and he will pray and everything will be okay. But when a Christian prays and in his prayer he says in the name of Jesus, and they will respond, with a gasp and say, just a moment, you can't say that! Society will say you can't pray in Jesus name, we don't all believe in Jesus. But isn't the freedom to pray according to your own conscience the definition of pluralism? In reality the world doesn't really want true pluralism they want syncretism, which is just a big word that means mush everything up. It is the fusion of many religious beliefs and practices. What ever you do don't have any sharp edges, don't offend anyone with your beliefs. We have a generation today that doesn't know the difference between the truth and facts.
Proverbs 23:23 NIV Buy the truth and do not sell it — wisdom, instruction and insight as well.Society today has exchanged fact for values. Everybody has values, even the mafia has values. It is not values we need it is virtue. Values come from individuals who just decide what they want to believe in. For example go to a pro choice rally and they will talk about a woman's right to kill her baby and everyone will applaud because that is their value! I am her to tell you that this may be their value, but it is not a virtue! We have come from virtues to values, we have come from truth to facts. The world today has substituted facts for truth. Not that facts are wrong, facts are a stubborn things! But there is a difference between acquiring facts and learning the truth. The world today is drowning in facts. If you were to measure man's accumulated knowledge from the beginning of time up to 1845 and let that be equivalent to 1 inch. Then go from 1845 to 1945 and man's accumulated knowledge would be equal to about 3 inches. They from 1945 to 1975 our accumulated knowledge would be has tall as the Washington monument. But from 1975 to current day our knowledge has increased so much that the measurement would reach outside of earth's atmosphere. We are learning more facts. That is what the bible prophesied about the last days.
Daniel 12:4 NLT But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.”Daniel says knowledge will increase and that is the truth. The bible is called the word of truth. The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of truth. Jesus Christ said he is the way, the truth and the life. Truth is absolute. In mathematics truth is absolute, 2 plus 2 always equals 4. In medicine truth is absolute. In mechanics truth is absolute and in faith truth is also absolute! There is only one way to heaven!!!
Acts 4:12 NIV Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
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Everybody has a job in the church if you are a believer, regardless of who you are, a Pastor, a Sunday school teacher, a door greeter, church secretary, even a student. Every member of a bible believing church has a job and thus a job description. We all do. And they are nothing new. They have been with us since the beginning of time. Adam and Eve had a job description, God told Adam to cultivate the garden. Genesis chapter 2 verse 15 says, God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Noah had the job of building a boat. Moses’s job was to lead God’s people, the Israelites, out of the bondage of the Pharaoh of Egypt. You may think that these were God’s favorites, and you have nothing in common with these famous bible characters, but no matter who you are, you have a job. But sometimes we get so immersed in the routine activities of our church that forget we have a job to do in the church. We lose sight of the big picture. We get wrapped up in all the details. The Sanhedrin were the perfect example of this. Jewish history says there were 613 laws that needed to be obeyed but Jesus reduced them to just two.
Matthew 22: 36-40 NIV Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law? Jesus replied: “Love your God with all your heat and with all your soul and with all you mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. and the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophet’s hang on these two commandments.”
Our main job, our main business in the church is not to do what lies dimly in the distance, it is to do what is clearly at hand! Our job is to glorify God, this must be our purpose in life, whatever we do, do all to the glory of God. When we meet at our bible studies and we have deep discussion about the rapture of the church whether it be pre-tribulation, mid tribulation or post-tribulation, discussions that border on the edge of being arguments, are we bringing glory to God? When we have discussions about things that our puny little human minds will never be able to comprehend like the trinity, how God can be 1 person and 3 persons at the same time, does this bring glory to God? I am not saying that having a deep knowledge of the bible is not important, no not at all! What I am saying is that discussing things that lie dimly in the distance is not nearly as important and dealing with things that are clearly at hand.
1 Corinthians 13:12 NIV For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
How do we accomplish this? What is our main job as Christians? In my humble opinion our main job description as a Christian is to place the benefit of others ahead of ourselves, so that by our action’s others may see Christ love in us, so that the lost may be saved! Live in such a way that those who don’t know Jesus Christ as their personal savior, will come to know Jesus, because they know you! What does this look like? How do I accomplish my job as a Christian? You don’t have to have any special education or talents. All you must do is be available and willing. Volunteer to bring food to a funeral dinner. If you can’t cook, set up tables for the funeral dinner. Give someone a ride to church that has no transportation. You know, your job as a Christian isn’t limited to only to church functions. Volunteer to work at the local food pantry. Mow your neighbor’s yard. Take the neighbor kids fishing. The most important thing to remember is to love everyone, no exceptions. No matter how they dress, what color their skin is or how much money they make. Remember for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son so that who so ever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life!
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Let me tell you a story about what happened to Joyce and I the other day. We were walking across the parking lot at Wal-Mart and I looked down and saw a $100 dollar bill. I thought to myself this must be my lucky day! But when I held it in my hand for a while the print didn't seem to be exactly right. Then after I held it a while longer I noticed the ink was starting to come off on my hands. That is when I realized it was a counterfeit. You know that so disgusted Joyce and I with money and turned us off so much that we went immediately to the bank and withdrew all our money. We took out our savings, absolutely every penny we had! Then we went out in the back yard put all our money in the fire pit and we had a bonfire. We burned it all, we said that does it, we are finished with money! Do you believe my story? I hope not! Unfortunately this is the way the world approaches Christians. They see someone that is a counterfeit Christian. Someone that lives one way on Sunday and another way the rest of the week and they say, “that does it for me! No more Christianity for me.” I am here to tell you that it is the counterfeit that proves the value of the real. Men don't counterfeit gum wrappers. They counterfeit $100 dollar bills. Why, because the $100 dollar bill has real value and the gum wrapper has no value. So it is the counterfeit that proves the value of the real thing.
2 Peter 2: 1-2 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them – bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.
During the early days of the church there was false prophets, counterfeit Christians. They were merchandisers, peddling their counterfeit version of the truth. Many people followed their depraved version of the truth. They were counterfeit Christians. We face the same thing in our churches today as they did in early days of the church. There are hypocrites in every age and every profession. Some doctors are quacks, but you don't stop going to the doctors when your sick. Some lawyers are shysters, but if you need legal advice you will still seek out a good lawyer. Some money is counterfeit but you don't throw away that which is real. Don't let some hypocrite, some counterfeit Christian keep you from knowing Jesus. It would be ridiculous for you to say, “well I am not going to church anymore because there is some hypocrites there.” When I hear someone say this my response is; the church is a not a shrine for the saint's, it is a hospital for sinners. I am sorry to tell you this, but my church is filled with hypocrites. Even one of the 12 apostles was a hypocrite. My friends I would rather spend a few years with some hypocrites in church that spend eternity with all of them in Hell!
Federal agents don’t learn to spot counterfeit money by studying the counterfeits. They study genuine bills until they master the look of the real thing. Then when they see the counterfeit money they recognize it. There is a clear parallel here to spiritual discernment. Just as the feds are responsible for recognizing counterfeit money, in the same way I am responsible for the bible teachings I accept and later share with others. It is my responsibility before God to inspect every teaching that comes my way. I should test each teaching that is presented to me, refusing to accept any that go against the plain teaching of Scripture.
1 Thessalonians 5: 19-22 NIV Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.
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When I was raising my children they often told me that I was a slave driver and that all I ever did was make up crazy rules and work them to death. They didn't understand that the rules and tasks I was giving them were meant to build their character or to teach them a lesson. I must admit once in a while I would get tired of explaining myself to them and I would tell them, “Some day you will have children of your own and you do you can have you own slaves. Until then you are my slaves and you will do as I say!” I hate to admit it but when I was a child I also thought that my parents rules were only meant to limit my ability to enjoy life to the fullest. To enjoy all the world had to offer. I even thought many of the worlds rules were designed only to limit my ability to enjoy life in the fast lane. For example speed limits on the highway were only there to stop me from experiences the joy of driving at 100 plus miles per hour. Speed limits had nothing to do with my safety or the safety of others they were just there to force me to submit and rob me of the freedom to do as I pleased!
Little did I know when I was a rebellious teen that rules were meant for my good and that if I submitted to those rules I would be better off! Here is a story that will help me illustrate my point. There once was a locomotive, let's call him Thomas the train. Thomas drove up and down the tracks daily from the city of Gotham to Metropolis. Every day as he would make his journey he would check out the country side and wonder to himself what was out there beyond the rail road tracks. Thomas began to feel that the tracks were doing nothing but limiting his ability to see what more the world had to offer. Matter of fact he even felt imprisoned by the tracks. So one day he decided he was going to jump off the tracks and see all the wonders the world had to offer. Poor ole Thomas didn't get far however. As soon as he jumped off the tracks he found himself stuck in the grass of the field. He only got a very short distance before he realized the tracks were not a prison at all they were actually lifting him up, supporting him and giving him the freedom to travel and experience the world. In Thomas the trains case, submission to the rules actually gave him freedom. Submission to authority can be liberating. Following the rules or in this case, the train tracks, can even provide you freedom.
Hebrews 13:17 NIV Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.
We all have a lot we can learn about submission. Submission can be a very hard thing. When Jesus prayed for an alternative to the cross, he wanted another way so badly that he actually sweat blood. But, He chose to follow the Father’s plan even when it was hard! All of us should be incredibly grateful that He did! While submission can be hard, the plans of our heavenly Father always have our best interest in mind and they result in immense blessings. Many of us have freedom and safety on a level that first century Christians could barely dream of. And yet, if someone gets elected that we disagree with we, many of us treat them with massive disrespect. During election season, one very effective way to win is for the candidates to slander each other, to exaggerate the others flaws, and even to tell bold-faced lies. We ought to pray more for our political leaders, and complain about them far less. Our elected officials may not realize it but their authority is not of their own, it is granted to them by God!
Romans 13:1 NIV Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
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How do you react when some one has done you wrong? Depending upon how hurtful the wrong is, in my mind, my reaction could vary from shrugged shoulders to outrage! Here is a story that demonstrates my point. Let's say your at church fellowship dinner and a member of the church comes up to you and says, “I told a lie about you and I am really feel bad about it, will you please forgive me?” Being a forgiving Christian you say, “thanks for asking forgiveness, I really appreciate that, don't worry about it brother, I forgive you!” You go one about your business as if nothing ever happened. Then 15 minutes later this same person comes up to you again and says, “ I did it again, I just told a lie about you, please forgive me.” This time your a little bit confused about why your fellow church member could so easily and quickly could have done this again, but they seem sincere enough so you once again you say, “your forgiven,” but this time your answer is short and to the point. Another short period of time later this same person comes to you again and once again it is the same story, “I told a lie about you and I am really feel bad about it, will you please forgive me?” This time your answer is a bit sharp and you respond with anger in your voice and say, “You better get your mouth under control brother, because I don't know how many more times I can forgive you like this!” With your response you elevate yourself to Judge and Jury and you're ready hand down a stiff sentence of guilty, you quickly turn your back on this person and walk away thinking to yourself, “Wow!” how can you have so little self control over your tongue and still call yourself a Christian? So how often should you forgive your brother in Christ? Peter asked this same question of Jesus, “Lord, how often shall my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Matthew 18:22 NIV Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
Jewish tradition stated that the teachers of the law limited the number of times one should forgive another person to three. Peter thinking that he was in line with Christ’s teachings on the Sermon on the Mount, doubled their amount of 3 times, then added 1 more time just for good measure. The truth is that forgiveness is not a matter of counting times, but an attitude of the heart. It is clear that the number itself is only symbolic. If the spirit of forgiveness moves the heart, a person will be as ready to forgive many times. I am so thankful that my wife has a forgiving heart because it is quite possible that if Jesus meant 70 times 7 as a literal number I may have exceeded even that number. Jesus told a parable to further demonstrate how we should forgive a brother in Christ. Jesus said: “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and children and all that he owned be sold to repay the debt. “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ “But he refused and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.” When the Master heard of it, he said, “‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Shouldn't you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’
Colossians 3:13 NIV Bear with each other and forgive one
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In my home I have a decorative sign that says: Faith is being sure of what we hope for and being certain of what we do not see! How does the world define faith. I think if you ask the average person what faith is they would say it is to believe in something you cant see, touch or even prove exist. It is just a gut feeling that something is real. According to the Oxford dictionary faith is: “A strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual anxiety rather than proof.” Websters dictionary has several definitions of faith. First, “allegiance to duty or a person, loyalty.” For example, they had lost faith in the company's president. Second, “a sincerity of intentions.” example, they acted in good faith. Third, “A belief and trust in and loyalty to God, belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion, a firm belief in something for which there is no proof.” Finally, “something that is believed with strong conviction, a system of religious beliefs.” The world may believe that as Christians we are putting are faith in the promises of the bible without any facts. That we are not making intelligent decisions. I am here to tell you that the opposite is true!!!
The Bible supports and confirms modern day science on an overwhelming number of subjects. The Biblical account of creation includes all known scientific elements: Time, Space, Matter, & Energy. These elements are reflected in the following descriptions: Time, “In the beginning”. Space, “God created the heaven.” Matter “and the earth.” Energy, “Then God said, let there be light.” The Bible also addresses the seasons and the clock-like precision of the heavenly bodies to measure time.
Genesis 1:14-16 NIV And God said, Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth. And it was so. God made two great lights the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.
The Bible describes the earth as a being round, a sphere held in place by gravity. Job 26:7 says “He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing.” Isaiah 40:22 “He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers.” The bible and science also agree about the basic facts of meteorology. The Bible accurately describes the hydro-logic cycle which includes: evaporation, condensation, precipitation.
Job 36: 27-28 NIV He draws up the drops of water, which distill as rain to the streams; the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind.
Both The Bible and science agree that the blood carries the life and health of a living being. Leviticus 17:11 says “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life…because the life of every creature is its blood. The late scientist, Albert Einstein, believed that science without religion was lame, and religion without science was blind. I believe that it takes far more “faith” to believe in the evolutionary myth, than it does to believe in the existence of God. In fact, evolution is based entirely on faith, because no facts or proof have ever been found to support it! You can easily look around you, and observe how intelligently, planned and executed everything in nature is.Faith in the the inspired word of God and is not only intelligent, it is based on facts.
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The first means of communication was the human voice but about 3,200 BC writing was invented in Iraq and Egypt. The next big step was the invention of the alphabet in what is now Israel about 1,600 BC. In the Ancient World, people wrote on papyrus or parchment. However, the Chinese invented paper in about 200 BC. The next major improvement in communication was the invention of printing. The Chinese invented printing with blocks in the 6th century. In the mid-15th century, Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, which made books much cheaper and allowed newspapers to be invented. In the early 19th century the recipient of a letter had to pay the postage, not the sender. Then in 1840, Rowland Hill invented the Penny Post. From then on the sender of the letter paid the postage. Cheap mail made it much easier for people to keep in touch with loved ones who lived a long way off. The telegraph was invented in 1837. A cable was laid across the British Channel in 1850 and after 1866 it was possible to send messages across the Atlantic. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876. Communication continued to improve in the 20th century, with the invention of radio and TV. By 1964 - 90% of all homes had a television. In the early 21st century the internet became an important form of communication. Now we use texting, cellphones and email messages. About 39% of Americans say they use their cell phones "a lot" to communicate. That compares with less than 10% of the population who said they used a home landline phone.
What is your most frequent choice of communication. I must admit I use my cell phone to communicate much more frequently than I do the home phone and only 1 of my 3 children even have a land line phone in their home. I frequently use social media, private messaging and text to communicate. How would my life change if I spent as much time in prayer with God as I do texting my friends and family? Prayer is an essential part of a Christian’s life. There are many types of prayers in the Bible, for many different situations. How many times is the word pray in the Bible? The mention of prayer in the Bible depends on the translation you are reading. You will get 547 instances of the word pray in the King James bible. You get 322 references of the word pray and its variations in the English Standard Version Bible.
Proverbs 15:29 NIV The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
There are over 650 prayers in the bible, and scripture records 25 prayers of Jesus. Jeremiah 29:12 says, then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. Colossians 4:2 says, devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, pray without ceasing. Romans 12:12 says Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. I could go on and on with verses in the bible that mention the importance of prayer. Prayer is an essential part of the Christian life. Prayer is our way of showing our gratitude and dependence on God, as well as a way to connect us with other Christians.
James 5:16 NIV Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Pick a time that works best for you where you can spend secret alone time with God, and when you leave that location remain in continual fellowship with Him as if you never left. Our lives should be one continual prayer. Be as quick to pray as you are to sent a text message!
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It seems like things happen almost every day that could cause worry and fear. The state of world, unrest and war, the economy, natural disasters and even unforseen fatal accidents. The bible tells us that despite what we see around us. Despite the chaos that surrounds us there is a strong arm that will not let us go. What would it take to shake your faith in God? For some of us it may take a great deal to shake your faith, but for others of us maybe it wouldn't take quite so much. For some a single difficult circumstance, an unforeseen heartache and maybe you would say, “God where are you?” Suddenly what you thought was an unshakable faith is shaken and you begin to question God. Recently the small community where I live has really been shaken. We have seen a natural disaster, a storm with winds near 100 miles per hour that destroyed a great deal of property and left many without electricity for several days. We have also faced a great deal of tragedy. In the short period of just a few weeks we have seen a fatal car accident that took the life of a 13 year old boy and seriously injured his parents and a UTV crash that took the life of a successful young man that was well respected and loved by the community.
I was more fortunate than many because other than a few tree limbs the storm didn't do much damage at my home and I was only out of electricity for about 12 hours. However the fatal accidents really hit close to home for me because the young man who died in the UTV crash graduated from high school with my oldest daughter and the boy that lost his life in the car accident was near the same as age as my grandchildren. My heart aches for these families because it could have been my children or grandchildren. There are a lot of things in this world that are being shaken. God may be behind some of these things but much of it is doing of the devil. There are seasons for everything in life. I am here to tell you that if your life seems to be going well now then brace yourself because a tragedy could be just around the corner. Just like summer gives way to fall, fall turns into winter and then winters becomes spring, life is constantly changing but not always for what we perceive to be good.
Psalm 34: 17-18 NKJV The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.I went though a season in life that felt very overwhelming and it wasn't just a few days. I had a son that suffered from an known illness and died at 3 months old and then about a year later I had another son that was still born. If that was not enough my marriage fell apart and I became a single father trying to raise 3 girls on my own. All these troubles stretched out over a period of several years. I must say my faith was shaken to the core and during these years I didn't feel very close to God. Even when I felt my life was free falling God's arm was still hanging on to me. When I thought I was all alone God was still be my side. It was so hard to see then, but now that I am many years down the road I can see that God was still in control! God is the King of the universe, and His will is always accomplished. Nothing is too difficult for Him. He is the one who changes times and seasons. He is the one who predestines us according to His purpose, and nothing can separate us from His love. When the world around us is in chaos, we can trust that God has a plan that will prevail. When we feel like our life is on a roller coaster, we can steady ourselves by remembering that God is in control. His love for us is constant and never-ending, and nothing can separate us from His love.
Romans 8: 38 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 u
Does this sound familiar? You get up in the morning, and you find yourself running from place to place all day without a break. Or you work all day, then have to take care of a million things around the house or with family in the evening. Maybe you run errands all weekend long. Perhaps you have a side job and work on in the evenings or on weekends. You know it’s important to take breaks and rest a bit, but you just have too much to do! Personally I have a hand written to do list of things that I think I must get accomplished immediately and I work at completing that list until I simply have no energy left. As I get older I have discovered that my mind is stronger than my muscles. In my mind I think I should still be able to do everything I did when I was in my twenties but my 57 year old body sometimes let me know that I am not 20 something!
The world is a chaotic busy place. Sometimes it may feel like you are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. It is so easy to let the stress of bills, work, your health, family, friends, your children, even your grand children get you overwhelmed. Sometimes it feels like your so busy you will never be able to get caught up. I have even heard people say, “You can rest when your dead!” Many people are caught in the grind of work, family responsibilities and ongoing stress. The world is a stressful place! About 33 percent of people report feeling extreme stress, and up to 73 percent report that stress impacts their health.
John 16:33 NIV “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
For me to stop to take a break and rest is a huge trust issue, because in my mind I don't think that anyone else can accomplish the things I need to get done, at least not the way I think they should be done. No matter how busy you may be you must take a break and rest. Do you think you are greater than God, even God rested!
Genesis 2: 2-3 NIV By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
Some people don’t seem to believe taking a break is an option. Whether because of limited time, guilt or conflicting priorities, it may seem that taking a break is a misuse of time. However, this is merely a lie we tell ourselves. In Luke 10:38-42, we hear the story of two sisters, Mary and Martha. Martha is busy preparing everything for Jesus and Mary sits at his feet. When Martha inquires about getting Mary’s help, Jesus tells her that Mary chose what is better. It is okay to take a break and rest in God’s presence. The Bible warns us not to become lazy, but it also encourages finding rest for your soul in Jesus Christ. You may be wondering, “How do I refresh my soul and rest in God?” Here are some practical ways to find rest for your soul. First Pray. Take time to pray and slow your pace. Next remove distractions, shut off the TV, put down you cell phone or other electronic device. Limiting or removing distractions can help you focus on what is truly important. Bible study is a great way to rest. The Bible is full of stories of hope, peace and grace that we can all use during busy times. Practice thankfulness. Sometimes we focus so much on what we need to do next that we don’t forget to focus on God and all He has blessed us with. And last but certainly not least, “Be Still” It is important to just listen and be quiet. Go out in nature and enjoy the wonder of God. Be still in His presence!
Every year 703,000 people take their own life and there are many more people who attempt suicide. Every suicide is a tragedy that affects families, communities and has long-lasting effects on the people left behind. Suicide can occur throughout a persons life no matter their age. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15-29 year-olds. Recently my daughter Sara called me to tell me that her friends from church, teenage daughter, had attempted suicide. She was on a field trip in Washington DC. Some of her peers had been picking on her to such an extent she felt her only solution was suicide. While the link between suicide and mental disorders is well established, many suicides happen impulsively in moments of crisis with a breakdown in the ability to deal with life stresses, such as financial problems, relationship break-up or chronic pain and illness or simply mean teenagers. But no matter how broken your life may be God can restore you.
In Ezekiel chapter 37, Ezekiel was led through a parched valley, he wondered how many lives had been lost. Everywhere he looked, there seemed to be endless piles of bones without any sign of life.
A violent battle had taken place leaving many corpses behind, but decomposition and wild animals had taken their toll so that all that was left was dry bones. God asked Ezekiel, can these bones live? Ezekiel replied, Oh Lord God only you know. God told Ezekiel to prophecy over the bones.
Ezekiel 37: 7-10 NIV So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet a vast army.
There are 206 bones in the human body. If you brought me a box containing only 1 human body I would never in my own power be able to reassemble just one skeleton, but when Ezekiel trusted in the power of the almighty God. He was able to reassemble not just 1 skeleton, but an entire army of them.
However strange God's command may have been, Ezekiel obeyed! As he preaches, the bones begin to shake. They come together to form skeletons. Tendons and muscles begin to form and they are finally covered with skin. Instead of bones, there are now human bodies. But there is still no life in them. The Lord tells Ezekiel once again to prophesy, this time to tell them to breath. Ezekiel obeys another strange request and breath begins to enter these lifeless bodies. The once dry lifeless pile of bones becomes a mighty army. As we go through our daily lives, each one of us experiences difficult situations. A lot of the times when we go through pain or suffering, during these difficult or confusing times, we are quick to worry about them instead of having faith in God. God has given us the gift of faith, not because we deserve it, but as a result of his everlasting love for us.
Ephesians 2: 8-9 NIV For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast.
No matter how broken you may think your life is, if you put your faith in God he can reassemble your broken life!
When did it become an accepted practice to wear your pajamas outside your home? I must admit my pajamas are really comfortable but I would never wear them in public. It amazes me when I go to the store, especially Wal-Mart, how many people I see wearing their pajamas. When it comes to the way you dress in public these days, the rules just seem to go out the window. People wear such wild and crazy outfits at Wal-mart there is even a website devoted to posting pictures of how people dress when shopping there. Every person has a different routine when it comes to getting dressed in the mornings. Like a lot of other men, my morning routine is pretty darn simple. I take my shower before I go to bed at night, so when I get up in the morning I shave, brush my teeth, comb my hair and get dressed. It takes me a grand total of about 15 minutes. My wife Joyce, on the other hand, her morning routine takes quite a bit longer and some of the things she does in the morning I am not even sure what it is she is doing. I just smile and tell her who beautiful she is!
Getting prepared for your day, no matter how long it takes, can be very important. When a police officer gets ready for the day he must put on his bullet proof vest, his uniform, his tactical gear, his weapon and his badge. Can you imagine the reaction you would have if an officer pulled you over and walked up to your car wearing his pajamas? Not only would he look very unprofessional it could even be dangerous to the officer if he was not properly dressed. It may only take you a few minutes each day to get psychically dressed but it takes a lifetime to get yourself spiritually dressed! So how do we get spiritually dressed?
Ephesians 6: 13-17 NIV Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then,... with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
What do you think are the most important words in these verses about the armor of God? Do you think maybe it is belt of truth? Maybe it is the breastplate of righteousness or the shield of faith or the helmet of salvation? No it must be the sword of the spirit which is the word of God because this is the only offensive piece of armor, the rest are defensive. What if I was to tell you that the most important words of these verses had nothing at all to do with the armor of God. What would you think then? Would you think I gone completely crazy, that my cheese had done slide of my cracker and fell on the floor? The two most important words in these verses are, “Put on!” Because if you leave the house in your pajamas and you don't put on the armor of God it will do you no good at all! Just like the police officer that doesn't put on his bullet proof vest, tactical gear, weapon, uniform and badge, your making yourself into an easy target for the devil if you don't even put on the armor of God!
Ephesians 6: 11-12 NIV Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
So don't forget to get yourself spiritually dressed before you leave your home every day!!!!
I don't consider myself to be a hot headed person that has a short fuse and flies off the handle in a fit of rage. Butttt... I must admit that I have a very low tolerance for certain things. Nothing will send me into a fit of rage faster than someone sitting at a stop light after it has turned green. I become even more enraged when the reason they haven't pulled into the intersection after the light turned green is because they are busy doing God only knows what on their cell phone. When I am in the safety of my own car and the person in front of me has know idea what I may be saying I tend to wave my hands scream out some things that I am certain do not glorify God. The other thing that really gets under my skin is people at Wal-Mart that think they own the entire isle and could care less if I can get around them. When I go to Wal-Mart I am not a slow shopper. I almost always have a list and I am in a hurry because I need to get the things I came after so that I can go finish my project. Almost without fail I get stuck behind the fluffy person on the electric scooter. I manage to hold my rage inside but I am certain that if you were to look at my face you would think I was going to bite my bottom lip off as I look for every opportunity to get around the slow poke shopper!!! Luckily for me God cause still use those of us who have a problem with anger and fits of rage.
In the book of Numbers chapter 20 the bible tells us of when Moses had a fit of rage. The Iseralites were in a desert and there was no water for the people or their livestock and so they began complaining to Moses.
Numbers 20:5 NIV Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!
Moses and Aaron heard the people and then went to the Tabernacle, where they fell face down on the ground and prayed. The Lord appeared to them, and said to Moses, “You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water. You will have enough water from the rock to satisfy the whole community and their livestock.” So Moses and Aaron gathered the people together and as the two of them were standing at the rock Moses turned to Aaron and said Listen to them complaining! Moses became enraged and instead of doing as God had told him and speaking to the rock, he struck it with his staff and when that didn't work the first time, he hit it again!
Numbers 20:10-11 NIV He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.
The most amazing part of this story is that instead of God reacting with a fit of anger and rage he showed Moses his “Amazing Grace” and provided water for all the people and their livestock. I can tell you from my own experience that when my children didn't do exactly as I had instructed them they never received my good grace. Matter of fact they almost always received the opposite, my rage, anger and a spanking. I am so thankful that God doesn't reward my anger with more anger, but instead with his Amazing Grace!!!
When I was a kid, children used their imagination to entertain themselves, because we didn't have all the electronic devices. A common game we played was “Cops and Robbers.” The good guy would chase the bad guy until the bad guy finally surrendered. The child playing the cop would yell out stick'em up then the bad guy would hold their hands in the air, but not until they had no other option to get away from the good guy. This is not to much different from reality. If you have every watched the reality TV show “Cops” the person evading the police will do anything including endangering themselves and others before finally surrendering to the police and being arrested. As they are being arrested the police will tell them to put their hands in the air and walk slowly backwards towards their voice. My favorite story of “Cops and Robbers” is about my nephews, Dillon and Zachery. Dillon was the Cop and Zachery was the robber. While Zachery was attempting to allude his brother he decided to run to the basement. He fell done the stairs and broke his leg, but he didn't surrender until he could no longer run away. During times of war when the opponent is surrounded and there is no other option they lay down their weapons, raise their hands in the air and surrender. Raising your hands in the air is a universal symbol of surrender.
In Exodus 17 when the Amalekites try to attack the Israelites, Moses must find a way to defend the people. Moses knows they cannot defend themselves against the Amalekites without God. He knows the power of the Lord is the only way to save the Israelites, so he holds up his hands as if to proclaim his own unworthiness, as if to say, "We can't do this on our own. We need You."
Exodus 17:11 NIV As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.
With God on their side, the Israelites have the victory. But when Moses stops surrendering to God, the enemy swoops in, ready to attack. Surrendering is what makes them powerful. This idea is found all throughout the Bible. Another example is in 2nd Corinthians, when Paul talks about his "thorn in the flesh," or weakness. He seems grateful the thorn is there, saying he can now "boast" of his weakness because he is made strong through it. When he is weak, he must call on God, who then empowers him to overcome the obstacle.
2 Corinthians 12: 8-9 NIV Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
When people raise their hands during worship at church, whether they know it or not, they are admitting that they are weak and without any power aside from the power they receive through the Holy Spirit. They're praising God by physically and publicly demonstrating to Him that they need Him. So why is it so difficult for me raise my hands in church and surrendered to God. Just like when my nephews Dillon and Zachery were playing “Cops and Robbers” in order for me to raise my hands and surrender I run from God until I have exhausted my options and I have no other choice but to surrender to God. Paul and the Israelites got victory, but first they had to acknowledge their own weakness. When we admit we can't do anything without God, we actually become stronger through that confession because we invite God to strengthen and guide us. Once you have God on your side, you can't be defeated.
One of my fathers favorite phrases when I was a kid was, “Grace in Disguise.” Anytime my mother or one of us kids tripped over something or clumsy in some one he would say, “Well aren't you just Grace in disguise!” I am confident that when I was raising my children more than once I told them to, “Do as I say, Not as I do!” And you know,... that never seemed to work out very well for me. The saying, “your actions speak louder than your words is very true.” My children paid far more attention to what I was doing than to what I said, and they aren't the only people watching me. As Christians the whole world is watching our every move. They are just hoping that we will stumble so that they can say, well they’re no better than I am, and they are right! I am no better than they are. I am just forgiven!
Romans 3:23-24 NIV For all have sinned and fell short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ.We need to pay attention to the world around us so that we are not mislead. There are so many distractions around us that can lead us astray. Many of these distractions are not evil, they simply are not what what is best. As parents the Devil keeps us busy chasing our children and grand children to all their activities. We go to their band concerts, to their plays, to their ball games all in the guise of giving them love and support. While none of these things are evil, they don't have any eternal impact? They do nothing to bring glory to God or to accomplish the great commission, to make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching them to observe all the things that Jesus has taught us. The devil in disguise can even take the appearance of a teacher of God's Word. Jesus calls him a wolf in sheep's clothing. Matthew 7:15 tells us to beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are savage wolves.You should pay less attention to what people say and more attention to what they do. Climate change activists encourage us to lower our carbon footprint while flying to conferences in private jets. Progressive politicians warn that global warming will raise the level of oceans, yet live in homes next to the shore. Liberals claim there is a rape epidemic on college campuses, but still send their daughters to college. A wolf in sheep's clothing is someone who outwardly looks harmless and kind with good intentions but inwardly is full of hate, evil and deceit, this is the Devil in disguise! The Devil is a master of disguise and, he comes to conquer you, steal your joy, kill your spirit, and destroy your faith.
John 10:10 NIV The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
The devil is out to steal, kill and destroy everything that belongs to you. But you were called to resist him and stand your ground. You were called to guard what belongs to you and reclaim whatever he has stolen. What has the devil stolen from you? Was it a relationship, your health, your finances, something physical? Do you want it back? God is ready for you to storm into the devil’s camp and reclaim what is rightfully yours. Dive into the word of God and remind yourself of what He has said about you, what He’s given you, and the promises God has made to you. It is impossible to spend time in the Word and not walk away encouraged in the Lord. Have faith, have patience and stay in the word and you will be able to see right throw the Devil's disguise!
I am sure you have all seen someone holding up a sign asking for help. Recently I saw a couple in the Walmart parking lot, a lady was standing in front of an RV holding up a sign that said “Need money for gas.” At the same time a man was pouring gas from a 5 gallon can into the RV at the back. Of course the first thought that came through my head was, “You would think they would have planned a bit better before taking out on a long road trip in that gas guzzling RV.” The only thoughts in my natural mind were selfish and unloving! I have another similar story about my selfish heart that is even better! One evening my wife and I were going to the Mexican resturaunt to enjoy a meal together. In the parking lot next to the resturaunt was a couple that appeared to be in their late 20's maybe early 30's. With them they had a little girl and boy that were preschool age. They were sitting next to what I assummed was their car holding a sign that said they were homeless and needed help. The sign also said anything will help God bless you! I immediately heard that still small voice in my head that I recognized as the Holy Spirit speaking to me. God said through the Holy Spirit, I have blessed you Jeff, you need to bless them. So I parked my car and I walked over to them and handed them a $20 bill. I told the young mother I know it is not a lot but I hope it helps. She thanked me and I walked away feeling on top of the world! A few minutes later as my wife and I were enjoying our meal I saw this same family who were just outside begging for money come into the restaurant and sit down for a meal. I was immediately infuriated! I thought to myself, what a waste. They are spending my hard earned money at the restaurant when they should have gone to Wal-Mart and purchased groceries or other necessities for those little kids. I couldn't believe my eyes, what stupidity! Then the Holy Spirit spoke to me again and said, “I only asked you to give to them, not to judge them!”
2 Corinthians 9: 6-7 NIV Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Later as I considered my thoughts and feelings, I realized my motivation for giving, although initially good, I wanted to give, was more about me and making myself feel good than it was about glorifying God. It became about me getting the glory and not God. Because my heart was not in the right place I was upset with, even angry with the way my gift had been spent! Attitude matters when giving. We all know that giving is not supposed to be about us, yet we often make it about us.
Selfishness is the first attitude we encounter when we consider giving. We are born demanding and wanting our way. New born babies cry at the top of their lungs until they get what they want. Selfishness isn't something we need to be taught, we are born selfish, it's part of our sinful nature. Opportunities to give are designed by God for us to grow and mature in our faith. It's not abnormal to get it wrong sometimes. We're a work in progress. Don't become discouraged! Talk to God about the attitudes and thoughts of your heart. Repent; that literally means to change your mind and your direction. Stay consistent in your giving and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you is the best way to grow in your generosity and maintain a pure heart, to give from your heart!
Luke 6:38 NIV Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
There is a game show that I enjoy watching it is called, “To Tell the Truth.” On the show, three contestants claim to be a person with an unusual characteristic or occupation. One is telling the truth, and the other two are impostors. Four celebrity panelists ask them questions to figure out who is telling the truth. In the world today there are many people who claim to be telling the truth. Some may be telling the truth. Others may be telling you what they believe to be the truth, but they simply do not know what the truth is. Sadly many people are flat out lying to you, so that they can get something from you. For example, there is rarely a day go by that I do not receive a text message that is some sort of scam. Many times these messages say that my social security number has been used fraudulently and that I need to respond immediately to avoid some sort of trouble. According to an article from the social security administration, fraudsters prey on peoples fear of breaking the law and have stolen almost $64 million last year through scams... One of the most difficult tasks in society today is sifting through all the rhetoric during an election campaign season to know who is the best candidate to vote for!!!! In the world today many believe that the Bible is just merely stories that were written by men from their own imagination. Fiction rather than fact. But as believers, we know the truth!
John 14:6 NIV Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
We live in a society that is constantly searching for the truth. But we also live in a society that does not persevere in truth. Truth has become a product, aimed at satisfying a need. Social media timelines are flooded with fake news stories, and a new theory has emerged: we now live in a “post-truth” society. A world in which truth no longer matters, where facts are countered by “alternative facts”, and reality is more about your media diet than about the truth. It is disheartening that the world is blind to the real truth. In John chapter 16 Jesus speaks to the disciples about how He needed to go away so that the Holy Spirit, Spirit of truth, can come to them.
John 16: 12-13 NIV I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
So here we are, in this world demanding tolerance of everybody’s truth, everybody’s ideas. We sift our words carefully so that others won't find them offensive. We run from strong words, fearing we may called intolerant, but how much do I truly love someone if I wont tell them the truth, because I am afraid I may offend them! Apart from Christ, people are dead in their sins and destined for an eternity in hell. But in Christ they can receive new life and eternal salvation. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. The real truth is this, we all have a soul that will live for eternity! Where you spend that eternity is up to you! We must speak God’s truth in a way that clear and communicates both truth and love. We share the the truth of the gospel because we love the people for whom Christ died and Jesus died for everyone.
John 3:16 NIV For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Why is it important for Christian believers to get together, how often should we gather and where? Since the beginning of creation God has made it known that it is not good to be alone. In Genesis 2:18 God said, it is not good that the man should be alone. But what is the purpose of gathering? For families it might be to celebrate a birthday or a holiday. At work we gather to support each other and to work towards a common goal. Hobbies and sports provide us opportunities to gather and enjoy a common interest. As Christians when we gather, we find personal connections with each other. We share each other's needs and blessings and let's not forget we worship our savior Jesus Christ when we gather. It is important to remember that the church is more than just a building. Jesus said in Matthew 18:20, where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am with them. There are literally hundreds of verses in the bible that speak about the importance of believers gathering together. Getting together was so important to the early believers that they met daily, in the church and in each other's homes.
Acts 2:46-47 NIV Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people and the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Getting together gives us the opportunity to inspire and encourage each other and if there was ever a time when we needed to encourage each other, it would be now! Daily the Devil does all he can to discourage us, just watch the newscast on TV. When we fellowship together, we share different viewpoints and grow in our knowledge of God. It fosters stronger relationships and it reveals ways we can love generously and serve each other as a family. Worshiping together is one of the most powerful things we can do as a church!
Gathering together demonstrates the importance of the church and the message of salvation to an unbelieving world! I have had many conversations with friends and acquaintances that have begun with the statement, "I see that you go to church often, what do you think about this...." It doesn't matter what the question that follows that statement is about, because it is clear to those who know me that attending church is an important aspect of my life. Every time your vehicle is in the parking lot of the church you are sharing your own personal testimony to all who see it without ever speaking a single word. Don't be ashamed to tell your friends and family that you won't be able accept their invitation to whatever event they may be having because you will be going to church on Sunday. We need to be a light in our community to a dark and lost world.
Matthew 5: 14-16 NIV You are a light of the world. A town built on a hill can not be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let our light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Jesus invites us both as individuals and as a group to not hide our faith in God from those around us. We should not be ashamed, shy, or selfish! Instead, Jesus asks us to serve God as a visible light of hope in a dark filled world!
Every spring I put out my electric bug zapper. It uses light to attract bugs and the light is surrounded by a small electrified grid that zaps the life right out of them. The light can be seen by the bugs in the darkness up to 1 ½ acres away or just a little bit farther than the length of a football field. Scientists have found that the human eye can detect a candle flame at a distance of 1.6 miles. On a dark night, a person with good vision can see the Andromeda galaxy, a collection of about a trillion stars that is 2.5 million light years away. If a person can see a collection of stars 2.5 trillion miles away that makes it even easier for me to believe that a single star could have guided the magi to baby Jesus in the manger. Light is a common metaphor in the Bible. 1 John 1:5 says God is light, Philippians 2:15 likens God’s children who are blameless and pure, to shining stars in the sky. Jesus used light as a picture of good works, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds.
Matthew 5: 14-16 NIV You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
The bible uses light as a metaphor for righteousness and goodness, and darkness signifies evil and sin. God is the Creator of physical light as well as the giver of spiritual light by which we can see the truth. Light exposes that which is hidden in darkness; it shows things as they really are. Have you ever walked into a dark room, turned on the light and then seen the roaches and bugs scatter. They are nasty creatures that do not want to be in the light. I am not going to confess how I know this but, I have never seen a brightly lit bar. People that are over indulging in alcohol don't want to be in a brightly lit room. They would rather be in the darkness so they can hide their foolish acts.
John 3: 20 NIV Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.
Believers in Christ must confess any darkness they have in their lives. They must continually confess their sins and transgressions and allow God to shine His light through them. Christians cannot sit idly by and watch others continue in the darkness of sin, knowing that those in darkness are destined for eternal separation from God. So what are some ways I can let my light shine. First, help others, volunteer to pick up trash along the highway or work at the food pantry. By volunteering, we can open a whole new door for others to be introduced to Jesus just by simply volunteering alongside them. Second, share your testimony. Testimonies are so powerful especially when you know that individual. Don’t hesitate to share your journey with someone when the timing is right, that maybe the day the seed of the gospel is planted. Lastly, listen to what God Is calling you to do and do it! If you feel you are being called to serve God, don’t hesitate, teach that Sunday school class, be a greeter or an usher! It will have a positive impact on your life and those who see you stand tall in your faith. No matter how great the darkness is that surrounds a light, it not only can’t conceal it, it actually makes it easier to see.
Acts 26:18 NIV To open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.
When Joyce and I go camping we have this routine we go through before we leave for our trip, to make sure we are fully prepared for our camping trip. We check the weather forecast to make sure we pack clothing that is appropriate for the temperature, long sleeve or short sleeve shirts and jackets if needed. We count out socks and underwear so that we have a clean pair for each day. Since we both love to cook over the campfire we plan out a menu with breakfast, lunch and dinner items, then we go the grocery store and buy the groceries we will need to make each meal, because there is limited space in the camper refrigerator and pantry. We pay very careful attention to preparing each detail of our camping trip so that when we arrive we can sit around the campfire and relax.
I heard a story the other day about two men who just loved the game of baseball. John and Josh loved baseball so much it was an obsession for them. They traveled all over the United States so that they could say they had watched a ball game in every stadium in the league. The men so loved the game they thought it must certainly be a part of heaven, because it just wouldn't be heaven without baseball. So they made a pact with each other, whoever died and went to heaven first would return and tell the other if there was baseball in heaven. One day John died unexpectedly. Josh attended the funeral of his best friend and in his mourning all most forgot about their pact. Then a few days later Josh was awaken from his sleep by John's voice. The two visited and finally Josh asked his buddy the question, “is there baseball in heaven?” John replied, I have good news and bad news for you Josh, to which Josh replied, “I can't wait, give me the news John!” John said, “Josh the good news is yes there is baseball in heaven, the bad news is your pitching in tomorrows game!”
I tell you these stories to make you stop and think, what are you spending your time preparing for? Do you spend your time preparing to go on vacation? Do you spend your time working and saving for your retirement? Do you spend your time taking your children to school events? Maybe you spend your time worrying about things you can't control, like the weather, what people think about you or if you will get that promotion at work. While none of these things are evil, they certainly are not the best investment of your time. No one is promised tomorrow. Are you prepared to stand before the judgment seat of Christ where all will be tried in the presence of God?
Luke 12:20 NIV But God said to him, You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?
The Bible tells in us that everyone is going to stand before God one day and give an account of their life on Earth.
Romans 14:12 NIV So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.
If you had to stand before God today, what would He say about your life? Would you hear God say: Well done, good and faithful servant or would you hear him say: Depart from me you workers of iniquity for I never knew you? That day is coming for each of us, and none of us knows the day or hour it shall happen, so we must prepare to stand before God. How do you prepare your life for that day? First you must receive Jesus into your life as your Savior. Then you must daily live your life pleasing to God. Loving God with all our heart, soul and strength and loving your neighbor as much as you love yourself!
When I was a young boy I decided that I going to teach my little brother the art of jumping ramp on your bicycle. So I stacked up some cinder blocks on the ground and laid a nice wide board on them. Then I went up the hill in the driveway with my bicycle at my grandparents home and told my brother, “Watch this!” I went screaming down the driveway as fast as I could pedal my bike. When my tires hit the ramp board the cinder block fell over. When the front tire of my bicycle slammed into the block it came to a very sudden stop and I flew like superman with my arms out-stretched in front of me. When I landed on my hands with my feet over my head I broke my right for arm in 6 or 7 pieces right at my wrist. My scheme to teach my brother the art of jumping ramp on his bicycle didn't work out quite like I had planned it.
I grew up during the era of Saturday morning cartoons. Some of my favorites were: The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Speedy Gonzales, Yosemite Sam, Tom & Jerry, The Super Friends and Bugs Bunny. My most favorite cartoon was Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. The coyote was always putting together some scheme to catch the Road Runner. He would order some gizmo from the Acme company and carefully lay out his scheme to catch the road runner. Unfortunately for the ole coyote his plans always seemed to end in his demise usually with a safe falling on his head, a stick of dynamite blowing up in his hand, oh yeah and my favorite failure was when he would run off a cliff, hang momentarily in the air and then hold up a sign that would say, “That's all Folks!”
Isaiah 32: 7 ESV As for the scoundrel—his devices are evil; he plans wicked schemes to ruin the poor with lying words, even when the plea of the needy is right.
In the world today men are constantly planning and scheming evil. The dictator of North Korea frequently test fires missiles. I have no idea what scheme his has in his mind but I am confident it is not one that would bring glory to God! Vladimir Putin has declared war on Ukraine and is killing many and destroying their country for some evil scheme he has devised in his head. Putin's latest scheme involves moving nuclear weapons from Russia to Belarus, a form of nuclear black mail. According to the news article I read, It’s unclear if moving nukes to Belarus will change the course of the war, but it shows that Putin wants to keep the nuclear threat in the minds of Western leaders. In all that swirls around us today, from national news stories to local news there is not a day go by that someone is not committing an evil act. Their schemes may not directly impact you but, you must admit that more than ever - we're in a battle in this life. We face an active enemy every single day.
Ephesians 6: 12 CSB For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.
There’s one who lurks around us today. He’s real. He’s alive. He’s deceptive. He’s crafty. And his primary goal is to strike you down, along with as many others he can drag down with you. He waits. He searches. He watches. Looking for the best time to attack, at your weakest, most vulnerable moment the Devil will launch his schemes against you. So how should we as Christian's react to the evil schemes of the Devil? Be watchful and aware, but realize God has already won the battle!
Psalm 37: 12-13 CSB The wicked person schemes against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him. The Lord laughs at him because He sees that his day is coming.
Take a moment and think deeply, what is your greatest need? Is it health or finances? That may be the most common response. I can tell you from my own personal experiences that at different points in my life I would have had different answers to the question, “What is my greatest need?” If you had asked me when I was a 16 year old boy what my greatest need was I would have told you a fast car. When I was 30 years old I was a single father doing my best to raise 3 girls, at that point in my life I would have told you my greatest need was a faithful loving wife to make my family complete. When my grandson James was born I would have told you my greatest need was for a bone marrow donor so he could survive and live a full and complete life. Most days I would still tell you that one of my greatest needs is just a little more money, but honestly I live more comfortably that many people, I have a warm home, plenty of food, a loving family and a beautiful wife that loves me despite my faults.
What is your greatest need? If you’re sick, you may think, “My greatest need is to be healed of this illness.” If you’re unemployed, you may think, “My greatest need is to get a good job to provide for my needs.” If you’re single, you may think, “My greatest need is for a mate.” If you’re in a difficult marriage, you may think, “My greatest need is for harmony in my marriage.” If you have a child who has become ensnared by drug abuse, you may think that your greatest need is for your child to be free from addiction. While all of these are important needs, none of them are your greatest need. The greatest need of every person, whether they recognize it or not, is to have God forgive your sins before you die and face God’s eternal punishment. Health, adequate money, and a happy family are wonderful blessings, but if you die without God’s forgiveness, these blessings will be useless. Your greatest need is to know that God has forgiven your sins and that you are reconciled to the holy Judge of the universe.
The bible tells us that we are all are in need forgiveness, for all have sinned and fell short of the glory of God. And the wages of sin is death and eternal separation from God. However most people think that they are basically good and don't really need forgiveness. The devil tells us that God is tolerant and loving. He couldn’t possibly condemn a nice person like me! Of course, I’m not perfect, but compared to terrorists who blow up innocent women and children and perverts who abuse little children, I’m not so bad. So I can excuse my relatively “minor faults” and dismiss my need for God’s forgiveness.
Ephesians 2: 1-3 NLT Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil, the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
As sinners, we face God’s wrath. God cannot tolerate sin. Someone had to die for our sins, so God took His wrath out on Jesus, who was the perfect sacrifice, in order to allow us to go to heaven. Jesus took the wrath of God for you and me, so we would not need to be subject to it. Through Jesus’s death, a free gift, we have been glorified.
Hebrews 10:14 NLT For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.
Now being holy, we can approach God’s throne with confidence, because we have been made right with God. Your greatest need is the forgiveness of your sins. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Media and technology have tremendous benefits, but Christians are pulled in two directions. Do we avoid technology or risk exposure to violence and sensuality? Imagine for a moment that thieves were to come into your home and steal your children. The thief's break down a door and force their way into the house and kidnap your kids. You would call the police and you would be frantic until your children were safely returned. Once home you would make sure that your doors and windows were double locked and bolted shut. What if I were to tell you that thief's are already in your home and they were stealing the souls of your children but leaving the body there, so that you have to feed the child and cloth the child but his soul or his heart belongs to someone or something else. Those thief's happened to be in your home right now and you even welcomed them into your home. They may even be in your child's bedroom in the form the internet, an xbox, I-Phone, or I-Pad. One or all of these devices may already be there stealing your child's soul. Think for a moment about video games. Many of them are extremely violent, with blood and guts. Statistics show that violent video games tend to create violent children. Not all video games are bad. There are those that train children to solve puzzles and math problems, and other educational needs. But even good videos games and technology can become very addictive. You children become addicted to an unreal world, disconnected from parents and eventually disconnected from God. So your children need to supervised very carefully when it comes to the internet, social media and other technology. Did you know that 73 percent of teens under 17 have viewed pornography on the internet? And all of this could be happening in your home right now! Many kids today sleep with their cell phone on, so they don't miss any text messages and so others can connect with them. They are seriously addicted to their electronic devices. The bible tells us that we must live in this world but not be of this world.
First John 2: 15-17 ESV Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and the pride of life is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
Even though we are in this world Christians are not to be of this world. Our true home is not in this sinful world we live in, it is in Heaven. Yes, there are bad things in this world especially on the internet but believers can rest assured that there is a glorious kingdom that awaits us. I am thankful for the internet and the media. I have personally spoke to people that came to our church because they found our church website or listened to a sermon or devotional on our social media page. The podcast I record and the devotionals I read before Sunday school have now been heard in 30 different countries and over 250 cities. But I have to admit that I must constantly be on guard to use the internet and technology for God's glory and choose to love the Lord more than I love to sin. It is very easy for my mind to wander and to view things on social media that are at the very least inappropriate and at their worst simply lustful! So guard you heart! Technology can be very useful, but it can also be just as addicting as drugs or alcohol and just as deadly. There is one place here in Bethany that has hundreds of inhabitants, none of whom view pornography, none of them spend to much time on social media, none of them smoke, drink or do drugs. It is on the northwest edge of town, it is called the Miriam cemetery. Don't love the things of the world or be conformed to it. The things that unbelievers live for are temporary and it can all be gone faster than a lighting strike.
2 Corinthians 6: 14 ESV Do no
Viktor fell into the drug dealing business in his twenties. He ran a major drug operation during the 1990s, which smuggled drugs into Central Asia where he lived. The job offered plenty of easy money, along with loads of adventure. And best of all, Viktor was good at it. So good, in fact, Viktor's operation expanded. But it only takes one bust to ruin everything. And that's exactly what happened to Viktor. In 1996, Viktor's success ended. Authorities caught him with nearly 9 pounds of heroin, which sent him straight to prison. To Viktor, it seemed like the end. But really, God was just getting started!
Viktor's long sentence behind bars dragged on. His mental state continued to deteriorate until he was suicidal. And that's when God got a hold of him! Viktor's cell mate received the New Testament Gospel of John from his mother as a gift. He offered to let Viktor read it, but he refused. But one sleepless night, Viktor decided to give it a try. At first, it made no sense, so he gave up. But more sleepless nights followed, so Viktor tried again. This time, as he read about eternal life, he felt God moving. Viktor was a changed man. And it showed when some fellow inmates offered him some smuggled drugs. The old Viktor would have jumped at this. But the new Viktor turned the drugs down. Being saved doesn’t mean an end to our troubles, however. Viktor got some bad news. Doctors diagnosed him with a terrible disease, and told him he had about a year and a half left to live. The news should have crushed him. But instead, he had a joy that confused his fellow inmates. Viktor, confident in his newfound relationship with Jesus, had no fear of death. He knew it led to Heaven. So, instead of despair, he found hope!
2 Peter 3: 8-9 NIV But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
There’s just something about a story. We all love to hear tales of transformation. We are moved to tears by the testimonies of sinners transformed into saints. But what if your testimony is boring? Maybe it sounds like mine, a little something like this . . . I was raised in a Christian home by Christian parents and attended church on a regular basis. I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior as a young boy. I made some pretty bad choices as a teenager and young adult, but I stayed out of trouble for the most part and now I attend church on a regular basis along side my parents once again. Nothing to moving or spectacular about my story. It is really kinda vanilla. It doesn't shock or awe you in any way. It’s not the kind of testimony that people are line up around the block to hear, but I still need to tell it often! If your testimony feels underwhelming, you need to tell it, too! Here’s why.... If you were born into a Christian family, that’s because God is good!!! If you avoided the trappings of sin, that’s because God is good!!! If you heard the gospel at a young age and responded to it, that’s because God is good!!! If you grew up in a home where your needs were met, that’s because God is good!!! Being raised in a Christian family is a rare thing today. According to a 2021 survey done by Statista. 31% of Americans never attend church, 25% seldom attend, 11% attend about once a month and only 9% attend almost every week. So in my humble opinion that makes your vanilla testimony pretty darn spectacular! We all need Jesus. From the homeless crack addict living on the streets to the straight “A” student. Sure, our sins may look different, but we all have them!
Romans 3: 23-24 NIV for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Do you ever feel like God doesn’t care? Someone says, “God is good.” And you respond, “All the time!” And yet part of your heart isn’t tracking. If God really cared, wouldn’t things be better? Sometimes we face some really tough stuff in this life: a loved one dies in a tragic car accident, you have a child that is born with a terrible birth defect, the company you work for eliminates your job and you are suddenly out of work, your marriage collapses after you have prayed and worked hard to save it. Each one of these things have happened to me personally, my nephew Clinton was killed in a car accident at 18 years old. My son Jerry Craig was born with a rare genetic disorder and died at 3 months old. The company I was working for sold out to another company and told me they had eliminated my job. My first wife left me even though I prayed and tried desperately to save our marriage.
Is God good? Is He good when you still don’t have a job after a year of looking? Is He good when your spouse refuses marriage counseling and serves you with divorce papers? Is He good when your child dies! Is He good when the doctors say, “There’s nothing more we can do?” In your mind you believe God is good. All the time. But your feelings just can’t catch up. Your mind tries to say it’s true, and you try and speak positively about how God is always there for you. But when you’re alone and the problems mount up, if you’re really honest with yourself, you might think, how can a good God let all these terrible things happen to me! Whether you say it out loud or not, sometimes your head and your heart find it hard to believe that God is good! Mary and Martha the sisters of Lazarus must have felt this way when their brother died. According to John, Jesus receives a message that Lazarus is ill, and his two sisters needed his help. Jesus then delays his departure for two days. When He arrives in Bethany, Lazarus has been dead and buried for four days. Before they enter the town, Martha, comes to meet Jesus and tells him: "if you had been here, my brother would not have died".
John 11: 17-22 NIV On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
When Martha and Jesus get to Lazarus home, Jesus is met by Mary and the people who have come to console her. Upon seeing their grief and weeping, Jesus is deeply moved. Then, after asking where he was buried, the shortest verse in the entire Bible is found - Jesus wept! After that, Jesus asks for the stone of the grave to be removed, but Martha interjects that there will be a smell. To which Jesus responds, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" Martha knew without a doubt that Jesus was the son of God and even in his presence she still had doubts!
Then Jesus looked up and said: "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I say this out loud for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The ultimate purpose for Jesus’ delayed trip to Bethany was so He would be glorified. Even though Mary and Martha must have felt like God didn't care, because Jesus delayed coming when their brother was dying, He knew their heart and heard their pleas and he knows your heart and is with you even when you looks like He Just doesn't care!
Have you ever wondered what Jesus really looked like. I can't help myself, I have thought about this. Nearly every man made image you may see of Jesus Christ portrays him as a Caucasian man of medium height, with a full beard and brown eyes, at least this is the way Leonardo da Vinci painting portraying Jesus and his disciples sharing the Lords supper depicts Jesus. The painting was completed around 1498, almost 1500 years after Jesus ascended into heaven. So this makes the likely hood that Leonardo da Vinci had any first hand knowledge of Jesus appearance, pretty unlikely. There are a lot of other inaccuracies with the painting as well. For instance the height of the table, in Jesus days the table was short and people ate in a reclined position. Also the bread on the table is a large fluffy loaf that would have been baked with yeast, pass-over bread would have been unleavened and flat. Finally the plates and glasses are made of gold and silver. The dining ware at the last supper would have been made of wood or clay. All these thing lead me to believe that Mr. da Vinci didn't really know any better than I do what Jesus looked like.
In terms of physical appearance the average Judean man of Jesus time would have likely had brown or even black hair, olive skin, and brown eyes and was about 5 feet 5 inches in height. Historians have speculated about Jesus's appearance and physical attributes for a long time. This much we do know, Jesus was a carpenter. He did manual labor so it is likely he was lean in appearance and spent a lot time exposed to the sun and other elements. These things would have affected his appearance. We know Jesus was about 30 years old when he began his ministry, but the Bible tells us virtually nothing about what he looked like, except that he didn’t stand out in any particular way. When Jesus was arrested in the garden of Gethsemane before the Crucifixion, Judas had to point Jesus out to the soldiers from among the disciples, presumably because they all appeared similar to one another.
Matthew 26: 47-50 NIV While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him. Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.”
There is only one verse in all the bible that describes Jesus physical appearance and it is not very flattering.
Isiah 53: 2 NIV He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
The passage tells us that Jesus “had no stately form or majesty” and no “appearance that we should be attracted to Him.” In short, Jesus was not a handsome man! So why does the bible not describe Jesus physical appearance? It is because the purpose of the Gospels was to communicate the truth and his physical appearance isn't essential to that message. Can you imagine how problematic it would be to theology if they decided to focus on it? “Christians with black hair are closer to the ideal of JESUS Christ than blondes are! Personally, I'm glad they didn't focus on his physical appearance! I have always told my wife Joyce that I was perfect in appearance, just like Jesus, and because the bible doesn't describe Jesus appearance she has no way to prove me wrong!
The Christian music group, Mercy Me, has a song titled “My younger me.” The lyrics of the song start by saying: “ Dear younger me. Where do I start. If I could tell you everything that I have learned so far, then you could be one step ahead of all the painful memories still running thru my head. I wonder how much different things would be? Dear younger me.” I heard this song recently on the radio and it got me to thinking, just what would I say if I my 50 plus year old self could talk to my 16 year old self. I might start by saying, although it is a lot of fun you don't have to drive your car like your trying to out run the devil. I might also say, no matter what your friends say you can have fun without drugs and alcohol. Finally I might say, even though you think your parents are dumber than a box of rocks they are really a lot smarter than you think. You may think your a genius right now but when you get older you are gonna realize your not nearly as smart as you think you are. Finally, I think tell my younger self that if you don't listen to anything else I have say, listen to this. Just be obedient! Honor and respect your parents, your teachers, law enforcement and any other adult in your life.
Ephesians 6: 2-3 NIV Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.
This is the first commandment in the bible that comes with a promise. This commandment promises that If you honor your parents, it will go well with you and you will live a long life. Well, crap! I may be in trouble. When I was a child one of my main motivations in life was to do the opposite of what my parents told me. This may explain why I was always in trouble and why I got so many spankings and other discipline. If honoring your parents comes with the promise of a longer life, the mischief I caused as a teenager may have taken years off of my life!
Notice that the commandment does not say, "Obey your father and your mother." This is because honoring not only includes obedience it goes beyond obedience. Honoring suggests adding to, glorifying, embellishing and holding in high esteem your parents. Obedience can be given in a resentful manner, but honoring requires admiration, respect and even reverence. Honoring is something that usually does not happen as a child. It usually isn't achieved until adulthood, when the child has his or her own experiences as a parent and finally recognizes and begins to appreciate his parent's loving labors. Parents your not off the hook either. If you want your children to honor you, then you must teach your children the commandments of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 6: 5-9 NIV Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.
If children grow up not honoring God, the blame largely falls on the parents' shoulders. It cannot be accomplished by absent parents. If the parents do not know God, or if their knowledge of Him is shallow, and they are not attending church with their children, what will they pass on to their them? Both parents must be dedicated and deeply involved in honoring God in their own lives, if they want their children to honor God and them! So what would I tell my younger self? “Hey numb skull! Honor your parents and God and you will be rewarded with a longer life and less problems!”
In our camper we have an over zealous smoke alarm. Any time I cook anything it starts blaring at us. In the tiny space of our camper the alarm is ear piercing! Even though I know the alarm is coming it still manages to catch me off guard and it just grates on my nerves. In order to shut it up I turn on the exhaust fan in the bathroom. I open windows and I wave a dish towel at it. Then because you get distracted by trying to shut off the alarms and you ignore what you have on the stove top and you really do burn you dinner. Usually before the camping trip is over we have taken the smoke alarm down and removed the batteries, just to shut it up. Isn't this similar to how we sometimes want to deal with the sin in our lives. Even though the Holy Spirit is making our sins blatantly apparent to us all we want to do is plug our ears and fan the smoke of our sins away so that we can pretend they don't exist. We just want to jerk down the annoying smoke alarm, remove the batteries and enjoy our sins and pretend as if they are okay.
Matthew 13:15 NIV For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.
Identifying a man who works hard with his hands is always easy. Shaking the hand of a farmer, carpenter, or a mechanic will immediately give the sensation of a hard and callous hand. The roughness of the hands comes from repeated friction of implements and tools against the skin. A couple summers ago I helped my father pick up square bales, by the end of the day I had blisters on my hands. In most cases callouses are a good thing because they protect you from pain— they’re a tough outer layer that stops the harshness and coldness of the world from hitting your nerve endings. There is a process to becoming calloused. It actually starts with something hurting. Then little hurt, by little hurt, your body builds up protection against the thing that’s causing pain. When I worked daily with my hands they were more callus and frequently I would pass something at the dinner table to my wife not realizing how hot it was and she would drop it. My callous hands couldn't feel the heat, but her hands were much more sensitive.
Our hearts can become callus just like our hands. It happens little by little when we ignore the Holy Spirit, and commit those so called “little sins” into our lives. Why is it we measure our sins as little and big. What are some of those so-called little sins. Lying comes to the top for me. Embellishing the story I am telling because I want those hearing it to be impressed with me. Anger certainly must be at the top of the list as well. Those moments of road rage I have when the light in front of me is green and the idiot driving the car in front is not paying attention! But hey these are just little sins right. I haven't killed anyone, I haven't robbed any banks, I haven't cheated on my wife sexually, or have I?
Matthew 5: 28 NIV But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
If we continue to ignore our sins, our hearts will be come callous. Don't take the batteries out of your over zealous smoke alarm. It is much better to be aware of the danger, than to burn up in a fire. If you ignore the Holy Spirit for to long you become used to the negative effects of your sins and don’t even notice anymore! You become, “Callous!”
What exactly is Love anyway? If you listen the lyrics of popular music and you define “Love” by what you hear in Pop and Rock songs you may be in trouble! For example there is a song that says, What the world needs now is love sweet love. The rock band Foreigner sings, I want know what love is. There is an older song that is kind weird that says. Yummy, yummy, yummy, I've got love in my tummy. But what is this love, we sing about. It's in our tummy, we need it, but what is this love we are talking about. One song answers that question but saying Love is a many splendored thing. Another song says, love is the answer. Led Zeppelin reminded us that we need a whole lot of love. The 80's rock singer, Meatloaf sang, I would do anything for love. Whitney Houston sang a song, I will always love you. But then Phil Collins give us a warning singing, you cant hurry love. But another song gives us the answer by saying, that's the way love goes. Okay so let's review the lyrics about love and try to figure this all out. Love is many splendor-ed, it's in our tummy, we need a whole lot of it, but we can't hurry it, because that's the way it goes, and it is what the whole world needs. Well maybe the real answer is in this song title, I said I loved you but I lied. Maybe that is why the group the Black Eyed Peas sang, where is the love? Lady Gaga sang, stupid love, the Beatles sang all you need is love and then they broke up the band and sued each other. Another song warns to much love will kill you. Maybe that is why Dionne Warwick sang I will never love this way again. Finally Tina Turner sang, What's love got to do with it. Let's conclude this madness with the J Giels Band who sang, Love Stinks! So if you got you definition about what love is from music your in trouble and likely deeply confused! Let me tell you what the bible says about love. The bible says God is Love and he so loved you that he sent His Son to die on the cross for you.
John 3:16 NIV For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
How many times does the Bible talk about love? According to the King James Version, the answer is 310 times. But then again, when the King James Bible was updated into the New King James Version, the number changed. Love is mentioned 361 times. The English Standard Version then came out claiming that love is mentioned 551 times! Jesus himself makes things pretty clear. When asked which commandment is greatest, he responds in Matthew 22:37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. The second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 1 Corinthians 13 may be the best place to go if you want to learn about love.
1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 NIV Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Think about that for a while! Love doesn't keep any records of wrongs. You know you all have a mental picture of that one person that has just really taken advantage of you. When they walk into the room you go to the other side and then you stare intently at them with all your might like your gonna burn a hole in the soul. The last part of verse from 1 Corinthians 13 may be the hardest part of the definition of love. Love always trusts, always hopes for and sees the best in everyone. The bible also says if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so big and strong I can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react! See
Most of the fairy tales I heard as a child followed a similar pattern, there was a hero, a victim who needed saved from the villain and the happily ever after ending. The fairy tale of Snow White and the 7 dwarfs is a perfect example of this story. In the beginning Snow White and her 7 little friends lived and idealistic life without a care in the world. However her step mother, the queen, was jealous of her because she was the most beautiful lady in the land. In a fit of jealousy the queen devises her wicked plan and presents a poison apple to Snow White. After seeing how beautiful and delicious the apple looks she takes a bite and then suffers the consequences of the curse on the apple. She falls into a deep sleep until true loves kiss.
I must say I find it very intriguing the similarities between the story of Snow White and the truth found in Genesis chapter 3 when Adam and Eve are tempted and eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Both stories have a villain, the evil queen and serpent. Both stories have a female victim, Snow White and the first woman Eve. Both stories also use a fruit that appears to be beautiful to the eyes and delicious in the moment. Finally after succumbing to the temptation both stories have an immediate consequences which will require true love to overcome. Snow White's true love must find her and kiss her to awaken her and God must send his only begotten son to die of the cross for our sins.
John 3:16 NIV For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Just like in fairy tale of Snow White, those who do not know Jesus Christ as their savior live without a care in the world. In many cases they have job's, homes, cars and other earthly possessions. They have friends and families that love them and all seems well in the world, until the Holy Spirit opens their eyes and their minds, many times through a catastrophe in life. The catastrophe causes them to cry out to God in search of answers. In search of their “Happily Ever After!” Unfortunately this world has been corrupted by sin and for those of us who place our faith in Jesus Christ the only true healing will come when Jesus calls us to our heavenly home. No matter what may happen to you in this life, if you have placed your faith in Jesus you can have the peace in knowing that in the midst of the most catastrophic and turbulent times in life God is still in control!
Job 13 15-16 NIV Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face. Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance...
This faith-filled statement challenges us as believers to strive for a similar trust and faith in the God during the trials of life. Job made this statement when he was in a terrible pain and suffering. He had lost all of his children, his wealth, and his health. His friends were of no help. His wife offered no support and was in fact telling him to give up! It is possible that Job may have felt as if his life was over and the only thing left to do was die. But, as Job says, even if God did “slay” him, he would still trust in Him. Job realizes his pain was not permanent. With God, there is a way of escape! The suffering of this life is temporary and will end for those who trust in the Lord. After this life, there is eternal life with God in heaven. By God’s grace, faith is all that is required to be made right with God.
Ephesians 2:8 NIV For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Football fans are some of the loudest and proudest people on the planet! When they go to their favorite teams game they dress in the team colors, they paint their faces to match the team colors and logo, sometimes they wear elaborate costumes in support of their favorite teams. They scream as loud as they possibly can in support of their team. There is absolutely no doubt where their allegiance lies! Football fans will spend large sums of money to attend the game and on the tailgate parties before the game begins. They will devote many hours and sometimes even days traveling to distant games in support of their team. So why don't we, the people who profess to be Christians, have such a loud and proud faith in Jesus Christ? Some of us have such a secret faith, our friends may not even know we are Christians. On the other hand if your friends came to your home to watch a football game with you I bet there would be no doubt who your favorite team is!
Matthew 10: 32-33 NKJV Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
If my favorite football team makes it to the super bowl game. I will spend quite a bit of money at the grocery store so I can prepare all my favorite snacks to munch on while I watch the game. Without hesitation I will invite my friends and family over to watch the game with me. Then I will spend the next several hours shouting, jumping up and down and cheering during the game. Yet I can't sit through a 30 minute sermon without falling asleep! If I add up the amount of money I spend at the grocery store on food for the game, which total will be larger, my grocery bill or my tithe check to the church. If you add up the amount of time you spent getting ready for the super bowl game and watching the game will it be more or less time then the amount of time you spend reading your bible this week? If being Christians suddenly became illegal would there be enough evidence in your life of your faith in Jesus to find you guilty in a court of law.
Romans 10: 9-10 NKJV if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
These verses should not be understood to mean that we are saved by means of an audible profession of faith. Salvation is by grace, through the gift of faith in God, not by words we speak. At the time of the writing of the book of Romans, for a person to accept Christ and confess Him as Lord usually resulted in persecution, and many times even death. At that time, to embrace Christ and confess Him as Lord, knowing that persecution was sure to come, was an indication of true salvation and the work of the Holy Spirit. Outward professions of faith are rare when one’s life is at stake! I am thankful that I am not faced with such persecution and that I can worship freely anytime I want to without fear of being thrown in jail, beaten or even killed.
When was the last time that you stood up for your faith with the same level of enthusiasm that you show for your favorite football team! When was the last time you called your friends and family and invited them to come join you at church? When was the last time you spent your hard earned dollars in support of your faith and your local church as freely as you support your favorite sports team. Is your faith a secret faith or are you a loud and proud Christian!!!!
Have you ever started a new year and wondered what the year would have in store for you? With all the uncertainties in the world today just about anything could happen. In a world filled with war and rumors of war, financial inflation, political turmoil, sickness and pandemic, your guess is as good as anyone's, what the new year may hold in store!
So many people think that if they work hard and store up enough possessions and money they will prepared for anything. This idea is not all bad. It is a good idea to have enough money in the bank to be prepared for those unexpected expenses. It is a good idea to have a few extra groceries in your cabinets in the event you get snowed in or you are to sick to go to the store. However, it doesn't matter how many possession you have, it is still no guarantee that you will be ready for every unexpected event. Life is full of tumultuous, violent or overwhelming trials. For example, my sister's son Clinton was 19 years old. He had just graduated from trade school and got his first job. He was a smart kid, that was in a relationship with a good young lady, it looked like it was going to be smooth sailing. Then one Sunday morning he fell asleep while driving his car and was fatally injured. No matter how hard my sister or her husband and worked and no matter how much money they had stored up in the bank, no possession would be able bring back Clinton's life.
The Israelites wandered in the dessert for 40 years. All this time they were in possession of the Ark of the Covenant, which represented the presence of God among the people.
Joshua 3: 1-4 NIV Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. After three days the officers went throughout the camp, giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before...
The Israelites had been carrying that ark around in circles for 40 years and they had never entered the promised land. It wasn't the possession of the Ark that made the difference, it was the position of the Ark. The Israelites had been in possession of the Ark, but it had just been in their midst. They had just been carrying it around, but now the Ark is was out in front of them. Have you ever wondered why some Christians are victorious and some are not? Why do you suppose that is true? All Christians possess the same thing, Jesus. The difference is not what you possess, it is in its position. When you decide to make God you pilot and not your co-pilot, then God will lead you to a victorious life. All Christians possess the Lord Jesus Christ, but not every Christian let Him lead them into victory. If you will make your New Years Resolution, “I not going to take a step on my own, I am going to let God lead me in all that I do!” I promise that you have success in the new year!
If you watch any news at all you can quickly become depressed. There is almost never any good news. Stories that make the headlines include mass shootings, children being abused, peoples homes burning and wars between nations where innocent civilians are shot and homes are destroyed. Even here in our small rural community, life can be hard! Most of us start out life with high hopes. Young couples get married and think all they need to survive is love, then life begins to get hard. Children are brought into the relationship and sometimes they get sick and the hospital bills pile up. At times your dream jobs don't work out and you become unemployed and despite what you thought when you and your spouse were newlyweds, love doesn't pay the bills, life is hard!
Exodus 1:12-14 NIV But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread. So the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly. They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.
Do you think you have employment problems, you don't' like your boss, you are overworked and underpaid. Imagine if you were one of the Israelites working from early in the morning until late at night and they were slaves, owning nothing, barely surviving. As Christians the way we react to adversity may be the only bible many people ever read. The way you react depends on what you are filling your cup with. If you are filling your cup with the hate, violence and corruption you see in the news, when you face a difficulty your cup will be filled with the same and it will spill out of you all these terrible things. If your unsure what your filling your cup with take a quick inventory of your habits. What do you start your day with, the local news on TV or a Christian devotional or maybe a bible reading? What do you do the moment you get home from work? What is the first thing you pick up when you get home, your TV remote or your bible? How many hours do you spend each week in your church versus watching TV or movies at home? I will be the first to tell you that when I add up the time I spend in devotionals, studying my bible and worshiping God, versus the time I spend in front of my TV, my cup is frequently getting filled with things that don't bring much glory to God.
Psalm 23: 5-6 NIV You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
You can be confident that no matter how challenging, dark or difficult the situation you face, God will always be with you and will never forsake you. God also promises us that his provision and protection will watch over you as well. God prepares a table for his sheep. Even “in the presence of my enemies” lets us know that the table is not just for anyone, but specifically for those who are in relationship with Him. Even in the midst of trouble, dark times and yes even your enemies, God will give you a table of provision and protection. It doesn’t matter what is going on around you. Not only is God sending his presence, provision and protection, he is also providing you with power. Power to endure. Power to lead. Power to make wise decisions. God will fill your cup to over flowing! God has put his Holy Spirit in you so you can become what he wants you to be. God’s blessing on us is designed to spilled over so it can bless others. God’s blessings are not given to us so that you can hoard it and keep it to ourselves. He provides, He fills us and the overflow of his blessings are designed to be poured out to others. God fills your cup to overflow on those you are surrounded with everyday!!!
The end of the world fascinates millions. Some fear the end of the world, while others are cheering it on. Block buster movies have been made about the end of the world as we know it. Movies, like “Avengers Endgame,” feature the world on the brink of destruction, while others, like “Captain Marvel,” portray it in the midst of conflict between forces of good and evil. Other popular films, such as the 2017 thriller “Geo-storm,” depict widespread natural disasters with the potential to destroy our entire planet. Do any of these movies portray a real future? Hollywood movies at times are so far from the truth it is ridiculous. Bible scholars believe the day of the Lord will be an instantaneous event when Christ will return to earth to redeem His faithful believers and judge unbelievers to eternal damnation.
2 Peter 3: 7 NIV By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
How close are we to “The Day of the Lord?” The Scriptures indicate that “The Day of the Lord” will come quickly, like a thief in the night, and therefore Christians must be watchful and ready for the coming of Christ at any moment. What are some of signs that “The Day of the Lord” is near! Here are just a few signs the day is near. First; wars and rumor of wars. If you have watched any news cast lately somewhere in the breaking news stories will be a story focusing on war. Sadly, the bible confirms that humanity is not finished with war. Scripture foretells of Armageddon, when a huge army will move west across the Euphrates River. Sign number two; Earthquakes and other natural disasters. Earthquake and tsunamis, floods and fires, continue to ravage our planet and seem to be increasing. Sign number three; cosmic events. Blood moons, lunar and solar eclipses and meteor showers have become common events in recent days. Scripture, tells us that one day the moon will be turned to the color of blood and the sun will become dark and thousands of meteors will light up the sky. Jesus Christ may return at any moment and He is not slow in keeping his promises!
2 Peter 3: 8-9 NIV But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.So if we use the timeline that with God a day is like a thousand years to help us comprehend how close we are to “The Day of the Lord'” you may be surprised at just how near we are to Jesus return. Some believe the second coming of Christ will occur 6,000 years after the creation of mankind, followed by 1,000 years of peace, because in Genesis, creation took 6 days and then on the 7th day God rested. Day 1, represents the first 1,000 years, the creation event, The Garden of Eden, the fall of man, Cain and Abel, and Adam dies. Day 2, 1 to 2,000 years, wickedness increases, the global flood, the Tower of Babel and the confusion of languages. Day 3, 2 to 3,000 years Abraham's calling, the Egyptian persecution, the Exodus, Joshua enters the Promised Land. Day 4, 3 to 4,000 years King David, King Solomon, Solomon's temple established and destroyed, Daniel in Babylon, major prophets and twelve minor prophets written. Day 5, 4 to 5,000 years marks the beginning of our current calendar, marked by BC and AD, the birth, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the Christian church is established. Finally Day 6, 5 to 6,000 years are the Crusades, the Dark Ages, the Protestant Reformation, the Age of Enlightenment, Scientific Revolution, World War I & II and the Israeli Declaration of Independence. The first two days cover the fall in the garden and the flood. The third and fourth day, cover the old testament and the prophets. Finally the 5th and 6th days represent
I often hear people ask this question, “If God is so loving, why does he allow children to get cancer?” Or maybe they say, why would God allow a child to be physically or sexually abused. And the truth is, I don’t know! I had two sons die. One was still born and the other lived for only 3 months. That was over 30 years ago and though I can see God's hand working in and through my life as a direct result of my boys deaths, I can't say with total certainty that I know why they had to die. I can't see in my feeble mind what good could have possibly come from this situation and others like it. I know that as I suffered through those days, weeks, months and even years after my boys deaths there were many times I thought to myself, where are you God? The thought of a loving heavenly father allowing my boys to die was just something I could not comprehend. With the support and love of my Christian family and friends I managed to get through it all and come out the other side a better person!
Pain can make a person either a “better person” or a “bitter person.” There is a very fine line between becoming a “better person” and a “bitter person.” Two people can go through very similar difficult and painful situations in life and one of the comes out a “better person” while the other turns into a “bitter person.” What makes one person a “better person” and the other a “bitter person?” What is the difference between “better” and “bitter?” The only difference between “better and bitter” is the I. If you start looking at on yourself during difficulties in life you will become “bitter!” I can't understand why God would do this to me? I can't understand why God let my sons die! I just don't know, I - I – I!!! As you start relating everything to you,.... you become bitter. But if you will look to God, if you look to Emmanuel the “I” becomes an “E” and you become better. Even when you can not see it God is in control and he is working out his purpose!
Romans 8:28 NIV And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Pain always has a purpose. Pain in the body exists to alert us to some abnormality in our body. It exists so that we will recognize there is a problem, allowing us to address and correct the problem. Emotional, mental, and spiritual pain exist for the same purpose. God’s purpose is always to help us realize a life fulfilled. God wants us to be the very best we can be so that our lives will glorify Him! We just think we know what is best for us. God knows exactly what is best for us is. God knows we need to live a life in perfect union with Him, walking in faith, submission, and obedience. Everything God does, or allows, is for the purpose of drawing us, and others, back into union with Him. To glorify God with our lives. I may not see how life’s painful circumstances accomplish that, I may not understand how the death of my sons will bring glory to God, but I don’t have to!
Proverbs 3: 5-6 NIV Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Some of you may be walking through unbearable valleys of suffering that I can't even begin to comprehend. My prayer for you is for encouragement and grace to sustain you during this season of sorrow. I pray that God would bring people alongside you to comfort and sustain you. I ask that God would strengthen your faith. That you would trust the plans God has for you. Plans to prosper you, plans to give you hope and a blessed future.
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Have you ever felt like you were drowning in a sea full of distraction and anxiety, from all the day to day tasks you must get done. When you experience an overwhelming moment, it can feel all consuming. It can cause intense emotions, that at the time may feel like they are to challenging for you to over come. I don't often feel this way often but when I do I just want to ran away to a place of solitude and silence. As a country boy one thing that provides me with a sense of peace and relaxation is to be in nature. To be surrounded by God's creation. I especially enjoy walking to the top of the hill on the back of my property and enjoying the view from on high. From the top of the hill behind my home I can see for miles. In the spring when everything is green and in the fall when the trees are full of color it is especially beautiful. According to psychologists the view from a high location provides us with a sense of security and refuge.
Psalm 33:13 NIV From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind.
God knows all things and sees all things. God does not see as man sees! He sees much more than you and I see. There is a folk tale from India about 6 blind men and an elephant illustrates well how our limited perspective really impacts how we comprehend the world around us. Long ago six old men lived in a village in India. Each was born blind. The men were curious about many of the stories they had heard, about elephants. So the men were led by friends to an elephant. The first blind man reached out and touched the side of the huge animal. An elephant is smooth and solid like a wall, he declared! The second blind man put his hand on the elephant's trunk. An elephant is like a giant snake, he announced. The third blind man felt the elephant's pointed tusk. This creature is as sharp and deadly as a spear. The fourth blind man touched one of the elephant's four legs. He said, It is like a large tree. The fifth blind man felt the elephant's giant ear. I believe an elephant is like a huge fan. The sixth blind man gave a tug on the elephant's tail. Why, this is nothing more than a piece of old rope, he scoffed.
As a teenager I thought I knew everything, just ask my parents! But as you can see each of us have a limited view of the world around us, but God knows all and sees all. God is omnipotent meaning he is all powerful. God is omniscient or all knowing and God is omnipresent meaning he is everywhere all the time! God knows the end from the beginning. He always sees the big picture. His perspective is complete and perfect.
Isaiah 43:2-3 NIV When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
So even though you may not be able to see the forest for all the trees surrounding you, when you experience that emotionally overwhelming moment just remember nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes. Just remember when you are standing on a hilltop and you think you are in control of everything you still have a very limited view point, but nothing is out of sight for God or beyond the control of our awesome God!!!
Job 28:24 NIV for he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.
What does a real man look like? What physical attributes do manly men have? I am not at all a fan of professional football player, Tom Brady, but you have to admit he is a pretty physically flawless man. He is tall and muscular, without an ounce of fat. He has perfect teeth, perfect skin and neatly trimmed dark hair, but what does a real man look like? A real man is brave and strong, respectful, thoughtful considerate, courteous, well mannered and protective. A real man can replace a ball valve in your household plumbing, change the oil in your car and fix a gourmet meal, right? The world offers conflicting views of what a real man is all about. Some say that being a man requires grit, determination, and rock-solid abs. Others say that manliness is about getting in touch with one’s feelings, caring for the less fortunate, and being sensitive. Still others would include leadership skills, a good work ethic, physical stature and riches. Turns out, if you ask women, none of that ranks very high. Recent online surveys of more than 1,000 women between the ages of 21 and 54 conducted by BestLifeOnline.com found that women value personality far more than physical attractiveness. What women want in a man is faithfulness and dependability, a sense of humor, the ability to listen, and a sense of style. Only 13 percent of women cited muscular build as a factor in physical attractiveness. On the other hand, 66 percent of women said moral integrity will “make them quiver."
I believe Joseph the adopted father of Jesus was a great example of real man. He was a humble carpenter who lived a quiet life; in fact, the Bible doesn’t record a single word he said. Yet Joseph was hand-picked by God to be the adoptive father of the Messiah. Joseph was the one who protected the infant baby Jesus. In the word of God Joseph stood silent. He is spoken to, he is spoken about, but not a single word from Joseph is recorded. Joseph appeared on the scene for just a few moments when he is engaged to Mary. Matthew tells us that Joseph was “faithful to the law.”
Matthew 1:19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.After an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and encouraged him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife, Joseph immediately obeyed. Later in the book of Matthew, an angel again appears to Joseph and commands him to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt because King Herod wanted to kill Jesus. Again, Joseph immediately obeys the angel’s command and takes his family to Egypt, saving Jesus’ life. After Herod died, an angel once again appears to Joseph and commands him to return to Israel, which he does. The only other time Joseph is mentioned in the bible is when 12 year old Jesus was accidentally left behind in the temple in during the Passover. After that Joseph is not mentioned again in the entire new testament. But Joseph displayed a pattern of obedience. So if we follow this example real men are obedient to the word of God!
A real man chooses to obey the Lord. If a men obeys God he will bless him. Real men are obedient and obedience leads to blessings. If you do not understand why God is asking you to do something but you obey God anyone, he will reward you. Therefore, set a goal to obey God and watch him work in your life.
Joshua 1:8 NIV Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Every life has a beginning and an end, the day we’re born and the day we die. We enter this world weak and helpless, but each of us is born with tremendous potential. Our parents likely watched us and wondered: “What will our baby do with his or her life? What kind of person will he or she become?” And, by the time life ends, most of us have thought long and hard over the age-old question: What is the meaning of my life? What is the purpose of my life? The world focuses on finding a fulfilling personal career, accomplishing something emotionally or physically satisfying, or maybe just being a good person. No matter how successful you are at leaving your mark on this world, very few people will remember you or anything you have accomplished after your dead and gone.
A survey conducted by ancestry.com revealed that 34 percent of those surveyed can’t trace their family tree past their grandparents. Twenty-one percent don’t know where their grandparents lived, and 14 percent don’t know what their grandparents did for work. And almost no one knew the first name of any of their great great grandparents. So in just a couple generations you likely will be forgotten. Two thousand years ago there was a man born that knew exactly what His purpose in life was and He is still remembered and celebrated around the world today. He wasn't born into wealth or power. He was born into exactly the opposite. He was born in a barn and laid in a manger, a feed trough for the animals, there was likely livestock nearby the day he was born. From His humble beginning to his death on the cross Jesus Christ lived his life with purpose, to bring truth to the world!
John 18:37 TLB Pilate replied, “But you are a king then?” “Yes,” Jesus said. “I was born for that purpose. And I came to bring truth to the world. All who love the truth are my followers.”
You were born for a purpose! God created each of us for a reason and we are happiest when we are living in harmony with the purpose God has given us. Many people lead empty, unfulfilled lives, lacking purpose and meaning beyond the short-lived gratification of money, sex, power, respect or popularity, none of which means anything, especially when the darkness of death approaches! You need to know what God's purpose for your life is. The first chapter of the Bible tells us that God created us in his own image. To be born in the image of God is not about skin color, clothing styles, your personal skills or any other physical attribute. Being born in the image and of God is about spirit, attitude and actions. God is love! And He sent His Son Jesus Christ to be show us what love is, and how we are to love all people, even those who are hard to love. When was the last time you bought a Christmas gift for someone you didn't know or better yet someone you don't like!!!
Maybe you aren’t very “Jesus-like” right now. That’s OK. God already knows about it, and that is why he is working with you. If you let him, he will change you and transform you to be more like Jesus Christ. It takes patience, but the process fills your life with meaning and purpose.
2 Corinthians 3:18 TLB But we Christians have no veil over our faces; we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him.
The truth is, that no matter how much good we have done, we are never “good enough” to earn a place in heaven. God’s purpose for you is not only to be like Jesus was 2,000 years ago, but also to be like Jesus is now, resurrected, eternal and filled with glory and power!
Let’s face it, gifts are usually the reason we get excited about Christmas. The Liberty Mutual insurance company has a commercial around Christmas that just cracks me up. It begins by showing a young boy opening a gift, his mother asks him what he got. He responds, “It is customized home insurance from Liberty Mutual.” His father replies, “What does it do buddy?” to which the young boy explains with great enthusiasm, “It customizes our home insurance so we only pay for what we need!” Then the mother turns to the other boy and asks him and what did you get and the boy replies with his head hung low, “I got a bike.” Then he kicks the bike and goes to the other room to sulk. What is the greatest gift we have ever been given? God sending Jesus, His Son, to the manger in Bethlehem. You may think this is a crazy question to ask but what would you say is the difference between Jesus Christ and Santa Claus? Disregard for the moment the obvious fact that Santa Claus is a fictional character and Jesus is not.
Jesus came from heaven to a manger outside of Bethlehem, then to a cross in Jerusalem, followed by ascension back to heaven, and is coming back to earth to establish his everlasting kingdom. Santa Claus comes from the North Pole in a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer. One of them makes an appearance once a year on Christmas Day, while the other one has promised to be with us every day of our lives for as long as we live. Both of them have had songs written about them, but it may be in the lyrics of those songs that the clearest difference between Jesus Christ and Santa Claus can be found.
Here is what we sing about Santa Claus: You better watch out, you better not cry, You better not pout, I’m telling you why, Santa Claus is coming to town. He’s making a list; he’s checking it twice, He’s going to find out who’s naughty and nice, Santa Claus is coming to town. He sees you when you’re sleeping, He knows when you’re awake, He knows when you’ve been bad or good, So be good for goodness sake.
Now listen to what we sing about Jesus Christ: Hark the herald angels sing, Glory to the new-born king, Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled. Joyful all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies, with angelic host proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem, Hark the herald angels sing, Glory to the new-born king.
John 3:16-17 NIV For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Not only has Santa Claus led us to believe that Christmas is primarily about gifts, most of us also give like Santa Claus gives; only to the people that we like and everyone else gets a lump of coal. When was the last time you did something nice at Christmas for a person you did not like or that you knew didn't like you? It is human nature; we give gifts to the people that we like. The others who have hurt us, or offended us, or who we simply do not like for one reason or another get left out. Under the guidelines of the Gospel according to Santa Claus, they have been naughty and we can just scratch them off of our list. Now contrast Santa’s approach to Christmas with the Gospel. The Gospel says Christmas is about how the love of God was demonstrated when God gave to us His only begotten Son, to forgive our sins, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but should have everlasting life. I hope you understand that the most precious gift any one could possibly receive this Christmas is the gift of salvation, the gift of the forgiveness of sin and the gift of eternal life with God!
Do you feel like you are constantly being tempted? If so don't worry that is not necessarily a bad thing. If you are not being tempted on a regular basis that means the Devil isn't worried about the influence you are having on the world around you. The Devil doesn't tempt those who are not having an impact on the lost around them, however the opposite is true. He will throw every temptation he can think of, at those he wants to stumble, to ruin their witness to the lost people around them. Don't worry temptation is not the sin. Yielding to temptation is the sin. Remember, the Devil does his best to make sure that temptation comes in an a bright, shinny, attractive package. If that were not so, if temptation was evil, ugly and unattractive it wouldn't be a temptation now would it!
Just remember it's not the bait - it's the bite! If you have ever gone fishing the old fashioned way you know exactly what I am talking about. First you put the bobber on your fishing line making sure that the hook is set at just the right depth so that it will be impossible for the fish to miss it. Then you carefully cover the hook with a fishing worm so that none of the point or barb is exposed. I know that worms may not seem like an attractive temptation to me and you but to a fish this is a like a juicy steak, a free meal! In this story the fisherman is the devil. He throws his bait into the water and patiently wait for the fish, me, to take the bait. Once the fish sees the bait he starts to nibble on it just to get a taste and see if it is as good as it looks. Once the devil is certain that the fish has got a good taste of the bait, he sets the hook, because he knows the fish has given into the temptation! So exactly where does temptation come from?
James 1: 13-15 NIV When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Temptation is all around us and it seems to come at the most difficult of times. I know there are times when I am in church and trying my hardest to worship God, when all of the sudden from out of no where I have this terrible thought. Maybe I get angry about something someone said to me or I am repulsed by the way someone dressed to come to church, don't they know they are in God's house? You would think they could have at least found a pair of jeans that didn't have any holes in them! This is the kind of stuff that happens to me all of the time! Don't worry, even Jesus was tempted in the desert, yet thankfully we can protect ourselves against stumbling, against taking the bite out of the bait and giving into temptation. Memorizing scriptures is a good place to start. I struggle so hard with remembering the book and chapter but if you can remember the scripture itself that is good place to start and here is a great scripture to quote when you are being tempted!
1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
Just remember it's not the bait that constitutes the sin it is the bite! So it's dangled in front of you, that's the bait, but you don't have to take the bite, but if you take the bite, now your responsible for your actions. You certainly need to confess and repent from the sin and you may even suffers some consequence for your actions. How do we deal with temptation? Avoid it, resist it, and pray for help from God, through the grace of Christ, to overcome it.
There are very few things in life I enjoy more than going camping with my wife, my children and my grandchildren. I make reservations months in advance. I spend many hours packing my camper and planning my weekends. When at the campsite I spend hours over the campfire cooking meals for my loved ones and even more hours in the evening relaxing around the campfire with my family and friends. So my hard question to you is this. If I spend 2 or 3 hours in a weeks time in Gods word and countless hours preparing for a weekend of camping, has my camper became my idol? Remember this, every good thing we enjoy in life can be a gift from God, including our hobbies.
James 1:17 NIV Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Whether your hobby is sports, music, fishing, reading, or in my case camping, we can enjoy God through the things He has made. However, due to the sin in our lives, we also have to be on guard against turning our hobbies into idols. It’s all too easy to begin enjoying and worshiping the gift more than the Giver. But how do you know when a hobby has become an idol? First examine your mind! What occupies your mind when you have nothing else to think about? Does your mind go to your favorite hobby when you don’t have anything else to think about? The true god of your heart is your thoughts! Next take a look at your conversations. Remember, what’s on your mind and heart comes out of your mouth. What are you most passionate about? Some people talk about sports all the time. It’s just everyday conversation. It is so easy take a good thing and turn it into a god. Now look at your emotions. Do your hobbies incite or ignite your emotions in an unhealthy way? For example, does the football game cause your emotion to swing in such a way that you’re sad, grumpy, or even angry when your team doesn't win? Also look at your wallet. Are you spending so much money on your hobby that it is putting a financial strain on the rest of your household budget or even worse yet are you spending what you should be tithing to God on your hobby? Finally, examine the amount of time you are spending on your hobby. It is okay for you to spend more time on your hobby this week then you did worshiping God as long as you give God the glory for the gift he has given you. Just remember this, people tend to spend the majority of their time on the thing they love the most.
So how do we avoid losing perspective? How do we make sure to honor God with our minds, our hearts and our money when it comes to hobbies? Maximize your hobby for its intended purpose, a way to worship God. Some families use their hobbies as a way to spend quality time together. I do that with my family. When we are camping together I even set aside some time on Sunday morning to share a devotional with my children and grandchildren. Intentionally and continually offer thanks to God for your hobby. Hobbies are often times some of the most common and enjoyable means for bringing people together. So use your hobby as a why to share the gospel. When you are doing something together with someone that you both love it lowers their guard and gives you a more attentive ear, an opportunity to share the gospel with them that you likely would not have had if you had shown up on their doorstep with your bible in hand! Just remember this, the bible tells us that what ever we are doing whether it is your hobby, your work or your worship do it all for the glory of God!
1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
I am not certain about the rest of you, but I frequently have these bright ideas that I am confident God will be proud of. It is “My way or the highway” so you can either go with me or get out of my way. I charge head first into my projects,... then when things don't seem to be going quite as smoothly as I thought they should I ask God to join me! Our lives must be lived as Christ lived. Our focus must be for God's glory and not for our own. In the days in which we live, many people strive for notoriety, personal fame and fortune, for their own personal gain and not for God's glory. Rather than chase after fame and fortune Jesus calls us to walk in humility. One of the greatest examples of humility is when Jesus washed the disciples feet, just before he was betrayed by Judas, just before the last supper, just before he was to be crucified. In John chapter 13 verses 14 and 15 Jesus asked the disciples this question, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” Are the things you are striving for, the things that you are passionate about,... things that will be for your glory or for God's glory? We must do the “Lord's work in the Lord's way!” All of us have abilities, all of of us strengths, but the fact is if we operate focused on our own abilities and strengths, we are doomed to fail!
John 15:5 NIV I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
If your doing it your way, nothing you do will have an eternal impact. In Philippians chapter 2 verses 3 and 4 the bible says Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but to the interests of the others. If you know Jesus Christ as your personal savior you must be doing God's work. His work is not just confined to those who teach a Sunday school class or preach a sermon, it can be done in your workplace in your daily lives. Philippians says in humility value others above yourself. God's work can be displayed in an unselfish lifestyle. A lifestyle that does not say, look at me and what I have done, a life that puts others interest before their own interests. So what does God's work in action look like. You can find the answer in Romans chapter 12 verses 10 through 18.
Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.
So you don't have to be employed by the church to do God's work. All you have to do is love others just as God loves you. Back in the 70s, the folks at Burger King developed a successful ad campaign with the slogan, “Have It Your Way,” based on the fast-food chain's willingness to tailor orders to each individual's tastes and preferences. If you want to have an eternal impact you must do the Lord's work the Lord's way. You can't have it your way. You must put the needs of other before your own.
Mark 10:45 NIV 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.”
Have you ever been in a large building that has those maps on the walls that have a listing of offices in the building and their locations with a big brightly colored star with an arrow pointing to it and the words, “You are Here?” I don't know about you, but for this country boy without those directions I would never find my destination. I have another confession to make. Sometimes I think I know more than person providing me directions or in my particular case the technology providing me the directions. In our vehicle I have a pet name for the navigation system. I call her “Gee-Pess.” I don't know who programs these things, but they drives me crazy. It tries to send me down roads that I am convinced surely wont get me to my destination. I begin arguing with the voice. Gee-Pess begins by telling me to “Take the next right turn,” to which I will reply, I am sorrow honey but I am not going to do that. Then Gee-Pees get more emphatic and will say something like, “When possible make U-turn” I will reply still not gonna do that sweetheart. In a final desperate plea good ole “Gee-Pees” will say “Immediately complete a U-turn!” By this point I usually just ignore the pleas of my GPS device until it finally gives up on me and says, “recalculating.”
Where will you be when you be when you get where you are going? What map in life are you following? Are you following your GPS created by the world or are you following God's Positioning System, God's GPS is the bible, the inerrant word of God. Is your destination an eternal destination? If you think that your destination is not an eternal destination you are sadly mistaken. We are all on a journey to an eternal destination. We are all going to one of two final destinations. Every decision you make is guiding you towards either eternity in hell or eternity in heaven.
Matthew 7: 13-14 NIV Enter through the narrow gate. Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
When you go on a journey in your car you can use a GPS. When you take a wrong turn, it recalculates. But it never gives up until you reach your destination. You can ignore it, switch it off, even yell at it, but if you follow it, usually it makes getting to your destination go smoother. Eventually, it will say “You have reached your destination.” God designed you with a purpose in mind. He has a specific, unique and glorious destiny for you. He promises to guide you. God’s purpose for you is bigger than your mistakes. I have made many mistakes in my life, but God has never stopped recalculating for me. God wants to communicate with you and has promised to guide you. Here are some ways God can guide you through your journey in life. First, the bible, God's word provides us with guidance. The best and simplest example I can think of are the 10 commandments. Second, the Holy Spirit, through the Holy Spirit we receive guidance. Many times I have heard that subtle voice in my head telling me I should go speak to someone or apologize to them for awful things I just said to them. Finally, my church family guides me. Rarely is there not a day, when I am with my church family, when someone shares a testimony of how God has guided them through a difficult time in their life and that same advice just happens to be what I needed to hear to help me find my way. But how do you receive this guidance? The secret is a close relationship with God. It involves spending time in his presence, meditating on his word, spending time with your church family. When you just not sure where you are. When you are feeling lost just remember this.
John 14:6 NIV Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
It is not how you run the race that matters it is how you finish. Several years ago I was running the “Turkey Trot” a 3 mile race in my hometown. I was in my early 50's and was more physically fit than I had ever been. At the beginning of the race I surveyed the other runners and I thought to myself. I knew most of these people and I am pretty confident I could beat them all. This was going to be my year to win the race. If you know anything about long distance running you know it is very important to pace yourself so that when you get to the finish line you still have some gas in the tank. There was a group of young kids in the race that started off with a sprint. I hung back because I knew they couldn't maintain that pace for 3 miles. Sure enough after the first mile I had passed them all. It wasn't long after that a boy about 10 to 12 years old sprinted by me. I remember him clearly for 2 reasons, first he was running with his shoes untied, a big no-no for an experienced runner, secondly he would sprint for a couple hundred yards then he would stop running and walk. Each time he started walking I would catch up to him and pass him again. This went on all the way to the last mile. At the beginning of the last mile I saw him standing at an intersection. As I got nearer he asked me which way to go. I gave him directions and he sprinted away again. At the bottom of the last hill he started walking again. I was confident I had him beat at this point because we were within a half mile of the finish line and still felt strong. I passed him for what I was thought was the last time and never looked back. To my amazement just 10 yards from the finish line he sprinted past me and won the race. He broke all the rules of successful distance running and still beat me to claim the gold medal at the finish line.
Ecclesiastes 7:8 NIV The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.
Samson's life could have been one of the most epic successes in all of the bible, but instead it turns out to be a story of what not to do. Samson is one of the most recognizable of the judges who ruled over Israel before the time of the kings. On 3 occasions the bible says that the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon Samson, allowing him to do amazing feats of strength. By the Spirit of the Lord He killed a Lion with his bare hands. By the Spirit of the Lord, he struck down 30 men in Ashkelon. By the Spirit of the Lord he snapped his bonds and killed 1000 Philistines with the jawbone of an ass. Samson was a Nazarite from birth. Being a Nazarite means Samson had to honor three standards. He could not touch a dead body, he could not shave the hair of his head and he could not drink alcohol. Even though he was a Nazarite, he broke the rules of the Nazarite vow. Just like my “Turkey Trot” race, the young boy broke all the rules of long distance running but like Samson he finished well. In the end Samson was defeated, shaved and shackled. Samson's enemies were celebrating their victory by making sacrifices to their god Dagon. They called for him, they stationed him between two pillars. Once he was in position, he asked God to strengthen him one more time.
Judges 16:28 NIV Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.”
Even the strong can be brought to weakness. It’s important to resist those things that can derail your faithfulness to God. Although Samson had broken all the rules in the race of life in the end he repented and at the end of his life, God restored his strength. He took hold of the pillars, braced himself, and pushed with all his might. The temple fell on all the people in it. No matter how dysfunctional your life may be, God can still redeem you. It is not how you run the race that matters it is how you finish!
People have different ideas about heaven. Many have no understanding of heaven at all, they think of heaven as a "better place" where we all go when we die. Most people don’t give heaven much thought at all until they attend the funeral or a loved one. It is popular to refer to heaven as the place where "the good people go." And of course, everyone they know and love is included in the category of "good people." No human being is holy and perfect enough for heaven. The people we call "good" are not good at all compared to the sinless perfection of God.
Romans 3:10 NIV There is no one righteous, not even one.
If God allowed sinful humans to enter the perfection of heaven, it would no longer be perfect. What standard should be used to determine who is "good enough?" God’s standard is the only one that counts, and Romans 3:23 says that "all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory." And the payment for that sin is eternal separation from God. The judgment we face at death is God bringing our accounts up to date and passing sentence on our crimes against Him. We have no way to make our wrongs right! Our good does not outweigh our bad! One sin ruins perfection, just as one drop of poison in a glass of water poisons the whole glass. So God became man and took our punishment upon Himself. Jesus was God in the flesh. He lived a sinless life of obedience. He had no sin, yet at the cross He took our sin and made it His own. Once He paid the price for our sin, we could be declared holy and perfect. When we confess our sins to Him and ask His forgiveness, He stamps "Paid in Full" over our life. So in a moment we are made perfect, sinless! I believe when we arrive in heaven we will be surprised at who we see and who we do not see. I am confident there will be people there that according to the world were terrible, but in a moment confessed their sins and asked Jesus to forgive them and are accepted into heaven. I am equally confident that there are people on earth that the world believes are saints that will not be in heaven. There will be no good people in heaven! There is nothing you can do to earn your way into heaven!
Ephesians 2: 8-9 NIV For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast.
The people who go to heaven are all alike in one way: they are sinners who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ. Even though there is nothing we can do on our own to earn our way into heaven it is very important what we do with our lifetime after the moment we accept Jesus into our hearts. God’s goal in saving us was not only to rescue us from hell, but also that we would reflect His character and goodness to the world. God delights seeing us becoming more like His Son. We were created in God’s image. Sin marred that image. When the Holy Spirit comes to live inside us, He prompts us to do things that glorify God. Our desire to please God grows as our understanding of Him grows. That desire to please God results in good works.
Matthew 25:21 NIV “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant....
To hear those words, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” from Jesus, first make sure you are saved! The unbelieving will never hear those words, for without faith it is impossible to please God! It all comes down to this: Love God above all else and love your neighbor as yourself. After your lifetime is complete and you stand at the judgment seat of Christ, those who are faithful to the Lord who saved them will hear those words, “Well done, good and faithful servant!
Fall is one of my favorite seasons. I love being able to turn the A/C off, open up the windows and let the fresh air in. There is so much beauty and color in the fall. It is always easy to know when the fall season is coming. The daylight hours get shorter. The temperatures get cooler. The leaves begin to change colors and the geese began flying south for the winter. Just like the changing of the seasons the world is changing as the day of Jesus Christ return gets nearer. More than two thousand year ago Jesus promised us he was returning.
Revelation 22:12 NIV Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.
Revelation 1:7 NIV “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen.
So what are some of the indicators that the season of Christ return is upon us? Matthew 24 verses 7 & 8 tells us that nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places and all these are the beginning of birth pains. According to Google there are currently 10 wars being fought in the world. As for famine it is estimated that as many as 828 million people go to bed hungry every night and do not know when or where their next meal will come from. As for plagues how can we overlook the Covid-19 pandemic. I am 56 years old and this is the first world wide pandemic I have ever known and it is not over yet. Another notable sign is the appearance of celestial events as prophesied in Revelation 6:12. According to Accu Weather in 2022 there was the Lyrid, Perseid and Geminid, meteor showers, a black moon, a total Lunar eclipse and 3 super moons. The planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn aligned in order in 2022 and on December 8, 2022 the Mars opposition will occur. This is when the planet is opposite of the sun from the perspective of the Earth. As a result, it is visible all night long and shines brighter than most stars in the sky. Finally, in the book of Matthew it was prophesied that when the nation of Israel is restored the Lord's day will be near. Israel was restored as a sovereign country on May 14, 1948. These 3 signs are just a few of the signs that the season of Jesus Christ's return is upon us.
When the fall season is here I know that winter is almost upon me. There are steps I take around my home to make sure I am ready for winter. I make sure I have purchase enough propane to heat my home for the winter. I check the antifreeze in all my vehicles. I put fuel stabilizer in the tank of my, tractor, lawn mower and other engines and prepare them for storage. I put away all my garden hoses and I insulate the crawlspace under my house so the water pipes will not freeze. So how should we prepare, how should we live, knowing that Jesus Christ could return at any moment? First, live expectantly. The greatest event ever seen on planet earth is on the horizon, and you or your children could be alive to witness it! Knowing this should encourage you to share your faith and be as obedient as possible, so that your life will receive a “well done” from the Lord when you stand before him. Second, live faithfully. God has a call on your life, and he wants you to walk that out until the day you die or the day Jesus comes again. Finally, live hopefully. Many people around us have no hope or sense of where the future is leading. Let your witness and hope shine. Our hope is an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you.
Matthew 24:42 NIV Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
According to the “The Sleep Foundation,” almost half of all Americans say that they feel tired during the day at least 3 days a week and up to as much as 7 days a week. 35% of Americans say that they get less than seven hours sleep per night. Believe it or not women suffer from some sort of insomnia or sleep deprivation as much as 40% more frequently than men do. My wife Joyce is the perfect example of this. It took me years to convince her that she quit breathing in her sleep. She would snore loudly and then all of the sudden it was like someone was holding their hands over her mouth and nose and suffocating her. Her body would convulse as she gasped for air. I would shake her and wake her up so she would start breathing again, then to repay me for for my act of kindness she would yell at me and say, “why are you waking me up in the middle of the night.” I finally got her to go to the doctor for a sleep study and she learned that she needed a C-Pap. Once she started getting a good nights sleep she started telling me I snored and stopped breathing in the night. My wife, together with my parents finally convinced me to get a sleep study and now we both use a C-Pap to sleep. Sleep plays an integral role in our health. A good night’s sleep empowers the body to recover and lets you wake up refreshed and ready to take on the day.
Matthew 11:28-30 NIV “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Rest is essential for us in many ways. Without rest—and more specifically sleep—our mind and body are unable to function the way they were designed. We become unhealthy as our bodies go into chaos attempting to simply survive. The same goes for the rest Jesus provides, without it we begin to lean on ourselves and away from Jesus, driving our bodies and minds alike to exhaustion.
Resting in Jesus is more than just a physical halt from activity. It is laying everything down at His feet and trusting that He will and has already done the work, all we need to offer is our obedience. We live in a world that promotes hustle and full schedules. There is always another project to tackle, another item on our to-do lists, another goal to accomplish. We often idolize our busy schedules and even boast about weariness. We compare our schedules to others to see who is “doing more.”
So what is the difference between worldly rest and biblical rest? Rest for the world often looks like a face mask, a TV binge, or a glass of wine after dinner a do nothing day. While these things can be enjoyable, they give a false, sense of rest. Jesus specifically offers rest for our souls. This goes beyond physical rest, like sleep, or winding down from a long day with the TV and comfort food. The rest Jesus gives is unlike any other, reaching to the depths of our heart and soul. There is no striving in Jesus. He has already finished all the work that needs to be done, all He asks is that we come to Him and let Him do the work He so desires to do in our hearts.
Psalm 46:10 NIV Be still and know that I am God!
The next time you find yourself burning the candle at both ends just stop and say this prayer. Jesus, I come to You and ask for Your rest and peace. I pray you lift this burden off of my shoulders. Allow me to sit in Your presence and let You do all of the work. I pray you mold me into Your image, instilling in me a restful spirit. Let me radiate Your peace to others, even in the midst of chaos of this world, and show me how to to walk down the path of your perfect rest. Amen.
When I was a teen boy one of my favorite bands was “38 Special.” They had a hit called, “Hold on Loosely.” The first verse and chorus of the song go like this. You see it all around you, Good lovin' gone bad, And usually it's too late when you, realize what you had. And my mind goes back to a girl I left some years ago (Who told me), Just hold on loosely, But don't let go, If you cling to tightly, You're gonna lose control. I didn't realize it back then, but I certainly do now. There is a lot of truth in those words. As human beings we tend to be cling to, or try to hold on tightly to, things we love!!! We hold onto things. We hold onto people. We hold onto titles. We cling onto, we clutch these thing tightly.... Desiring good things, holding onto these things is not always bad, especially when they are loved ones. There is nothing harder then going to the funeral of a loved one and realizing you have to let go, that you will no longer be able to hold onto that person ever again, at least not in this life. The down side of holding on tightly to earthly things is that God can't fill hands that are already full. There is a poem entitled, “Treasures” written by Martha Snell Nicholson that explains this thought well.
One by one He took them from me, All the things I valued most, Until I was empty-handed; Every glittering toy was lost. And I walked earth’s highways, grieving. In my rags and poverty. Till I heard His voice inviting, “Lift your empty hands to Me!” So I held my hands toward heaven, And He filled them with a store Of His own transcendent riches, Till they could contain no more. And at last I comprehended With my stupid mind and dull, That God COULD not pour His riches Into hands already full!
Matthew 6: 19-21 NIV “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
When we loosen our grip on earthly things it can be difficult, even painful at times. But when we trust God, even when we can't understand why, God provides solutions that teach us to live with open hands. In order to hang onto earhtly things you must grip them tightly, but when your loosen your grip, when you open up your hands. The rewards God provides will surpass anything we could imagine! The world will say that you are so heavely minded that your of no earthly good, but I say the opposite is true, if your to earthly minded, if you hang on to tightly to earthly things, then you are of no heavely good! The more things we have, the more our things seem to have us. We start to organize our lives around them and spend money to maintain them. You may not want to hear this but hoarding is a form of idolatry. It puts something other than God at the center of your life. Jesus says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” meaning that we will center our lives around what we value most!!!
Luke 12:18 NIV “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain.
If we prioritize the wrong things, our lives will go off the rails. So “hold on loosely” to the things of this of this earth. The chorus of the hymn, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus,” sums things up well. Turn your eyes up Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.
If you were to ask my wife I am sure she would tell you that I am as stubborn as a donkey. Once I get an idea in my head I charge full speed ahead. I rarely ask for advice, because I am convinced I know exactly what I am doing, at least until I prove myself wrong. I start my projects early in the morning and sometimes I skip meals because I can't stop until I am done. As I have grown older I have realized that my mind is stronger than my muscles are. In my mind I am still a strong young man. Finally, I almost never ask for help because in my mind, you would just be in my way, also I just am not interested in your opinion about how I should be doing whatever it is I am doing! My strong will reminds me of bible scripture of Balaam and his donkey.
Balaam rode his donkey to go curse the Israelites. To end Balaam’s stubbornness, God sends an angel to block the path. But Balaam is intent on his assignment, he doesn’t notice the angel. But the donkey does. Three times. The first time, it causes the donkey to swerve away. Balaam shows his true nature and beats the frightened donkey back onto the path. The second time, the angel stands in a narrow path with walls on both sides. Again...Balaam exacts his frustration by beating the poor donkey. Finally, on the third account, the angel stands where “there is no room to turn, either to the right or the left” The donkey is so frightened, it lays down, with Balaam still riding him. And how does Balaam behave? You guessed it. He beats the terrified animal who is already as low as he can get. At this point, Scripture tells us the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth.
Numbers 22: 28-31 NIV Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?” Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.” The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?” “No,” he said. Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell face down.
I don't know about you but many times in my life I have been convinced that what I am doing is the right thing and I ignore all the signs and obstacles that God puts in my way until I am defeated and fall on my face before God asking for forgiveness. The angel admonishes Balaam, asking why he beat his donkey so heartlessly instead of realizing that his path was reckless. Now Balaam, a man who claims devotion to God now has the opportunity to explain his actions. He responds with “I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me.
I hate to admit this but sometimes I don't see the Angels, the obstacles and obstructions God puts in the road ahead of me until I come to a point where the road ahead of me narrows to the point where I can no longer proceed. There are 2 lessons we can learn from the story of Balaam and his donkey. The first lesson is this, If God can use a donkey to teach a lesson then he can use me. I am not the smartest person you will ever meet but I am at least as smart as a donkey and God used a donkey to speak his word. Remember, God does not call the qualified, He qualifies those he calls. The second lesson we can learn from this bible scripture is this, God is love. And that love is fierce, almighty, all-knowing, and all good. Where he calls you, he will guide. Be more like the gentle donkey, and less like Balaam, seek God’s voice and follow it.
I raised 3 girls so when my daughters were younger there was never any lack of drama in my household. My youngest daughter Sara seemed the most likely to come to me with some situation that seemed to be the end of the world, at least to her, and usually it involved a boy! To any of you that have had daughters I am sure this comes as no surprise to you. I heard a story the other day that reminded me so much of my daughter Sara. In the story this a teen girl came to her mother with tears in her eyes and begin to tell her of just how awful her day at school had been. First she had a pop test in her math class that she was not prepared, so she failed the test. Next her boy friend told her that he was breaking up with her and to top it all off she learned from her other friends that the reason her boyfriend was breaking up with her was because he was going out with her best friend. In response to the young girls disastrous day her mother said would you like for me to bake you a cake? The young girl said, “Oh yes Mom! Your sweet treats are just wonderful!” So her mother measured out some flour in a bowl and handed it to her daughter, who replied yuck I am not eating dry flour. Then her mother measured out some vegetable oil and handed to her, to which she received the response mom that is nasty. Next she cracked some eggs and handed the girl some raw eggs. With a confused look on her face the young girl said “Mom I thought you were going to make me a yummy cake?” Her mother replied to her, “Honey these are all ingredients of the cake. Separate they are really not good at all, but if you put them together in a bowel, beat them with a mixer and then bake them in the oven at 350 degrees for an hour they become a tasty sweet cake. I know all the things that happened to you at school today may have seemed terrible but God is still in control and he is working all things together for your good.
Romans 8:28 NIV And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Do you believe truly believe that God can work all things together in your life His glory and your good! It is not hard to see how God and use the sweet things in your life for your good and His glory, but how can he use the sorrowful things like the loss of a loved one! What about a sickness, how in the world can God use sickness for His glory? Well I tell you he can. I had a son that died of an unknown disease. If you had asked me at the time how God could use this for his glory I could not have given you an answer. Twenty years later my eldest daughter gave birth to my first grandson, James. He had the same illness as my son, but now the doctors knew how to treat it. It would require a bone marrow transplant. They gave us a grim outlook on finding a matching donor. However just 2 weeks later they found a perfect match. The donor did his part and with his bone marrow donation he sent a small stuffed animal and a card that said, “I have done my part the rest is in God's hands!” My family received a miracle that day! My grandson James will be 16 years old December of 2022. It took from 1988 to 2006 for God to work the sickness and sorrow in my life for my good and His glory but he did because God works all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose.
The rugged hope of the believer is not that we will escape distress, peril, hunger or slaughter, but that Almighty God will make every one of our agonies an instrument of His mercy to do us good! Joseph may have said it best when he addressed his brothers who had sold him into slavery!
Genesis 50:20 NIV You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
Few people leave this life without any regrets. When the good Lord calls you home to heaven, how can you be certain that you don't leave behind any missed opportunities or any unfinished tasks? When Joyce and I get ready to go camping we spend several days making out a menu and grocery shopping to make sure that we have everything we need in our camper before we depart. I count out my socks and underwear to make sure I have a clean pair for every day and then pack an extra just in case. Many times in the fall I pack both long sleeve and short sleeve shirts as well as jeans and shorts because you never know if it is going to be hot weather or cold weather. The point I am trying to make here is this. Why do I focus so intently on packing my camper for a weekend get away and spend very little time packing my bags and preparing for my eternal home. How can I prepare for my journey to heaven? Here are some steps to help you make sure you are packed and ready for your trip to heaven.
Step number 1: First and most important make sure you have a valid passport. If your going to travel to a foreign country you must have a valid passport or you will be denied entry. The same thing is true if you want to enter heaven. The only difference is your passport into heaven is not a physical passport it is a spiritual passport. In order to obtain your spiritual passport you must complete your ABC's. Admit your a sinner, Believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay for your sins and Confess that Jesus is Lord of your life. Only those who have their spiritual passport will enter into heaven. Being a Baptist, a Catholic, a Methodist or a member of any other denomination won't get you into heaven. People don't go into heaven in a group they go in one by one based upon their relationship with Jesus Christ.
Step number 2: Live with a destination mind set. Have you ever thought about how difficult it would be to live in two places at once? As Christians this is the challenge we face every day, we are residents of this life with very real responsibilities, but we are also citizens of heaven. As Christians we need to learn to live with a destination mind set, while we are here on earth we have to learn to prepare to be a citizen of heaven.
Philippians 3:20 NIV But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Step number 3: Refuse to allow your departure from this life to paralyze you with with fear. Nobody leaves this life premature. God has a definite date for your departure to eternity and nobody leaves this life for the next even 1 second before God's appointed time. Death is a necessary step in order to be able to depart for heaven. As a Christian you will close your eyes on earth and the next moment you will open them in heaven.
Step number 4: Make the most of your time on earth. God has allotted a different number of years on this earth for each one of us, so make the most of them. This doesn't mean work hard, save money and pay your debts. While these are good things, they are not eternal investments. Love the lost, care for the less fortunate and share the gospel of Christ so that others may gain their spiritual passport.
Psalm 90:10 NIV Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
So pack for your journey to heaven carefully. Make sure the things your packing are of eternal importance. Live you life in such a way that those who don't know Jesus Christ, will come to know Jesus Christ, because they know you!!!
Over the years different generations have been named and identified by the attributes they have in common. Some of the more recognizable generations are the “Greatest Generation,” “Baby Boomers,” and “Generation X,” just to name a few. The people that are apart of the current generation are called “Generation Alpa.” However, when this generation has passed and the historians are writing about it I wonder it might also be called the “Age of the Offended!” I used to think that if as a white person if I referred to another person as a “colored person” I was being politically correct. Now I am told that I can't say that because it is offensive. Instead I should say, “people of color.”
It is remarkable how quickly the opinion of the public will change in the twinkling of an eye. A perfect example of that is our former Governor, Eric Grietens. He started his campaign as a respected Navy Seal. He was then elected as Governor. Greitens was charged with felony invasion of privacy and later for campaign-related offenses. He was indicted on felony charges of computer tampering in April 2018; all charges were dropped in May 2018. Greitens resigned from office June, 2018. I am not taking sides or making judgments but in a very short period of time in the eyes of the public he went from Hero to Zero.
This nothing new, public opinion is so fickle! In Acts chapter 28 is the account of when Paul was ship wrecked on the shores of Malta. Paul says once the were safely on shore, The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the storm, justice has not allowed him to live. However moments later the natives of the island changed their opinion of Paul. In a very short period of time they went from calling him a murderer to calling him a God.
Acts 28: 5-6 NIV But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.
People waste so much time being offended about things. I heard this short story on Bott Radio told by Chuck Swindoll. I think it shows how dangerous it can be to be offended by someone's action. It is entitled, "Who Changed?" There was once a preacher whom I used to like. I thought he was great! His sermons were wonderful, as long as I liked him. His speech was fair his life was clean, He was a hard worker, as long as I liked him. He was the man for the job, in fact I was strong for him, as long as I liked him. But he offended me one day whether he knew it or not I don't know. Since that day, he has ceased to be a good preacher. His sermons aren't so wonderful, since he offended me. His speech isn't so good, his faults are far more prominent, since he offended me. He is not a hard worker, in fact he's really not the man for the job, since he offended me. It is really a shame he has changed so much, since he offended me.
Has anyone ever said something unkind or offensive to you or about you? I think we all have had that experience. Becoming victims of slander or gossip can be difficult to bear. However, God calls us to exhibit a very specific kind of response when we are offended.
Isaiah 53:7 NIV He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
Birthmarks are marks on the skin that a baby can develop before birth or soon after. Birthmarks can be flat or raised, have regular or irregular borders, and have different shades of coloring from brown, tan, black, or pale blue, to pink, red, or purple. Most birthmarks are harmless. Have you ever known someone that had a birthmark? I know two people that have a birthmark, my father-in-law, Garland Hendren had a reddish birthmark on his forehead and my mother has a dark birthmark on her hip. Birthmarks are often unique to people and become a part of their identity.
When you were saved, you became a child of God. Heaven became your destination. More than that, God gave you permanent birthmarks to show you are His. What are the “birthmarks of the believer?” What are the traits of the twice-born? Here are 3 birthmarks of a believer. First, a believer submits to the Lordship of Jesus Christ! No one can be saved without first receiving Christ as Lord. You don’t say “I’ll take Jesus as my Savior—forget the Lord part.” If you say He’s your Lord but don’t live by His Word, your life is a sham. In Luke 6:46 Jesus said, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not the things that I say?” If He’s is your Lord, you keep His commandments.
Second a believer wants to live as Jesus lived! If Jesus is your Lord you want to live, honestly. 1 John 1:6 says If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. Live a pure life. If you love pornography, if you continually act upon your lustful thoughts, than your not living a pure life. Live righteously! Righteousness isn’t passive. It isn't, I’ll just sit here and be sure I’m not doing anything wrong. Righteousness is actively doing good, just as Jesus did. Acts 10:38 says God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil. Don't just pray for you neighbor give them a helping hand, take them a meal, mow their yard, listen to them when they need a shoulder to cry on!
Thirdly, a believer shows and shares his love! 1 John 2:9 says; Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Hours before Jesus was crucified, He knelt and washed His disciples’ feet, saying, “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another…” He washed Judas’ feet even though He knew he was going to betray him. Jesus loves each one of us, not because we’re lovely; He just loves us and we should love others as he did!
John 13:35 NIV By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
To summarize, here are the birthmarks of a believer: You submit to His Lordship. You seek His lifestyle. You share His love. If you’re saved, it’s going to be illustrated by a life that is controlled by the Lord Jesus. If your religion hasn’t changed your life, you need to change your religion.
2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
If you don’t have the birthmarks of a believer, you need to ask yourself, “Have I ever really been saved?” What does it mean to be truly saved? You come to know the Lord by faith. You trust Him as your Lord and Savior by faith. The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” He longs for you to be saved!
One of the most memorable milestones in your child’s life is when they say their first word. Parents spend months repeating Mommy or Daddy to their little ones in the hopes it will be the first word they say. Some of the most common baby's first words are: Mommy, Daddy, Hi, Bye, Dog, Ball and believe it or not “NO!” First words are often a battle fought between Moms and Dads who are so insecure, because they think their child will be more devoted to the first parent they can name. Of course, that’s nonsense. Just ask Junior if their first words mean anything and they’ll probably tell you, “No,” because that’s literally one of the most common first words! While “No” is one of most babies’ first words “Yes” isn’t even in the top 20. Turns out, one the primary roles of parenting is to keep them from doing things they shouldn’t do, things that may harm or injure them. As parents I am confident you can remember fanatically telling your infant, NO! don't touch - hot, or NO, NO, NO, don't put that in your mouth. I could go on and on but you get the idea. Parents tell their children no, not because they are trying to stop them from experiencing something pleasurable or fun, but just the opposite, to protect them from something harmful.
The Bible gets a bum rap for being “negative,” for being a bunch of rules one has to follow, a long list of “Thou shalt nots!” God's word definitely contains “Thou shalt nots,” but God’s intention is not to limit our experiences. Rather, God’s word is designed to help us make wise choices that will protect us from harm and help us experience whole, satisfying lives. Lives that honor God. Lives that give us strength and stability in this crazy, chaotic world.
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Most of us are so selfish that we don't want anyone or anything telling us what we can or can't do! I know as a teenager growing up one of my greatest motivations to do something was usually because my parents told me I couldn't or shouldn't do it. As an adult, I now realize they weren't telling me, “NO” because they didn't want me to enjoy life, it was because they knew what was best for me. They knew that my choices would likely be harmful or even dangerous. We all want God's help when we’re in deep trouble. But the minute we think we’ve got life under control, we forget Him.
Unfortunately the world believes that truth is subjective. They believe there are no absolute truths. They believe that the truth can be discovered, even created. I am sure you see the slippery slope we’re hurtling down! If each person gets to decide his or her own “truth,” society has moved from concrete to sand piles.
Matthew 7:24-27 NIV “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
The bible is so much more than a rule book a list of “Thou Shalt Nots!” It’s the greatest love story ever told. It’s the story of our past and our future. And its power helps us to deal with the right here, right now! Get excited about that! God is Good all the time!!! All the time God is Good!!!
Since the start of the “Industrial Revolution” and the invention of coal-powered steam engines, human have vastly increased the volume of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. The media today floods the air waves with news about pollution. They speak about global warming, about the green house effect created by the fossil fuels we burn in our power plants and automobiles. There is air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution and even noise pollution. When I was a teen I would bet that my parents thought I created noise pollution with my loud rock and roll music. My favorite band when I was growing up, AC/DC. They even and a song titled, “Rock and Roll ain't no Noise Pollution!” Climate scientist around the world say that if humans don't take immediate action in just over a decade there will be no turning back! Extreme droughts, devastating wildfires, massive floods, deadly hurricanes, and widespread famines that we’re seeing more and more of in the daily news will be as recurrent as the fall changing of the leaves. I am here to tell the upcoming climate crisis and pollution is far from the most devastating thing the human race is facing!
As Christians we should be concerned with the environment, but we should be even more concerned with pollution of the mind. Our society is being infiltrated with moral pollution in movies, videos, TV, magazines and of course the internet. We read it and watch it daily for hours on end. It pollutes our minds. How can any Christian find entertainment in the violence, lust and greed which surrounds us and saturates us continually? What responsibilities do we have in caring for our children who sit transfixed before the electronic devices that we as parents have given them and some parents let them use these mind numbing devices without any guidance or supervision? What should we do to clean up our moral environment? This is a moral challenge Christians must engage in. lt is a matter of life or death.
Jeremiah 17:9 NIV The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
Romans 12:2 NIV Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
I know many people whose speech and conduct indicate a polluted heart and , some even claim to be Christians. As Christians we have a responsibility to feed our minds with thoughts which will not pollute the us but which will edify and purify the us. Luke 6:45 says Whatever one stores in the heart or in other words in the mind will eventually spring forth from our mouths.
In conclusion yes we should all be concerned with external pollution, the pollution of our planet. However, we should be even more concerned with moral pollution of the heart and mind. Don't fear there is hope though.
Mark 7:15 NIV Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.”
How do we clean up our Soul Pollution? It starts in your thought life. Garbage in – garbage out. If your thoughts are smut and filth, you know what the output will be. How you think and what you allow into your mind will determine how clean or polluted your heart will be!
Some of the earliest forms of communication were cave drawings. Cave drawings were painted onto the walls of caves and canyons to tell the story of peoples lives. They would tell stories of battles, hunts and culture. Man has invented so many ways to communicate. Just in my lifetime there has been so many advancements in communication. I remember when I was a boy visiting my grandparents house and they still had a party line phone, 1 long ring when someone was calling them and two short rings when someone was calling the neighbors. Even after I graduated high school the internet was just beginning and could only be found in government offices and there was no such thing as cell phones. I remember when I saw my first cell phone, it was in a large black nylon bag and was bigger than my wife's purse and cell phone signal was very limited.
Now there are so many ways to communicate with each other. I remember when I helped my Grandma Ellis set up her first computer and email account. I had shared her email address with my Aunt and Uncle who were serving in Ukraine as missionaries. Grandma was used to writing letters and not getting any response until the news was a couple weeks old or more. When I turned on her computer and checked the email account she had a message from them that was only minutes old. To say grandma was amazed didn't even begin to describe her reaction! Communication is key to building relationships, and modern forms of communication allows us to stay in touch with friends and family from anywhere in the world. Today, modern technology dominates our communication. We have a massive range of ways in which we can stay connected, but each channel of communication can influence our relationships in a different ways. Some modern forms of communication include social media, instant messaging, blogging, podcasts and video chat just to name a few.
The Internet reduces a person to a faceless screen name, it can make it hard for some users to remember that an actual person exists behind the avatar, which can encourage hostility and exclusionary behavior. Young people are especially prone to online hostility. In some cases, communicating online replaces face-to-face interaction for users, reducing the amount of time they actually spend in the company of other human beings. Social networks sometimes replace a small number of strong social connections with a larger number of much shallower connections, leading to situations where a user may have large numbers of "so called friends" but few actual real-world companions. This can lead to depression and feelings of loneliness. So what does the bible say about spending time with each other.
Ecclesiastes 4: 9-10 NIV Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.
We are all going to be held accountable for the way we spend the precious time God has given us!!! It really takes some self discipline to do what I am suppose to when no one is watching. But wait, isn’t God watching? Yes, of course He is! I need to remember this as I’m on internet just a little too long. God has called us all to be wise in how we spend our days, therefore we need to be asking ourselves. Does what I am doing have an eternal impact? Could I be doing something else with my time that would Glorify God more? I’m really writing this for myself as a reminder to step back and try to stay balanced. It is my prayer that I would examine my time and make sure that I’m spending it wisely and understanding what the will of the Lord is for me.
When I was in high school one of my favorite songs was “Sharp Dressed Man” by ZZ Top. The first verse of the song went like this; Clean shirt, new shoes, And I don't know where I am going to, - Silk suit, black tie, and I don't need a reason why, - They come running' just as fast as they can - Cause every girl crazy 'bout a sharp-dressed man! I am sure we have all heard the statement, “Clothes make the man!” Ever wonder where this statement originated? It sounds like some marketing pitch made by an upscale clothing manufacture. However this proverb, which means that people will judge you by the clothes you wear, has been around for a long time. Some people mistakenly attribute the source of the proverb to Mark Twain, because he made quite a fashion statement when be began wearing white suits late in his career. The founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, Colonel Sanders, also made quite the fashion statement with his white suit and black bow tie. The proverb actually originated during the middle ages. The earliest notable use of the is found in the writings of Erasmus, a Catholic priest.
When I was a young man my parents always dressed me and my siblings in our Sunday best when we went to church, especially on Easter Sunday. Even though we were not wealthy by any means, it was not uncommon for us to get a new outfit to wear to church on Easter Sunday. I will be the first to tell you that I no longer put on the suit and tie to attend church. My best blue jeans, comfortable athletic shoes and nice dress shirt is my attire for Sunday morning service and I have even been known to where jean shorts and a clean t-shirt to Wednesday night bible study. So how should we dress to attend Church? I am here to tell you that our Heavenly Father has a strict dress code, but it may not be what you think!
Colossians 3: 12-14 NIV Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
God loves you! He chosen you to be one of His holy children, so you must clothe yourself in His love and principles. So let's take a closer look at the heavenly dress code. First put on compassion. The meaning of compassion is to recognize the suffering of others and then take action to help. That means I need to reach out to those in need and not turn a blind eye or think they are not my family. Put legs on your faith and be compassionate enough to do something. Next put on humility. Be humble and not so high and mighty. Think of others needs before your own. Next put on gentleness and patience. I don't struggle to much with the gentleness attribute, but wow do I have problem with being patient. Patience is not my strong suit. Next put on forgiveness. Realize that everyone has faults including yourself and be ready to forgive as Jesus Christ has forgiven you!!! The final piece of our heavenly dress code is LOVE. When I was a child my mother used to hand sew a lot of clothing for me out of that indestructible material, polyester. I didn't care much for them, sorry mom, but they were sew together with love. Love is the thread that holds together our Sunday best clothes. Without love how can your be compassionate, humble, gentle, patient or forgiving?
Take off all your old clothing, hate, selfishness, short tempers and put on your new outfit! Now you're dressed in a new wardrobe. Remember every piece of your Christian attire is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. Designer clothing, designed for you by the creator of the universe.
When I was a child, in our back yard, between us and the neighbors, was a low spot and when it rained hard it would turn into a small stream. One of my favorite past times was to go outside after a hard rain with anything I thought would float and play in the water, chasing my homemade boats down the stream. When I came back to the house my mother could tell exactly what I had been doing because I would be covered in mud and wet from my head to my toe... If you have grown up in a rural community like I have, then you know what it is like to tromp through a muddy barn yard to feed the livestock. When you return to home it is evident by the mud on your boots and jeans, and the pungent small of the barn yard exactly what you had been doing. If you have ever had a task to do outside on a hot summer day and you forgot to put on any sunblock your bright red sun burnt skin is a dead giveaway that you spent a to much time in the sun.
Is there anything in your life that immediately points out to the world that you are a bible believing Christian? Is there enough evidence in your lifestyle choices that the world knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that you believe in God? In Acts Chapter 4 verses 1-14 Peter and John are standing before the court of the Sanhedrin for teaching and proclaiming the name of Jesus and for healing a lame man. The court asked Peter and John, by what power and in whose name were they doing these things? In Acts chapter 4 verses 8-10 Peter said this: “Filled with the Holy Spirit, he said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed....” However, it was the response of the men of the Sanhedrin that I find most interesting!
Acts 4:13 NIV When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
Unschooled and ordinary, I certainly fall into that category. Whoever do my actions make it apparent that I have been with Jesus? Unfortunately for me sometimes my actions may cause you to think just the opposite! My sarcastic wit, hateful comments, crude speech and selfish actions might lead you to think that I have been far from Jesus. There was another time the bible that speaks to the change that being in the presence of our Heavenly Father has on a person. In Exodus chapter 34 Moses was bringing down the 10 commandments from Mount Sinai.
Exodus 34:29 NIV When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.
So what are some things you can do that will change you in such a way that the world will know you have been with Jesus. First of all, don't go it alone! Surround yourself with other believers.... Where are you going to find these people? In Sunday School, in church and bible study. If the doors of the church are open, then be there! By being closely connected in the fellowship of other believers your attitude will change. You will become more loving, more forgiving, more like Jesus. The problems of this world may not get any easier, God may not lighten your load, but he will give your a stronger back to carry the load. The more time you spend studying your bible and spending time with Jesus, the more evident it will become to the world that you have, “Been with Jesus!!!”
What would you think if I was to tell you there is a very simple test that you could take, and if you pass you will get into heaven, no questions asked. There are only 10 questions on this test. The test questions are not essay question, they are not multiple choice, they are even easier than true – false. This is a hands on practical test. No paper and number 2 pencil needed. You won't have to worry about if you darkened in the circle good enough for the test reader to know your answer. Each question only requires a simple action or response from you. Matter of fact you can even cut the test down from 10 questions to only two very simple questions. Have I got your curiosity peaked? Do you think maybe Jeff's cheese has finally slid off his cracker. Maybe I am “cuckoo the coca puffs!” Their is one catch. You must get a perfect score. You can't miss a single test question or you fail. Oh yeah and you have been taking this test since the day you were born and you didn't even realize it. The test is the law set forth in the 10 commandments in Exodus chapter 20. So now I bet you want to know how I got from 10 questions on my heavenly test down to only 2. Here is how, in the book of Matthew Jesus was asked by a Pharisee, what the 2 greatest commandments were and here is what He said.
Matthew 22:36-40 NIV “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.
Let's take a look at the 10 commandments a bit closer. Number 1, “You shall have no other God.” Number 2, “You shall make no idols.” Number 3, “Don't use the Lord's name in vain.” and Number 4, “Keep the Sabbath day holy.” So if you do as Jesus says and love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind then you have the first 4 commandments covered, no problem. Now let's look at the last 6 commandments. Number 5, “Honor your father and mother.” Number 6, “Don't murder.” Number 7, “Don't commit adultery.” Number 8, “Don't steal.” Number, 9, “Don't bear false witness about your neighbor.” And number 10, “Don't covet your neighbors stuff.” So if you follow Jesus wisdom again and you love your neighbor as much as you love yourself then you got the last 6 commandments covered as well. Sounds oh so simple, right. Well unfortunately we humans are a rather hard headed and difficult group that can't seem to follow directions very well. Heck Adam and Eve were only given one rule, “Don't eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil,” and they messed that up.
In all of history only one human has ever been able to keep all of the law and pass this test, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. So knowing now that you have already failed the simply two question heavenly test what are we to do. Well the answer is very simple! God has given us an easy way out of the test. Since Jesus is the only human ever to pass the test, God says if you place our faith in the Jesus as the Son of God, you can use His passing score to get into heaven!
Romans 10: 9-10 NIV If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
Do we truly love God with all our heart, all souls, and mind, and do we really love our neighbor as ourselves? If we are truthful with ourselves, we know that we do not, but the good news is that the law and commandments were given as our guide to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. Only when we realize our sinfulness and hopelessness will we turn to Christ alone as the only hope of salvation. The only way into Heaven!
I believe with all my heart that we are living the last days. You have to agree that the world is certainly closer, at least by 2,000 years to the end of time, then it was when Jesus and the new testament writers first spoke of the rapture and the second coming of Jesus Christ. The rapture of the church and the return Jesus Christ could happen anytime, even before I conclude this devotional. All that being said, Even if Jesus doesn't return for another 2,000 years, you and I are certainly living in our last days. Think about this: in 30 or 40 years many of you listening to this devotional could have died. All you have to do is, do the math. For example if I was to live to say 86, far beyond the normal life span of 70 plus years, all I must do is subtract my present age 56 and that means I only have 30 years of life left. What if my remaining years past by me as quickly as my first 50 plus years have. I remember when I was a teen thinking that 50 years old was ancient and that it seemed like it was an eternity away and yet here I am.
Romans 13: 11-12 NIV And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
So how should we as Christians live in light of the fact that every moment we are closer to end of time. Just spend one evening watching the news and you will certainly find an abundance of things to be fearful of. There is inflation, political turmoil, war and rumors of war and let us not forget the ongoing pandemic. But instead of becoming overwhelmed by the world Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:58 said I want you to stand firm:
1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
As Christians we must not let ourselves be overwhelmed by all the chaos of the world, because the bible says we have a “Blessed Hope.” Titus 2:13 says, We are to be, “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” No matter how turbulent the world may become we can be certain that one day Christ will delivery us and that should bring us hope! Let me use this illustration to further explain my point. I have a friend, Bruce Williams, who truly despises the cold weather. The frigid temperatures coupled with the lack of sunshine makes him dread the winter season. As Bruce is such a good friend of mine I want to encourage him, so I strike a deal with him. I tell him that as soon as the temperatures reaches freezing and stays there for 3 days in a row I will pay for him to take a 2 week vacation to the sunny beaches of Hawaii. So how do you think his attitude towards the weather might change? I bet he would be checking the weather on his cell phone many times a day. He might even find himself cursing the sun every time it appeared from behind the clouds. His new hatred of the heat wouldn't be because a sudden affection of the cold weather. Bruce still despises snow, ice and gray skies, but now he understands that the sooner the temperatures drops to freezing for 3 days in a row, the closer he will be to the deliverance of the sunny beaches of Hawaii! The signs of the end times are like a forecast for a winter storm. The closer we get to the end days the more intense and frequent the signs become. When you see world events begin to intensify, don't get discouraged know in fact that your day of deliverance is near. The “Blessed Hope” of return of Jesus Christ is drawing nearer!
Luke 21:28 NIV When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Have you ever thought it would be like to have a crystal ball that you could see into the future with? How would it change your life if you knew the future? What would you do if you knew that in your future you would loose your job, or your marriage would fall apart. What if you found out that one of your children or grandchildren would have an car accident that would take their life. Finally what if your crystal ball showed you that you would develop cancer and have intense pain and suffering. If we knew our precise future, it might make today’s decisions easier. But I wonder if that precise knowledge of the future would simply weigh us down with doubts about other decisions we could make and other paths we could take — resulting in the same but different and equally difficult, emotionally stressful results.
You may not be aware of it but there is a way to know the future, read the bible. Prophets in the bible have accurately predicted the future many times. Daniel predicted that four world empires would successively arise over the span of hundreds of years— Babylon, then Medo-Persia, followed by Greece, and finally Rome. The prophet Micah lived over 700 years before Christ. God communicated a specific future event to this prophet, the birthplace of Jesus Christ the city of Bethlehem.
Micah 5:2 NIV But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient timesThe prophet Zechariah predicted the Messiah would be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver, which was fulfilled when Judas betrayed Jesus. The prophet accurately described the exact number of pieces 30, not 29, and that the money would be of silver, not gold. He foretold that the money would be thrown in the sanctuary, not somewhere else. He also prophesied that Jesus would be pierced, which was fulfilled when the soldiers pierced His side with a spear. I have not even begun to scratch the surface of all the biblical prophecies and their fulfillment's. I know what you are thinking though. All these things happened thousands of years ago and I want to know what future beyond today has in store for me, my family and my loved ones.
If you open the bible and read the book of Revelation, it goes something like this. There will be wars, famines, disease, epidemics and heavenly signs that will alert the world to some sort of crisis. Then the Antichrist, a political ruler, will establish control over the whole earth. He'll be backed up by a religious ruler, who's called the false prophet. Together they establish a unified social, economic and religious system that dominates the world. The only thing opposing them are the people of God and two prophets, they're called the two witnesses, who appear in Jerusalem, and begin to speak against this power.
Revelation 11: 3 & 6 NIV And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.The last half of the book is about the overthrow of this system. The beast, the false prophet, who has the number 666, the Antichrist, are overthrown. Most of them are very cosmic. Asteroids hitting the earth. The water turning to blood and that sort of thing, until finally, Jesus Christ returns as a warrior on a white horse and sets up the kingdom of God. So, now that you know the future, what are you going to do with this knowledge? If you place your faith in God, no matter what your future may hold in store for you, your eternal future will be heavenly, literally!!!Revelation 21: 21 NIV Each of the twelve gates was a solid pearl. The streets of the city were made of pure gold, clear as crystal.
Have you ever ran into one of those young couples that are just infatuated with each other. They stare deeply into each other eyes. They never let go of each others hands and they have no sense of personal space. They giggle and laugh at everything that is said like it the funniest thing they have ever heard. They are so focused on each other that it is like they are totally unaware of their surroundings. When you see them all you can think is, get a room people! However this infatuated phase of romance in a relationship quickly fades. Before long life, children and work come into the picture, life gets very busy and their infatuation with each other just seems to fade into the past like a distant memory.
Revelation 2: 4-5 NIV Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lamp stand from its place.
The church at Ephesus was known for their many good works. They tested teachers to see whether their professions were real; they endured hardship and persevered without growing weary. But they had lost their love and zeal for Christ, and when that happened, they began to just, “go through the motions” of good works. What was once a love relationship had cooled into religious ritual. The Ephesians had lost their way. Instead of pursuing Christ with the love and passion they once showed they were in danger of losing their passionate love for Christ and for the lost.
Can we as Christians have an intimate and personal relationship with Jesus Christ like a young newlywed couple? Yes, yes we can! The first step to developing an intimate and fulfilling love relationship with Christ is to admit that the abundant life He promises will never be found in another person... I love my wife Joyce Ellis more than any person or any thing this world has to offer! Every morning about an hour before the alarm goes off we wake up. Joyce rolls over and places her head on my shoulder and wraps her arm around my chest. I wrap my arm around her and embrace her. It is an intimate moment we share every day that I never want to loose! All that to say, true abundant life is only found in God alone! Don’t get me wrong; God created us to experience human love, and romance can add a wonderful dimension to life. But romantic love will never be able to trump an intimate love relationship with God. Some things with God are so personal, so intimate, that they cannot be described with words, they can only be felt with the heart.
John 3:16 NIV For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
God let his only son die on the cross for my sins, so that I could spend eternity in heaven! Now if that is no true intimate love I don't know what is! When we have an intimate relationship with God; we feel that no one else can understand the bond we share with Him because it’s altogether personal. God has comforted me as when I have cried, directed me when I was confused, He has taught me, He disciplines me frequently, He guides me when I am lost and He loves me despite all my faults and sins. If you haven’t ever committed yourself to a personal relationship with God, it’s not difficult. There are no requirements or religious duties. God doesn’t ask you to change yourself before you commit to Him; He just asks that you come just as you are, confess your sins to Him, recognize your need to have your sins forgiven and accept His gift of forgiveness that He has offered to you through His death on the cross!!!
Is faith simply a frame of mind? Some people see it that way. The believe that faith is a passive attribute of a Christian, waiting to see what God has in store for them. If I have faith maybe you will get a promotion, blessing, wealth. If I don't have enough faith them maybe you get cancer, sink into depression or maybe your betrayed by a friend or your spouse. They might say, “I’ll just wait to see what God is going to do for me and go with the flow.” But that’s foolish talk! Faith is active. It’s not passive. It’s a commitment. If you’ve got a faith that’s real, it can be demonstrated.
If you’ve been baptized you made a statement to God and the people around you. You said, I believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins, conquered death and arose on the third day! Baptism is an action that demonstrated your Faith. But faith doesn't stop at baptism. Faith is proven by how we live. Don’t misunderstand me. Your salvation is not based on your works, the things you do won’t get you into Heaven. Your actions don’t make you a Christian; they demonstrate you are a Christian.
James 2: 20-22 NIV You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
So what are some ways that you can actively demonstrate your faith. Love your neighbor... Love them even when they are hard to love. Listen with an open mind. Listening to someone is a incredible way to show someone you care about them. Give generously... Give not just from your wallet, give of your time and your skills. Give to the community, the school, the less fortunate and of course give to your church. Be a peace maker... Rather than jamming our opinions down people’s throats or arguing our points of view on social media, what if we looked for ways to make peace instead? Our world is filled with conflict and fighting. What better way to stand out and make a statement for Christ than by being known for our love? Keep your word... When you keep your word people will know that when you say something, you mean it. They’ll take your words to heart, knowing you can be trusted. Avoid Negativity... If you spend your time complaining about your problems or arguing with others it repels people and they won’t want to spend time with you. If you want to express your faith it’s a lot easier when people want to be around you. Give people room to mess up... People will make mistakes and disappoint you. While you can’t control how other people act, you can control your response. Be a person who forgives quickly and does not become easily offended. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. And last but certainly not least, the greatest way you can actively show your faith is to: Share your faith in love... When you have an opportunity to share your faith don’t hold back! However, be mindful of others sensitivities and speak with grace-coated words. No one has ever been bullied into the Heaven. Even though you feel passionate about saving souls, keep in mind your intensity might be intimidating. Be genuine, be gentle and above all, be patient. It takes time for the seeds of truth to take root and sprout in people’s lives.
Ephesians 4:15 NIV Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
So don't just pray about it, be about it! Put feet to your faith! Demonstrate your faith with your actions!
For many years now we have been defining generations of people by giving a title to the characteristics of those that were born during that generation. A generation is defined as a group of people born in the same general time span who share similar life experiences, such as a big historical event, pastimes, heroes, and work experiences. They will have shared experiences such as circumstances and culture. Each generation has distinct attitudes, behaviors, expectations, habits and motivations.
“The Greatest Generation” refers to the generation in the United States that came of age during the Great Depression and later fought in World War II. Some of the personality traits of this generation are humility, personal responsibility, a strong work ethic and they are prudent savers. Other generations include: the Silent Generation those born from 1928–1945, the Baby Boomers born from 1946–1964, Generation X those born between 1965–1980, the Millennial's born from 1981–1995, Generation Z born between 1996–2010 and Generation Alpha born 2011 to present day. Some of the other notable generational characteristics include: the Baby boomers who are dedicated workers, who value visibility, Generation X'ers are independent and well-educated individuals, Millennial's, are collaborative and impact-oriented group, and Generation Z is an optimistic group that is strongly opposed to risk. However I would like to define a new group. If you believe that the bible is true, then we may well be living in the “Final Generation!”
Matthew 24:34 NIV Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
In Matthew 24 Jesus talks about the signs of the end times. He says that many will come in his name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. Jesus also goes on to say that just like in the days of the flood, people will be eating, drinking, giving in marriage and being merry and the lost will know nothing of destruction that is to come. When the rapture of the church comes two men will be working in the field, one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill, one will be taken and the other will be left.
Jesus’ point in His statement, “this generation will not pass away until all these things take place,” is that the events of the end times will happen quickly. Once the signs of the end times begin to be observed, the end will be well on the way—the second coming and the judgment will occur within that “Final Generation.” The age of grace has continued for a very long time. But when the time for judgment finally arrives, things will be wrapped up posthaste! The day and the hour of Jesus return, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven know, only God knows. The Bible has a lot to say about the end times. Nearly every book of the Bible contains prophecy regarding the end times.
Matthew 24:42 NIV Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
You may well be a part of the “Final Generation” when the Trumpet sounds and it will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will be transformed.
Every four years the U.S. president stands in front of the Capitol building and takes the oath of office, with their right hand raised and their left hand resting on a Bible. While oaths are found in all cultures around the world, some of the oldest oaths attested to in history are found in the stories of Abraham in the Old Testament. Genesis 12 details an oath between God and Abraham.
Genesis 12: 1-3 NIV The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
By the twelfth century, the practice of taking an oath on the Bible was common in English courts. From there, the practice was brought to America. George Washington was sworn in on a Bible that was “hastily grabbed” from a masonic lodge for the first U.S. presidential swearing-in ceremony in New York City. Since then, the choice of Bibles has become much more intentional. In a symbolic gesture, both President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump were sworn in on the Bible of Abraham Lincoln. When people in court swear an oath to God while using a Bible it reinforces Christianity in America. It's more than just a "privilege" for Christians that courts and our constitution incorporate Christian beliefs and text into legal procedures.
Sadly though Christianity in American is quickly fading into what is almost a distant memory. The American Bible Society revealed findings from its “State of the Bible” survey, which details Americans’ beliefs about the Bible, its role in society, its presence in U.S. homes and more. The annual “State of the Bible” 2012 survey, conducted by the Barna Group on behalf of American Bible Society, found the following facts: On average, 85 percent of U.S. households own a Bible. The average number of Bibles per household is 4. 36 percent of Americans read the Bible less than once a year or never, while only 33 percent read the Bible once a week. 79 percent believe they are knowledgeable about the Bible, but 54 percent were unable to correctly identify the first five books of the Bible. The survey also identified generational patterns as well. Younger adults are less likely to perceive the Bible as relevant and useful when compared with older adults. Sixty-two percent of adults age 66 and older believe the Bible contains everything a person needs to know about living a meaningful life, dropping to 54 percent among boomers, age 47 to 65 years, 44 percent among those age 28 to 46, and dropping even further to 34 percent for those age 18 to 27.
A Newsweek poll revealed that fewer people now think of the United States as a ‘Christian nation’ than did so when George W. Bush was president (62 percent in 2009 versus a measly 36 percent in 2020). Two thirds of the public now say religion is ‘losing influence’ in American society. Many conservative Christians believe they have lost the battles over issues such as abortion, school prayer and even same-sex marriage, and that the country has now entered a post-Christian phase.
John 16:13 NIV But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
And that is the whole truth and nothing but the truth!
The Grand Canyon is the ultimate definition of the power of erosion. By definition erosion is the gradual destruction or reduction of something. The Grand Canyon is a one mile deep gorge. The Colorado river has over thousands of years slowly carved through many layers of rock. The external forces of the moving waters of the river and wind has over time has continually moved against the canyon and has worn it down. The erosion of the Grand Canyon happened so slowly that if you stood and observed the canyon you wouldn't see that anything happening at all. Erosion can happen in our spiritual life as well. Just like physical erosion, spiritual erosion is often slow, silent, and subtle. Like physical erosion, spiritual erosion is often imperceptibly, Spiritual erosion is a gradual but devastating process of moral and spiritual decline.
Some people believe the devil, in his effort to take away convictions and Christian living, will come and say, “I am the devil and I’ve come to kill you spiritually.” No, he comes as a thief in the night, or a wolf in sheep’s clothing or as the father of lies. The devil does his evil work when he can find his target asleep or unaware that eroding things are slowly taking away and changing our lives through spiritual compromise.
1 Thessalonians 5:2 NIV For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
Matthew 7:15 NIV Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
So what are the symptoms of spiritual erosion? One major symptom is, we start to compromise and rationalize our wrong choices and sins. Another signal of spiritual erosion is our diminishing desire to do spiritual things such as attend bible study, Sunday school and church. Over time we spend less time with our Christian brothers and sisters. So it is with compromise in our spiritual life. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, one compromise leads to another. Every time we compromise we allow the slow-moving tentacles of evil to wrap themselves around us. It happens so silently, so subtly, we hardly realize it’s taking place. The slope of spiritual erosion is so gradual it is hard to see but over time becomes slippery, and each subsequent act of disobedience is easier to rationalize.
Spiritual erosion usually occurs slowly but it can be accelerated. Chuck Swindoll tells the story of a tree in his neighborhood that had stood as a landmark for many years. He thought that the tree would be there forever, but one day without notice, the tree fell. Upon closer examination, it was discovered that inside the tree it was pithy and diseased. It rotted from within. It never looked diseased on the outside but once it fell, it was obvious to all that it was sick. The process of erosion had taken its toll and was now on display for all to see.
We need to examine ourselves. Have you changed your attitude about sin? Is it easier to overlook or excuse your sins? Have you developed a compromising spirit?
1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Did you know that the average person will spend one third of their life at work or about 90,000 hours? Many of us look at work as a necessary evil that takes up a large portion of our lives. It’s easy to get burnt out by our work and let it affect our attitude or work ethic.
Have you ever crawled out of the bed and thought to yourself, "why do I have to go to work today?" I am confident that there is not a single person that has not at least once dreaded the fact that they had to go to work. At some point in your life, we have all had that job or co-worker that just grated on your nerves. They were like fingernails on the chalkboard. They just had this way of getting under your skin to the point where you just thought your head would explode. They made you just hate your job!
Did you know your work ethic could either bring Glory to God or destroy you witness? Even during the most difficult tasks, you can choose to have a work ethic that pleases God. Ultimately, you’re working for the Lord, not human masters.
Colossians 3:23-24 NIV Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Work has been ordained by God since the beginning or time. In the beginning God put Adam in charge of the Garden of Eden. Adam was tasked with caring for the garden and even with naming all the animals God created. God used Adam in his work, and He can use you. Your job allows you to use the skills, intelligence, and experience that God has gifted you. In your day-to-day job, you have the opportunity to love and serve those around you. Almost every job requires you to interact with others, whether that be a boss, coworker, or a customer. Imagine this, what if God was standing behind you at your workplace. Pretend He was doing a job shadow of you at work. How would He react to the way you answered the phone? What would He think of the way you treated customers, or worse yet how would God react to your workplace banter with your co-workers? Do you think he would approve of the gossip in your office or the attitude you have towards your boss? I gotta tell you that if God was doing a job shadow day with me, I am confident that He would not be impressed with me! At the end of the day, I think the two of us would be having a "Come to Jesus" conversation if you know what I mean!!!
No matter what your job is you can set a godly example at work. In Matthew the Bible tells us to shine as lights to the world, keeping our behavior and speech above reproach. You can invest in your work friendships and pray for those around you, keep in mind that your work can be a platform for evangelism.
Matthew 5:16 NIV In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
I know we all work hard for our paycheck. Look around you though, I am sure you can find someone less fortunate than yourself. Your job can not only bless you, but others as well? Your work allows you to make money that you can use to bless others in your life. Pay it forward, buy a stranger's drink at the convenience store. Your gesture of kindness may be all that is needed to give you the opportunity to share the good news of salvation with someone does not know Jesus as their Savior!
In Luke chapter 2 is the story of when Joseph and Mary leave Jesus behind. It begins in verse 41. Luke tells us it was their custom every year for Joseph and Mary to go to Jerusalem and observe the “Festival of Passover.” Luke tells us that Jesus was about 12 years old so likely he was mature enough to be trusted by his parents enough that they didn't need to hold his hand or keep a watchful eye on him at every single moment. According to the historical writings of Josephus there were massive crowds in Jerusalem during Passover. Passover in Jerusalem was the place to be, kind of like Times Square on New Year’s Eve. Jerusalem was overflowing with pilgrims from across the Roman world as the Passover feast drew near. Some pilgrims began arriving a week early so that they could purify themselves.
Luke 2:43 NIV After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it.
During the “Festival of Passover” life would have been hectic and chaotic for Joseph and Mary. For us today we frequently let life get so hectic and chaotic we frequently forget Jesus as well. I am confident that it is possible that for some of the Jews the “Festival of Passover” had just became something they did every year without putting a lot of heart into it.
This is not much different than what church has become for many modern day professing Christians. It is just something we do for an hour on Sunday morning without putting a lot of heart into it and when we leave the church building, we leave Jesus behind as well. We go about out the next 6 days of the week without even a thought of Jesus. Our bible sits in the same spot it was after we returned home from church, until the next Sunday morning. We go about our life totally unaware of where we left Jesus.
Luke 2:44-45 NIV Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him.
Have you came to the realization that you have left Jesus behind? That he is not a part of your daily life? Since the COVID pandemic shut down church, attendance has been discouraging. Many people that attended church on a regular basis before the pandemic have just not returned. They have forgot where they left Jesus. If so maybe like Joseph and Mary we need to begin looking for him, but where do you start? Maybe you need to start looking for Jesus in the same place that his parents did.
Luke 2:46, 49 NIV After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”
If you’ve drifted away from Jesus. If you have forgotten where you left him. I want you to know this important truth: He is always there, waiting for you to come back. If you haven’t picked up a Bible in weeks. If you rarely pray and you can't remember the last time you attended church, If your life is hectic and chaotic and you forget where you left Jesus just remember, He’s never too far away. Reconnecting with Jesus can be as simple as a prayer and an intentional attitude of returning to his house.
Have you ever went into a convenience store and seen a life size cardboard cutout of a person and for a moment thought they were real? Casey's Convenience Stores recently had a promotion where they would bring a free concert to your town with country music star, Lee Brice. Everyone of their stores had a life size cardboard cutout of Lee Brice. I am not a country music fan so I didn't recognize him right away, to me he just looked like another customer in the store. I can't tell you how many times looked at the cardboard customer and almost said, “How you doing?” No kidding my mouth would be open, the words were on the tip of my tongue and at the last second I realized it wasn't real.
Unfortunately some Christian resemble cardboard cutouts, from a distance they seem real but if you get up close you soon realize that their relationship with God is a bit superficial and really has no substance. When I was a young man I was in immature Christian, I was a cardboard cutout Christian! Life can be really difficult if you have a superficial relationship with Christ, with your spouse, your brother, sister or anyone for that matter. When turbulent times come to you and they will you sooner or later you realize the depth of your relationships and who will really be their to support you when the times get tough.
The most turbulent years of my life came from 1988 to 1990. In 1988 my son Jerry Craig passed away. He was just 3 months old and most of those 3 month were spent in the hospital. If my memory is correct he was home and out of the hospital less than 1 week. Then in 1990 my second son, Levi Blake was stillborn. It was so difficult a time in my life that I didn't even realize that Levi had died on fathers day until one year later when I went to put flowers on his grave! I was overcame with emotions from all that had happened and broke down in tears. I did more than just cry, I was so overcame with sadness that I cried uncontrollably. I wept, I sobbed to the point I could barely catch my breath.
Romans 8:28 NIV And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
How can the death of your children be a good thing? As a “Cardboard Christian” I didn't have a deep enough relation with God to see any good reason for this! I can tell you one thing with absolute certainty, if it had not been for the fact that I had parents and grandparents that were rock solid Christians with a much deeper and stronger relationship with the Heavenly Father than I had, I would have never survived those years!
If you love God, you can trust that He is working for your good, even when you can't see the good, even when most turbulent times overwhelm you! Secondly, He works for “those who are called according to His purpose.” Do you realize that following God entails submitting to His purpose for you? This means you need be more than a cardboard Christian. You need to have more than just a superficial relationship with God. Did you know you have been called by Him for a purpose! Yes we are all called to serve God! Not all of us are called to be a missionary in a far away country, or to be a preacher leading God's people or even a Sunday school teacher, but we are all called to serve Him. For me my calling is to be rock solid Chirstain Father to my children just like my father and grandfather were for me. I pray that my children never have to go through turbulent times in their lives. I pray they never have to experience the emotional pain of a funeral for one of their children, but if they do I will be first to show them how much God loves them and how much I love them!
I don't know about you but I struggle daily with my thoughts!!! My thoughts are frequently abhorrent, evil, self centered, repulsive, disgusting and hateful! Have you ever thought about the fact that every sin we commit, we commit twice, once in our thoughts and again when we act upon those thoughts.
Proverbs 4:23 NIV Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
The “heart” includes the mind and all that proceeds from it. It is easier to rid our lives of sin if we attack it from the beginning rather than waiting for it to become rooted in our lives by our actions. There is also a difference between being tempted (a thought entering into the mind) and sinning (dwelling upon an evil thought and wallowing in it). It is important to understand that when a thought enters our mind, we must examine it based upon God’s Word and determine if we should continue down that path or reject the thought and replace it with another thought. If we have already allowed a bad habit to form in our thought lives, it becomes more difficult to change the path of our thoughts. Changing the path of your thoughts is like driving down a muddy country road. Once your wheels get into the deep ruts in the middle of the road it is nearly impossible to get out. You either do your best to back out or you get high centered, get stuck, then need someone to come tow you out. You are like the air traffic controller of your mind. You must decide which thoughts will land and which will not. Here is an acrostic that you should use before speaking or acting upon your thoughts. T H I N K. T stands for “Truthful” is your thought the truth? H is “Helpful” will your thought be helpful to others? I is “Inspiring” will your thought inspire others to be better? N is “Necessary” is your thought really necessary or do you just want to share your 2 cents worth? K is “Kind” is your thought kind, if not than keep it to yourself!
2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
So how do we take captive our thoughts, how do we control our thoughts. Begin by being in Gods word so that when a sinful thought or temptation enters your mind you will immediately recognize it and know how to respond to it. When Jesus was in the wilderness and was tempted by Satan. He responded to each temptation with scripture that applied. He knew the direction His thoughts should take. Instead of going down the path of sinful thoughts. When He was tempted to meet His physical hungry, Satan told Jesus to turn stone into bread, He recited the scripture about the importance of relying upon God.
Next don't feed your mind with things that will promote sinful thoughts! For example avoid, videos, websites, conversations, and situations that will set you up for a failure. Avoid spending time with those who would encourage you down these wrong paths.Finally for me one of the greatest tools I have found to help me control my thoughts is to surround myself with fellow Christians by attending bible study, Sunday School, worship service and every other function that I can possible attend. Don't try to go it alone, there are strength in numbers. The members of my church are like my second family and like my brothers and sisters they ask me in love how I am doing and hold me accountable for avoiding my old ways and my thoughts. My importantly they pray for me!
Last and most important, these methods will be of no value unless you have placed your faith in Christ as your Savior from sin. This is where we absolutely must start! Without this, there can be no victory over sinful thoughts and temptations.
Have you discovered that you can not control what others do to you. As hard as you try you can't control what other people say or do to you, but you can control your response. When someone hurts you, you must make a choice. You can choose to release those who hurt you or you can hold on to the hurt and let it fester up inside of you like a cancerous tumor.
Hebrews 12:15 NIV See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
Bitterness is like a deadly acid that not only destroys the person who is holding on to it, but when you let it spill out, it also destroys everyone and everything it comes into contact with. One of the biggest things many of us as Christians struggle with is forgiveness. We either struggle with receiving God's forgiveness for our own sins or extending forgiveness to those who have wronged us.
Distancing yourself from the person hurt you, will not make the hurt go away. You can pretend that the problem doesn’t exist by avoiding the person that hurt you, but it will cripple the relationship you have them. You will start to build walls and live a guarded life. When we refuse to forgive, we are inviting Satan to empower bitterness, disunity and destroy people. Many women turn their bitterness inward and become depressed. While men turn their bitterness outward and their anger tends to escalate. So how do you move from bitterness to forgiveness?
Acknowledge your emotions about the harm done to you and how it affects your behavior, and work to release it. Choose to forgive the person who's offended you. Move away from your role as victim and release the control and power the offending person and situation has had in your life. The way you dig up the “root of bitterness” is with the “shovel of forgiveness.”
Ephesians 4:29 NIV Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Begin by giving the person that offended you the gift of forgiveness. Forgiveness is not only for them, it is a gift for you. Forgiveness is both a decision and a process. It may take time and cover a series of issues. You know you have forgiven them when you genuinely want God to bless them, you want good for their lives.
Forgiveness is not denying the offense ever happened. Forgiveness is not forgetting. Forgiveness is not a response to an apology. It is freely offered by the offended. We must forgive as God in Christ forgave us. No one has been sinned against us anymore than we have sinned against Jesus.
Archaeologist studying the Roman bathrooms have discovered, that rich Romans sat and relieved themselves on marble benches. Slaves took sponges to clean out the excrement and used vinegar to sanitize them once again. The vinegar sponge the soldier’s put to Jesus’ lips on the cross could have been used to clean Roman toilets. Jesus kept speaking loving words even with His dying breath. He forgave them, and He forgives you. Offer the gift of forgivness to others because Jesus Christ freely forgave you!!!
In Proverbs, Solomon gives advice to parents. He tells them to “train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
Proverbs 22:6 NIV Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.The bible also tells us that all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in 2nd Timothy 3:16... Teaching children the truths of Scripture will make them wise for salvation, 2nd Timothy 3:15;... thoroughly equip them to do good works, 2nd Timothy 3:17;... prepare them to give an answer to everyone who asks them the reason for their hope, 1 Peter 3:15... As parents we must prepare our children to withstand the temptations of sin and the pressure of their peers. The world throws them an onslaught of temptations. I am so thankful that I had parents that took me to Sunday school and church every week when I was child. Because I did every evil detestable thing possible as a teenage boy. I realize that many people as adults claim they were terrible to their parents but I truly was!!!
When I was 16 years old the gas pedal on my car only new two positions, idle and full throttle. I would go out with my girlfriend on a Friday night and not come home until Saturday morning and I never let my parents know where I had been until they asked me the next morning. I used drugs and drank alcohol excessively. When I was a Junior in high school I attended the prom and I became so intoxicated and high, that I passed out. My friends got tired of hauling my unconscious body around so they put me in the passenger seat of my car, took me home, and left me in the driveway. When I didn't come in right away my father went out and carried my lifeless body into the house. I was so near death that he couldn't even find a pulse on me. My parents and the neighbors, Jim & Sherry Lerette, prayed over my lifeless body. I say all theses things not because I am proud of that I survived, actually just the opposite is true! I am embarrassed about how I behaved and I truly do not like repeating the story! All that being said though I am biblical proof that if train a child in the way he should go, when he is old he will not turn from it! However this biblical promise is not a guarantee that if you live a Christian lifestyle and teach your children the truths of the bible and salvation, that they will turnout to be God fearing adults when they grow up. Just like you still have a free will and can choose to do the right thing or the wrong thing. What is a guarantee however is that if you do not teach your children good biblical morals the world will teach them just the opposite! Society is bent on indoctrinating young people with secular values such as: transgender-ism and same sex marriage just to name a couple. What in the world has happened to the us? What a dysfunctional mess we have become! The value that God placed on teaching our children the truth is clearly addressed by Moses who stressed to his people the importance of teaching their children about the Lord and His commands.
Deuteronomy 6:7-9 NIV Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.
Sadly, people these days are choosing to redefine the meaning of morality in order to justify their self-indulgent, behaviors and lifestyles. As parents we have been given the privilege of being stewards of our children’s lives for a very short time, the teaching and training we provide them is of eternal value! What are you teaching your children? Are you talking the talk and walking the walk? Do you leading by example? Remember Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Whether you choose to believe it or not your soul will live for eternity. Where your soul spends eternity, Heaven or Hell,... is up to you! We live in a messy, confusing world that is cursed with sin and pain. There are no more prophecies that need to be fulfilled before Jesus can come back for his church. We are surely living in the Last Days!!!
Revelation 22:20 NIV He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
2,000 years ago John said the time was at hand. Was he wrong? No not at all! The time is at hand. It may not be immediate, but it is imminent. The last days began soon after Jesus was crucified, immediately after he ascended into heaven. So yes, we are living in the last days.
The imminence of Jesus’ return can be described as walking along the edge of the ocean’s shore. Some people may believe that we are off in the distance headed toward the second coming. We must remember though that God does not comprehend or measure time and distance like we do.
2 Peter 3: 7-9 NIV By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
According to the Book of Revelation, the future includes the rapture of the saints and the tribulation of this world. It prophesies of the Battle of Armageddon, the beast, the millennium, and the glorification of the Savior. It tells us of the final judgment, in which each of us will learn of the eternal state of our souls. From the time that Jesus came the first time until He comes again, we have been living on the edge of eternity. The time is at hand; anytime, Jesus may return. At any moment the trumpet may sound and the saints, those that profess Jesus Christ as their Savior, will be raptured out of this world and taken up into heaven. When the saints are taken out, the Antichrist will turn the world into a vast concentration camp and all the inmates will be numbered. No one will be able to buy or sell without the mark of the beast.
Revelation 13: 16-18 NIV It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.
One day, sinners will stand before Jesus Christ. The dead will be raised to stand before Jesus and be judged. If you do not meet the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, then you will meet Him as your Sovereign Judge. Is your name written in the Book of Life?
At anytime, Jesus may return. At any moment the trumpet may sound. We are living on the edge of eternity. GET RIGHT OR GET LEFT BEHIND!!!!
I grew up all my life hearing this statement, “Your sin separates you from God!” I have heard this many times, even from people who are speaking to believers. When I hear this statement some questions start to go through my head. First, how long am I separated from God after I sin, a day, a week, a year? Second, what do I need to do to get reconnected to God? Do I need to ask for forgiveness and repent, or do some kind of good deed to counter balance my sin? Third, What happened to Jesus if my sin separates me from God, didn't he pay for my sins and if that is true, why do my sins separate me from God? Maybe you have asked yourself these questions too. Whether we ask them out loud or just in your own minds, doubt and fear may start to creep in. I don't know about you but I am dazed, confused and little fearful just thinking about how far my many sins may have separated me from God!!! Here is the truth from the word of God!
Ephesians 1:13-14 ESV 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, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Unbelievers are separated from God by their sin. That is why they need to put their faith in Jesus Christ. But believers are not separated from God by our sin! Let me say that one more time, believers are not separated from God by their sins!!! Why is it important to know this truth? Thinking you can be separated from God by your sin wreaks havoc on your relationship with God. You may believe that because of your sin, bad choices, or wrong doing, that God is not listening to you anymore, that God is far from you, or that you can't feel the presence of God in your life. Is there any place in the New Testament that says our sin, as believers, separates us from God? Nope!!! The fact is, it says the opposite.
Romans 8: 38-39 NIV For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Nothing created can separate you from the love of God. Your sin cannot separate you either. This is very good news!
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
If you think of yourself as being a new creation after you accepted Christ, but you still sin, you have to wrestle with the idea that if Jesus made me new, why do I still sin? I shouldn’t sin anymore, so if I do, I need to work on making myself better, or, even worse, maybe I’m not really saved. We are born into a spiritual existence and given the Holy Spirit to help us walk in this dark world. Christ makes our spirit new, He renews our mind, and gives us a new heart. However, we still have our sinful nature. And, those two parts of our being, our flesh and our spirit, fight against each other. But, that does not mean when we sin we are separated from God. Our spirit can never be separated from Him! We can stand firmly grounded in faith that God will not leave us because of our sin. Remember, He died for it!!!
Did you know that the phrase 70 times 7 was first used in the old testament However, the phrase when used in the old testament had nothing to do with mercy and forgiveness, rather with vengeance. In Genesis 4: 23-24 Lamech said to his wives. “I have slain a young man for striking me. If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy times seven.” These verses are in reference to the first murder in world history, Cain’s killing of Abel. Cain feared that he would be killed by his relatives for his crime, but God placed a mark on him protecting him, and declared that if anyone killed Cain, vengeance would be carried out on him seven times. So Lamech in defense of his actions announces to his family if anyone tries to take vengeance on him for killing a man, vengeance should be carried out on them 70 times 7.
Who was this obscure biblical character Lamech? He was a descendant of Cain who had inherited his forefather’s murderous instinct, but in his shocking lust for revenge, outdid even Cain. Anybody who crossed Lamech would have been paid back big time - not just seven times, but seventy times seven! In Scripture, seven is a significant number. It symbolizes completeness. But Lamech lusted for a vengeance that went far beyond completeness.
In the new testament Jesus used the phrase 70 times 7 in the complete opposite manner. Jesus in response to a question from Peter about how many times he should forgive a brother who sinned against him responded “not seven times, but seventy times seven.”
Matthew 18:21-22 NIV Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven.
Seven signifies spiritual perfection. So seventy times seven means we need to forgive someone completely, and not let it continue to fester or play over and over again in our minds. Jesus isn't telling us to forgive our brothers 490 times, or 70 times, or 77 times. He's telling us we should always forgive our brothers when they have sinned against us.
We must use Jesus as our example for forgiveness. We must forgive others as he did. It doesn’t matter if the person that offended us is sorry for what they did or not. I must forgive as He forgives. Jesus washed the feet of all the disciples before the Last Supper. That means He got on his knees, became a servant and hand washed the dirt off the feet of Judas, knowing full well that he would betray him shortly... While Jesus was hanging on the cross he asked God to forgive those who were crucifying him....
Luke 23:34 NIV Father, forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.
I want that kind of forgiveness!!! Because of Jesus death on the cross God has forgiven me of all my sin's even those I have not yet to committed but will some day! We all struggle with something. The world does not revolve our problems. We need to make an effort to be aware of our faults and forgive others so that when we screw up, we can hope for the same mercy from them. How wrong it would be for us to deny others forgiveness and yet expect it for ourselves!!!
When I was a young man I had my eye on many different people that I thought were just so cool!!! As a teen boy I thought these people had achieved the pinnacle of life. I used to think that “Evil Knievel was just so awesome!!! My favorite stunt of his took place in 1974, I was just 9 years old. I watched him strap himself into the a homemade rocket he called the “Sky-Cycle X-2” as he attempted to jump the Snake River canyon. Another person that I idolized was my neighbor, Dale Ruff. Dale was a semi professional drag racer. He lived just a block from my home and every Friday night I listened to the sound of his race car, and so did everyone else on the south side of town, as he tuned it up and got ready for the Saturday night drag races. Dale influenced my life with his actions so much, that when I grew up I built and drag raced for several years. Later in life our relationship grew closer and helped Dale work on his race car and I even got to drive it myself a few times.
You never know how your actions may influence the lives of those around you, your neighbors, friends and especially your children. I have a couple great personal examples of how your life influences those around you. The first example happened several years ago when my daughter, Sophia, was a freshman in college, she called me to tell me that to her dismay she had turned into me!!! When I was raising my children I had many sayings that I repeated frequently one of those was, “Were you born in a barn? Shut the door and turn out the light!” My daughter was living with a roommate that was let's say, maybe not the tidiest person. Sophia told me that she caught herself telling her roommate, “Were you born in a barn? Shut the door and turn out the light!” She immediately realized that to her disgust she had became her father.
The second example happened just recently. That same daughter called me to tell me that her daughter had become her mini-me. She went on to say that her husband on several occasions had told her that her daughter Sydnee was a carbon copy of her. Sophia told me that she always denied that and said they were nothing alike, however on this occasion she was proven wrong. My daughter said she was in the kitchen and her daughter Sydnee was nearby. Little brother Thatcher came into the kitchen and told mom, I took the clothes from the washer and put them in the dryer like you asked me to mom. She looked at him and said “I didn't ask you to do that?” Then noticed out of the corner of her eye that Sydnee was smiling from ear to ear. Sophia asked her, “What are you smiling about?” Sydnee replied “I stood at the stairway and used my nice mom voice and told my brother to take the clothes out of the washer and move them to the dryer so I wouldn't have to.” “He thought I was you mom.”
As people of the Christian faith, we need to make a difference to our families, to our friends and neighbors, and to our community. You are the only Bible some people will read and, you are the only Jesus some people will see.
Galatians 5:13 NIV You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.
How are your actions influencing your family? How are your actions influencing your friends, neighbors, even strangers? You never know who is watching you!!! Are the things that you say and do bringing others into a closer relationship with Jesus Christ or are your actions driving them away. Here is a great statement to live by: “May someone that does not know Jesus, come to know Jesus, because they know you!”
Have you ever had one of those seasons in life when nothing seems to go your way? Maybe it started small and then grew until you felt like you would be crushed under the weight of all the bad news. All you wanted to do was find a place to hide, but you just couldn't seem to find a way to escape, there was just no place to hide!!!
My wife and I just went through a very difficult, emotionally tumultuous season in life! It was a year that was marked by turbulent news and an overwhelming upheaval of our family. It all started with my wife's father, “Garland” struggling with his blood sugar levels. He was in his mid seventies and pleasantly plump and so we didn't think much about it. We thought a change in diet, medication and all would be well. Little did we know how it would turn out! He did his best to follow the doctors advice, changed his diet and took medication but it just didn't seem to help. More medical test were done and the doctors found a small cancerous tumor on his pancreas. The doctors assured us that they had caught it early and with a little surgery he would be on his way to recovery. Of course all of this took place during the height of the COVID pandemic so only Joyce's mother was allowed in the hospital during the surgery. Myself, my wife Joyce and her sister sat in our vehicle during the surgery which last over 8 hours, which was followed by another 4 hours in recovery. I must say I think it was one of the longest days of my life. After the surgery we were told by the doctors that they had removed the tumor and several other limp nodes, but they felt confident that they had removed all the cancer. As a precaution they were going to proceed with chemotherapy just to be on the safe side. A few rounds of chemotherapy soon revealed that Garland also suffered from congestive heart failure and his heart was not strong enough to continue with the chemotherapy. All the compounding health issues caused him to be place on hospice. This cascade of bad news began in August of 2020 and on May 11, 2021 he passed away. During this time the outpouring deluge of bad news made the entire family feel like we were drowning. Worry filled our everyday! So what does God's word say about worry?
Matthew 6:34 NIV Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
So how do you deal with these seasons in life when you seem to be crushed under the weight of all the bad news? Who do you turn to when everything around you seems to be crumbling down? Where do you turn when there seems to be no place to hide? There is a song by “For King and Country” that really helps lift me up when I seem to be drowning in difficult times. The song is titled “God only knows.” The chorus goes like this: “God only knows what you've been through, God only knows what they say about you, God only knows the real you, There's a kind of love that God only knows. God only knows where to find you, God only knows how to break through, God only knows the real you, There's a kind of love that God only knows!!!Fear is one of Satan's most popular weapons that he uses against us. The most common lie that Satan uses to instill fear in us is that God is far away or absent from our presence. We've all felt at some point that God is distant. But nothing could be farther from the truth! In the midst of the worst days of your life, in the midst of sickness, war, famine even in the midst of death of a loved one, God will be with you, never leaving you.
Joshua 1:9 NIV Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Before I begin this devotion I want to make it clear that this is not politically motivated! It does not, matter which political party is in the White House. God prophesied theses things would happen and no President, King or other worldly ruler can keep it from coming to pass!
Do you remember the days when everyone paid with cash or paper checks? Credit card payments were made with knuckle grinding machines that imprinted your name and account numbers in triplicate. Personal checks were written at the checkout stand. The clerk wrote down your drivers license number and phone number on the check. Research shows that 46% of Americans don't carry cash anymore. 29% of Americans never use cash and 56% of Americans only occasionally make cash payments.
On March 9th, 2022 President Biden signed executive order 14067 instructing the federal reserve to explore uses of and regulations for digital assets and the potential of creating a digital currency for the United States. According to the Biden Administration they are placing the highest urgency on research and development efforts into the potential design and deployment options of a United States CBDC," which stands for central bank digital currency. The order states and I quote, “We must take strong steps to reduce the risks that digital assets could pose to consumers, investors, and business protections; financial stability and financial system integrity; combating and preventing crime and illicit finance; national security; the ability to exercise human rights; financial inclusion and equity; and climate change and pollution.
So what do the terms, “Exercising Human Rights,” “Financial Inclusion and Equity,” and “Climate Change and Pollution,” Really mean? Let's look at the statement; “The Ability to Exercise Human Rights.” If the federal reserve has a digital currency and the government says I must recognize gay rights, they could freeze my assets if I don't agree with them. For example, if I had a bridal business and I refused to do business with a same sex couple they could freeze my digital assets until I decided to accept their idea of human rights. Next, does “Financial Inclusion and Equity” sound like what I think it is? I am not sure, to me it sounds socialism, where everyone would be given equal wages no matter if they worked or not. Finally, “Climate Change and Pollution.” It is not hard for me to imagine that each person would be assigned a carbon foot print. This could mean that each person would be limited to the amount of gasoline you could burn . Once you have reached your limit your digital currency would simply no longer buy you any more petroleum products for your car or your home heating system.
The U.S. is not the first country with a digital currency. China introduced its own digital currency. More than 140 million people have digital wallets. Many other countries are developing digital currencies. Why is a cashless society important? Scripture say the Anti-Christ will unite the world into a one world government, a one world economy.
Revelation 13: 16-17 NIV It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.
If the cash is electronic, the government can just erase your money, If you don't comply. Technology is paving the way for the fulfillment of end times prophecy. These advancements are creating the environment the false prophet and the Anti-Christ will need to wire the world together for their evil purpose. Those who are left behind after the rapture of the church will be left with an excruciating choice, accept the mark of the beat or face starvation and horrific persecution. With tribulation prophecy taking shape all around us the Lord's Return can't be far off.
I must begin by giving credit where credit is due. The content of this devotional is for the most part the creation of Pamela Crim of Big Life Devotional's. I have modified it slightly to fit my life experiences but the idea is hers. Many times bad things happen in 3’s. I’m not superstitious, but I am also fully aware when the Poop Parade shows up in your life, things start to stink. You know, the Poop Parade. The Crap Circus. It’s one thing after another, going wrong, falling apart, and piling up against you. Why can’t things just go right? Why can’t life just calm down and be normal for a minute? Let me tell you why … God uses messes to make his masterpiece. Some things simply grow better in the presence of crap. Some things only reach their full potential when the seemingly bad stuff is piled on. After all, you do realize CRAP IS FERTILIZER, right?
A while back who ever was farming the land just south of town decided to spread chick poop on the field. I saw the spreader trucks making their way back and forth across the field through the manure on the field. Literally truck loads full of chicken poop. One after another, loaded with the stinkiest, crappiest of crap you can imagine. The entire south side of town stunk so bad you could barely breath. It was all the talk on social media. Eventually the smell did pass, and then you know what happened next? Yes, growth. Crazy, abundant, new growth. The fields were transformed, and it was because of the Poop Parade earlier. Could your life be in the process of being transformed right now? Look around. Has the Crap Circus invaded and you’ve been declared Ring Master? Have the manure spreaders arrived and began spreading crap all over your life. If so, it means you’re getting ready to GROW! I know you think you would have made the necessary changes without this crap, but the truth is, you wouldn’t have. Sometimes God has to smack us right on the between the eyes get us to see the effects of what we’ve been doing and how we’ve been living. He has to wake us up, and God in all of his loving wisdom knows that we aren't waking up with a gentle nudge. It’s going to take a dump truck, and more than one!
The story of Joseph is one of my favorites. I love it so much because it perfectly shows the unfolding of God’s good plans in the middle of a Poop Parade that just didn't seem to stop. First his brothers grew jealous of him and sold him off as a slave. He becomes a favored slave to his master, then the master’s crazy wife wants to hook up, and when Joseph refuses she claims rape and has him thrown in prison. He becomes a favored prisoner to the warden, then he is forgotten. Every time he gets a break, the next bad thing happens. When you come to the end of Joseph’s story, you see the growth created by all he has gone through. You see the leader he has become because of the crap he has walked through. Now he’s in a position to save lives. In a position to supply food for people who literally were going to starve without his help. And some of those people were the very people that called in the Poop Parade in the very beginning. They were his brothers. The ones who had sold him into slavery because they were jealous of their father’s love for him. And now, after slavery and imprisonment, after being sold and forgotten, after being accused and abused, Joseph is the masterpiece God created him to be and he stands before his brothers.
Genesis 50:20 NIV You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.What is God growing you into? Here come the dump trucks with their piles of poop. Remember, it’s not a punishment. This is your fertilizer because God knows the potential within you. Joseph was always being prepared. In a pit, in a palace and in a prison, he was being prepared. And you … well, you are being prepared too. Prepared for a purpose. Don’t grow pitiful! Don’t be bitter! This is where you get
There are a lot of things in life that I am comfortable not knowing. I am okay if I cant remember the capital of Vermont. I am perfectly fine if can't remember the address of our church. It doesn't bother me even a little if don't know the weather forecast for the week, because I can look theses things up on my smartphone. On the other hand, there are a lot of things I would really like to know that I can't look up on my cell phone. I would like to know if I am going to be able to save enough money to retire before I die, or if inflation will eat up all my savings. I would like to know if I will live a long and healthy life or if the Lord will rapture me out of this world, before my life ends. There are many things we simply can not know. While we might think it would be nice to know these things,... to know the future, I’m here to tell you that is really not the case. Even if we could know these things, we’re actually better off not knowing them!
Think about it for a moment. If you knew that day you would die how would you live your life? The sad truth is that if we knew the day of our death we would likely procrastinate doing what is right. We would live selfish, self centered lives. Scripture reveals that certain things God has kept back from His creation, purposing instead to reveal those things incrementally and conditionally to His obedient chosen offspring.
Deuteronomy 29:29 NIV The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.
When Job was trying to make sense of his devastating trial, he lamented, "And these things You have hidden in Your heart; I know that this was with You" (Job 10:13), and, "Oh, that I knew where I might find Him, that I might come to His seat!" (Job 23:3). He wanted to pry out a few secrets. So why does God keep secrets from us? Here is just a few reasons God keeps secrets from us. To shield us from disappointments, to keep us from danger, because we are not ready and to keep us from temptations. These are just a few reasons why God keeps secrets from us.
One of the greatest secrets God keeps from us is the date of his return. It was been on my mind a lot lately because of all the signs I see taking place in the world today, earthquakes, famines, plagues and war just to name a few. Jesus warned of troubling events as we near the end of the age, including persecution of believers (Mark 13:7-9). Then He added that nothing—not even persecution—should distract us from the one necessary thing: to preach the gospel to all nations. We must live as if today will be the day when Jesus returns. Living in the expectation that He could return today compels us to live every day for what really matters—for eternity!
I have learned to accept the fact that don't know everything, because I know the one who does know everything. God has perfect knowledge of all things. He does not have to learn anything and He has not forgotten anything. God does not have to reason things out, find out things by hearing them from someone else or learn them gradually. He knows everything that has happened and everything that will happen and someday when I am in heaven and I stand face to face with God I will say, “Oh,.. well that makes sense to me now!!!”
1 Corinthians 13:12 NKJV For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
As spring drags its feet and the warmer temperatures I am longing for turn to cold, cloudy, rainy days, I’m tempted to stay in my recliner wrapped up in my blanket, being just plain lazy.... Days like this are often refereed to as SAD days. SAD is an acronym for “Seasonal Affect Disorder. Seasonal affect disorder is a form of depression also known as the winter blues. Our spiritual walk can at times looks suspiciously close to the winter blues. We can become content, casual, unconcerned, even apathetic towards worship and towards the need to witness to the lost. By definition a complacent person is one who has an attitude marked by self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of your actual deficiencies.
It is unfortunate that many members of church are complacent Christians. Here at Immanual Baptist we have nearly 400 names on our membership role. The average attendance for Church is between 125 and 150 persons. The average attendance for Sunday school is only 60 to 75 and the attendance for Wednesday evening bible study it is a sparse 20 to 30. Many members of our church attend a Sunday morning service once and month and some are CEO's “Christmas and Easter Only” attenders. They simply do not see the need to worship any more often,,, and likely see no need to witness to the lost at all. They are content that they have their salvation. They have their “Fire Insurance Policy” and are not concerned at all with the eternal destiny of anyone else.
Deuteronomy 8:14 NIV Then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.Remember the fable of the Tortoise and the Hare? Comfortable with his enormous lead over the Tortoise, the Hare thought he’d rest for a while. Relaxing peacefully by a tree, he drifted off to sleep. He figured he had nothing to worry about. You know how the story goes. His slow and steady contender, the tortoise, who didn’t initially seem to be a threat, overtook him and won the race. The devil is not the the bright red demon with the forked tail and pitch fork standing on you shoulder telling you to do evil deeds. He is also quite content watching you take a nap, peacefully relaxing in your recliner at home rather than attending church and actively worshiping and witnessing!
It’s 8:30 on a Sunday morning, as you and your family scramble to get to church on time. Not a hair out of place, your smiles give the illusion that life is near perfect. Before you get to the car, you realize you left your Bible inside and you rush back in to grab it. Searching high and low, you wonder where on earth you left it last week. Is it under the stack of mail? Mumbling a few choice words, you find your Bible, smashed and wrinkled on the coffee table. Its been unopened since you last paraded through the church hallways. It was untouched, unopened, and went unnoticed. Throughout your busy week, you haven’t thought about God, let alone had the desire to open His Holy Word. Content to be present at church once in a while. Christianity has yet to invade your life.
Revelation 3: 16-17 NIV So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.For most of us it is not difficult to avoid doing the so called evil deeds. You know the ones I am talking about, murder, stealing or cheating on you spouse. But we do have a tendency to just ignore the things would should be doing. We are not doing evil deeds we are simply so busy with our day to day lives that we forget to attend church. We forget God!!! When we live comfortable, complacent, content, casual, apathetic, unconcerned lives, you're no threat to Devil's evil plans and you're exactly the kind of Christian he loves; weak, powerless, and silent!
Submission and obedience is a topic of vital importance, it affects our relationships in the home, our marriage, it effects us at church, and on the job. Yet it is a topic that generates a lot of dissension, in other words, disagreement that leads to discord. This is because the biblical viewpoint of submission and obedience is completely opposite and opposed to that of the world.
Ephesians 5: 21-24 NIV Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
When Joyce and I were planning our marriage we spoke about what our vows should say. Joyce made it clear to me, that in our relationship she would obey,... buttttt..... she was not going to say it out loud in her vows. The world encourages everyone to stand up for his or her rights. The feminist movement promotes women’s rights. The homosexual movement promotes so-called “gay” rights. Some people advocate children’s rights to be free from parental authority, although they never seem to extend those rights to children who still happen to be in the womb. PETA promotes animal rights, often over and above human rights. If you think that your rights have been violated, you can easily find a lawyer who will take your case to court. You may win a ridiculously huge settlement!
So the world’s way is, “Assert yourself! Stand up for your rights! You don’t have to take such treatment! Get an attorney to fight for your rights!” God’s way is, “submit to one another in the fear of Christ.” These views are polar opposites!
Husband should not rule like dictators over their wives, rather just the opposite. Husbands should lay aside all selfishness and dominance. Instead, they should obey God by laying down their lives for their wives as they selflessly seek their wife's’ best interests. Even parents are to be subject to their own children, as they serve them in love, when a husband lovingly bears the burdens of his wife, is that not submission? When a father lovingly gives himself for his children, there is submission. When we assist one another, it the same as submitting and obeying. Thus there would seem to be a sense in which we all are to submit and obey each another.
Every spirit-filled Christian is a submissive Christian. You have submitted your life to the control of the of the Holy Spirit. To build a house, someone has to be in charge in order to coordinate the project. The contractor follows a plan. He organizes and brings in various subcontractors at the appropriate times to move the project along. The workers have to submit to and obey the direction of their boss, who submits to and obeys the overall direction of the contractor. When everyone does what they are supposed to do, when everyone submits and obeys the house gets built.
Are you a submissive person? Most importantly, are you submitting daily to Jesus as Lord of everything in your life? Are you subject to the government in obedience to Christ? Are you submitting to a local church and its leadership? As a wife, are you submitting to your husband? Children, are you subject to your parents? Workers, are you subject to your employer? And, for all of us, are you submitting yourself to others in selfless service for Christ’s sake?
So I have some bad news I must share with you. I have been diagnosed with IPD stage 4 and it is incurable! What the heck is IPD you ask? IPD stands for Intolerant Personality Disorder and I am incurable. Okay I have to admit that I am joking with you at least a little bit. I am not really sick, but Intolerant Personality Disorder is a real thing, or at least some think so. According to the American Journal of Ortho-psychiatry, Racism, sexism, and homophobia do not fit into any current diagnostic category. The authors propose that those who engage in such behaviors display a form of psychopathology. Now that is a big $5 word that is means the scientific study of mental disorders.
I gotta tell you the possibility of science and the medical industry making, “Intolerant Personality Disorder,” a real thing is super scary to me, because in the world's eyes a conservative Christian, such as myself, is a very intolerant person! Let me give you some examples: First I believe that there is only one God and that He created all things. Next, I believe that there is only one way to heaven and that is to admit to God that I am a sinner, Believe Jesus is God's Son and that God sent Jesus to die on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins and Confess faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord... I believe that you were born either male or female and there is nothing you can do to change that fact. Finally, I believe that God created marriage as a partnership between one man and one woman. And this is just the beginning of my intolerance.
2 Timothy 4: 1-2 NIV In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
Tolerance is a hot topic these days. The world that we live in often seems to cry out for tolerance. There are situations in our Christian lives when we have to deal with very difficult situations and one of these is when to be tolerate or when not to. Where do we draw the line when it comes to religious tolerance? Accepting that there are different beliefs in this world, is an accepted practice of Christianity. However, accepting that these beliefs are right, which is the modern-day world view of religious tolerance, is a totally different thing and this is where we, as Christians, need to draw the line. Accepting the doctrines and beliefs of other religions as truth is something Christians should never do!!!
Romans 16:17 NIV I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.
The Bible says that we need to show love and unity to a lost and hurting world. We must not sacrifice the truth in the name of love, nor should we deliver the truth in a less than loving manner. By “speaking the truth in love”, we are able to encourage people in their relationship with God and not push them away from Him by employing a mean-spirited, judgmental attitude.
Ephesians 4:2 NIV Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
There used to be a sitcom on TV called “A 1,000 Ways to Die.” The show featured all the different ways a person could have an unexpected death. Daily the news media tells us of how many people have been infected with COVID 19. According to the World Health Organization, over 79 million people in the United States have been infected with COVID 19 and 966,000 people have died. According to the CDC, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of emergency department visits with infectious or parasitic diseases in 2018 was 3.4 million and of those 523,000 resulted in hospital admission.
So my difficult question for you today is, are you an infectious person? Are you an “Infectious Christian?” Do you have an infectious smile? What personality traits of yours rub off on the people around you? When you are surrounded by your co-workers or your friends and family are you cheerful, do you cheer up the people you are with or are you an angry negative personality that makes those around you angry. Generally speaking if you are surrounded by someone that is loud and obnoxious then you become loud and obnoxious. Your personality can be like an infection can be easily spread from one person to another. Some infectious personalities are good and some are not so good.
Ephesians 4: 29-32 NIV Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
What does it mean to be a contagious or infectious Christian, where our faith is “caught” by those around us? Most of us would love to see our non-Christian friends to step across the line of faith, but we are overwhelmed or intimidated by the idea of evangelism. We are overwhelmed by the idea of witnesses or sharing our faith with friends, family and neighbors. One reason that we struggle being an infectious Christian is fear and self-centered living. We get so involved in our daily lives we don't make time to talk with our friends about our faith. Sharing our faith with our friends doesn’t always come naturally. Most of us want to share the gospel but feel hesitation and fear, or don’t know how to start, what to say or how to answer questions we might encounter. We fear a bad reaction or worse, rejection. Sharing your faith should not be something that creates stress or induces worry but rather, evangelism should be an authentic part of how we, as Christians, conduct our lives. In other words, it should be our main goal to be an “Infectious Christian”, spreading our love for the gospel and Jesus by the way we live our lives and interact with others.
Proverbs 13:22 NIV A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.
Is your personality one that leads others to God? Do people that know you, come to know God, because they know you? Are you an “Infectious Christian?” The greatest legacy you can have is to know that there is someone in heaven because of you. Because you were an “Infectious Christian.”
Is it more difficult to have faith in God or to be and Atheist? Is it more difficult to believe that just the right components collided together by chance and created life or that a divine being spoke them into existence? If I found an aquarium in your house, with water and plants, an aerator and food in the just combination required to keep goldfish alive, I might reasonably believe that someone put it there because they wanted goldfish, not that it occurred by accident. So our universe is in a way is a large aquarium for humans. So isn’t it reasonable to suppose that, rather than being an accident, things were set up to allow for this development?
Imagine this! Let's say you went for a hike in the timber and you stumble upon an abandon cabin. Being the curious person you are, you decide to get a closer look. As you get closer you notice something strange. Coming from inside the cabin is the sound of your favorite music. As you step onto the porch of the cabin you smell the scent of you favorite meal. As you step inside the door of the cabin you see house slippers that are your size, a jacket that fits you perfectly, your favorite drink is sitting on the table chilled to perfection with your favorite cookies on a plate next to the drink and they are still warm! In the bathroom are all the exact toiletries that you use. Besides thinking you may be have just been cast as the lead character in someone's sick idea of a horror movie, what would you think? Maybe someone has prepared this for me. There are just to many things just right for this to be an accident!
Scientist have discovered in the past few decades that our universe is very similar to this cabin in my story. Freeman Dyson, an accomplished scientist, has stated and I quote, “As we look out into the universe and identify the many accidents of physics and astronomy that have worked to our benefit,... it is almost as if the universe must in some sense must have known that we were coming.”
There are more that 200 known parameters that are necessary for a planet to support life, every single one of which must be perfectly met or no life would exist at all. One example of this is the planet Jupiter. It is a massively large, gravity rich planet that draws away asteroids that would destroy our planet if it was not in the exact place it is in our universe. Another example is something that is called the Goldilocks Zone. This the habitable zone around a star where it is not too hot and not too cold. Imagine if Earth was where Pluto is. The sun would be barely visible (about the size of a pea) and Earth's ocean and much of its atmosphere would freeze. On the other hand, if Earth took Mercury’s place, it would be too close to the sun and its water would turn to steam, quickly boiling off. The Goldilocks Zone is so remarkably small, it doesn't even include the whole earth. There regions even on our planet that are too cold for life to exist and there are places on earth for hot for life to exist. Back to my original question. Does it take more faith to believe that all life came into existence by accident or that a divine being, an all powerful God perfectly designed it all?
Psalm 53:1 NIV The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.
Hebrews 11:6 ESV And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
God is eternal. God simply exists. God brought all matter, time, and space into existence. Place your faith in God!
Simon Wiesenthal is a Jew that spent time in a Nazi concentration camp with his companions, Arthur and Josek, during the Holocaust. One day, Simon was taken on a march with other camp members. As he walked through a ghetto towards a hospital, Simon noticed some sunflowers in the German graveyard. Each grave had one. Simon immediately realized that there would be no sunflower on his grave, where corpses were piled on top of each other.
As he passed through the ghetto, a town in which he once lived, Simon comes across his old school. It had been turned into a hospital. When he arrived, a nurse approached him and asks him if he was a Jew. Simon answered yes and was taken to a room which used to be his Dean’s office. Simon finds himself at the bedside of a dying, Nazi SS soldier. Karl, was a 21-year old Nazi soldier. Karl's head was completely covered in bandages, with openings only for his mouth, nose and ears. Karl wanted to tell Simon his story.
The Nazi, haunted by the crimes he had committed, wanted to confess his crimes to a Jew in hopes of achieving forgiveness. The Nazi soldier said an order was given and we marched toward the huddled mass of Jews. There were a hundred and fifty of them or perhaps two hundred, including many children who stared at us with anxious eyes. A few were quietly crying. There were infants in their mothers' arms, but hardly any young men; mostly women and old men. A truck arrived with cans of gas which we unloaded and took into a house. Then we began to drive the Jews into the house. Then another truck came up full of more Jews and they too were crammed into the house with the others. Then the door was locked and a machine gun was posted outside. When we were told that everything was ready, we went back a few yards, and then received the command to remove pins from the hand grenades and throw them through the windows of the house. Behind the windows of the second floor, Karl saw a man with a small child in his arms. His clothes were on fire. By his side stood the mother of the child. With his free hand the man covered the child's eyes . . . then he jumped into the street. Seconds later the mother followed. Then from the other windows fell burning bodies... We shot them as they fell to the ground! I don't know how many tried to jump out of the windows but that one family I shall never forget - least of all the child, said Karl the Nazi Soldier."
Simon listened to the man’s story and then, he left the room without ever saying a word. Simon refused all other efforts by the nurse to go back and see the Nazi soldier. When he arrived back at the concentration camp, Simon told his friends what had happened and asked them if what he did was right.
Many years after the war, Simon was still bothered by the choice he had made. Keep in consideration the amount of atrocities and suffering the Jewish population went through. Simon decided that it was not his right to forgive another for his sins. A deeper forgiveness must come from God. Who was Simon to say that someone was truly forgiven of their sins?
An individual can personally forgive us if we've sinned against them, but we must remember our sin is also against God, so we must also seek His forgiveness. True healing comes from confessing our sins to one another.
Colossians 3:13 NIV Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
As Christians we are called to forgive those who hurt us, those who hate us, and those who plan evil against us. Why is it that we think we need to be forgiven by God, but we can’t seem to forgive another imperfect human who is a sinner just like us?
Matthew 6:15 NIV But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
I want to begin by giving credit where credit is do. My devotional today is mostly a quote from Pastor Greg Laurie. That being said I feel passionate about the truths he shared and think they are timely and should be repeated..... I am confident that we are all aware of what’s happening in Ukraine right now. They’re under attack from Russia. I am sure many of us may be wondering, “Is there anything prophetic about the war between Russia and the Ukraine?” Let's step back for a moment and realize this one fact, we are living in the last days. I believe Christ could come back at any moment. There are signs of the times the Bible tells us to be looking for. In fact, Jesus likened the end days to a woman in labor who’s ready to give birth, the idea being that the closer these signs of the end times are together or more frequent these signs get, the closer the labor pains get, the closer you are to the birth, the return of Christ. And as we see more signs—more things happening—they’re reminding us Christ is coming back soon. So what did Jesus say about his return?
Matthew 24: 6-7 NKJV And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.
This war is at a scale we have not seen in a long time. Let's look at another thing in Matthew 24. It talks about plagues or pestilence being around us in the last days. If the coronavirus is not a plague, I don’t know what it is. It’s a global plague! Also, the Bible warns of a world leader that will come and dominate and deceive people but ultimately will reveal his true colors. He’s called the Antichrist. I believe a lot of this government overreach, governments imposing themselves on people, is a sign of what is going to come later when Antichrist emerges on the scene. Matthew 24:24 says “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” So what should we do?.... So did Jesus say, “When you see these things begin to happen, freak out!” No, he didn’t say that.
Luke 21:28 NKJV So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!”
Here’s the bottom line: Bible prophecies are being fulfilled at this very moment in time. It seems like we’re seeing more things happen in real time, closer together, as the Scripture said they would be.
What should we do? We should look up, and we should remember that God is in control even in the midst of what seems to be chaos. As believers in Christ we have read the last page of the Bible, the last page of Revelation, and we win in the end!
Revelation 22: 20 NIV He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus Come. To wrap this up, we all need to be praying for the people of Ukraine. They’re going through a time of great suffering. We also should be praying for the people of Russia. God instructs us to pray for those who mistreat you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute you, Pray for them!!! Pray that God gives to our leaders and other world leaders wisdom as they are going to be making very important decisions in the days ahead.
Have you ever wondered how it is that your favorite store just seems to read your mind when it comes to things you maybe considering purchasing? How does the convenience store, “Caseys,” know that my favorite drink is the tropical flavor Vita Water and why does ORielly's Auto Parts know that my pickup needs the oil changed. How is it the Orschlen's Farm and Home store seems to know what bird seed I want to buy or Hy-Vee grocery store know that I might be needing sausage, bacon, bread and milk? Are they just incredibly lucky or is someone watching me. Unfortunately for me it is not luck. I have let each of these stores entice me into their loyalty card programs in hopes of saving a penny on my next purchase. This is one of the ways retailers track your spending habits. You'll notice the effect instantly when the receipt machine at the grocery store spews out a whole bunch of coupons for you, after you pay for your groceries. These are coupons based on what you have just bought, and what you have purchased in the past.
Have you ever been asked for you phone number when you make a purchase? Most people just give it out without even thinking. Once you give up that cell phone number, you are handing over all of your purchasing information to the retailer. And if that retailer is very savvy, such as retail store Target, they can analyze it with some sophisticated software to discover just what your future may hold. True story, a young woman was buying things that the retail store Target associated with an upcoming pregnancy like: cocoa-butter lotion, magnesium supplements, a large purse, and a powder blue rug. Target sent this girl a circular featuring a maternity clothing and baby furniture. Her parents were furious, until they found out later that she actually was pregnant.
To take this one step further, my wife's father passed away last year. The other day my wife and a friend at work were visiting about what to do with her fathers clothing. They spoke about donating it to thrift store or a church so that it could be given to a family in need. That very evening as my wife was checking her Facebook account, in her news feed, was an ad for a Non Profit organization called Church Women United. The ad said there mission was to make available used clothing and household items at a low price to the general public. Nearly all new smart phones have talk to text apps on them. They are called virtual assistants. Voice assistant apps, like Siri, Alexia and “Hey Google,” listen to your conversations and then send your personalized advertisements based upon the conversations you have. So, it’s no coincidence..... In today's world there are no secrets.... However, what most people don't realize is that even before all these innovations of technology there were no secrets!!!
Ecclesiastes 12:14 NIV For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.Whatever you have done or even thought, from the beginning of your life to the end, has all been observed and taken notice of by the all knowing God. Not only has God seen every thing you have done He has registered them in the book of his remembrance, and being the Righteous Judge, He will be able to bring them all into account on judgment day. Yes every thing you have done, even those things you think are unknown to others, even every secret thought of your heart has been seen and recorded by God.
Luke 12: 2-3 NIV There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.
People have become so self-centered. They have a total lack of empathy. They only think of what they can get to be bigger, to be better than everyone else, or richer than everyone else. Selfishness is like the plague. It spreads. It is contagious. People today are immature, lazy, and selfish. They’re constantly taking selfies and sharing them on social media. They make spectacular entrances. They walk into a room and announce “Here I am – Look at Me!!! They don't want to pay their dues at entry-level jobs and work their way up the corporate ladder. They think so highly of themselves that they believe that right out of school they should be the executive vice president. Many times they can’t afford to buy a home because they spend all their money on status symbols like designer clothes and fancy cars. And the worst part, people don't even recognize their selfishness. They call it pride, confidence, expertise and self motivation.
What does the bible say about selfishness? James 3:16 says: For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. Wow!!! That sounds like the latest headlines from the world news!
James 4: 1-2 NIV What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.
In Philippians 2:3 the bible says: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves. We live in a world that actively encourages us to be self-centered. We’re regularly bombarded with commercials and slogans telling us, “You deserve a me day!”, “Treat yourself!”, or “Do what feels right by you!” To be selfish is to be concerned excessively or exclusively with yourself. Selfishness doesn’t bring the protection or satisfaction it promises. Selfishness can bring insecurity because we constantly wonder what people think of us. Selfishness can also make us stressed, as we rely on our own strength to do things only God can do. Selfishness is one of the biggest obstacles to having a close relationship with God. If we would take our blinders off and look at the world around us, and care what is happening around us, we might learn not to be so self-centered.
The Bible is filled with verses which can help believers combat a selfish lifestyle. They encourage us to take a heavenly approach toward the world, and see ourselves through Jesus eyes. The love and care Jesus showed to people around him as he physically walked the earth healed their pain and changed their lives should be an example to us who profess to be his followers. Jesus lived his life selflessly, bringing hope to the world around him and to each of us.
Romans 15: 1-2 NIV We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.
God is not impressed by fast cars and fancy clothing. He desires a faithful heart. When we share with others and treat our neighbors with kindness, we reflect the light of Christ into their lives. The Kingdom of God is not built on silver or gold, but with the selfless actions. Jesus taught his disciples that the greatest commandment was to love God. The second was to love our neighbor. When you walk into a room instead of saying, “Here I am” maybe you should say, “There you are!” The gospel message isn’t spread through politics or popular trends, it’s shared one person at a time. How can we hope to be an effective witness if we’re too wrapped up in ourselves? Now is the time to get out of our own way. Step outside and meet your neighbor. Love your neighbor like yourselves!
The story of Jesus kneeling to the floor and washing his disciples feet so they could dine together is one of the most profound pictures of our Savior’s love for us! Jesus cared so much about the details of his disciples lives, that He was willing to get messy to reach, teach, and show His love to the disciples, and this is still true today!!! Jesus cares about even the smallest details of your life and is willing to get messy to show you, that you are loved. None of your fears are too small, needs too silly, or stresses too insignificant, that God does not care about them. He cares about it all… even our stinky feet!
Feet washing was a necessary activity during the disciples time. When gathering to have a meal they would come in with their feet dust-covered, dirty, sweaty and stinky from walking the dirt roads. Cleaning of the feet would have been necessary because the group would have been reclining together at a low table and dirty, stinky feet would not be welcomed so close to their meal.
John 13: 6-9 NIV He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
Peter was so zealous in his faith that he wanted Jesus to wash him from his head to his toes. Peter wanted to be completely cleansed. Once you place your faith in Jesus and ask him to forgive you of your sins you are completely forgiven. The Scriptures say that God will forgive our sins as far as the east is from the west. However, we all live and walk in a fallen world and we wade in sins daily. As I go about my daily routine I catch myself having a fit of road rage at the idiot in front of me that is sitting at the green light and not paying attention. I find myself looking a bit to long and the pretty young woman at the store. I catch myself laughing at the inappropriate jokes told at my work place when I should not be. For all the times I fail daily, I need to get on my knees and ask Jesus to forgive me and strengthen me so don't fall into sin again. I walk in a dirty fallen world daily and need my feet cleansed so that I can better serve Jesus Christ.
John 13: 10 NIV Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean...
It was the servant of a household's job to wash the feet of incoming guests. This selfless act displayed Jesus’ amazing humility! He took the role of a servant to wash the dusty and dirt-covered feet of his disciples. Jesus was setting an incredible example of what it is to be “Christ-like” through his humble actions. Status, pride, or even dirt did not stop him from rolling up his sleeves to serve the men who had been at his side throughout the duration of his ministry. Jesus’ actions set an example of what it means to imitate him with our lives. We are called to be the servant of others, to live with humility, and love in every situation!
John 13: 14-15 NIV Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and get dirty, to humbly serve, to be the servant of others, to live with humility, and love in every situation!!!
Do you think that cancer will ever be cured. According to scientist, cancer is a group of diseases that we may never be able to cure completely, but they are optimistic that vaccines, personalized medicine and smart lifestyle choices will help prevent and treat a much greater proportion of cancers than currently happens. What about the covid pandemic? Do you think there will ever be a cure for the covid virus? Again while scientists are racing to find a cure for the virus, there's a chance covid will never fully go away with or without a vaccine.
Here is my hard question for you, how would you react if somehow you stumbled onto a cure for cancer or for covid? I know this may seem like question that is begging for an obvious answer. Of course if you discovered a cure for either cancer of covid you would immediately begin sharing that information with anyone you could get to listen to you!
What if I told you that as a Christian you have the cure for an illness that is far worse than cancer of covid! Humanity is corrupted by sin. As a result, all sin requires an eternal punishment. Immediately after death the souls of those who die without admitting they are a sinner, believing that Christ died on the cross for their sins and confessing him as their personal savior, will immediately descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell. Here is description of Hell from Mark.
Mark 9: 43-48 NIV If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where the worms that eat them does not die, and the fire is not quenched!
What if I had a friend who died without know Jesus as their personal savior? What if he or she went to hell? What if one day I received a letter or email from beyond? A letter from Hell!!! A letter from my friend in the flames of eternal torment! Although I may have had many opportunities to tell my friend about Jesus I didn't. I shared my life with this friend, I would do anything for my friend but for some reason I never shared Jesus with my friend. Then one day there was a tragic car accident and suddenly my friend was dead. I attended the funeral. I cried with the family and friends. Then I went home. A few days later I received a letter from my friend from hell. It began like this.
Jeff, I died today. It is a lot different than I thought it would be. I thought death would be a foggy and hazy but this place I am in is crystal clear. I can think, I can talk, I can even feel. Immediately after I died I found myself standing in the midst of these angelic creatures around this thing they called the book of life. They asked me for my name and they searched the book for my name, but they couldn't find it. Then another angel grabbed me by the arm and started dragging me away. I was terrified! I asked the angel where he was taking me. He said only those whose names were written in the book of life could enter into heaven and the rest are taken to hell forever. As the angel took me toward this hell I could smell the burning sulfur and brimstone. He cast me into the pit. I am filled with fear! The pain is unbearable as I am cast into the flames! Why didn't you ever tell me about Jesus? Signed your best friend!
Proverbs 3:28 NIV Do not say to your neighbor, “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you” when you already have it with you.
What if your procrastination to share Jesus Christ with your best friend leaves them in eternal torment in hell?
Today’s devotional is specifically for screwed up people. If you are less than perfect, if you arrive at the end of your day and it didn’t go as you imagined and it’s mostly your fault, if you are a good starter and a bad finisher, a big talker – little doer, or somewhere in between, this is for you. If you’re living in a house with screwed up people, work with screwed up people, or share a highway with screwed up people, this devotional is for you.
Romans 3: 23-24 NIV For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.I sin, regularly. I fall short, every day. However, I am blessed through my faith in Jesus, I have grace. GRACE IS THE UNDESERVED FAVOR OF GOD. Maybe you deserve God’s favor more than I do, but I’m going to be honest and tell you I’m banking on that undeserved favor which comes through grace because I have a very unique and special way of screwing things up. I can be so totally OCD, so obsessed with things that I drive those around me crazy. When Joyce and I have conversations about mechanical things I get so lost in all the details of the mechanics of what I am trying to tell her that she literally zones out. Her face glazes over. And for all of this and more I have GRACE. Grace that keeps my beautiful bride Joyce from inflicting harm on me. For all of our screw-ups, shortcomings and totally random quirky ticks, we have grace too. God’s undeserved favor covers us. Ohhh, don’t you pretend like you’re not screwed up in some way. I know you’re screwed up too!
God has been offering you GRACE your entire life – have you accepted it? Or are you still trying to beat yourself into submission, trying to contort yourself into something you’re not, relentlessly seeking more, becoming a better you, becoming new and improved. How’s that working for you? You’re exhausted aren’t you? Why not just surrender to God’s grace and let him cover all that for you?
Every weekend I try to accomplish things around the house. Each weekday and I discover things I need to do. I write them down on a to-do list. It is a simple way for me to make sure I succeed, to make sure I complete what needs to be done. It is way for me to make sure I simply don't forget to do what should do. As I complete each task I draw a line through it. This works real well for me until life throws me a curve ball and I get nothing done that I planned to get done.
When life throws me a curve ball. There is an unfinished task on my list. The list then grows longer, because my to-do list never stops growing. Eventually I start ignoring the list all together because it has become overwhelming. What once helped me is now just an ugly reminder of how I screwed up again. The same thing happens outside of my weekend to-do list. When I don’t do what I know I need to do in my Christian life, I start avoiding it. If I avoid studying my Sunday School lesson one week, then it is easier the next time to avoid it again. If I fail to go to Wednesday evening bible study one week, then it is easier to skip it again next week. I think you understand where I am going here. When you are stumbling or failing in your faith does it get better? No – of course not. It gets worse. Facing our own screw ups is hard. Admitting we have failed is painful.
So what do we do? We receive and we offer GRACE!!! It is not God's plan for us to beat ourselves up. It is not God's plan for us to fail to be screwed up people. First you must know you can't earn God's Grace. God's grace is freely given to us. Good plans and good works are simply not enough and never will be. Here is God's 3 step plan of Grace. Step1. Receive God's Grace. Step 2. Offer Grace to those surrounding you to all the screwed up people in your life as freely as God offers grace to you. Step 3. MOVE ON!!!Luke 6:38 NIV Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down,
We are all in a battle every day. There are forces seeking to hold you back, to trip you up in life. There are voices that tell you you’re not worthy of more, not capable of more. This is as far as you will go. You’re tapped out. You’re done. There’s no point in even trying. These voices are from the pits of hell. KNOW THAT! The battle will continue all the days of your life, it’s not going away.
We are often tricked into thinking our fight is something less evil and we can handle it on our own. Let me assure you, it’s so much bigger than you think. The enemy is trying to weasel his way into the details of your life to distract, discourage, and detour you from God’s good plans. Where flowers grow, weeds will threaten to overtake. Weeds are all around you. The enemy is working in the weeds of your life that you’ve grown accustom to. The distractions, negative thoughts, toxic relationships, little bad habits, secrets from your past… Those are the devils weeds and they multiply to take over your soil and choke out every good thing you have growing in your life.
Ephesians 6:12 NIV For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
The fight is real! So, how do you fight? What is your weapon against this enemy? In Ephesians 6, the chapter goes on to tell us about the armor of God. You’re likely familiar with it. The breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the belt of truth, the shoes of peace, and the shield of faith. All of these are to protect you from the attacks. But one thing is given to you to fight back.
Ephesians 6:17 NIV Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
The word of God is our one weapon to fight back. This is how we not only defend ourselves, but how we go on attack. If you have been showing up to the battle of life without the word of God it is like going to battle without a weapon. If you finish every day feeling beat down, it is because you went into battle with only your armor. You stood there taking a beating never fighting back because you forgot your weapon, the Sword of the Spirit. Your not supposed to withstand the beating, your supposed to fight back and defeat the enemy. The plan of defense and no offense is not a good plan. How will you ever win if all your doing is trying to protect the ball, but you never try to move it down the field and score a touchdown.
What good is it to have a weapon, the sword of the spirit, if you don't have it with you. Psalm 199:11 says I have hidden the word in my heart. What does this mean? To put it simply it means to memorize God's word. This way when you step into battle you have your weapon with you. In the days when the bible was written the sword was the ultimate weapon but today you can have a machine gun, an automatic weapon loaded with more than one bullet that will take down the enemy. I am talking about 10 scriptures you can have loaded in your clip and ready to fire off at the enemy in rapid succession. Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom. So here is how you can load the clip of your automatic weapon with 10 scriptural bullets without having to memorize them. Open a document on your phone and save your 10 verses so you can be ready when needed. Or if you not so tech savy write your verses on a recipe card or business card and carry them in your pocket. Here is an example of 10 verses you can have loaded and ready to fire.
1. God has good plans for me (Jeremiah 29:11) 2. He is working all things together for my good. (Romans 8:28) 3. With God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26) 4. I will be strong and courageous because the Lord is with me wherever I go. (Joshua 1:9) 5. In all my acknowledge Him, and he will make my paths straight.
Calming the Soul
Music has a powerful influence on human beings. It can boost memory, build endurance, lighten your mood, reduce anxiety and depression, stave off fatigue, improve your response to pain, and help you work out more effectively. Music can also bring back powerful memories and emotions. Music is present in every part of our lives. Children learn the alphabet through a song. Music can even influence your spending habits, shopping malls and restaurants you visit are rarely silent. My wife claims she learned the preamble to our constitution through a song she heard on a Saturday morning cartoon as a child called “School House Rock.”
Music has a very important role in worship as well. God can be glorified by music and peoples spirits can be uplifted by a pleasing melody. Through congregational singing Christian faith is not only expressed; to a very real degree it is learned. Since people tend to remember the theology they sing more than the theology that is preached, sorry preachers! Hymns, both ancient and modern, increase knowledge and vocabulary, rehearse the biblical story, and teach of the nature and the almighty acts of God. Music is essential for a Christians growth in faith.
According to the Book of Samuel, an “evil spirit” plagued King Saul, making him agitated and fearful of persecution. Because music was thought to have a therapeutic effect, the king summoned the hero and warrior David, who was renowned for his skill with the harp.
1 Samuel 16: 14, 17-18, 23 14 Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. 17 So Saul said to his attendants, “Find someone who plays well and bring him to me.” 18 One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.” 23 Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.
This is one amazing example of what music can make do to a person. Today, we are bombarded with music that is full of subliminal messages that encourages drugs, fornication, vices, etc. And as we listen to this kind of music, those messages that are usually hidden in the upbeat bass or catchy melody are being burned into our subconscious minds slowly but surely. This is not what God wants us to have. Just like the music that the David’s harp produces, our music should be a comfort for the soul, a source of peace for the mind and a warm blanket of encouragement for the heart. As believers today, let us take some time to reflect what kind of music are we listening to in our lives?
Our faith in God should result to a life that can provide comfort to other people especially those that are going through deep hurts and troubles. To give comfort to others means to stand in the situation, walk a mile in their shoes. Don’t judge or criticize, but rather give hope and love to the person who needs it. As the music of David’s Harp comforted the distressed King Saul, let the music of our lives through what we say or do also give comfort to those who are facing their own tormenting spirit.
Have you ever thought about how you are living out your Christian faith? Are you living a superficial Christian life or a supernatural Christian life? If you look up the definition of superficial your dictionary will tell you that it is something that is existing or occurring at or on the surface or something appearing to be true or real until examined more closely. On the other hand if you look up the definition of supernatural this is what you will find: an event attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature.
Just because we have a relationship with Jesus does not mean that life will be a stroll down easy street! Life can be tough!!! As Christians, we have extra challenges. Before we were saved, we were no threat to the devil. But when we accepted Jesus into our heart, we became an enemy of Satan. We live in two worlds – the natural sin filled world and the supernatural spiritual filled world. Both are going on around us. When we are faced with battles or temptations, our victory comes from the supernatural! At one time or another, we’ve all believed the lies of the enemy. These lies can come from toxic relationships and failures. But whatever you’ve heard or believed until now, the truth of the bible can set you free!
In John chapter 8 Jesus is confronted by the Scribes and the Pharisees. They bring him a woman who has been accursed of commuting adultery. They put her on display in front of a crowd of people that were surrounding Jesus then they make their accusations! They tell Jesus, “This woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says we should stone her to death What do you say we should do with her?”
Only in Christianity do we “Shot our wounded!” In the business world if an employee makes a mistake they are offered training or rehabilitation so they can be made a better employee. In the military if a soldier is wounded in the field of battle he is given medical attention so he can live to fight another day. No soldier is left behind! However in Christianity if you make a mistake we tend to point our holy fingers at you and say how could you live like this, how could you make such terrible sinful decision? If you fail, fall or sin we shoot the sinner, we tell them you can't be a member of our church if you live like that. The Scribes and Pharisees wanted to pass judgment on the woman caught in adultery, but how did Jesus respond?
John 8: 3-11 NIV The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
The Scribes and Pharisees were living a “Superficial” faith. On the surface they seemed to be real Christians striving to live the best possible life, however upon closer examination of their faith it becomes obvious that their faith was certainly not “Supernatural!” The Bible is full of ordinary people who were deemed failures by those around them. Yet God enabled them to do mighty things. Supernatural living comes when you believe what God says about you and not what the world says!!!
Image Bearers
What does the bible mean when is says in Genesis 1:27 “We are all created in the image of God?”
Genesis 1:27 NIV So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Does this mean that we resemble God's likeness, having features in common with God, such as arms legs, hands, feet, fingers and a face? Maybe, but I really don't think this is all of what being made in the image of God really means. Being made in the image of God is not so much a physical feature, something that man has, it is more something that man is.
On the last day of creation, when God said let us make man in our image, in our likeness, He finished His work with a “personal touch.” God formed Adam from the dust and gave him life by sharing His own breath with him. Accordingly, humanity is unique among all of God’s creation, having both a material body and an in-material soul or spirit. To say that we are made in the image of God is to recognize the special qualities of the human nature that God gave us, that he did not give to any of the rest of his creation.
Human beings can reason and choose. This is a reflection of God's likeness. Anytime someone invents a machine, writes a book, paints a landscape, enjoys a symphony, or names a child, he or she is proclaiming the fact that we are made in God’s image. Our conscience, our moral compass is feature that is only bestowed on us and is not something any of the rest of God's creation has. Whenever someone writes a law, recoils from evil, praises good behavior, or feels guilty, he or she is confirming the fact that we are made in God’s own image.
God created us for fellowship with him. In the Garden of Eden, humanity’s primary relationship was with God. God made the first woman because it was not good for the man to be alone. Every time someone marries, makes a friend, hugs a child, they are demonstrating the fact that we are made in the likeness of God. So if we are created in the image of God we must love, honor and respect everyone no matter what they look like, how they dress, the color of their skin, or their social or financial position in this world.... We must love them even if they don't agree with us!!!
1 John 4: 20-21 NIV Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
Wow!!! In today's world loving your brother or sister even when they don't agree with you is a huge request! The world today is a veritable petrie dish of conflicting viewpoints and dysfunctional behavior. Since we are all created in the image of God we must love everyone despite our vast differences and disagreements. All this being said,... not everyone is a child of God! The good news is God offers everyone redemption. That redemption is only available by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior from the sin that separates us from God. Being made in the image of God we all have and eternal soul. Where your soul spends eternity, Heaven or Hell, is your choice! Choose wisely, your choice will have an eternalconsequence!!!
What's your job
Everyone that claims for be a Christian, a Child of God, has a job to do in his kingdom! I think we can all agree on that, but I am equally confident that most of us would also say I am not gifted enough to be a preacher or teacher.
1 Peter 4:10 NIV Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
So here is a comparison that I think most of us can understand. An NFL football game has a lot in common with most churches today. At the football game there are 22 players on the field who put everything they have both physically and mentally into being the best football player they can be. In the stands there are 80,000 people cheering them on. As long as the players on the field are doing well the fans in the stands continue to cheer them on. However if they make a mistake, if the game doesn't go the way the fans in the stand think it should be going the cheers quickly become jeers and boos!!!
I think we can all agree this is no way to successfully run a church. Many times though it is reality though. The old rule of thumb is 10 percent of the members of the church do 90 percent of the work. God never intended for a handful of paid professionals to run the church. I know what your next thought is. I have no special talents or gifts. How can I possible serve the church. We all have at least one spiritual gift. What do you enjoy doing? What do others say you’re good at? These are the kind of questions that can help you discover the place where God wants you to serve the church.
1 Corinthians 12: 4-6 NIV There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
Ordinary people can do extraordinary works just by living out their callings. As men and women trust in Christ, they do good works. These works are as good as a pastor when he preaches a moving sermon or prays at the bedside of a dying person and leads them to a saving faith in God. So what are some things an ordinary person can do to serve God?
Teach a Sunday school class. There are many opportunities from a preschool through senior citizens. Mentor a young person. You will have a greater impact for God when you develop a one on relationship with someone, invest your life in others! Visit someone in the hospital, let them know your care! Greet people at the front door. Seek out visitors and do what you can to help them feel welcome and comfortable. Send a card or letter. A timely word of encouragement to someone that has been missing from church for a while for whatever reason can have a huge impact. Cook a meal for someone that has recently had a loved one dye or is sick at home. Pull weeds and plant flowers so that God's house looks beautiful and inviting. Set up chairs for an event. The work is always easier when there are more hands helping. Work in the nursery, sing in the chior, volunteer to be an usher passing the offering plate, help in the sound booth or help with church security. Most of these jobs require no special experience or you can be easily trained. Last but certainly not least, PRAY!!! The ministry of prayer should not be taken lightly. It is often said, “I can’t do much, but I can pray.” That is a sad way to think about prayer. The truth is, not everyone will pray. And, prayer is never the “least you can do,” but should always be thought of as the most important thing you can do!
The Sin of Procrastination
Is procrastination a sin? It is not specifically mentioned in the 10 commandments so is it really a bad thing? This may be hard to hear but the simple answer is, “Yes Absolutely!!!!” Our time and talents are gifts from God and should not be wasted. Procrastination is defined as “the act of willfully delaying the doing of something that should be done,” or, “to put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness.” While the word “procrastinate” is not specifically mentioned in the Bible, the topic is addressed.
Colossians 3:23 NIV Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.
The Bible says that when it comes to some things, we should never procrastinate. In Matthew 5:23-24 Jesus taught that reconciling with an offended brother should be done immediately upon our remembrance of the situation. The bible also tells us, “Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry” Ephesians 4:26-27. Dealing appropriately with our anger is a matter of great importance, and we must not put it off until tomorrow or you risk giving the devil a foothold.
Christians should never procrastinate when it comes to sharing the gospel with the lost. There is no time to waste. No one is promised tomorrow and that person you need to witness to, may not have tomorrow. Their life could come abruptly to an end without warning. The Bible urges everyone to get right with God today.
Hebrews 3:12-13 NIV See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
Procrastination may also be an unforgivable sin. The bible tells us that there is only one sin that can not be forgiven and that is the sin of blasphemy. What is blasphemy you ask? It is the is hardening your heart against God and repeatedly refusing to respond to the Holy Spirit. In other words, the only unpardonable, unforgivable sin is a persistent refusal to acknowledge the reality and existence of God, the fact that He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins. It is the refusal to “Admit,” “Believe,” and “Confess” faith in God! What does all this have to do with procrastination and how can it be unforgivable? Some people, upon hearing the gospel and recognizing their spiritual need, delay in making a response. This is the most dangerous type of procrastination. They may think that they need to clean up their bad habits first. They may not be ready to let go of their favorite vice and think foolishly that they are young and they will enjoy life now and later turn to God. Life is short, and we do not know what will happen tomorrow!
Proverbs 27:1 NIV Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.
So in the matter of our spiritual life, we dare not procrastinate. If you die this day without confessing faith in God you will spend eternity separated from God in Hell where the worm never dies and the fire is never quenched. As Christians it is unwise for us to delay healing a broken relationship or dealing with anger. Giving glory to God comes with eternal blessing and should motivate all we do, so we have no reason to procrastinate. In short, procrastination is a bad habit that can have eternal effects.
The Transforming Power of Fire
Discovering and dominating fire was a key factor in human evolution. It not only helped the first humans to stay warm and have light to illuminate the darkness, it also provided them with protection from predators. Fire, we huddle around it in search of warmth. We cook with fire. As kids we may have jumped over the embers of the fire. We let ourselves be hypnotized by its moving flames. Fire attracts us hopelessly due to its destructive abilities, but also for its infinite transforming power. Depending on what substance you place into fire it may either be consumed by the fire or transformed by the fire.
Before modern metalworking techniques were invented, blacksmiths used fire to make metal workable. Once the metal was formed into the desired shape, the heated metal was cooled quickly. The process made the metal harder, transforming it into a different substance. Many substances like paper or wood when placed into the fire are totally consumed, reduced to nothing but ashes. The greatest story from the bible dealing with the transforming power of fire is that of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
During Nebuchadnezzar’s second year as king, the Lord gave him terrible dreams. When none of his wise men were able to interpret his dreams, he sentenced them to death. Then he asked Daniel to tell him what his dream was and interpret it. Daniel asked Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to pray that God would reveal it to him – and He did. He advanced Daniel to a high post, gave him many generous presents and made him ruler of the whole province of Babylon. At Daniel’s request the king made Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego administrators of the province of Babylon. This made the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, and other officials of the kings court furious!
They hatched an evil plan and convinced King Nebuchadnezzar to pass a decree that each day at a certain time everyone should bow to and worship a enormous gold statue. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to follow the decree. The men who plotted against them brought this to the king’s attention. Nebuchadnezzar was infuriated, and immediately had the three men brought before him. King Nebuchadnezzar questioned them: “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you will not serve my god, or worship the golden statue that I set up?” Daniel chapter 3 verses 16 thru 18 records the young men's response to King Nebuchadnezzar.
Daniel 3: 16-18 NIV Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were bound and cast into the furnace, they began lifting their voices in praise to God. The king’s servants continued to stoke the flames, but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego remained unharmed, because the substance of their lives was the one and only true God!!! What is the substance of your life? When you are faced with the fiery trails of life do they consume you or transform you? Because of the faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego God delivered them from fire. When they emerged from the furnace, it was clear that the fire had had no power over the bodies, not a hair of their heads had been singed, and their garments were not altered.
The Omnipotent Power of God
Saying that God is “omnipotent” does not suggest He almost has control over all of creation. God’s power is complete. He has all authority over all creation, life, and death. God created the universe and all life with His voice and His breath. God created light out of the darkness with just His voice. Did you know that the speed of light is 671 million miles per hour. This planet we live on seems vastly enormous. However at the speed of light you could circle the earth 7 times in just 1 second. You could go to the moon in 2 ½ seconds. You could travel to Mars in just 22 minutes at the speed of light. Our God is so powerful that he spoke the milky way galaxy into existence and our home galaxy is so vast that even at the speed of light it would take you 200,000 years to travel from one side to the other.
When Jesus walked on water, His power over natural law came from God. Jesus direct control over laws of nature, such as breaking the law of gravity and of the properties of water, when he walked on water came from God! When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead and when he himself arose from the grave He demonstrated his power over life and death.
God is all power and sufficient to complete His own work. Why the does God instruct believers to spread His word or feed his sheep if He can accomplish all things himself? God does not need us at all. If God needed us to accomplish His work he wouldn't be “Omnipotent”. God doesn't need us but he does desire a relationship with us, but that’s not the same as being needed by Him! In reality, we in our weakness, need Him. When the Lord works through ordinary people who are not capable of whatever job He has assigned them, His omnipotence is displayed. When you say God is omnipotent you are proclaiming that He not only has ultimate power over all things, but He is also is the source of all power. He is limitless in strength, wisdom, love and holiness. Though His power is unfathomable, unimaginable, we can catch a glimpse of His might by considering all He has made. He made all things—every planet, beam of light, law of nature, and every human heart.
When we begin to comprehend and understand that God, our Creator and Savior, is omnipotent, is all powerful and in control over all things, our chaotic and constantly changing world doesn’t seem quite so scary. No matter how vulnerable or ill-equipped we feel, no matter the challenges and problems we face, we can rest in this truth: God is matchless in power, unconquerable, and always victorious. God is bigger than your problems. When storms hit and the ground beneath us feels ready to give way, we can rest in peace, knowing God Almighty, the omnipotent One, stands beside us.
Colossians 1:16 NIV For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.
Our God, the omnipotent, all-knowing, all-loving and faithful King, reigns over all and holds us securely in His hand. Understanding this helps us stand, unshakable, above all that threatens to defeat and destroy us.
Hebrews 1:3 NIV The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
What are you going to be when you grow up?
Have you ever asked a child what it is they are going to be when they grow up? I am sure that most of us have asked this very question of our own children or grandchildren many times. It is interesting to listen to their responses. Some want to be policemen, some firefighters and some may want to be a doctor or nurse. I have a grandson that even told me once that he wanted to be a preacher, but now I think he has changed his mind and wants to be a professional motor-cross rider. Oh well, he is only 10 years old I am sure he will change his mind about what he is going to be when he grows up many times over the years.
Children really don't have any idea how much time must be invested in order to get that career they are dreaming of now. For example in order to become a Missouri State Trooper you must have be a high school graduate and then pass a 6 and ½ month law enforcement training academy. What about becoming a preacher? Most-+6 graduated from high school and then went to seminary for a couple years in order to become a preacher. Ever thought about how long it takes to become a nurse or a doctor? A licensed RN must have either an associate in nursing or a bachelor's in nursing degree, plus complete the clinical nursing requirements, and pass the state board exams. All of this will take anywhere from 2 to 4 years. MD doctor programs generally last four years. Once you're done with medical school, you'll need to complete 3-7 years of residency before you can receive licensing and start practicing medicine.
Now here is my difficult question. How much time and effort must you put into becoming a Christian? How many years do you need to spend attending church and Sunday school or studying your bible in order to become a born again believer? The steps to becoming a Christian are few, plain and easy to understand!
Step #1 Believe!!!We must believe God exists! That’s the first step. But you say: “I don’t have faith. How can I get this faith in God? Well, here’s the way, as described by the apostle Paul in Romans 10:17: “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
Step #2 Repent!!! The second step is repentance. First, belief in God; second, repentance. But you ask, Are you sure God will forgive me? The answer to that question is found in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Step #3 Confess!!! The third and final step is to confess. If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved!
Romans 10: 9-10 NIV If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
The 3 simple steps to becoming a Christian can be completed in no more time than it will take you to leave your seat in the church, walk down the aisle and say a simple pray, all of which can be accomplished in minutes. You don't have to spend years educating yourself or cleaning up your life. Just believe, repent and confess!
Fear and Faith
There is little dispute that 2020 was a difficult year full of extraordinary events that struck fear and anxiety into American's hearts. A raging pandemic and economic recession followed by a contested election that spurred a dramatic insurrection, were just a few of the incidents that left tensions high nationwide. According to a a survey conducted by a company called, “Safe Home” that specializes in home security here is a list of the top 10 fears for 2021 of Americans: #1 Loved ones dying, #2 Loved ones becoming seriously ill, #3 Mass shootings, #4 Not having enough money for retirement, #5 Terrorism, #6 Government corruption, #7 Becoming terminally ill, #8 Hate crimes, #9 High medical bills, #10 Widespread civil unrest.
2020 has been labeled the most stressful year on record, and rampant anxiety has become a national mental health emergency. For 2021 It appears that the situation has not significantly improved. For some people worry and anxiety can create major problems in life. Some of us come by it honestly. For some, it’s a family trait – it’s in our blood, it is a learned trait. Some of us acquire issues with anxiety over the course of life’s many obstacles. Anxiety and worry can be like anchors that keep you from getting anywhere. Yet it shouldn’t be that way. As Christians, we have the means to live a life that can be free from anxiety. So what does the bible have to say about fear, worry and anxiety?
Matthew 6:27 NIV Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
Anxiety is noncompliant with God’s Word. The Bible is full of commands about anxiety: Be anxious for nothing (Philippians 4:6). Let not your hearts be troubled (John 14:1). Do not be dismayed (Joshua 1:9). Isaiah 41:10 says Fear not. This is also commanded 364 other times in scripture. So there is one command per day to remind you that should not have fear in your life. Simply put, it’s not possible to be overcome by fear and to wholeheartedly trust in God. It’s like oil and water. The scriptural solution to anxiety is to have a disciplined mind that focuses on Christ. Here are five ways that can help you to deal with your anxiety and change your focus from your own problems to Christ.
#1 Change your thinking. Become more aware of the circumstances that trigger your anxiety and fear. Acknowledge your feelings and make intentional choices to shift your focus to Christ. Acknowledge that He is sufficient to help you and free you from whatever makes you feel anxious.
#2 Be Thankful. Studies have proven that those who are thankful live longer, happier lives. Start a gratitude journal, write a letter of thankfulness, serve at a local charity, or spend some time in purposeful prayer of gratitude to God.
#3 Practice Self Care. Prioritize physical exercise, proper nutrition, adequate sleep, and connection with other people. Find the activities that give you joy and energy, and make time for them without apology. Take care of yourself.
#4 Make Room for Joy. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins in the brain. Laughter is also good for your heart and your immune system and it relaxes the whole body.
#5 Seek Christian Counseling. Christian Counseling is an excellent place to start facing whatever it is that has you feeling anxious or worried. With the help of a good Christian counselor, you can begin to begin to deal with and even eliminate fear and anxiety.
Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
Recognizing Happiness & Blessings
I personally believe that happiness is a choice. I believe that it is a choice you must make everyday. Happiness in my humble opinion, is a state of mind. If you choose to look for the silver lining in the cloud you will find it. It you choose to look for all the thunderclouds in the storms of life, then you will find them as well. However,... the difficult question I would like to ask you is: If you never have any storms in life, how then do you recognize the sunny days? If you never have any dark days in your life, how then do you learn to appreciate the bright days?
Most of the time, I like to think I’m pretty good at recognizing what makes me happy in life. But I sincerely believe that if you don't go through some tribulation in your life, you may not always recognize all the blessings God gives you every day! It can become easy to let these moments of happiness and blessings slip past you. There is a new song out by a group that goes by the name, “Cochren and Company.” The song is entitled “Graves.” The lyrics to this song really do a good job of illustrating the point I am trying to make. Here is the some of the song:
If there hadn't been the darkness, I would've never seen the light, I wouldn't long for the sunrise, if it wasn't for the night. If there hadn't been a Father who made a way when there was none, I'd still be an orphan, if it wasn't for His son.
If there hadn't been a grave, if there hadn't been a cross, my heart would still be buried, and my soul would still be lost, if there hadn't been a Savior, who died to make a way, I'd still be a dead man, if there hadn't been a grave.
If it wasn't for the breaking, I would never know the mend, I wouldn't know the sweetness of freedom, if I didn't know my sin, If there hadn't been forgiveness that covered all my shame, I'd still be a debtor, if He didn't take my place.
If there hadn't been a grave, if there hadn't been a cross, my heart would still be buried, and my soul would still be lost, If there hadn't been a Savior who died to make a way, I'd still be a dead man, if there hadn't been a grave.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Ephesians 5:20ESVGiving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
After great tribulation comes the blessings!!! One of the most difficult parts of the Christian life is the fact that becoming a disciple of Christ does not make us immune to life’s trials and tribulations. Trials develop godly character, and that enables us to rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Trials and tribulations come with both a purpose and a reward!
James 1: 2-4 ESV Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
I am not really a big fan of the annual Christmas movies, but I do like the old Dr. Seuss movie, “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.” Have you ever stopped to wonder what the world would be like if Jesus Christ had never been born? Obviously there is the fact that there would be no Christmas, but what I am really asking is how would the world we live in today be different if Jesus Christ had never been born? First, the Christian faith would not exist today. This may not initially sound like a big deal when there are countless other religious faiths in the world today, what harm could come from one less religion. However, if you stop and think deeply about all the things that have been inspired by the Christian faith the world be be a far different place now if Jesus Christ and never been born.
The positive impact Jesus Christ and the Christian Church has made on the world can be found in nearly every conceivable area: morality, health, sex, hospitals, art, music, charity, economics, government, science, education and even the founding of America. Even with imperfect people, Christianity has had a much more positive impact on the world than any other religion. Jesus Christ has changed virtually every aspect of human life - and most people don't even know it. Despite its humble origins, the Church has made more changes on earth for good than any other movement or force in history. Here is an overview of some of the positive contributions Christianity has made through the centuries, taken from a book entitled, “What if Jesus had never been born” written by D. James Kennedy:
- Many of the world's greatest universities were started by Christians for Christian purposes.
- Government, particularly as it is America.
- The elevation of women.
- Benevolence and charity; the good Samaritan ethic.
- The condemnation of adultery, homosexuality, and other sexual perversions. Which has helped to preserve the human race, and it has spared many from heartaches.
- The high regard for human life.
- The codifying and setting to writing many of the world's languages.
- Greater development of art and music. The inspiration for the world's greatest works of art.
- Countless changed lives transformed from liabilities into assets to society because of the gospel.
- And let us not forget the eternal salvation of countless souls!
The last one mentioned, the salvation of souls, is the primary goal of Christianity. All the other benefits listed are basically just by-products of what Christian faith has brought when applied to daily living. Prior to the coming of Christ, human life on this planet was exceedingly cheap. Life was expendable prior to Christianity's influence. Even today, in parts of the world where the gospel of Christ has not penetrated, life is exceedingly cheap. But Jesus Christ ... gave mankind a new perspective on the value of human life. Christ's influence on the world is immeasurable!
Isiah 9:6 NIV For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
Are you a Genius or a Fool
Much of the world thinks that Christians are fools. Some the greatest scientist just can't comprehend how and an all powerful heavenly being could have spoken the world, the universe and all the life contained within it into existence. They would rather believe that everything came into being when two rocks accidentally collided into each other in outer space, creating all the different components needed to create life. Even if I believed the “Big Bang Theory,” and I don't..., scientist don't consider the fact that someone had to create outer space and the two comets or asteroids that collided into each other to kick off the “Big Bang Theory!”
The bible is filled full of examples of when God used people to do something that seemed foolish to the world, but when it happened they looked like geniuses. One of the greatest examples is the story of Noah and the Ark. The entire population of world had become evil and wicked and God decided to bring a flood to the earth to destroy everyone but Noah and his family. God told Noah to prepare an ark big enough to hold one male and one female from every kind of animal and creature. Noah was building this giant boat in the middle of a dessert where boats were unheard of. The bible tell us that the people of the world thought Noah was a crazy fool. The bible says, that until the very day the flood came, they were eating and drinking, they were deaf and blind to all divine warnings. They were not convinced of their foolishness and the genius of Noah until it was too late. All the inhabitants, that were in the world, except those in the ark, died. When the flood came the world realized Noah's genius!
Another great example of a time the world thought Christians were fools is the story of the battle of Jericho. God instructed Joshua with an unusual strategy for the battle of Jericho. He told Joshua to have his army march around the city once a day for six straight days. While marching, the soldiers played their trumpets as the priests carried the Ark of the Covenant around the city of Jericho. I can only imagine how the people inside the fortified walls of the city of Jericho must have laughed at the Israelites as they marched and played there trumpets. The people of Jericho must had said your foolishness doesn't scare us! On the seventh day, the Israelites marched around the walls of Jericho seven times. Joshua told them, everyone in the city must be slain, except Rahab and her family. At Joshua's order, the men produced a powerful roar, and Jericho's walls miraculously fell down. The Israelite army raced in quickly conquering the city. The army of the Israelites suddenly looked liked Geniuses when the walls of Jericho came tumbling down.
Proverbs 28:26 ESV Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.
Psalm 118:8 It is better to trust in the Lord. Than to put confidence in man.
No matter how well thought out man's plans may seem or how foolish and crazy God's plans for you may seem, our vision is limited. God has a higher heavenly perspective and can see the beginning and the end. All man can see is what is what is right in front of him.
Proverbs 3: 5-6 NKJV Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
Church Speak
Our father who art in heaven hallowed by thy name! Have you ever been in a church service, heard scripture read, and then wasn't really sure what it was that was said? Who really speaks in King James anyway? I don't address my family or friends by using phrases like, “What art thou doing this day?” Does it make you anxious to think you might be asked to read scripture or to pray publicly because your afraid you might not use the proper, “Church Speak?” I once had a foreign exchange student from Siberia Russia. She lived with us for a year. She had 4 years of schooling in English and when she arrived she was able to communicate with us okay unless I used some of my country redneck vocabulary. However, when she attended church with us she frequently had this blank stare on her face and had to ask me what was meant by what we said. Simply stated she didn't understand our “Church Speak!”
So this leads me to ask the question, “How should we talk with God?” Are your prayers more holy or more reverent if you pray in King James? Absolutely not!!! In Psalm 142 David is at a very low point in his life. Saul has decided the David is public enemy number one and he was using all his kingdoms resources to hunt him down and kill David. David was without home, without safety and with a bunch of outcasts in a remote cave, among his worst enemies, the Philistines. To say that things were bleak is an understatement. So how did David pray? Here is his pray from Psalm 142: 1-7
Psalm 142: 1-7 NIV I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. I pour out before him my complaint; before him I tell my trouble. When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who watches over my way. In the path where I walk people have hidden a snare for me. Look and see, there is no one at my right hand; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life. I cry to you, Lord; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me. Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.
If you listen closely to David's prayer you see it is brutely honest. David pours out his complaints and tells God all his troubles. He tells God, no one cares for him and he has no place left to hide. David says no one cares for his life and he cries out to God and says, “Listen to me God, I am in desperate need! I can tell you from my own personal experiences the times I felt closest to God as if he was right beside me listening to my every word were when I could barely speak intelligible. After each of my 2 sons died, the funerals were over and I was alone, I cried out to God using words that were not much more than grunts and groans, between breathes, as tears streamed down my face and my nose ran uncontrollably. I also had moments like this when my nephew Clinton was killed in a car accident.
Romans 8:26-27 NIV In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
So pray with all your heart and soul! Don't be afraid to tell God what is on your heart and mind because He already knows anyway. Our heavenly Father would rather hear your honest, wordless groans, then some wordy King James prayer!
Have you ever wondered where the phrase, “The Lord works in mysterious ways,” comes from? The actual phrase first appeared in hymn entitled “Conflict: Light Shining out of Darkness.” The lyrics of the hymn were written by William Cowper in 1773, just before the onset of a depressive illness during which he attempted suicide by drowning. The first verse of the hymn says, “God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform; He plants his footsteps in the sea, And rides upon the storm.”
In my humble opinion, one of the most mysterious stories in the bible is the story of Joseph. Joseph was the most loved son of his father. He was given the famous robe of many colors. When Joseph reported having dreams of his brothers, bowing before him, their jealousy of grew into hatred, evil intent and evil actions. His brothers sold him into slavery to a traveling caravan who took him to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard. Next Potiphar's wife tried to seduce Joseph. Joseph repelled her attempt to lure him into her bed, she grabbed him by his coat. She pulled on his coat, saying, Lie with me. Joseph ran out and left his garment in her hand. Citing his garment as evidence, Potiphar's wife falsely accused Joseph of having assaulted her, and he was sent to prison. Joseph went from beloved son,... to slave,... to prisoner!
While Joseph was in jail he managed to gain favor with the jailer and with Potiphar. With God's help, Joseph interprets the dreams of two prisoners, predicting that one of them will be reinstated but the other put to death. Joseph languished in jail for 2 years before the Pharaoh experiences a disturbing dream. Potiphar then tells the Pharaoh of Joseph's prophetic gifts. Joseph then interprets the dreams of the Pharaoh, which anticipate seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. Pharaoh recognizes Joseph's God-given ability and makes him the chief administrator of Egypt.
The famine predicted by Joseph forces his father to send his sons to buy grain from the Egyptians. When Joseph finally encounters his brothers again, he deliberately conceals his identity. Joseph knows that he has changed considerably since his brothers sold him into slavery. Finally reveals that he is their brother. Joseph explains to them that they need not feel guilty for betraying him as it was God's plan for him to be in Egypt to preserve his family. Isn't it mysterious that Joseph didn't see his prophetic dream fulfilled until years later when he prophetically interprets the dream of Pharaoh.
Isaiah 55: 8-9 NKJV “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
Despite being sold into slavery by his brothers, Joseph remained faithful and trusted in God to deliver him from tribulation. This story shows how God's plan may not be obvious to our limited perspective. We should be inspired by the story of Joseph It should give us faiththat God will deliver us.
Romans 8:28 NKJV And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose
Romans 8:18 NKJV For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Is it possible to achieve a trouble free life? If you believe the old jingle from the Roto-Rooter commercials all you have to do is: “Call Roto-Rooter, that's the name and away go troubles do the drain!”... So is there such a thing as a trouble free, trail free life? Well I hate to disappoint you but if your searching for the answers to all your problems, your going to be sadly disappointed! If anyone tells you that they have a system for living the fairy tale happily ever after life... beware!!!
There are those that claim that becoming a Christian will erases all your problems; that it will lead to earthly wealth and success. This is not true!!! Becoming a believer in Christ is a wonderful new beginning, but it isn’t the end of pain or problems. Matter of fact it is the opposite, it is the beginning of facing up to them. Being a Christian involves a lifetime of hard work, dedicated study and difficult decisions. Christianity is not an insurance policy against life’s ills and troubles; it is about glorifying God in the midst of them.
In Mark chapter 4 Jesus was with the disciples and had been preaching to a crowd using parables. At the end of the day he told the disciples, “Let's go over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee and they got in the boat and left the crowd behind.”
I am confident that my all knowing, all seeing, omnipotent heavenly Father, knew there would be a violent storm as they crossed the sea.... Even knowing, there was an approaching storm, he was able to lay down and take a nap... if it had not been for the panicked disciples screaming out, “Teacher, don't you care if we drown? Wake up and help us get to the other side before we sink!” Jesus may well have slept through the storm! God may not take away trials or even make detours for us, but He strengthens us through them. This becomes part of our testimony to the unbelieving world—and it has the ability to point others to the Savior.
Living the Christian life is serious business. If we have our eyes upon ourselves, our problems, and our pain, like the disciples did when crossing the Sea of Galilee, we won't be able to see anything but our impending doom, the surrounding storms of our lives. However, if we keep our eyes focused on the Jesus Christ the one that can calm the storms. We can have the assurance that even in the midst of the storm, the trials and troubles of this life, we will make it to the other side because he is with us every step of the way!
The prevailing religious philosophy of the world today is one of tolerance and coexistence. We’ve all seen the popular “coexist” bumper stickers. The idea is that we are all basically good people trying to figure out God in our own way and the worst thing anyone could do is claim that, their way to God is the right way or only way.So how do we as Christians convince those we love that we are not intolerant for not approving of their beliefs and their lifestyle choices,... without coming across as the intolerant Christians that they believe we are? The Bible is clear that God doesn’t show any favoritism when it comes to His love and salvation. Likewise, Christians should never show any favoritism toward others. Christians are called to demonstrate genuine love and respect towards all people.
2 Timothy 4:3-4 NIV For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
**Proverbs 14:12 NIV There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.
Matthew 7:13-14 NIV Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.**The Bible is very clear... Christianity is very exclusive in one way. The way to experience salvation, the way to heaven is exclusive. While God loves and invites all people to salvation, it is only experienced by those who put their faith in Jesus. It doesn’t matter how nice of a person you are or how sincerely you follow your own way, there is only one way to salvation, faith in Jesus Christ!!!
John 14:6 NIV Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
I am real confident that everyone, no matter who you are, everyone deals with some worry and anxiety, sometimes even on a daily basis. Why is it that 3 o'clock in the morning is the time when you are awoken by some dream, some fear or anxiety. You body sometimes wakes you like you have just been struck by a bolt of lightening. Then you mind starts playing the “What if” game. You know what I am talking about, you start thinking “OH NO!” what if this happens or what if that happens and then all of the sudden you find yourself in the grips of crippling worry and anxiety!
Technology has enabled us to have electronic devices in the palm of our hands, cell phones. They connect us with the world. Your cell phone brings you news instantly. You go to your favorite news feed and you read about how there is a threat of war with Afghanistan, there was a shooter in a shopping mall that shot into a crowd and killed a group of people, there are missionaries and with their families in Hati that were kidnapped and being held for ransom, and let us not forget about the daily threat of the Covid 19 pandemic. Then add to this list worries, the personal things you worry about such as learning someone you love has cancer and might die, or a friend of your child in school was in a bad car wreck and is in intensive care in the hospital.
In this episode we will learn what the bible has to say about worry, fear and anxiety!!!
Do You Rob or Steal from God?
Have you ever stolen from God? I know what your thinking first, “I didn't fell off the turnip truck just yesterday. I know better than to steal from God!” Second, “You are talking about the Omnipresent, All Powerful God, how in the world could I steal from God?” Well let me explain.
So, let’s start with the basics of tithing. What is tithing anyway? A tithe is a portion, 10% of your income, given as an offering to your local church to bring Glory to God. Fun fact: The word tithe literally means, a tenth in Hebrew.
Leviticus 27:30 (TLB) says, “A tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain or fruit, is the Lord’s, and is holy.”
Proverbs 3:9 (NIV) says, “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops.”
I am certain this is not the first time you have heard someone explain what tithing is all about. However I want to suggest that if you only tithe from your financial resources you may be robbing or stealing from God. First you must realize that everything you have is given to you from God.
Romans 11:36 NLT For everything comes from Him and exists by His power and is intended for His glory. All glory to Him forever! Amen.
So if everything comes from God and is intended for his Glory, shouldn't we also be tithing our time as well as our financial resources?
Hunger. You hear about it all the time. There are millions of people around the world who don't eat on a daily basis. There are numerous organizations out there whose sole mission is to help stamp out hunger. This is great and the efforts of those who try to feed those in need of food should be appreciated. However, the same effort that we give to feeding the physical body, should also be given to stimulating and feeding spiritual hunger.
According to the dictionary hunger is defined as strong desire or need for food; the discomfort, weakness, or pain caused by a prolonged lack of food or a strong desire or craving. Your body is designed so that when it needs energy, nutrients, or fluids it sends signals to your brain which alert you to eat or drink something. The longer you go without nourishment, the weaker your body becomes. However, once you find food, you consume it and you are no longer hungry and the body becomes satisfied until the next hunger episode hits. So you are continuously driven to consume food to satisfy your body's needs.
When we look at spiritual hunger, something different occurs. The longer you go without spiritual nourishment, the less hungry you become. When we start to read our bible and learn more about Jesus, the more our appetite for a closer walk with Him grows. The more you know about God the more you want to know. So in order to be spiritually hungry you need to eat or take in more of God's word.
If you decided that your out of shape physically and needed to loose a few pounds what would you do? First you would likely change your diet and start eating healthy food and smaller portions, the sweets would definitely be gone. Next you might get a membership to a local gym and get together with someone that leads a fitness class. Likely you would go to the gym at least 3 times a week maybe more. I am certain that a portion of everyday would be dedicated to improving your physical fitness. So my question to you is if physically fitness can only be achieved by devoting a portion of everyday to achieve your goal, why do we think we can be spiritually fit by attending church for a couple hours once a week? The journey to spiritual fitness is a marathon, not a sprint.
In this episode I will give you five ways that you can improve your spiritual fitness.
Have you ever ran into someone in the store and you know immediately that they are not from around here. Maybe they had that “slow southern drawl...” in their voice that is a dead give away that they are from the southern states. Maybe they were from Boston and pronounced all their “R” constants as “W's” you know the ones that “pawk their caw in the cawpowt!!!” It may even be possible that you went somewhere and you stood out because of your vocabulary or accent.
If I was to meet you as a total stranger in the store and strike up a conversation, when our conversation was complete would I leave knowing without a doubt that you were a God fearing Christian? If you were to go to court and be put on trial would your lifestyle be enough to convict you beyond any reasonable doubt of being a Christian.
In his episode you will hear of the importance of your word, actions and attitudes. If your not longing to be a citizen of heaven it will hamper your walk with God here on earth and will harm your witness to those who are not yet heavenly citizens!
Have you ever thought there is no way God can use me? I can give you a long list of reasons why I am not fit to be used by God, but they are simply my lame excuses. In this episode you will learn of people from the bible that were total failures that God used to to great things as well as a couple modern day ordinary people that God used to do extraordinary things.
There is literally nothing we can do to disqualify ourselves from being a candidate who God chooses to work through. God chooses those the world considers foolish to shame those who think they are wise and God chooses the puny and powerless to shame the high and mighty and God can use you!
In this episode we will learn how as a Christian you must love everyone even your worst enemy. How can we call ourselves Christians if we don't love someone enough to share the message of God's salvation with them. If you are truly a Christian there is no one you would want to see spend eternity in Hell, where the worm never dies and the flame is never quenched!!!
In this episode we will here the story of the stoning of the apostle Stephen. Stephen couldn't have know how his life and his death would impact the world. His supernatural suffering lead Saul of Tarsus, who later became Paul on the road to Damascus, onto becoming one of the most prolific writers of the bible.
We don't always have the privilege of knowing how the events of our lives will shape the world around us, but what we say and do matters! Your life matters! You never know who is watching you and how what you say or do, or what you don't say or do may impact someone's life for all or eternity.
What will you do with the life you have been given?
Have you ever had one of those moments when you realized you just avoided a major catastrophe? Do you consider this to be an accident, coincidence or God's hand guiding your life.
I would like to share my story of God working in my life guiding me even when I thought life was out of control. Next I will share the story how the bible was composed and the creation story. I hope you will see that for God there are no accidents!
Have you ever seen someone do something you deemed rather stupid, dangerous, foolish or just downright odd and said, “Well I would never do that!” I know that I have! Well be careful what you say because sin is a slippery slope and one day you may just slide off the edge.
In this episode you will learn how to resist the temptations of sin and hopefully not slip down the slippery slope of sin!
I am so glad that I had parents that loved me despite all my faults and I can tell you that as a teen I had a lot of faults. I drank alcohol in excess, I smoked marijuana, I drove my car at break neck speeds, I lived like I was 10 foot tall and bullet proof. To this day I can not explain why my parents loved me because I did everything possible to make myself unlovable!!!
Of all the things God could gift you with on this earth when he returns only 3 will remain, “Faith, Hope and Love” and of these three things love is the greatest gift!!! So if you truly want to be succeed in this world ask God to give you the gift of LOVE! Because the gift of LOVE is superior to all other gifts.
When will will die is not a matter of accident or chance. If you were to die today do you know where you would spend eternity?
Is your Christian faith growing ad moving towards maturity? You can be young only once, but you can be immature for a lifetime. Listen in and see how to become a more mature Christian.
Living the Christian life is like running a marathon race. Everyone has a responsibility to either run or encourage another runner. The "Race of Faith" takes commitment and fortitude. Listen in to learn how successfully run the "Race of Faith!"
I am confident that you have had to deal with a toxic person. Someone who is downright irritating. As followers of Christ who should we deal with the toxic people in our lives? Here are 3 suggestions!
When God uses people to demonstrate his power, does he us comfort or trials and tribulations? Listen in and find out the answer.
Is it a good or a bad thing for Christian people to make "New Years Resolutions" listen in and maybe together we will figure it out.
Every wondered what the value of a human life is? It depends on your perspective. Listen in and you may be surprise of the value placed on a human life!
Covid19 is not the only pandemic. Fear is and has been for many years and is one of the Devils greatest tools against us!
How do you know when God is speaking to you? Listen in and maybe you will see what may be causing you to not hear the voice of God.
I use the Lords Pray and compare it to my usual pray. I must admit I am pretty pathetic!
Worshiping God is a lot like our body's natural need to breath! Are you holding your spiritual breath from one Sunday to the next?
There have been times in my life when I've expreienced the parin of my poor choices or sins. We all fail from time to time, but that doesn't God can't still use you!
All of us place our faith in things everyday. Juse remember, it is no the size of your faith that saves you it is the object of your faith, Jesus Christ!
Are you a farsighted Christain? Can you see the speck in your brothers eye better than you can see the plank in you own?
Your spiritual health is very similar to your physical health. So what are you putting into your mind every day?
Have you heard the proverb, "The truth has fallen on dear ears?" Sometimes the world does not want to hear the truth because it does not suit their sinfill lustful desires
If you think your going to go to hell and join a giant party with all your hell raising friends your mistaken.
Want to learn how to be indestructable. Listen closely and God's word will reveal this to you!
Don't think you can quote enough scriptures to lead someone to God. You may not have to quote any to be an effective witness!
Why did God put the the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden? If God knows everything he had to know that Adam and Eve would sucumb to temptation. So does God tempt us to do wrong or was there some deeper more meaningful reason for giving Adam and Eve the choice to eat or not eat the forbidden fruit!
What do you invest your time and money in? Do you spend more time focused on your favorite pasttime or following God?
What is the most reliable source of information concerning the truth. Where do you go for wisdom when it comes to making life most difficult choices.
Many people in society today believe the rules do not apply to them. However there are rules that if you break them have eternal consequences, even if you choose not to believe them.
For quite some time people have said that America is the next Roman Empire, and that like all empires it to will fall. Want to know how America compares to Rome just before it empire crumbled?
I am a bit of a control freak. However, in reality there is only on action I can control that will truely impact my life! If your ready to learn the answer then listen in!