Moments of Grace

Nature's Beauty - God's Gift to YOU!

2011-05-06T18:27:00.000-05:00

I am amazed by God. The beauty that was available today as the sun shined and the trees began to show their buds was something to behold. After so many months of winter, it was just a treat to have such a wonderful day today.

I have found life that way at times. Just when the winter of your life seems like it is going to overwhelm you, spring shows up just in time. Jesus knows exactly what we need and

He knows just when we need it. The power of God demonstrated in the awesome wonder of His creation is something that leaves me speechless. He does that just for me! He lets me see the beauty and the power of the rushing river, the majesty of the snow-covered mountains, the peaceful lapping of water along the lakeshore and He even declares His beauty in the middle of the valley when we cannot see our own way.

I trust that you can see the beauty of the Lord and His majesty in all things today. Truly, He loves you like no one else - you are His beloved, the apple of His eye and just to show you how much He loves you - take a look outside and behold the beauty that He made for you!!!

"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority."
E. B. White (1899 - 1985)

The High Place of Prayer

2011-04-27T17:00:00.001-05:00

There is no higher place in this world than to fall to my knees in prayer. I have just finished reading my father's Caring Bridge sight (he is fighting pancreatic cancer) and a friend of his has called everyone to a time of prayer specifically for my dad on May 1st at 7 a.m. It is exciting for me to think about all the people that will be calling Frank Sanders' name out to the Lord that day. Truly, we will travel higher than anything in this world has to offer.
At our church we spend two months each year sacrificing something to the Lord each week. Fasting creatively, we have found that one of the most difficult weeks are those where we do not ask God for anything, we just thank Him for everything. I have found that when going through the dark days of my dad's illness, light comes beaming into my soul as long as I remember to worship Him in thankfulness. He is in control, and He has embraced our family in these dark days, and whatever His will may be, His light will continue to shine on our path. He sees all, and because He loves me, when I call on Him, He quietly puts His arms around and I feel the strength of His embrace.

Endless Hope

2011-04-23T11:09:00.000-05:00

I have felt strongly for a few days that I needed to resume adding to this blog and so I am back in the saddle of sharing some thoughts with you. I will probably not be here every day, but it is a passion of mine to share my life with others. My father was diagnosed with cancer in January and to see how many people have been touched by his life is humbling and yet a challenge. I want to reach as many people as possible in any way I can with the truth that Jesus Christ is the very best thing that ever happened to me! Without Christ is a hopeless end, and with Christ is an endless hope!
When I glance over the landscape of the world today and see how dark and gray the spirit of men and women have become, I want to shout from the mountaintops - "I know who gives light and hope and clarity - His name is Jesus!!'

So I hope that you enjoy our upcoming days together and I pray that what I have to say will brighten your days and encourage your spirit. I love you even though I may have never met you. You are a byproduct of God and everything He does is wonderful!!

Of Mice and Men...

2009-12-18T17:51:00.002-06:00

Todays devotion comes from a dear saint of Spirit of Grace Church. Thank you Verna for reminding us of a wonderful Savior!!

MICE AND MEN
By Verna Anderson

It was already a crazy day and it was only 8 am. I was running around, making a shopping list for last minute items prior to the preschool Christmas party.

Then, I remembered that I needed to wrap the little truck that Noah picked out to give to another boy in the class. All the wrapping paper was still in the garage in a huge box that remained unopened after our summer move. The box sat just outside the mudroom door, needing to have the packing tape cut so that I could get to the contents. As I stood next to the box, realizing that I had no way to cut the tape, I could hear some rustling over by the deep freezer.

The sound was easily recognizable to me because I knew Keith had been catching mice out there, probably hungry little ones who had found our buckets of corn that we had planned to use to feed squirrels. Yes, I knew that was a mouse, caught in the trap, struggling to get free. I said to myself, that’s fine but just stay over there. I’m not a fan of mice. They are cute but I always think of the times people have had them crawling in their clothing—sends shivers up my back.

I went back into the house to get the paring knife to cut the packing tape. As usual, I got distracted. It happens often. Children need dressing. Lists need one more item added. Those things got me sidetracked and a bit of time passed before I noticed the still unwrapped truck. Must get that knife and dig out the paper and get that done. Once again I went into the garage, this time ready to open the box holding the wrapping paper.

Much to my surprise, the little mouse had made the long trek from the freezer to the mudroom step. The poor little guy stuck by only his front paw. He was working frantically to pull free. Yuck, was my first thought. Keith would kill him and toss him in the garbage but I hate killing things. As I looked down at him, my gaze met his beady brown eyes, his fur was silky smooth and he was actually quite cute, as mice go. In and instant, I decided that I could not kill him. I would set him free but how? I definitely did not want to pick up the trap for fear that he would flip around and crawl on me.

I went back into the house, this time to get a tongs. Then, back out into the garage to pick up the trap with the tongs, walk to the end of the driveway and free our little intruder. He struggled the whole time. How would you feel if you were trapped in a vice and a giant picked up the vice, dangling you in the air? Must have been terrifying. When I set the trap down, he tried again to run away, pulling the trap with him. I caught the trap with the tongs and released him, jumping back to keep away, still thinking of a mouse running up my pant leg. He ran onto the snow and for a moment seemed to head toward the garage. The thought came to mind that he would return to the garage, which would mean his rescue was a total waste of time. Thankfully, he turned and headed toward the flowerbed. The last I saw him, he was hiding in a deep footprint in the snow, catching his breath and contemplating his next move.

My day went on from there, kids to school and party time and even a bit of shopping. I forgot about that mouse until my husband asked why the trap was on the mudroom step. I didn’t tell him I had let the mouse go. He would have thought I was crazy.

I thought of that mouse again this morning and realized that his story was similar to so many of us. We spend our days just living life; not realizing we need a Savior. Then, we get into a spot we should not be and sin traps us. If we are lucky, it does not kill us. We struggle to get free. The fight is hard. The trap is tight on us. We drag the weight of our sin all around our world. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a giant comes and picks us up. Who is this giant? We fight some more because we are afraid of this giant. We don’t know him. Will he kill us? What are his intentions? Thankfully, that giant is a loving God who reaches down and sets us free from our sin. He watches us carefully to see what we will do with our freedom. Will we return to sin or will we set out on a new course? If we are wise, we will take the new path and always remember what he has done for us. We will desire to stay free and out of sin.

Where are you today? Are you wandering around in search of something? Have you strayed into sin, getting caught in its trap? If so, a giant God is waiting patiently for you to look up from your trap, into his loving eyes and accept his gift of freedom.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

Loving Obedience

2009-12-09T14:41:00.001-06:00

Read Deuteronomy 5:23-33

Thankfully, I have had only one speeding ticket in years. This one was about twelve years ago and it was because I was going twenty-nine in a twenty-five school zone. Can you believe that? Speed was such a concern for one mother in Colorado that she would go and sit in her car in front of an elementary school every weekday afternoon and point a hair dryer out her window at passing vehicles. Many drivers mistook the hand-held dryer for a radar gun and slowed down. Mission accomplished! The speed limit is posted in the school zone but it often takes the threat of punishment to make drivers obey the law.
Now, think about how you discipline or disciplined your child. Often, it is the threat of punishment that keeps us straight. I have been labeled a “goody-goody” when I was growing up. I was. I was that way, not because my sense of right and wrong was perfect. I wasn’t that way because I loved God so much that I never wanted to disappoint Him. I was that way because my dad has big hands and an even bigger belt. I was not one that needed several reminders of the pain inflicted to my hind parts in discipline. My cousin Dan – not so much – he was a little stubborn. Me, I was a wimp. I avoided punishment at all cost!!
Now, think about you and God. That's a sobering picture of us all, even in our relationship with God. Instead of an inner willingness to follow God, it may take the force of difficult circumstances to turn us toward Him. But that's not how our heavenly Father wants it to be. The Lord has always longed for His people to obey Him from their hearts. When the Israelites were poised to enter the Promised Land, Moses reviewed the Ten Commandments and then told them God's response to their intention to keep His law: "Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!" (Deuteronomy 5:29).
God doesn't want us to obey Him just because we're afraid of punishment. He will honor obedience at whatever level, but He really longs for loving obedience that comes from our hearts. How about it? Are you trying to serve God just because you are afraid of His punishment because, like my dad’s love, He will chasten us from time to time, or do you obey because you love? Take a moment right now and measure your love for Him. As the old song says, “I keep falling in love with Him, over and over again.”

“The greatest blessing of our democracy is freedom. But in the last analysis, our only freedom is the freedom to discipline ourselves.”
- Bernard Baruch

True Joy

2009-12-08T18:17:00.001-06:00

Read Philippians 4:4

If you know me, I am not the most emotional person. Sentimental, yes. Emotional, not very. People that are constantly bouncing off walls irritate me as well as people always in the doldrums of life. Would you find a happy medium and just stay there!! No, really, I do not get very excited about too many things, but I am a happy person. I do have an abundance of joy. I just show it with a smile, not a jump and a dance.
I read a story of an eighty year old lady that had kept a joyful spirit throughout her life. During World War II, in spite of dangers and separations, she and her husband were still able to laugh together at home. She recalls a summer when their laughter was overheard by a cynical neighbor. "What on earth do you two find to laugh about?" she grumbled.
Author Colleen Townsend Evans has an idea about why some can maintain joy, while others can't. "This kind of tough joy can irritate those who might want it very much but, not knowing how it comes, choose to scoff instead." Evans continues, "Joy is okay, the world seems to say, if we have some excuse for it. Like when your favorite team wins or you get a raise in pay. If we have no obvious reason for our joy, we're likely to be judged."
For all of us, joy is a decision that we must make to possess. Everyone has cares in life. I heard one preacher say it this way, “If you have a mailbox, you have cares.” Isn’t that true? The Bible doesn't say joy is a fruit of circumstance; it clearly states that joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). To live a joy-filled life, we must "walk in the Spirit" (v.25). Then we can rejoice in spite of our circumstances. Paul was in prison when he said, "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!"
Unfortunately we have made the Christmas season a time of stress, headaches, traffic jams and worry. What we spend today, we will have to pay for months. Guilt for not being able to supply a good Christmas to families drives many into depression and condemnation. In fact, a while ago in Kansas City, the two “all the time” Christmas music stations were trying to get people to help to give some things to those families that do not have.
I am thankful that the joy of the Lord is not predicated on my situation, but that His joy is evidenced in my life in the midst of my situation. Your choice to rejoice may irritate some, but it will encourage others and glorify God. In fact, see how many people ask you how it happens that you can smile and rejoice in the middle of chaos, and you can share with them, “Joy comes from the Lord who lives within us, not from what's happening around us.”

“Let my name stand among those who are willing to bear ridicule and reproach for the truth's sake, and so earn some right to rejoice when the victory is won.”
- Louisa May Alcott

Who Do You Look Like?

2009-12-07T17:16:00.002-06:00

Read Galatians 5:1-6

It is interesting when a child is born. One of the first comments from anyone is that the baby looks just like so and so. One day, they might look like mom, dad, aunt or uncle. I remember (as of December 2, 15 years ago) just after my niece was born we were walking her in a stroller. Someone that should have known came up to us and asked my wife and I if we were walking our son. We told him that no, not only was it not our son, but it was my sisters GIRL. It just so happened that my niece looked a little like me when she was born. My oldest son favored me at first and now he is almost a picture of what my wife was at that age. My youngest son is an exact replica of his grandfather (Oh, NO!).
One of my favorite passages of scripture is Philippians 2:5-11. I find the underlying themes of all of biblical doctrines are the fact that we desire to be like Christ. The British novelist J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, "Sheep get to be like their Shepherd, it is said, but slowly." The renewal of the inner person, becoming Christ-like, is not accomplished in a moment but a lifetime.
Augustine (354-430) observed that this process is like healing from a near-fatal wound. "It's one thing," he said, "to remove the spear, but quite another to heal the wound by long and careful treatment." This healing occurs gradually as our old ways of thinking and living are erased, and we become more like our Savior as we are renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16). This renewal takes place not by self-effort alone but by faith. It involves reading, meditating on, and obeying God's Word. We must also fix our minds on the character of Christ and ask God to make us like Him.
Then we must wait, confident that God is working in us to accomplish His purposes. Every day has its mishaps and memories of something we should have done or not done, but we must not be impatient. Though incomplete, we are in process. Sin may frustrate us for a day, but God is at work—and on ahead lies perfection, which is "the hope of righteousness" (Galatians 5:5).
I don’t know about you, but there are days when I really wonder if I am being very much like Christ. The only consolation is that He understands and will, every day, take some time to mold and form me again. I also can live with the hope that one day I shall be like Him for I shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2). Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly.

“To become Christ-like is the only thing in the whole world worth caring for, the thing before which every ambition of man is folly and all lower achievement vain.”
- Henry Drummond

The Solid Rock

2009-11-23T08:59:00.002-06:00

Read Matthew 7:15-27

The house that I grew up in started as a cabin and gradually my grandfather, uncle and dad added to it. I remember there was an opening as you went downstairs that led to a dirt foundation over the kitchen. If you spilled something in the kitchen it would roll downhill. Thankfully, dad waited until I had moved away to dig out the foundation and replace it with a strong foundation. I love that house and it is still in the family today. Now, my sister and brother-in-law will see that it stays standing.
According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, some people in the US are building houses stronger than ever before. Hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes have caused billions of dollars in property damage in states across the nation. So, at the urging of businesses, government, and hard-pressed insurance companies, some builders are constructing fortress-like homes with windows that can withstand 130 mile-per-hour winds, roof nails so strong they can only be cut off, and framing material that can weather the tremendous forces faced by a supersonic jet. In Bolingbrook, Illinois, a community damaged by a tornado in the 1990s, a company is constructing such a “fortified” house in hopes that the idea will catch on.
We who know the Lord Jesus realize that when it comes to building our spiritual foundation, it must be strong and secure. In today’s Scripture, Christ made it clear what that foundation must be when He referred to “these sayings of Mine” (Matt. 7:24), which included His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5–7). When we receive by faith Christ’s words and His work on our behalf, our spiritual lives are “founded on the Rock,” Christ Jesus. No matter what you accomplish in this life, eventually your foundation will be tested and when that test comes, what will you have built your life upon? I challenge you today that in order to survive the storms of life, be anchored to the Rock of Ages.

Cast Your Worries

2009-11-20T13:35:00.002-06:00

Read Philippians 4:6-7

Let’s find out today how we go about worrying about nothing.
The key to finding peace in anxious times is to - pray about everything. In other words, instead of worrying about it, pray about it. That is how we release our worries, relieve our stress and put our trust in God. Turn your anxious thoughts into prayer requests. In so doing, you turn your eyes off the problem and on to God, who is the problem solver. Remember, “When we work, we work; but when we pray, God works.” When you pray about it you are taking your problems out of your hands and placing them in God’s hands.
I heard about a guy who worried all the time. He worried about his checkbook, his investments, his wife, his mortgage payments - he worried about the fact that he worried so much. Finally, one of his friends hit him with a question and said, “Man, why do you worry so much – you’re always so agitated?” “Not anymore,” the man replied. “How’s that?”, the friend inquired. The fellow explained, “I hired somebody to worry for me - I put an ad in the newspaper and offered $10,000 a week to somebody qualified to make me worry-free by doing all my worrying for me.” The friend laughed, “And how do you think you’ll pay him?” The man shot back, “Hey, that’s his worry!”
Don’t you wish it were that easy? Actually it is and we don’t have to hire anyone. We have a God that wants to handle our problems for us. I Peter 5:6-7 says, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” Giving God your worry, anxieties and cares is an act of humility. You are saying, “Lord, I can’t handle it, but you can.” A corollary verse can be found in Psalm 55:22. It says, “Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you.” Cast your burden on the Lord literally means to throw them down or slam them down on God. The way you do that is in prayer. In other words, whenever a worry filled, anxious thought comes to mind, instead of sitting and stewing on it, pray about it. Through prayer you can slam down your worries.
Try this exercise. Take several pieces of paper crumpled up with these words written on them; “family problems,” “health problems,” and “financial problems”. Let me show you what that looks like. An anxious thought comes, “My teenager has been acting rebellious.” “Well Father, you gave me that child and I have committed him to you. I took him to Sunday school, I pray for him daily, and I trust him into your hands. I’m not going to worry about it, he’s your responsibility.” (Crumple the paper and slam it down). “Yes, there have been layoffs at the plant but you’re the God that supplies all of my family’s needs according to your riches in glory. I’m going to continue to be the best employee I can be, pray for for my boss and company, and trust you. Even if I do get laid off, you’ll provide for me, maybe through another job. But I refuse to worry about it; I give it over to you.” (Throw the next paper). “The doctor’s report wasn’t good but it’s not my responsible to worry about. I’m going to take good care of myself, follow the doctor’s instructions, and claim the Bible’s promises of divine healing. Lord, I trust you with my health, in Jesus name, Amen.” (Repeat).
That seems to sound easy, and in principle it is. Now, pick one of those pieces of paper back up. Do you notice how quickly it came back? That’s because it’s your paper. Once you cast them on the Lord, don’t ask for them back by setting your mind on them again. If you do, He’ll give them back to you, because they’re your problems. So once you cast them on him, let Him handle them and don’t take them back. There are too many that spend the time casting them through prayer into the lap of the Lord but are yet determined to take them back and worry over them again. Once you place it in His hand, leave it there and the way to do that will come tomorrow.

“Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden.”
- Corrie Ten Boom

The Digital Touch!!

2009-11-17T15:55:00.002-06:00

Read John 13:1-17

I love gadgets. Little technological toys excite me. You find me a computer program that I can use to make things in life easier, I’m all over it. We went from the computer that took up whole rooms to little cell computers on the phones. I remember the old Atari ping-pong games and now they have digital simulated games. I remember the old football game where you set the men up and turned the switch to see where the board would vibrate them to. Now, you can wear things on your arm and actually throw a digital pass to a receiver. Wow!
In 2000, a movie was digitally transmitted over the Internet from a studio in California to its world premiere in Atlanta, Georgia. It went from studio to theater screen without ever touching film. With digital distribution, electronic impulses are used instead of huge reels of celluloid. In this age of electronics, often described as 'high-tech, low-touch,' it's good to remember that God is using another type of 'digital transmission.' In sharp contrast, though, His is a "high-touch" method to communicate His grace and love.
I am tired of everything becoming digital. Kids today can’t tell time unless it is digitally transmitted. You can’t call anyone and get a live person. Where you used to be able to talk to someone, now it is all done by email (which I’m thankful for or you wouldn’t be able to read this!). The English word digital comes from the word digit, which refers to a finger on our hand.
And that is where digital transmission is at its best. As I think about the life and ministry of Jesus, I remember how He used His hands to bring hope and healing. He touched the sick, held little children, broke bread for hungry people, and allowed His hands to be nailed to the cross for our sins. In John 13 we read that Jesus, in a startling act of humility, washed the feet of His disciples and told them, "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet" (v.14).
Now that’s digital. Like I wrote, I love gadgets, but the best digital transmission is when He reached down and took me in His arms, and loved me. The neat thing is that though technology changes every hour and what was cutting edge is now obsolete, the first digital touch is the same yesterday, today and forever. That is the transmission I would like in my life. How about you? When our hearts are humble and our hands are yielded to Him, the Lord still transmits His gospel of grace to others through our human touch of love.

“No matter how great we get with digital formats of instrumentation, nothing really quite duplicates the real thing.”
- Michael Bolton

Out of this World Love

2009-11-14T08:55:00.002-06:00

Read Psalm 8

I am not much of a city person even though I have never really lived outside a major city in my life. I love driving where there are no city lights and you see by the stars and the moon. I love to lie on the deck looking up in the sky unless it is unbearably hot. There is just something peaceful about knowing a God that created and controls all of what I see in the sky.
I read recently about a commencement address to a graduating class at Miami University where columnist George Will gave some statistics that crushed any sense of self significance that I seemed to possess. He pointed out that “the sun around which Earth orbits is one of perhaps 400 billion stars in the Milky Way, which is a piddling galaxy next door to nothing much.” He added, “There are perhaps 40 billion galaxies in the still-unfolding universe. If all the stars in the universe were only the size of the head of a pin, they still would fill Miami’s Orange Bowl to overflowing more than 3 billion times.”
While this information may seem to be beyond the scope of imagination, there is a plus side to all that overwhelming data. The God who created and sustains our star-studded cosmos in its incomprehensible vastness loves us. He doesn’t just love the human race as an entity of multiplied billions. He loves us individually. What Paul exclaims to be true about himself is true about each of us in all our insignificance: Christ “loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).
I don’t know what that does for you, but it causes great excitement and confidence knowing that the God of the stars and galaxies is the God that will whisper in my ear. You see, astronomically, we are insignificant, but we are the beloved objects of God’s care. While we have no reason for pride, we are inexpressibly grateful to the Lord whose love for us personally is revealed at Calvary’s cross.
Aren’t you glad that He loves and cares for you? Now, let me continue to go and get stuck in traffic while I dream of the countryside.

“Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
- Theodore Roosevelt

Good/Evil

2009-11-10T15:13:00.002-06:00

Read John 14:1-31

Thomas Carlyle said, “In the huge mass of evil as it rolls and swells, there is ever some good working toward deliverance and triumph.”
You can see it in every book, newspaper, magazine and television. You can hear it in every conversation, interview, radio station and documentary. What is it? It is the ancient and contentious battle of good and evil. From Hollywood to Washington D.C., people are constantly discussing, oftentimes without realizing it, good and evil.
However, in our day of shadows, relativism and compromise, what is evil? What is good? Evil predates human sin as goodness predates human existence. Both lived before the creation and fall of mankind. Before humanity could offer their definitions, good and evil simply were. “What is good” existed in submission to God. “What is evil” existed in rebellion to God. The first reflected God’s character. The later incurred God’s wrath.
Today, very few people agree on what is absolutely evil and absolutely good. We live in a world of relativity, that is, the truth of good and evil depends entirely upon the circumstance in which one finds themselves. Yet, in a world of ever-expanding shades of gray, we can lose confidence in our ability to distinguish where light ends and darkness begins. God, however, still sees clearly. His faithful Spirit will navigate us through the troubled waters of culture. He promises to guide us into all Truth. When John wrote the fourteenth chapter of his gospel, he realized that trouble would constantly be in the world, and yet, God offered the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost to watch over us.
In the place of decision, we must first look to God’s Word: what does scripture say about this decision specifically or in principle? It may be helpful to also ask ourselves a simple question: Can I picture God smiling over this choice? Can I experience God’s pleasure in this decision/attitude/ relationship/action? There is still such a thing as “black and white, right and wrong, good and evil”. It is for this reason that we must, in the midst of our dark shadows of doubt, know the voice of God. He will whisper in the time of storm and you will know which path leads to good and which path leads to evil. God’s peace will follow us in this shadowy world as we follow the faithful voice of God through His Word and His Spirit. The battle of good and evil will continue, but our Commander knows without hesitation the Way that leads to Life.

“If we don't believe in moral absolutes and then we get into a cultural-political debate, how are we going to win?”
- Randall Terry

Thankful

2009-11-09T13:46:00.000-06:00

Read Hebrews 13:1-16

We are entering one of my favorite times of the year. Fall will turn into winter, thanksgiving will turn into Christmas, and I will be happy. I believe that the month of November may be God’s favorite month as well. Why? It is probably the one month where thanksgiving is offered by people that do not do so daily.
One of the most popular syndicated newspaper columns in recent history is "Dear Abby." Started in 1956 by Abigail Van Buren, the advice column is written today by her daughter Jeanne Phillips. In a recent edition, she included this Thanksgiving Prayer written many years before by her mother:

O Heavenly Father:
We thank Thee for food
And remember the hungry.
We thank Thee for health
And remember the sick.
We thank Thee for friends
And remember the friendless.
We thank Thee for freedom
And remember the enslaved.
May these remembrances
Stir us to service.
That Thy gifts to us may be used
For others. Amen.

The words of this prayer echo the clear teaching of Scripture. Our thanksgiving to God should always be accompanied by thinking of those in need. "Therefore," said the writer to the Hebrews, "by [Jesus] let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name" (Hebrews 13:15). There is more to it, however, than thankfulness. We are to put actions behind our gratitude. "Do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased" (v.16).
God truly desires that the emotions and the thought processes of this great month would transition to every day of the year. Sometimes we can become so unthankful that we fail to realize what God has done in our lives. It is important this month, and every day henceforth, to be thankful for God's many blessings, but be sure to remember those who have less. Serving others is a way of thanking God.

“Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts.”
- Henri Frederic Amiel

Restoration!!

2009-11-07T11:13:00.004-06:00

Read II Corinthians 5:14-21

When I was growing up my uncle spent just about every evening at our house using our garage. He was a body mechanic. (That’s cars – I don’t know how good with real bodies he would be!!) He could take the worst looking vehicle and make it to look fantastic (and not just with bondo!). He had this sweet car. It was a Camaro. We thought it was the greatest looking car in the world.
I don’t know if my uncle ever went looking for the type of car he could fix up or if he just worked on cars as they came, but nevertheless, when they left our garage where he worked, it was beautiful (until my aunt would get into another accident). Listen to this story. The beat-up old car sits on the used-car lot, rusty and forsaken. Years of abuse and hard driving have taken their toll on the formerly shiny automobile. A man walks onto the lot and is attracted to this rust bucket. He plunks down cash and the salesperson hands over the keys while saying, "I'm selling you this car 'as is.'" The new owner just smiles; he knows his cars, and he's about to restore this castoff to its former beauty.
Across town, a troubled woman sits in forlorn sadness, contemplating where she went wrong. Years of abuse and hard living have taken their toll on what was once a vibrant young girl. She's been mistreated by others so many times that she feels she has little value anymore. And after making her own mistakes and living with her own bad choices, she's sure she will be left on life's junk heap forever.
It is at that moment in time when she is introduced to the man named Jesus. She finds out that Jesus specializes in reclamation projects. He can take the castoffs of life and transform anyone who trusts Him—even her. Someone tells her that Jesus will take her "as is." She believes. She trusts. And Jesus begins to restore another lost person to the abundant life He has promised.
I do not know what your status in life is right now. Do you feel worthless? How about empty? Do you think that no one in this world loves you? You may seem to be on the trash heap of life, but Jesus looks for trash in order to create treasures. Jesus doesn’t use bondo to heal you, He uses His blood. He does not just pound out the dents from life, He installs new equipment. How about it? Will you trust Him enough to change you from worthless to priceless? Remember every day, salvation is not turning over a new leaf, but receiving a new life.

“God had brought me to my knees and made me acknowledge my own nothingness, and out of that knowledge I had been reborn. I was no longer the centre of my life and therefore I could see God in everything.”
- Bede Griffiths

Why Worry?

2009-11-06T12:11:00.002-06:00

Read Psalm 23

Sickness. Future. Heartache. Broken down car. Leaking faucet. Job. Family. Weather. Friends. School. Love. Finance. Children. No children. Parents. Grandparents. Retirement. Ego. Pride.
What do all of these have in common? Very simply, the opportunity for worry. When was the last time that you worried about your health or a loved one? How about your future or any of the others that I mentioned above? Everyone worries occasionally, but I know people that occasionally do NOT worry. I read a story about a person who was once a "professional worrier." Their daily preoccupation was mulling over their worries, one by one.
Then one day this person had to face an uncomfortable medical test, and was frantic with fear. Finally they decided that during the test they would focus on the first five words of Psalm 23, "The Lord is my shepherd." This exercise in meditation not only calmed that person, but they gained several fresh insights. Later, as they slowly meditated through the entire psalm, the Lord gave them more insights.
If you're a worrier, there's hope for you too! Rick Warren, author of The Purpose-Driven Life, wrote: "When you think about a problem over and over in your mind, that's called worry. When you think about God's Word over and over in your mind, that's meditation. If you know how to worry, you already know how to meditate!"
The more we meditate on God's Word, the less we need to worry. In Psalm 23, David meditated on his great Shepherd instead of worrying. Later, God chose him to be the shepherd of His people (Psalm 78:70-72). God uses those who can honestly say, "The Lord is my shepherd."
Stop for a moment right now and identify your greatest worry. Ask yourself this question, “Can God take care of it?” If your answer is yes, then ask yourself this question, “Then why worry?” Next, stop and take His hand that is outstretched and let Him direct your path. If He is trustworthy, and He is, why not let Him worry about things.
There was a Sunday school teacher asking her children what they would do if the devil came knocking at the door. After several typical answers, a little girl stood up and said, “When the devil comes knocking at my door, I just ask Jesus to answer it.” What a thought. Who is going to answer the knocks in your life today?

“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.”
- Corrie Ten Boom

Written on Paper

2009-11-05T18:14:00.002-06:00

Read Genesis 12:1-4

Calendars are an interesting thing. We plan, schedule and cajole our time so that we are able to meet the demands of our responsibility. I hate to be late for anything. I was raised that if you are supposed to be somewhere at a certain time, that meant you were at least five minutes early. I still live by that principle (much to my wife’s chagrin). However, invariably something goes wrong. Some time ago, we were scheduled to fly out of Kansas City at 6 a.m., which meant that we needed to be at the airport by 5 a.m. However, my alarm clock went off at 4:15 instead of 3:15. Our airport was forty minutes from my home. Needless to say, we barely made it. You see, life is what happens to us while we are making other plans. Our lives are subject to detours and corrections that we never expected or imagined.
Abraham and Sarah could testify to that. They were planning for retirement when life "happened" to them. God adjusted their agenda. He told Abraham, "Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you" (Genesis 12:1). So this old couple packed up the tent and headed out to only God knew where. When Alexander the Great had completed his conquest of Persia, he headed east. Author Halford Luccock said the general "marched off his maps." That happened to Sarah and Abraham. God gave them marching orders without a map. They needed only enough faith to begin the journey, and they headed out to unknown territories and unimagined adventures. God never told them He would turn them "every which way but loose" before fulfilling His promise of a son who would become a great nation.
The lesson in all of this is very simple. Make your plans, but write them on paper, not in concrete. Use a pencil instead of a pen. God and life have a way of intruding and leading you on a journey that you might not have anticipated in your wildest dreams. Solomon said it just perfect, “A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me".”
- Erma Bombeck

Love Revealing God

2009-11-04T14:17:00.001-06:00

Read I Corinthians 13

Today is the last day I will talk about this passage. What we have talked about the last few days about love can seem to be an insurmountable task. How can we ever get to the point of loving like Paul is admonishing us to love? In truth, we never will. It is the reason why I have tried to show that this passage is really a revelation of God. Only God can be patient with us like this passage declares. Only God possesses the kindness this passage reveals. When you get a glimpse of love, you really see God.
Having said that, I believe we all possess the ability to love. I see it in myself when I see my sons. It doesn’t matter how many times I have told them to do something and they doesn’t do it, I still love them. I enjoy showing them kindness. I want the best for them. However, I have also learned that love doesn’t happen overnight. After reading the last few days, you might be thinking – “Man, how can I ever live up to this stuff – I might as well give up.” Remember what Paul says – “When I became a man I put away childish things.” Growing up in love is a process as we mature. It takes time and experience – don’t beat yourself up, just know that this is the direction you should be heading if you have a vibrant relationship with the Lord.
While love is an action, it is not a fireworks display. Let’s not make the mistake that the Corinthians did, for that matter, the Pharisees, made. Showing love means an attitude and actions – but true love is more often a very quiet, unobtrusive affair. We don’t need to broadcast the depth of our love and the amount of our selflessness to the whole world. Don’t expect fireworks to go off as you show and grow in love. We need to expect lives to begin to grow and heal and change – that’s the pay off.
Remember, needing and asking for things isn’t bad. Acting in love doesn’t mean you take a vow of poverty. James said “you have not because you ask not.” Jesus said (Matthew 7:7) "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” The problem isn’t with the asking – it’s with the motivation. James goes on to say: (James 4:3) “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” We err when we seek to fulfill our desires from the wrong source – or we ask God for things for the wrong reasons. So search your heart – then ask – then wait for God to respond to what you really need. How about it? Are you ready to see God, and love?

“We can do no great things, only small things with great love.”
- Mother Teresa

Love

2009-11-03T15:13:00.002-06:00

Read I Corinthians 13

I will spend today and tomorrow closing out my thoughts on this passage of scripture. I hope you are enjoying this because even as I write this, personally I am seeing God through a whole new light.
Yesterday we showed how Paul used things that love didn’t do so that we could see the opposite of what love does. In this passage he once again reverts to telling us what love does. Love rejoices in the truth. This is interesting because the word “rejoice” is a compound word – part of it is the same word used in “delight in evil.” When put together with the other word it means “to sympathize with gladness.” When you delight in evil you are holding yourself apart from the other person – glad they are suffering and you aren’t. Rejoicing in the truth means you are drawing close to someone as they come to know the truth of God and about sin, come to know the love of God, or have something good happen to them. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. This is really neat – these four words form a related pattern. “Protects” means to “roof over,” “trusts” means to “put your faith in” something, “hopes” means “to confide in” and “perseveres” means “to stay under.” These are all things God does for us – and things we should do for others – throwing a protective blanket, physically, emotionally – over someone else; being willing to put our faith in someone else – be real, confide in them – know that God will work good in their lives – then stick it out with them to see the love of God change their lives.
You see all this business of love isn’t some magical, rose-colored-glasses kind of “feeling.” It’s actually very specific: love and trust God no matter what, seek the best for and the best in those around you – then help benefit their lives as they draw closer to God. That’s love! So this begs the question – why does Paul put this in here – smack dab in the middle of a section on spiritual gifts? (Remember a couple of days ago I mentioned the placement of this chapter between chapters 12 and 13) It has application far beyond a discussion of spiritual gifts but it speaks directly to an attitude that believers can have, especially when they start talking about how God has gifted them – that they speak God’s words and bring about miracles.
If you reached out your hand and someone was healed it might happen to you too – you start to feel pretty special about yourself. Instantly the focus moves off of the real purpose of the gifts – to see others benefited and drawn close to God, even if it means you get hurt or get less in the process. We as humans are basically selfish. Paul is telling us that God is basically unselfish and will bring about good in others lives even if it hurts Him in the process – and we should be like Him! So to further illustrate this – Paul says “look – all this neat stuff you are experiencing is going to go away, but the need to love unselfishly will never go away.
Paul is saying that love is the supreme thing. (Reread verses 8-12) We seek to know the deep mysteries of God and think by our knowledge we are better. We seek to do mighty miracles, thinking that we must be more favored. But in reality – when you are really being a mature Christian, what you find is that love is the ultimate expression of who God is – selfless, other-focused, always giving, and love. Paul says – when you start to see who God really is, what maturity really is about, you see that it isn’t about you after all – it’s about what God does through for others. “13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
These three ideas were favorites of Paul – the “essentials” to life. Faith in Jesus as God and Savior, hope of the good things He is doing in our lives and is going to do – but love is the greatest – it is the driving force for everything. Remember? God so “loved” the world that …

“Who, being loved, is poor?”
- Oscar Wilde

Opposites

2009-11-02T09:27:00.003-06:00

Read I Corinthians 13

I was watching a Leap Frog video a while back (no, I have not gone back to elementary school) with my son. There were letters and sounds that those letters make along with the concept of picking out things that don’t fit with the rest of the list and things of that nature. We came upon something that was called opposites. The opposite of dark is light. The opposite of up is down. Do you get the picture? Oh, I have one more for you, the opposite of God is? Did you say the devil? If you did, you’re wrong. There is no opposite of God. God does not have an opposite, He is all in all. Just thought I’d throw that in for free. Back to our devotion Paul uses to opposite approach to reveal what love, and thus, God is. He strings eight things together that love does not do. We can see what love is by carving away what it is not – and when we find ourselves acting in these ways we know we are not acting in love.
The first thing Paul says love does not do is envy. It comes from the word “to boil.” It’s kind of the bolstered idea of “what’s in it for me,” in the sense of “it’s all about me.” When we become so self focused that anything anyone else has that we don’t have makes our blood boil and is the opposite of wanting to benefit another. Envy is when we only want to benefit ourselves at the expense of others.
According to Paul love does not boast. Boasting is really a corollary of envy – “if you’ve got it flaunt it – even if you don’t have it, pretend like you do.” The Greek word has the connotation of “play the braggart.” Oftentimes boasting is playing a part, or acting – something we are not but want to be or think we are. Boasting goes hand in hand with the next thing that love does not do. Love is not proud. This is the same word Paul uses in chapter 8 – “knowledge puffs up.” It means to inflate – like a bag of hot air – no substance but a lot of fluff. It’s increasing your sense of self importance well beyond your hat size.
Love is not rude. The word here is “unshapely.” You could say “not pretty to look at.” Do people have a hard time being around you because you do things that are unpredictable or embarrassing or unbecoming? That’s rudeness. It does not just mean crass. It is rude do act in ways that causes embarrassment to others. Time and again in scripture we are admonished to act soberly or self-controlled. Rudeness breeds the next thing that love is not. Love is not self-seeking. This could be rendered “worship you.” How many times have you been around someone that thinks they have all the answers and everything revolves around them? That is self worship. It also carries with it the aspect of not being teachable. Tied to this concept is the concept of love not being easily angered. It means to “exasperate.” The Greek word can translate “to sharpen alongside.” This is really the opposite of patience.
Love also does not keep record of wrongs - The suggestion from the original here is thinking poorly of someone else – or really pondering and dwelling on someone else as evil. The old story goes that Santa Claus keeps a list of who is naughty and who is nice. Sometimes we keep those lists too. How quick are you to forgive? Love does not delight in evil. This means to be happy when an injustice or wrong occurs. In a sense this is the ultimate form of “anti-love.” We want, we get, we hurt others to get it – and we’re happy that we stomped over them to get what we really deserve in the first place.
It is important to note that all these things that love does not do focus on us – what we want, who we are, how bad everyone is in comparison to us, what bad things people are always trying to do us – me, me, me! This is the opposite of love. Has the Lord convicted you today through His word about your love? Find a place to contact Him and allow His love to wash over you so that your love will reach out to someone else.

“Do all things with love.”
- Og Mandino

Love is Patient

2009-11-01T01:19:00.003-05:00

Read I Corinthians 13

I would like to look at love today (and for a few more days, probably). So now let’s look at the character of this love. If you ever get a true glimpse of what love really is, you will see God. Scripture reveals to us that God IS love. If you want true love in your life, what you really desire is to have God in your life. This is why this passage is so important, it reveals God to us.
Paul defines for us what agape means. By doing so, he is telling us who God is. He does it in terms of what it is and what it is not. There are 8 things it does, 8 things it does not do. (Reread verses 4-8 again) The 8 things love is: Patient, Kind, and Rejoices in truth, Protects, Trusts, Hopes, Perseveres, Never fails. The 8 things love is not: Envy, Boasting, Pride, Rudeness, Self seeking, Anger, holding grudges, delighting in evil.
Over the next few days I would like to look at these on an individual basis. First, love is patient. I am known to be fairly patient. It is part of my personality so I am blessed in that regard. However, I have a friend (who will remain nameless to protect the innocent) that at one point in his life did not possess much patience. In fact, when he was engaged and things didn’t seem to be going so well he threw the engagement ring in the middle of a field. We spent hours with a metal detector trying to find it. Thankfully, we did. I said that to say this; patience (and thus, love) can be a learned behavior. My friend today, has grown greatly in patience and not coincidentally has become more for God because of it. The concept of patience comes from two Greek words: “long” and “tempered”. Vine’s expository dictionary says patience is “self restraint in the face of provocation … the opposite of anger.”
Do you have a short fuse? Do you get easily frustrated when things don’t go your way or don’t happen fast enough? Do you retaliate easily and quickly against those that hurt you? That’s the opposite of patient. Remember, this is a revelation of God. How patient has He been? Ask yourself this question, how long ago was Adam and Eve in the garden? I think that states it plainly. Patience means you wait out trouble and you don’t strike out against adversity.
I like how Peter describes it in his letter: I Peter 5:6 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” You wait under God’s hand – you don’t run to trouble or run from God. Certainly God is patient with us, isn’t He? That’s love.
The second revelation of God as love is kindness. The Greek word for “kind” means “to show one self useful.” Taking patience one step further – not only are you long tempered against trouble, but you actually reach out with a benefit to someone else. It comes from a root word that means “employed.” Today, not only has my friend gained patience, but he is full of kindness. He has so much kindness in his heart that he has started a home mission’s church in order to serve others, and bring them true love.
It reminds me of something Paul emphasizes over and over in this letter: I Corinthians 10:33 “For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.” Most of the time we think about “what’s in it for me.” But kindness thinks, “What can I do to benefit you?” That’s love.
How about you today? Have you found true love in someone’s patience or kindness? Has your parents demonstrated that to you? Even if they haven’t, there is a heavenly Father that has. Why don’t you crawl up into those arms and let Him embrace you in that love today?

“Patience is the companion of wisdom.”
- Saint Augustine

A Vapor

2009-10-19T11:37:00.002-05:00

Read James 4:13-17

In November 1975, the huge freighter Edmund Fitzgerald sank in the cold waters of Lake Superior during a fierce storm. Only a week before the tragedy, chief steward Robert Rafferty had written to his wife, "I may be home by November 8. However, nothing is ever sure." The prophetic irony of his words was noted in a newspaper article listing the 29 crew members who perished in the disaster.
When I was in school, I thought it would be forever until we hit the year 2000. It just seemed like it was so far away. Now, 2000 still seems so far away, just in the wrong direction. The year was 1986 and it was just before the hockey season started as I remember. In 1984 we lived in Albert Lea, MN where I played hockey for the local team. On that team was a great defenseman named Jake. He had the size and the ability to become one of the great players as he entered High School. We had moved back to the twin cities where I played for the A Bantam team. This was a traveling team and we entered a tournament where I noticed that my friends from Albert Lea had also entered. I looked forward to seeing all of them again, but for some reason I couldn’t find Jake. I knew he would have made the team yet he was not there. My former defensive partner stopped by and told me that Jake had a clot in his leg and had passed away. It was unbelievable and yet just a few years later I got a call from my mom that said that another friend named Jason had passed in a car accident. You see, nothing is certain except two things; if the Lord tarries, everyone will pass away, and eventually, He will not tarry. I look forward to His return.
Not a day passes without a reminder that our earthly life can end at any moment. All we need to do is read the obituary column. One message comes through loud and clear: We're here today, but we may be gone tomorrow! "What is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" (James 4:14). Is our only certainty, then, the sobering prospect that at any moment we may be thrust into eternity? No! Christ is the anchor of the soul. He paid the penalty for our sins on the cross. If we admit our guilt before God, we will receive forgiveness and eternal life by trusting Him. He has promised to remain with us, even in the hour of death. Does your earthly life seem futile because "nothing is ever sure"? Then trust Christ! He provides a joyous certainty about eternity that can be yours right now. It's never too soon to receive Christ and His gift of the Holy Ghost, but at any moment it could be too late.

“For the Christian, heaven is where Jesus is. We do not need to speculate on what heaven will be like. It is enough to know that we will be for ever with Him.”
- William Barclay

A Call to Worship

2009-10-16T13:54:00.002-05:00

Read Psalm 66:2, John 4:24

In regards to society, A.W. Tozer stated, “We have lost the art of worship. We are not producing saints. Our models are successful businessmen, celebrated athletes and theatrical personalities. We carry on our religious activities after the methods of the modern advertisers. Our homes have been turned into theatres, our literature is shallow, our hymns border on sacrilege and scarcely anyone seems to care. Christianity is little more than objective truth, sweetened with song and made palatable through religious entertainment, and we call them to have fun in His name. Christ calls men to carry a cross.”
I am glad that I do not belong to a church that is that far gone as to their worship, but we are living in a religious age when people are forgetting what worship is all about. To most people today, worship is an action that is performed within the confines of a sacred service like the thousands that take place each Sunday. Worship is three choruses, a couple of hand waves and maybe even a little shout. However, worship is not fulfilled by momentary bursts of energy that is produced by the beat of a drum or the chord of the piano. Worship is not predicated upon feeling. It is predicated upon the acknowledgment of who He is.
Jesus declared that God is looking for true worshippers. So to say you are a worshipper identifies you, not as an outgoing person in church, but as an individual whose life attracts the glory of God. To worship is to experience reality, to touch life. It is to know and experience the resurrected Christ in the midst of the gathered community. It is breaking into the Shekinah of God, or better yet, being invaded by the Shekinah of God.
You see, the worship of the sanctuary is wholly meaningless and without any real value if it is not preceded by and prepared for by the worship of the life. God is seeking men and women that are ready to truly worship Him. If there is any shortcoming to the true Apostolic church, it is the failure to realize what true worship is, and so I would like to spend a day or two on what worship is all about. If God is looking for them then I want to become a true worshipper, how about you?

“An authentic life is the most personal form of worship. Everyday life has become my prayer.”
- Sarah Ban Breathnach

The Real Thing

2009-10-14T13:32:00.002-05:00

Read Romans 3:21-26

I lived on the East Coast for five years. We were about 10 minutes from the Delaware Bay and 30 minutes from the Atlantic Ocean. Where we lived was just a couple hour drive to New York City, Washington D.C. and Baltimore. I remember a time when we took our chorale to New York and a friend of ours thought he was getting a great deal on a video recorder that he bought off the street. When he opened the box, however, there wasn’t a recorder even in the box. You can walk all over the city and find places where you can buy great products at great prices, but you can also get ripped off.
A Rolex watch is one of the finest timepieces made. Many people would jump at the opportunity to own one. That’s why there are some people who pick up a few of them to give to their children as souvenirs. Souvenirs? Yes. You see, these watches were "knockoffs"—imitations of the real thing easily passed off to tourists at ridiculously cheap prices.
In today’s world, there are few things of value that are inexpensive. Fewer still are free. However, salvation—the most important gift of all—is free. Unlike the imitation Rolex, salvation is of infinite value. Yet it is free because, as one hymn reminds us, "Jesus paid it all." No one can earn salvation (Eph. 2:8-9). There is a price for your salvation, but it was paid by another.
It’s a paradoxical truth that while salvation is free, its cost was great. Oswald Chambers wrote, "Forgiveness, which is so easy for us to accept, cost the agony at Calvary." The word free doesn’t mean you will never have to pay something for it, it means there is nothing you have whereby you could earn it. You see, your salvation will cost you everything. It will cost you your old thoughts, your old attitudes, your old lifestyle, but that is the beauty of the cross – He paid the price for you to get a new life. You just have to exchange it for your old one.
There are too many people settling for “knock-off” salvation. I cannot tell you how to be saved, and your friends cannot tell you how to be saved, nor can your religious leaders tell you how to be saved, but He can tell you how to be saved. His Word very clearly leads us to apply His death through our repentance, His burial through our baptism in His name, and He will raise us to new life through the infilling of His Spirit. I know that most readers of this devotion have already experienced this great exchange, but remember this today, you cannot settle for the “knock-off” life when the real thing is staring you in the mirror.

“Ours is the age of substitutes: instead of language, we have jargon: instead of principles, slogans: and, instead of genuine ideas, bright ideas.”
- Eric Bentley

When God Shows Up...

2009-10-09T15:58:00.002-05:00

Read Isaiah 6:1-8

Have you ever just wanted to see God? It just burned in you to wonder if you really knew when God showed up on the scene of your life. Was it just the “goose bump syndrome” that took place when you started to sing or praise? If it was just the goose bump syndrome, God shows up in my life when I see or listen to the last 10 seconds of the 1980 Olympic hockey game between Russia and the United States. I don’t think God cared too much about who won, and every time I see the replay of the game, even though I’ve seen it a million times, I get goose bumps, so that is not God showing up for me.
When God shows up in my life, I grasp some feature of his CHARACTER. Isaiah wrote, “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphim, each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.”
While going about his priestly duties Isaiah saw God. I hope you notice that it was a shock to him. God pulled back the thin veil between our physical realm and spiritual reality and Isaiah saw the big picture. I’m sure his mind could not conceive what God was up to while he was going about his ordinary ministry in the Temple. Sure, he knew God was present in that holy place, but he probably never imagined it was more than mere symbolism. The veil was pulled back and he saw the Seraphim surrounding the throne of God. Kind of blows your image of angels doesn’t it. They’re not cute little cupids. Neither are they beautiful women as so many pictures depict them. These particular angels have three sets of wings. They only fly with one pair. The others are used to cover their feet and faces. Why. They are in the presence of a holy God.
This is the feature of God’s character that Isaiah clearly sees; holiness. Here’s God in all his pure, undefiled and total majesty. In this case the seraphim even call out the attribute that they want Isaiah to see. “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!”
When God shows up we grasp some feature of his character. When the band plays a song you may become aware of a number of God’s attributes, his righteousness, his justice, his faithfulness, his mercy. You just have to pay attention. When the Bible is read you have to do the same thing. Look and listen for what God is revealing about himself. Features of his character display themselves all the time in the prayers of others, in testimonies, in dramas and videos, in images and symbols. You have to look for them. You don’t even have to be in church to discover them. Just picture in your mind any individual that you may seem to think has some shortcoming, or scar or sickness and abnormality. Then picture that person as your child. As you realize that such flaws in that person would make no difference to you, and that you would love that person anyway you will get a glimpse of the character of God. Allow God to break into your thought process. The impression of that thought may be God saying, “You love that child despite their flaws. I love you even more despite your own.” God steps into the room. It becomes a holy moment. As the emotions of that realization come pouring into your spirit you will begin to understand something profound about the heart of God. His love is enormous. His love is for you and me. When you come into contact with a feature of God’s character, you can be certain that God has shown up.

“Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.”
- Abraham Lincoln

Calling All Dreamers

2009-10-08T12:04:00.003-05:00

Read Matthew 24:14-16

My wife is a dreamer. She is the type of person that not only remembers all of her dreams; she can press the pause button in her sleep and restart her dream the next night. I remember her mother telling me how she would walk into her room as a child and try to wake her up, but she would raise her little finger to let her mother know that she was almost finished with her dream and to try again in a few minutes. I thought this was slightly exaggerated until shortly after we were married she did it to me as well.
In life running after dreams without God is futile. When we achieve our own ambitions apart from God’s dream we come up empty. These are a few examples of men throughout time that attempted to chase dreams that they did not seek God about. The first was Alexander the Great who was not satisfied, even when he had subdued the nations of world. He wept because there were no more worlds to conquer; Alexander died at an early age in a state of debauchery, depravity, and wantonness. Hannibal, who filled three bushels with the gold rings taken from the knights he had slaughtered, committed suicide by swallowing poison. Few noted his death, and he left this world completely unmourned. Julius Caesar, the ruler of the great Roman Empire conquered 800 cities, only to be stabbed in the back and murdered by his best friends at the scene of his greatest triumph. Napoleon was a feared warrior, who after conquering most of Europe leaving a trail of terror, spent the last years of his life banished from his beloved France. Adolph Hitler, Germany’s fuehrer who gained control of most of Europe during WW2 and systematically slaughtered over 6 million Jews committed suicide in an underground bunker after he saw the Allies turn the tide of the war and take Berlin.
These men all left legacies that are looked at today in negative ways. We do not challenge our children to be the next Adolph Hitler or Julius Caesar. However, there are men that dared to dream God’s dreams. David became the most well known kings in Israel’s history along with his son Solomon and they today are remembered as great men and those that walked with God. Joseph dreamed God’s dreams and was elevated to the second most powerful position in the known world. However, we do not remember these men because of their great earthly feats, even though there are several accounts that we can share. We remember them because they did what God desired and God blessed them and they are forever recorded for their exploits in relationship to God.
How do you want to be remembered? As a dreamer of man’s dreams, or a dreamer of God’s dreams? If you find God, His dreams will leave a legacy for your children that they would be proud of. How about it, will you dare to dream?

“Dreams are today's answers to tomorrow's questions.”
- Edgar Cayce

Covenant Relationships with God

2009-09-24T11:37:00.002-05:00

Read I Samuel 18:1-4

The first step in making a covenant with someone is found in the exchange of the robes or garments. "Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle."
The robe was a garment worn over a tunic by men of rank, or a garment of the High Priest. What Jonathan was saying in effect to David was, "I’m giving you my life; all that I am and all that I have." Jonathan was the Crown Prince, son of King Saul, destined for the throne. From birth he had been trained, schooled, and groomed for Kingship. He had everything to live for, possessions beyond our imagination, money, prestige, and a future to be envied. However, he was ready and willing to give it all away.
God, in his humanity, Jesus Christ wants to exchange robes with us today. He would like to take your sinful flesh and attach it to the cross and give you a new robe or garment. He left the indescribable beauty and the unspeakable glory of heaven to manifest, or robe himself in our filthy humanity in order to give to us His Robe of Righteousness.
Isaiah 61:10 states "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness," Ephesians 4:24 declares, "And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." Ephesians 4:24 is written in covenant language which the Jews understood far more deeply than we generally do today. Paul was emphasizing that there had been an Exchange of Life. We are now to walk in another man’s garment, taking on His Identity, reflecting His Nature, manifesting His Goodness. You and I do not carry the weight of our own identity, but we carry the identity of Jesus Christ. Our names were changed. In biblical times you were known as Joseph ben Jacob or as you and I would say, Joseph, the son of Jacob. Well, when I entered into a covenant relationship with Jesus, my name went from Tim ben Frank to Tim ben Jesus. That is why it doesn’t matter who your earthly father is, if you enter into covenant with Him, you take on his garment. This was what Jesus had in mind when He said: John 15:13 "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
How about you today? Are you willing to exchange your filthy flesh for the glorious robe of Jesus Christ? He is standing at your door and knocking to begin that covenant relationship. Now, will you go answer the door?

“I was born in the fire, and I dare not sit in the smoke.”
- Unknown

Read I Samuel 18:4

Have you ever said something to someone in secret and they let the cat out of the bag? How did it make you feel? Were you hurt, upset and defensive? That is how we often respond to the hurts from a friend, but in covenant relationships, we must give that up. When we get hurt, the first thing we usually do is build up walls that will not let anyone else in. Covenant goes through the walls to the exact place of our vulnerability.
The second step in creating a covenant is found in the exchanging of the belts, or the weapons. "And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle."
By giving up his personal weapons of defense, Jonathan was surrendering his ability to defend himself against attack. His entire defense was now in the hands of his "Covenant Friend". He deliberately made himself vulnerable. He also rendered himself incapable of hurting his "Covenant Friend" it was a commitment of utter loyalty holding nothing back. A Covenant does not depend upon the faithfulness of the other person. David could have broken that relationship by turning and attacking Jonathon with those weapons that he just gave up, but the principle of covenant is that you make yourself totally vulnerable to that other person.
Ephesians 6:13 demands, “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.” I Samuel 17:45-47 shares, “Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.” Deuteronomy 20:4 says, "For the LORD your God is he that goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you."
As our covenant partner, God Himself, is committed to fight our battles, to be our defense, and preserve us to everlasting life. It is tragic that many born again children of God are unacquainted with this provision of our covenant with God. We continue to live as though we must fight our own battles. I am amazed at how easy it is for us to have the hairs on our neck raise up and we want to go to battle for something that, in all actuality, God is taking care of. I wonder how many times our situations become so much worse because we try and fix the situation without letting our covenant-friend take care of the circumstance.
Will you become vulnerable today? Will you place all of your “weapons” in God’s hands and let Him fight for you and protect you? Here’s the hardest question, do you trust Him enough to place all of your defenses in Him? It is my suggestion that you do everything possible to enter that aspect of the covenant today.

“When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability... To be alive is to be vulnerable.”
- Madeleine L'Engle

In Covenant...

2009-09-22T11:16:00.002-05:00

Sorry that I have disappeared for a while, but I'm back and in the saddle!!

Read Genesis 2:24

I would like to talk over the next couple of days about covenants. We are people of covenants. Covenants are not contracts. Contracts can be broken; covenants are designed to be permanent. When you enter into covenant with someone or something, it is until death. Contracts are time sensitive and if one party does not fulfill their side of the contract, the contract is null and void. Covenants are binding whether or not one party fulfills their particular responsibility. For instance, Jesus Christ made a covenant with all mankind that He would pay the penalty for our sins. His blood was shed and it does not matter whether you and I respond to that shed blood, it was shed nonetheless.
In literal terms, covenant means “to cut”. It is a solemn agreement, negotiated or unilaterally imposed that binds parties to each other in permanent, defined relationships with specific promises, claims and obligations on both sides. There are two types of covenants: “Parity” covenants, which are among equals and negotiated mutually, or covenants of “sovereignty” which is among non-equals; the greater party sets the conditions and the lesser either accepts them; or rejects them; non-negotiable.
God is a covenant God when he created man He made a covenant with Him in Genesis (Edenic). We are created in God’s image and are therefore created for covenant. Adam and Eve were in covenant relationship. Genesis 2:24 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Matthew 19:5 “and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?” Being joined basically means "cling to" or "stick to," the same word is used in Deuteronomy 11:22 when the Jews were commanded to "stick to" or "hold fast to" the Lord. This was part of their covenant with God. If you remember, when God gave them the Ten Commandments, they made a vow and said, "Yes, we want you to be our God, we’ll do whatever you say." So it was a covenant. Both parties agreed to do what they promised. God promised to take care of them and make them prosper, and they promised to obey him. So when we read here that the husband is to cleave to his wife, it suggests the idea of a covenant. When you take your wedding vows, it’s a covenant. It’s a promise. It’s a deal. You can’t go back on your word. In God’s eyes it’s permanent. You’re stuck with and to each other. Once you realize that, you’ll be much more willing to work on your marriage than to just give up when it gets difficult.
Among friends, Jonathan and David were covenant friends. I Samuel 18:1-4 “Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. Saul took him that day, and would not let him go home to his father’s house anymore. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt.”
Jonathan recognized Gods call on David, and so he made a covenant of love with David. By doing so, he gave up his own position to usher David into his purpose. Jonathon legally had the right to the throne of his father Saul, but loved David and God enough to realize that the covenant he would make with David would usher in an everlasting kingdom. For David’s part, he fulfilled the covenant with Jonathon after Jonathon had been killed by taking in Jonathan’s crippled son Mephibosheth as his own family.
It is imperative that we develop a covenant relationship with God, and with someone that we love dearly. I think it is quite obvious why we should be in covenant with God, but because we are created in Him image, we must find those people in our life, either marital spouses and/or friends that will help us stand in the last days when everything else seems to be falling apart.
The question becomes, how do you establish covenants? I am so glad that you asked. Over the next couple of devotions, I would like to share with you the nine biblical steps in making a covenant.

“A covenant made with God should be regarded not as restrictive but as protective.”
- Russell M. Nelson

Walk in Peace

2009-09-04T10:57:00.002-05:00

Read Ephesians 6

My brother had a habit when I first got married. Every time he came to visit us he would wear the worst shoes he owned and played on my wife’s heartstrings to go buy him new ones. My wallet was a little lighter every time he visited. Having said that, today we will look at the armor of the sandal, or the feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. It is often said the peace is not the absence of trouble, but the strength to pass through the trouble. To a certain extent that saying is fairly accurate. In biblical times warfare was obviously not carried out with missiles that could travel thousands of miles. It was carried out in hand-to-hand battle.
What I believe Paul was trying to say was that even though you stand in the midst of the battle, if you had prepared in the gospel of peace, you would stand strong. Peace, in the Greek, means ‘a harmonized relationship between God and man”. The gospel simply means “good news”. Paul is saying that it is good news to have your relationship harmonized with God before you go into battle. I have often said that the thing that is most lacking in churches and saints today is the lack of confidence in the personal relationship of an individual and God. All too often, men and women worry about what someone else is doing, saying or how they’re being used. Too often we compare ourselves to someone else. God did not design us originally to be a horizontal people. He designed us for himself, which must be a vertical people.
Satan wins every time he gets us to look on a horizontal venue. When we begin looking at each other or even when we spend most of our time looking at ourselves, he wins. No matter how ‘spiritual” someone is, they are still human, and there is not one person better than another. Everyone has the same opportunity to reach God. The people that don’t think that they are worth anything are the people that spend the majority of their time focused on themselves or others instead of God. When your relationship is right with God, it doesn’t matter what others think, say or do because you know exactly where you belong. No matter what storm arises or what battle is raging, you have peace because you’ve prepared to walk in that personal relationship with Him.
The warriors of that day had no time to think once the battle began. They basically fought on instinct because things would move so fast and any step could be their last one. Paul is telling us that when we go into battles have your feet, or your mode of transportation, where God is taking you, wrapped up in that harmonized relationship between you and Him. I believe there are a great deal reading this today that would do a great deal of conquering if you just had confidence in your relationship between you and God. You have walked in trepidation because you feared what someone else may say or do and you have dodged the battle that needed to be waged because your travel was not done in confidence. The only way to become confident is to spend time with each other and listen to each other. I pray that every person reading this would become so strong in his or her relationship with Him that when he spoke we jumped. We remove the worry of who is watching. We erase the doubt of talent. We get rid of the thought that we aren’t qualified to do something. Listen; when God asks you to do something, you better believe that He trusts you. Why don’t you trust Him? Most likely it is because you have not prepared the gospel of harmonized relationship on your mode of travel.

“The feet of the humblest may walk in the field Where the feet of the Holiest trod, This, then, is the marvel to mortals revealed.”
- Phillips Brooks

2009-09-01T10:42:00.002-05:00

Read Ephesians 6

We have entered, or about to enter, yet another year of school. Children all around are entering or have just begun a new year. This means that there will be new challenges, new pressures and new battles. It is imperative that our children are equipped with the tools necessary to stand in these last days. All adults everywhere need to be prayerful for each person entering the doors of our schools.
I remember a young man that was a few years younger than me that was raised in the truth. His father was a preacher, and his family was strong in the faith. This young man went to Bible College and then went on to a university. It was at the university that he was bombarded with false doctrines and mistaken philosophies. It is a sad story to see men and women that sat on the pew but never received for themselves the tools to withstand the onslaught of hell. Needless to say, this young man became entangled in all these false ideas to the point that he began to question whether there really was a God. I do not know where that young man is today, but I do know that he represents thousands of young men and women that once held to the principles of the Bible and did not possess the tools to withstand in the heat of battle.
The armor that Paul writes about can be obtained by falling in love with Jesus Christ. When we really fall in love with Him, He places the tools necessary for the fight at our disposal. The only thing we need to do is to pick them up. It reminds me of my grandmother. I spent an entire week with her and her sister at my uncle’s cabin. We had a blast. She showed us how to use an old fashioned sickle. After that week I was glad to have that battery powered hand clipper!! In the midst of showing us how to use this old farm tool she made a statement that I remembered while writing this devotion. She said, “Tim and Jeffy (my cousin), the only way to get something done is to do it. Use whatever you can and you will be able to finish the project.”
What about you? Are you like thousands of others that have the tools at their disposal, but you fail to pick it up? This week we are going to look at these different tools God provided for us, but like Grandma Cele said, “You have to pick it up to make it useful.”

“In the first place, God made idiots. That was for practice. Then he made school boards.”
- Mark Twain

A Priceless Treasure

2009-08-26T12:28:00.002-05:00

In 1989, a Philadelphia financial analyst purchased an old, torn picture of a country scene for $4 at a flea market in Adamstown, PA because he liked the frame. Later, when he attempted to detach the frame from the painting, the frame fell apart in his hands and he found a folded document between the canvas and wood backing which appeared to be an old copy of the Declaration of Independence. A friend who collected Civil War memorabilia advised him to have it appraised. It was real -- one of 500 official copies from the first printing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. (Only twenty-four similar copies were known to exist before this find, of which a mere three were privately owned.) This rare document was offered for sale by Sotheby's on June 4, 1991 and the lucky find fetched even more than had been anticipated: the $800,000 to $1.2 million estimate turned into $2.42 million by the sound of the gavel.
In June 2000 Donald Scheer of Atlanta, who purchased the original copy for $2.42 million put it up for sale a second time. Months prior to the auction, Sotheby's confirmed the printed broadsheet not only as authentic but also as one of the three finest known - as crisp as it was on the evening it was printed by John Dunlap to carry the news of America's independence to the people of the thirteen colonies. This time, the find that was purchased for $4 at a flea market went for a whopping $8.14 million in an on-line auction!
If that handwritten note, signed by the 56 founding fathers that declared America’s independence from Great Britain was worth $8.14 million, think what an original hand-written note from God must be worth!
Every time you pick up the Word of God you are essentially picking up a handwritten note to you. The Bible is something that should be cherished, protected and most importantly, read. I am thankful for the appreciation for the Bible that has been handed down from my father and mother. It was against the rules for anything to be placed on top of the bible in our home, and it is still that way in my home today. The only thing that should rest on top of a bible is another bible. It is a precious treasure that I would not be able to sell for any amount of money that this world could offer.
Why don’t you take a minute to close out this window and take a look at what God wrote to you today?

“If the Bible had said that Jonah swallowed the whale, I would believe it.”
- William Jennings Bryan

August 10-12

2009-08-12T11:48:00.002-05:00

Read I Corinthians 9:24-27

This passage is written with the backdrop of the Isthmian games - the equivalent of our Olympics. This event was held every two years ten miles outside the city of Corinth. These games brought people from every part of the Mediterranean to compete or just watch. It was the sporting event of the year - drawing the empire’s best talent. Athletes would compete in foot races, broad jumping, discus throwing, wrestling, boxing, gymnastics, and equestrian contests. They would compete fiercely, each striving for the Isthmian crown - a wreath of wild celery.
Winners received a lifetime exemption from paying taxes and serving in the military. They would also receive free tuition at one of their universities. Statues of themselves would be erected along the road that led to the site of the games. But the real prize was the celery wreath, awarded to the winner at the end of the games.
The last key to running in life is persistence. Verse 27 stated, “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” The word “discipline” is the Greek verb “hupopiazo”, and literally means, “to strike under the eye” and gives the connotation of giving someone a “black eye.” We need to literally have the Self-Control that makes us black and blue on our bodies. I’m not talking about sacramental scourging, but I am talking about beating our flesh so that our human nature is unable to lead us. Without discipline, one is sure to fail. An athlete’s strength comes from discipline.
I want to tell you a story about the strength of the first marathon runners, which is where the NIKE company derives its name. The battle of Marathon was fought around 490 B.C. when king Darius launched an attack on Athens. Since the surrounding city-states would offer little support to the Athenians, the Persians outnumbered them. Although the Athenians were outnumbered, they caught the Persians by surprise by running the full length of the plain and catching the Persians unorganized. The Athenians were able to defeat the Persians by not only striking from the front, but they also flanked the Persian army from the sides. Because of this sudden attack the Persian troops broke ranks and fled back to their ships. Since the Athenians won they wanted to send word back to Athens to tell of victory so the city could prepare for the Persian fleet attack from the sea.
So Miltiades sent his best runner Pheidippides to take word to Athens. He ran the whole distance, about 26 miles, and when he arrived he was able to say one word . . . and then he died. What was the one word that Pheidippides was able to say before he died? It was “Nike!” He cried “victory!” The Athenians ran the whole distance of the plain of Marathon, which is some 26 miles. This could not have been accomplished without hard training and discipline.
What aspects of our lives do we need to discipline? We need to discipline our minds. We need to train ourselves to think properly. II Timothy 2:15 says, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” We also need to discipline our bodies. We need a disciplined moral character. Many leaders with many talents have been “disqualified” because they didn’t discipline their moral character. The word “disqualified” carries the connotation of being rejected. We need to discipline our appetites. Let your moderation be known to all men. We also need to discipline our speech. James 1:26 says, “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.” No matter how self-controlled you are; if you haven’t bridled your tongue, you’ve still got a way to go. You may have a disciplined mind, a disciplined body, and a disciplined will; even disciplined appetites, but a loose tongue will get you in a lot of trouble. Oftentimes it is best just to keep your mouth shut. We need discipline in arranging our priorities. There are a lot of things that pull at you every day. You must decide what is important. God has given us victory over sin. However; we must not let our guard down. We must use the strategies of God to defeat the power of Satan.
If we stay on course we will finish the race. I believe that persistence is stubbornness with a purpose. We must be consistent to win the race. We can never quit striving to do more and be more for God. To win the race requires that we never give up. Paul is calling the children of God to remain steady no matter what the cost. The goal we have is heaven and we can never give up on it. I’ve read where Winston Churchill rose to give a speech, and everyone thought it would be an amazing oratorical rendition. He just rose to the podium and said, “Never, never, never give up!” And they won the war.
I hope these keys over the last week will help you in the race for glory, and I look forward to meeting you at the finish line.

“Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.”
- Bill Bradley

August 11

Read Genesis 22:1-18

The old man stopped walking. It had been a long day and he was tired. To look into his eyes though, you would have realized that it wasn’t his body that was tired, but his spirit. The place of sacrifice was getting closer. He had wrestled with the matter in his heart a thousand times since God had spoken. As he was thinking, his servants ran up and suggested a time of rest. The sun was extremely hot and the old man agreed to stop for a while. The animals were tied down and the servants both laid down under a tree for a nap. Beside him, one other figure was still standing; a young male that bore a striking resemblance to the old man. To take a look at the two of them, you would have surely thought it was the man’s great-grandson. It wasn’t. “Isaac my son,” the old voice spoke out, “Come sit with me for awhile.” Isaac, after making sure the animals really were secure, came and sat next to his father. The heat had made him tired and he quickly fell asleep. Abraham turned his eyes toward his son Isaac. A tear began to roll down his face as he realized what must take place in just a few short days. Part of him wanted to pick up Isaac and run away. The other part knew he had to go. The old man never closed his eyes. While everyone else slept, his eyes never left his son.
God surely gives Isaacs. Isaac was a special gift from God to Abraham, and you and I have received gift upon gift from God throughout our life. It is true that God gives Isaacs to our lives.
It is also true that Isaac can become almost a god to us. Consider this, what did God ask Abraham to sacrifice? I don’t read anywhere in the text that God asked Abraham to sacrifice Sarah, or sacrifice one of his servants, or sacrifice his wealth (give it away), or even sacrifice himself. God asked Abraham to sacrifice the one thing that had an opportunity to become another god in his life. For Abraham, that was Isaac, his gift. It would have been very easy to do. Isaac was a special child. He was the son that was going fulfill the promise of God. From this son, his descendants were going to multiply. It must have been so easy for Abraham to begin trusting in Isaac more than He was trusting God. Whenever you begin to trust in something more than you trust God, that thing whatever it may be, will become your god.
Isaac had to die. Whenever we have an Isaac that we have lifted up, God will eventually ask that we sacrifice it. We cannot have two gods. I tell you the truth today; it’s not easy to loosen the clenched fist that restrains your Isaac. Your Isaac will often be the thing you trust in dearly and it’s hard to be asked to willingly give it up. God comes though and asks us to trust in Him, not in the gifts He’s given us. Sometimes we don’t realize how tough it was for Abraham. He was going to kill everything that God had promised and given to him. Yet, he was still willing to trust God. Can you be the same? Will you allow God to point out Isaacs in your life to be sacrificed? Moreover, will you obey?
I’m sure there are people that read this story and walk away believing God to be a beast that requires human sacrifice. God never wanted to see Isaac physically sacrificed. He wanted Isaac to be sacrificed in Abraham’s heart. Once God knew that Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac, God stepped in and stopped it. Truly, the sacrifice had already been made. God steps in though and provides a ram to be offered in place of Isaac. Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provide. Are you willing today to place all He has given on the altar of sacrifice and allow Him to provide a way?

“He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little; he who would achieve much must sacrifice much; he who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly.”
- James Allen

August 12

Read John 7:37

Have you ever been thirsty? I do not mean the average thirst where a drink of water sounds good after a long walk or after working in the garden on a hot summer day. I mean really -- really thirsty…where your tongue sticks to the roof of your mouth and you have to peel your lips off of your teeth and all you can think about is water.
I am not talking about H2O. We come to church… surrounded by the ocean of “Living Water”. Americans can buy Pink Bibles, Women Bibles, Devotional Men’s and Teen Bibles and we are thirsty. We can buy Christian bumper stickers, t-shirts; go to cool and trendy Christian bookstores and we’re still thirsty. We come to church and sing the songs that quench our souls, listen to the Scripture that hydrates our lives and we still are thirsty! We are walking through a Gatorade culture of opportunity with a Sahara desert soul? Why? Why can’t we drink from the well that never runs dry? Why are our souls shriveled and dehydrated?
The story is told of a young student who went to his spiritual teacher and asked the question, "Master, how can I truly find God?" The teacher asked the student to accompany him to the river, which ran by the village and invited him to go into the water. When they got to the middle of the stream, the teacher said, "Please immerse yourself in the water." The student did as he was instructed, whereupon the teacher put his hands on the young man’s head and held him under the water. Presently the student began to struggle.
The master held him under still. A moment passed and the student was thrashing and beating the water and air with his arms. Still, the master held him under the water. Finally, the student was released and shot up from the water, lungs aching and gasping for air. The teacher waited for a few moments and then said, "When you desire God as truly as you desired to breathe the air you just breathed -- then you shall find God."
It is when we get as thirsty for God that the young student was for air that we will begin to sense the thirst of our souls to dissipate and be quenched. Are you thirsty today? Jesus told us that if we thirst to go to Him. Will you run to Him right now?

“He that has satisfied his thirst turns his back on the well.”
- Baltasar Gracian

August 8 & 9 (Sorry!)

2009-08-09T02:44:00.000-05:00

Get Focused...

2009-08-07T13:36:00.001-05:00

Prepared?

2009-08-06T17:40:00.002-05:00

August 4 & 5

2009-08-05T14:14:00.002-05:00

Read I Corinthians 9:24-27

This passage is written with the backdrop of the Isthmian games - the equivalent of our Olympics. This event was held every two years ten miles outside the city of Corinth. These games brought people from every part of the Mediterranean to compete or just watch. It was the sporting event of the year - drawing the empire’s best talent. Athletes would compete in foot races, broad jumping, discus throwing, wrestling, boxing, gymnastics, and equestrian contests. They would compete fiercely, each striving for the Isthmian crown - a wreath of wild celery.
Winners received a lifetime exemption from paying taxes and serving in the military. They would also receive free tuition at one of their universities. Statues of themselves would be erected along the road that led to the site of the games. But the real prize was the celery wreath, awarded to the winner at the end of the games.
There are seven keys to running well, and over the next couple of days we will concentrate on this passage and those keys. Today, the first key is to PROCEED. We must be willing to get going. Notice verse 24 “know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize?” It is important to notice that “All the runners run”.
In order to run the race we must first begin. The great Nike slogan fits here – “Just Do It”. There is no way to win a race if you aren’t running. To win the race requires that you get in the race. We cannot serve God from the starting blocks. Winning starts when we dare to begin. The more daring we are, the more glorious the victory. It is impossible to be victorious without doing something.
The last three days of elementary school was always the best. It was track and field week. We were never in the classroom, but everyone signed up for five events they would participate in. I would always do the 50 yard dash (the 100 was wayyyyy toooooo long!!). I would also do the high jump because I enjoyed landing on the big foam pads. I won in every event. I would walk away with medals that made my classmates drool (alright, they really didn’t care much). There was one event that I could never win as hard as I may have tried. It was the 400 meter relay. It wasn’t because I wasn’t asked to be on some of the teams, or because I wasn’t fast enough that I never won. The reason I could never win that race was that I never ran in it.
Likewise, until we get in the race for eternal life, we will never have the opportunity to win it. Remember these words, “We cannot expect God to say, ‘well done’ if we will not first ‘well do’.”

“I believe that every human has a finite number of heartbeats. I don't intend to waste any of mine running around doing exercises.”
- Neil Armstrong

August 5

Read I Corinthians 9:24-27

This passage is written with the backdrop of the Isthmian games - the equivalent of our Olympics. This event was held every two years ten miles outside the city of Corinth. These games brought people from every part of the Mediterranean to compete or just watch. It was the sporting event of the year - drawing the empire’s best talent. Athletes would compete in foot races, broad jumping, discus throwing, wrestling, boxing, gymnastics, and equestrian contests. They would compete fiercely, each striving for the Isthmian crown - a wreath of wild celery.
Winners received a lifetime exemption from paying taxes and serving in the military. They would also receive free tuition at one of their universities. Statues of themselves would be erected along the road that led to the site of the games. But the real prize was the celery wreath, awarded to the winner at the end of the games.
As I said yesterday, we want to look at the keys to running the race well. Yesterday we mentioned that you have to proceed, or get going first in order to possibly win. Today we want to deal with the second key. It is to pursue, or to keep moving.
Again in verse 24 – “So run, that ye may obtain.” This race isn’t over until we cross the finish line. If we want to win the prize we must pursue excellence in everything that we do. Paul is telling us that we cannot settle to watch from the sidelines but that we must be involved. We must be willing to take action. We must be willing to change our attitude. We must be willing to keep moving – even when we feel like giving up.
When I was playing hockey, I always looked forward to the end of the year banquet. It was at the banquet that everyone that made it the whole year received some kind of trophy. We started something and the guys that played and the coaches that coached and the parents that raised funds and drove us everywhere were able to see that child receive a reward. In biblical terms it is “I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race [is] not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11)
The value of the prize was not monetary but symbolic. The prize for Paul was a sense of satisfaction that God was using him in ministry. It was that he had used all his energies and talents and gifts for God’s glory, for the good of the kingdom. He described that prize in… Philippians 3:14 - “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
When we run our race …whatever it may be, let us put on our faith or our NIKE gear, the gear of victory, and strive for the prize. We run to receive a crown of righteousness. It is not a crown of riches, but a crown that will carry a message to all who see it.

“You get very tired, and there was a certain amount of pain and you slow up. Your legs are so tired that you are in fact slowing. If you don't keep running, keep your blood circulating, the muscles stop pumping the blood back and you get dizzy.”
- Roger Bannister

You Don't Have To Go!!

2009-08-02T06:57:00.002-05:00

Read Luke 16:19-31

As you can tell, my spirit feels an urgency to remind you that we are truly living in the last days. Hell has fallen on hard times. A recent George Barna survey found that 67% of Americans do not believe in hell. That means that only 33% of Americans believe in a literal hell. Couple that idea with a rapidly declining biblical knowledge and in just a few short years there will be no hell. . . . at least in the minds of Americans.
“There has been a shift in religion from focusing on what happens in the next life to asking, ‘What is the quality of this life we’re leading now?’” said Harvey Cox Jr., an author, religious historian and professor at the Harvard Divinity School. “You can go to a whole lot of churches week after week, and you’d be startled even to hear a mention of hell.”
Despite what the popular preachers and theologians of our seminaries say about hell, they forget what the greatest preacher who ever lived had to say. The Lord Jesus Christ spoke about Hell twice as much as He did about Heaven. There was only one subject that He dealt with more and that was money. Suffice it to say, if the Lord thought it important enough to speak about hell then I too am bound by that same task.
There are four things that I would like to remind you about hell today. First, hell may be in your future even if you are prospering on earth. In biblical times, people believed that if a person was blessed with wealth, power, authority, etc. in this life that he would receive even more in the next life. How mistaken the rich man was. Second, hell is a place of eternal torment and agony. One of the torments that this passage deals with is that the rich man was able to remember his whole life. Those in hell will remember all the opportunities they had to love God. They will remember every Sunday school lesson, every sermon and song, and their memory will torment them for eternity. Third, hell is a place of unanswered prayers. You think that God is not listening sometimes in your present day; He will be even more silent in those days.
The fourth thing that I want you to know about hell is that you DO NOT HAVE TO GO. One day, when Vice President Calvin Coolidge was presiding over the Senate, one Senator angrily told another to go "straight to hell". The offended Senator complained to Coolidge as presiding officer, and Mr. Coolidge looked up from the book he had been leafing through while listening to the debate and wittily replied. "I’ve been looking through the rule book," he said. "You don’t have to go."
The same is true for everyone in this room today. You do not have to go to Hell. The rich man realizes that his fate is sealed but he also realizes that his brother’s, who are still alive, do not "have to come to this place of torment." He desires to warn them so that they will repent, which means acknowledge wrongdoing, listen to God and go in a different direction with God’s help. He understands that if a person will turn form his sinful ways and be baptized and filled with the Holy Ghost, evidenced by speaking in an unknown language they will not go to Hell.
I apologize for the length of this devotion today, but I do not apologize for its content. My prayer is that everyone that reads this today will find a place where everything is right between you and God so that we can rejoice together when we see Him face to face.

“It’s time we give hell a heaven of a day!”
- Stan Gleason

Are You Ready to Meet Him?

2009-08-01T22:43:00.001-05:00

Read John 3:16, I John 3:2

I have a dilemma. I am required by my relationship with Jesus Christ for you and I to establish an honest, genuine relationship before I discuss with you what I'm about to discuss. But it's a catch 22. I may never meet some of you. There are those I send these devotions to that I do not know, and there are those of you that are receiving these from people that are forwarding them to you. Yet I cannot bring myself to face my Creator unless I do my best to give you the opportunity I've been given.
So I'm going to assume that you, dear reader, do not believe the things I do and I'm going to tell you about my Lord. You see, someday I WILL face Him and I couldn't stand it if He said, "You say you cared about people, yet you didn't even try to tell them about My sacrifice for their sake?"
The thing is, someday you'll face Him, too. And you won't be able to point to my poor presentation of this message, my "pushiness," or any other way in which I may have been a bad example. I'll answer to Him for those things. At some point, you'll have to humble yourself, examine your own heart and admit your need of a Savior regardless of my bad example. You will not be able to look at some poor televangelist’s bad example of Christ. There will be no one that you will be able to blame for your choices today.
Someday it will be just you and Him and He'll say, "That messenger on the Internet? Oh yes, his interview is next week. The Televangelist? He may be a hypocrite but that's not your concern. He will answer to me if he was. Now I'm asking you why YOU rejected My sacrifice."
God so loved each one of that He did not send someone else to save the world, He came himself. I remember that statement hanging on either side of our sanctuary growing up. I think about it often. The great God of the universe, the one that spoke all things into existence, loved me so much that He became a man like me so that one day I might be like Him. I can’t wait to see Him.
The older we get, the more urgent it becomes to discuss this subject. So I cannot afford to mince words. You have a choice to make today. Will you bow to Him now or will you wait until later. The sound of His return is in the air. We are closer to the coming of the Lord than ever before. We MUST be ready to see Him.
The bottom line is a changed life can be yours if you want it. You say you want the one you have? Consider yourself fortunate for the time being. But it won't last forever. When you face the Master, you can do it with confidence.

“Men talk of killing time, while time quietly kills them.”
- Dion Boucicault

Some random thoughts...

2009-07-27T12:00:00.003-05:00

*Sometimes God calls collect, but some have refused to accept the charges.

*It is hard to live for God easy, while it is easy to live for God hard.

*I was born in the fire of the Holy Ghost and I cannot just sit in the smoke.

*If we don't have a powerful present, we will have an anemic future.

*The cure of crime is not the electric chair, but the high chair.

*The stone at Jesus' tomb was just a pebble to the Rock of Ages inside.

*There is no traffic jams on the straight and narrow way.

May God richly bless you all today.

Walking with God

2009-07-22T12:03:00.002-05:00

Read Genesis 5:18-24

I am not much for exercising? I know that surprises some of you, but it is true, exercise for exercise sake is not my cup of tea. I’ll exercise as long as I am playing a sport or something of that nature, but just to go take a walk is unheard of in my vocabulary. There is something unique about taking a walk, however, that you cannot get by playing a game of basketball. If you take a walk with someone it can become an intimate experience. Sharing dreams, absentmindedly making yourself vulnerable about your aspirations and contemplations and getting to know the person that you are walking with is something that could never happen when you’re getting run over by a power forward on the basketball court. Because it is important for me to have those times, and seeing that I don’t like to walk much, we drive around the city!! It is not the walking that is important (at least for this devotion), it is the time spent with another.
As we read through the Bible, Genesis 5 sounds like the records kept down at the county courthouse. Name, age at death and survivors leap from the pages. But in this terse list, we are suddenly confronted with a man who stands out from everyone else. "Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him" (v.24). For those people that just skim through these types of passages, they miss someone that should be a hero among us.
We don't know much else about Enoch. He probably took care of the herds, worked the land, cared for his family. Whatever his duties were, we know that he had an ongoing conversation with God. Enoch expressed his joys, his hurts, his confusions, and the responsibility he felt for his children. He walked with God. Somewhere in his life, whether he was literally walking or just spiritually walking, he came into contact with the Almighty. He would never be the same.
Enoch must have come to love what God loves and hate what God hates. More interesting, though, the Lord was pleased with Enoch (Heb. 11:5). It is one thing to be pleased by the blessings and direction given by the Lord, but it is entirely different when you begin to wonder if God is pleased with you. One day He must have said something like: "Enoch, we've come a long way together. Why don't you just come on home and stay with Me." The ancient writer simply reports, "And he was not, for God took him" (v.24).
I think the Lord sincerely misses men like Enoch. I believe He is looking for those of us that will desire to get so close to Him that He cannot help but yearn to bring us home. I wonder how many would really be able to say if He invited you home, let’s go, or would we think, I’ve got to let my family now, make sure the bills are together, the job, or whatever else that we have become attached to is taken care of. Enoch must have been so unattached to the things of this world that he was ready when the offer came to go to the Lord. The Lord still looks for those like Enoch who will walk with Him. What a privilege for us! The One who is the Creator of the cosmos, the Ruler of heaven, and the Redeemer of mankind seeks our friendship. As one author put it, “The closer you walk with God, the less room for anything to come between.”

“It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching.”
-St. Francis of Assisi

Patience?!?!

2009-07-15T12:58:00.003-05:00

Read Luke 8:4-16

There is something that few of us possess but all need. It is the thing that gets us through the darkest hours of our life, and it is the thing that keeps our feet on the ground when it would be easier to fly on cloud nine. It is something that one has by personality and it is something that one can learn through practice. It is something that God has a lot of and wishes to share it with us. When answers seem far away, bills are piling up, the tire on the car has gone flat, friends have turned their backs, the kitchen sink starts to leak, the diaper on the baby didn’t hold it all (if you know what I mean!!) and you just wonder where God is in the midst of all your calamity. Are you getting the picture? This is what you and I need more than anything else.
A new resident at a drug rehabilitation center was given the task of planting runner-bean seeds. With no experience growing vegetables, Jim quickly became bored waiting for the seeds to sprout. Have I lost you yet? Just relax. I’ll get to my point. After weeks of seeing nothing happen, Jim finally noticed signs of life coming up. Before long, he had to put poles in the ground for the beans to climb. One day Jim ran excitedly into the kitchen with some freshly picked beans for dinner. "Wow! All this from tiny seeds!" he exclaimed. "I've sure learned a lot!"
Are you getting the point yet? It was clear that Jim learned more than how plants grow. He gained a new insight: If we willingly listen to God in His Word and do what's right for the right reasons and for the right length of time, our lives will be fruitful. That’s the point. That is what we need more than just about everything else. It’s patience. I know, it is not something that we equate with grace and salvation and all the other wonderful things of God, but we really do need patience. Most people that have had an experience with God believe that He is able to “do exceedingly abundantly”, but our biggest problen is when He doesn’t do it right now.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if a farmer could plant a crop and the next day harvest that crop? It sure would send the prices down!! It is just impossible to do. Just like the farmer has to wait for the crop to mature, we must be willing to allow God to work in us and then reveal the answers to our needs in His time, not ours. After all, He is the master farmer and He more than anyone knows when the harvest of our lives is ready to bear fruit.
If your life is seemingly like the description I gave you in the paragraph above, just hold on, be patient for there is nothing that God starts that He does not finish. Thank God!!

“Patience and perseverance have a magical affect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.”
- John Quincy Adams

It's All About the Team!!

2009-07-07T11:20:00.002-05:00

Read I Corinthians 12:12-27

When I was young I played the great sport of hockey. Through that experience I quickly found out that the only way to be a winner is to play a great team. We played against a team called Little Canada all the time. We never lost to them. They had a great player, number 5 (at least in the eyes of a fourth grader), but the rest of the team wasn’t very good. We always won because we had several people that may not have been great, but good, and yet, when you put all of us together we were always better than the other team.
Teamwork is essential in business and industry. To underscore this point, Co-op Magazine included this item: "You've heard of the corny Tate family. They pervade every organization. There is Dick Tate, who wants to run everything. Ro Tate tries to change everything. Agi Tate stirs up trouble whenever possible, and Irri Tate always lends him a hand. "Whenever new ideas are suggested, Hesi Tate and Vegi Tate pour cold water on them. Imi Tate tries to mimic everyone, Devas Tate loves to be disruptive, and Poten Tate wants to be a big shot. But its Facili Tate, Cogi Tate, and Medi Tate who always save the day and gets everyone pulling together."
Unless you are Jesus Christ, a one-man show doesn't get very far. He could obviously do anything on His own and be better than anyone else, but He wanted people around Him working with Him. It is why we were created. God wasn’t satisfied with doing everything on His own so He created us to share with Him in all things, including His image. That is why there is nowhere else that the truth of teamwork is brought to a higher and more powerful fulfillment than in the body of Christ. The Scriptures teach that by God's design all that is in Christ have been made dependent on one another. We may think we can go it on our own, but we can't. We can't fulfill our high calling as members of the body of Christ until we begin to realize that we all have a vital part to play. We are family. We need one another. The song that I love to hear when talking about others in the body of Christ is, “I need you, you need me, we’re all a part of the body.” Just imagine how different and empty our lives would be if we didn’t have one another with which to share this life.

“The best teamwork comes from men who are working independently toward one goal in unison.”
-James Cash Penney

Sorry AGAIN!! I'll get back on track.

2009-07-06T10:31:00.002-05:00

July 1

Read John 8:36

The month of July carries into my heart a passion for Patriotism. The July 4th holiday is always one of my favorites because it reminds me of all that America stands for. I have never served in our military, but I have a passion for the soldier. I am fully aware of the price that was paid for my family to have everything that we enjoy. Daniel Webster said, “God grants liberty only to those who love it, and are always ready to defend it.”
This is a somber time in our nation’s history. With the events of September 11, 2001 still very much on our minds, we are sending our troops a world away to fight for freedom from tyranny. Generation after generation has faced challenges similar to ours, but that doesn’t make it any easier. John F. Kennedy stated, “In the long history of the world only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger.”
We live in such a generation. Whether it was the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, World Wars I & II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War to the war on terrorism today, adequate words of gratitude can never be uttered. Young men and women have defended the freedom of Americans and those abroad, but that doesn’t make the pain of the families who watch their loved ones leave any less real. Every generation in American history has stood to fight in some way for our freedom, but that doesn’t make our support for our fighting men and women in these difficult times any less important.
Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “There is a mysterious cycle in human events. To some generations much is given, of other generations much is expected.” Today, we live in both. We have been given so much, and yet so much is expected of us. That is why those who fight and guard our liberty is a story of bravery and sorrow, a story dedicated to country and love of family. It is a story of leaving those you love most behind so that they can live in safety and freedom.
America is an incredible nation. While we work to promote our freedoms here at home everyday, our young men and women have always been willing to step into the international scene to protect those who need it most. In doing so, we realize once again that freedom isn’t free. We can never, and will never, take our freedom for granted.

“Patriotism is easy to understand in America. It means looking out for yourself by looking out for your country.”
- Calvin Coolidge

July 2

Read Isaiah 53

As a nation, we have set aside holidays such as Veterans Day, Memorial Day and the Fourth of July to remember and honor those who have sacrificed to fight and guard our liberty. After September 11, 2001, we realized that there is also a very important group of people that also step in harm’s way for the sake of our liberty. These are the people who maintain our freedom.
We honor all of our police and fire forces, our hospitals, doctors and nurses, our civic leaders and justice departments, who are brave men and women who work to keep the infrastructure of our liberty intact. Adlai Stevenson said, “Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.” Those that maintain our liberty are men and women that have spent years in preparation for their particular field. Daily they prepared and now daily they perform the duties that protect the freedoms we possess.
From the blazing fire, the confronting of some criminal, legislating laws to fighting disease, these men and women place themselves in the way of harm for our lives to be better. Harm is defined as “Physical or psychological injury or damage or wrong; evil.” In harm’s way is defined as “a risky or dangerous position.” This defines the firefighter, the police force, the medical field, the utility worker. Those that step into risky situations so that we can be safe from that harm are those that maintain our liberty.
Firefighters protect us from the flames, police protect us from the criminal, the doctors and nurses care for our sickness and the utility worker makes sure we have the power necessary to live in our relative comforts.

When fire is cried and danger is nigh,
"God and the firemen" is the people's cry;
But when 'tis out and all things righted,
God is forgotten and the firemen slighted.
~Author unknown, from The Fireman's Journal, 18 Oct 1879

This little poem can be applied to all those that maintain our liberty. We often do not think of the medical field until we have some illness that needs to be righted. We often only think negatively of the police force because we usually only think of them as they write out that speeding ticket. Today, however, we come alongside the military personnel that we have honored, and we honor you. To the police, fire, medical, political and utility fields of labor, we thank you.

“The line of life is a ragged diagonal between duty and desire.”
- William R. Alger

July 3

Read Hebrews 11

A Texan was trying to impress on a Bostonian the valor of the heroes of the Alamo. “I’ll bet you never had anything so brave around Boston,” said the Texan.
“Did you ever hear of Paul Revere?” asked the Bostonian.
“Paul Revere?” said the Texan “Isn’t he the guy who ran for help?”
We cannot live fully without heroes, for they are the stars to guide us upward. They are the peaks on our human mountains. Not only do they personify what we can be, but they also urge us to become what we should be. Heroes are who we can become if we diligently pursue our ideas in the furnaces of our opportunities.
Heroes are those who have changed history for the better. They are not always the men and women of highest potential, but those who have exploited the potential on society’s behalf. Their deeds are done not for the honor but for the duty.
Heroes are the personification of our ideals, the embodiment of our highest values. A society writes its diary by naming its heroes. A diary writes its society by naming its heroes. We as individuals do the same. When Socrates said, “Talk, young man, that I might know you,” he may also have added, “Talk of your heroes that I might not only know who you are, but also who you will become.”
Our heroes tell us much about our value structure. Heroes do not possess a superior gift, but a superior spirit! All real heroes are real people. Heroes come from people that give us inner strength when we reflect on them. Heroes are sometimes people who spend their entire lives doing something for which they never receive rewards. Those that follow them receive plenty, but they usually do not. We usually want to be like the heroes. They make you want to develop into something greater.
Today, people like our 1st grade teacher, our t-ball coach and our trash collector need to be honored. We honor people like our banker, the grocery store clerk, the car wash attendant and the paper boy. We honor you, interpreter for the deaf, postal carrier, phone operator and hotel cashier. Plainly put, all people everywhere that live and work in this great country of America are our heroes.
Martin Luther King said, “Never allow it to be said that you are silent onlookers, detached spectators, but that you are involved participants in the struggle to make liberty a reality.” Today, we stand together as Americans. We stand together as defenders of liberty. We stand before God and lift our voices to God for our dear land. For truly, it is in God we trust.

“Our flag honors those who have fought to protect it, and is a reminder of the sacrifice of our nation's founders and heroes. As the ultimate icon of America's storied history, the Stars and Stripes represents the very best of this nation.”
-Joe Barton

July 4

Read Leviticus 25:1-13

“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness--That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive to these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such Principles and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”
Thomas Jefferson - Declaration of Independence of the United States of America

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the revolutionary army, and another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the revolutionary war. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants; nine were farmers and large plantation owners, men of means, well educated. However, they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing that the penalty would be death if they were captured. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags. Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward. Vandals or soldiers or both, looted the properties of Ellery, Clymer, Hall, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. The owner quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt. Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months. John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later, he died from exhaustion and a broken heart. Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.
Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged: "For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor." (Author Unknown)
When you read that, what emotions, as Americans, well up? In me, I am forever grateful for those men, women and children that sacrificed so that I could have what I have today. Still today, men, women and children sacrifice in our military forces to protect and serve our great country. At the same time, I remember June 16th, 1980 at Camp Galilee on Grey Cloud Island in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, when I had a personal day of Independence. The sacrifice that was paid came in the form of a betrayal by a friend, smiting upon the cheek, plucking of the beard, lashes upon the back, a crown of thorns upon the brow, nails in the hands and feet and forgiveness for all. Surely, whom “the Son sets free is free indeed.”

“Freedom is knowing what is right and wrong, and having the ability to do right.”
-David Norris

July 5

Read Hebrews 12:25-13:6

Have you ever had any worries in your life? We worry about house payments, car payments, credit card payments, doctors’ bills. We stress about which school to send our kids to, which grocery store to shop in, what kind of car we should have and which direction we should drive. We concern ourselves with the quality of our clothes, our yards and our neighbors. We get tangled up in the issues of the day such as, social insecurity, taxes, gas prices and the weather. Are you noticing a trend here? We get so consumed with here, we forget there!
Baseball pitcher Tug McGraw had a wonderful philosophy of pitching. He called it his “frozen snowball” theory. “If I come in to pitch with the bases loaded,” Tug explained, “and heavy hitter Willie Stargell is at bat, there’s no reason I want to throw the ball. But eventually I have to pitch. So I remind myself that in a few billion years the earth will become a frozen snowball hurtling through space, and nobody’s going to care what Willie Stargell did with the bases loaded!”
While we read in the Bible that the earth will someday “melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10), there is much validity to McGraw’s statement: We need to keep life in perspective. Most of the things we worry about have no eternal significance. We get so tied up with earthly things that we fail to see the blessings of the heavenly things. We are not designed for this earth – we are designed for His presence.
The writer of Hebrews was concerned about our perspective. Throughout the book, he keeps our eyes focused on heaven and away from earth. Unless our minds are on heaven, we will have little eternal influence on earth. I would rather influence someone to follow Him and gain eternity, than to lead someone into the right investment and make then a million dollars. While we all have to live in this world and deal with all of these issues, our perspective must remain on heaven. In fact, I am not sure how anyone can even survive the pressures of this earth without the hope of that heaven.
There will come a time when the earth will be shaken, and things that once seemed permanent will be gone (Hebrews 12:27). What you fear most today will be forgotten like yesterday’s headlines. What really matters is what you do today that has a touch of eternity about it. Remember, there is only one life to live for Christ, and if lived for Him, then eternity is your reward.

“The awful importance of this life is that it determines eternity.”
-William Barclay

July 6

Read I Corinthians 1:18-25

I love school. I love to learn. I have been going to school pretty much since I graduated. I was excited when my wife decided to go back to school. She is studying to become a Medical Transcriptionist. I have found very quickly an interest in all the functions of the medical world. Just opening the books peaked my interest to read and learn some things.
In 1692, Harvard College adopted as its motto Veritas Christo et Ecclesiae—“Truth for Christ and the Church.” Its crest showed three books, one face down to symbolize the limitation of human knowledge. But in recent decades that book has been turned face up to represent the unlimited capacity of the human mind. And the motto has been changed to Veritas-"Truth." It is truly a sad commentary on one of the leading Christian developed schools in our country. They have now taken the position that truth can be obtained without Christ and the Church.
The pursuit of knowledge is praiseworthy, yet learning can quickly lead to pride and a refusal to acknowledge any limits on our mental abilities. When that happens, biblical truth is ignored or rejected. It is even frustrating to have to write the phrase biblical truth (I do so for clarity) because without biblical truth, there is no truth.
What, then, is the truth about truth? A wise king wrote centuries ago, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7). We must recognize the relationship between God and truth. Without the help of the Holy Spirit and the instruction of God’s Word, man will be ever “learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7). When we acknowledge and obey His truth, however, we will be set free from spiritual ignorance and error (John 8:32; 17:17). In John 18:38 Pilate asks the question, “What is truth?” Truth was standing right in front of him and he failed to see it.
That’s why we must be diligent in our study of the Bible (2 Timothy 2:15). It is the only book that tells us the truth about truth. In studying the written word of God, we see how many limits are in our own understanding, but we also see through the written Word, the Living Word or the Christ. I know Him today because I have been revealed truth from the bible and now all things are filtered, not through my own understanding but through the Word of God.

“Facts are many, but the truth is one.”
-Rabindranath Tagore

Sorry...Closing out June!

2009-06-30T10:45:00.002-05:00

Read John 14:6

My uncle and I did not show each other much mercy when it came to pulling each other on the tube behind our speed boat at the cabin. For those that do not know what I am writing about, you attach an inner tube to a long rope and lay on top of the tube while someone drove the boat fast and in circles so that the person on the tube would fly over the waves that you created. My uncle and I did our best to see who could cause the other to fly the highest. It amazes me today that we never broke any bones considering how high, fast and hard we hit the water.
The key to making it on the tube was very simply; you had to hold on for dear life. You learned after awhile how to maneuver yourself around back there until you started bouncing out of control.
Who is driving your boat today? You see, when my wife got behind the boat, my uncle was so sweet and kind, and then the devil possessed him when I would get behind the boat and he would try to torture me.
In life, is the kind uncle or the not so kind uncle driving the boat? Life has a tendency to take you on the ride of terror. You must hold on for dear life, lest you crash into the waves below. Life is not always so kind. It tries to beat you down, batter your brains and destroy your dexterity. However, there is a kind driver, named Jesus, who said that He was the life that desires you to enjoy the ride, have fun, sense the excitement, but in the end, find rest.
The easiest way to get off the ride of terror was to just let go. Likewise, in life sometimes we need to just let go and let God. He is a kind driver, and wants to see us face to face and full of life.
My uncle and I are probably both too old to treat each other that way behind the boat...oh, who am I kidding; I’d still drive him that fast!

“The man who says his evening prayer is a captain posting his sentinels. He can sleep.”
- Charles Baudelaire

June 27

Read Psalm 13

It was September 13, 1992. My wife and I entered Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, TN for our honeymoon. Our old car could barely make it to the top of the mountain where our chalet was located. I remember on our way up that the fog or mist was so incredibly thick that is was often difficult to see very far. The mountain was beautiful, but the view at times was less than desired.
Yesterday, I was walking through a store and noticed a rack of postcards. On each was the best picture of the Twin Cities that you could imagine. Why anyone would not want to visit based on those cards is beyond me. Then I remembered some of the postcards that we looked at in our preparation for our honeymoon. Perfect pictures and perfect scenery is what the postcards indicated.
Our vacation and the postcards of the Twin Cities that I saw in the store caused me to question the way I portray my faith to people around me. Do I present a "postcard" view of my life with Jesus Christ? Do I give the false impression that my life is always sunny—that my view of God is always clear?
That's not what David did. In the passion-filled poetry of Psalm 13, he admitted that he couldn't see God and didn't understand what He was doing (v.1). But by the end of his prayer, he was certain that what he couldn't see was nevertheless there because he had seen it before in God's bountiful care (vv.5-6).
I do not know about you, but my life is more like the weather outside of the store where I saw those beautiful postcards; thunderstorms. I am like the person at the top of our “honeymoon” mountain. I’ve seen the mountain before, so I know it exists even when clouds are covering it.
When suffering or confusion obscures our view of God, we can be honest with others about our doubts. But we can also express our confidence that the Lord is still there by recalling times we've witnessed His grandeur and goodness. That's better than postcard Christianity. Jesus is the light of the world so when living under clouds of adversity, remember that the sun is still shining above them.

“It was a September afternoon, with a broad expanse of pure sky across which large clouds, like mountains of silver, moved in majestic slowness.”
- Francois Coppee

June 28

Read Luke 6:46-49

For the most part I believe that people have good intentions. After all, we were created in God’s image. However, since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, our actions usually speak something entirely different from our intentions.
I read in Readers’ Digest about Robert Ginnett, a researcher at the Center for Creative Leadership in Colorado Springs, who has found that the values we claim to have are not as closely linked to our actual behavior as we might like to believe.
One business executive, who said his 5-year-old daughter was the most important part of his life, realized that he usually went to work before she got up in the morning and often returned home after she was in bed at night. So to spend time with her, he took her to work with him one Saturday. After looking around his office, she asked, "Daddy, is this where you live?" He may have acknowledged that his daughter was important, but his behavior revealed what he truly valued.
In our relationship with Christ, He asks for our obedience, not a warm feeling or a statement of belief. He asked those following Him, "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46). Jesus illustrated His point with the parable of the wise and foolish builders (vv.47-49). The rock-solid foundation of the wise builder's house illustrates the result of our obedience to God. This honors Christ and enables us to withstand the storms of life.
The old saying, “Actions speak louder than words” is accurate. What we do, more than anything we say, reveals what we truly value the most. If that is the case, and I believe that most people think so, and then to show that you value eternity, make good use of your time today.

“The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”
- Stephen Covey

June 29

Read Philippians 1:3-6

I am not very good at jigsaw puzzles. I am more the word game kind of guy. It is difficult for me so see the different shapes and colors and then match them up together. I would rather just look at the box cover than to open it and try to recreate that picture.
Our lives are like jigsaw puzzles. From the moment we took our first breath we were creating pieces of the puzzle that is called our life. I cannot imagine what God must think as He is trying to put the shattered pieces of my life back together, but somehow He always seems to come through.
As I look over my life, I see so many places, eras and endeavors that seem so foolish. For those that know me well, I hate to lose. When I was a boy growing up there was four of us that hung out in the neighborhood. It was Doug, myself, Brian and Wayne. Wayne was the youngest and Doug was the oldest so they always formed one team and Brian and I were the other team. We played every sport imaginable, and it was always those teams. In football, we were even because Brian and I were slightly bigger. In hockey, we always won because the other three couldn’t really skate. In basketball we were even because Brian knew how to play. Baseball was our shortcoming. To this day, I don’t know why.
It was after one of the baseball beatings that Brian and I decided that we would practice and then try to beat them. We hit balls to the outfield so that we could catch and hit. It was after some practice that we became fairly even in this sport as well.
I said all of that to say this, “If Brian and I had not taken the time to pick up the pieces of our failures; we would never have raised our game to the level of Doug and Wayne’s.”
Our lives are like jigsaw puzzles and baseball games; the only way that we will be successful is to pick up and fit together all of our failures and mold them into success. Jesus came to reconcile, or put together the broken pieces of failure of our lives to form a beautiful masterpiece. Will you allow God to put in some time on your life to bless the broken pieces because if you do, very shortly you will see a tapestry of failures rolled up together in success?

“The problems of puzzles are very near the problems of life.”
- Erno Rubik

June 30

Read II Timothy 4:1-5

I received an interesting call the other day. It was from someone who claimed to be a “Torah Observant” Jew. This simply meant that the New Testament is not the holy writ of God. He believed that all of the Old Testament is what dictated salvation. Today, he is still looking for the Messiah.
The recently discovered manuscript The Gospel of Judas alleges that Jesus asked Judas to betray Him. Supposedly, Jesus hoped that His death would free Him from this world of matter to become a pure spirit again.
There is a big problem with this ancient text. Judas could not have written this manuscript that bears his name, since it was written long after the time of Jesus. But because The Gospel of Judas has been newly discovered, it provides a novelty for those who like to speculate.
Proposing a fake story to replace the New Testament account is not new. Paul wrote, “The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (II Tim. 4:3-4).
There’s a trend today to look for new theories to undermine the Bible. In I Thessalonians 5, Paul told us to “test all things; hold fast what is good” (v.21). Based on the questionable content and authorship of The Gospel of Judas, we know that it’s a fable. The real gospel (good news) lies with the apostles, who walked with Jesus and wrote down His life-saving message in the New Testament.
To trust God is to trust in His holy Word. Those that would attempt to distort the gospel and the New Testament are only solidifying it by proving what the apostles wrote in admonition was accurate. Paul wrote that no one was to add or take away from the Word of God and that heaven and earth would pass, but God’s Word will never pass away. I am glad that I know His Word and that I know Him. In these last days, remember to balance all of the “new” philosophies off the Word of God because it is when the Word becomes clouded in our lives that those philosophies can take a hold of us. Remember, His word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our paths.

“Because the New Testament provides the primary historical source for information on the resurrection, many critics during the 19th century attacked the reliability of these biblical documents... By the end of the 19th century, however, archaeological discoveries had confirmed the accuracy of the New Testament manuscripts.”
- Josh McDowell

June 24 and 25

2009-06-25T13:32:00.004-05:00

Read Exodus 31:1-11

A bricklayer whose brother was a famous violinist was talking with the head of the construction company where he worked. "It must be great to have a brother who is known around the world," said the executive. He quickly added, "Of course, we must accept the fact that talent isn't equally distributed—even in the same family."
"That's right," replied the bricklayer. "Why, my brother doesn't know the first thing about bricklaying. It's a good thing he can afford to pay others to build a house for him."
This story reminds us that we've each been given unique abilities by God. We have been taught a definition of the word “minister” that is incorrect. We picture one of a couple things at the church that is ministry, but being a doctor, lawyer, firemen, bricklayer, and any other career is just as much ministry as the preacher is a minister. If our motive is to glorify God and benefit others, we have no reason to be ashamed of what we do for a living. Exodus 31 tells us that God gave certain people special skills to work in gold, in silver, in cutting jewels, and in all kinds of workmanship to help build the tabernacle.
If you are a construction worker, a teacher, a trash hauler, a plumber, a doctor, a carpenter, a writer, a mechanic, a scientist, an assembly-line worker, a secretary, or any other kind of worker whose occupation contributes to the welfare of others, you have a God-honoring job. Do your job like souls depended on it because they do. The preacher will never have an effect on people if everyone didn’t touch and influence their coworkers and friends. In His sight it is an opportunity to serve Him in the place He has provided—just for you. Remember, you are one of a kind, and no one else can do the work God has for you.

“There are two kinds of talent, man-made talent and God-given talent. With man-made talent you have to work very hard. With God-given talent, you just touch it up once in a while.”
-Pearl Bailey

June 25

Read Galatians 5:15-26

I read a humorous story about a man who strolled out of a hardware store with a smile on his face and a brand-new chainsaw in his hands. He was told it could cut down five big oak trees in an hour. Twenty-four hours later, however, his smile was gone. Frustrated, he was back at the store complaining that the saw would never cut five trees in an hour. "It took me all day to cut down five trees," he said.
Puzzled, the store owner stepped outside with the saw, gave the cord a swift pull, and fired up the steel-toothed beast. Its deafening roar sent the customer stumbling to get away. "What's that noise?" he gasped. Just wait, you'll get it!
It's ridiculous for someone to try to cut down trees with a chainsaw without starting it up. But that's how foolish we are as Christians when we try to live for Christ in our own strength. We get frustrated and spiritually exhausted when we try to work things out on our own terms and according to our own schedule. We fail to draw on the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us (Romans 8:9-11).
True power only comes when we are plugged into the right outlet. We are in the right outlet when our worship and praise ushers His presence to where we are and that presence is turned to pure power when we rely on Him. The source of power is always stronger at the source, rather than several circuits.
Where is your life plugged in today? Have you taken the time to plug into His desires, or are you dwelling in your own agenda? When you place yourself in the flow of His dreams for you, there is nothing in this world that can stand up to the power that will envelop you.

“Every man builds his world in his own image. He has the power to choose, but no power to escape the necessity of choice.”
- Ayn Rand

Two for One

2009-06-23T11:06:00.005-05:00

Read Colossians 1:9-14

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said, “Lamps make oil-spots and candles need snuffing; it is only the light of heaven that shines pure and leaves no stain.”
Some people may not especially enjoy poetry. But often a few lines of verse will grip our imagination, as do the following by Francis Thompson: "The innocent moon that nothing does but shine, moves all the laboring surges of the world." Here are some interesting facts in regard to the moon. The moon is nearly 240,000 miles from Earth and is only 1/400th the size of the sun. With no light or heat of its own, it reflects the radiance of that greater heavenly body. It appears to be relatively insignificant. Yet, the moon quietly and almost imperceptibly moves the oceans of the world by its gravitational pull.
Does that sound like you? Do you often feel insignificant and unimportant? Most of us may not seem all that influential or well known. We do not have the giftedness, the wealth, or the position to make much of an impact on our society. Our names do not appear in Who’s Who of America, nor is it mentioned in the newspaper, nor are they mentioned on the radio. We may clench the thought that all we can do is practice our faith in the humdrum routines of everyday life. Perhaps, though, unnoticed by us, we are having an influence on the people around us by our Christ-like attitudes and actions.
I remember a time when we stopped to pick up some food following a church service. My wife went in to pay for the food and to pick it up while I sat in the car (I know, it should have been the other way around, but then this story would not be able to be written). A man that she had never met began asking her questions. The bottom line of the conversation was that this man saw a glowing from her. It was the glory of the Lord. I do not know where that man is today, but he probably has not forgotten a young wife that was dwelling in the reflection of the Son. Like the moon, my wife at that moment in time especially was radiating a glory that was not hers, but it was the glory of the Lord reflecting from her.
You never know whom you will influence by acting like the moon and reflecting Him. Let's not be concerned, then, about our seeming lack of influence. Instead, do what Jesus commanded: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). Go, enter your prayer closet and shut the door and see if even the smallest light can make a difference in the darkest night.

“The hero is one who kindles a great light in the world, who sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for men to see by.”
- Felix Adler

June 23

Read John 10:28-30
The pencil. A simple, and yet, powerful instrument. I like pencils. The pencil maker spoke to the pencil just before the pencil was to be released into the world. The maker said, “There are 5 things you need to know, he told the pencil, before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be.”
“First, you will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone’s hand. Second, you will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you will need it to become a better pencil. Third, you will be able to correct mistakes you will make. Fourth, the most important part of you will always be what is inside. Fifth, on every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.” The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.
Just like a pencil, in the hand of the right person, can do some amazing things, you too can do amazing things if you allow yourself to be held in God’s hand. A pencil can make beautiful drawings in the hand of an artist. A pencil can craft amazing stories in the hand of a writer. A pencil can solve the most complex algebraic equations in the hand of a mathematician. A pencil can sketch the most perfect blueprint in the hand of an architect. A pencil can write the most touching note in the hands of a loved one.
In the hand of the Master, anything is possible. Just like a pencil has to be sharpened to become better, you can be sharpened by going through various problems and trials, but it will indeed make you a stronger person. Just like a pencil has an eraser to be able to correct mistakes, you, through the grace of God, can correct mistakes and grow through them. The blood that is applied at repentance acts as the great eraser of your life. Just like a pencil’s most important part is the lead that is inside, it is what is on the inside of you that is important. The part of you that makes you who you are is what is on the inside. Just like a pencil’s purpose is to leave its mark, you are to leave your mark wherever you go. No matter what the situation, you must continue to serve God in everything. Then you too will be ready to go out into the world and make your mark for the cause of Christ.

“We are all pencils in the hand of God.”
- Mother Teresa

Sorry, Just Catching Up!!

2009-06-21T21:20:00.002-05:00

Read Philippians 2

To all of you fathers and men desiring to be fathers and to our spiritual fathers, Happy Father’s Day! I find it very interesting to watch my sons grow up. He takes on more and more traits of his parents. His expressions have mirrored ours, and his vocabulary has taken on many of our words. Amazingly, he even understands most of them.
When I was a little boy, I wanted to be just like my Dad. I watched the way he dealt with people, the way he played sports, and especially the way he preached. Something inside of me began to form my idea of who I was by who my father was. When I was bullied my first response was, “You don’t know my dad, do you? He used to beat people up on the ice like it was nobody’s business so you may not want to mess with me!” Needless to say, that did not impress too many people.
When I grew a little older, I realized that, as good as my father was, I needed to find my own place in this world, and more importantly, in God’s Kingdom. I began to look at what God desired for my life, and began to question and search for the example of my heavenly Father. It took me to Philippians chapter two. When Jesus was born, He wasn’t born to royalty, although He deserved to be. When He was a young boy, He did not have servants waiting on Him, although all of heaven was at His beckoned call. When He was a young man, He built furniture with His adopted father, Joseph, with the wood that He created. When His ministry began, He chose some fishermen, tax collectors and zealots for His companions. These men were hardly the ones that most others would have chosen, but Jesus saw something different in them.
That brings us to Philippians 2 where we see the man with all of heaven and earth at His disposal become a servant to you and I so that we one day would be able to reign with Him. Notice that He did not pick-and-choose whom He would serve, He served all mankind. It is very easy to serve people that we deem worthy of servitude, but it is entirely Christ-like to serve all. When I realized that Jesus was calling me to serve, I began to focus my life choices to attempt to fulfill that call. The call to serve is not only to the preacher or the teacher, but it is a call for all that want to call Jesus their heavenly Father. If you want to be like Christ, you must begin to do the things that Christ did.
Are you willing to serve the neighbor that constantly has music blaring from his home? Would you serve that family that never cleans their yard? Would you be willing to serve your employee? Your spouse? Your children? Would you be willing to serve that friend that slapped you in the face, talked about you behind your back and betrayed you to others? If not, then you will never achieve the goal of being like your daddy. The good news is that this is our aim—to be like Him. Each family can make the decision this week to try harder, and not only try, but also in the mindset of the Spirit, become more like Christ.

“My childhood should have taught me lessons for my own fatherhood, but it didn't because parenting can only be learned by people who have no children.”
- Bill Cosby

Read Genesis 11:1-9

Imagination. It is a powerful thing. It makes hot-wheels fly down the corridors of our homes. It makes little plastic elephants fill the largest of living rooms. My son even has imaginary friends. He will spend several hours playing with friends and his animals, and everything that he plays with comes to life with imagination. He rides the horse at the grocery store like he is in the Kentucky Derby.
Have you ever imagined things for God? You know, when the clouds are thick, and the tempest is strong, do you ever imagine what it would be like to have Jesus physically step into your situation? I may be an oddball, but I have to believe that everyone at one time or another must have imagined accomplishing some great feat in life, whether it is a personal business or a ministry. Have you ever imagined where you and your family would be in the future? What kind of house, job or car would you own?
There is something unique in the passage of Genesis that gives you the secret to have your imagination come to life. Notice that God had to step on the scene because the people could do whatever they imagined to do. What is it that gave them the power to accomplish a task that was actually contrary to the things of God? They wanted to make a name for themselves, and they wanted to do it on their own. God saw that they would accomplish the task without any aid from Him, and so, He confounded the tongue and the people failed to finish because of the confusion of the tongues. It is interesting to note in this passage that it is because they all spoke the same language, desired the same thing, or in our modern day vernacular, they were all on the same page.
Is that where your family is? How about your church? Are you adding to the unity of your surrounding or are you just on a different page? Everything is available to you and your family as long as you dwell in unity. What can you imagine together? What new heights can you attain together spiritually? Use your imagination and unity in Christ to bring some of those toy elephant goals and hot-wheel dreams to life.

“A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.”
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Read I Peter 1

I have used a chiropractor several times in my life. The best part of that trip is the opportunity to lie down on the table that totally massages your muscles. You lie there about 5 minutes or so, and invariably I struggle to stay awake. Well, yesterday, I was put in a room on that table and the lights were turned low so as not to be in my eyes. This room was different from the normal room I am in because there were no windows. It became dark, and when they came back into the room and turned the lights on I was blinded by the brightness.
The brightness that day must have been incredible. It was so bright that the strongest sunglasses would not have prohibited the penetration of the light’s rays. It causes man to fall to his face and bury his eyes in the ground. When Moses saw the brightness of God’s glory, he could not physically bear the brightness thereof. The most exciting part is that Moses did not see all of His glory, but only the hind parts, or the leftover parts of His glory.
Peter lets man know that there is an inheritance that is free from corruption. It is the full aspect of the brightness of the glory of God. It goes beyond our very imagination and comprehension of things that are eternal. In this life, everything has an ending. From the time of day to the end of physical life, all things bear a conclusion. Our finite minds only comprehend things that end. However, we know of three things that never end, and often, it is impossible to grasp.
God, His Word and our inheritance are the only things that will never end. What a promise. Someday soon, everything that we know will be gone, and everything will be new. All hurt, sorrow, stress and heartache will end and be replaced by a joy that we really do not even understand yet. With all of our imperfection, it goes beyond reason that we should be able to dwell with a Holy God, but through the blood of Christ, we receive our inheritance; we are able to dwell with God.
However, we often look at this passage as referring to some future event, and that is correct, for it is the primary purpose of this writing. However, we have received the earnest of our inheritance when we were born of the water and the Spirit. Therefore, we have the opportunity to dwell in the spiritual realm with God Almighty. We can boldly enter His throne room, and we can lay our petitions at His feet. What needs or desires have you refrained from asking God for because you felt unworthy to receive it? What would you ask God if you would receive it without question? Well, our inheritance allows us to ask our heavenly Father anything, and whether He says, “Yes, no, maybe or we’ll see,” we know He has heard. All of Heaven is at your beckoned call because you are a part of His family.

“Every action in our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity.”
- Edwin Hubbel Chapin

Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-22

I know it is June right now. Again, I have not lost my mind. However, I am writing this in November, and the leaves are falling and the sun is setting earlier every day. I love the seasons.
Depending on where you are reading this, there are actually four distinct seasons. I grew up in the great state of Minnesota where people think that it is always cold. I beg to differ. Minnesota is one of the states that have a definite four seasons.
Growing up, I always knew that the first of March is when the snow would begin to melt and the trees would again get ready to blossom. The beginning of June is when it would begin to get warm enough to make the lake refreshing to swim in. The end of August signified that the water temperature, as well as the air temperature, was getting pretty cold, and fall would begin. November first is when you knew that winter was on its way and it would not be too long for the lake that you swam in a few months earlier would be ready to skate upon for the next few months.
Then, I lived in Missouri, and the season goes from unbearably hot to cold dampness, to ice storms, to temporary springtime air and back to hot summers. It can be hot or cold during any of those “seasons” in Missouri. Just now, the day of this writing, in November, it was 75 degrees. How can a lake ever be ready to skate on???
God created the seasons, and when He spoke, He often used natural principles to reveal spiritual reality. Just as there are four seasons in nature, there are seasons in our spiritual walk with Him. Spiritual Spring carries new blossoms and new fruit into our walk with God. This leads to the hot summers where you are “on fire” for God. Something happens and you “cool down” and then the dying of the spiritual winter.
The great Creator of the Universe designed this concept of seasons. He understands the season of our lives because He created our lives. Think of Jesus. When he was born in Bethlehem, everything was new. It was a new day in the history of mankind. Not everyone noticed, but nevertheless, it is true. Then Jesus started His ministry and everything began to “heat up”. Miracles were performed, lives were changed and disciples were formed. Then things began to “cool down”, and those that seemed to love Him began to call for His crucifixion. From the cooling of the followers, came the winter of the cross, and death followed shortly. Here is the exciting thing; winter only lasts for a short time. Christ’s winter only lasted three days, and the resurrection of the springtime happened. Then the disciples caught the summer of the spirit, and the cycle has continued to this day. What season of spiritual living are you in today?

“Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways. The dry seasons in life do not last. The spring rains will come again.”
- Sarah Ban Breathnach

Read I Timothy 1:1-7, 3:14-15

Daniel Webster said, “If we work upon marble it will perish. If we work upon brass time will efface it. If we rear temples, they will crumble to dust. But if we work upon men's immortal minds, if we imbue them with high principles, with the just fear of God and love of their fellow men, we engrave on those tablets something which no time can efface, and which will brighten and brighten to all eternity.”
I read a conversation a few days back. It went something like this. "My great-grandfather owned this rifle," the man said proudly. In his hand was a mint-condition rifle from the days when the pioneers were moving across the American West. I admired its beautiful walnut stock and shiny brass fittings. He said, "It came down to my grandfather, who passed it on to my father, who gave it to me. It has been in the family more than 100 years. I'm going to give it to my son when he turns 25."
Every parent wants to leave something for their children to hold onto long after they are gone. I began thinking about this because just over the desk where I am writing this is a picture that has been given to me from my grandmother. My grandmother was a very interesting woman. She could cook better than anyone I have ever known, and yet she could work in the garden all day as well. She could take care of my grandfather, their five children and then their sixteen grandchildren. I have two things of hers that I treasure. They are the picture that I referred to earlier, and a porcelain train that will forever be in my possession (at least until I can give it to my son). Heirlooms are important to us.
However, the greatest treasure she gave to me was not an object. It is something that no one can put a price tag on. In fact, if these devotions have somehow blessed you, it is due in large part to her. She gave me Jesus. More than anyone else in my life, my grandma Cele displayed Jesus Christ to me. She was my nursery Sunday School teacher. She stayed on my Dad to make sure that I was raised in the family of God. She was always checking on me, making me kiss her on the cheek every time I saw her. She crossed her finish line on September 12, 1998, my sixth wedding anniversary. At her funeral, everyone present gave her a standing ovation. It is something I will never forget.
I look at my son today, and I know that what she gave me; I can now give to him. He is a sixth generation believer. I read this passage, and I think Paul wrote to the Timothy whose last name is Sanders. Just replace Lois’ name with Cele and Eunice with Kathy, and the scripture is talking directly to me. Timothy's grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice trusted in Christ and taught Timothy to do the same. Mine did also. As you think about what you will pass on to your children and grandchildren, do not forget the example of your faith in Jesus. It's the most valuable "heirloom" of all.

“This is all the inheritance I give to my dear family. The religion of Christ will give them one which will make them rich indeed.”
- Patrick Henry

Recipe for an Anointing

2009-06-16T15:20:00.003-05:00

Read Exodus 30:22-30

I do not like to cook. I am not very good at cooking (unless macaroni and cheese out of a box counts). However, I do like to eat. In fact, I LOVE to eat. I eat just about any kind of food with the exception of spicy food. I have found out in all of my years that food that is not cooked according to a certain recipe (unless it was mom’s) was not consistently good. Certainly, if you leave out the sugar, and the right amount at that, the sugar cookie does not taste quite right.
Well, there is a recipe for an anointing, and it is found in the oil that was used to anoint the things of the tabernacle in the Old Testament. If we are willing to “cook” our lives with this recipe we can be saturated with God’s anointing.
The first ingredient was Liquid Myrrh. Myrrh was used to prepare bodies for burial. In order to get its beautiful sweetness it had to be crushed. Myrrh speaks of death. There is no anointing without death. If we want to know God’s anointing, we have to die to ourselves. Die to the old person that we once were. Die to our own agenda - our own desires and dreams, anything not born of God. If we are going to depend on God, we have to die to our own abilities and resources. If we do not come to this place of dying to ourselves on our own, then God may have to bring "crushing" circumstances into our lives to bring us to the place where we will die. Do not despise the crushing that God allows into your life.
The second ingredient was Sweet Cinnamon. Cinnamon was used for flavor, and it gave off a very pleasant smell. Its fragrance was beautiful in the Tabernacle because it counteracted the stench of the animal sacrifices. Cinnamon speaks of sweetness. If you want God to pick you up and anoint you to use you, there has to be sweetness about your life.
The third ingredient was Sweet-smelling Cane (or calamus). The Calamus plant grows in miry soil. To get this plant to smell you had to beat it. The more you beat it the better the aroma. Again, God’s anointing is able to increase in your life the more you pass through the school of hard knocks, and God is able to fashion your character.
The fourth ingredient was Cassia. This spice grows only at elevations above 8000 feet. You have got to get up on the mountain to get it. If you desire God’s anointing you have have to reach up to the heights. Get on the mountain with God. There is no shortcut to the anointing - we have got to pray, seek God, study, love and work. Jesus lived in the anointing of the Spirit - and for that He maintained a close walk with the Father in prayer at all times.
Finally, all the ingredients were mixed with olive oil. Now look at the picture we have here. All these ingredients mingled together with a bottle of oil produced the anointing compound that was called “holy”. Watch now … the Lord will combine all the good and difficult things in your life with the oil of His Holy Spirit. A sweet anointing will form in you, and He will be able to use you in incredible ways. Are you ready for an anointing?

“The human body experiences a powerful gravitational pull in the direction of hope. That is why the patient's hopes are the physician's secret weapon. They are the hidden ingredients in any prescription.”
- Norman Cousins

Happy New Year's Day!!

2009-06-15T00:05:00.003-05:00

Read Genesis 1:1-31

It is the only night of the year that I stayed up all night. Most of the church people were going to be at our house by noon and would not leave until very late. The kitchen would have the aroma of all kinds of food, and mom would be busy making sure everyone had enough to eat. New Year’s Day was that way at the Sanders’ home. Dad would have me outside the week before making sure the hockey rink was all ready for everybody. There was one particular man (who will go unmentioned here) that always seemed to show up several hours before everyone else (and before he was supposed to), but it was perfect for me because I could start the day right away.
I love January 1. It is probably the most exciting day of the year for me. The reason is because it is a New Year. New dreams. New ideas. New goals. New interests. There is something about the turning of a calendar that intrigues even the most stoic person. There just seems to be a breath of fresh air that enters the lungs and fills the soul with new hope for the New Year. We hold to this annual song of hope that things will not only be different than the previous year, but also better.
Genesis 1:1 states that “In the beginning God created…” and there is something that excites the spirit of man that before all circumstance and worldly entities, God had a hand in their creation. Although man has perverted the use of the things that God created, there was nothing until God did create. God created all that there is and so it is vital for everyone to realize that if God created everything, He can fix anything. If your life was filled with chaos last year, He can calm the New Year. If your life was filled with heartache last year, He is able to speak from creation and heal, from the smallest to the greatest of hurts. If your family seemed detached or dysfunctional last year, He is able to pull together the frayed pieces into a cohesive family unit. No matter what took place last year, God is standing at your door knocking, and if you allow Him, He will enter and make all things new.
Does this devotion seem to be out of place? I probably should have had this one for January 1, not June 15. I thought the same thing until I thought of Lamentations 3:22-23, “[It is of] the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. [They are] new every morning: great [is] thy faithfulness.” Did you catch that? Mercy and compassion are new everyday. Today is New Year’s Day. What is even more exciting is tomorrow is New Year’s Day. When I think about it, my favorite day of the year happens every morning. What happened yesterday is over and you have the opportunity for a brand new start today.
So the question becomes, “What will you do for God if you know you can try all over again tomorrow?” Bill Cosby said it this way, “In order to succeed, your desire for success must be greater than your fear of failure.” Give it a shot today because tomorrow is a brand new day.

“Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend - or a meaningful day.”
- Dalai Lama

Involved or Committed?

2009-06-14T23:23:00.002-05:00

Read John 1:38-51

“The difference between "involvement" and "commitment" is like an eggs-and-ham breakfast: the chicken was "involved"--the pig was "committed".” This saying by an unknown source seems to understand very well what is required of you and me as Christians.
The silence could have had several sources: hesitation, fear, confusion or caution. “Will you marry me?” Bobby had asked and then his heart stopped as he searched her eyes for a clue.
Terri knew the answer but still paused. You see, for the rest of their lives, people would ask how he had proposed and what she had said…Terri wanted her line to be memorable, witty and unique. Since nothing clever came to mind, she opted for something committal: She said, “Yes.”
I remember my proposal. It was going to be powerful. I had everything planned. It was going to be perfect. Then my wife-to-be did not show up for work. A wrench was quickly thrown into all of my plans. She missed out. Instead, I took her to dinner, and tried to surprise her, and failed miserably. I ended up simply asking her in the front seat of the Jeep Cherokee we happened to be driving that night. THANK GOD, she said yes. I was certain of the answer, and yet, there was that anxiousness for her to say yes.
We often respond to God with the same silence. He issues to us a personal invitation, “Follow Me. I promise to give you My all. Will you simply give Me your life?” We feel His invitation echo in our souls. Still, we pause. Our silence can have several sources: hesitation, fear, confusion, and caution. Our pause often reflects a desire for more information, more answers or more time. “I am not ready yet. Or, later, but not now. Are You entirely trustworthy?” “I am afraid I could not live up to Your expectations. Will You take things away from me or send me where I do not want to go?” The truth is God has a better record of faithfulness, gentleness, care, and commitment than any human we have ever said, “Yes” to! Yet, we still pause.
I would like to think God had the same thoughts that I had when I proposed. I think when he called me, He knew what my answer would be, but that excitement to hear me say yes welled up in Him. Like a gentleman, God waits for our response, knowing that the sooner we say, “Yes” the sooner He can begin to bring us new life. Pausing may seem to buy us more time. In reality, pausing only delays healing and deepens pain. God’s invitation gently echoes in our souls. He invites us to follow, to forgive, to release, to risk and to believe. His pierced heart patiently longs to hear us say, “Yes.”

“Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek.”
- Mario Andretti

Will You Yield?

2009-06-13T12:14:00.003-05:00

Read Romans 8:1-11

Have you ever been around a “control freak”? You know who I’m talking about. That person that has to have his/her hands in everything and nothing can be accomplished without it being their idea. The one that believes it is all in their power, intellect and good looks that they have arrived where they have landed. There was a lady named Sally (not her really name) that suffered from Lou Gehrig's disease. She was asked what lessons God was teaching her as she dealt with this difficult and debilitating disease. Her immediate response was, "Loss of control."
Sally had always been a highly organized, independent person whose corporate job involved long hours and frequent travel. Now she had to depend on others for everything from getting dressed to brushing her teeth. Unable to move her arms or legs, she had control over only what she thought and what she said. She knew that soon she would even lose her power of speech. "I used to stress over my job," she said, "and never really gave it to the Lord. Now, with almost all control gone, I can stress about my physical limitations or surrender it to Christ."
What would it take for God to teach some of us about losing control? Would it take what Sally dealt with, or are we more yielding to God than that? The question facing each of us is, "Will I retain control of my life or yield it to the Lord today?" To live only for what I want is to be controlled by the sinful nature. Paul said that this leads to death, "but to be spiritually minded is life and peace" (Romans 8:6). We need to be yielded to Him because He will not force His will upon you. He will use any means necessary to teach you and draw you to Him, but He will never force you to yield. There are people that just cannot let go of their life because they cannot or will not trust that He will take care of them. My question is, “Is it better to yield now or later?”
There will come a day in everyone’s life where they will yield their life. I pray today that you will yield yours today. Please do not wait until your life is taken from you to yield, but “crucify yourself” with Christ and just watch how wonderful your yielded life will become. To one degree or another, we will all lose control of our lives as we grow older. Yielding control to God is a choice we can make every day—starting today. True freedom comes not from choosing our way, but from yielding to God's way.

“Mine are the deep-seated fears established when we are children, and they never quite go away: the fear of being helpless, the fear of being trapped, the fear of being out of control.”
- Virginia C. Andrews

Why Worry When You Can Pray?

2009-06-12T12:53:00.002-05:00

Read Ephesians 3:14-21

A missionary wrote a newsletter to thank his supporters for being "prayer warriors." Because of a typing error, though, he called them "prayer worriers." For some of us, that might be a good description.
In his book Growing Your Soul, Neil Wiseman writes, "Prayer must be more than a kind of restatement of fretting worries or a mulling over of problems. Our petitions must move beyond gloomy desperation, which deals mostly with calamity and despair."
I know there have been times in my life where all of my prayers just seem to cry out for help. There are times in each of our lives that we need God just to do something on our behalf, but if that becomes the sole reason for our prayers, we are missing out on what pray is really about.
When we can really learn how to pray for people instead of delivering us from people, we will see mighty moves of God. Instead of praying, “Lord, make a way where I am not so stressed about my boss”, to, “Lord, bless and encourage my boss, and help them to sense your love,” then God will have an avenue to really make a difference. When you think closely about it, wouldn’t you rather have your boss saved, than for you to be delivered from your job? The Lord's amazing answers will not only help others, but also help to cure your own anxiety!
There is an old song that said, “Why worry when you can pray, trust Jesus, He’ll lead the way, don’t be a doubting Thomas, trust fully in His promise, why worry, worry, when you can pray.” That song is still so fitting because we often forget that when we pray, He hears our heart's cry, and will meet our need. We tend to worry even when we pray. I do not mean to sound harsh, but when you worry, you are basically saying that God doesn’t care or is unable to care for you. Do you really believe that?
Paul was no "prayer worrier." He prayed for God's people that they might know the strength, love, and fullness of God, who is able to do far more than we can ask or even think (Ephesians 3:14-21). Such confidence made Paul a true "prayer warrior." Are your prayers like that? Fervent prayer dispels anxious care.

“I believe God is managing affairs and that He doesn't need any advice from me. With God in charge, I believe everything will work out for the best in the end. So what is there to worry about.”
- Henry Ford

With You

2009-06-11T18:06:00.000-05:00

Read Psalm 139:7-18

I went on a computer program called Google Earth a while back, and it was amazing. I didn’t pay a dime, but I could travel through the sky and then focus in from space upon a certain address. I went and looked at my house from space, the church and a number of other places that I knew.
In today's world of inexpensive, high-tech spying devices, total privacy has become a rare and precious thing. A special agent for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation says, "Don't assume that you are alone, not ever." Cameras are used to monitor people in public places like banks and shopping malls. In addition, tiny wireless video cameras that sell for less than $100 are being used by ordinary people for less than honorable purposes.
In the name of safety, we have become so lax about our privacy. Anyone that has any talent with a computer is able to hack into even the most encrypted sites. We have grade school children so adept at finding information about others on the web. There is no such thing as privacy anymore. You can Google a name on the internet, and if they’ve applied for a job or something else, the web finds them.
It might seem odd, therefore, to hear someone like David celebrate a complete lack of privacy, until we realize that the One watching his every move was Almighty God. After stating that God knew each thought, word, and action before it happened, David said, "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it" (Psalm 139:6).
No place was beyond the presence, guidance, and protection of God. The deepest darkness became flooded with light because God was there. From the womb to the tomb, every day of David's life was known to his Creator. And the number of times God thought about him could not be counted.
I am so glad that there is someone like the Master watching over us. While I do not like my lack of privacy here on earth, I am so thankful that there is no such thing as a private moment without the Lord. He is with us at all times. We are completely known and never alone in our relationship with God. What a comfort! Remember this, he is not alone who is alone with Jesus.

“We don't hire ministers or priests to teach and care for us. This forces us to teach and care for each other - and in my view, this is the core of Christian living as Christ taught it.”
- Clayton Christensen

Doing the Right Thing

2009-06-10T09:18:00.002-05:00

Read Psalm 37:1-11

This story may be hard to believe due to the political cynicism of the day, but it is true. While James E. Rogan was a US Representative from a district in California, he was faced with a crucial decision. He had been elected by the slimmest of margins in an area that usually voted for the other party. An extremely important public issue with immense moral implications was being considered. If he followed his conscience, it would cost him re-election. If he followed political expediency, he could be certain of another term.
The congressman went with his convictions and voted for what he knew in his heart to be right. He was not re-elected. Afterward, he said, "It hurt to lose. But I'll never regret my vote . . . . It is easy for elected officials to succumb to the illusion that the greater good is served by their self-perpetuation in office. But something larger gets lost. . . . the ability to lead."
This story reminded me of a statement that I heard several years ago that said, “Faith will get you into as much trouble as it will get you out of.” This statement is true because sometimes what we believe stands in the face of the tide. You may get rejected, ridiculed and maybe even laughed at because of your faith. As followers of Christ, we are commanded to live by the principles of the Bible. At times, that will cost us popularity or perceived success. Truth may cost more than a lie; conviction more than convenience; honesty more than cheating. It may seem easier to lie, cheat and enjoy convenience, but it will all crumble anyway. If you stand for truth, convictions and honesty, you will enjoy great success.
For now, it looks as if the world is winning and Christians are losing. We need to remember that "those who wait on the Lord . . . shall inherit the earth". When we do what is right, we gain the Lord's approval. To lose is not always failure.

“Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.”
- Mark Twain

Worship In Your Own Way

2009-06-09T09:03:00.001-05:00

Read Ezra 3:8-13

My wife has accused me of being 20 years older than what I am when it comes to music. You see, I love the older stuff. I enjoy listening to the quartets and big band types of music. Needless to say, that music is not typically found in my generation. I cannot understand the new wave of music that constantly repeats itself, or when I was a youth pastor, it was the music that you could never understand. What I needed to learn is that everyone from different generations worship God in their own unique way.
This reminds me of something that happened in the 6th century BC when Zerubbabel began rebuilding the temple after the Israelites returned from captivity. As soon as the foundation for the new temple was laid, the bible says, "all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord". But then, while the younger generation rejoiced, the older generation cried.
Why the two reactions? The young crowd had never seen the glorious temple of Solomon, so they were happy with what they saw being built. The older people realized this temple wouldn't be anything like the one they remembered, so their praise was mixed with sorrow.
It is imperative that we try our best to understand another person’s perspective. My background makes me worship different than you because your background is different from mine. We may never worship in the same manner, but the important thing is that we worship. I cannot live for God the way an elder lives for God because I have never been in a tent service. They sometimes haven’t “caught up” with my generation. It really doesn’t matter as long as we are walking in the precepts that the Lord has laid down, the manner in which we live that life will be different.
Remember, we may be of one heart for God, but we may react in several ways. Generations do that sometimes. Let's thank God with a heart of praise—even though we may express it differently.

“Because of human diversity - different tastes, ambitions, interests, backgrounds, experiences, etc. - differences of opinion will be inevitable.”
- Natan Sharansky

Tents and Shells

2009-06-08T13:13:00.003-05:00

Read II Corinthians 5:1-10

I remember a dear saint of God when I was growing up by the name of Victoria Booker. In fact, several of you that are reading this may have known her, or at least have heard of her. She is one of my heroes of the faith. She goes beyond any average saint because for many years she was unable to even get out of bed. Her body was so racked with pain that she could only come to church when they would bring her hospital bed into the sanctuary. I was just a young boy when my dad would take me to “cheer her up”. What a stupid idea. What could you say to someone that would be so cheerful and smiling even in the midst of her pain? I remember a time when we stopped by to visit and my dad asked her, "How are you today?", and she blew my mind when she responded, "Just fine!"
As a young boy, I would think to myself that she was just crazy, if not totally insincere. I would ask myself, "How can you say you're fine when you're in so much pain?" Then it happened one day, she made a statement that went something like this, "How I feel has very little to do with how I am. You see, the part of me that hurts is just a shell, not the real me, and the real me is just fine!"
Sister Booker had a very clear understanding of what her body was even though it was so delicately wrapped in pain. She called it a shell, I believe. The apostle Paul called it a tent. And the "real me" that Sister Booker referred to, the apostle called the inward man (4:16).
Although Sister Bookers’ earthly tent was filled with pain and perishing, she realized that it was, after all, just a temporary housing for the inward man. One day she would exchange it for her permanent home awaiting her in heaven. That was her confidence. Today, she is with Him in glory, and after all the years of being bed-stricken, she is probably just running and leaping and dancing like no one else can.
How are you today? Is your tent drooping? Remember, if Christ is your Savior and Lord, a perfect body awaits you one day. But until then, no matter what's on the outside, on the inside we can say, "I'm just fine!" Our body is perishing, but our spirit can be flourishing.

“Nature is something outside our body, but the mind is within us.”
- Bhumibol Adulyadej

Square Watermelons???

2009-06-07T00:58:00.002-05:00

Read Romans 12:1-5

There was a time; I do not know if they still do this, that farmers in Zentsuji, Japan, were preparing full-grown watermelons for shipment—only these are no ordinary melons, they're square! They were placed in tempered-glass cubes while they were still growing. Why would anyone want a square watermelon? They're much easier to store in a refrigerator!
It's amazing to think of how a naturally spherical watermelon can become square because of the shape of the container in which it's grown. By the pressure of the glass the watermelon automatically adapted to its surroundings. Within the confines of the glass box, the watermelon changed not only its shape, but also the way that it naturally developed.
Unfortunately, some of us, if not all of us, have at some time dwelled within the confines of a pressurized glass box called the world. The forces in the world have a way of exerting their influence on us and attempt to shape us. That's why in Romans 12:2 we are told not to be "conformed to this world," but to be "transformed by the renewing of [our] mind." The idea is rather simple: We are to allow the transforming Word of God to work within us and produce outward results, instead of permitting external pressures to shape us. Also, notice that its work is done in the mind. I am not a strong proponent of “positive thinking” as far as if you think it, it will happen, but I do believe that if our minds are rightly conformed to the Word of God, we will be able to have peace in whatever circumstance life carries.
There are too many people that have just adapted to the pressures of the world. In doing so, they have allowed the elements to change who they really are. I know of people that were dynamic leaders that wouldn’t be able to lead someone out of a shoe box because the world has so distorted who they should have been. I see people everyday that have gotten so used to living in the pressure of the world that they no longer fit the design of their Creator. We were created in HIS image, and some of us have allowed worldly pressures to distort that great creation into something that is odd and distorted.
I believe that God is calling us back to meditation on His Word daily, it will influence our thoughts and help us grow to be more like Jesus Christ (II Corinthians 3:18). Then we will act in a manner that pleases Him and we will become the persons that we were originally developed to become. Pressures of the world will continue to try to shape our character, but they will not succeed if God's Word is changing us from within. If we are being transformed by the Word, we won't be conformed to the world.

“The reward for conformity is that everyone likes you but yourself.”
- Rita Mae Brown

Shutting the Door...

2009-06-06T22:17:00.002-05:00

Read Matthew 6:5-13

Several years ago, a man who was visiting the United States wanted to make a telephone call. He entered a phone booth but found it to be different from those in his own country. It was beginning to get dark, so he had difficulty finding the number in the directory. He saw a light in the ceiling but didn't know how to turn it on.
As the man tried again to find the number, a passerby noticed his plight and said, "Sir, if you want to turn the light on, you have to shut the door." To the visitor's amazement, when he closed the door, the booth was filled with light. He soon located the number and completed the call.
It is amazing how time seems to fly by without us being able to even catch our breath. I find that I arrive at work and the next thing I know it is time to go home, and then when I get home, it seems I blink for a moment and then am ready to return to work. In the midst of this life that is so busy, our schedules, errands, people, responsibilities and cares tend to darken our lives until we cannot seem to see where we are going.
We are like that man in the phone booth. We try and try to figure out where to go next, but it is just so hard to see because there doesn’t seem to be much light. However, in a similar way, when we draw aside to a quiet place to pray (Matthew 6:6); we have the opportunity to "shut the door" and block out our busy world. It is at that time, when we shut the door that the light of His Word can become that light unto our path. As we open our hearts to the Father, we receive the light of His wisdom. Our Lord often went to be alone with His heavenly Father for strength and guidance. Sometimes it was after a busy day of preaching and healing (Luke 5:12-16). At other times, it was before making a major decision (Luke 6:12-13).
We must remember that to "turn the light on," we must first "shut the door" by getting alone with God. Then, when we have shut the door, we can be confident that the Lord will light the path. One secret of effective prayer is prayer in secret.

“Prayer is commission. Out of the quietness with God, power is generated that turns the spiritual machinery of the world. When you pray, you begin to feel the sense of being sent, that the divine compulsion is upon you.”
- E. Stanley Jones

At The Cross

2009-06-05T15:31:00.003-05:00

Read John 19:16-19, I Peter 5:4

I can only imagine what heaven will be like. I’ve never seen walls of jasper, gates of pearl or streets of purest gold. I do not know exactly what heaven will be like, but I do know that I want to be there. I can picture my loved ones and I also get a glimpse of Him, but I really do not comprehend exactly what it will be like.
Heaven is something that we like to talk about, but the only way that we will find heaven is to first locate the cross. The cross is the first place that you and I have the opportunity to receive access into heaven. Without finding the cross, we cannot hope for heaven. No one knows exactly where the cross of Christ was located. We have many guesses and ideas, but I believe that God has allowed it to be hidden in uncertainty so that we will not treat that place as an idol. His cross is wherever you are at the moment that you respond to Him.
The reason that the cross is so important is that it is the place of crucifixion. I Peter 2:24 allows us to see that the price of our sins hung on that tree. Christ was crucified to remove the death sentence that was hanging over our heads. Galatians 3:13 also lets us see that it was at the cross that Christ became the curse for us. He became the curse so that the promises to Abraham would be available to the Gentiles. The cross is a place of separation. Sin separated us from divine communion. The cross reversed this by ushering in a new divine communion that separated us from sin. The cross separated the sinner from his sin, and it also separated the repentant sinner from the unrepentant sinner. Have you ever looked at it that way, that the only difference between you and an unrepentant sinner is the cross?
Finally, it is at the cross that the cares of life can be laid to rest. Jesus invited all the weary to Him and He would give the rest. The cross, according to Hebrews 4:16, allows us access to His presence where that rest may be found. Peter encouraged us with these hopeful words in I Peter 5:7, “casting all your cares upon Him, for he careth for you.” It is at the cross that we gain the opportunity to cast cares at His feet knowing that they are falling into the nail pierced hands that care for us. Today, remember this, I have held many things in my hands and have dropped them all, but everything that I have placed in His hand, I still possess.

“God, to redeem us at the deepest portion of our nature - the urge to love and be loved - must reveal His nature in an incredible and impossible way. He must reveal it at a cross.”
- E. Stanley Jones

Accused of Being a Christian...

2009-06-04T16:33:00.002-05:00

Read I Corinthians 6:9-11

The stage is set. You tremble in your seat. You have become the defendant in the most anticipated trial in history. Newspapers are there, TV Cameras are shining and the crowds are innumerable. Your lawyer leads you through the mass of onlookers, trying to shield you from the taunts. As you enter the courtroom, you feel the finality of it all.
After a short wait that feels like eternity, the bailiff, in an obnoxiously loud voice, says, “All rise, court is in session.”
One last glance at your family sitting behind you, and one more look at the lawyers before you hear the judge that holds your future in his hands ask, “Do you know what you are charged with today?”
Upon your acknowledgement, the judge reads for the record, “The defendant, ___________________, is hereby charged with being a Christian.”
The plaintiff begins his barrage of charges stating that there is no way that you are a Christian. He lists things like the time you lied to your parents about stealing the cookies. Then there was the time that you called your sister a bad name. How about the time that you stole that car? Wasn’t it you that gossiped about Sally to Jimmy? I do believe there is record here of your being full of hate, wrath and envy. You have been testified against that you were uncaring and oftentimes even violent.
The plaintiff takes a step back to gather his thoughts and take a drink of water before he unleashes again.
He begins again. You were found at the scene of a murder. This was not any ordinary murder. This was a murder of the reputation. You willfully destroyed someone’s reputation by the comments that you made. You were found guilty of adultery, drunkenness and drugs. You were found with the mire of relationships gone bad. As a matter of fact, I find nothing in your record that would illustrate any aspect that you are a Christian.
Now it is your attorney’s opportunity to respond to the charges against you. You feel the sweat dripping down your spine, and your palms have become clammy even though it is very warm in the room. As your lawyer rises, the question becomes, “Will he have enough evidence to prove that you are indeed, a Christian?”

“It would assuredly make a difference if Christians, in their approach one to another, realized that, in spite of appearances, they were in fact one.”
- Roland Allen

The Responsibility of Joy

2009-06-03T16:34:00.002-05:00

Read Romans 8

Your alarm didn’t go off, or you didn’t hear it. The toaster burnt the toast. The dresser moved in the night so that you would stub your toe. Someone broke into your garage and only turned your car lights on so the battery was dead. You were late for work because of the traffic, or was it because you ran through the coffee shop? Sound familiar? We’ve all had days like these.
Some have had much worse. No pillow to lay there head to rest the night before. They awoke to a gnawing in their stomach with no hope because their cupboards are bare. The child curled up in the corner of the bedroom afraid to come out because of an abusive parent.
Most of us don't choose a difficult life--it chooses us. We can, however, choose our response to it. As someone once said, "Pain is inevitable but misery is optional." Yet, when difficulties arise, misery often seems to be the only option.
Author Lloyd Ogilvie tells of a Christian friend who was physically and emotionally depleted because of extreme pressures. A depressed mood engulfed him. When Ogilvie asked him how he was doing, he said grimly, "Well, joy's certainly no option!" Ogilvie replied, "You're right! Joy is no option. It's your responsibility."
Shocked, the friend retorted, "You talk about joy as if it were a duty." Ogilvie responded, "Right again!" He explained that we have a duty to God, ourselves, and others to overcome our moods and to battle through to joy.
In Romans 5, Paul gave these reasons for joy: We have peace with God through Christ, access into grace, and hope of future glory. We have assurance that tribulation produces perseverance, which in turn builds character and leads to hope. We have hope that doesn't disappoint, because God's love has been poured into our hearts.
He also wrote in Philippians 4:8 to think on the things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of a good report, virtue and praise. It is promised in that passage that if you will do this, the God of peace shall be with you (verse 9).
Remember, for the Christian, joy is a not a choice, it is a responsibility.

“The real end of prayer is not so much to get this or that single desire granted, as to put human life into full and joyful conformity with the will of God.”
- Charles Bent

Change

2009-06-02T07:44:00.002-05:00

Read Luke 6:37-42

I have a problem that I have battled my entire life – my weight. Even when I played hockey, I was never the smallest guy around. I don’t know if it was in my genes, or because I didn’t exercise enough (I always have favored reading a book over manual labor!!). All I know is that it is a battle to change.
I read a quote from King Whitney, Jr. that said, “Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better.”
It’s a full-time job trying to get people to change. What a perfect world it would be—if only other people would do what we want! There was a plaque that read, “Change the World—Begin With Yourself!” Not what most of us want to hear!
Jesus told a parable about the problem of not seeing our own faults. He said, “How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye” (Luke 6:42).
Being able to see other people’s faults easily without ever noticing my own is not just an indication of hypocrisy. It can be a wake-up call that the problem in a struggling relationship may be me. Perhaps it’s my attitude that needs to change, or I’m the one who needs to apologize. Maybe I’m the person who needs a humble spirit.
It’s a lesson some of us have to learn over and over. We can’t change others, but with God’s help we can change our own behavior. And when our attitude changes, it may seem as if others have changed as well. The best thing about a change in us is that when God works a change in us He can change others through us.
Ready for a change?

“Change before you have to.”
- Jack Welch

Grant Us Wisdom, O, Lord

2009-06-01T10:54:00.002-05:00

Read James 1:5

I love to read. In fact, I usually have about three different books going at one time. I also love cross-word puzzles because it helps me exercise my brain. I love obtaining knowledge. Games like Scrabble, Trivia Pursuit and other games that have to do with facts and knowledge are my forte. My uncle used to be amazed because I could rattle off all of the statistics of any Minnesota sports team. I could do that because I spent time absorbing knowledge about those statistics. One of my favorite pages in the paper is the sports statistics page.
I read this account of someone that walks the same road for knowledge as I do. Brewster Kahle has a vision for the Internet. He dreams of universal access to all human knowledge. As Digital Librarian and Director and co-founder of Internet Archive, Kahle believes we have only begun to tap the vast potential of the Internet to change and improve our world. “My interest,” he says, “is to build the great library. . . . It is now technically possible to live up to the dream of the Library of Alexandria.” He’s referring to a huge vault of writings in ancient Egypt that was said to house all of the world’s knowledge.
But knowledge is not the same as wisdom. I have known people that were brilliant in a classroom setting, but they couldn’t find their way out of a parking lot if their life depended on it. There was a guy in college that would literally sleep through almost all of his classes and still get straight A’s because he had no problem with absorbing and reciting knowledge. However, he did not have the common sense to throw the previous week’s pizza away, but rather, let it fester in his dorm room. There are many a times we went looking for that dead animal stench.
King Solomon was a man of vast knowledge. In his better moments, he used his God-given capacity to collect information and insight from every corner of life. In unguarded moments, however, he showed that all the knowledge in the world does not keep a person from missing the purpose of life. In spite of his knowledge, Solomon married many women, and when he was old he built altars to their gods. His foolishness eventually led to his downfall.
Wisdom is the application of knowledge. Don’t get caught in a web of knowledge without true wisdom that comes from the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10). I would rather have the fear of the Lord that begins my road to wisdom than all the data that knowledge can carry. Yes, we need knowledge, but more than ever, we need wisdom to handle that knowledge properly. Remember James told us to ask God for wisdom, not knowledge, and when asked, the Lord will give liberally.

“In seeking wisdom thou art wise; in imagining that thou hast attained it - thou art a fool.”
- Lord Chesterfield

Good, Evil, Relative??

2009-05-31T22:18:00.003-05:00

Read John 14:1-31

I realize that I wrote a devotion a few days ago about a similar topic, but it is such a tragic subject that I feel it applies again today. The topic is simply relativism. Today’s devotion comes from the hope of the following statement. “In the huge mass of evil as it rolls and swells, there is ever some good working toward deliverance and triumph.” – Thomas Carlyle
You can see it in every book, newspaper, magazine and television. You can hear it in every conversation, interview, radio station and documentary. What is it? It is the ancient and contentious battle of good and evil. From Hollywood to Washington D.C., people are constantly discussing, oftentimes without realizing it, good and evil.
However, in our day of shadows, relativism and compromise, what is evil? What is good? Evil predates human sin as goodness predates human existence. Both lived before the creation and fall of mankind. Before humanity could offer their definitions, good and evil simply were. “What is good” existed in submission to God. “What is evil” existed in rebellion to God. The first reflected God’s character. The later incurred God’s wrath.
Today, very few people agree on what is absolutely evil and absolutely good. We live in a world of relativity, that is, the truth of good and evil depends entirely upon the circumstance in which one finds them. Yet, in a world of ever-expanding shades of gray, we can lose confidence in our ability to distinguish where light ends and darkness begins.
God, however, still sees clearly. His faithful Spirit will navigate us through the troubled waters of culture. He promises to guide us into all Truth. When John wrote the fourteenth chapter of his gospel, he realized that trouble would constantly be in the world, and yet, God offered the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost to watch over us. In the place of decision, we must first look to God’s Word: what does scripture say about this decision specifically or in principle? It may be helpful to also ask ourselves a simple question: Can I picture God smiling over this choice? Can I experience God’s pleasure in this decision/attitude/ relationship/action?
There is still such a thing as “black and white, right and wrong, good and evil”. It is for this reason that we must, in the midst of our dark shadows of doubt, know the voice of God. He will whisper in the time of storm and you will know which path leads to good and which path leads to evil. God’s peace will follow us in this shadowy world as we follow the faithful voice of God through His Word and His Spirit. The battle of good and evil will continue, but our Commander knows without hesitation the Way that leads to Life.

“For the Christian, heaven is where Jesus is. We do not need to speculate on what heaven will be like. It is enough to know that we will be for ever with Him.”
- William Barclay

Why Worry???

2009-05-30T20:49:00.003-05:00

Read Philippians 4:6-7

Worry is, basically, a stress on the body. So when talking about worry, we are talking about stress. Worry causes the heart rate to go up and the arteries to constrict, which has the effect of increasing the blood pressure. Increased blood pressure increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Worry can also cause the levels of cholesterol to increase, which increases the risk of arteriosclerosis. Worry increases the blood’s clotting ability, thereby increasing the risk of blood clots. Worry also increases sugar levels in the blood and, long term, can lead to Type 2 diabetes or adult-onset diabetes. Worry weakens the body’s immune system, which makes the body more susceptible to disease. Worry also increases the activity of the nervous system, which can lead to increased muscle tension, muscle tension headaches, migraine headaches, ulcers and skin rash. Short-term worry is not very harmful if it doesn’t happen very often, but long-term worry can really take a toll on the body over the years. I know this sounds uplifting for a devotional, but just wait, it will get better.
This is what can happen to a person psychologically who is stressed out and worries excessively. Everybody experiences some degree of anxiety in response to life’s frustrations, annoyances, and challenges. It is not unusual for us to worry at times about our family, health, job, or other personal issues. However, worrying can become a problem if it develops into a habit; when we find ourselves spending most of our time speculating on what bad things might happen in our life. Some warning signs include: feeling anxious most of the time, having trouble pinpointing why you are feeling anxious, avoiding situations that may be the source of your anxious feelings, and losing interest in activities you once enjoyed. Excessive worrying can lead to the development of an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are one of the most commonly reported psychological problems, effecting around 12% of Americans. Around 30% of patients seeking help from physicians are experiencing anxiety-related problems. All anxiety disorders involve physiological symptoms such as heart pounding, chest tightness, dizziness, and insomnia. Worry is simply the interest you pay on borrowed trouble.
In her down-to-earth book “More Than Sparrows”, Mary Welch tells of her discussion about worry with a group of teenagers. Although they were Christians, they were as worried as unbelievers about the common things of life. As she lovingly listened to them, an unusual idea came to her for a game they could play. It went like this:
Instead of saying, “I’m worried,” stop and say, “The Lord is my Shepherd.” Then add, “So I’m worried to death!” The students laughed at the absurdity of the idea, but they all promised to play this new “peace-of-mind” game.
Later, Mary received a phone call from a young woman who had been paralyzed by worry over an exam she had been dreading to take. She said, “I must tell you how the game helped me trust God today. As I froze with worry, I remembered to say, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd . . . so I’m afraid I’ll fail!’ Suddenly I felt the strangest peace of mind. I laughed at myself, then I took the exam—and I passed!”
Saying “The Lord is my Shepherd, and I am worried to death” is more than a mind game to point out the absurdity of worry. God can use this contradiction to bring us to a fuller trust in Him. In the midst of worry, we can realize how absurd it is to do so because the loving Creator of the universe has everything in control.

“While we are focusing on fear, worry, or hate, it is not possible for us to be experiencing happiness, enthusiasm or love.”
- Bo Bennett

Dream and Soar

2009-05-29T13:11:00.002-05:00

Read Psalm 16:8

One day we took our son to the park to play on the swings. He loved everything about the park. He would climb all over the jumbo gym set with the ladders and the slides. It seemed that he really enjoyed everything. However, the trip would not have been complete if he had not been able to soar through the air upon the swing that Dad and Mom pushed.
Swing sets have come a long way since I was a kid. I remember the one that we had in our backyard. It was one of those hollow steel sets that when you got to a certain height in swinging the legs would come out of the ground and you thought your life was surely coming to an end every time you experienced the thump of the legs hitting the earth once again. Today, swing sets are riveted to the ground so that tiny human armies are unable to move them. The swings, for just a moment let you defy the laws of gravity, and for a brief second you are able to fly.
Dreams do much the same thing. As we dream, we press past the confines of what is and what has been. As our minds dare to see the unseen, our imagination fuels our faith and we begin to trust God for something more. Many people gave up dreaming years ago because the process became too dangerous. Just when they would let themselves get a little air under them, the legs of the dream would seem to come out of the ground and strike terror into their hearts. However, God is not like the old, hollow steel swing sets that move when you get too high. God is immovable and if we allow ourselves to get connected to Him, we are safe to dream and soar once again.
How long has it been since you dreamed? When was the last time you jumped into the swing set of life and allowed the soaring Spirit of God to push beyond your wildest imaginations?

“I have learned, that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”
- Henry David Thoreau

In the Arms of God!!

2009-05-28T12:57:00.002-05:00

Read Matthew 19:13-14

I do not enjoy roller coasters. I do not enjoy heights. I breathe heavy driving over real long bridges like the one over the bay on the east coast to get to an airport. Flying was a learned enjoyment. In my mind I treat turbulence as if they were pot holes. So to talk to some people that enjoy jumping out of airplanes, I have come to the conclusion that their elevator does not quite reach the top.
On August 27, 1960, US Air Force Captain Joseph Kittinger Jr. sat in a gondola suspended from a high-altitude balloon. When the balloon reached 102,800 feet above the surface of Earth (more than 19 miles), Kittinger jumped out. Four minutes and 36 seconds later his main parachute opened at 18,000 feet, but not before he had attained a velocity of 614 miles per hour! Kittinger carefully planned his record-setting descent.
This man was crazy!! Why would any sane man partake in these activities? I do not know about you, but my feet will stay planted on firm ground.
In our walk with God, and life in general, we’re more likely to find that life is filled with unexpected free falls. These are not conscious acts of leaping into the wide unknown, but the loss of a loved one, a broken relationship, or a terminated job can make us feel as if we’re dropping into the unknown. Think of all the times when you met with someone and they seemed to punch you in the gut. How about the uncertainty of being let go from a job? Thankfully, for believers, there is a spiritual “parachute”—the loving arms of God.
It is wonderful to know, and understand that “He’s got the whole world in His hands” because there are too many times it seems I am free falling to my destruction. Thousands of years ago, Moses wrote these words to the Israelites just before he died: “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms”(Deut. 33:27). The words “everlasting arms” refer to the protection and preservation of God’s people. Despite the stressful circumstances they would surely face, they could rest in the assurance of God’s watchful care.
I do not know where you stand in life today. You may be standing strong, planted in the things of God and life. You may be just getting ready to take off into heights unknown or standing on the edge of the plane door, just about to fall out. Maybe you’re that person that is already out the door and you are free falling to you seeming destruction. Let me share this with you today, “With God behind you and His arms beneath you, you can face whatever lies ahead of you.”

“God's voice is still and quiet and easily buried under an avalanche of clamour. He wants you all to Himself to put His loving, divine arms around you.”
- Charles Stanley

Words

2009-05-27T13:02:00.003-05:00

Read Psalm 126

When I was growing up, my mother loved to talk on the phone. I remember that she would receive a phone call and sit down on the top step leading down to my bedroom and talk for what seemed like hours. Whether it was one of her sisters or a friend, she was not going to hang up until every word in the English language was uttered.
Communications experts tell us that the average person, let alone those that like to talk, speaks enough to fill 20 single-spaced, typewritten pages every day. This means our mouths crank out enough words to fill 2 books of 300 pages each month, 24 books each year, and 1,200 books in 50 years of speaking. Thanks to phones, voicemail, and face-to-face conversations, words comprise a large part of our lives. So the kinds of words we use are important.
The psalmist’s mouth was filled with praise when he wrote Psalm 126. The Lord had done great things for him and his people. Even the nations around them noticed. Remembering God’s blessings, he said, “Our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing” (v.2).
I wonder sometimes what our response would be if we were directed to write the third verse of this Psalm? Would it go something like this? “The Lord has done great things for me, and I— . . . can’t recall any of them right now.” Or how about, “The Lord has done great things for me and I - …am wondering what He’ll do next for me? Or, “The Lord has done great things for me – …but, O, I need so much more.”
Can you be content with everything the Lord has given to you? Are you the kind of person that can say they have received of the Lord, and then just be willing to thank Him for it, or do you look around the next bend for the next thing that He may provide?
Jesus Christ has already done so much for me that if He doesn’t do another thing, my heart says that I must trust Him. What He has brought me through and out of, the family I am so blessed with (not only natural family, but friends and spiritual family, too), health and strength to play catch with my boys should be enough for me to be content for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, I am human and I know I will be peeking around the corner to see what He has for me next. He understands that mindset. Just like my sons have things provided and given and dare I say it, maybe a little spoiled, it does my heart good when I am able to give them something new and they get all hyper because it came from daddy. That is how I believe God is. He wants us to be content, but there is that joy that wells up in Him when he gives good gifts to His kids.

“Short words are best and the old words when short are best of all.”
- Winston Churchill

It's All relative

2009-05-26T12:04:00.003-05:00

Read Matthew 24:25

We live in a society of relativism. Whatever situation arises in life, people tend to view their circumstance through eyes of self. If it feels good, it must be good. What is good for you may not be good for me, and what may be good for me may not be good for you. This mindset has crept into every fabric of our lives. Schools are afraid to fail someone because they are afraid of offending the student, whether the student is right or not, he/she is just expressing their creativity.
There are no absolutes in society anymore. It used to be that right and wrong in our society crossed racial, gender, financial and religious boundaries. I know of friends that I grew up with that stood for right and wrong even though they never darkened the doors of a church house. Somewhere, everything in America shifted from absolutes to relativism. I believe this is a tool that the adversary unleashed in society, especially in the education system, and he dressed it up in a nice term called political correctness. Political correctness is simply the concept of acting, speaking or even thinking that everyone has a viewpoint that is right in their mind, and no one can even question whether it is an absolute right or wrong.
People who reject absolute standards of right and wrong are often inconsistent. When they think they are being treated unfairly, they appeal to a standard of justice that they expect everyone to adhere to.
A philosophy professor began each new term by asking his class, “Do you believe it can be shown that there are absolute values like justice?” The free-thinking students all argued that everything is relative and no single law can be applied universally. Before the end of the semester, the professor devoted one class period to debate the issue. At the end, he concluded, “Regardless of what you think, I want you to know that absolute values can be demonstrated. And if you don’t accept what I say, I’ll flunk you!” One angry student got up and insisted, “That’s not fair!” “You’ve just proved my point,” replied the professor. “You’ve appealed to a higher standard of fairness.”
It is God who has given everyone a conscience to tell right from wrong (Rom. 2:14-15), and His moral standards are written in the Bible. Every time we use the words good and bad, we imply a standard by which we make such judgments. Biblical values are true for any age, because they originate with an eternal, unchanging God.
So remember, in the midst of a society that leans toward relativism and no boundaries, only God has the right to define what’s wrong.

“The idea of cultural relativism is nothing but an excuse to violate human rights.”
- Shirin Ebadi

Heroes...

2009-05-25T22:19:00.002-05:00

Read Acts 22:24-30

“Brave men are all vertebrates; they have their softness on the surface and their toughness in the middle.” - Gilbert Keith Chesterton

HEROES UNAWARE
By Mark A. Wright, HMC (SS)

I first saw him on a park bench
I’ve seen him every day
Sitting in a shady grove
Where my children come to play
Sometimes he feeds the birds and squirrels
Or whittles little toys
Sometimes he just sits and smiles
At the laughing girls and boys
And I never paid him any mind
‘Till one day just this year
I noticed that he wore a frown
And on his cheek ... a tear.
Well I asked him why he seemed so down
He looked up, began to say
I lost half my friends 60 years ago today
He told me of the terror
As he fought to reach dry land
By the time the beachhead was secure
Half his friends lay in the sand
That was just in one long day
He fought on for 4 years more
And the 60 years from then to now
Have not dimmed His sights of war
He said they have reunions
Just to keep in touch and share
And for each comrade who has gone on
They leave an empty chair
Well, His park bench has been empty now
About 6 months or so
And if I’d never took the time
Then I never would’ve known
That sitting on that simple bench
With bread crumbs and little toys
Was a man who gave his all
To guarantee my daily joys
So give thanks to all the men and women
Who’re still here or have gone before
And made the highest sacrifice
In both Peace time and in War
Because they bought our freedom
Paid their own blood, sweat, and tears
Then endured the heartache of those empty chairs
For all these years
So please do not ignore them
Or speed by without a care
‘Cause you never know
When you might pass by
A hero, unaware.

There is something about seeing a man or woman in military uniform. It signifies liberty. It shouts freedom. It screams sacrifice. It roars democracy. And it whispers weeping. As Jesus wept over Jerusalem, at times my heart aches for America. Memorial Day is more than just church picnics and family gatherings. Memorial Day draws memories and thoughts to those that have purchased our freedom. Personally, I have never been called upon to lay my life down for my country, but I know several that did.
The poem that is referenced above is drawn from a picture of a young man sitting with his grandfather who was a WWI veteran. His grandfather was not well known by the elites in Washington or academia throughout campuses across the country, but he was a hero to all. Whether one is known or unknown, if he lived a life for all people, he is well known. At the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, we see all those men and women that have died to purchase our freedom. It is with heart-felt sincerity that I say, “Thank you.” From the northeast point of Maine to the Pacific Islands of Hawaii, from the keys of Florida to the ice of Alaska, this young man understands what a veteran really is; my hero. How about you?

Lead Me Lord, I'll Follow

2009-05-24T07:32:00.002-05:00

Read I Peter 5:7

Help me God, to have the strength
To face each day ahead
Help me not to be afraid
To go on paths where led.
Help me God, to know thy will
Of directions I must take
And pray the path I choose
Will not be a mistake
Help me to have patience
To wait for things I’ve asked
Help me just to make it through
Each day and through each task.
Help me not to be depressed
For you have blessed me so much
Help me not to feel alone
But to know my life you touch.
Make me to look to thee for strength
And know that you are there
Give me stronger faith in thee
Help me know you care.
Help me not to forget thee
Remind me I am thine
For without thee I am null
And need thee all the time.
Take away me gloom dear Lord
Give me peace of mind
Send your precious mercies
That happiness I will find.
Lift me spirits up O God
Depression take away
Melancholy gets me down
Please brighten up my day.
Take away the things I fear
Replace them with thy love
For I need thee everyday
And thy strength from up above.

May you look to the Lord this fine day!

Sharing Jesus

2009-05-23T12:34:00.003-05:00

Read Matthew 28:16-20

As I was reading one day, I came across this story. I thought maybe you would like it. It is only a humorous story, yet it makes a serious point. Brother John was a timid man who dreaded speaking in public. He was terrified on the day it was his turn to give a devotional message. With his knees trembling, he faced his listeners and said, “Do you know what I’m going to say this morning?”
“No,” answered the audience.
He then said, “Neither do I,” and he ran from the room.
The next day he was told to try again. He said, “Do you know what I’m going to say?” This time they replied, “Yes.” So he said, “Then you don’t need me to tell you.” Again, he fled.
He tried a third morning, saying, “Do you know what I’m going to say?” Half his hearers shouted, “Yes!” and half shouted, “No!” “Ah,” said Brother John, “then let those who know tell those who do not know,” and again he fled.
At first, his hearers sat in silence. Then the words hit home: “Let those who know tell those who don’t know.” It is the responsibility of those that know Christ to introduce others to our Savior. Paul stated in Philippians 3:10, “That I may know him…” It was Paul’s desire to know Jesus Christ in all that Christ is, but then Paul desired to introduce Him to every pauper and president.
There is as much power in silence as there is in speaking up. The difference is the results that power causes. Our silence can cause thousands NOT to hear about Jesus and our voices can influence thousands for Him. Which would you rather be? For three years, Jesus’ disciples absorbed His teaching and observed His mighty works. They had come to know Him as the way, the truth, and the life. He was God in the flesh, the One who is “eternal life” (1 John 1:2). In the years to come, He so impacted their life that they devoted their lives to telling others about Christ. How has He impacted you and yours? Today, let those who know tell those who don’t.

"Remember the sufferings of Christ, the storms that were weathered... the crown that came from those sufferings which gave new radiance to the faith... All saints give testimony to the truth that without real effort, no one ever wins the crown.”
- Thomas Becket

Dressed to Impress

2009-05-22T16:08:00.003-05:00

Read I Thessalonians 5:8, Ephesians 6:11-18

Tanya stared into her closet deciding what to wear to her job interview. Finally, she chose a gray pinstriped suit. She ironed the matching blouse and put it on. One last glance in the mirror showed her reflection. She was ready!
Dressing appropriately for an occasion is important. It oftentimes dictates your level of emotion for a particular event. I have often prescribed to the notion that when I go to church, I must dress in my best because the Lord is looking. You most likely would not find too many athletes wearing designer suits within the boundaries of the playing field.
Dress is very important if you desire an impression to be made. Yet, sometimes we spend time and money on outward appearances without donning the most important clothing of all. Faith, love, hope, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience are what God gives us to wear. His pattern is always a perfect fit. Department stores do not carry this very special designer brand. You cannot purchase these items out of a catalog. In fact, there is only one place where this designer brand may be found: in Him.
God, the Master Designer, dresses our spirits with these gifts at our baptism, when He clothes us in Christ. The Bible states that we have put on, or clothed ourselves, in Christ. In baptism, we are cleansed from sin and when we are filled with the Holy Ghost, speaking in an unknown language, we are given the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We not only receive new clothing, but we also receive new lives! God makes us His own. Though the price tag for these new clothes was high, we will never receive a bill. Jesus gave His life for us on a cross. Clothed in Him, we are appropriately dressed for any circumstance, assured of forgiveness and eternal life. The nice thing about these clothes is that they never wear out, go out of style or fail to impress. In fact, when people see you go through some of the circumstances that come our way in life, it is the way you are dressed that impresses them the most. Testimony after testimony throughout the years has borne witness that people saw someone go through something horrific clothed in the right attitude, thankful in all things and representing their Master well. How are you dressed today?

“Dress has a moral effect upon the conduct of mankind. Let any gentlemen find himself with dirty boots, old suit, soiled neck cloth and a general negligence of dress, and he will in all probability find a corresponding disposition be negligence of address.”
-John Shute

Be Content and Then Happiness Arrives

2009-05-21T12:43:00.002-05:00

Read Proverbs 3:5-6

Happiness is fleeting. Just think how hard it is to be happy. The great Thomas Jefferson even had it right; we are only guaranteed the pursuit of happiness. Happiness is the emotional expression of contentment. This is why so many people suffer from the lack of happiness; they cannot be content. Contentment is that foundation that trusts completely in Jesus Christ. Contentment can be present in the best of circumstances, but it can also appear in the seemingly worst of circumstances.
Proverbs 16:20 tells us, “Whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.” And Psalm 146:5 indicates that happiness comes to those who find their help and hope in God. The foundation for happiness is a proper relationship with the Lord. When our relationship with Him is right, then it doesn’t matter what is going on in our lives, we are content because we recognize that we are in His hand. However, to fully experience that happiness, we must build on that foundation in practical ways. I found this list of Ten Rules for Happier Living:
Give something away.
Do a kindness.
Give thanks always.
Work with vim and vigor.
Visit the elderly and learn from their experience.
Look intently into the face of a baby and marvel.
Laugh often—its life’s lubricant.
Pray to know God’s way.
Plan as though you will live forever—you will.
Live as though today is your last day on earth.

While I cannot promise you great riches on earth, I can promise that if you’ll begin to do these things in your life, great contentment will enter your heart and home, and the will be followed by true happiness. True happiness is found when you are content in Him.

“True contentment is a thing as active as agriculture. It is the power of getting out of any situation all that there is in it. It is arduous and it is rare.”
- Gilbert K. Chesterton

Where's Your Thinking?

2009-05-20T14:56:00.002-05:00

Read Colossians 3

A general stood before his troops just before the battle was to take place, seeking to stir his cavalry to fight well in the imminent battle against the enemy. Addressing his troops, he challenges them to give their very best. He makes this profound statement: “What we do in life echoes in eternity.” These words from a fictional military leader convey a powerful concept that is of particular significance to believers in Christ. Our General is standing before us urging us on to activate our life in a way that will have a positive affect on eternity. We are not accidents. We are not inanimate objects. We are not just taking up time and space on a rock that’s floating in the universe. We are here with the opportunity to make an eternal difference with our lives.
Jesus said, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matt. 6:20). Where we place our desires, agendas, dreams and goals will dictate how we translate our life into eternity. Too many people live their lives with a nihilistic, hopeless attitude that makes the statement, “I’m not really cut out for this.” Or, “You may want to find someone else to make a difference because what I have to offer will never change anyone’s life.” Having the perspective of living for eternity can make all the difference in this world.
Colossians lets us know how to have the proper perspective on life. If we have all of our focus on things above, or on His things, everything else will fall into place. How can we learn to set our minds “on things above”? A good way to begin is to discover what our eternal God values. Throughout the pages of the Bible, He reminds us that He values people above possessions and our character above our performance. Those are the truths that last forever. Embracing them can bring an eternal perspective to our daily living.
Take a moment to look into the mirror of your life and begin to see all of those things that God has allowed you to experience, both good and bad, and begin to see how your responses activated eternity. Did your first step toward God usher your family into a relationship with Him? Did your loving parental actions lead your children to be strong, independent leaders? How about the fingerprints you’ve placed on the body of Christ? Everything we do in the moment echoes into eternity.

“The awful importance of this life is that it determines eternity.”
- William Barclay

Be Happy!

2009-05-19T17:38:00.002-05:00

Read Proverbs 16:31

I was privileged to sit down with two dear saints, and I was in awe by the stories they told. They shared some of the testimony that God has allowed them to partake in, and they shared with me about the “brush arbor” services that they remember attending. Something struck a cord in my spirit, however, when one elder who may have had thoughts about death said, “I asked the Lord today for just a few more souls.” She went on to receive phone call after phone call and visit after visit talking to those that the Lord sent her way that day. If I could be half that courageous when I “grow up”, I would be honored.
I read a story where Tamer Lee Owens had celebrated her 104th birthday, and she credited “laughter, the Lord, and the little things” for keeping her going. Even in her late years, she found enjoyment each day in talking with people, taking a walk, and reading the Bible as she has done since childhood. “I don’t know how long He’ll let me stay here,” she said. “I just thank the Lord for what He’s given me already.” Most of us won’t live 104 years, but we can learn from Tamer Lee how to enjoy each day that we are given.
Laughter—“A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken” (Prov. 15:13). True happiness begins deep inside and emerges on our faces.
The Lord—“The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility” (v.33). When God is central in our hearts, He can teach us His way through every experience of life.
The Little Things—“Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a fatted calf with hatred” (v.17). Maintaining loving relationships and enjoying the basic things of life are more important than wealth and success.
Not all of us will live a long time, but we can all live well each day—with laughter, the Lord, and the little things in life. Remember, happiness is not a destination, but a day-to-day journey.

“Always keep your smile. That's how I explain my long life.”
- Jeanne Calment

Patience!!!

2009-05-18T11:11:00.002-05:00

Read I Corinthians 13

Our flight from Orlando to Milwaukee was delayed because of mechanical problems. The 15-minute delay turned into 30 minutes, and then 60. We were supposed to catch a connecting flight home from Milwaukee and we were getting a little concerned about making that flight. Then we landed in Milwaukee to find out that our connecting flight was delayed three hours. We had to try and make ourselves comfortable in the waiting area and 9 p.m. waiting for what turned out to be a red-eye flight to Kansas City. Another time we thought we would save ourselves the six hour drive to St. Paul for Christmas by flying. When we arrived at the airport we found that our flight had been changed and would have to go through Midway in Chicago first. We thought that would be alright because we would still save some time until we arrived in Midway and were delayed there. What would have taken us six hours to drive, took us 14 hours to fly. It was during occasions like this that I would say to myself, “Patience will be a much-needed virtue tonight.”
Life can be frustrating, even exasperating. Yet, many times impatience is just a reflection of our own self-centeredness in response to life’s disappointments. Have you ever thought about it that way? Or think about it this way. How often have you put off doing something for God (delayed His arrival time) because you just got too busy? How do you think God responded? I suggest that His response is filled with longsuffering and patience.
Real love is pictured in the Bible as self-sacrifice (John 15:13), and one demonstration of that love is patience toward others. “Love suffers long and is kind; love . . . does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked” (1 Cor. 13:4-5). It sets aside our personal agenda and seeks to model Christ. When I was stuck in the airport, honestly, I wasn’t feeling very loving. However, every time I put the Lord off, He just waits in His kindness, and tenderly pulls me back to Him.
Sound impossible? It is, if we attempt it in our own strength. But as we pray for help, God provides us with patience that reflects His love—even during frustrating circumstances. When things get hectic and you want to throw it all up in the air remember this; when tempted to lose patience with others, remember God’s patience with you.

“Patience and perseverance have a magical affect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.”
- John Quincy Adams

To Be Used of God

2009-05-17T07:33:00.002-05:00

Read I Peter 2:9

This poem is for all those that seem like they do not have something to offer to the Kingdom of God.
I have no voice for singing;
I cannot make a speech;
I have no gift for music;
I know I cannot teach.
I am no good at leading;
I cannot organize;
And anything that I write;
Would never win a prize.
But at roll call in the meetings;
I always answer, “Here”.
When others are performing;
I lend a listening ear.
After the program is over;
I praise it’s every part,
My words are not to flatter;
I mean them from the heart.
It seems my only talent
Is neither big nor rare,
Just to listen and encourage
And to fill a vacant chair.
But all the gifted people
Could not so brightly shine
Were it not for those who use
A talent such as mine.
You see, everyone is called to do something for the Lord. Whether great or seemingly small, the talents that we use further the kingdom of God. We are all of one body, and you may seem to be the most insignificant part, but you are still a part. Thank you for accomplishing your call. It is because of you that I can feel His presence. It is because of all those that have done what God wanted them to do that I can raise my sons in the atmosphere of love, respect and honor. If there is no other calling on our lives, remember this; we are ALL called to be saints.

“I believe that every person is born with talent.”
- Maya Angelou

Prepare for Victory

2009-05-16T12:00:00.004-05:00

Read Genesis 22

My heart was racing, my palms were sweating and my stomach was turning. The intensity was immeasurable. What would happen if I messed it all up? We had come so far and now if I mess up its all over. I can see this situation like it was yesterday. I am talking about the 1987 Central Bible Quiz Extravaganza at World Evangelism Center in St. Louis. We were blown out our first quiz by Waco, TX, and never dreamed we would ever make it to the finals. We got on a roll, and every question seemed to be right on the tip of my tongue. All of our contesting of the other teams answers were going our way, and even the teammates that never answered questions were getting them right! We were in the last quiz before the finals against a team from Louisiana, and it came down to whether or not I got question number 20 right and would quiz out so the 10 point bonus would beat the other team. As the thirty seconds were winding down, I let out my answer. It was correct; we won and then got smoked in the finals. For that one intense moment I felt like I was on top of the world.
God wants us to feel those mountain top emotions from time to time. The problem is, we want them without having to climb the mountain. The reason I was in a position to feel that intense moment was because of the hours that I had dedicated to the not-so-exciting time of study. I hated spending time studying my quizzing, but I loved being able to win. (I know, it was supposed to be about memorizing scripture, but as a fifteen year old, I just wanted to win. When I got a little older, I realized how awesome it was that it was scripture.) God sometimes allows us to go through some times that are excruciating, much less glorious. It is when you keep going through the pain of climbing that mountain that the intensity of the top is felt.
Do you want to step on the mountain top experience? Try to enjoy the climb, and if you struggle to climb, just remember there is a peak up ahead. The only way that you will not reach the peak is stop on the side of the mountain.
I know that in all of my quizzing, I never got on a run like that one again, but getting to that point gave me the desire to continue quizzing another couple of years until my age forced me out. If you can just climb to the top, God will place desire in you that will give you strength to get to the next mountaintop in your walk through life. Just as my racing heart, sweaty palms and rolling stomach turned into elation, can you imagine the emotions that will be prevalent when we reach the ultimate heights around the throne of Jesus?

“I hated every minute of training, but I said, ''Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.”
- Muhammad Ali

Happy Life!

2009-05-15T11:54:00.003-05:00

Read John 10:1-11

There was an old song made famous with a yellow smiley face that said, “Don’t worry, be happy” that became a catch phrase for many people. While on a family visit to Disney World, I pondered the sign over the entrance arch that read, “Welcome to the happiest place on earth.” The rest of the day I looked at the faces of the people and was impressed by the small number who was actually smiling during their visit to “the happiest place on earth.” After walking what seemed like miles all day and becoming exhausted, that saying really didn’t seem to apply. In fact, as I walked through the park, it didn’t surprise me that so few adults seemed to be really enjoying themselves. There were moments of joy, but I also remember my brother-in-law and me making fun of some parents that were getting highly upset with their children. We would provide commentary like, “We’re here to have fun, and we will have fun, even if I have to force you to have fun!” Does that sound familiar?
As I think of that day, I am reminded of a line from an old song that says, “Life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone.” So it seems. To live life to the fullest is qualitatively different than merely existing. In fact, Jesus said that part of His mission was to enable us to live life to the fullest: “I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
Some people run scared when they read that, thinking, I have just about all the life I can handle right now. Jesus was telling us that if we lived the way He desires us to live, our life would be in abundance. He came so that we could experience life to the full—not according to the standards of a fallen world, but life as it was intended to be. It is life according to the designs and desires of the Creator of life.
By coming to provide forgiveness for rebellious, broken people, Jesus has made it possible for us to live a life of joy and hope in a world of despair. Our flesh will not always be pleased, and the struggles of life will not cease, but when you live the life He desires, it is filled with hope knowing that this too shall pass.

“Many a man curses the rain that falls upon his head, and knows not that it brings abundance to drive away the hunger.”
- Saint Basil

Recalled for Repair

2009-05-14T11:27:00.004-05:00

Read Ezekiel 18:26-32

We purchased a car in 1996. It was a Dodge Intrepid. It had been a very good vehicle. After a decade of driving, we received a notice in the mail. It stated that the manufacturers had made a recall to fix something that had gone wrong in other Intrepids. After ten years, it was amazing that they were still putting out warnings about defective instruments.
During the past year, cars, trucks, tires, window blinds, and toy xylophones have been recalled by their manufacturers. In every case, the message was similar: “This product is defective or dangerous and could cause serious injury or even death. Return it to us and we will correct the problem.” Nevertheless, it is up to the consumer to heed the warning and return the dangerous item.
Suppose God put this warning on the heart and soul of every person: “Because of a fatal attraction to sin and willful misuse, this item is defective. Failure to correct this problem will result in certain spiritual death.” How many “consumers” would be quick to take that defective instrument to the manufacturer?
Honestly, our Intrepid had never needed to be taken into the dealer for the warning that we received. Fortunately, we had no problems (at least in that area) with the car. Our hearts are deceitfully wicked above all things, and unless we deal with it at the cross of Calvary, it will become defective and cause us to fail. Through the prophet Ezekiel, God said that the hearts of His people had become adulterous (Ezekiel 6:9) and as hard as a rock (11:19). Yet, the Lord longed for their hearts to be softened, and for them to come back to Him. He made this impassioned plea: “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin . . . Get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies . . . Therefore turn and live!”
Tallulah Bankhead stated what we all are very well when she said, “My heart is as pure as the driven slush.” However, if you could just take your heart back into the Dealership, the Great Physician will do open heart surgery and draw you into His arms and embrace you like you were never broken in the first place. Look at this poem:

The power of God can turn a heart
From evil and the power of sin;
The love of God can change a life
And make it new and cleansed within. —Fasick

The exciting thing about salvation is that it is not turning over a new leaf, but receiving a new life. How’s your heart today?

“If we were faultless we should not be so much annoyed by the defects of those with whom we associate.”
- Francois Fenelon

God's Kids

2009-05-13T09:05:00.003-05:00

Read John 16:23-26

Wouldn’t you like to have a couple million dollars in your bank account right now? Oh what dreams could be fulfilled with cash like that. People are interesting. We are never really satisfied with what we have. If we have a nice home, we need to find a nice car. If we have both, we better get a new swimming pool. If we have a good job, we still look for a better job. In society today, if you have a good spouse, in some cases, they still look for a better one. We live in a “trade-in” world. Trade your car for a newer car. Trade your home for a newer home. It is an endless cycle that all of us have gone through at some time.
Every man needs pockets large enough to carry all the important things in life: wallet, keys, and breath mints. By looking at my wife’s purse, it seems she has a whole universe of resources, but at least men have the essentials! With just a quick reach into a pocket, I have access to cash (maybe!!), credit cards, and the exclusive privileges that a set of keys offers. Children know that if they ask Mom or Dad to search their pocket or purse for a piece of gum, a mint, a comb, a tissue, or a dollar—whatever it is they think will meet their need at the moment—they will receive it!
It’s not unlike our privilege as God’s children. The problem is that we usually tend to resort to asking for something temporary first, and lasting second. Be honest with yourself today. How many times have you asked God for healing, resources, extra cash, a new car, a new home or some other temporary item? I know in my life, I have caught myself in a rut (usually when funds are low) asking God to supply this and that, when I should be praying for wisdom, forgiveness for myself and others, people that need Him, hope and a slew of other “eternal” things.
At salvation, we are placed “in Christ” and granted full access to all the valuable resources God offers us. Resources such as His wisdom: “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105). Forgiveness and grace: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7). New perspectives that bring hope and confidence even in the toughest of times (Eph. 1:18), material provision (Matt. 6:30-31), and peace (Eph. 2:14) are also ours in Him.
When I step back and look at all that God has allowed me to possess, my “needs” become hazy, and eventually fade out in the realization that I am sitting in the palm of His hand. Where are you sitting today?

“Rank does not confer privilege or give power. It imposes responsibility.”
- Peter Drucker

Be Still and Know

2009-05-12T17:41:00.002-05:00

Read Philippians 4:4-9

There is something about humans that I find intriguing and yet, frustrating. It is when people begin to worry about things that have not even come into existence. You know what I am talking about. We play the “what if” game in our minds, and because most people see the world around them, their “what ifs” tend to lean negative.
I have read of people that are afraid to be in the sunlight because they believe that they will get skin cancer. Others have never reached their potential because the “what if” of failure makes them so tense that they cannot see the possibility that they would be outstanding in some chosen field. The bible admonishes us to take no thought for tomorrow. That doesn’t mean we do not need to plan and organize our lives, but it does mean, don’t worry about what you will face because you have enough to deal with today. Some people “lock up” with fear for tomorrow and they never deal with today.
The psalmist wrote, “Be still, and know that I am God” (46:10). Paul exhorted the Philippians to “be anxious for nothing” (Phil. 4:6). And Peter instructed his readers to cast all their cares on God (1 Peter 5:7).
How can someone stop worrying and be “still”? Only through prayer and trust in the loving God (Phil. 4:6-7). Those who cast their cares on Him can set aside the noise and confusion, ambitions and strivings, and enter into the peace of God (v.7). This doesn’t mean that those who are “still” before the Lord will escape life’s dangers and dilemmas, but it does mean they will have the ability to live with tranquility in the midst of them. Though trouble may remain, the confusion, apprehension, and despair begin to fade away. Such people show poise under pressure; they’re unshaken by life’s alarms; they radiate peace wherever they go.
If you’ve never acquainted yourself with the depths of God’s love and His call for you to live in that love, your life will be filled with anxiety and cares. You’ll often be fretful and restless—always looking for that illusive “something more.” When you learn to turn your confidence toward God and cast your cares on Him, you can be calm in the midst of life’s demands. Because God cares for us, we can leave our cares with Him.

“It's not the work which kills people, it's the worry. It's not the revolution that destroys machinery it's the friction.”
- Henry Ward Beecher

Behind the Mud

2009-05-11T14:54:00.001-05:00

Read II Timothy 3:1-9

A British company has developed a product called “Spray-On Mud” so city dwellers can give their expensive 4x4 vehicles the appearance of having been off-road for a day of hunting or fishing without ever leaving town. The mud is even filtered to remove stones and debris that might scratch the paint. According to the company, sales are going well.
There is something within each of us that values how we look on the outside more than who we are on the inside. It causes some people to pad their résumés or embellish their memoirs. But it has no place in our lives as followers of Jesus.
Paul warned Timothy about people in the church who had a form of godliness but denied its power. “They will maintain a façade of ‘religion,’ but their conduct will deny its validity. You must keep clear of people like this” (2 Tim. 3:5, Phillips). The inward reality of Christ is what counts, because it will produce the outward signs of faith.
Paul’s authority to instruct the church about spiritual authenticity came through his suffering, not by “spraying on mud.” “I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus,” said the apostle (Gal. 6:17). God calls us to authentic living today. If you are true to God, you won’t be false to others.

“Hypocrisy can afford to be magnificent in its promises, for never intending to go beyond promise, it costs nothing.”
- Edmund Burke

2009-05-10T18:36:00.002-05:00

Read I Samuel 1:1-28

I remember how we felt. The excitement and the anxiety were intense. The questions and the supposed answers just seemed to line up after years of emptiness. My wife and I wanted to have children desperately, but because of medical reasons were unable to do so. The phone rang one day, and an opportunity to adopt seemed very real. We bought baby boy items such as clothes and toys, all the things that expectant parents do when a new baby is on the way. We had been married for eight years and really wanted to have a child. Then the other call came. Instant devastation. Heart breaking, red-hot tears. Not understanding why God had allowed the boy we were to adopt to be still-born. There is something special about mothers. It does not matter what kind of mother she is; moms are just special people. So here is my tribute to mothers.
For those we call moms: biological, adoptive, foster, and spiritual mothers, whether mothers by birth, by marriage or by choice, I say, “Thank you for making sacrifices that were never seen; for taking risks that were never recorded, for loving more than we deserved.” It is because of you we are here today, and I honor you.
For those who long to be mothers: the path of obedience thus far has not led you into marriage or motherhood. For those who ache each Mother’s Day, taking a handkerchief to the cheek as you listen to the steady rhythm of a biological clock rounding past midnight again as you continue to believe that God is indeed good. I offer my honor to you.
For those who risk hope month after month waiting for God to give you a child, riding the roller coaster of hope and disappointment, excitement and despair, faith and fact, I pour out my heart to you.
For those who have held a child in your womb, or in your arms and later committed them to God’s eternal embrace, or for those who have walked through the valley of the shadow of death with our heavenly Father who also knows what it is like to bury a son, I give honor to your strength.
For those who were faithful to nurture a child in your womb and then in love placed your baby in the arms of another, on behalf of all adoptive mothers and adopted children everywhere, thank you for your courage and thank you for your sacrifice.
My story did not end in the pain of that loss. We received news about a year later that my wife was indeed pregnant. Now, my sons and I, along with millions of other husbands and children, say thank you to the mothers that have changed our lives. Make sure that “Mom” knows you are thankful for her today.
It was Washington Irving that said, “A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials, heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine, desert us when troubles thicken around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.”

The Truth Behind the News

2009-05-09T08:02:00.002-05:00

Read Matthew 10:16, Philippians 4:8-9

In one of the last scenes of the classic movie, The Wizard of Oz, the four companions stand in a dark room before the Great and Powerful Oz. Towering flames rose on either side of the face of Oz. The four shook in fear. Then, a small dog pulled back a curtain off to the side, revealing a man operating a control board. This meek man behind the curtain was the impostor who claimed to be the mighty Oz. Things were not as they had seemed to be.
If you watch, read or listen to the daily news, this world is quite depressing. The news is filled with nothing but one story after another of shootings, kidnappings and more. There is almost no good news at all. It is frustrating because I know all the news in this world is not bad. Pull back the curtain and see what God is doing in the midst of this world. I know the bad or more spectacular news is what sells advertising time. It is all about the money and what sells. Reality seems to be a secondary concern.
The disheartening wail of the world is in full voice. This world system will attempt to grind us all into powder and convince us that we are all too small and too insignificant to do anything about all the ills of the world. I know people who do not want to try because “it just won’t help”. Then, in contrast, I read an article by the Christian author Phillip Yancey. He wrote that he had received an anonymous email that claimed that a number of things had not changed or had gotten worse since 1980. His curiosity was piqued and he began to investigate if the claims made were true. He began to dig for the facts. To make a long story short, the claims were unfounded. So many are willing to take at face value what appears to be obviously true. I am not saying the world is perfect, or even well off. There are Christians who live in fear for their lives on a daily basis. More than 4,000 children die every day. There are people, however, who are motivated by a wide variety of reasons that are making a difference. Many of them are taking the gospel with them as they go.
Jesus instructed us to always be ready; that his return would be at a time we will not expect. The world rails against Christianity. It has always done so, and the world’s desire is to turn Christianity into a bowl of polluted views that would ultimately cause Christianity’s demise. In that light, the world is still at war with Christ. As a counter point, while people go out and build homes for the poor, educate teens about social pitfalls, and raise the standard of living where they can, Jesus warned us that we would always have the poor. Just as that is no reason to stop trying to reach out to the world with hope and help, it also makes sense to defend our hearts and our minds against the lies and poisons of this world aimed at our very core. Be willing to doubt the doomsayers. Feed your heart and mind on good things. All is not lost in the world. Revival is taking place. The church is being effective. More than that, we know that, regardless of how the world ends up, a trumpet is going to sound and we will be caught up together in the air to be with the Lord.

“It is commonly said that men are forward to believe whatever is connected with their own interest. This in common cases is true; but it is also true, that when some very great and unexpected good news is brought to us, we find it very difficult to credit it.”
- Archibald Alexander

Only Imagine...

2009-05-08T10:44:00.003-05:00

Read Genesis 11:1-9

Imagination. It is a powerful thing. It makes hot-wheels fly down the corridors of our homes. It makes little plastic elephants fill the largest of living rooms. I just spent several hours playing with my son on the floor, and everything that we played with came to life with our imagination.
Have you ever imagined things for God? You know, when the clouds are thick, and the tempest is strong, do you ever imagine what it would be like to have Jesus physically step into your situation?
I may be an oddball, but I have to believe that everyone at one time or another must have imagined accomplishing some great feat in life, whether it is a personal business or a ministry. Have you ever imagined where you and your family would be in the future? What kind of house, job or car would you own?
There is something unique in the passage of Genesis that gives you the secret to have your imagination come to life. Notice that God had to step on the scene because the people could do whatever they imagined to do. What is it that gave them the power to accomplish a task that was actually contrary to the things of God? They wanted to make a name for themselves, and they wanted to do it on their own. God saw that they would accomplish the task without any aid from Him, and so, He confounded the tongue and the people failed to finish because of the confusion of the tongues. It is interesting to note in this passage that it is because they all spoke the same language, desired the same thing, or in our modern day vernacular, they were all on the same page.
Is that where your family is? How about your church? Are you adding to the unity of your surrounding or are you just on a different page? Everything is available to you and your family as long as you dwell in unity. What can you imagine together? What new heights can you attain together spiritually? Use your imagination and unity in Christ to bring some of those toy elephant goals and hot-wheel dreams to life.

“Imagination has brought mankind through the dark ages to its present state of civilization. Imagination led Columbus to discover America. Imagination led Franklin to discover electricity.”
- L. Frank Baum

Satan's Secret

2009-05-07T10:24:00.002-05:00

Read II Corinthians 5:19

A driving instructor in Germany was stopped by police after a minor accident with a truck. When asked for his driver’s license, he couldn’t provide one. He had been instructing students for more than 40 years on how to drive, yet he didn’t have his own license! Years earlier, he had failed a driving test, and he was fearful of trying again. He kept this fact a secret out of embarrassment.
Satan also has a secret in his past that he doesn’t want people to learn about. What is his secret? He no longer has the power to separate us from God. Our enemy doesn’t want anyone to know this truth because he desires to keep nonbelievers controlled by sin and believers entangled in it. If he can keep those that have not entered a relationship with Jesus Christ from doing so, he knows that they will not discover that he is powerless. If he can keep followers of Christ entangled, he is able to paint a picture that shows him in control rather than the Lord. When things are bad, remember that he is hiding the secret of his lack of power from you.
It’s true that because of sin we were separated from God. When Jesus died on the cross, He bore all our sins and took on Himself our punishment of death. God then raised Jesus from the dead, and now He reigns in heaven. This is referred to in scripture as the gospel, or the good news, and when it is applied to our live by repentance, baptism in Jesus’ name by immersion, He fills us with His Spirit and the separation is broken. We are reunited, or reconciled, to Him by the gospel.
God always stands between the Christian and the enemy.
The outstretched hand of God extends
To those weighed down by sin;
He offers to remove the load
And give His peace within. —Sper

“God's truth judges created things out of love, and Satan's truth judges them out of envy and hatred.”
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

What Then?

2009-05-06T10:33:00.002-05:00

Read Revelation 22:20

Today, I leave you with this: When the great planners of our cities have turned out their last finished work; when merchants have sold their last yard of silk and dismissed the last tired clerk; when the banks have raked in their last dollar and paid their last dividend, when the Judge of the world says, “Closed for the night,” and asks for the balance, “What then?”
When the choirs have sung their last anthem and the preacher has read his last prayer; when the people have heard their last sermon and the song has died in the air; when the Bible lies closed on the altar and the pews are all empty of men; and each one stands facing their record and the Great Book is opened, “What then?”
When the actors have played their last drama and the mimic has made his last fun; when the film has flashed its last picture and the billboard has displayed its last run; when the crowds seeking pleasure have vanished and gone out into darkness again; when the trumpet of the ages is sounded and we stand before Him, “What then?”
When the bugles’ last call sinks into silence and the long marching columns stand still; when the captain has given his last orders and they have captured the last fort and hill; when the flag has been furled from the masthead and the wounded in the field have checked in; and when the world that rejected its Savior is asked for a reason, “What then?”

“It's made me more expectant of the imminent return of Jesus, and also more sensitive to the people around me. Knowing Jesus will return soon makes me want all the more to tell people about him and all that he offers.”
- Jerry B. Jenkins

One More Glimpse at Success

2009-05-05T10:49:00.002-05:00

Read Joshua 1:8

This is the last day we will specifically talk about success. It is my goal through these last 5 days to impress upon each of you that success is not registered in a bank account, a corner office overlooking the city, a giant house, an expensive car or any other aspects of success that is portrayed in our society. Success is really between your ears, and how your actions respond to what is in there.
So, a man or woman is a success:
-When they can love, pray and work for others so the world will recognize that they added to the sum total of its goodness and happiness,
-When they can live so that when thy die the world will lament their passing,
-When God acknowledges that they have lived for His glory.
To close out these devotions about being successful, I would like to leave you with a poem.

When things go wrong
As they sometimes will,
When the road you travel
Seems all uphill,
When the funds are low
And the debt is high
You want to smile
But you have to sigh
When cares press you down a bit
Rest if you must
Just don’t quit

“Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.”
- George S. Patton

Are You Successful?

2009-05-04T09:14:00.002-05:00

Read Joshua 1:8

A man or woman is successful:
-When they think more of touching and influencing people than of reaching commercial goals,
-When they can step down and out of a position of trust and responsibility with the same grace as they stepped into it,
-When they can rejoice in the success of others and smiles at their own small defeats,
-When they follow truth, justice and equity no matter where they lead or unpopular their cause.
How about you? Are you more aware of touching people or the next rung up the ladder? Where is your focus? Do you recognize people as people or as opportunities for advancement? Truly successful people are those that want to touch people knowing that if they do, they will advance.
Can you have something removed from your possession as graceful as it is given? Sometimes it is easy to receive, but hard to let go. It is easy to receive the loving care of a spouse, but very difficult to let them slip away into glory. When that happens, can you deal with it gracefully? If so, you are successful with a capital S.
Are you willing to work your finger to the bone and watch someone else receive the accolades for your efforts? If so, you are successful.
Do you stand for what is right, even in the face of torment and rejection from others? The sign of success is not found in how we operate in the midst of many friends, but how we operate when those friends desire to do something that you know is wrong.
One more day of talking about success. See you tomorrow.

“Success is dependent on effort.”
- Sophocles

Character = Success

2009-05-03T20:27:00.002-05:00

Read Joshua 1:8

A man or a woman is successful:
-When they are able to maintain respect for themselves when they look at themselves in the mirror,
-When they place a higher estimate upon character than upon reputation,
-When they seek to live in harmony with the laws of God, the laws of nature, the laws of men and the “golden rule”,
-When they view things against the background of eternity instead of the horizon of time,
-When they refuse to make a compromise with sin to gain a temporary advantage.
How do these measurements of success apply to you? Can you look yourself in the mirror knowing that on your own you are nothing, but with Him you are something? What do you see when you view yourself? If you see someone you can respect, you are a success.
Reputation is fleeting. One small comment can damage a reputation instantly. Character stands in the midst of accolades, praises and criticisms. Character is not only present when you are being trampled under foot, but it is most evident when you are walking in the clouds.
You will be miserable and unsuccessful if you try to live outside of things that distribute order. Can you imagine what life would be if it were not for the law of God’s forgiveness? How about trying to go against the law of gravity? See how much you enjoy the repercussions of breaking the law of the land, and how sweet would it be if everyone lived by the “golden rule”?
Can you be a success in these areas today? Give it a shot and see what happens in your world.

“Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.”
- Booker T. Washington

Success Continued...

2009-05-02T13:18:00.002-05:00

Read Joshua 1:8

Today, as promised, I would like to address success a little more. A man or a woman is a success:
-When they discover that true happiness is found in making others happy,
-When they can find joy and real pleasure in performing the drudgeries of life,
-When they can dream noble dreams and achieve their fulfillment,
-When they can look on “publicans and sinners” and behold in them potential virtues and possibilities through the transforming grace of God,
-When they know how to turn enemies into friends and keep them friendly.
Again, I challenge you to look at these aspects of success and see how you can apply them in your life today. Thomas Jefferson said it correctly, there is only the “pursuit of happiness”, but you can find happiness in assisting others. When you see the expressions of gratitude from someone you have helped, happiness will come over you that you do not expect.
Look at the necessary activities of your life that may not seem enjoyable, and transform them into the “get to” index of your life. Remember, the alternative may be no life at all.
Try viewing that person that cusses with the best of them at work as the next great preacher, teacher, singer, or any other person that God desires to transform. Remember, the apostle Paul reminds us that “of such were some of you”, but you have been redeemed by the grace of God.

“Success is blocked by concentrating on it and planning for it... Success is shy - it won't come out while you're watching.”
-Tennessee Williams

Success is...

2009-05-01T10:17:00.002-05:00

Read Joshua 1:8

Success seems to be a fleeting concept. People have defined success in many different ways, and yet it sometimes is still difficult to comprehend, let alone attain. I want to throw my two cents in today because I feel there are those that do not feel they are successful even though they are.
A man or a woman is a success:
-When they can make steppingstones to higher experiences out of defeats,
-When they can see a silver lining on the edge of a dark cloud that left desolation in the path of life’s prospects,
-When they have a great concept of God and a true sense of their own smallness,
-When their faith and courage are as unwavering when things look bright and lovely as when they appear dark and fearful,
-When they place a higher value on service and efficiency than on money and expediency.
We will look at more ways people are successful over the next few days, but I encourage you to look at the previous list and go beyond the phrase to real applications in your life. Have defeats in your life been used to advance your family? Then you are a success. When everything seems to have been destroyed and you are even fearful to dream, can you still see that ever so faint glimmer of silver on that cloud? Then you are a success. Do you understand how big God is and how small you really are? Then you are a success. It is sometimes easy to lean on God when everything seems to fall apart because it seems no one else can help, but what about when everything is well? Do you still have your faith in Him, or do you begin to trust your resources in good times? If you continue to trust in Him, you are a success. When you can get to the place in life where your heartbeat focuses on helping others rather than yourself, you have become a success.
Just think, you have every opportunity to be successful today. Why not give it a try?

“Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure.”
-George Edward Woodberry