Loving God More Must Be More Than A "Want"

…being justified freely by His grace… —Romans 3:24

We have to realize that we cannot earn or win anything from God through our own efforts. We must either receive it as a gift or do without it. The greatest spiritual blessing we receive is when we come to the knowledge that we are destitute. Until we get there, our Lord is powerless. He can do nothing for us as long as we think we are sufficient in and of ourselves. We must enter into His kingdom through the door of destitution. As long as we are “rich,” particularly in the area of pride or independence, God can do nothing for us. It is only when we get hungry spiritually that we receive the Holy Spirit. The gift of the essential nature of God is placed and made effective in us by the Holy Spirit. He imparts to us the quickening life of Jesus, making us truly alive. He takes that which was “beyond” us and places it “within” us. And immediately, once “the beyond” has come “within,” it rises up to “the above,” and we are lifted into the kingdom where Jesus lives and reigns (see John 3:5). - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

One morning Martie, my wife, asked me what I was thinking about that I would write in my BLOG for the next day.  I told her that I really didn’t do it that way.  I often read Chamber’s devotion and then ask the Lord, "What am I supposed to say today".  And “out it comes”.  Very often, there may be some event – interaction from the previous day that the Lord uses as a launching point from Chambers.  So in that regard what I write is not premeditated as such, but more spontaneous … although that is not to say that there are not years of life that undergird what I write.  At this writing I’ve done this 3646 times so far, plus this one …. Frankly I am amazed by the process and perhaps more amazed that God is using me in this way.

So to the point. As Christians we live our lives on this earth with a tension between the spiritual and the natural.  The preaching of the earthly health and wealth gospel … that is that God wants you to be rich and healthy … is the carnal Christian's attempt to resolve that tension.  The idea is that God will give you money .. but He tells you not to love money because it is at the root of all kinds of evil … and health .. even though His Word tells you that you will face affliction and hardship of many kinds … Underlying health and wealth is that idea that you can really be independent of God .. all of your earthly needs will be met … do you see the heresy in this? God wants us to give up our dependence upon earthly comforts and assurances and trust Him, alone.  When Job lost everything, the assumption was that he had done something wrong .. why?  Because he lost his earthly possessions. What was the truth .. there was something spiritual at work that superseded the natural.  The same is true in our lives.  The thing is, you must be willing to submit to that … to yield your devotion and dependence upon the natural and trust God's provision - whatever from that may take.  What do you hunger for?  I see people struggling after disasters and war and poverty, while Americans are trying to figure out if they should go ahead and buy that $1000 iPhone and get rid of their $700 iPhone.  The Church in the United States is a “frog in the pot” with respect to materialism. We don’t know that we are being cooked … instead, we think the water temperature is just right.

I watched the Black Friday phenomenon  .. which it seems to be absorbing Thursday. I am trying to find money to help people recover from Hurricane Harvey and people were spending money – hand over fist – to satisfy their lust for more – because they certainly don’t need it – not really.  Pastor Brian, pastor of the church we were connected to in Texas, preached on needs and wants one Sunday.  With respect to the rest of the world, I think it is safe to say that 99% of what we buy is to satisfy our wants.  Our needs were met a long time ago.   

 Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart -  Psalm 37:4 

That is not health and wealth but rather, the emphasis here is on our focus on God and His changing what we desire to conform to what He desires.

You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. - James 4:2-4

Ugh! That does not leave a lot of wiggle room does it. I guess I should quote Jesus to bring this to a close.  

And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear - Matthew 13:14-16

.....  And I would add .. He who is convicted – let him repent.”  

Think about it – Pray about it - Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

God Knows - Is That Enough For You?

 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." - Jeremiah 29:11

There is a saying that I picked up while on staff with Promise Keepers in the mid 90's. "You can't teach what you don't know, you can't lead where you won't go, and you can only recreate what you are." It's true and can be convicting. 

So - on to my point. If you have been reading these posts then you know that Martie and I have been teaching Experiencing God which is essentially spiritual awareness training. You know at the point of salvation that God sealed you with His Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14) and your body is now the "temple of the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 6:19). But did you know that God speaks to you by His Spirit through the Word (when you hear it or read it), Prayer (when you pray to God), circumstances (life as you live it) and other Christians (who also have the Spirit of God in them). That brings us to a Crisis of Belief - do we trust God and will we obey Him? It requires faith (Hebrews 11:1) and action (James 2:14-17)

In our experience God has always spoken to us about what it is that He wants us to join Him in doing in  more than one way. By way of example I want to share the most recent "conversation" that we had with God. This is not the first time we experienced this, by the way. But I will save that for another day.

I am certain you know about the hurricanes that recently paid a visit to Florida. And you probably know that Martie and I have been  involved in Disaster Relief work in 2005.  Well, a friend of ours, Sherry Buresh, posted that she was in Florida with the ministry she is connected to helping with the relief effort. I contacted her to check on her and to see how things were going.  Her response was that Martie and I needed to come to Florida to help.  I wasn't "feeling it" and so didn't think much about it. But I did tell her that our oldest daughter was available to help. Mandi has been in Florida since October.

Martie and I talked about Florida and still nothing.  Then, out of the blue, Martie talked to me about reconfiguring our RV so we could use it better. I asked her why, since it was in Louisiana being used by another ministry, and we would not be using it in Texas. But it got my attention. It told me that something was going on in her mind and heart. She expressed concern that we did not have the money to go to Florida. We know that where God guides, God provides.  We have a sedan that is 11 years old and is having some electrical issues.  We would need a truck, an F-250 equivalent to support pulling the trailer and supporting the work and maybe an SUV to replace the car. We know that God provides, but still!

So here is what happened next.

We received a letter from the Harris County Tax office. Martie told me that she had just paid our property taxes and figured it was a reminder that the taxes were due. A couple days later she was about to throw it in the trash and she thought she should open it before she did.  Inside was a check for $1000. We had overpaid our property taxes in 2019. 3 years ago. 

That same day, I picked up our mail for Pathfinder at our post office box.  There was a letter from the IRS/Treasury. I thought, "oh great!, now what!" I opened the envelope and in it was a check for $2700 for another over payment! Whaaaaatttttt!! Of course I called Martie. We have been on this path before. We know what is happening.

I am on the board of Stormwise - a disaster relief ministry that was helping 8 Days of Hope in Lake Charles. There are 1200 volunteers working on 100 homes.  I was talking with the Stormwise team and told them that we were considering going to Florida to help. They all said -"Go to Florida!" Do you see a pattern here?

I called friends of ours who live in Florida. They had served with us in Mississippi. Ray and Darla Shands. Ray told me that just the week before he was thinking about us and perhaps we might come to Florida to help. Ray said that he was no longer physically able to do recovery work, but he could connect me to some people that might help me understand the scope of the need. When I hung up, I checked our mailbox. There was a Christmas card in it. From Ray and Darla. Coincidence? I think not. It was what I call a God-insidence. 

So Martie and I yield to God's call to join Him in Florida. But to do what. Sherry had owed me a call back. When she did call she said, "Let me tell you why you are coming to Florida!" To which I said wait until we have shared what we want to tell you. "We are coming to Florida!" Then she said you are coming to Florida to build sheds like you did in Mississippi. We did not see that coming! Talk about a Crisis of Belief. Yes, we built sheds. Yes we can see where there would be a need in Florida. But we figured we would be doing rebuilds. And we probably will. There are some mountains that need moving.

This morning at church my heart was "pierced" by a song we sang called Do It Again.  I wanted to share some of the lyrics with you. I am certain you can make that connection. When I heard it, I leaned over to Martie and told her "This song is for us".  She nodded agreement. So - Here we go!

Do It Again by Chris Brown, Mack Brock, Matt Redman, Steven Furtick

Your promise still stands

Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness

I'm still in Your hands

This is my confidence, You've never failed me yet

I've seen You move, You move the mountains

And I believe, I'll see You do it again

You made a way, where there was no way

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

What Portion Of My New Life Belongs To God?

 In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions. Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, “What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day? Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath. .... In those days I also saw Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the language of one or the other people. So I contended with them and cursed them, struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves. Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless pagan women caused even him to sin. Should we then hear of your doing all this great evil, transgressing against our God by marrying pagan women?”- Nehemiah 13:15-18, 23-27

When we are born again by the Spirit our primary perspective on our lives on this planet should and must become spiritual. But there is a problem. I included verses from Nehemiah to give you a hint that while the mandate from God has not changed since the beginning, neither has the people's wandering from their godly devotion. 

God has called us out of the world's order into His order of things. He has called us to be separate from the world and our old nature. Now when I refer to our old nature I am speaking to anything that runs contrary to His revealed will.  There are many things that are natural that are part of His created intent for mankind that do not draw our hearts away from God.

But there are many things in the natural that do draw our hearts away from our devotion to God and our new life. Things that demand our heart's devotion. In Nehemiah there were several mentioned. God made it clear that the Sabbath was His day - our tithe - a day of rest - no work - and yet there they were buying, selling, harvesting. He was explicit in His command that the Jews not be unevenly yoked in marriage with non-Jews. It always led to the Jews worshipping other gods. Yet generation after generation yielded to the temptation.

Today - we face the same challenges. Embracing the culture. Justifying why what we do is "really OK". Missing the point of what it means to be salt and light in a world that desperately needs to see Jesus in us. What we say - what we do - the way we live out our faith. To be the fragrance of Christ. 

As an example, you are driving along and I wave you to a stop to tell you that the bridge is out and the road is flooded ahead. That you should not continue on that road but should go another way - and you acknowledge that what I told you is true but continue down the road in spite of the danger. It is no different than hearing the Word of God - acknowledging that the Word is Truth and, as Dr. redmond said about 2 Timothy 3:16, that the Word of God is Doctrine - that is it's about what’s [right], Reproof - that is it's about what’s [not right], Correction - that is it's about how to [get right], and Instruction in righteousness - that is it's about how to [stay right] but you still continue on with your love relationship with your culture. Remember what Jesus said?  .... 

If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. - Matthew 16:24

Do you think denying your old nature is easy? It is a battle - every day. 

The Apostle Paul wrote

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. - Romans 12:1-2

That is an intentional - deliberate act of lying your old life down and yielding to the Spirit of God not just having a good and hopeful attitude.

'Nuff Said

Think about it – Pray about it - Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

I've Got The Love of Jesus Where?

The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. - Romans 10:8-9

We say “Jesus is in our hearts” because it’s a simple, emotional way to describe a deep spiritual reality—not a literal one.

The short answer

As Christians we use that phrase to express relationship, transformation, and presence. It’s about Jesus shaping our inner lives—our values, our motives, our identities—not about Him physically living inside our chests.

So what does the phrase really mean?

First. It describes a relationship

Saying Jesus is “in my heart” means He’s not just an idea or a historical figure. He’s someone you’ve welcomed into the center of your life. It’s relational language—like saying someone “has a place in my heart.”

Second. It describes a transformation

The heart represents the core of who we are:

• our desires

• our choices

• our character

• our moral compass

So when we Christians say Jesus is in our hearts, we mean His teachings and His Spirit are reshaping those things in us.

Third. It refers to the presence of the Holy Spirit

Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to live within believers. So “Jesus in my heart” is a shorthand way of saying: God’s Spirit is with me, guiding me, comforting me, and changing me from the inside out.

We must be born again by the Spirit through faith in Jesus.

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. - John 3:3-6

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? - 1 Corinthians 3:16

Fourth. It refers to our identity

It’s also a way of saying: “My life belongs to Him. He defines who I am now.”

We don’t say "Jesus is in my heart" literally because ... 

The Bible uses “heart” symbolically. In Scripture, the heart is the seat of:

• thought

• emotion

• will

• spiritual life

So the phrase is metaphorical, but the experience it points to is real.

How the Trinity fits into all of this

Jesus - Redemption, Intercession, and Judgment

Spirit - Regeneration, Transformation

Father - Source of divine life and authority, Sender of the Son, Initiator of redemption, Provider and sustainer, Spiritual Father to all believers.

Think about it – Pray about it - Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Trust And Not Understanding Is The Prerequisite For Obedience

"Let us go to Judea again." The disciples said to Him, "…are You going there again?" —John 11:7-8

"Just because I don’t understand what Jesus Christ says, I have no right to determine that He must be mistaken in what He says. That is a dangerous view, and it is never right to think that my obedience to God’s directive will bring dishonor to Jesus. The only thing that will bring dishonor is not obeying Him. I know when the instructions have come from God because of their quiet persistence. But when I begin to weigh the pros and cons, and doubt and debate enter into my mind, I am bringing in an element that is not of God. This will only result in my concluding that His instructions to me were not right. Many of us are faithful to our ideas about Jesus Christ, but how many of us are faithful to Jesus Himself? Faithfulness to Jesus means that I must step out even when and where I can’t see anything (see Matthew 14:29). But faithfulness to my own ideas means that I first clear the way mentally. Faith, however, is not intellectual understanding; faith is a deliberate commitment to the Person of Jesus Christ, even when I can’t see the way ahead.” - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest 

"I know when the instructions have come from God because of their quiet persistence." So knowing that it is God is not so much the issue, but knowing the “why” is the criteria for obedience to many people. For most, before they will do something they want to know the reason. Why? I believe because they want to know so they can decide if they agree with it. And so it is with receiving God’s direction often times.  What we are asked to do may not make "natural" sense …. Get out of the boat and walk on water … walk across a flooded river … march around a fortified city 7 times … wash yourself in the river 7 times … put your faith in Jesus and walk … draw from the well that never will run dry … trust in the Lord and do not lean on your own understanding … confess and believe and you will be saved.  (Isaiah 55:8) “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.” 

When my daughter was taking Algebra in school, she asked me how to solve a particular problem.  I showed her but then proceeded to explain to her “why” we solved the problem that way.  A page and a half later, her eyes were glazed over and like with Charley Brown's teacher all she heard was “Wah Wa Wah Wa Wah”.  The only way we will understand the “why” is by the Spirit of God, and truth be told, we may still not “get it” fully.  Understanding is not the prerequisite for obedience, trust is.  Our mental capacity is not adequate for fully understanding God.  He is the potter and we are the clay. 

“But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.” - Isaiah 64:8 

I recall when God was giving Martie and me a mission change. We had just spent 5 years in Mississippi responding to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. We knew a message was from God because the instructions have come from God with quiet persistence.  People who did not know each other - geographically separated had told us that we should go to Haiti. Honestly, I had to look up where Haiti was on the map.  But, Martie and I knew it was God.  When I told a friend in Waveland, Mississippi when asked where we might go next my reply was "God is sending us to Haiti.". He looked me square in the face and asked "Are you crazy?" To which I replied "It is not my idea - it's God's." That was not false bravado on my part but a resolution for us to go when God says "Go" and do what God says to do. 

To walk by faith and not by sight. - 2 Corinthians 5:7

What has God said to you? It doesn't matter how far He sends you - around the world or around the block. When He says "Go" then Go!

Think about it – Pray about it - Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Why You Do What You Do And Why You Believe What You Believe

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.- Proverbs 3:5-7

Before you were born again, you trusted in your own understanding of this natural life before, but when  you were born again you "should have" started trusting  - in Jesus - and in Jehovah God. I have been taking with someone who does not believe in God. And so. our conversations about religious topics are short. They have no interest and, I think, they feel sorry for me because I am so naive in my beliefs and have devoted my life to that which they believe is patently false - fiction - made up. Are you familiar with the discipline called Apologetics. 

Apologetics is the practice of defending a belief—most commonly a religion or worldview—by giving reasons, arguments, and answers to objections. People who do this are trying to show that their beliefs are rational, credible, and/or true, or at least to make them understandable and persuasive to others. You may have been tempted to try to argue someone into heaven. Throwing every verse you know at them with the hope that they would "see the light" and surrender by faith to Jesus.

You are not misguided. We are to share the gospel with words and the way we live our lives. However - comma - I think it is important to understand that it is not the power of our words but of the Spirit of God that brings conviction to the sinner - just as it was with a sinner like me.  In Matthew 16, people were trying to reason out who Jesus was. A prophet, Elijah, even John the Baptist - Jesus cousin - I never could figure that out. But then Jesus asked who the disciples thought He was and Peter answered. 

Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. - Matthew 16:17

Me understanding who Jesus is and my need for a Savior is a spiritual happening - not a result of mental gymnastics and logic. Consider what the Word says about the capacity of the natural man to understand spiritual truth, and so I question our ability, on our own, to argue someone into the kingdom.

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. - 1 Corinthians 2:14

Pretty clear.  You will not come to faith through natural reasoning but revealed truth can be used by God to draw you to Himself. Like I have said before - you can't save anybody but you should tell everybody. 

I have heard the joyful sound - Jesus Saves!

Think about it – Pray about it - Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Stopping Short with Our Confession

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. - 1 John 1:8-10

It is a simple thing to confess that we have done something wrong - sinned against God. It can be just words - "Father forgive me for I have sinned" and then we press on with our lives.  I am certain you remember the story of the prodigal son.  You never really know at what point he realized that he had indeed sinned against his father. In fact if you read the story - the reason he went back home was that he was tired of dealing with the consequences of his sin. He had abandoned his family to go his own way, but it didn't work out - and I think that is most often the case.

So he could have said "I messed up, maybe I can go home and pretend that everything is well" When in fact there was a fracture in their relationship that he caused. His father still loved him, but the relationship was broken and there was only one way it could be mended. Repentance -  a heart change. I think that is the failing of many people who think that forgiveness is something they can get so they can continue to live the way they want to. They can continue to sin and then get that sin erased so as not to interfere with their lives and their poor choices.

When we seek forgiveness through confession it must be preceded by a change of heart. That I would love God with my whole heart and not myself. When David was confronted by the Prophet Nathan concerning his sin with Bathsheba and the death of Uriah (the Bible doesn't say that explicitly, but those two things - adultery and murder -  went hand in hand) David said "Create in me a new heart and renew a right spirit in me" Psalm 51.  

With confession must come a rending of the heart - repentance - a turning away - not seeking the opportunity to continue in my sinful ways. You would say "You are not talking about me!" and I would say "Oh really?"  I am talking about all of us. We make excuses for our sin. Perhaps are not really sorry that we sinned but that we got caught in them or are, like the prodigal, dealing with the consequences of them.

The prodigal son was certain he did not deserve to be restored to a place of sonship but was satisfied with being a servant. Repenting of his sin, the father restored him and rejoiced at his return.

"And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.  And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found." - Luke 15:21-24

Think about it – Pray about it - Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Don't Be Satisfied With Less Than God's Best

May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless… —1 Thessalonians 5:23

Do we believe that God can fortify and protect our thought processes far beyond where we can go? “…the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). If this verse means cleansing only on our conscious level, may God have mercy on us. The man who has been dulled by sin will say that he is not even conscious of it. But the cleansing from sin we experience will reach to the heights and depths of our spirit if we will “walk in the light as He is in the light” (1 John 1:7). The same Spirit that fed the life of Jesus Christ will feed the life of our spirit. It is only when we are protected by God with the miraculous sacredness of the Holy Spirit that our spirit, soul, and body can be preserved in pure uprightness until the coming of Jesus-no longer condemned in God’s sight.”  Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

 As I write these devotions, I can see a thread that runs through them ...  I have been writing them since 2012 and have published 3639 as of this writing. That is a long thread!  But it is the same thread that runs through the Bible.  

God has called us to a life of faith and holiness.  We cannot achieve that life on our own.  And even when we are born again, even though we are “awakened” to the reality of spiritual Truth, we continue to struggle with living a life of faith and holiness.  We make excuses for our failings, unfortunately often resolving ourselves to some lower level of faith and holiness that God never intended as some sort of self-defined compromise.  

When you talk to other Christians, even those that you might consider “more spiritual than most”, you should never think that they are immune to that same struggle.  For Christians, our struggle with sin is the proverbial "elephant in the room". everyone knows it is there, but no one really wants to talk about it. 

None of us are like Jesus yet, but all of us will be, one day.  So should we be content with our not being like Him yet?  God forbid.  We are on a spiritual journey.  We are being conformed - we are being transformed. It is a life long process. Perfection - sinlessness will continue to be out of reach until we go to heaven. In the meantime, we must keep our eyes fixed on Him, and press on.  

And so my friend, let me encourage you to press on in your faith with confidence that “He who began a good work in your will be faithful to complete it.” (1 Philippians 1:6)  

“I am not the [person] I ought to be, I am not the [person] I wish to be and I am not the [person] I hope to be, but, by the grace of God, I am not the [person] I used to be.”

― John Newton 

 I changed the word "man" to "person" in the quote since it applies to all Christians - male and female

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3:13-14

Think about it – Pray about it - Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Understanding The Times

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. - Ephesians 5:15-17

In 2 Samuel 23 there were 37 men singled out as the Mighty Men of David. They were called “mighty men” because they were elite warriors in David’s army—men known for extraordinary courage and fighting ability and for performing remarkable acts of bravery for David, especially in battles. The “sons of Issachar” are described most clearly in 1 Chronicles 12 Among David's mighty men who were especially valuable to David because of their understanding and strategy, not just their strength. They are said to have “understanding of the times”—they knew when to act and how to make good decisions in Israel’s situation—so they came to David with help that was both wise and effective in battle.

I had an interesting conversation the other day. I was asked if I believed a certain statement as being fact. I said "no", in fact I had not given it any thought. I asked how they new it to be fact and they answered "Everyone knows it is true." (me) So who is everybody? (them) Well the people they follow on the internet and other social media apps. (me) And how do those people know? Do they have proof? Proof that you can see and verify independently? (them) Well, they must. People who believe the Bible don't pay any attention to what is going on around them in the world. There are bad things happening.

That was a conversation with a person who sees the world through natural eyes. I would say that person is full of fear. While talking to them I was thinking about Romans chapter 1.

Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man....And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers,  backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,  undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. - Romans 1:21-23, 29-32

It is not that Christians are unaware of how far mankind - to include our culture - has fallen away from God - but more that we understand the times and as much as we are dismayed and disheartened by what we see - we know that "all have sinned" and "there are none righteous". The tendency of sinful man is to move away from God and godly values and not toward Him. To not just tolerate the sin of others but to approve it and even promote it. So what do we do as Christians? We let our light shine. We do not hide it under a bucket but set it on a hill. The darker the night - the brighter the light. We pray for an awakening and revival knowing that things will get much worse before Jesus returns for His Bride.  

Our response is practical - how we live and spiritually how we pray. "In God We Trust" is on our  currency and in the U.S. House Chamber area and also over the U.S. Senate south entrance of the Capitol building.  That might suggest that our government places it's confidence in God first. After all our founding documents allude to Jehovah God and His precepts - but the United States is a secular nation. And so what we see happening should not be surprising to we Christians - just read the Old Testament about the faithfulness and lack of faith of the Jewish people.

So - are Christians unaware of the moral mess our country is in? - No. Surprised - No. Hopeful - yes because "In God we trust"

Think about it – Pray about it - Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

So, We Are Supposed To Be Like Jesus?

“For those whom He [God the Father] foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He [Jesus] might be the firstborn among many brothers [and sisters].”  - Romans 8:29

“Jesus doesn’t take us aside and explain things to us all the time; He explains things to us as we are able to understand them. The lives of others are examples for us, but God requires us to examine our own souls. It is slow work— so slow that it takes God all of time and eternity to make a man or woman conform to His purpose. We can only be used by God after we allow Him to show us the deep, hidden areas of our own character. Jesus will reveal to us everything we have held within ourselves before His grace began to work. We have to get rid of the idea that we understand ourselves. That is always the last bit of pride to go. The only One who understands us is God. The greatest curse in our spiritual life is pride. He will allow us to experience heartbreak or the disappointment we feel when our intellectual pride is wounded. He will reveal numerous misplaced affections or desires— things over which we never thought He would have to get us alone. Many things are shown to us, often without effect. But when God gets us alone over them, they will be clear.” - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

Have you ever given any thought to what being conformed … molded .. changed … means?  Well, first you know it is a spiritual change, right?  Second … you know that the process is going to be contrary to your flesh. God will show you things through the Spirit that you may not want to see or admit, even to yourself.  (One of the Spirit’s missions is to convict the world of sin.  The Spirit plus the Word of God are the “one-two” punch in the sanctification process.  The knock-out punch is my surrendering my will)

You know that there are certain aspects of your old nature that you want to hide or cling to.  Adam and Eve tried to hide themselves in the Garden… you know how that worked out for them. The only ones you can hide your sin from, for a season, is man.  The Word says (Numbers 32:23) “Your sin will find you out.”  God knows everything .. that is why we confess our sins (1 John 1:9) .. confess means to “agree with” not to reveal. 

The goal of this transforming – conforming process is not to make you miserable, but to bless you .. to make you better.  The pain or difficulty you experience in that process is from the battle between the flesh and Spirit. My encouragement to you is the same as Paul’s to the Romans.  

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”  - Romans 12:1-2

God won’t make you do that.  You must choose to surrender your will and then actually do it.  Will you?

Think about it – Pray about it - Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Why Would You Ask For Help From A Drowning Man

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. —2 Corinthians 5:17

“Our Lord never tolerates our prejudices— He is directly opposed to them and puts them to death. We must learn that God accepts nothing of the old life! God pays no respect to anything we bring to Him. There is only one thing God wants of us, and that is our unconditional surrender. Our old gloomy outlook disappears, as does our old attitude toward things, and “all things are of God” (2 Corinthians 5:18). How are we going to get a life that has no lust, no self-interest, and is not sensitive to the ridicule of others? How will we have the type of love that “is kind…is not provoked, [and] thinks no evil”? (1 Corinthians 13:4-5). The only way is by allowing nothing of the old life to remain, and by having only simple, perfect trust in God— such a trust that we no longer want God’s blessings, but only want God Himself. Have we come to the point where God can withdraw His blessings from us without our trust in Him being affected?” - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest 

In today’s culture when someone says “Prejudice”, the narrow definition is racial prejudice or bias. But it could also mean that something that the culture embraces as truth is in fact a lie - contrary the the Word of God. Choosing to believe the Word over your culture might label you as a hater, a bigot, or prejudice.  

The root of the word -prejudice - has to do with having a biased opinion about something.  Typically that could be a negative thing - a dislike, even hatred, of people of other races or, today, other moral practices.  Racial bias is one of the prejudices that has been a bane to the Church.  It was said that 11:00 am on Sunday morning was the most racially divided hour of the week. Racial bigotry is part of our old nature. People have argued for years that one race is superior to another.  Typically it is the majority race in any culture that holds that view.  

So what does the Bible say? Well, mankind was created in God’s image. (Genesis 1:26) Genesis does not say only white or red or black or yellow or brown.  So God must not have been referring to skin color or national origin.  Paul wrote “there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female” (Galatians 3:8) in the Body of Christ.  Jesus prayed “That they may be as one, as we are one" (John 17:11).  John wrote “If you say you love God and hate your Brother, you are a liar and the Truth is not in you.” (1 John 4:20)

We try to justify our prejudices – the opinions born out of our old nature – by turning to those who think like us to seek affirmation … and we will always find approval from those who have the same prejudices we do or at least are tolerant of our prejudices lest we fail to accept theirs.  

If you want someone to say your sin is OK ask another sinner.  But - when drowning, why would you seek help from someone who is drowning beside you?  The Word is the place you go to know what is Truth.  The Spirit is the one that affirms and confirms what is right and what is wrong … the Spirit convicts us of our sins. (John16:8)  I know a good number of Christians that hold on to opinions – prejudices that were born out of their old nature.  I am one, come to think of it.  So what to do.  It’s actually a simple solution that is impossible to accomplish by wishing it so …. it requires faith not will power. 

We must surrender the prejudices we embrace born out of our old nature – to God.  Offering ourselves, daily, as a sacrifice. Confessing our sins, daily. (1 John 1:9) As you develop your spiritual acuity, (one day you will have 20-20 spiritual vision) you will see those opinions or prejudices for what they are and abandon them by faith and through the power of the blood of Jesus.  “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.  What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”

Think about it – Pray about it - Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Sarah Laughed

And He [the Lord] said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. - Genesis 18:10-14

When the Lord called Martie and me to Haiti it was to do something that I have never done before - build an orphanage. We arrived in Haiti in July 2011 and I was asked to have the orphanage operational by October 1. The Lord provided everything I needed to accomplish the task - materials, construction expertise, equipment, manpower. What I provided was leadership and a willing heart to walk by faith. Not long after the work had begun, I was talking to a Haitian pastor. He asked me when the orphanage would be ready for the children. When I told him, he laughed and said "Nothing happens quickly in Haiti". To which I replied - "Pastor - Sarah laughed!" I can say from the expression on his face he was not happy with my response - it was a challenge to his faith - and that, frankly, was my intent. On the first of October the children walked through the gate of their new home. 

‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.  ‘Who are you, O great mountain? Before [the Lord God]  you shall become a plain! - Zechariah 4:6-7

How is it that we can accept Genesis chapter one's creation story or John 1:1-3 but when we consider God's word to us, we doubt. Do you not know that Sarah conceiving was the Lord's will and not hers? She was resolved to a life of being barren - childless. Not that she did not long for a child. But the season for any possibility of that happening has long since passed. Recall when Jesus prayed in the Garden, He prayed - "Yet not my will but Your will be done" There is no heavenly drive-through where we can place our orders and then God puts them in a sack and hands them to us as we drive by. We must align our will with the Father and where our will is not aligned with His, we must yield our will to His. And that means picking up our cross and following after Jesus. 

Then He [Jesus] said to them all, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. - Luke 9:23

Are you ready to do that? Even it means that you don't get what you want or things don't go your way? Really? My victory in the orphanage was followed by my contracting malaria, followed by chikungunya disease, and then followed by cellulitis. God is faithful - in good times and in difficult times. In the midst of it all, good and bad - God has been and will be faithful. Put your trust in God.   

Think about it – Pray about it - Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

I Don't Love Your Choices But I Still Love You

There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. - Proverbs 14:12

I am quite certain that you have someone, perhaps more than one someone, in your family who is struggling with sin. And very likely, you struggle with how you should respond to that someone. Well, I think that to find the answer you seek, you might have a look back at your own life. Was there a time when you and your heart were far from God? Of course there was.  Did you want people telling you that you were wrong and needed to go another away? Of course you didn't! 

So what changed in your life?  Did someone continue to love you? That is not to say they condoned the choices you were making. But they, still, did not "throw the baby out with the bath water!" 

Do you remember the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15?  When the son repented and returned to his father, his father saw him from a long way off.  That suggests to me that the father was always looking toward the hill for the son's return. But he did not go after his son. He loved him and waited for the son to have a change of heart. True spiritual transformation is not something that you can mandate or manipulate. Oh you might be able to influence someone's behavior when you are around them, but not change their heart. That is something that they must do. It is between them and God.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. - John 3:16-18

God has made a way for restoration but it takes each one of us yielding our hearts - repenting of our sin - and being restored to our heavenly Father through faith in Jesus. The life that we were living that led to death and eternal separation from God was saved because Jesus paid the price for our sins. I know some of my relatives are living their lives apart from God. They know the truth about God's love and yet they continue to live in a way that defies the Truth but makes sense to them. I have shared the Gospel on more than one occasion.  It is not that they have not heard the Truth. It is that they choose not to repent. There is nothing I can do about that. I can't make the decision for them.  But I will continue to love them, looking down the road, hoping that one day I will see them crest the hill as they return with a new heart.

My folks witnessed to me for 7 years - sometimes with words - but mainly with love and acceptance - living as examples of children of the King. They didn't love my choices, but they still loved me!  I heard their testimonies but there was another way that seemed right to me at the time, until one day - my eyes and heart were opened to the Truth - and my life was changed - forever. I was born again. If it can happen to me - it can happen to anyone. But it takes a divine - personal - revelation from the Father - Jehovah God.

Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. - Matthew 16:16-17

Think about it – Pray about it - Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Walking In Our Calling - Not An Easy Road

I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." —Isaiah 6:8

“God did not direct His call to Isaiah— Isaiah overheard God saying, “…who will go for Us?” The call of God is not just for a select few but for everyone. Whether I hear God’s call or not depends on the condition of my ears, and exactly what I hear depends upon my spiritual attitude. Remove the thought from your mind of expecting God to come to force you or to plead with you. When our Lord called His disciples, He did it without irresistible pressure from the outside. The quiet, yet passionate, insistence of His “Follow Me” was spoken to men whose every sense was receptive (Matthew 4:19). If we will allow the Holy Spirit to bring us face to face with God, we too will hear what Isaiah heard— “the voice of the Lord.” In perfect freedom we too will say, “Here am I! Send me.”” - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

 Jesus said (Mark 4:9) “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”  Whoever has the desire to seek God will hear.  Then once you hear God, the next step is to “do”.  We have all been called.  In Romans chapter 1, Paul referred to the Roman (Gentile) church as “the Called of Jesus Christ”.  Our challenge is to live in obedience to that calling.  It is not an easy road that we walk. But we don’t have to walk it on our own, thank the Lord.

So often we are interested in the eternal benefits of being a Christian, but we don't really want to yield fully to God. Instead we would like to negotiate with God. Maybe we can both sign a memorandum of agreement. Where we both give in certain areas.  We just want to hang on to a little bit of our old nature - the things of the world that we love. Is that so bad? Well the Word of God is clear. There is no wiggle room. No opportunity for compromise.  

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. - 1 John 2:15

Like the "song of the sirens" luring the sailors to their death on the rocks, our old nature calls to us to compromise - just a little. But James wrote

For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. - James 2:10

Think about it – Pray about it - Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Speaking To A Dead Man

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. - Matthew 16:13-17

Someone realizing who Jesus really is and who they really are is not something that can be reasoned out with logic or observation and study. It happens only by godly - spiritual revelation. 

As Christians, we have been anointed to proclaim the Good News - but salvation is between the hearer and God. We can convince no one of spiritual truth with logic or persistence. That realization is an act of faith. A revelation from God, Himself. Once heard - once someone feels the unction of the Spirit, they are faced with a choice of either yielding their heart and life to the Lord or continuing to stay on  the path, which leads to Hell and eternal separation. No matter how much I want someone to be saved - especially a loved one - perhaps a blood relative - part of my family - it is not up to me.

So what is my responsibility. I believe that it is to speak when the Spirit gives opportunity - to continue to pray for their salvation - to continue to love them - just like God continued to and continues to love me. I heard the Gospel for many years before I yielded my heart by faith. It is difficult to accept that not all whom I love will have their names written in the Lamb's Book of Life. But, thankfully, some will. God knows - I don't. And so I do what God has told me to do - Go and Tell. My place to is sew the seed - Only God knows the condition of the soil. I must be careful and not think that my words will convince someone - but God may use my words for His purpose. My willingness to share the Gospel must be unconditional - not conditional that someone must be saved when I speak or I have failed somehow. The sower does not stand in one spot but casts the seed as he walks along. And so should we.

Then He [Jesus] spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! - Matthew 13:3-9

Think about it – Pray about it - Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Making The Choice To Not Be Angry - Part 2

This is a continuation of yesterday’s devotion.  I realize that many books have been written on this subject. Many people are in therapy for anger. Christian people.  Anger is a secondary emotion, meaning why we get angry is because there is something at the root – working behind the scenes – and a life situation serves as a catalyst for our anger to rise up.  

I also realize that people can find verses in the Bible that would suggest that anger is “OK”, it is not sin. But anger is like a loaded pistol.  The gun can go off by accident or can be used for harm intentionally.  It can be indiscriminate, hurting the innocent as well as the guilty.  Anger can be so dominant that the easiest thing is to yield to it and not resist.  My point is that accepting anger – even rage, is not consistent with your new life in Christ.

Most people are not looking for opportunities to be angry … Those opportunities come suddenly upon us, like an ambush, with ferocity.  Then it is over – the smoke clears – the causalities lie wounded all around.  And we say to ourselves “It’s not a sin to be angry.” In an effort to justify the harm we have done.  So what to do.

First – Understand, and Embrace the Truth, that Anger is not a fruit of the Spirit. 

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.   (Galatians 5: 19-23)  

These verses contrast the differences between your life in the flesh and your life submitted to the Spirit of God – the Spirit that is in you. 

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own -  1 Corinthians 6:19

How can we reconcile anger and the damage it does with our new nature and the fruit that it bears? I’ll answer that. We can’t!

Second – Have you ever heard or said “You make me so angry!”? No one can “make” you angry.  But they can provide the opportunity for you to express anger.  Everything is going fine then the ambush is sprung and you find yourself in the “kill zone”.  In "Ambush-eze", the kill zone is the place where most all of the fire power is directed. Anyone in that area when the ambush starts is a gonner.  The only way to not be a gonner is to do what makes no sense at the time, face the firing and charge it – fighting your way through it.  It is your only hope of survival. In this case, the best defense is a good offense! When you are getting angry, you need to recognize it immediately and deal with it spiritually.  Like salvation – you can’t succeed by trying harder.  You need to attack with the Sword of the Lord.  The ambush is within – it’s not the circumstance that gave rise to the anger.

Third – The best thing to do is to avoid the ambush altogether. To see the signs of danger and go another way.  That requires discernment which comes from the Spirit which requires the discipline of seeking God and hiding the Word in your heart (Psalm 119:11)  I recall an a time at ROTC advance camp at Fort Bragg, N.C.  It was my turn to lead the platoon during a training exercise in the woods.  I was leading the platoon on the most secure route and following the road was not necessarily the fastest route to our objective.  So, looking at the map, I decided that we would cut across difficult terrain.  I reached our objective without incident. Afterwards, I was told that there had been an ambush set up at an intersection along the road that I had bypassed that was waiting for us.  The thing is, we never showed up for the party.

You must be sensitive to the signs of an anger ambush and avoid them.  We choose how we respond to life – in the power of our flesh or in the power of the Spirit of God.  Your success will depend upon your training and preparation.  Most Christians lack an enthusiasm for spiritual growth and maturity. They are content with keeping a firm grasp on their ticket to heaven and talking about how much they love the Lord – around other Christians.  But when faced with the withering fire of a deadly ambush – they falter and fail.  

Perhaps you are thinking that avoiding anger is impossible. It is not any more impossible that the Son of God dying for your sin and you receiving eternal life.  If God can do that, why would you think that your problem with anger is bigger than that? You need to deal with the root of the problem. Paul talks about this in Romans 7:21-25 (read it) You don’t need to try harder – you need to Faith harder.  

Think about it – Pray about it - Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Making The Choice To Not Be Angry - Part 1

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. - Ephesians 4:31

Anger – you know the feeling don’t you? That feeling in rises up inside of you? Like a jug quickly filling up with water until it overflows. You face is flushed.  Your heart is racing. But is it anger or frustration or disappointment? Often times they are indistinguishable and their expression through you is likewise indistinguishable.  Many people try to explain how they respond or excuse how they respond to life and problems by pointing to their ancestors and their family’s dominant country of origin.  

Some time ago, we ran into a plumbing snag at the house we were working on.  It’s fixable, but it might of cost one or two thousand dollars.  The plumber was talking to me on the phone, almost apologetically because he knows we are a ministry and the home owner has no money to pay for something like this. I could sense that he was expecting me to be unhappy and perhaps even angry.  I told him – “Man, I have been in two wars.  If someone is not dying – I don’t get upset about anything” I went on to say I know two things – “God is good” and “Jesus Saves”.  That brought perspective into the issue.  I told him that I was happy that I was dealing with this and not the home owner.  

Bear one another’s burdens and thus fulfill the law of Christ. - Galatians 6:2

If you can’t quell your anger – not let your emotions rule – that is a pretty good indication that you are not fully submitted to the Spirit of God.  That is not a judgment, just an observation from my own life.  People often point to Jesus being angry in the temple as an excuse for their own anger.  I would say that the next time you go to church and the money changers and vendors are set up in the foyer – go ahead and drive them out with a righteous anger. But don’t use Jesus as a reason to make excuses for your flesh and sin.  Others looking for an excuse for themselves may buy it, but God doesn’t.  

But I [Jesus] tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you - Matthew 5:44

Hmmm.  How are you going to squeeze anger into that verse? Here is another for icing on the cake. 

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. - James 1:2-3 

Letting the emotion of anger have its way is a temptation -  a fierce temptation – that will spring on you without notice – like an ambush.  The only way you will “survive” an ambush is if you fight your way through it.  To do that you must have prepared yourself for such an occasion beforehand.  How you do that I will defer for tomorrow's devotion. 

Think about it – Pray about it - Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Reasons Why You May Not Be Content

By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain… —1 Corinthians 15:10

The way we continually talk about our own inabilities is an insult to our Creator. To complain over our incompetence is to accuse God falsely of having overlooked us. Get into the habit of examining from God’s perspective those things that sound so humble to men. You will be amazed at how unbelievably inappropriate and disrespectful they are to Him. We say things such as, “Oh, I shouldn’t claim to be sanctified; I’m not a saint.” But to say that before God means, “No, Lord, it is impossible for You to save and sanctify me; there are opportunities I have not had and so many imperfections in my brain and body; no, Lord, it isn’t possible.”  Always be humble before God, and allow Him to be your all in all. There is only one relationship that really matters, and that is your personal relationship to your personal Redeemer and Lord. - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

You must be careful to not compare yourself to other Christians and imagine that you can never be like them.  It’s true, you may never do what they do, but if you are born again .. you are exactly like them.  You are exactly like Paul … exactly like Billy Graham … it is just that you may be a different part of the body.  

… the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. […] The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it. - 1 Corinthians 12:14-25

God has purposed us (Ephesians 2:10).  You might decide to be a butcher, baker, or candlestick maker in the natural, but you do not decide what part of the Body you will be in the supernatural.  God does that.  Exactly like Paul and Billy Graham.  Now that is not to say that you might be envious of someone who is the mouth.  But that is your flesh at work.  Perhaps your insecurities at work or maybe your pride. I have known men who demanded that they have a certain leadership position in a local church.  Not because they were called to it, but because they lusted after it.  They want to be significant in the eyes of men or perhaps to overcome some feeling of inferiority or spiritual doubt.  

Or maybe you feel like God can’t use you because you have nothing to offer.  You do! You do!  You can and should offer … YOU.  Then trust that God will use you as He sees fit. It may be to fulfill a place that people won’t see or ever know about.  Is that OK with you?  If not, examine your heart.  If your desire is to glorify God .. the first step is to submit your life to Him and to His will.  A song you may be familiar with …

 “Yes Lord yes to Your will and to Your way.  Yes Lord yes.  I will trust you and obey.  When the Spirit speaks to me, with my whole heart I’ll agree and I will answer .. YES Lord YES!” 

God will provide the opportunity for you to fulfill your purpose. You don’t have to make those opportunities.  Just do what God puts in front of you.  If it seems bigger than you are .. for whatever reason .. it is most probably God.  There was a man, Brother Lawrence, who was known for his spirituality.  He was a monk.  One thing he did not want to do was work in the kitchen.  He decided that.  Any guesses where God put him?  For 15 years.  During that time, he made a huge impact in many people’s lives.  He served faithfully where God put him and glorified God and blessed others in the process.  Are you ready to work in the kitchen? To set side notoriety and the praise of men.  

 [Jesus said] “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”  - Mark 9:35

My hope is this puts things in perspective for you.

Think about it – Pray about it - Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Choosing Something Bad And Expecting Something Good

... by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. —Galatians 6:14

If I dwell on the Cross of Christ, I do not simply become inwardly devout and solely interested in my own holiness— I become strongly focused on Jesus Christ’s interests. Our Lord … did not physically cut Himself off from society, but He was inwardly disconnected all the time. He was not aloof, but He lived in another world. In fact, He was so much in the common everyday world that the religious people of His day accused Him of being a glutton and a drunkard. Yet our Lord never allowed anything to interfere with His consecration of spiritual power. The Spirit of God has set a great many people free from their sin, yet they are experiencing no fullness in their lives— no true sense of freedom. The kind of religious life we see around the world today is entirely different from the vigorous holiness of the life of Jesus Christ. “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15). We are to be in the world but not of it— to be separated internally, not externally (see John 17:16). Consecration (being dedicated to God’s service) is our part; sanctification (being set apart from sin and being made holy) is God’s part. We must make a deliberate determination to be interested only in what God is interested. - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

I have known a good number of Christians who have made tremendous errors in spiritual judgement.  Those errors have derailed their lives and brought grief and heartache … sometimes that lasts a lifetime.  And yet, they persist in making the same choices based upon their emotions … their desire to “fix the problem themselves or satisfy the need that seems to dominate their lives.  Although they may sing “Jesus loves me this I know” … time and again they choose their own path and solutions over the path that God has laid out for them (Proverbs 16:9) 

They quench the Spirit and listen to their flesh.  They ignore the Biblical counsel of their friends and family … and repeat the same mistakes that they have made in the past with, predictably, the same result. When I see this happening, my heart breaks because I know the joy they have rejected for the trouble that they will inevitably embrace as they meet the consequences of their choices.  Does that sound dismal? That’s because it is.  God has called us out of that life.  But our faith must be more than a philosophy … a “get out of hell free” card.  The great gift we have came with a price .. Jesus on the cross .. yet even that is a distant thought.  That Truth is not enough to motivate us to choose God .. to follow the Spirit .. to sacrifice the flesh.

So why does that happen? For one reason, most of us do not separate ourselves from our old life.  It’s one thing to be IN the world as a Christian.  It’s quite another to participate WITH the world.  To embrace what we know to be sin in an effort to secure the world’s substitute for God’s will and way.  The interesting thing is that although I might speak to the wayward Christian to encourage them to draw close to Jesus, only the Spirit of God can bring conviction to their hearts and only they can yield to that conviction and turn to God in repentance.  So what to do.  Well. Be an example.  Love them .. not their sin … like Jesus.  Pray for them.  And bear the hurt in your heart as you watch them struggle with the impossibility of the life they have chosen.  Jesus spoke to the problem … the Apostles wrote about the problem to the churches .. so it is not a new problem in our generation.  It is the struggle between the flesh and the Spirit natures.  The nature that you feed is the one that will dominate. 

After I got out of the Army, I stopped exercising.  While I was in the Army, exercise was part of my daily life. So, not surprisingly, taking in more calories than my body needed .. I started packing on the pounds. Before I knew it … I weighed 298 pounds .. unbelievable but true.  But then I came under conviction.  First from my doctor who was watching my weight gain and said “You are going in the wrong direction.”  Then there was the associated medical issues derived from being overweight.  I saw a friend, one day, who had lost weight ..  a lot of weight and I asked him how he did it. He told me and encouraged me to do the same. Nine months later, I weigh 199 pounds. I repented. Stopped making the wrong choices and disciplined myself.  I needed encouragement .. but I also had to choose to go another way. Well, that is the way it is with our Spiritual, emotional and relational lives as well.  The Spirit will bring a dissatisfaction and we must be willing to repent.  Today .. choose Jesus.  He is the Way and the Life and the Truth. (John 14:6) Stop doing what you know is wrong for you.  The only way you can do that is by the Spirit. “It’s not by might or by power but by the Spirit”(Zechariah 4:6) You might say “It’s not by MY might or by MY power but by HIS Spirit”.  You can do it!  With His help.  Do it today.

Think about it – Pray about it - Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

The Insanity Of Choosing To Trust In Yourself And Not God

 “He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." —Hebrews 13:5

What line of thinking do my thoughts take? Do I turn to what God says or to my own fears? Am I simply repeating what God says, or am I learning to truly hear Him and then to respond after I have heard what He says? “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’ ” (Hebrews 13:5-6). “I will never…forsake you.” Sometimes it is not the difficulty of life but the drudgery of it that makes me think God will forsake me.  As we grow in His grace we find that God is glorifying Himself here and now, at this very moment. If we have God’s assurance behind us, the most amazing strength becomes ours, and we learn to sing, glorifying Him even in the ordinary days and ways of life. -  Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

 In my experience the greatest enemy facing me and my desire to follow God and yielding to His leading and ways is, well…. It’s me.  I find it so easy to agree with God and acknowledge His precepts as right, and yet, when faced with life I, consistently, turn to me and not Him. The phrase “Living by Faith” is not meant to be a plaque on the living room wall … or merely a pleasantry that we acknowledge as being right.  To live by faith – in God – means to trust Him first – no matter what.  Living by faith is not like one of the bodily functions controlled by the autonomic nervous system .. like breathing and heart beats … something that you don’t have to think about … Living by faith is intentional … It is an act of our will.  If you are struggling with living by your faith in a particular place in your life, it is most likely that the source of the struggle is you .. not your circumstances.  Like the man who said to Jesus “Help me with my unbelief” 

Jesus asked the boy’s father, How long has he been like this? From childhood, he answered. It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us. If you can’? said Jesus. Everything is possible for one who believes. Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief! – Mark 9:21-24

We know God “can” but the question is do we believe - He will? In this life on Earth, we are not spared from hardship or heartache, but … we can endure whatever life brings our way if we will only have faith in the One who sent His Son … Who created us from dust and breathed life into us. Once in our natural birth and then again in our spiritual rebirth when He sealed us with His Spirit – the Breath of God.  I know that trusting God in the midst of the turmoil of life can be difficult .. maybe you think impossible … This I know from my own life, if Christians neglect the disciplines of the faith … if Sunday is the sum total of the time they spend with the Father … then when the test comes . .and it will come, they will likely get a failing grade.  Not because God was not able to sustain them, but because they chose to ignore Him and trust themselves.  The depth of their faith is dependent upon good things happening to them and the avoidance or relief from bad things and not an abiding relationship with the Father. 

So why is something like living by faith, that seems so simple, so hard to do? Because it is our nature to trust ourselves even if it always leads to failure.  Remember that is the definition of insanity.

“Trust in the Lord and not yourself” – (my paraphrase of Proverbs 3:5)

Faith and trust in God demand that you surrender - now that can be problematic can't it?

Think about it – Pray about it - Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Leaving A Legacy

The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. The children of Amram were Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. -  1 Chronicles 6:1-3

If you have read Kings or Chronicles in the Bible, you know that there are many names listed. Generational succession. And every now and again you come across names that you are familiar with like Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. But what about all of those other people? Was their existence just like the proverbial "hand in a bucket of water"? While the hand is in the water its presence is obvious. The hand displaces water, but when the hand is removed from the water and the ripples on the water subside, you would never know that the hand had been there.  

When you see a name on a building or street sign have you ever wondered about the person who bore that name? The street or the building was most likely named after them to honor them. But I suspect before that generation had passed - or most certainly by the next generation - the person was forgotten and their name was just a name on a sign. Of course, there are a few in history where their names and contributions to society are still remembered. They may be famous or infamous - but remembered, all the same. What is said about a woman in Proverbs can also be said for a man.

Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. - Proverbs 31:30

Our current president is wanting to make a visible mark, I think, so he will be remembered.  But, I suspect that like Gershon, Kohath, and Merari - it will not be much beyond this generation that people  will wonder, and then if only for a moment, "Who is that?" As Christians, I think that it is more important that the legacy we leave is not one of personal notoriety and temporal changes that can be upended as quickly as they were accomplished, but with changes that are eternal. 

Mankind, but our culture, in particular, is consumed with self-indulgence. With appearances. What the outside looks like. And from that, people draw conclusions about what the heart and character of that person are like. How disappointing to discover that the people we have put on pedestals of honor are found to have feet of clay - just like everyone else. And they too will be forgotten by the next generation.

So about that Legacy. Well - I think that the best legacy I can leave is that God is remembered and honored in the next generation. The thing is, in my experience, you may not know you have left a godly impression on the life of someone else. To be remembered - not because people saw me - but because people saw Jesus in me. The legacy I am referring to is not painted on a street sign or etched on the side of a building - but embedded in the hearts of others. A legacy of faith in God.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Like It Or Not - Our Words Reflect Our Hearts

“Those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart….For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man…” —Matthew 15:18-20

Either Jesus Christ is the supreme authority on the human heart, or He is not worth paying any attention to. If I will take an honest look at myself, becoming fully aware of my so-called innocence and putting it to the test, I am very likely to have a rude awakening that what Jesus Christ said is true, and I will be appalled at the possibilities of the evil and the wrong within me. Purity is something far too deep for me to arrive at naturally. But when the Holy Spirit comes into me, He brings into the center of my personal life the very Spirit that was exhibited in the life of Jesus Christ, namely, the Holy Spirit, which is absolute unblemished purity. - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

I often tell people that if you will listen to what people say, eventually, they will expose their hearts. “Out of the abundance of the heart, the heart speaks”  Perhaps it is a critical word, gossip, profanity, a coarse joke, a racial slur, the use of the Lord’s name as an negative exclamation or it might be a word of encouragement, a praise to God, the voice of compassion, the use of the Lord’s name as a positive exclamation … if you listen long enough, you will hear the heart.  Have you heard anyone, including yourself, say “Just kidding” after making some unkind, cutting remark?  What they really mean is that they didn’t mean for that thought to come out.  My heart is the source of my actions and words … David prayed in Psalm 51 that God would create a new clean heart in him … renew a right spirit.  Our words give a glimpse of the condition of our hearts.  Are we walking after the Spirit or after the flesh?  Galatians 5 describes what you will hear and see in either case … the acts of the flesh or the fruit of the Spirit.  As Christ followers, we are to be a light of hope … pointing people to Jesus.  

“Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.” - James 3:10-12

“Be careful little mouth what you say. Oh be careful little mouth what you say.  For the Lord is up above and He’s looking down with love, so be careful little mouth what you say.”  That children’s song seems to suggest that we are the ones who can clean up our heart by being careful  .. but it is really God by His Spirit and Word that do the cleaning.  What we do, like David, is seek out the Spirit and the Word and submit to them …. Then like the Lord told Joshua …. 

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. - Joshua 1:8

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Spiritual Parenthood - Who Is Your Daddy?

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. - John 3:14-18

OK - Have you read the full chapter of John 3? I mean really read it beyond embracing John 3:16.  Let me see if I can paraphrase verses 14-18

God loves the world and wants mankind to be restored through faith in Jesus. Jesus who was lifted up on the cross for our sins, died and was resurrected by the power of the Father. When we place our trust in that truth which is a spiritual revelation from the Father, then we have eternal life. And so, people who do not put their faith in Jesus - are not born again by the Spirit -  are already condemned. 

In Psalm 51:5, David wrote, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” David recognized that even at conception he was a sinner. When anyone is born, naturally, they are not spiritually fatherless. Because of what happened in the Garden, we are all born spiritually dead toward God - as children of the Devil.

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. - John 8:42-44

Now - we don't want to think that. We want to imagine that we are perhaps somehow neutral, spiritually speaking, up to some age and then we are accountable for our sin.  

"It is possible that God applies Christ’s payment for sin to young children and others incapable of faith, but the Bible does not specifically say that He does this. Therefore, this is a subject about which we should not be dogmatic. God’s extending grace to those who cannot believe would seem consistent with His character. [A reasonable] position [might be] that God does apply Christ’s payment for sin to babies and those who are mentally handicapped, since they are incapable of understanding their sinful state and their need for the Savior." - that is a quote from Got Questions Ministries (but again - "the Bible does not specifically say that He does this") 

With respect to accountability for sin, I suppose the takeaway is that those who are not born again spiritually are already charged as being guilty. One day they will hear the "strike of the gavel" and their sentencing and that will happen at the Great White Throne Judgement. But the lost don't know it.  I am certain that you are comfortable with your understanding of the verses in "Romans that tell us that "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." "There are none righteous no not one" There is no exception in either verse. All means all. None means none.

We must be careful about interjecting what we hope to be true into what we know is Biblical truth. Jesus told Nicodemus - "You must be born again". When you are born again your "name' is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life, have already received a pardon and will not be judged on that day. Hallelujah. Thank You Jesus!

Does it bother you that people are headed for hell but don't know it or perhaps accept it?  Did you know that as a Christian God has entrusted you with the Gospel - the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus? And that is a serious responsibility and must not be ignored or diminished.

But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. - 2 Thessalonians 2:4

That is not to say that you should stand on a street corner with a sign saying "Turn or burn!" but you should be praying for those who are not Christians - starting with those who are close to you. Share your testimony about the difference that God has made in your life. And, of course, share the Gospel - planting seeds.  

Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear -1 Peter 3:15

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

God Can Hit Straight With A Crooked Stick

As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one -  Romans 3:10

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus - Romans 3:23-24

We attended a church some years back where the pastor, Morgan Bailey, would often say "God can hit straight with a crooked stick". Meaning that there is not a human being that has not sinned, but God through His Son has forgiven, restored and enabled those who are born again by faith. 

So - does that mean that if you are truly born again you will never sin again? What does your personal experience tell you?  OK - so we all still struggle with sin. We all need to have our "feet washed" and not our whole body again like Jesus told Peter. 

After that, He [Jesus] poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.” Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed [that is saved] needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” - John 13:5-10

So what is the impact of our sin after salvation? Think of it like being on a sports team but you are injured. You are taken out of the active roster (meaning you can be sent in to play) and put on the injured list until you are healed and your health is restored. Then you are back in the game. That is a simplistic example of what it means to be a Christian with unconfessed sin - and unrepentant. 

Sin cannot be ignored or trivialized if we expect to get off of the "injured list". God's purpose for me does not change - but my capacity to fulfill my purpose because of my sin, has. And how do I get off of the injured list? I must repent. That was the fundamental difference between King Saul and King David. The first tried to justify his sin and did not repent the latter acknowledged his sin and sought forgiveness and restoration.  When confronted by the Prophet Nathan over David's sin with Bathsheba and Uriah the Hittite, David's' response was recorded in Psalm 51. 

Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned ....  Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You.- Psalm 51:1-4, 10-13

So can you still do things that have to do with being a Christian and be living with unconfessed sin - unrepentant. Yes - but like those that Timothy wrote about - 

They (have) a form of godliness but deny its power. And from such people turn away! - 2 Timothy 3:5

What you do when you are "spiritually injured" lacks the power of God. You may look good to others, but not to God - the One that matters.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone