The Threat Of Being Irrelevant

it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment - Hebrews 9:27

I read a recent quote from Barrack Obama. It had to do with men and their getting older. He said (my paraphrase) that when men get old they start to think about their death and irrelevance. [end quote] I assume that he included himself among those men. I am familiar with a similar saying about Generals. "Old Generals don't die, they just fade away." That is when people ask, "Whatever happened to so-and-so?" They are no long part of the cultural picture. Disappeared from the scene. In my experience, what Mr. Obama said is true. When men are young they think about the future and living. But at some point they begin to think about the temporary nature of life - the finality of death that is looming and being the proverbial hand in the bucket of water. When the hand is removed and the water settles down, you would never know the hand was ever in the bucket.

Then Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel. And he said to them: “I am one hundred and twenty years old today. I can no longer go out and come in. Also the Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not cross over this Jordan.’ The Lord your God Himself crosses over before you; He will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua himself crosses over before you, just as the Lord has said. - Deuteronomy 31:1-3

Moses found himself - after doing everything that he had done - eternally significant things - he was done - becoming irrelevant. So he was passing the mantle to Joshua. BTW, even though the Lord told Moses he was not going to cross the Jordan with the people, he would stand on the Mount of Transfiguration one day next to Elijah and Jesus - along with Peter, James and John.

I have written before about my dismay with older Christians being put out to pasture by churches today. The idea being that ministry is for the young. At some point the older Christians should step aside. Make room for the next generation. Not that room should not be made - just like it was for us. But that does not mean that the older generation does not have a spiritual contribution that can yet be made. In fact, what I have experienced as I have watched my hair turn from Red to Blond-ish to White (skipped over grey) is that what the Lord has me doing has changed - but so long as I have breath - He has a purpose for me. My ministry is not done - it is just different. As far as I know my life does not have a "must use by" date on it.

What I am physically able to do has changed. I tell people that when we first went to Mississippi in response to Hurricane Katrina I would heft a 90lb bag of concrete and carry it to the truck. By the time the season for us being in Mississippi had passed, 5 years later, I was putting 2-45lb bags of concrete in a cart to take to the truck. As King Solomon wrote - there is a season for everything. 

So - what is my point to all of this. Like Moses, at some point we will no longer be physically able to serve as we once did. And while the church you attend may want to shuffle you off to a room full of people who look like you - respectfully wanting you to stay out of the way - that does not mean that God is done with you - that He doesn't want to or can't use you any more. 

Don't look to the world for relevance and acceptance - look up! Barrack Obama was speaking from a secular - humanistic point of view. God has an eternal purpose for you and He will decide when you are done.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. - Jeremiah 29:11

I tell people that I plan to burn out - not rust out! And the question that I have for God is this, "What's next Lord?"

How about 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

Do You Believe?

Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” - Mark 9:23-24

I have quoted from the Focus on the Family study, The Truth Project, on occasion. The question is posed; "Do you believe that what you believe is really real?" Good question - but I suppose before you answer that you must answer - "What is it exactly that you believe?" With respect to our Christian faith there are what I call "negotiables and non-negotiables".  Non-negotiables being fundamentals of the faith, if you will, that cannot be compromised without compromising the essence of the Gospel. 

Someone once said with respect to the subject of unity in the Body of Christ across denominations and cultures, "In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, and in all things charity [or love]". Who said those words is up for debate. Some say it was Rupertus Meldenius, a 17th-century Lutheran theologian. Others say it was St Augustine. I think that St. Augustine is the "go to" guy when someone is not sure who said it! The point is that, as Christians, we can find unity with other Christians who disagree with us in the non-essentials so long as we agree in the essentials. And with respect to the non-essentials - we show toleration to disagree and love one another in spite of the disagreement.

There are certain things concerning our faith that are core to what it means to be a Christian that are unequivocable. Meaning - spiritual facts that clear and unambiguous, leaving no doubt about their meaning. It refers to something that is expressed in a definite and certain way. 

I do not intend to address every issue of faith - but only to what I consider the major points of our faith. So let's get to it.

Who is Jesus?

[Jesus] 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

How can I have eternal life?

Jesus answered and said to [Nicodemus], “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

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. - John 3:16-17

We are saved by grace through faith.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. - Ephesians 2:8-10

if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. - Romans 10:9-10

The Spirit of God dwells in every Christian

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. - Ephesians 1:13-14

All scripture is a revelation from God to Man.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. -  2 Timothy 3:16-17

The unsaved cannot understand Spiritual Truth

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. - 1 Corinthians 1:18

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

The bible has been translated in many languages but if someone who speaks that language and has been taught to read they can read the words in the Bible. But apart from the indwelling of the Spirit of God, it is not possible to understand the the spiritual truth of those words. Showing the Word of God to someone who is not born again is like showing an English translation to someone who only speaks Spanish. They see the words - they recognize the letters - but they cannot comprehend since the truth of God is spiritually discerned.

That should give you something to chew on. There is much more, but I think you will find that the rest of the essentials spring out of those that I have shared. BTW, if anyone agrees with these essential spiritual truths then they are your Brother or Sister in Christ.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. - Galatians 3:28

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's Peace What It Is And What It Is Not

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled… —John 14:27

What is your expectation of God with respect to your faith and everyday living?  Do you think that God is obligated to make certain that you do not have to endure hardship?  That nothing “bad” will happen to you or the ones you love?  No injury, no heartbreak, no death, no failure, no loss?  If so, that is a problem.  The Bible does not promise that … God’s theme song might be “I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden!” In fact Jesus said 

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. - John 16:33

"that in Me you may have peace" - not our circumstances. Our peace is in Jesus – supernatural peace … peace in spite of the circumstances you find yourself contending with in this world you live in .. a world full of sinners.  The Peace Christians are promised is a fruit of the Spirit ... peace in spite of your circumstances … in spite of the turmoil you find yourself struggling with.

Because of your spiritual nature and perspective you can see and respond to life, as it happens, differently. Oh, you wanted to avoid experiencing anything unpleasant and was hoping that your rebirth would provide that for you.  Sorry!  But that does not mean that you can’t experience joy while your feet are still on "terra firma".  

Joy is another fruit of the Spirit.  Are you hoping the world will somehow get better over time?  Not going to happen.  Sin begets sin.  Hurt people hurt people.  The answer is Jesus.  He is the Hope of Heaven.  James wrote

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. -  James 1:2-4

Look!  All of us have experienced and are experiencing difficulties in this life.  Remember that God showed His grace and mercy by sending a Redeemer – Jesus. And then He sent a Spiritual Helper – the Holy Spirit. And through Jesus, He established the Church.  The world wants to snuff out your candle.  To replace Jesus with its god – money. Let your light burn brightly.  Let people know that our Redeemer lives! He is Jesus the King.  He is the Christ.  The Son of God.  Who takes away the sins of the world.  Shout hallelujah! And thank God for His wonderful gift … (Ephesians 2:8-9) “…salvation by faith … it is a gift from God”

Be encouraged. Walk by faith. Be willing to step out of the boat. Shine Bright my friend and give God the glory He is due.

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

Seeking Vindication And Feeling Justified For Loving Things That Do Not Honor God

Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us! For we are exceedingly filled with contempt. —Psalm 123:3

“O Lord, deliver me from this lust of always vindicating myself.” - Saint Augustine

There are things in this world that are spiritually neutral.... In other words, they  don’t have a positive or negative effect on you spiritually. The problem is that our discernment can become dulled to those things that are acceptable in our culture but contrary to the Word - that are not spiritually neutral and are, in fact, sinful.  

Guard your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.  - Proverbs 4:23

There are certain things  in everyone’s life that we cling to, even though, in our heart, we know they are not right.  There are things that we teach our children are wrong, yet we will sit in our living rooms and watch those wrong things being played out on the television screen or in a movie theater.  What you allow in your home through music and visual media is a statement by you to your children that those things are acceptable.  Do this the next time you watch your favorite television show, count those things (words or relationships) that are contrary to the Word of God.  Each one is a lesson.  There is an old adage “Do as I say, not as I do.”  Well, I would suggest that that opposite of that is in effect in most homes ... “Don’t do as I say, do as I do.”  I can remember when I was a little boy, my dad told me not to smoke because it was bad for me.  All the while he was smoking a cigarette.  What was the “real” message there?  If you want to be like me, then you should smoke - and what little boy does not want to be like his dad?

As we observe sin, vicariously, we convince ourselves that it is entertainment and not “really all that bad”.  What we don’t realize is that our flesh is at the root of our desire to indulge it.  Sin is attractive to our flesh because our flesh is sinful.  Look, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig!  Whether it is language, life style, or sinful behavior … it promotes those things that are supposed to have been crucified in your life. 

Bottom line, if you crave those things, you have a sin problem.  Hope you don’t stop reading my devotions because of that! Our country has a problem with violence and the most popular television shows are about people killing people. Parents fear their daughters getting pregnant before marriage, yet most movies and television dramas portray and promote extra-marital sex.  The same media that is slamming men for sexual aggression toward women is promoting Victoria Secret in China, the world’s sexiest man, and promoting women as sex objects at every turn.  Think about it Church!  It’s the frog in the pot.  Christians are being boiled alive … and they think the water is just right!  Don’t try to vindicate yourself .. justify you actions .. confess and repent .. honor God in all you do.

Pray about this … and listen for the Spirit to guide you. I’ll close with a couple of verses that you might consider. 

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” - Philippians 4:8  

This Book of the Law [the Word of God] shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful 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. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. - Joshua 1:8-9  

 Stop turning your spiritual nature off when you turn your TV on or sit down in a movie theater.  Ok last verse …

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don’t trust in your own understanding.  In all your ways (including television and movies) acknowledge Him and He will direct your path - Proverbs 3:5-6

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

Who Does The World Think Jesus Is?

 He [Jesus] 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

People heard about Jesus and many saw Him - but what did they think they were seeing? Most people think about Jesus - Who is both God and man - as just a man. They see Him or think about Him from a natural - human point of view. The reason is that they are incapable of understanding spiritual truth on their own. If they could, they would surely tremble. 

The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. - 1 Corinthians 1:18

God thoughts are not our thoughts. When Jesus asked the question, their response was in the context of what those who were not spiritual understood of what was spiritual. Their only frame of reference was of other people. Everyone they named was a human being a son of Adam. But when Peter answered Jesus, it was with spiritual understanding. The nation of Israel has long been looking for a Messiah.

They believed that the Messiah would be a direct descendant of King David, which is a crucial aspect of Jewish messianic expectations. He would gather the Jewish people from the diaspora, rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, and restore Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel. The coming of the Messiah was and is associated with a time of universal peace, where nations will no longer engage in war, and there will be a heightened moral and spiritual awareness among humanity. The Messiah is expected to be a human leader, not a divine figure, who will fulfill specific prophecies and bring about significant changes in the world. 

But Peter understood that Jesus was the Messiah and was divine - the Son of God - a mystery that was unknown until Jesus walked the earth. Jesus told the disciples that "flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven." Knowing about Jesus' divine nature was revealed by God - it could not be deciphered by Biblical scholars. When Jesus met with Nicodemus - a religious teacher - He essentially told Nicodemus that he was trying to understand spiritual truth from a worldly perspective and that Nicodemus had to be born again spiritually. 

There is much talk about the Charlie Kirk memorial in Arizona. But a day after the memorial, the intensity in the press has died down - predictably. Old news. Many people talked about the spiritual context of the event - where Jesus - not Charlie - was being lifted up. The secular media was largely silent about that. Not news worthy to a secular society. That is the way of things in a world that rejects God. The god of this world will not allow the promotion of the God of heaven. Why would the press promote something that it believes is patently false? Some might say that everything does not have spiritual context - but I would argue that it does. God - who is spiritual - is sovereign over all. 

But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. - 2 Corinthians 4:3-4

So who you say that Jesus is? If you agree with Peter - it should be more than informational it should be transformational. Is it? Was 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

The Way of the World - But The Darker The Night The Brighter The Light

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. - Titus 2:11-14

I have been reading posts on Facebook from a number of Christians about their hope of revival in this country - as if our culture has reached a tipping point and people are looking for a spiritual solution.  Certainly that is my hope as well - but even if there is a revival, there is no promise that the impact today will survive the passing of this generation. And, to my knowledge, there is no Biblical evidence that any country - besides Israel - had ever collectively turned it heart and hope to Jehovah God.  

When Adam yielded to the temptation that he could decided what was right and wrong - he chose not to trust God but himself - that opened a door to Hell. Even though man opened it - he cannot shut it. 

I am reminded that the gate to Hell is wide and the gate to Heaven is narrow. We want it to be the other way around. Better yet that the Lord would lock up the gate to Hell and put a sign up saying "Closed for Eternity". He will one day. but not today. In the meantime, our country has gone the way of every other country and civilization before us and that way does not lead to God through Jesus. Even God's chosen people did not have a very good "batting average" when it came to faithfulness to God, often yielding to the culture they lived in and the traditions of their fathers.

For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had encouraged moral decline in Judah and had been continually unfaithful to the Lord. - 2 Chronicles 28:19

Judah did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. - 2 Kings 17:19

So these nations feared the Lord, yet served their carved images; also their children and their children’s children have continued doing as their fathers did, even to this day. - 2 Kings 17:41

Hearts will not be changed without spiritual rebirth. But wouldn't it be wonderful if people would stop using guns for evil purposes?  That could happen but won't happen until there is a heart change brought about by faith in Jesus. The politicians speak of gun control because they cannot legislate morality and pure hearts. 

The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? - Jeremiah 17:9

As of 2025 there are about 78 million Evangelical Christians in the United States. That is 22 percent of the population of about 347 million.  That is not the majority. What that means is that 78 percent of the population does not share the Christian world view. Which means that Christians do not hold sway on our culture's definition of what is wrong and what is right. What is true and what is false. What is moral and what is immoral. Think about it. Ponder the implication for the future.

There is a song by Paul Simon that has a line "the nearer the destination, the more we are slip slidin' away". 

And to that I say - Maranatha!  Jesus come and quickly!

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: 28-32

The darker the night - the brighter the light.

Be the light!

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

Do You Have The Faith To Cross Your River Jordan?

 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. - Hebrews 11:1

In what we used to call Sunday School we now call Connection Groups in the church we attend. We are currently studying the Book of Numbers. This past week in chapter 13 concerning the 12 spies that were sent to scout out the land. Recall that 10 said it was too difficult, that there were giants in the land but 2, Joshua and Caleb, said the land was theirs for the taking and they should go and take it.

So back to Hebrews 11. The promise was that the nation of Israel would be free from being slaves to the Egyptians and be given a land of their own - flowing with milk and honey. That was the substance of things hoped for - but using their natural sight and wisdom they could not just see how it was possible. And so they lacked faith in God. Remember, this is the same God who parted the Red Sea. Defeated the Egyptian Army - the mightiest in the world at the time. The same God who provided food and water for thousands of people in the wilderness. 

It is easy for us to sit in judgement reading about the failure of Israel to trust God - sitting in an air conditioned room with our Bible or iPhone in hand. It is quite another to be facing what the world would agree is impossible. Do you recall the story of God's call to Gideon? Gideon was in a wine press threshing wheat - just think about that for a moment. He was hiding from the Midianites when an Angel of the Lord appeared calling Gideon a "mighty man of valor". (Judges 6:12) I imagine that Gideon was looking around wondering who the angel was talking to!  This was the same Gideon later who attacked an army with trumpets and torches. 

Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers—they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing—and they cried, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!” - Judges 7:20

It was God's intervention and Gideon's faith that won the day. In the same way - God was sending the people of Israel into the land of Canaan. But He was not staying behind. In fact He provided a visible sigh of His presence. Do you remember the story? The people chose to go with the 10 and not the 2. They minimized God's intervention on their behalf and chose to not believe He would do it again. They refused to cross the Jordan and so they wandered in the desert for 40 years until that disobedient generation had passed. 

So I have a point to all of this. The point is about our faith, not theirs. Yours and mine. It goes back to the question asked in the Focus on the Family Truth Project study - "Do you believe that what you believe is really real?" Do you trust your faith in God enough to act on it when all you have is hope and a promise from God. (As if that were not enough!) Now you might give mental assent to the idea that you would but the proof in the pudding is "Are you willing to cross your river Jordan?"  What are the giants in the land that you are facing today?

This natural life is uncertain. There is so much that you and I have no control over. That is why, as people born again by the Spirit, people of the Faith, we must keep our eyes of Jesus.  Remember who our Father is. Remember the new life that we have been called to where ....

we walk by faith, not by sight. - 2 Corinthians 5:7

My prayer for you is .... 

that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. - Ephesians 3:17-21

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