Oct 29 – 30, 2022 – How should I make a big decision? Let’s begin with three statements we might hear at a college graduation from a “very important” speaker. Analyze these statements with me:
- Not realizing what you want is a problem of knowledge.
- Not pursuing what you want is a problem of motivation.
- Not achieving what you want is a problem of persistence.
What is the one common thread in each of those statements? It is the word “you.” Look again at those three statements and identify the missing word in each of those three statements. It is God. Shouldn’t God be part of those statements? Absolutely. Because God is no dummy, right?
Let’s change one word in those three statements and read them again.
- Not realizing what God wants is a problem of knowledge.
- Not pursuing what God wants is a problem of motivation.
- Not achieving what God wants is a problem of persistence.
Do you want what you want or do you want what God wants? Let’s paraphrase it another way. Do you want what a dummy like you wants, or do you want what the wisest Being in all the universe wants? Who do you think will make the better decision, a dummy like you (and me) or an all wise God who has never yet made a single mistake? Obviously, God will always make the better decision, but He is usually not part of the decision making process.
Decision-making is very important because my decision affects not only me, but also my family as well as everyone around me. I need to make absolutely certain I make the right decision because my decision impacts so many people.
So the #1 thing I must do is bring God into the decision-making process, and base my decision on what is pleasing to the Lord!
Oct 28, 2022 – Some time ago a pastor went to one of our leading evangelists and said, “My ministry happens to be different than your ministry.”
The evangelist was not sure what the pastor meant so he responded, “Is that so?”
The pastor said, “Yes, it is. Our church is built more for the upper class of our city. We don’t have many poor people come at all. We do very little city mission work and things like that. We believe it is best to stay with the upper class all the way.”
The evangelist said, “Congratulations. You sound just like Jesus.”
The pastor thought for a moment then said, “I see what you mean. I’m not like Jesus at all, am I?”
The evangelist said, “No, you’re not.” He then walked away and left the pastor to think seriously about his situation.
It was clear Jesus possessed something which that pastor and that church did not possess…something which caused Jesus to have a ministry to the poor of His city, to the blind, to the deaf, to the hungry, and to the outcast. Something which caused Jesus to have a ministry to even those who would never ever be able to repay Him.
Question: Wonder which one I am most like…that pastor or Jesus? Never forget: Ministering to people is a dirty business. We can expect to get our hands dirty if we minister like Jesus!
Oct 14-16, 2022 – “Aren’t you worried, even scared about the future?”
“No, I’ve read the end of the book and I know how this story ends: It ends with God ruling and me living with Him!”
That believer’s confidence is well-placed, but we must remind ourselves that the worst period in world history will occur between today and the end of the book (Bible). The prophecies of Daniel, Revelation and the Olivet Discourse explain God will send a concentrated period (seven years) of intense judgment against the world in the future. Jesus spoke of it as a “time never before seen, nor will ever be seen again.” In other words, the ten worst periods in world history to date are nothing but a warm-up for what is to come. It should be no surprise that we refer to this future period as “The Great Tribulation.” Perhaps “The Greatest Tribulation” would be a more fitting term, though.
The Bible says there will be wars and rumors of wars, unprecedented famine, earthquakes that will displace islands, freak storms featuring hail of incredible size, volcanic eruptions that will likely change the world’s climate, meteor damage, the unleashing of the worst demonic angels from their current prison, the climactic Battle of Armageddon for all the marbles… And all of that is just barely scratching the surface.
The newspaper headlines will talk about one disaster after another for the space of seven years. The people will go to bed talking about one disaster only to wake up the next morning talking about a new disaster! At the end of those seven years, more than two billion people will be dead and there will be nothing the United Nations can do to stop it. “The great day of His wrath has come and who shall be able to withstand it?” (Revelation 6:17).
But do you know how the book of the Revelation ends? It ends, “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life”(22:17).
God finishes His book by reaching out to a lost, dying world and saying, “Come to Me and let Me give you the free gift of eternal salvation! You need to get right with Me so I encourage you to come and let us reason together; though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool. So come to me.” Aren’t you glad He invited you?
Oct 12-13, 2022 – Many failures can be avoided IF we stay focused on our main mission in life. For example, our Lord told Peter, “Satan has desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat. Therefore, watch and pray lest you enter into temptation and not be able to handle your time of testing.” But what did Peter do? He slept when he should have been praying…closed his eyes when he should have been sober and watchful.
Then came failure after failure…trying to fight the soldiers with a tiny sword (that was like bringing a knife to a gun fight)…then running for his life from the enemy…then following Jesus at a large distance instead of standing alongside him…then cursing and denying he even knew Jesus…then finally going out and weeping bitterly about his failures.
My first reaction is to say, “I sure am glad Peter’s not one of my church members!” But then I think again and realize there have been times when I have been even worse than Peter! Shame on me! Shame on all of us!
What happened? We fail like Peter because we forget our main mission in life.
KEY: God saved us then left us on this earth so we could be like Jesus.
Jesus was the salt of the earth; I need to be the salt of the earth.
Jesus stood for the truth and against sin; I need to take a stand for the truth and against sin.
Jesus emphasized getting people saved and trained for the ministry; I need to emphasize getting people saved and trained for the ministry.
Jesus lived in a constant attitude of prayer; I need to live in a constant attitude of prayer.
Jesus put the will of God above His own will; I need to put the will of God above my own will.
Jesus gave His all for His church; I need to give my all for His church which is the pillar and ground of the truth.
Guess what? This world does not need more money or more politics or more laws. What it needs is more Jesus and that is what our mission is all about!
Oct 11, 2022 – How solid is the foundation for your life? Think of it in terms of building a new house. The first thing you do in building a house is to lay the foundation. Everything in that house rests upon the foundation. That includes the living room, the kitchen, the bathroom, the bedroom – yes, absolutely everything in that house rests upon the foundation.
The same principle is true in your own life. Your faith system – the things you really believe in – form the foundation for your life. Everything else rests upon the foundation of your beliefs.
A wise man once said, “Show me a person’s checkbook and I will show you what that person really believes in.” Why? Because we always live OUTWARD our INNER faith or belief system. The foundation reveals itself through our actions. Sadly, some people become badly disappointed with the results, because they place their faith in the wrong things or in the wrong people.
Let me suggest a faith system – a foundation – that you can believe in with all of your heart and not be disappointed with the results. “Jesus said to them, ‘Have faith in God!’”
First, have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation rather than in your own works or some other way! “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). “We have heard the joyful sound, JESUS SAVES! Tell to sinners far and wide, Jesus saves!”
Second, have faith that God is always in control – that “all things work together for good to them who love God!” We are about to move to Dayton, Ohio to be closer to family. I do not have all the answers about what will happen once we arrive, but I have confidence in my God being in control. “What have I to ask beside? Can I doubt His tender mercy, Who through life has been my Guide? Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort, Here by faith in Him to dwell! For I know, whate’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.” He will do “all things well” in Dayton, too. You can take it to the bank!
Next, have faith in ALL that the Bible says! The Bible is the very Word of God. Inspired and inerrant in every detail. It is God speaking to you and me! Thus, we should never doubt what the Bible says even though our feelings may say something different. Others may wander off the Bible path because their foundation has only a little Bible. Take some time to think this matter through. Ask yourself, “Am I really committed to God’s Word?”
Last, have faith that Jesus is coming again! “Your redemption draweth nigh” is as true as the sun rising in the east. Never lose sight of this truth. Live every single day of your life as if He may come today. Jesus promised, “I will come again in the hour when the world does not expect Me.” Live in such a way that you will not be ashamed when He splits the eastern sky.
Above all, have faith in God! When everything else fails, here is the one thing which must never fail: HAVE FAITH IN GOD…in who He is, in what He says, in how and where He leads. In so doing, you will build a life of worth instead of a life of waste.
Oct 10, 2022 – The letter to the newspaper editor asked, “How did today’s world get in this bad condition?”
Someone replied, “… I think it started when Madeline Murray O’Hare complained she didn’t want any prayer in our schools, and we said OK…Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school, the Bible that says thou shall not kill, thou shall not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said, OK.
“Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn’t spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem. And we said, an expert should know what he’s talking about so we said OK, we won’t spank them anymore.
“Then someone said, let’s let our daughters have abortions if they want, and they won’t even have to tell their parents. And we said, that’s a grand idea.
“Then some of our top elected officials said it doesn’t matter what we do in private as long as we do our jobs. And agreeing with them, we said it doesn’t matter to me. And then someone said let’s print magazines with pictures of nude women and call it wholesome, down-to-earth appreciation for the beauty of the female body. And we said we have no problem with that. And someone else took that appreciation a step further and published pictures of nude children and then stepped further still by making them available on the internet. And we said they’re entitled to their free speech.
“Now we’re asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don’t know right from wrong, and why it doesn’t bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves. Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with…we reap what we sow.”
Modern day America is the proof that we reap whatever we sow!
This writer counsels with people from time to time who ask, “What can I do to get out of this mess?” Sometimes I cannot give an answer, because there is no answer to be given. It is simply time to pay the piper and reap what they have sown. The pastor can’t change that, the parents can’t change that, the church can’t change that, even prayer can’t change that.
Remember: Once we have finished sowing, we cannot change the harvest.
Oct 8-9, 2022 – I enjoy reading the prayers of little children who are just learning how to pray. One of my favorites is that of the little girl who was praying the Model Prayer. (Some people call it the Lord’s Prayer, but it is more correctly titled The Model Prayer because it is a model or a pattern for how we sinners should pray). This little girl misunderstood her mother and she began her prayer like this: “Our Father, who art in heaven, how did you know my name?”
Another child began the Model Prayer by praying, “Our Father, who art in heaven, Harold is Thy name.”
Then we come to the nighttime prayer of little Suzie. Little Suzie had been naughty that day. Her mother caught her doing a number of things which she should not have done. Little Suzie knelt by her bed and prayed, “Lord, I know I’m a bad girl. I wish You would help me to be better, but, Lord, if at first YOU don’t succeed, try, try again.”
Do you know what I think? I think we ought to pray every day like little Suzie. “Lord, it is evident that we have not fully succeeded today so would You please try, try again?”
Question: Is God still working on you to make you what you ought to be? YES! We ought to be able to truthfully pray, “Lord, I’m not what I ought to be, I’m not what I’m going to be, but I’m sure not what I used to be!”
The Christian life is one of GROWTH, not instant maturity or spirituality. Growth can be frustrating at times…just like our teenage years! Thus, it is easy to become frustrated with our lack of progress.
Preacher Vance Havner often quoted the farmer, “How can I lie in bed past dawn when I am so far behind on my farming!” Havner mused, “And how can I lie in bed on flowery beds of ease when I am so far behind on my sanctification?” Well, God is not lying in bed waiting on us to get out of bed…our ever faithful God is in the process of continuing His good work in us and has guaranteed He will “bring that good work to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Guaranteed. Set in concrete. Will definitely be done. “In the end we definitely will be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ” (Romans 8:28-30). Yes, we shall be like Him! It can’t get any better than that!
Oh, what a day when He finishes His work on me! And you! AMEN! So keep pluggin’ and keep growin’.
** NOTE for those interested in further study: God’s entire process for bringing us to completion is the subject of my book “Sanctification: How God Creates Saints out of Sinners.” Section Two covers God’s process in Philippians 1:6…from salvation to death. Section Three covers our complete or perfect condition in heaven. It is available in e-book ($3.99) or paperback (Amazon only). You may review the book on Amazon, Apple, B & N, Kobo or at godsgreenhouse.net. Only the paperback has the Scripture Index. Written from a conversative Baptist perspective. Write me for a discount on bulk paperback copies of three or more.
Oct 7, 2022 – Have you bought anything at a flea market or rummage sale? One of our dear members went to an estate sale. Sometimes the seller puts a lot of things in a box, and you just buy everything in the box. That’s what our member did. She didn’t even bother going through the box.
She asked the salesperson, “How much do you want for this box?”
The salesperson said, “Oh, how about five dollars?” So she handed over five dollars and went home with her box.
When she got home she opened the box and guess what she found? She found a box of light bulbs. All sizes. A lot of them.
Then she read what someone had written on the box. These words were written in big bold letters, “Bad bulbs.” Our friend had bought a box of burned out light bulbs.
She thought she had something really special; all she had, though, were some worthless light bulbs.
Do you ever wonder what your life is really worth in the eyes of God? We put everything in a pretty box that looks really good to everyone, but what does God see when He looks in the box?
God’s opinion should be a motivating factor in the Christian’s life. Jesus established the Christian’s pattern with His own example. He said, “I do always those things that please the Father” (John 8:29). Today’s Verse is preceded by the Apostle Paul’s testimony, “Therefore, we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.” Paul said, “My life is like an arrow…and the bull’s eye is ‘well pleasing to Him.’”
Is such a life one of misery? No. Jesus described it as “the abundant life.” Is such a life one of waste? No, a previous Today’s Verse highlights Jesus’ words, “He who loses his life for My sake shall FIND IT.” (I can testify to the truth of that statement!) Is such a life an unending burden? No. “His commandments are not grievous” (1 John 5:3). On the contrary, His commandments are right and good for the soul.
No Christian on his deathbed ever said, “I am sorry for choosing Jesus. I am sorry for following God’s will. I am sorry for learning the Bible. I am sorry for praying. I am sorry for ministering to others or helping in God’s church or telling others about the cross or giving financially to further the gospel.” But many come to their deathbed and wish they had given Him more! Ah, don’t let that regret happen to you. Don’t allow your life to become a “box of bad bulbs”!
Oct 6, 2022 – R. L. Williams will be remembered forever as one of the most successful businessmen of his day. But that would not have been possible unless something took place which changed his entire life. Williams said, “I learned a lesson one day in just about half a minute that taught me something I never got away from. As a boy I got a job as the ticket man for the railroad. I was taking the tickets and selling the tickets at the counter.”
He said, “As a lad, I criticized people. I called them names and made fun of them. I thought I was a big shot because I was taking tickets at a window of the railroad yard. I got so big I could not stand myself. I kept on doing the same thing until one day I sold a ticket to a salesman; when I did so, I gave him a harsh remark. I turned my back on him. As I looked back around, though, this salesman was bending over the counter toward me. He had his face all the way over the side of the counter where I was standing.
He said, “Sonny, if you are going to amount to anything, you had better change your attitude. If you are going to get anywhere in this world you will have to change the way you are doing.”
The man went on to say, “You are going to be a failure if you go on as you are. Get wise to yourself.’ The salesman then pulled his arm back and walked away.
Williams said, “After that salesman left, God spoke to my heart. I saw what a fool I was making of myself as a young man, being so mean, so harsh to people, feeling that I was bigger than anyone else. So I changed. I said, ‘Oh, God, I am going to change,’ and I did from that moment on.”
Williams then went on to become the president of the Northwestern Railway Company. But he said, “It all dates back to that one talk – to that one vow to God.”
It was a place and a time where his entire life changed; as a result, he who was a total nobody then went on to become an important somebody.
That’s the way it is with most of us. There is a place and a time when things have the potential to change in a dramatic way for the rest of our days. That was true for the Bible characters. Remember Moses at the burning bush? Or John hearing Jesus call, “Follow me”? This writer can cite several important places beginning with my salvation and commitment to Christ as Lord and Savior at the age of nine. Then the day to commit to the ministry rather than secular work. No looking back over these last 46 years. Things simply changed. It was full steam ahead. Those decisions set the stage for how to handle future decisions, too. Things became clear(er) and the road became straight(er).
Keep your eyes, ears and heart open to what and who God brings into your life. They will undoubtedly be items designed by God to bring you closer to Him. Perhaps life-changing in a big, dramatic way but life-changing in at least a small way. Be alert to God speaking.
Oct 5, 2022 – Struggling TODAY? Perhaps…then again, perhaps not. If not, do you expect your good fortune to continue forever? I doubt that you do. Job reminds us, “Man that is born of woman is FEW of days but FULL of trouble” (Job 14:1). Trouble and suffering follow us, even surround us.
The old Negro spiritual says, “Oh nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen, Nobody knows but Jesus.” Wonder why he mentions Jesus? The answer is in today’s verse. Indeed, the biblical answer was powerful enough to include Jesus as the ONLY solution in that spiritual. Essentially the song says, “Nobody else knows…but I have a friend who knows and His name is Jesus!”
Despised. Not merely disliked or ignored but despised. Some people were so soured on Jesus that it turned their hearts against Him in utter dismay. Not merely disappointment or disagreement. This attitude of “despise” rises from the deepest recesses of the human heart like a festering sore, even a sharp pain. Jesus encountered this problem many times.
Rejected. Some people don’t care if they are rejected by others. As a matter of fact, it seems to thrill them. But I am not like them. I have a need to be accepted by others and perhaps you do, too. So we try to do good, encourage people but occasionally it is thrown back at us even faster than we can give it out. Much too often we respond by hosting our own pity party. “O, woe is me!” We don’t invite others to our pity party, because surely they can’t understand. At least, that’s how we reason. Strangely, we are so preoccupied with our own misery that we forget Jesus experienced the greatest rejection of all…and it happened to Him repeatedly even before His crucifixion. Obviously, He understands what rejection means to us, too.
Sorrows. The idea is “more than one sorrow.” Anguish that sinks deep into the soul. Some translate it, “a man of suffering” or “a man of pains.” Physical pains. Emotional pains. Psychological pains. Whatever brings sorrow could be included here. And He knows.
Grief. “Familiar with sickness.” “And they brought to Jesus sick people that were taken with diverse diseases and torments…” (Matthew 4:24). “While standing at the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus wept. He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.” How did the naysayers respond? They mocked, “He does these miracles by the power of demons.”
Take heart, dear one! There is one in heaven who knows all about your best day, your mediocre day, and even your worst day. Never forget that He knows! Why? Because He has experienced it, too. So draw near to your Lord and Savior. He understands and He cares.
Oct 4, 2022 – One of the greatest paradoxes of the Christian faith is that we are supposed to represent the truth but yet we often represent darkness. Jesus said, “I have come that you might have the TRUTH…I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life…My word is TRUTH.” But Today’s Verse declares, “we do not always practice the truth.” The Apostle John writes two verses later, “the truth is not always in us.” Verse ten says we sometimes even become so bold as to declare, “God Himself to be a liar.”
Question: How can it be that people who call themselves Christians – that means people like you and me – could do things such as that? Here is the answer: It is one thing to know the truth; it is another thing entirely for the truth to know (experience) you.
It goes back to the old idea that what you believe truly changes you, and if it doesn’t change you then you don’t really believe it. For example, an alcoholic knows the truth about alcohol, but he will still drink and drink and when he has finished drinking he will drink even more. He knows the truth, but the truth does not know him…the truth has never changed his life. These people know one thing with their heads, but they know something totally different with their hearts.
Do you know the difference between your head and your heart? Your head represents your intelligence. Your heart, though, represents your will.
You can know the truth with your head, but your will may refuse to accept it as life-changing truth – it may refuse to bow in submission before that truth – because your will does not want to be changed. Jesus said it like this, “Why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and do not practice the things which I say?” According to Jesus, such a statement is a contradiction. No one can acknowledge Christ as Lord and yet refuse His lordship. Do you remember the adage, “Either Jesus is Lord of all or He is not Lord at all”?
Bottom line: The Bible doesn’t exist to merely inform us; it exists to CHANGE us. Truth – real biblical truth – is supposed to be more than knowing the facts. Real biblical truth is designed to change us from the inside out so that we EXPERIENCE the truth and LIVE OUT the truth in our daily lives. In so doing, we actually become a walking billboard for the TRUTH. God help us that we might grasp the truth and, in so doing, allow that same truth to grasp us!
Oct 3, 2022 – Martin Luther testifies, “I have held many things in my hands and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands I still possess.”
William James says, “The best use of life is to spend it – not hoard it for yourself but spend it – for something that outlasts it.”
What is the difference? There were two sons in the Taylor family over in England. The older son said he intended to spend his life making a name for his family. His goal for life was to hold an office in the English Parliament. The younger son was named Hudson Taylor. Hudson decided to invest his life as a missionary in China.
Would you like to guess which son became the most important? By the time Hudson died, he was known around the world for opening the door to China. Many books have been written about Hudson Taylor. He is still quoted today by pastors like myself. And I right now sharing his story with you!
But what about the older brother? The older brother is mentioned in one English encyclopedia by name then one single comment. Do you know what that comment is? “He was the brother of Hudson Taylor.” That is all that was said about the older brother…just that he was “the brother of Hudson Taylor.”
Whose life really counted? Was it the older brother who ran for Parliament or was it the younger brother who spent all of his life doing mission work in China?
It would be good for all of us to ask ourselves this question: Does my life really count?
Answer: It depends upon what you are sowing.
Sep 30 – Oct 2, 2022 – A strange story but true. Please consider these words. I preached in another church then gave the invitation. No one came forward so we closed the service. Many of the people made their way to their car, some came forward to thank me for the sermon, others just stood around and talked.
During this time a deacon brought two children to me and said, “These children want to get saved.”
I said, “Well, go ahead and get them saved.” (I said that because there is no greater joy than you leading someone to Jesus, so why should I take that joy from you?)
The deacon looked woefully at me and said, “I don’t know how. The pastor always does it for us.”
I said, “Okay. I will show you how.”
I sat the children on the altar facing the congregation. I sat down on the altar between them. The deacon sat down with us. I then began explaining the gospel to these two children. Several minutes passed and I then became aware of something which was happening around me. The building had become totally quiet. The people had stopped their talking. Many had gathered near the front of the church and were seated in the first several rows. People had returned from the parking lot and were now standing across the back of the church. It was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.
It was then I realized I was not only leading two children to Jesus, but I was also giving a soulwinning lesson to an entire church, because they had never been taught how to lead people to Jesus.
Do you know what I did? These children were ready to be saved at any time, but I went through the entire process so that the church could see how it was done. I then led those children through the sinner’s prayer and they were wonderfully saved. We then invited everyone to come forward and shake hands with these children. Many said to me, “We’ve never seen anyone do that before. That was wonderful.”
Do you know how to share your faith in Christ? Briefly, your testimony should consist of three steps you already know by heart: 1. my life before I met Christ, 2. why and how I accepted Christ, and 3. how Christ has changed my life. No big sermon. Just your story. You can share your story face-to-face. You can also share your story on Facebook, Linked-in, Twitter, etc. How about an email to your circle of acquaintances? Or create your own website to sow Jesus? Hospital visitation. Nursing home ministry. Jail ministry. Small groups at church. The options are endless.
Perhaps this is new to you and you’d like a few pointers. Please take a few minutes to visit the Evangelism page on this website. Remember: God loves to use simple testimonies to bring people to Himself.
Sep 29, 2022 – A rich family hired a nanny to take care of their two-year-old son. One day the nanny took the little boy upstairs for his afternoon nap. The mother stayed downstairs in the living room. The little boy began crying the loudest cry you have ever heard. He then yelled, “I want it! I want it! I want it!”
The mother became upset with the nanny. She yelled upstairs, “Give my son whatever he wants!”
Five seconds passed…ten seconds passed…then the boy howled the most painful scream you have ever heard. The mother ran upstairs into the bedroom and said, “I told you to give him whatever he wants!”
The nanny said, “Mam, I gave him exactly what he wanted! He wanted a wasp!”
What would happen if we got our way 100% of the time? Would it be a good experience or would it be a bad experience? Would it make the world a better place or a worse place?
There is a big difference between doing it God’s way and doing it my way. Doing it God’s way is all about building God’s kingdom; doing it my way is all about building man’s kingdom. The Bible makes it plain that, in the end time, man’s kingdom will be crushed – absolutely crushed – by God’s kingdom. It does not pay to rebel against God!
So ask yourself these two questions, “Am I living for God’s kingdom or man’s kingdom? Have I accepted Jesus Christ as my King or have I crowned myself as the king of my life?” Living in accordance with the former is the same as living in the will of God; living in accordance with the latter is the same as living OUTside the will of God. The former includes a submissive spirit; the latter includes a rebellious spirit. The former is in fellowship with the King; the latter is weary and heavy laden. The former enjoys the fruit of the Holy Spirit; the latter labors under the works of the sinful flesh.
What is the conclusion in Today’s Verse? The former asks the Father and receives because the underlying premise of his prayer is, “Thy will be done”; the latter, though, asks the Father and does NOT receive because the underlying premise of his prayer is, “My will be done.” The difference is as distinct as day and night. Which lifestyle do you choose? How will God respond when you ask?
Sep 27, 2022 – To what kind of people do we minister? As noted in Parts 1-3, all people worship a god. But what kind of god? And what creates so much variation in people?
The Frenchman Voltaire was recognized as one of the most famous agnostics of his day. (The word agnostic means that he did not have any use for God in his life.) But Voltaire looked at the many religions of man and he said something that every one of us needs to understand. Voltaire said, “God created man in His own image and man then returned the favor.” Voltaire meant that God created man and then man returned the favor by creating/inventing his own version of a god.
Sure enough, the Bible says that is exactly what happened. The Bible says, “man then changed the truth of God – who God is, what His name is, where He lives, what He does – into the lie and man then began to worship the creature – that which had been created – rather than the Creator Himself” (Romans 1:18-32). The truth is that modern day man is indeed very religious, but the god of most people is entirely different than the God of the Bible.
QUESTION: Who then or what then is man’s god??? Then are many possibilities. First, man’s god may be himself. The atheist says, “no god for me.” Which god does he worship? Who calls the shots? Himself.
Second, man’s god may be a cause. The communist worships a cause; in many countries it is common to worship the state (China). Some capitalists worship their business.
What about the god of pleasure? The Bible classifies some people as “lovers of pleasure.” “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his OWN eyes” (Judges 21:25). Not “what was written in the 10 commandments… ”Not even “what the government says.”
On the other hand, some worship the god called pride. They live to hear someone say, “No one does it better than you!” The rich fool said, “I have many goods.” He referred to himself five times in his speech but never once spoke of the great God of heaven. Yet God said to him, “This night thy soul shall be required of thee” and he died that very night. What a sad ending! (Read Luke 12.)
Let’s add the god of money to our list. “The love of money is a root of all evil.” Many will sell their soul for a dollar more.
Others follow the god of their societal position, some worship at the altar of drugs or alcohol or sexual fulfillment. In conclusion, man worships anything and everything that he values the most in his life.
YET WHAT IS BEHIND EVERY ONE OF THESE FALSE GODS? The Apostle Paul bluntly answers: “I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to DEMONS and not to God” (1 Corinthians 10:20). “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). The Bible is clear: Demonic influence leads people to worship something other than the one true God!
Elijah was in a tremendous struggle for the soul of his nation. So are we. Let us never forget that this is a supernatural struggle on a level far above the physical. We are opposed by invisible forces which are incredibly powerful. Elijah did not stand against such foes in his own strength but in the Lord’s strength. Let us never forget this lesson. Yes, we wrestle against an “unseen world.” Let us always go forth clothed in the armor of God! “Stand in His strength! The arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own (strength).”
Sep 26, 2022 – One of the best evangelists of the 20th century was a southerner by the name of J. Harold Smith. Smith’s daughter taught at a small Florida college. One day she was having lunch with some of the other professors. One of the professors looked at her and said, “Martha, you don’t really believe in life after death, do you? I thought you were more intelligent than that!”
Each person at the table then spoke about his own beliefs; it soon became apparent that there were many different religions represented at that table. Her Jewish friend said, “We believe that the only way you live on after death is in the memory of those who love you.”
A man in a turban said, “No, no! Depending on the karma you have accumulated in various reincarnations, you will return to earth in a form which rewards your deeds. That’s why you need to be careful what you step on in this life because you might come back in the next life as a cockroach.”
The Moslem at the table did not laugh at the man’s joke. He let the people know that if he did away with us infidels, he would then become a martyr for Islam; his god Allah would reward him with seventy wives. Someone scoffed, “That is a reward? Most of us can’t cope well with even one spouse.” Tensions quickly rose and just as quickly the luncheon broke up.
This table discussion is a microcosm of what is actually taking place throughout today’s world. Amazingly, it is the same pluralistic world in which the prophet Elijah lived. Every person had his own god. That, in turn, set the stage for a contest between which God was the one true God. Elijah’s God proved Himself by means of a tremendous miracle. The people learned that Elijah’s God was the one true God.
That same God proves Himself today through the worldwide ministry of the Holy Spirit. “The Holy Spirit will PROVE the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned” (John 16:8-11). Our job is to SHARE Jesus with this unbelieving world and to MODEL Jesus before the same people. But it is God’s job to take such evidence and to PROVE the reality of what we witness. The Holy Spirit drives the point home in a way no other being can. He illuminates the human mind regarding the truthfulness of God’s revelation…brings the individual face to face with the one true God.
Elijah had the necessary courage to allow God the opportunity to prove Himself and He did. Likewise, we must exercise courage before this unbelieving world and allow God the opportunity to prove Himself through our witness. And He will!
Sep 24-25, 2022 – Everyone is this world has a god. A better understanding of that principle will help you understand the people to whom you minister.
For example, you attend church for the purpose of worshipping your God. The neighbors see you walk out of your house, nicely dressed, carrying a Bible, and they say, “He is going to church to worship his god today.” The neighbors, though, stay home and read the newspaper or watch the television or go fishing and none of them ever realize that we can say the very same thing about them that they are saying about us.
We would not say about them, “They’re going to church to worship their god today.” We would instead say, “They’re staying home to worship their god today…or they are staying home because their god says it is okay to stay home today…or they’re going fishing because they idolize fishing above our God.” Yes, whatever they exalt above our God is their god.
In their own way, your neighbors (who stayed home) are just as religious as you because, deep down in their soul, everyone in this world has a god. Their religion may not be the same as yours; that is why they are not in church, but they are just as religious as you in their own way. If I go to deepest Africa I find that even the most depraved savages have a god! They worship idols like they did back in Bible times. If I go to Alcoholics Anonymous I find that they, too, have a god. He is a vaguely Anonymous god, but he is a god (the definition of god is left to the individual) to whom everyone in AA can pray, can depend upon to overcome their alcoholism.
Every person has a religion and that religion is built around one’s personal concept of a god. What is the god of most Americans? It is the god of materialism. The currency may say, “In God we trust” but the truth is, “In money we trust” or “in pleasure we trust” or “in property we trust.” Does any culture worship the human body more than ours? The Apostle Paul rightly declares that man seeks to fashion a god according to his own likes or requirements (Romans 1:18-32) but discard any god that does not meet those requirements.
How fascinating! The rich man in Luke 12 worshipped himself (“Look at what I have done.”) We describe him as a practical atheist, because he had no room for God…just for himself. In his eyes, he needed only himself. But he was wrong.
You and I are like Elijah in a world of Baal worshippers. We are a minority trying to point the majority in the right direction. Your life as well as your church is crying, “If the Lord Jehovah be God, follow Him!”
Ah, make the message clear, plain, consistent, prayer lifted, and Holy Spirit filled! Our God will use you to draw all to Him. May people experience the real God through you!
Sep 23, 2022 – The contest has officially begun: Is Your God Bigger Than My God? Which of us has the bigger god because all of us need a god. All of us need something that is bigger than us and more dependable than us.
“So is the bigger god the god known as Baal? Because if it is, let us follow him…but if it is the god of Israel, the god of the prophet Elijah, let us follow him.”
What a contest! A contest between the two most worshipped gods of that era. Baal was known as the storm and sky god who sent the rain and fertilized the ground for farming. Baal was the main god of the Canaanites who lived in the land of Palestine. Baal’s headquarters was said to be on the mountain ridge known as Mount Carmel. Interestingly, this contest to the death is taking place in Baal’s backyard…where he should be the strongest.
By contrast, the god of the prophet Elijah is the God of the Bible. He is the God who breathed into man’s nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul, Who chose Abraham to be the father of Israel, Who appeared to Moses at the burning bush and yet the bush was not consumed or burned, and Who has now sent this preacher named Elijah to take on the prophets of Baal in one of the greatest contests of its kind.
The same contest is taking place throughout the world today. In reality, the entire universe is a contest between which religion has the bigger god. Does Christianity have the bigger god? Does Islam have the bigger god? Do the Far Eastern religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism have the bigger god? After all, everyone cannot be right!
Most importantly, whoever has the bigger god is the winner!
Question: Can you truly depend on whichever god you have chosen for yourself? Is your God the biggest God of all? He better be!
Sep 22, 2022 – There was this little man sitting in a restaurant, minding his own business when all of a sudden this great big dude came into the restaurant and — WHACK!! — knocked him off the chair and onto the floor. The big dude said, “That was a karate chop from Korea.” The little man got back up on his chair and started eating again when all of a sudden — WHACK!! –the big dude knocked him down again. This time the big dude said, “That was a judo chop from Japan.”
The little man left quietly. He returned one hour later. Without saying a word, he walked up behind the big dude and– WHAM!! — knocked the big dude off his chair, knocking him out cold! The little guy told the waiter, “When he wakes up, tell him that was a crowbar from Walmart!”
Key: If you want to win the big battles of life, you must make certain that you have something in your favor that is big enough for you to win…something big enough for you to believe in 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That something may be your religion, money, education, even family but whatever that something is, that something is likely to be your god…the god that you worship…the god that you believe in…depend upon…expect to be there when you need him or it the most.
Question: Can you TRULY depend on whatever god you have chosen for yourself?
Personally, I have not taken a shot in the dark like many people. I have instead researched the matter and concluded the god I need is the God of the Bible. The Scriptures and Holy Spirit have convinced me that God has indeed spoken to man, made Himself known, made His power and other attributes known, and invited me to enjoy a lifelong relationship with Him. He was bigger than any foe in the Old Testament, bigger than any foe in the New Testament (raising the dead is quite an accomplishment) and I unhesitatingly believe He can do and WILL DO all that He has promised, even those promises which may seem impossible.
Yes, my faith is in the Triune God of Scripture: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. They are even better than a crowbar!
Sep 21, 2022 – How moldable is a child? How valuable is a parent, guardian, teacher or counselor?
A Piece of Plastic Clay
“I took a piece of plastic clay
And idly fashioned it one day,
And as my fingers pressed it still,
It moved and yielded to my will.
I came again when days were passed;
The bit of clay was hard at last,
The form I gave it still it bore,
But I could change that form no more.
“I took a piece of living clay
And touched it gently day by day,
And molded with my power and art
A young child’s soft and yielding heart.
I came again when years were gone;
It was a mind I looked upon;
That early impress still he wore,
And I could change that form no more.”
September 20, 2022 – Who is the most critical person that you know? I remember asking that question in a sermon and half the church immediately looked at the same person. I thought, “When that person dies, the whole church is going to have a prayer of thanksgiving.” How sad but true!
How can we avoid such a destructive attitude? Being known more for tearing down others than building up others? We must understand a critical attitude begins with the assumption we have earned the right to criticize others. Why do we make that assumption? It is because we wouldn’t think of doing what “they” are doing. If “they” would just listen to us, we would straighten out everything that is wrong in their lives. In so doing, we see ourselves as superior…arrogantly superior.
Jesus, though, cautions: “Why do you insist on taking the splinter out of your brother’s eye when you have a telephone pole sticking out of your own eye? Be careful in how you judge, because you will be judged in the same way you judge others.”
It is so easy to fall into a critical attitude! Think with me about what such an attitude means:
First, critical Christians are not full of the Holy Spirit; rather, they are dominated by their own sinful nature. In so doing, they have become a hinderance to the cause of Christ…a roadblock to the advancement of the gospel, the growth of the church and the freedom of the Spirit of God.
Second, critical Christians don’t recognize their own sins. Ask them to name even one of their sins in the last seven days and they can’t do it, but they can tell you about the sins, mistakes and failures others have committed. They have an eye for imperfection!
Third, critical Christians try to bring people DOWN to their level instead of raising people up to a new level. They lack “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” I don’t want to be that kind of Christian, do you?
The only way we can defeat this satanic power is to live constantly in the shadow of the cross and allow God to use that cross to pound us down to size so that we are always looking up at others instead of down on others! Kneeling before the cross does more than save us; the cross also changes us into people with the right kind of heart…and attitude! God help us to live at the cross!
September 19, 2022 – The power of a changed life is one of the greatest evidences of Christianity. Yes, Christianity changes lives!
For example, the apostles became special despite being ordinary, uneducated, and lacking talent. Those items may matter in the business world, but they matter not one iota in the spiritual world. The Bible emphasizes, “Success is not by human might, nor by human power but by My Spirit, says the Lord God” (Zechariah 4:6). Jesus says, “Without Me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5), and “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). Thus, Jesus challenged these men (plus all of us) to “Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets” (Luke 5:4). In other words, “Go where it’s deep! Go where you don’t normally go! Let God work in your life!”
What was the result of such a commitment to Christ? Simon, the vacillating one, grew up to become Peter, the rock. Peter’s sermon on Pentecost is one of the greatest sermons in the history of Christianity (Acts 2). Peter later opened the door to the Gentiles (Acts 10) and, in so doing, established the pattern of today’s Christianity.
Andrew, the fisherman, became an excellent “fisher of men.” Andrew is mentioned only three times in the Gospels; on each occasion, he is bringing someone to Christ. Andrew first brings his brother Simon to Jesus in John chapter one. He later brings a lad to Jesus in John chapter six. Finally, he brings the Greeks to Jesus in John chapter twelve. What a way to remember Andrew!
James and John began their ministry with a not-so-good reputation as “the sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17). Imagine having one of “the sons of thunder” for your pastor! James eventually grew beyond that stage and, in time, became a member of Jesus’ inner circle. He became the first apostle to die for the Christian faith. His brother John lived to be an old man and later became known as the “apostle of love” rather than the “son of thunder.”
Those are not bad results for being ordinary, uneducated, and lacking talent!
- R. Lakin expands the list by stating, “Saul, the apostate, was changed into Paul, the beloved apostle, by the magic of the gospel’s power. Luther, the ‘bull,’ was transformed into the angel of the reformation when the light of its truth dawned upon his soul. Moody, the ‘shoe clerk,’ was changed into Dwight L. Moody, the ‘soul merchant,’ when its truth struck his heart.”
In each and every case, ordinary people experienced the transforming life of “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). Isn’t it amazing whom God can use and what the person can eventually become?
September 16-18, 2022 – I recently responded to a wonderful, aged Facebook friend, “Would to God the current generation saw the moving of God like your generation did!” A younger individual responded, “I was born ten years late.” He wished he could have seen the large, Spirit-filled revivals of yesteryear!
But the Lord impressed his words upon me. Are any of us born too late? Too early? Or are all of us born at the right time? We often wish that we lived under different conditions, perhaps in a different age or a different culture. Many of today’s Christians want to turn the clock back to the 1950’s. Interestingly, I suspect those 1950’s folk wanted to turn the clock back to an even earlier era. “The good ol’ days!” as some like to say but, for many, those weren’t really the “GOOD ol days.”
In Today’s Verse Queen Esther has to face the reality that she exists at the time GOD CHOSE FOR HER TO EXIST. The same can be said for each of us. We may wish things were different, but things are what they are because God brought us into this setting for “SUCH A TIME AS THIS.”
“For such a TIME as this…” The world isn’t ideal for today’s Christian. Has it ever been ideal? Perhaps more so in the 1950’s and 1960’s when Andy Griffith’s fictional Mayberry world was a reality in many neighborhoods. But you’re here today…2022…morals eroding…smaller church congregations…many so-called Christians but few disciples…Bible truth under attack as never before. Tough times about to become tougher times. God says, “Welcome to YOUR time. I want you to be My ambassador in this particular time. Don’t mope about it. Just be who I called you to be.” Amen.
“For such a PLACE as this…” The setting may be lacking, too. You may be in a difficult situation as to work, home, health, etc. You may feel trapped or blessed. Either place makes no difference. You are God’s ambassador in your current place. Don’t try to run or bury your head in the sand. Just be who you are supposed to be. Leave the consequences with God. He has broad shoulders!
“For such a PEOPLE as this…” Look around you. Queen Esther lived in the enemy’s camp. Heathen people. Non-Christian. Pagans. No respect for her God. Yet God expects her to be who He called her to be: His ambassador to a heathen world. Not to be like them but to be a light to them. You can’t be a light if you’re darkness like them.
“For such a RESPONSIBILITY as this…” God arranged for Queen Esther to use her position to save the Jews from destruction. God has arranged for you to…fill in the blank. Generically, He has graced you with the calling of ambassadorship of His heavenly kingdom. That’s your #1 responsibility in life. Specifically, you may have many unique opportunities to serve God. There was only one Queen: Esther. But she was not the only actor in this saga. The same principle is true with us. Somehow all of us fit into the puzzle. It may be something big like being a Queen or it may be something more common like occurs in 99.99% of the cases. But each of our lives ETERNALLY influences others. We “rub off” on others.
Even meeting the clerk at the checkout counter is part of God’s plan. The wise Christian recognizes this opportunity and says, “You, God, have brought me to this position, also, for SUCH A TIME AS THIS.” Amen?
September 15, 2022 – One of God’s favorite expressions is, “He that has ears to hear let him hear.” This expression appears about TWENTY times in the Bible; that means God is saying something which deserves our attention.
It is God’s way of saying, “I don’t want you to waste your life by getting on the wrong train. So let’s sit down, you let Me talk, you listen, and I’ll be sure you get on the right train for today… tomorrow…and the rest of your life.”
There is a book in the Bible called Ecclesiastes or “The Preacher.” The book of Ecclesiastes is twelve chapters in length. It is the testimony of a man named Solomon who wasted the vast majority of his life. Solomon tells us about wasting his life on everything from money to religion to possessions to women. Chapters 1 – 11 are about his train ride to every wrong destination you could visit in life. Chapter 12, though, presents Solomon’s final conclusion. He says, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God and keep His commandments for this is the whole duty of man.” Solomon humbly gives us the example of his own life to warn every single one of us about the wrong choices in life.
There are also people in your own life who should serve as a warning to you. You know people at work, in your family, in your neighborhood, in your school who have lived their entire life and their souls are totally empty. What happened to them? They ignored God’s warning: “Be not deceived.” Literally, the actual translation could be “stop being deceived” because there are many people who are on the wrong train, headed for the wrong destination, and wasting their life, talents, time, and money.
Key: If you want to waste your life then God can’t help you; however, if you want to make the most of your life, then God will give you His own wisdom on how to be sure your life really counts. That wisdom revolves around Jesus Christ, the Lord of this universe. 1 Corinthians 1:30 says, “Christ Jesus is wisdom from God for us.”
Bottom line: To know Jesus is to know the wisdom that will put your life in perspective. Get acquainted with Him today. Read the Gospel of John then read it again and again and again. You’ll discover Someone who is truly bigger than life itself…and One who will consume your own life as you get to know Him better and better and better.
September 14, 2022 – The poet writes, “God is before me, He will be my guide; God is behind me, no ill can betide; God is beside me to comfort and cheer; God is ALL AROUND me, so why should I fear?”
A pastor told his people about an ancient map which can be seen in one of the British museums. This map was made in the year 1525 by a sea captain exploring the east coast of North America.
Of course, in that day most sailors were afraid of sea monsters…fish bigger than their tiny ships! Plus more dangers! This mapmaker thought he should include these warnings on his map. At one place he wrote, “Here be giant monsters.” At another place he wrote, “Here be fiery scorpions.” At a third place he added the warning, “Here be dragons.” Imagine what the sailors thought when they saw those warnings!
Sometime later this map came into the hands of a Christian scientist by the name of Sir John Franklin. This Christian scientist decided the mapmaker had totally missed the most important truth of all – something which was much greater than any or even all three of those enemies combined.
The Christian scientist scratched out the awful warnings. He then wrote three words across the entire map – the only three words which anyone needed to read. It was the three words, “HERE IS GOD!” Yes, “here is God!”
In other words, there is no need to fear the enemy, because your God will already be there ahead of you…will already be there with a table prepared in the midst of your enemies, a table where your head can be anointed with oil and your cup will run over!
“The Lord is my light and my salvation, WHOM SHALL I FEAR?” No one! And nothing! So go forth in faith in your God.
September 13, 2022 – How certain are you about the foundation of your ministry? It is not uncommon for people to engage in ministry that have yet to develop strong convictions or beliefs regarding the foundational principles necessary to a successful ministry.
For example, is the Bible true? True in every detail? True in its instructions for everything in life? Or should it be “hedged” or watered-down and made more palatable to the modern mind? Or should I declare the Bible as truth and make the message clear and plain? Resolving this issue will resolve many other issues.
Is sin black? It is to God. Romans 3 depicts God’s view of sin in heinous terms. Comedians mock sin and so does our world. We even categorize people as “good sinners” and “bad sinners.” God ignores such categories. To God all of us are sinners in need of total redemption.
Is the cross bloody? The idea of salvation by human sacrifice is revolting to the modern mind. The crucifixion of Jesus was horrendously bloody. Horrendous in every detail. Such brutality shows us the depth of our sin.
Is the death of Christ sufficient payment for our sin? Many answer “no” and wish to add human works to the salvation process. Such works include baptism, the sacraments of Roman Catholicism, church membership, good works, staying faithful (but no one knows just how faithful), etc. They cannot sing this verse from Rock of Ages: “Nothing in my hands I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling!” Remember: Either “Jesus Paid It All” or we sink like a rock.
Is hell hot? The doctrine of hell is hard for many to swallow because hell is unending torment for those who reject Christ as Savior…including our friends and loved ones. But it is true. Indeed, Jesus Himself spoke more about hell than heaven. The Apostle Paul testified, “Knowing therefore the TERROR of the Lord, we persuade men” (2 Corinthians 5:11). John the Baptist cried, “Who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” We must believe in the reality of punishment for those who reject the love of God in Jesus Christ.
Is heaven sweet? “There is a hell to shun, a heaven to gain.” “God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away” (Revelation 21). “There’s a land that is fairer than day and by faith we can see it afar! For the Father waits over the way, to prepare us a dwelling place there.”
May God help you to establish a solid foundation to support your ministry!
September 12, 2022 – Adrian Rogers reminds us, “You can save a lot of time by waiting on God.” Waiting! It is a class that all of us must take in life. Unfortunately, we often enroll without knowing when the class will end. We soon learn that we may be in a hurry, but God is not in a hurry.
For example, Joseph, the son of Jacob, waited thirteen years before being delivered from his despair to becoming Pharaoh’s Prime Minister.
Abraham waited twenty-five years before God fulfilled His promise and delivered Isaac, the son of privilege.
Moses waited forty years before his burning bush experience and call to deliver Israel…the great deliverer spent forty years tending sheep! (Ironically, tending sheep is easier than tending people.)
Jesus waited thirty years before commencing His public ministry. Thirty years of waiting followed by less than four years of ministry.
If God is making you wait, you are obviously in good company with those people mentioned above. So kick your shoes off, don’t be anxious, absorb what is around you, because it’s obvious God has you on “hold” for a reason. D L. Moody’s words regarding Moses are appropriate: “Moses spent forty years thinking he was somebody; forty years learning he was nobody; and forty years discovering what God can do with a nobody.” You can’t change that order and end up with a good result. It had to happen that way.
From God’s perspective, waiting is not wasted time. On the contrary, it is NECESSARY time. To do what? To wait…absorb…learn…unwind…think (that’s a hard one)…heal…pray…prepare for the next stage…share…draw closer to God. “Those who WAIT on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).
The world waited six thousand years for you to come along. It is okay if you hit pause. The world will survive.
Yes, it’s ok to wait on God.
September 10-11, 2022 – How well do you handle your mistakes?
Here is an interesting birthday wish. “I hope that in the year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world.
“You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and, more importantly, you’re Doing Something. So that’s my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody’s ever made before. Don’t freeze, don’t stop, don’t worry that it isn’t good enough, or it isn’t perfect, whatever it is: art or love or work or family or life. Whatever it is you’re scared of doing. Do it. Make your mistakes, next year and forever.” (Neil Gaiman)
Gaiman’s words are slightly excessive but the point is quite valid. The Bible is full of people making mistakes. Unfortunately, some mistakes involved choosing sin (David sinning with Bathsheba, Abraham lying about his wife’s identity, Noah’s drunkenness, etc.) and that should never be. NO ONE should ever experiment with sin or yield to sin or violate the clear standards of holy Scripture. Please note: Choosing sin is never a valid option.
However, there is a much different category of mistakes in relationship to personal growth as an individual. Imagine how different the world would be if Abraham had quit after his first absence of faith…or if Peter had quit after denying our Lord…or if your parents had quit after realizing you had a mind of your own! Thank God, they rallied to the cause!
One pastor said, “I resign as pastor every Monday morning but I re-sign as pastor every Tuesday morning.” Guess what? That attitude is not limited to pastors. It extends to parents, employees, employers, teachers, leaders, etc. We get down but we must not stay down. Too much is at stake to stay down. Perhaps we’ve learned it’s time to take a different approach. Perhaps we’ve learned to wait longer on God. Perhaps we’ve simply learned another way that does not work. And we try again.
I recall preaching a sermon as a young minister and feeling the sermon failed. As I walked out of the building, a veteran pastor walked up and encouragingly said, “That will make a very good sermon someday. Wish I’d thought of it. Keep working on it.” Well, I did. And he was right. But he was more right in encouraging me to keep working at whatever was before me…don’t quit…don’t stop…battle your way through mistakes, failure, criticism, disappointment, defeat…at the same time, keep learning from your successes because they aren’t perfect either.
Are you down? It’s time to get up. It’s time to try again. We’re all counting on you.
September 9, 2022 – “There are some questions that cannot be answered by Google.” This saying recently appeared on a church sign. How true it is! Technology is moving so rapidly nowadays that what is new today is actually old tomorrow. The advances in medicine, communication, the internet, appliances, surgeries, even treating hair loss are staggering!
For example, the industrial company 3M (anyone use Post-it notes?) states one third of their sales come from products that did not exist only five years ago. Who knows what the next five years will bring?
But the reality is God’s answer for humanity won’t change in the next five years. By contrast, Christianity will change…likely change considerably, especially as many of the old stalwarts pass off the scene.
But the answers—the real answers—will not change. Thus, the gap between genuine, life-changing Christianity and unscriptural, unspiritual, watered-down Christianity will widen considerably. I refuse to go down that slippery slope, how about you?
Today’s Verse for a Better Ministry is built upon the premise that the most important decisions in your life ought to be based upon the UNCHANGING WORD of God. It’s because people need to hear what God says; after all, God genuinely knows what is happening in our hearts and our world. He has psychoanalyzed us through and through! He knows what we need!
Remember, God’s Word will never be outdated. The solutions in the Word were appropriate in Bible times, are appropriate today, and will be appropriate when time comes to an end. The Person emphasized in the Word is the Person that should be emphasized throughout society 365 days a year: Jesus Christ. The future judgments described in the Word will indeed happen as the Word predicts; therefore, man needs to prepare for such judgments. The greatest problems in the Word will never be overcome by medicine or science, because they are spiritual in nature and only God operates in the spiritual. The standards in the Word are unyielding and distinguish the true from the false.
Yea, the world will change but the world’s condition has not changed one iota.
Oh, world, listen! The future does NOT belong to our whims. It belongs to our God. And to His faithful ones. I intend to remain in God’s camp. How about you?
September 6-7, 2022 – What do I know? Know for certain? This world is full of doubting people plagued by so much uncertainty. Not so with me…most likely, not so with those who read these daily devotionals either. What do we know? More than the world is willing to acknowledge. Yes, when one really considers how much we know, he realizes that we know the most important items of all!
For example, I know I have eternal life. Yes, I will live forever but I will live forever with the QUALITY of life called “eternal life.” “He that has the Son has life” (1 John 5:12). “I have come that you might have abundant life” (John 10:10).
I know God has spoken to man and that His instructions have been recorded for all centuries because “all Scripture is inspired or breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16).
I know the Bible is truth and it will guide me in the right path. I don’t need a psychic to know which way is the right way. God’s Word makes it clear (Psalm 119). I do not live in ignorance, but I walk in light or knowledge.
I know God the Father has accepted the cross of Jesus Christ as FULL payment for my sin because the Father resurrected His Son, thereby, signifying His approval of the ultimate sacrifice.
I know what is on the other side of death for me. Hopefully, you know, too. In my own case, “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). Sounds clear to me!
I know God has a plan for my life. He is “the author and finisher of my faith” (Hebrews 12:2). He even knows what awaits me when I arrive in Dayton, Ohio in six weeks. Who’s driving my bus? He is! I’m not even the co-pilot. I’m just along for the ride!
I know whatever I do for Christ will last…but whatever I do for this world system will be temporary and pass away (1 John 2:15). Thus, I dedicate my time to sowing seed that will LAST!
I know God is in control. Not Washington D.C. nor Wall Street nor any boss nor even ourselves. “Commit your way to the Lord…lean not upon your own understanding or wisdom” (Proverbs 3:5).
I know God can CHANGE (from the inside out) even the worst person if that person will repent and accept Christ (John 1:12). “If any man be in Christ he is a new creation. Old things have passed away, and behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). O, the beauty of a changed life!
I even know how the world will end. It will end with Jesus Christ on the throne—being acknowledged as God by all of humanity (Philippians 2:11).
And, best of all, I know I will be with Jesus Christ throughout eternity! “I heard a great voice out of the throne saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his peoples, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God” (Revelation 21:3).
Ah, I’m glad to say that I’m smart about the things that really, really count! How about you?
September 5, 2022 – An eight-year-old baseball player said, “My favorite verse in the Bible is the baseball verse: ‘In the BIG INNING God created the heaven and the earth.’” The quote may have been wrong, but the intention was right on the mark. It was indeed a big inning when God created the universe; as a matter of fact, God is still at bat in that same inning because the Bible says, “By Christ all things consist…i.e. are held together!”
What part of nature most grabs your attention? Is it the flowers of spring? Perhaps the quiet of a lake? Twinkling stars? Awesome sun? Singing birds? Gentle deer? Waterfalls like Niagara or mountains like the Rockies? Perhaps the ocean? Maybe the ever changing physics associated with the weather? How about a newborn babe? Your maturing and growing? A snow-covered field? Colorful rainbows? The 100 billion neurons in your brain that make you what you are?
This variety reminds us that God did not create a drab world in which everything is gray or black or white. Instead, God created a wondrous universe (the half has not been told about the glory of the universe either) which is so intricately woven that one can study from daylight to dark, birth to death and still be in a state of amazement.
Somehow God designed each of the items mentioned above…intricately designed them to the finest and tiniest detail. Can you imagine how many details could be listed about each item? Such a construction manual would be the longest one in the house! Who among us can fathom a Being with such wisdom and power? Yet this same Being is our God, Savior, Provider, even the Author and Finisher of our faith. And He who can handle all of the details listed above is also the God who wants to handle all of today’s details in your life.
Learn to trust Him with ALL the details!
September 3-4, 2022 – Someone recently said, “Good luck!” But it is much better to say, “May the GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” Luck never helped anyone because it is a “nothing.” Tis totally abstract!!! But GRACE is a very powerful SOMETHING which can completely transform anyone (including us) and any situation (including today’s circumstances).
The rich fool in Luke 12 utterly ignored Today’s Verse and viewed himself as a self-made man. He spoke of “I” or “my” eleven times and not once of God or grace. He forgot from where his abilities originated (God) as well as the many opportunities which had come his way. Without grace he could have been born with three strikes already against him.
There is a reason the Bible often reminds us to “walk humbly before the Lord.” After all, without grace we might not even be able to walk.
Give God praise for His goodness to you! Grace puts food on the table, grace provides a job, grace provides rain to grow the crops, grace puts clothes on our back, grace provides a roof over our head, grace even provides a pillow and a comfortable bed for the night! Those blessings are universally shared throughout humanity.
But even greater blessings are granted to the one who believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. “O, to grace how great a debtor, Daily I’m constrained to be” ought to be the theme of everyone in God’s family. Grace saves, grace keeps, grace sanctifies, grace empowers, grace gifts, grace comforts and grace will lead us home.
Would you like a blessing right now? Write down five blessings that grace has sent your way in the last thirty days. They may be mountain moving blessings or pebble moving blessings. But they are blessings that made your life more livable and enjoyable than it would otherwise have been. Then take a moment to sing the doxology to your God, always remembering the doxology (the word means “praise”) begins with, “Praise God from Whom ALL blessings flow!” Amen!
September 2, 2022 – “You cannot kindle a fire in any other heart unless you have one burning in your own.” How does God begin a new work? He begins it with a fire, an intense burden in a person’s heart. A little history lesson might point us in the right direction.
The origin of Vacation Bible School can be traced back to Hopedale, Illinois in 1894. Sunday School teacher D. T. Miles, who also was a public school teacher, felt she was limited by time constraints in teaching the Bible to children. So, she started a daily Bible school to teach children during the summer. The first Bible school enrolled forty students and lasted four weeks. A local school was used for classes, while an adjoining park was used for recess.
In 1898 Eliza Hawes, director of the children’s department at Epiphany Baptist Church in New York City, started an “Everyday Bible School” for slum children at a rented beer parlor on New York City’s east side. Hawes continued her efforts for seven years.
Dr. Robert Boville of the Baptist Mission Society became aware of the Hawes’ summer program and recommended it to other Baptist churches. Boville established a handful of summer schools which were taught by students at the Union Theological Seminary. During one summer, one thousand students were enrolled in five different schools.
One year later, Standard Publishing produced the very first printed Vacation Bible School curriculum. Enough material was provided for a five-week course for three age levels (kindergarten, primary, and junior).
The focus was not upon children merely having fun (the error of many in modern day Christianity) but upon children encountering God through Bible study. It began with people who experienced such a burden in their OWN hearts. God somehow illuminated them to a mission field, an opportunity that was not being met by the status quo. Their “hearts became hot…while musing” about the need, the fire to do something new burned with greater and greater intensity. Finally, the burning gave rise to doing the right thing: taking God to the children. It was a GOD THING…meaning God was the author of the idea and also the One who brought the idea into being.
In each case, the initiators were good listeners…listeners to the Holy Spirit’s leadership. And they were also committed to ministry. Remember today’s opening quote: “You cannot kindle a fire in any other heart unless you have one burning in your own.”
August 31 – September 1, 2022 – How should a believer think about church? Da, the obvious answer is biblically, but what does biblically mean? A recent survey revealed the biblical expectations of the pastoral staff were considerably different than the expectations of the average member. Therefore, it should be no surprise that most churches are floundering. The biblical purpose has not permeated the membership…or, in some cases, been repudiated by the membership.
Let’s start at square one. Church consultant Tom Bandy says, “We have made many church members but not many disciples.” For example, we have baptisms, sometimes many, but zero growth in disciples or even attendance. One church bragged about having five hundred baptisms in the prior year; their attendance, though, increased by only one hundred. What a disconnect and no one asked why!
The flaw in much of our effort is our goal. Our goal, whatever it is, falls short of producing disciples…defined as fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Sometimes that is the pastor’s fault, but most of our pastors are genuinely trying to disciple people (many are experiencing burnout from doing too much). This writer is convinced the majority of our Sunday attendees do not comprehend what a church should be. The disconnect is huge.
May I suggest an idea that might help the average member to think differently about church? An idea you can use to teach others and perhaps improve your church’s philosophy to what a church should be?
That brings us to a concept I call God’s Greenhouse. The Apostle Paul says to the Church at Corinth, “You are God’s garden” or “growing place.” Believe it or not, your church and neighborhood greenhouse share something in common: They both exist to grow something!
Many years ago, the Holy Spirit impressed me to teach the greenhouse concept to my church. One of my men built a small greenhouse for the church auditorium. It was placed on a table alongside the pulpit. The ladies alternated bringing beautiful flowers to the Sunday services. The flowers represented us…the people of all ages. The flowers, of course, were placed inside the greenhouse. We then asked a question, “What is necessary to grow these flowers?” In a similar way God has delivered flowers (people) to your greenhouse or church. He expects you to grow His flowers to maturity in a greenhouse atmosphere which can excel in any season of life or any environment.
Ask yourself, “Is my church a spiritual greenhouse designed to grow people? Doing more than just having church, but also purposefully designed to grow people, leading them step-by-step to full discipleship?” Then ask yourself, “Am I part of the growing experience for not only myself but also for others?”
Imagine driving onto your church’s property and seeing a gigantic greenhouse instead of a brick-and-mortar building…seeing people equipped with the necessary tools to grow every person (plant) entering that facility? Would that image adjust your thinking? “We are a growing place. We grow people. On purpose. Intentionally. Our main business. Just like Jesus with the apostles. IT’S WHO WE ARE. IT’S WHAT WE DO. IT’S WHY WE KEEP DOING IT.” Amen.
* This series of lessons, including many skits for teaching purposes, is provided in my first book “God’s Greenhouse: How to Grow People God’s Way.” It may help enlarge your view of what your church should be…and how you can make it happen. (The study sheets are available for free download on my website.) Available at Amazon, Apple, B &N, Kobo, etc.
August 30, 2022 – The local and national headlines are so disturbing…shootings in so many places…so many lives ruined…and seemingly all of this done for no gain. So much hatred exists nationwide that one news headline reads, “Is there a leader who can stop the chaos and heal America?”
If anyone is listening, the answer is YES! His name is Jesus Christ and one of His titles is “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Of course, and most importantly, He establishes peace on HIS terms, and those terms are not pleasing to most people. As a result, our nation continues its search elsewhere for leadership.
But what about you? Are you still searching? Please know the Prince of Peace can bring peace to your soul. Today’s Verse says, “Being justified (the term means “declared righteous”) by faith we have PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This peace is the greatest peace of all, because it establishes peace with God, ourselves, and our fellow man. Indeed, the Bible even declares this peace can overcome racial and economic barriers for “there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female for you are all ONE in Christ Jesus.” In other words, harmony or oneness exists in Christ, the Savior. “By this evidence shall all men know that you are My disciples. What evidence? By loving one another” (John 13:35).
Someday, but not now, the world will experience such peace on a worldwide scale. That peace, though, will never be established by the will of man. It will only come into being when the Prince of Peace returns to earth to establish His kingdom. Jesus taught us, “When you pray, pray ‘Thy kingdom come. THY will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’” When will that goal be achieved? Only when the King comes to establish the Kingdom (Revelation 20:1-6). “He shall rule with a rod of iron” (Revelation 2:27). Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, will establish a system based upon righteousness, not crookedness or money or personal likes and dislikes.
Yes, the Prince of Peace will someday rule. In that day of peace, “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them” (Isaiah 11:6). What a sight that will be!
I say, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” Let the peace begin!
August 29, 2022 – Are there really such things as accidents or coincidences? The tv detective Monk says, “I don’t believe in coincidences.” Well, neither does God. Allow me to share a personal story.
Ruth Ellen and I celebrated our 46th anniversary yesterday (August 28). The previously prepared script (they’re in specific order but the date is not prearranged by me, only by God) for today’s devotional JUST HAPPENS to be about our 40th anniversary. I did not know today’s subject until I turned the page in my notebook earlier today. That in itself is a remarkable coincidence, but is it really a coincidence?
The script was for a church bulletin dated July 24, 2016 (I often provide a devotional in the bulletin similar to these blogs). The bulletin explained that I had received a telephone call a few days earlier from one of my home churches; the caller asked me to speak at their afternoon homecoming service on…guess what date? August 28…our 40th anniversary. Would you like to guess in which church our wedding took place? In the very church extending the request for me to speak! They did not have a clue about that date’s significance to us…nor did we have an inkling of an idea to expect it.
Do you think this invitation was an accident or a coincidence? I think not. What are the odds of that happening? I had not spoken at the church since the 1980’s. Twenty years had passed. Most of my acquaintances were now dead. But our God is STILL ALIVE, right? And God always keeps a surprise or two in His bag!
Just remember this truth when you think everything is out of control…because it isn’t. Have faith in the God who knows best.
P.S. My text for the homecoming was Romans 8:28!
August 27-28, 2022 – Do you ever wonder about your significance? And whether your contributions are larger than your failures?
Consider the case of Lewis and Clark, the two explorers commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson to explore the Mississippi River and its tributaries. At that time no one knew what existed in that region of America. Sporting Classics magazine reports, “They shot and ate species never before encountered by Americans, including pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, and the ‘turrible bear’ known as the grizzly.” What an adventure! How famous they became!
But consider these additional words from the article: “Clark had a steady hand but could not spell. Even in those days before spelling was standardized, he managed to spell Sioux 27 different ways, obviously a record.”
The lesson is clear: Everyone, including you and me, has strengths and everyone has weaknesses. (But those strengths and weaknesses vary from person to person.) Dear sister Betty once argued with me that this truth did not apply to her…that she possessed no strengths! I showed her the Bible proof that she had strengths. She thought for a moment then said, “I won’t argue with the Bible, but I don’t know what my strengths are.” Well, we proceeded to identify her strengths to her and our information improved her outlook!
Perhaps you are a Betty. You may not be able to see what others see. What is the solution? Ah, recruit others to tell you what they see! Sometimes others understand what we are, or can become, better than we do!
This Bible truth regarding “strengths” is the underlying principle for Christian ministry in God’s church. The Bible says, “God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be. If they were all one part, i.e. the same part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.” Therefore, everyone is needed, including those of us who can’t spell Sioux!
August 26, 2022 – “I just love mermaids. I was a mermaid in my past life. I just feel it when I go in the sea. I just feel a connection there between me, and the water, and the fish – they speak to me – and the shells – they ring out to me.”
Were these words by Ella Henderson said in jest or do they represent her true belief? I do not know. However, it is obvious that man is very confused about his identity. The evolutionary teachings of the past century have taken root in our society and are now sprouting to the surface throughout every aspect of today’s world. For example, many people don’t like the way they were designed by God…so “let me re-create myself” into someone different. Such behavior is heinous sin because it is an aberration of our original design. The person who indulges in such behavior or encourages such behavior is rebelling against the biblical teaching that “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” He or she is trying to override the Creator, the same sin that characterizes heathendom in Romans 1:18-32.
What is a Christian to do? We are called to stand for God’s standards…not our own standards. God’s standards are higher than man’s standards, including the standards of the Constitution. God says each life is precious and life was given by God. Therefore, we stand against the murder of unborn children. God says marriage is between a man and a woman, no variation. (The story of Sodom’s destruction is God’s warning to all about tampering with human sexuality.) God also says each person was designed a certain way for a certain reason…”fearfully and wonderfully made” or “wonderfully complex.” Amazingly, even science has yet to fully discover how complex we are. Who then among us is smart enough to wisely interfere with our original design through a transgender operation? Heaven help us for mutating ourselves! It will not be long until man bypasses transgender operations and proceeds to the cyborg stage! Alas, the downward spiral accelerates!
Let us remind ourselves of God’s cure for this confusion and rebellion. It is the opening chapters of Genesis. Remember this: Understanding our identity begins with God and, therefore, begins in the beginning. The beginning of today’s world (including the good and the bad in each of us) is rooted in Genesis 1-3. A person neglects these chapters at great risk to his own soul.
As God’s standard bearers, we need to teach Genesis, proclaim Genesis, and make the world aware of what God says. After all, original design also gives us our original and eternal purpose.
August 25, 2022 – “Pastor, tell me: What is God’s will for my life?” The question has come my way twice in the last week. Quite often, the question is posed by someone who has not opened the Bible and done ANY searching of ANY length in ANY Bible book. Quite honestly, the lack of such pursuit indicates the individual is not really serious about answering the question; as a result, the individual will soon move on to another subject of greater interest. Follow my drift?
We forget the Bible IS God’s will on paper. Just start reading. God’s will is revealed all over the place. You can’t miss it. God’s will includes holy living, high standards, marriage commitment, being a witness of salvation, denying self but exalting Christ, church attendance AND involvement, living in a sphere of prayer, being thankful for what you have, seeking first the kingdom of God, etc. Those items, plus many more, represent God’s will in general; that means they apply in a broad or general way to all of God’s children.
I submit that no one should worry or ask about God’s specific will (should I go to such-and-such school, be a pastor or teach) until he or she is already committed to God’s general will. But people try. Such a person, though, is putting the cart before the horse. It’s not done well, but you’re surprised it’s done at all!
Hopefully, you are already committed to God’s general will and are ready to think about God’s specific will. Evangelist Glenn Mathews recently shared four certainties about God’s will.
1.God calls you to do something you can do. God makes no mistakes. He knows your capabilities BUT He also knows His capabilities through you. Moses responded to God’s call by asking, “Who? Me? You’re calling the wrong guy!” But he learned that he could do what God called him to do.
2.God’s call will make you a blessing to other people. Key: The greatest blessing is BEING a blessing. It is giving or sowing yourself in the lives of others.
3.God’s call will give glory to God and not to you. The calling will fail if you’re the one in the spotlight; however, it will prosper if God is in the spotlight. Jesus promises, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men to ME” (not you).
4.God’s call will give you a sense of completion. Every true servant understands those words. There is a deep satisfaction in doing what God has called you to do. The satisfaction does not necessarily arise from the people who can be so fickle. But it arises from inside you…and who lives inside you? The Holy Spirit of God. It’s like He is saying, “Good effort. You did what I called you to do.” This sense of completion is phenomenal.
God bless you in your service for Him!
Note: God’s will is explained in detail in my e-book 15 Spiritual Laws to Grow People. See Amazon, Apple, Kobo, etc.
August 24, 2022 – GOD WITH US! That is more than a Christmas message. It is also more than a first century message. Those words can be spoken of every occasion when at least two or three of God’s born-again children gather. We often think of it occurring corporately as in a Sunday morning worship service, but it occurs even more often in smaller gatherings such as a Sunday School class, music rehearsal, go-out-and-knock-on-doors visitation, small group study or just a few employees getting together for a lunchtime devotional.
These occasions are not only educational but are also very edifying.
“I am there in the midst of them.” Not “My representative” but “Me personally…sitting alongside you…wanting to share the moment with you.” What a wonder! God with Swartzwelder…and you, too!
The presence of the Lord is so unique. You know when He is there, because “two or three” have opened the door to Him. You also know when He is not there, primarily because He is not welcomed. One Texas preacher’s philosophy was, “If you don’t strike oil in five minutes, stop boring!” One slave preacher said, “I don’t know what the unction is, but I sure know what it ain’t.”
God with us! How much smoother things become when we are in His presence. Sometimes He adjusts the circumstances surrounding us. Other times He adjusts us to the circumstances. And gives us the strength to fight our way through the problem in His strength.
Two or three…of course, the Lord would like to have more than two or three! Think about what happens in a Sunday morning worship service. The Lord is praised in song, the Word of the Lord is explained, the Spirit of the Lord is active throughout the congregation, the people of the Lord join hands in fellowship, the angels of the Lord watch in wonderment from the chandeliers, and the invitation of the Lord is extended to everyone still in need of Christ as LORD and Savior. The LORD is all over the place! Can you think of any better deal offered by Walmart or McDonalds? Not in a million years.
God with us! What a privilege! Dear God, help me to live more and more in Your presence! Amen?
Aug 22, 2022 – Do you ever wonder how words originate? How about the greeting, “Howdy”? It is thought that “howdy” (no, it did not originate in the hills of southeast Ohio, but maybe Texas?) is a shortened version of the question, “How do you do?” That makes sense.
In the early computer days we had an acronym “WYSIWYG” which stood for “What You See Is What You Get.” That is in contrast to the biblical term “hypocrite” which we might define in the OPPOSITE way: “What You See Is What You DON’T Get.”
God calls each one of us to be genuine…the real thing that has substance, conviction, and truth at its core. Character! Who we are when no one is watching. INTEGRITY. Someone that may not always be accepted but can always be respected. Especially respected by God.
Where does genuineness begin? It begins on the inside…in our hearts. David asked the Lord to search his heart and reveal any wickedness…any flaws of character. “Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart; Test me and know my anxious thoughts” (Psalm 139:23). David sought to be genuine before the Lord! The Bible teaches, “All things are open or revealed to our Lord.” God already knows whether we are genuine or trying to be someone on the outside we really aren’t on the inside.
Quite often, coming clean with God is the first step to becoming genuine throughout our entire being. One brother said, “I keep a short list with God!” meaning he allowed God to often do a deep search/cleansing so the list didn’t get long and the cleansing become harder like in the case of a rough scrubbing. The longer the list, the harder it becomes to shed the bad and become clean.
One truth is certain: In time the real you will reveal itself! So seek genuineness…and let the outside match the inside!
Aug 20-21, 2022 – Welcome to a daily devotional which proclaims that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior of all who believe in Him!
Jesus says, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men to Me” (John 12:32). God the Father said of God the Son, “This is My beloved Son, hear Him!”
In its early days our country believed in four basic options regarding the salvation of one’s soul. They were 1) Jesus Christ is the only Savior, 2) Salvation is achieved through the Pope or a church relationship, 3) One goes to heaven if his good works outweigh his bad works, and 4) No salvation exists due to either the enormous sinfulness of man or the indifference/non-existence of God. These options are now expanding as our country becomes more multi-cultural and multi-religious.
Indeed, we are looking more and more like the world of the Apostle Paul’s day. Do you recall Paul’s words in Athens, Greece, “I see you are very superstitious or religious because you even have an idol dedicated to the UNKNOWN GOD”? Such an idol existed in case the Athenians had missed identifying one of the gods! Talk about covering all the bases!
What, though, do you believe? Have you accepted the Bible revelation that, “There is no other name under heaven whereby we must be saved” and what name is this? It is the name of the Lord Jesus Christ…God the Son who left God the Father and came to the earth to be sacrificed for our sins. He rose from the grave on Easter, ascended to heaven, and will soon come again as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
The Word of God makes it clear that our faith must be in Him! He will get us where we need to go and keep us from going where we don’t want to go!
Aug 19, 2022 – A Sunday School teacher was telling her students about the story of Andrew and Simon, of the Lord’s command for them to follow Him and become fishers of men. She wished to impress the importance of this matter upon them and asked, “Who catches men nowadays?”
One boy blurted out, “Policemen!”
The teacher realized she needed to explain her point more clearly. She pointed out the difference between policemen and soulwinners. She said, “Policemen catch people to bring them before a judge. But soulwinners catch sinners to bring them before a Savior.”
Which would you rather be? A policeman or a soulwinner?
You may be the only evangelistic voice someone will hear. Be a voice for Jesus!
Aug 17, 2022 – Has God ever shut a door on you? Have you ever set your eyes on a ministry only to have it close or go off the tracks or not even begin? It seemed sensible to go down a certain road, but the door was closed and, despite your best efforts, refused to open. Well, welcome to the club! You’re not alone.
Walking submissively to God’s will is a most interesting walk! As a teenager I enjoyed chess. However, I was never good at predicting moves three and four steps further in the game. In many ways that game represents the Christian life. Even the most skilled of us have limited visibility, but our partner knows every move before we even begin the game. He knows which move will close a path to us and which move will open a path to us…and yet we are not able to see pass the end of our nose!
That is why walking submissively to God’s will is a walk of faith in an all-knowing and all-wise God. The Apostle Paul encountered this experience in Today’s Verse. He yearned to “preach the word in Asia” but God shut the door. Paul saw a great need and probably obsessed over the need…may have even debated the matter with God. But he did not force the issue. He submitted to God’s will though it made little sense at the time…and Paul did nothing except continue his ministry in the same region.
The rest of the chapter indicates why God stopped Paul. “It’s not the time to go to Asia, but it is the time to go to Macedonia.” “A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.” One of our favorite texts, the salvation of the Philippian jailer, appears only six verses later. Plus more.
Don’t miss this: Paul’s successes with a later ministry began with a closed door. How interesting! Sometimes the time is not right for the door to open. Or perhaps the door is meant to open for someone other than us. Or sometimes we’re standing at the wrong door.
Lesson: Don’t force what God has closed. Let God be God. Bow your heart before Him and surrender your plans to Him. He still has a plan for you even if it takes time to realize it.
Ajith Fernando (Jesus Driven Ministry) writes, “Sometimes our ambition to please God takes us along paths that go against our own ambitions and preferences. John Calvin’s friend in Geneva, Guillaume Farel, sent him a plea to come back to minister there a few years after Calvin had been banished from that same city. Calvin did not want to go, but he discerned that it was God’s will. He wrote to Farel, ‘If I had any choice I would rather do anything than give in to you in this matter; but since I remember that I no longer belong to myself, I offer my heart to God as a sacrifice.’ He stayed in Geneva and performed the ministry he is best known for until he died—about twenty-four years later. This is the stuff out of which greatness emerges.” (Pg 84)
May God bless you the next time you face a closed door.
Aug 16, 2022 – “Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect.” So said Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald’s and NOT a shallow man, says, “Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get.” In other words, make your own “luck.”
The comedian Lucille Ball decried the entire concept of luck with these words, “Luck? I don’t know anything about luck. I’ve never banked on it and I’m afraid of people who do. Luck to me is something else—hard work, and realizing what is opportunity and what isn’t.”
Too many in our world have placed their “faith” in the goddess known as “luck.” The entire gambling industry is built on such a concept. “Life is a game of chance” is regarded as truth when it is not. “Roll the dice and see what happens” as if dice controls our destiny. “No one knows what will happen tomorrow so eat, drink and be merry because tomorrow we may die.”
The Bible, though, presents life as well as the entire universe, as being in the hands of a God who is deeply involved in bringing His overall purpose/plan to fruition. From God’s perspective there is no such thing as random luck. There is only divine providence or watchcare. This same God demanded the death of “soothsayers” or “fortune tellers” in the Old Testament, because the entire concept is based upon faith in the unknown rather than the known God who “holds the whole world in His hands.”
God has taught us many lessons about life. For example, we reap what we sow. The three quotes above are essentially based upon that Bible truth. The Bible exposes laziness as leading to a vain, empty life, but pronounces many blessings upon the concept of work and making your own way. The Bible even praises the ant for his industriousness! “Sow the right seed (that involves work) and under normal conditions one can expect a good harvest.” Look around you and you will see many examples of that principle.
In other ways, though, we do not control our own destiny, especially when “normal conditions” become “abnormal conditions.” Things happen which are not planned. Man calls it “good luck” or “bad luck.” But God’s child is able to look up into the face of a loving God and say, “I live by faith in the God of a perfect plan and not by sight or luck.”
“I don’t worry o’er the future For I know what Jesus said, And today I’ll walk beside Him For He knows what is ahead.
“Many things about tomorrow I don’t seem to understand. But I know who holds tomorrow and I know who holds my hand.”
Focus your attention on Who is really in charge. It is not “lady luck.” It is “the only wise God.” Put your faith in Him!
Aug 15, 2022 – The little children blare it out at church, “The B-I-B-L-E! Yes, that’s the book for me. I stand upon the Word of God. The B-I-B-L-E! BIBLE!!!!”
I am not sure who enjoys it more: the children yelling “BIBLE” at the end or the adults knowing it’s coming and enjoying every moment of it.
During Vacation Bible School our children and staff repeat a pledge similar to this: “I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God’s Holy Word, and will make it a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path, and hide its words in my heart that I may not sin against God.” Then we proceed to teach the Bible to each student. We do not teach a math book, finance book, English book, etc. but we teach a specific book: The B-I-B-L-E.
There is no book in the history of the world with the impact of the Bible, because the Bible is indeed God’s Holy Word.
Men, even unbelievers, offer abundant testimony to this magnificent book. President Ronald Reagan says, “Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face.” Augustine writes, “The Holy Scriptures are our letters from home.” The evangelist Billy Sunday preaches, “The reason you don’t like the Bible, you old sinner, is because it knows all about you!” And who can ever forget these words from the humorist Mark Twain, “It ain’t the parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me, it’s the parts that I do understand!”
Have you found a better book than the Bible to teach your children and grandchildren? Have you found better stories to share than those in the Bible? Have you found better guidelines than Bible guidelines? Have you found a superior source of truth? Have you discovered better examples for your children than Bible characters like Abraham, Daniel, Jesus, etc.?
“The B-I-B-L-E. Yes, that’s the book for me!” But it will not become the book for them unless it is also the book for you.
Aug 13-14, 2022 – How many candles were on your last birthday cake? Perhaps less than your true age! But suppose it was God who was celebrating His birthday. How many candles would be on God’s cake?
How old is God? Based upon the ages provided in the Bible one can deduce the earth is at least 6,000 years old (older than any of us); the evolutionist argues the earth is 4.5 billion years old and the universe is 13.5 billion years old. For the sake of argument, take any of those ages and ask yourself, “When did the Creator come to be? What kind of date would God use?”
The answer is twofold. First, the Bible states very emphatically that God has no beginning…ZERO beginning. God is described in Micah 5:2 (in various translations) as: “whose origins are from of old, from ancient times,” “His origin is from antiquity, from eternity,” “Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting,” “His times of coming forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.” An eternal God! This word “eternal” can be used of nothing else. In other words, God has always been and will always be. How can that be? Well, the short answer is, “That’s why He’s God…the same YESTERDAY, TODAY, and FOREVER!” Unchanging in all three possible epochs. “I am the Lord…I change not.” Beyond human comprehension…a truth so profound that one either accepts it by faith or strangles on its complexity.
Second, the Bible indicates every person will enter this type of existence when we enter the stage called “eternity.” Apparently, eternity has no limitation such as time. It just IS (always present tense? Maybe.). Even Star Trek can’t explain this…nor can anyone else. Each one of us is continually aging; our ultimate destiny is death (Hebrews 9:27). But death will eventually be swallowed up in victory; this body will be perfectly glorified like the never decaying body of our Lord and we will never again face the problems associated with the aging process. Note: When our modern way of reckoning time ceases to exist (Revelation 21:1), we will still exist. Not just for one day or one month but FOREVER! Never ceasing to be. Never passing out of existence. Continuing on and on.
So how old will you be at that point? Not as old as God who eternally predates you…but you will be at an age (dare we call it that?) where we no longer count years. Apparently, we won’t use a calendar in that one long, eternal day.
Ah, be sure your faith is in Christ the Savior so eternity is something to eagerly await rather than fear!
“And while the ages roll I’ll keep on praising Him, And my voice will never tire or grow old, And my song shall ever be, ‘Praise the Lamb who died for me’ And I’ll sing it while ages shall roll.”
Note: Our resurrected, eternal condition is described in great detail in Section Three of my book Sanctification: How God Creates Saints out of Sinners. Available at Amazon, Apple, B & N, Kobo.
Aug 12, 2022 – Competition! Winners! Losers! Which do you prefer?
The new football season is upon us. Then will come basketball. Then will come… There is always a sports’ season on the horizon. What was the saying on “Wide World of Sports”? “Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport. The THRILL of victory and the AGONY of defeat.” That show introduced the young boy in me to such events as skiing, something not available in southeast Ohio.
Competition also extends beyond athletics. Malcolm Forbes writes about two famous Boston schools, “An observation that in Boston is an accepted truth: If you’re from Harvard, you can’t count; if from MIT, you can’t read.” Ouch! Oh, the competitive spirit that exists in us!
BUT WHO REALLY WINS IN THE “GAME OF LIFE”? Can we agree there is a big difference between winning in the short term and winning in the long term?
Matthew 25:46 states, “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” In this verse the word “eternal” = long term. LONGESSSSSSSST term imaginable. Imagine being a winner forever or a loser forever! Not having another event to try to change your losing status?
What is the difference? Today’s Verse states, “Who is the one who conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” The word “believe” involves more than mental assent such as believing 2 + 2 = 4. It is translated from the Greek root word “pistis” and is often translated “faith” as in a personal faith or a personal trust. It is similar to making a financial deposit in a bank based upon one’s trust or faith in the bank. This person does not place his faith in himself or the dollar or the Pope or his church or some good deed or a sacrament but in the Deity known as Jesus whose deity is indicated by the title of the “Son of God.” Of all the gods worshipped by man, the overcomer or winner is the person who has “faithed his soul” to the Deity known as Jesus, the one and only One, who has sacrificed Himself as payment for our sins, is risen from the grave, and will soon appear to take charge of His creation.
There is no one like Jesus. Worship whomever you please. Trust in anything you please. But only One will make you a winner: His earthly name is Jesus but His deity name is the Son of God. He is the ultimate conqueror. Do you know Him?
Aug 11, 2022 – Ever consider the value of a human being?
Consider this: “In theory, a year of human life is priceless. In reality, it’s worth $50,000. That’s the international standard most private and government-run health insurance plans worldwide use to determine whether to cover a new medical procedure. More simply, insurance companies calculate that to make a treatment worth its cost, it must guarantee one year of ‘quality life’ for $50,000 or less. New research, however, would argue that figure is far too low. Stanford economists have demonstrated that the average value of a year of quality human life is actually closer to about $129,000.”
In a simpler analysis, Joni Eareckson Tada writes, “If you truly believe in the value of life, you care about ALL of the weakest and most vulnerable members of society.”
The weakest members will always be the unborn, young children, mentally impaired and the elderly. What type of grade would you give our country in dealing with this type of people? Give your church? Give yourself?
Most people are striving to move UP the social ladder. Today’s Verse, though, urges us to move DOWN the social ladder…and minister to a class of people who are unable to pay us back…unable to move us UP to fame and fortune. These people can’t meet our need but rely upon us to meet their need, hence, James’ description of them as being “in their trouble.”
Who set this example for us? His name is Jesus Christ, the #1 friend of sinners, One who spent much more time with the common people (including the unfortunate) than with the people of substantial means. Jesus made His home with the down and out, not the up and in. He didn’t consider Himself too good to rub shoulders with them! His focus was not upon one’s substance but upon one’s needs, not upon getting from others but upon giving to others, not upon being exalted but upon ministry. Jesus didn’t court the favor of the rich, but spent much time among the common people…and was content to do so. In other words, He ministered where the need was the greatest.
Someone said, “God must have loved the poor people, because He made so many of them.” Yes, He did. Let us understand that this principle goes to the core of successful ministry, because a God-blessed ministry is not focused upon us but upon others…especially those people who have great need.
“A certain pastor of great austerity
Climbed up in his high church steeple
To be nearer God that he might hand
God’s word down to the people.
He cried out from his steeple,
‘Where art Thou, Lord?”’
And the Lord replied,
‘I’m DOWN HERE among My people.’”
That’s where Jesus did His best ministry. That’s where we will do our best ministry, too.
Aug 10, 2022 – The old saint visualized the empty tomb and said, “The empty tomb means I am a victor no matter what happens today!” Amen!
A church bulletin recently included an article titled “The Truth.” It said, “Other religions are just like Christianity except for their view on God, Scripture, Human Nature, Sin, Suffering, Salvation, Meaning and Destiny.” Read it again! In other words, Christianity is distinct from all other religions. The world’s humanistic views, even religious views, will never be in harmony with our biblical beliefs. Nor should we expect it to be.
The bulletin’s words go to the core of our entire philosophy on life. It is what makes us different. It is why we view the world as we do. And – don’t miss this – it is all rooted in Christ Jesus, the one who conquered death, is now glorified, sitting at the Father’s right hand as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. “Because I live you shall live also.” “I am the resurrection and the life.” “I hold the keys of hell and death in My hand.” “All power is given to Me.” “Be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.”
How different life is for the one who knows, “I serve a RISEN Savior, He’s in the world today. I know that He is living, no matter what men may say. You ask me how I know He lives: He lives within my heart.” The conquering Christ is mine and I, too, am “more than a conqueror” because I am joined to Him!
A young, brilliant college student contracted a dangerous disease. However, he did not despair. A friend asked, “What misfortune! How can you be so cheerful and face every day with confidence and without bitterness?”
The young man answered, “You see, it never touched my heart!”
May your heart possess a conquering spirit today!
Aug 9, 2022 – A sign in a muffler shop said, “No appointment necessary. We hear you coming.” A sign on a plumber’s truck said, “We repair what your husband fixed.” Ugggh! A shoe repair shop advertised, “We will heel you, we will save your sole, we will even dye for you.” Well said! But the best…the optometrist sign said, “If you don’t see what you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place.”
The optometrist sign is worth considering, because it appropriately captures the spirit of our current world system. Everyone is looking. Internet usage continues to grow at an exponential rate. “Search engines” help us pull data from the vast on-line library at an incredible speed. Each year universities graduate a class which is smarter than the previous year’s class. And yet it is this writer’s belief that the Bible knowledge in the average church has declined compared with the knowledge base of twenty and forty years ago. Many of God’s people are making ignorant mistakes, because we either don’t know the Bible or we’re ignoring the Bible.
People are looking…but are they looking in the right place AND with their senses alert?
Today’s Verse contains a rebuke of the apostles by Jesus after He fed the four thousand. Jesus was trying to teach a spiritual lesson about spiritual truth. The apostles, though, interpreted the lesson physically and totally missed the spiritual point. Jesus seems to be incredulous when He asks, “Having eyes, do you not see?” and so on. He finishes His rebuke in verse 21 with the words, “How is it that you do not understand?” Some days later (in the same chapter) Jesus rebukes Peter and declares, “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”
This is a great danger for our ministry, too. The weakness of the apostles is often our own weakness, too. We have A.D.D. of the soul. We lack depth, don’t do our best to rightly divide the word of God, think we already know enough, and rely on past studies or brief affirmations such as in hearing a Sunday sermon. And we assume we’re ready for the big time when in reality we are out-of-touch spiritually…without our spiritual antennas. We’ve actually become dangerous to ourselves and others.
Does this ring a bell with you? Let us remind ourselves daily that the blind are enabled to see only through the Holy Spirit opening the holy scriptures. Jesus promised, “He will teach you all things.” The Holy Spirit is the best teacher you will ever know. But His teaching takes time…and soaking it in takes time…and the amount of time will be determined by the level of importance we assign to this matter.
We need the attitude of young Samuel: “Speak, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10).
Question: Do we really WANT to know what God wants us to know? Can we slow down enough to actually listen…and learn before we rush out and do? Ah, that’s not the American way…but it is God’s way!
Note: This subject is fully explored in my book “God Speaks—Today!” available at Amazon, Apple, etc.
Aug 8, 2022 – Set your standards biblically high (God’s standards are high enough). Dedicate yourself to being a person of high standards. Your ability may be limited, but you can commit to being a person of integrity—one who sets the standard for everyone around you as to what God expects from every person. “What manner of persons ought you to be? One of holy conduct and godliness in an age of unholy conduct and ungodliness.”
I spoke recently in a church which has served admirably in its role as the “light of the community” for more than 100 years. That church has accepted its biblical responsibility to be the standard bearer in an age of declining community standards. Many worldly outsiders have criticized the church for “wanting to impose its values on us” but what they are really saying is, “We want to sink as low as we can without your interference.” Indeed, isn’t that what the world really wants? To decline into an “every man does that which is right in his own eyes” lifestyle?
Our God is a God of standards—high standards but not impossible standards. Always has been and always will be. That’s another reason ordinary people don’t want God in their lives. But at least they know they, too, can have a superior set of standards for themselves.
For example, consider God’s qualifications for pastors and deacons in 1 Timothy 3. Not just anyone can hit those standards. Good intentions don’t make God’s grade. The same is true for priests in the Old Testament. See Leviticus 21 for an exhaustive list of God’s requirements. Unger observes, “All were disqualified who had any physical defect or infirmity—the blind, lame, flat-nosed, limbs unduly long (unshapely), broken-handed, crooked-backed, lean and stunted, blemish of the eye, affected with scurvy…” “He shall take a wife in her virginity” (Leviticus 21:13), etc. Unfortunately, we have seen a considerable decline in the quality of church leaders driven primarily by the audience’s desire to have leaders on their level (thus making their lower standards more acceptable) rather than leaders of biblical standards that set the bar high by their lifestyle.
It may be time to re-think where you are going from this point as to who you wish to be and what standards you want to establish. Remember: Lowering one’s standards does not improve society, government, church, family or you. On the other hands, maintaining God’s standards is a plus for everyone!
President Franklin Roosevelt died in 1945. In accordance with custom, the flags were lowered to half-mast. On that same day pastor Charles Woodbridge talked to a young man about his soul. The young man said, “If you would lower your standards just a little bit your church would be filled to overflowing.”
The pastor walked to a window and said, “Young man, do you see that flag flying at half-mast? That standard has been lowered because someone died. As long as I live the standard of the gospel will never be lowered for any man alive.”
Our world desperately needs people of godly standards. Will you be such a person?
Aug 5, 2022 – Are you ever forgetful? Ever forget where you are or what you went to do?
One cartoon shows a person driving up to a U.S. Mail drop-off box and saying, “I’ll have a hamburger, large fries and coke.” Isn’t it amazing that just as we reach an age when we begin to know things that we then begin to lose things…such as our mind!
We often forget as a country, too. We forget the sacrifices of prior generations who worked so hard to build our country despite long work hours, no health insurance, poor wages with no minimum wage, no social security or welfare or food stamps but instead food lines, no air conditioning (oh, no!) because they had no electricity, bloody war after bloody killing war, and on and on the list goes. Those people did not have televisions in their kitchens or bedrooms. Some were very fortunate to have a radio!
Is it wrong to say America is now spoiled? The sense of entitlement that exists in America’s poorest population is sadly equaled by the sense of entitlement that exists in America’s richest population.
I urge you to take some time this weekend to reflect upon those individuals who struggled mightily to give you what you now have. Who would they be?
In many, many ways, you are now able to see farther and rise higher because you stand on their shoulders. They should not be forgotten.
Aug 4, 2022 – How are your skills as a father or mother? The Department of Agriculture’s latest available report (several years old) estimates it will cost $233,610 to raise a child from birth through age seventeen. That’s the average for a middle-class couple with two children. Housing was the biggest expense for middle-income families, requiring 29% of the total cost of raising a child due to the need for an extra bedroom.
Would it surprise you to know that food is the #2 expense? Parents with teenagers can expect to “fork over” the most money on food. The annual cost to feed a 15–17-year-old came in at $2,790, 22% more than the cost to feed a child between the ages of 6 and 8.
But the biggest cost is actually in the area of T-I-M-E. It takes time to be a good father or mother. Time BEING WITH the children is perhaps even more important than time taking care of the children.
There is a lot of sacrifice involved in being a parent. No one ever said parenting was easy or cheap. But the rewards of watching a child grow in the right way (God’s way) is immeasurable.
Today’s Verse is about John’s spiritual children, but it can be just as true for our physical children. “Walking in the truth” is a much higher goal than walking in money or fame, etc. But it will require an enormous investment on the part of the parents…beginning with their own commitment to the truth—to God’s truth! Transferring that truth to one’s children is a patient, continual undertaking. It is similar to building a skyscraper…it’s done one floor at a time and even one block at a time.
Parents, know the truth! Commit to the truth! Teach the truth! But, above all, live the truth! Your actions provide the greatest teaching that your child will ever see.
“A careful parent I want to be, A little fellow follows me; I do not dare to go astray For fear he’ll go the self-same way.
I cannot once escape his eyes, What’er he sees me do he tries. Like ME he says he’s going to be, That little chap who follows me.
I must remember as I go Through summer suns and winter snow, I am building for the years to be, That little chap who follows me.”
I salute all of our parents that are devoting their time, energy and resources to helping their children grow up in the Christian way!
Aug 3, 2022 – Imagine being imprisoned in a Japanese concentration camp in World War Two! Read on!
W. A. Criswell, one of the greatest preachers of the last century, was visiting with T. M. Rankin (Executive Secretary of the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board) in Hong Kong. Criswell writes, “We were in a little car on the backside of the island. As we drove along Rankin pointed to a place and said, ‘In that place I was incarcerated in a concentration camp all the years of World War Two. When the Japanese came and seized Hong Kong, I was arrested and interned in that camp.
‘When I was marched into the concentration camp with a Japanese soldier on each side of me, I had no idea whether I would live or die. What lay before me could be starvation, disease, and maybe even death. But I never had the sense of the presence of God with me as I did that day when I was marched into the camp with a Japanese soldier on each side of me.’”
What did Jesus promise Rankin? Bless God, the same thing that Jesus has promised you and me. Jesus said, “I will be with you until the end of the age.” “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.” NEVER!
The Apostle Paul testified about his courtroom trials, “The Lord stood with me and strengthened me” (2 Timothy 4:17).
David expressed, “When I walk through the deepest valley imaginable, even the valley of death, I will not fear the evil because You will be with me even there. As a matter of fact, You are with me now.”
What foe are you encountering at this time in your life? Is your foe bigger than Jesus? Of course not. You already have His presence for the foe at hand. Take His hand, lean on Him.
Aug 2, 2022 – Are you the Dead Sea or the Sea of Galilee? The difference is enormous and has enormous ramifications for the people around you, including your family.
Someone pointed out many years ago that Israel’s two seas teach us much about life. The Jordan River flows into the Sea of Galilee in the north. The Sea of Galilee abounds with life; its water is clear, fresh and beautiful to behold. The entire area is filled with vibrancy and living things. It is alive! Jesus spent much of His earthly life around this sea. It is mentioned often in the gospels.
At the southern end lies, appropriately named, the Dead Sea. This sea is recognized as the lowest body of water in the world. No fish or plant life can survive in its water. The only things that live in the Dead Sea are a few microbes. The water is five times as salty as the ocean, so salty that the human body floats on the surface. “Our body weight is lighter (less dense) than the density of the water, our body is more buoyant in the Dead Sea, making it easy to float.”
What a contrast between these two bodies of water! We see a similar difference in people. The Sea of Galilee never keeps the water it receives; whatever flows into it also flows out. The receiving and the giving will continue on into infinity in equal measure. But every drop that enters the Dead Sea remains in the Dead Sea. There is no outlet. After all, where else could the water go because the Dead Sea is the lowest body of water on planet earth?
One might say “the Dead Sea is incredibly shrewd, keeping to itself what it receives.” The Dead Sea is the ultimate symbol of selfishness, self-absorption, self-gratification. It the Scrooge of nature. “I, me, mine” is its favorite song. It is the lowest body; thus, it represents the lowest form of human behavior.
What kind of person are you? Are you like the Sea of Galilee, receiving from God’s bounty then distributing God’s bounty to others, or are you like the Dead Sea, keeping all that you can and sitting on the can?
Aug 1, 2022 – J. A. Gillmartin testifies, “The older I get temporally, the more I see things dying…my eyesight, my strength, my memory, my balance, my legs, my marksmanship, my stamina, and much more. The older I get spiritually, the more I see things coming to life—my faith, my hope, my love, my heart, my spirit and my insight, my understanding and much more. GLORY!”
When I was a boy, I often heard the aged saints (they were in their fifties or sixties but looked aged to me!) testify like Gillmartin. I LISTENED CLOSELY and held their words dear to my heart. It wasn’t their money (most had little money in our poor community), but it was their faith that resonated in my young heart. They were not television preachers pretending to be “super spiritual” but ordinary people that we personally knew…people who could share their own experiences as proof of today’s verse.
Thus, I learned from watching them that I could trust the Lord to keep His word. Yes, I learned from the Bible, too. Yes, I learned from reading about Moses, Daniel, and Paul, also. But these people were flesh and blood that I knew…who smiled at me and even “amen’ed” me when I grew up and preached my first sermons. They had lived the Bible life and could testify it was truly a life worth living. Their words were practically the same as Gillmartin’s words above. I often thank God for what I saw in their lives. It gave me confidence to live for Jesus despite the pressures of the world. THEIR LIVES MADE A DIFFERENCE!
How does Psalm 91 begin? Awesomely!” These are the opening words: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’” The Psalmist then proceeds to explain the problems of life to us. In so doing, he makes it plain that the Christian life is not void of troubles. Some people run from their problems as fast as their little legs will carry them…only to spend their entire life on the run and in fear. Others face their problems head-on in their own strength, but others meet their problems in the strength of the Lord. They live in His shelter…in His shadow which is about as close as anyone can be! As a result, they experience “greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.”
The Psalmist continues his song with triumph, “A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.” Hey, are you struggling today? Read the entire Psalm and realize God is your companion for even today’s problems!
This Psalmist concludes with the words, “I, the Lord, will satisfy him with a long life and show him my salvation” or deliverance. J. A. Gillmartin’s words are his testimony to this psalm. The words of the aged saints from my youth are also testimony to this psalm.
I believe that my own words (when I become aged) will be a similar testimony, too. How about you? Thank God for His faithfulness!
Jul 29, 2022 – Ready for a question to stretch your mind? Consider this question: If you could not have Jesus as your Savior, what other Savior would you choose?
Would you choose the President of the United States of America, the most powerful man in the world?
Would you choose your dear precious mother or your loving father, two people who love you so much?
Would you choose a great religious leader like the Pope, Mohammed, Confucius or one of the other religious leaders?
Would you choose the Virgin Mary, the one who was highly favored among women?
How about one of the apostles or another saint?
Which one would you choose? Your likely answer is, “It doesn’t matter which of the above I choose. The truth is if I can’t have Jesus, then I can’t have a Savior because none of the others can save even themselves, let alone me!”
How true! The exclusivity of Christianity is stunning because Christianity is the religion of ONE Savior, not many…of one way, not many. Indeed, Jesus boldly declares to His critics, “I am THE way, THE truth, and THE life. No man comes to the Father except THROUGH Me.” If someone wishes to disagree, so be it, but let it be emphasized the person’s disagreement is actually with Jesus rather than this writer. Either Jesus is the way, the truth and the life that He claims to be or Christianity is corrupt at its very core. After all, you can’t even spell Christianity without the first six letters: C-H-R-I-S-T!
Do you agree?
Jul 28, 2022 – “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound” amazes us, but it also amazes the angels of heaven. The angels are intrigued by this thing called grace. The angels do not understand what it means to be on the road to a devil’s hell but to then be rescued by the grace of God. That is so because the elect angels in heaven never sinned in the first place…never needed to be saved or rescued.
Thus, the angels “desire to look” into how grace works. One duty of the angels is to protect and exalt the holiness of God…to destroy everything that is in rebellion against God but then along comes grace and grace says, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, so, angels, sit down for a while and let me show you what grace can do.” The angels then look in amazement upon:
Peter when he curses and forsakes the Lord, and they see grace which never ends.
Jacob, that scoundrel from the Old Testament, and they see grace upon grace as the ocean waves unceasingly come upon the shore.
David when he commits the awful sins of adultery, murder, lying even grieving the Holy Spirit, and they know that sin can never separate the believer from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Elijah as he goes rising through the air, and they realize that even height can never separate us from the love of God.
Jonah as he lies in the belly of the great fish – forgotten by the world but not forgotten by God – and they realize that even the ocean depths cannot separate us from the love of God.
Paul as he struggles from one tribulation to another, and they realize that even tribulation cannot separate us from our salvation in Christ.
John the Baptist as he enters the executioner’s chamber – as he proclaims, “I’m still trusting in the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” and they realize that even death and the sword cannot separate us from our Savior!
Is it any wonder the angels desire to know more about what it means to be saved by grace? Perhaps we, too, need to be more intrigued!
Jul 27, 2022 – What is the true worth of a mother? She’s an expert at practically everything because she HAS to be an expert at practically everything! The comedian Milton Berle asked, “If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?” Another said, “Any mother could perform the jobs of several air traffic controllers with ease.”
Pause for a moment and think of all that a mother knows…and does. The list is not short and it constantly seems to grow longer. Any mother knows the old axiom: “Child rearing MYTH #1: Labor ends when the baby is born!” Yes, it’s a myth…just ask any mother. Her daily activities define “multitasking” better than any dictionary. She holds a baby with one arm, stirs the pot with the free hand, listens to her husband tell about his day and often does all of it at the same time. Such a woman is a treasure…often unappreciated but that does not change the fact that she is a treasure.
Proverbs 31 provides the best detailed description of such a woman. Verse ten asks, “Who can find a virtuous woman?” Many young men are asking that very question today. There are many godly young people seeking a godly mate but cannot find one. A young adult told me, “They don’t exist! They don’t want God in their lives. They’re not like you and your wife or the people of your generation.”
The word “virtuous” has reference to moral excellence. Other translations use the word “excellent,” “noble or moral character.” The Amplified Bible catches the full sense of the word: “An excellent woman [one who is spiritual, capable, intelligent, and virtuous], who is he who can find her? Her value is more precious than jewels and her worth is far above rubies or pearls.”
Do you know what is represented by verses ten through the end of the chapter? It is a bull’s eye or a target. It is a Mission Statement such as businesses create as a guide for their business decisions. Quite honestly, this passage is the Mission Statement of all Mission Statements. It establishes clear goals to do but, most importantly, the person every woman, wife or mother should seek to become. Remember: Being is more important than doing because being will determine your doing.
Take the time to read the entire passage. Perhaps write it in your own words. Or read it in another translation to give you a different feel for the words. Does this passage work for you, dear lady? Would it be a great goal for your teenage, even adult, daughter?
Life should not be about going along with the crowd. It should be about becoming someone you can respect and others respect…a person of standards and character and excellence. Being the best that you can be. So why not be the best?
God bless all the ladies reading these words…and all of us who have been blessed with godly mothers.
Jul 26, 2022 – Have you ever extinguished a fire? Probably more than one! How did you do it? Probably with water such as from a garden hose or a bucket. Perhaps with a fire extinguisher. Maybe you smothered the fire with a rug or put a lid on the pan. Baking soda anyone? End result: The fire was extinguished.
Have you ever tried to quench a spring? Perhaps placed a foot here or there, covered the space with dirt, even excavated and added drainage pipes to evacuate the water?
Both situations help us understand what the Apostle Paul means by “quenching the Spirit.” The fire and the spring both want to do their natural thing, but we hinder or restrict them from accomplishing their purpose. We do our best to diminish them and, in so doing, re-establish the status quo. Neither the fire nor the spring are allowed to interfere with our plans or our choices. “I know what I want, and nothing will turn me aside” is the usual attitude. “Shut your mouth, I already know what to do.”
Imagine the Holy Spirit being the fire or the spring in your own life. He comes to bring change and to conform us to the image of Christ as well as to God’s will. He comes daily, even hourly to minister to us and through us. “Out of your innermost being shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). “Till all shall see, Christ only, always, living in me.” However, the old Adamic sin nature within us rises up and says, “Not Your will be done but my will be done.” We grab the fire extinguisher or we stomp on the spring in order to control Him, prevent Him from having the right-of-way in our lives.
Kenneth Wuest translates Today’s Verse as, “Stop stifling and suppressing the Spirit.” “Stop doing what you are so easily and repeatedly doing.”
How foolish we are! The best friend we have is the Holy Spirit, but we so often keep Him at a distance…and deliberately do so. Warren Wiersbe reminds us, “When the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives, we have a warmth of love in our hearts, light for our minds, and energy for our wills. He ‘melts us (believers in the church) together’ so there is harmony and cooperation; and He purifies us so that we put away sin.”
This chorus is the right chorus for Christian living: “Spirit of the living God, Fall fresh on me. Break me, melt me, mold me, fill me. Spirit of the living God, Fall fresh on me!” I YIELD TO YOU!
It was said of evangelist D. L. Moody, “He speaks as if he has a monopoly on the Holy Spirit.”
An admirer responded, “Moody has no monopoly on the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly on Moody.”
Walter Knight adds, “When we are filled with the Spirit, we do not have more of the Spirit, but the Spirit has ALL of us.” Fills us, conforms us, empowers us, guides us, teaches us, warns us, loves us, comforts us, purifies us… What more can we ask?
Lord, make it so!
Jul 25, 2022 – Have you conquered worry? Hurrah if the answer is yes! But if yes, you’re a rare bird…rare among most of the readers of these devotionals. Sadly, worry affects ministry in a negative way; even more sadly, worry has a negative effect upon everything we touch. And it’s very, very real.
Advice #1 – Dale Carnegie says, “Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.” Just curious: Did yesterday (or your anticipated bad day) turn out as bad as you feared? It rarely does. Was the worrying worth the expended energy? Of course not. Based upon that experience we should worry less as we become older, because we older ones have come to realize that things are rarely as bad as we anticipate…and anticipating the worst option wasn’t a smart thing to do. That’s why so many old people handle bad news in stride. They have a better balance between what could happen and what is likely to happen.
Advice #2 – Ben Francia writes, “Most of us can’t help but worry about our future. Being unsure of what is to come scares us. But we shouldn’t waste time on it. Instead, we must make the most of our day. Worrying won’t let us reach our goals faster, nor will it help us succeed. Often times, it pulls us back from being the best we can be. We are consumed by our worries which hinder us from doing what we need to do in the first place. Truth is, we only have today so we need to make sure we seize the moment and do the best we can today.
“Stop wasting your time worrying. Get out there and seize the moment. Strive for excellence, whatever it is that you do. Today is all we really have and worrying won’t make anything better. If you really want to succeed, then go and make it happen! Seizing the moment means becoming proactive rather than reactive, doing something rather than being paralyzed with fear or worry.”
Advice #3 – Jesus says, “CONSIDER the birds of the air.” Nothing profound or earth shattering. Just take the time to stop and watch the birds. Imagine yourself being a bird. How would you spend your day? Living! Enjoying life! Flying here, flying there, eating, etc. Making the most of the now! During my nature walks I have yet to come across a conference of birds musing about the next day’s food supply or the need of shelter. But I have come across birds repeating the same process as yesterday and the day before…living life with the expectation that what they need will be provided even if they don’t understand how it will be provided. That is so simplistic, but we often miss the point. We reason, “God can take care of the birds but not us!” when in reality our challenges are equally tiny to the great Creator.
Question: Are you worth more than the birds? You are to God. And that God is the God of YOUR tomorrow. He will be there for you…and He will be enough. You can count on it.
Jul 22, 2022 – The future of Christianity in your community is up to you and other people like you. Another translation says, “I urge YOU to defend the faith,” because this faith has been entrusted to YOUR care. Question: have you been born again? If the answer is yes, please notice this faith called the Christian faith or Christian belief system has been entrusted to your personal care.
It is like two young parents coming to you and saying, “We do not plan to die, but life happens and we may die in an accident. We would like to appoint you the guardian of our children if we die. We have a life insurance policy of one million dollars to cover their expenses. We want to entrust our children to your care.”
Ruth Ellen and I have been asked to do this on two different occasions. Why us? It was because the parents wanted to see their children in heaven; they knew we would teach Jesus to their children and lead them to Christ the Savior.
Thankfully, that situation never happened, but suppose that responsibility happens to you. Serving as a guardian would be a great responsibility. You would need to give the children a home. That includes food, shelter, guidance, clothing, companionship, and much more.
Get this idea in your mind: The lives of those children have been entrusted to you…deposited in your hands. Their future rests on your shoulders. You must not walk away from it. The need is too great. The responsibility is too great. The parents need you to say, “Yes, I will do it. I will do it to the best of my ability.”
That is what Jude is saying in Today’s Verse. He is saying, “This faith was delivered once and for all to the saints.” The Greek word for “delivered” is “paradidomi” and it has the idea of “entrusted, take care of, manage, keep safe.” Kenneth Wuest writes, “The idea is that God gave the Christian doctrines to the saints as a deposit of truth to be guarded.”
Notice this faith was not given merely to the apostles but to all the saints…to people like us. Not to the mighty angels but to us with all of our weaknesses, limitations, frailties, inconsistencies, etc.
Bottom line: What will happen if we fail? Will the next generation have much interest in Christ? What about our own grandchildren and great-grandchildren? The answer is obvious.
It is true you cannot stop the decline alone. But it is also true the generations to come deserve your best effort to “preserve the faith which has been entrusted to our generation.” So start contending! The destinies of many people depend upon the ordinary saints like you.
Jul 20-21, 2022 – Are you ever intimidated by someone whom you regard as your better? This pastor recalls in his early years working at a utility company and being intimidated by the “top floor execs.” My supervisor helped me overcome that problem by reminding me, “They put on their pants one leg at a time just like you. And most of them live from paycheck to paycheck just like your co-workers.” Good advice!
But here is even better advice: “He who kneels before God can stand before anyone.” The Bible testifies to this truth with these words in Acts 4:31, “After the apostles prayed…they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God BOLDLY.” Boldly before those who had previously intimidated them! The fearful became bold!
What was the difference? In the old Andy Griffith show it was a cowering deputy Barney being backed up by a much stronger sheriff Andy. In the Christian life it is us standing in the shadow cast over us by the close-by God of heaven. His size is bigger, even much bigger, than our Goliath and even all of our Goliath’s combined. His presence overshadows us and energizes us through the Holy Spirit to rise above our fear.
The Apostle Paul testified, “If God be for me, who can stand against me?” “Be strong in the power of HIS might!” Paul’s life provides great testimony that those words are indeed true.
Ah, there is no reason for the Christian to ever be intimidated by this unbelieving world. After all, no one outranks you…because you live in His shadow!
Jul 19, 2022 – Retired? Nearing retirement? How are you serving or plan to serve the Lord in your retirement?
Retirement presents its own challenges. One retiree commented, “I am in the *initial* stage of my golden years: SS, CD’s, IRA’s, AARP!” That designation has much truth in it.
So what kind of advice is appropriate for our current and future retirees? G. Campbell Morgan says, “Looking back to the old days is not the way out. Looking UP to the God of ALL the days is.” We need to remember that our God is the SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER.
The Psalmist says there is such a stage in life for disciples called “bearing fruit in OLD age.” Apparently, there is no end to the possibilities of fruit bearing. We can bear fruit in our youth, middle-age, and old age. There is no age beyond old age; thus, we must conclude each of us can bear fruit until the day God calls us home.
What is the chief advantage to retirement? Chiefly, more time to do what we want to do. The readers of Today’s Verse obviously want to be involved in ministry. That is why they read these devotionals. Retirement from secular work frees us to do more ministry, not less. The ministry may change due to health or age, but the ministry can still flourish in other, even new areas.
Many retirees expand their ministry into making hospital visits or telephone calls. Deacon Taft Hutchison was in his nineties but was still making hospital visits till the end. An amazing fellow! Some do card ministries. Some start a morning Bible class at church. Bonita Pack hosted fifteen ladies weekly for TWO hours…a splendid time for all.
One fellow maintained an incredible prayer ministry. During my first visit he greeted me with, “I just prayed for you a few minutes ago.” He proceeded to show me his prayer list. I was number 115! He regularly prayed for each name. Those more than 115 people were incredibly blessed!
Some participate in a disaster relief organization. Our property suffered extensive tree damage during an ice storm a few years ago. My driveway was blocked by multiple fallen trees. Our Ohio Disaster Relief team cleared the driveway and shared the gospel with the nearby people. Practically every worker was a retiree. Some were skilled but all were willing.
Some develop ministries that have been on their heart for many years. In my case, the pastoral ministry is evolving into the God’s Greenhouse ministry. Only God knows where it will lead.
Some engage in children’s ministries such as After-School clubs (contact Child Evangelism Fellowship to begin such a club in your neighborhood school). Or do a home Vacation Bible School with neighborhood children.
My wife works one day a week at Two Hearts Pregnancy Center and provides Christian help/counseling for pregnant women (there is an alternative to abortion). Other people devote time to their city mission, Habitat for Humanity, etc. How about a nursing home ministry? Or knocking on doors and sharing the gospel? Updating the church sign to keep the community informed that your church is ALIVE? Devoting time to odd jobs for the church widows? Being a tutor to struggling students at church?
Bottom line: With God’s help, all of us can do more than just exist in our old age. We can also THRIVE in our old age. Which do/will you choose?
Jul 18, 2022 – No matter where you live, no matter how cloudy the sky, the S-O-N is up today! Have you noticed?
“The Word (logos) became flesh and dwelt or lived among us!” This passage in John’s awe-inspiring first chapter means the S-O-N whom we worship is older than the S-U-N whom others worship. What does common sense say about that? Well, who in his right mind worships the created thing rather than the Creator of the created thing? Yet so many do (Romans 1:18-32).
Let’s consider the overwhelming awesomeness of the S-O-N Jesus Christ. “All power has been given to Me…And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ…This is the true God and eternal life…For in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form…’I am the resurrection and the life’…’Lazarus, come forth!’ and he did…Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are FORGIVEN.’ But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, ‘Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?’…’I and My Father are one’…We are looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ!”
Adrian Rogers preaches, “He came the first time to die; He is coming again to raise the dead. When He came the first time, they questioned whether He was King; the next time the world will know that He is King of kings and Lord of lords. The first time He wore a crown of thorns; the next time He will be wearing a crown of glory. The first time He came in poverty; the next time He is coming in power. The first time He had an escort of angels; the next time He will come with ten thousands of His saints. The first time He came in meekness; He is coming again in majesty.” Yes!
I know this S-O-N as my Lord and Savior. He has said to me, “YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN.” How about you?
Jul 16-17, 2022 – What is the secret to America’s greatness? In spite of our current difficulties I cannot imagine living anywhere else. Broadly speaking, the United States is still head and shoulders above the world in many, many categories. The American system may not work for everyone (what system truly can?), but it remains the most effective system in world history and is still envied throughout the world.
We older folk can remember the 1980’s when people were afraid of the growing economic power of Japan. Some said, “Japan will soon own everyone!” But that cycle or period faded and Japan has faded, too, due to many factors including an aging and declining population.
Then came the rise of China in the past thirty years. Due to its enormous population, China has become the number one driver of world economic growth. However, its one-baby policy of prior decades is thought to be its greatest FUTURE hindrance, because China is becoming old very quickly. Indeed, many economists have commented in recent years, “China will become old before it becomes rich.”
Which country has the potential to take the lead? Economists point to India! It has a very young, highly educated population. But it has many internal hurdles to overcome.
The point is, how can our nation with only 5% of the world’s population achieve such greatness for 200 years when others go through much shorter cycles? Roger Babson identified the right answer when he said, “South America was founded by people looking for gold; North America was founded by people LOOKING FOR GOD.”
Cycles come and cycles go but God has stood by America from its earliest days. Let us pray He continues to do so in spite of today’s increasing rebellion against His holy will. Without Him, we will be like all the other nations that have come before us. After all, “In God We Trust” should be more than a motto. Do you agree?
Jul 15, 2022 – Building Character – Part 2. What is character? Most importantly, what is my character? President Theodore Roosevelt says, “I care not what others think of what I do, but I care very much about what I think of what I do! That is character!”
Helen Keller says, “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”
What builds the RIGHT kind of character? Someone suggested five words during my college days that have helped me tremendously through the years. Word #1 – Convictions. The dictionary defines the word conviction as a firmly held belief or opinion. The person may be right or wrong, but he is 100% convinced of what he says or believes. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 1 & 3) had some deep-rooted convictions that set them apart from the people around them. In Daniel’s first chapter they refused to violate God’s dietary laws and eat what the heathen eat. In chapter three they refused to break the first two commandments and worship Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image! People with convictions stand for something!
Word #2 – Consecration. The word consecration means, “the action of making or declaring something sacred.” In other words, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were consecrated to the Lord and His work rather than to the world or Nebuchadnezzar or the almighty dollar or some job. They declared in unison, “…our God…whom we SERVE” (Daniel 3:17). “We are consecrated to our God – the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; that means you, o king, come somewhere else down the list.” These men had first, a conviction about what was right and what was wrong; second, they were consecrated to God and that meant God always came first!
Word #3 – Courage. These three young men faced the threat of perishing in a furnace of fire. No problem! They boldly declared, “Let it be known by you, we will NOT serve your gods nor worship your golden image” (the equivalent of receiving the mark of the beast (Revelation 13:16)). Their knees may have been banging like a drum but they stood!
Word #4 – Consistency. These three men are mentioned four times in the book of Daniel. NOT ONE of those times do they bring dishonor upon the Lord. Wonder if they considered themselves ready for these challenges? But ready or not, the challenges came. But they stood true at the age of twenty in chapter one and stood true at the age of forty in chapter three. Charles Spurgeon says, “We have no other time in which to live. The past is gone; the future has not arrived; we never shall have any time but time present. Then do not wait until your experience has ripened into maturity before you attempt to serve God.”
Word #5 – Companionship. “Be it known unto you, O king, WE…” None of them stood alone! Shadrach always had Meshach and Abednego. Meshach always had Shadrach and Abednego. Abednego always had the other two. My own philosophy on life has always been to do what is biblically right and leave the consequences up to God. Most of the time I have won but a few times I have lost. But even when I lost, I was not alone. I was always blessed with companions and those companions were God’s friends. The lesson? Build character by surrounding yourself with the friends of God.
John Oxenham writes,
“To every man there openeth A Way, and Ways and a Way,
The High Soul climbs the High Way, The Low Soul gropes the Low,
And in between on the misty flats, The rest drift to and fro.
But to every man there opened A High Way, and a Low,
And every man decideth The Way his soul shall go.”
Jul 14, 2022 – Building Character – Part 1. What is character? What kind of character would you want your children to have? What kind of character would you want your spouse to have? And what kind of character would your spouse want you to have?
Stephen Covey says, “Our character is basically a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character.”
Jim Rohn writes, “Character isn’t something you were born with and can’t change, like your fingerprints. It’s something you weren’t born with and must take responsibility for forming.” In other words, we can’t thank or blame anyone for our character. It begins with us and ends with us. Period. So is your character what you really desire it to be?
Ruth Ellen and I married on August 28, 1976. We arrived in Chattanooga on August 29 so I could begin my pastoral studies at Tennessee Temple University. We were in Chattanooga for the next three years and one month.
The most important class we took in those three years and one month was a class in CHARACTER BUILDING. It was a time of character building for both of us as a new family. We were separated by seven hours from our relatives at home. We were on our own. That was actually a blessing, because it gave us opportunity to work on who we wanted to be without outside interference. During those three years we established our values together. We DELIBERATELY chose to build our lives around Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the kingdom of God and God will take care of everything else.”
We have stayed with that same commitment for the last forty-six years. Some people start out in the middle of the road but keep going from the white line on the far left to the white line on the far right and sometimes even leave the road entirely. I am proud to say we have never done that. We have stayed in the middle of the road. Forty-six years in the middle of the road. I wish I could say that we are special people with awesome skills but that is not true for us. We are quite ordinary. Our successes in life can be traced to one item: We have stayed with our commitment of forty-six years ago. And, in so doing, God has built a biblical character in each of our lives.
It is never too late to work on building your character. The Holy Spirit is willing and able to help!
We will dig deeper into “Building Character” in tomorrow’s devotional.
Jul 13, 2022 – Do you want to properly interpret God’s Word? Today’s devotional is for you! Much of today’s confusion exists because of seven human (not divine) factors:
First, the reader’s reluctance to embrace all Scripture equally. People retain the Scripture that supports their position but disregard the Scripture that apparently contradicts their position. Extreme doctrinal positions such as denial of the Trinity fall into this error.
Second, the failure to interpret Scripture in its context. One Christian expressed this attitude when he said, “I already know what I believe. Don’t confuse me with anything else.” But the old adage cautions, “A text out of context is a pretext.” Context often limits the meaning of a particular Scripture to a specific setting, circumstance, person or people.
Third, the failure to compare Scripture with Scripture. The best interpreter of Scripture is the Holy Spirit; the next best interpreter is other Scripture. For example, how does the same Bible writer use this word or thought elsewhere? Again, how do the other Bible writers use this same word or thought? This type of study can be done easily with a concordance (especially a Hebrew or Greek concordance).
Fourth, not comparing translations. I was fooled in my early years on a few Scriptures because I misread a translation. Such an error would have been avoided if I had read the passage in another translation (each translation presents the passage through a different set of eyes).
Fifth, ignoring the text in its original language. Hebrew and Greek words have specific meanings. Occasionally, words possess alternate or secondary meanings, but those words are much fewer in number. Please note: It is never a good strategy to devise a personal translation or word definition that is not confirmed by several of today’s outstanding translations. Today’s translators are excellent scholars in the field of textual criticism. Their training likely exceeds the training of those reading this devotional. I urge you to bounce your ideas off them. Avoid teaching something which is not confirmed by others.
Sixth, failing to admit we simply do not know. Teachers ought to resist the urge to always be authoritative. Some passages are rock solid and allow only one interpretation. Other passages, though, are less clear and leave us with several options. Today’s audience will appreciate an honest opinion when your analysis concludes with a question mark. Suffice it to say, the world will not end because of an occasional question mark.
Seventh, exalting feelings or experience above the text. No personal experience should ever be allowed to change the text. The text is not on trial, rather personal experience is on trial. The text is always the judge, not one’s feelings or experience. It is possible to have a religious experience that is not generated by the Holy Spirit nor conforms with plain Bible teachings.
Let’s go read!
(Excerpt from my book God Speaks—Today!)
Jul 12, 2022 – What is the future of the world? Does anyone know or are we left to mere speculation? Answer: The Word of God reveals some events in crystal clear manner. The bottom line is simply this: Jesus Christ is coming again as King of Kings and Lord of Lords in order to take back what is rightfully His—the throne over His rebellious creation!
The Bible student must never lose sight of the truth that history is actually HIS-story. Spell it that way and you’ll be ahead of the game. All the student must do is place Jesus at the center of world events and the student will immediately know MORE than most of the people running our government…than those providing so-called expert analysis on the 24 hour a day television news channels.
The most important event of the FUTURE is His Coming! Likewise, the most important event of the PAST is His coming!
Let’s look at HIS-story in the following manner: first, His coming to be our Savior. The first coming to lowly Bethlehem is an absolutely marvelous event which leaves one tingling in wonderment. It is a quiet event shared by only a few in a secluded village known more for being the home village of King David than anything really special.
“O little town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie; Above thy deep and dreamless sleep The silent stars go by…While mortals sleep, the angels keep Their watch of wondering love…How silently, how silently The wondrous gift is given…NO EAR MAY HEAR HIS COMING…!” So quietly and uneventfully He comes! So misunderstood by the masses but so understood by the believers: “Thou art the Christ!” Rejected and despised…”and so they crucified Him.”
But that will not be so when He comes again! Today’s Verse highlights His coming in the future to be King. “Look, He is coming with clouds” and “every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him” and all peoples of the earth will “mourn because of Him.”
You and I must get ready now for so it shall be! “I, John, saw heaven open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on His head are many crowns.”
“Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. Then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.” Coming to reign! Coming to establish His kingdom! Coming to implement laws based upon righteousness! Coming to lift the curse from the earth! Coming to establish truth forevermore!
Yes, He is coming again! Even so, come Lord Jesus, and the sooner the better! Are you ready for His coming?
Jul 11, 2022 – How has Jesus Christ influenced our world? Much of today’s world ignores Him, but it cannot escape His influence. Our thoughts first go to the existence of Christmas…the date we celebrate the birth of our Savior. It is probably not an accurate date, but it is undoubtedly proper to set aside a day to worship the coming of the King of the Jews who is also the King of the world. Amazingly, most of the world revolves around this one specific day: HIS DAY!
Entities such as the Red CROSS (not the Red Swastika nor the Red Eagle nor the Yellow Flame), Princton, Harvard and Yale have a Christian influence in their origin. The United States Constitution, though written by the unbeliever Thomas Jefferson, expresses the Christian concept of freedom and liberty from tyranny (sin). Jefferson did not accept the resurrection of our Lord, but he made certain that Christianity could be promoted without fear of government reprisal.
The impact of Jesus even affects our calendar. The calendar is based upon two distinct time periods…one is called BC and the other is called AD. The term BC means “before Christ.” Thus, the date 1,000 BC means one thousand years before the coming or birth of Christ. (Most modern-day scholars believe the original year for Jesus’ birth is incorrect, that Jesus was likely born in 3-5 BC.) The term AD does not mean “after the death” of Christ but rather represents “anno Domini” which means “In the Year of our Lord.”
Interestingly, there is no year zero in this pattern, so the year AD 1 immediately follows the year 1 BC. (This dating system was devised in 525 AD by Dionysius Exiguus of Scythia Minor.) Thus, the calendar is based upon events before His birth and events that happened in the first and subsequent years of His birth. HIS BIRTH – not mine or yours but His and His alone.
The author H. G. Wells writes, “I am an historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very center of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history.”
Philip Schaff expresses our wonderment, “Jesus of Nazareth, without money and arms, conquered more millions than Alexander the Great, Caesar, Mohammed, and Napoleon; without science and learning, he shed more light on things human and divine than all philosophers and scholars combined; without the eloquence of school, he spoke such words of life as were never spoken before or since, and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of orator or poet; without writing a single line, he set more pens in motion, and furnished themes for more sermons, orations, discussions, learned volumes, works of art, and songs of praise than the whole army of great men of ancient and modern times.”
Love Him or despise Him, reverence Him or crucify Him…makes no difference. HE STILL INFLUENCES THE WORLD OF BOTH BELIEVERS AND UNBELIEVERS; HE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO UNTIL THE END OF TIME. AMEN!
Jul 9-10, 2022 – Only God can save your soul. That is a staggering thought. That is the basic premise for the phrase “scarcely saved.” God’s righteousness demanded satisfaction: Man’s sin debt must be paid! There was only one way to save man from eternal death! The Apostle Peter made it clear to his listeners, “Salvation is in Jesus but there is no salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
The Bible paints us as lost in our sin and on the road to hell. The songwriter describes us as being chained in a dungeon of darkness. James says we are held captive by the devil at his will…not our will. The preacher warns us to flee from the judgment to come. But flee where? Flee from the wrath to come and flee into the arms of the Lamb of God who has come to take away the sin of the world: Jesus Christ.
We must ask ourselves, Am I totally hopeless before God? Beyond help? The Judge known as Eternity answers, “Yes, if God is excluded from the answer.” However, Eternity also answers, “No, if God is included in the answer.”
May I say to you: Never, ever lose sight of your salvation and that only God can save you.
Think about it every day that you live.
Reflect on how salvation has changed your life.
Think about where you would be if you had never met Jesus.
Above all, never take it for granted.
Keep your salvation always before you.
Make it the center point of your life!
Jul 8, 2022 – “The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart.” Jesus was a “heart preacher.” Any good preacher or teacher must also be a heart preacher/teacher. The gospel song writers know that and focus their lyrics on the heart. Even our modern love songs express this truth. It is an axiom that if one can gain your heart that he or she also gets everything else in your possession.
Successful ministry also depends upon the heart. Successful ministry reaches past our thoughts, our wallets, and our time…and goes to the very depths of our being. It is something which the heart willingly accepts out of love for the Master…something which COMPELS us to go further than just the extra mile. Why? It is because there is a marriage – an “I do” – between Him, us, and ministry. Somehow all three become one. Ministry becomes more than what we do…it becomes who we are and therefore how we think, how we behave, what we love, etc.
What are the key HEART ingredients for a successful ministry? First, a pure heart! Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). David asked, “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart” (Psalm 24:3). A pure heart does not tolerate sin but runs from sin, resists sin.
Second, a soft heart. My father, also a pastor, advised me as a young minister, “Keep a soft heart for as long as you can.” I have often prayed for a soft heart! Ministry is hard. Someone described ministry as too often jumping into the sea to save a drowning man only to have him push us away. Rejection occurs. Ridicule is heard. The good news or gospel is often treated like bad news. Jesus’ final twenty-four hours prior to the crucifixion reveal He still possessed a soft heart for one and all. He poured out His love in the Upper Room Discourse (John 13-16), saved a thief on a cross and remembered to care for His mother! What a minister!
Third, a sincere heart. The Latin word “sincerus” means “honey separated from the wax, or pure honey.” A sincere heart is a beautiful thing to God, because it is united in one cause: knowing Him and, consequently, serving Him. Through the years I have encountered many who were afraid to fill a church role because they were afraid of failure. I assure you that God is not nearly as concerned with your failing as you are. God has a way of ministering through us even when we occasionally fail (and we fail less than we think). Of course, He would like us to serve well, but He is more concerned with the heart…if the heart is right, the effort will be something God can use. Never limit God in how He can use you.
Last, a yielded heart. Jesus speaks of taking up our cross (Matthew 16:24) as an everyday lifestyle. Paul also talks of dying to self with the words, “I die daily.” My own life has been motivated by these words, “Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small, Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.” It is amazing what God can do with a heart that is yielded to Him.
What does God want of you? I challenge you to be that person.
Jul 7, 2022 – W. A. Criswell had a woman in his congregation that wanted her husband to join the church. At her request, Criswell visited the husband and urged him to become a part of the church. The man said, “I will not join your church, because I do not like to hear you preach.”
Criswell asked, “I would like to know the reason why.”
The man explained, “I have been to your church several times with my wife. You preached the Bible every one of those times. I have never heard you preach anything else.”
Criswell responded, “That is true. What do you want me to preach?”
The man continued, “When I go to church, I would like the minister to enlarge my field of interest, expounding on the political scene, on our economic dilemma, on current events, or about the latest and finest literature. I get tired of listening to you just preach the Bible.”
The man never joined the church, because Criswell never quit preaching the Bible. Criswell concluded, “It seems to me that once in a while a man would like to know what God has to say. If God does say anything, who else but the preacher—God’s spokesman—will tell us what God says? I am convinced this is the assignment of the preacher—to stand in the pulpit, to open the Word of the living Lord, and to tell us how our souls can be saved and how we can enjoy the blessings of God in our lives.”
What do you want from your preacher? How about this: “to stand in the pulpit, to open the Word of the living Lord, and to tell us how our souls can be saved and how we can enjoy the blessings of God in our lives.” Sounds to me like you’ll get ahead with that kind of preacher! What do you think?
Jul 6, 2022 – This writer received a great compliment as I neared the church on my last Sunday (July 3) as its pastor. The church sign greeted me with one of my favorite sayings, “Keep sowing Jesus!” My first thought was, “Praise God, someone has been listening!” My second thought was, “Those three words will determine the fate of every church in America. Inside-the-wall churches are destined to go down, down, down…outside-the-wall churches, though, are fulfilling God’s mission of taking the gospel OUTSIDE the church walls; it makes sense that God wants such an obedient church to continue.”
My formula for a surviving and thriving church may be simplistic to some, but I remain a firm believer that God’s plan is always the best plan. “A going church for a coming Savior” should be more than a slogan. It should be a core belief! “As the Father has sent ME, I also send YOU.” We should view ourselves as Christ viewed Himself: as a missionary to a sinful world headed for a godless eternity. (Indeed, my first book “God’s Greenhouse” is built entirely on this premise.)
Nat Olson asked,
“Where is the mission field?” some people ask,
And then act surprised when they hear me say,
“You’re living on a mission field with every passing day.”
A mission field’s wherever there are straying souls to find,
Wherever there’s a neighbor who needs someone who’s kind,
Wherever there are young folk who need a guiding hand—
There, my friends, is a mission field—do you understand?
“Go ye into all the world” may not mean a foreign trip,
It may be a smile and a chosen tract to leave with a waiter’s tip.
“The world” is everywhere, you know—at home, where you’re employed,
Wherever hearts are lonely and sense an aching void.
There, yes, there’s your mission field—wherever you may be,
Here in dear America or somewhere ‘cross the sea.
Wherever you can work for Christ, wherever hearts can yield,
There, my friend, is where to serve—there’s your mission field!
Jul 5, 2022 – The Bible declares that Jesus is FULL of grace and truth. The old-timer said, “That means plumb full, too!” Yes, He is! Full to the point of overflowing, totally saturated with these two qualities. Such words cannot be said of us, but they can be said of Him who became flesh and dwelt among us for thirty-three years.
Let’s take a moment to consider the impact of this description. There are so many words that could have been substituted for “grace and truth,” and we would never question those words. But are there any two words more needed by you and me? For example, “holiness and wisdom” would be equally true, but they aren’t what we need the most. “Power and majesty” would also be true, but they aren’t what we need the most.
But how about “grace” which is God’s CONTINUED AND LIMITLESS favor upon us although we don’t deserve it? “Where sin abounded, God’s grace did much more abound” (Romans 5:20). And how about “truth” which means all that He declares is 100% accurate even though it may hurt, and, thank God, there is no fake news in what He says either.
With one hand, He tells us the truth and with the other hand He bestows grace to help us deal with the truth. There is no sugarcoating but rather black and white truth: Hell is hot, heaven is sweet, sin is black, salvation is blood red, the abundant life includes cross-bearing, the world system is opposed to Him and us, His call to “seek first the kingdom of God” is the only way to the victorious life plus much more truth. “The narrow road leads to life,” but it is an extremely narrow road and every brick in the road is inscribed with God’s truth.
The grace of God enables us to accept these biblical truths and implement them into our lives. “All of grace is my story, all the way from earth (even the cradle) to glory.” Paul’s Corinthian letter mentions many categories of heinous sinners (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)…ten categories in all. Paul then immediately adds, “and that is what some of you WERE…” not ARE but WERE. What changed them? “But you were washed, sanctified and justified…” Those three words fall under the heading of GRACE. Never forget: The only grace that saves our souls is also the grace that TRANSFORMS our lives. That’s powerful stuff. God’s abundant grace constantly works to TRANSFORM us into His image.
Wouldn’t it be awful to follow someone who tells us the truth but does not give us the ability to conform to the truth? This is not so with our Savior. He both explains AND enables! Thus, there’s no one like Him! May you realize more of His uniqueness today and tomorrow and…
Jul 4, 2022 – Do you have any stated goals? It has been said, “The man who aims at nothing also hits nothing.” One person commented, “I figger if I crawl out o’ da bed in da morning I have ‘complished my most important goal for da day.” Hopefully, you do better than that!
What about God? Does He have goals? A purpose? YES!
Consider God’s goals in the following manner. First, He created (Genesis 1). Prior to the creation there was nothing else but God. Even time, as we currently define time, did not exist. It was just God and nothing or no one else. Then for HIS purpose, not anyone else’s purpose, God brought the universe and life into being. It was a perfect universe absent of every taint of sin and uncleanness. Purity in every detail. All of this was done so that God might enjoy such a creation but also that the creation might be able to enjoy its Creator. Such a beautiful bond!
But then sin intervened: first, through Satan’s rebellion against God (Isaiah 14) and, second, through Adam’s act of disobedience. As a result, God placed a curse upon that entire creation. Man became a sinner (Romans 5:12) destined to physical, spiritual and eternal death. Satan was destined to the lake of fire. The universe was destined for utter annihilation (2 Peter 3).
Pay attention: God could have destroyed everything. But God had a plan; the scope of this plan is beyond human comprehension but the Bible says it was conceived BEFORE the first creation and the first sin (Acts 2:23). In other words, the remedy was created before the problem existed in real life. (Can you imagine the scope of such a plan?)
Here is the key: God’s first creation was ruined by sin so God decided to re-create a new creation. “As it was in the beginning, so it shall be in even more excellence in the end” became God’s goal. God’s first reclamation project was the soul of fallen man. God could not change the corrupt heart (Jeremiah 17:9) so He decided to create a new heart. “If any man be in Christ he is a NEW CREATION” (2 Corinthians 5:17). This new creation is called being “born again.” The new creation is the addition of a second nature into the being of man, a nature which is holy in its design and prompts holy desires and holy living in the born-again one. It should never be confused with reformation, because it is actually regeneration or the creation of a nature in man which did not previously exist.
Have you ever met anyone who said, “I won’t receive Christ because I cannot live the Christian life”? The statement itself is true. NO one can live the Christian life. That is why God must CREATE the Christian life within us (Colossians 3:4, Galatians 2:20).
But God’s overall goal is not yet accomplished. Today’s Verse points us to a final creation: The current universe will be dissolved (2 Peter 3) and replaced with the creation of a “new heaven and a new earth.” This new creation will be inhabited by God, the holy angels and those people (saints) who have become part of the born-again NEW CREATION. In other words, we have born again into a new creation which has the capability of living in the FINAL new creation or the new universe in which “righteousness will forever rule.” It will be a perfect match!
Do you see the plan? “As it was in the beginning, so it shall be in even more excellence in the end.” Sounds like a magnificent plan to me. What do you think? Thank God, I am part of this plan! How about you?
Jul 1-3, 2022 – How does a person face cancer? Today’s Verse brings us to the story of Ernie Johnson, Jr. He is the renowned sportscaster for Turner Sports, somehow keeps his head when Shaq O’Neil, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley get into an argument on his “Inside the NBA on TNT.” (In my early days I often listened to his father Ernie Sr. broadcast for the Atlanta Braves on both tv and radio). Ernie has a style that draws people to him. Relaxed yet ready to go…a unique combination.
Ernie’s biography UNSCRIPTED is an excellent read for anyone, most notably fathers (need a gift for a birthday or next Father’s Day?). The book includes the account of an adult Ernie coming to a knowledge of Christ as his personal Savior, as well as family illnesses (his adopted Romanian son Michael passed in 2021 from muscular dystrophy) and Ernie’s own encounter with cancer.
Cancer is perhaps the most frightening six letter word in the English language. Its occurrence staggered this young-in-the-faith believer named Ernie. He reached out to his pastor for advice. They met at a neighborhood Starbucks to discuss the illness as well as his options.
During the discussion the pastor grabbed a Starbucks napkin and wrote down one word: “TRUST.” The pastor asked, “Ernie, is it going to be ‘trust’ with a question mark? Like ‘I’ll trust God IF the next test comes back the way I want it to? Or is it going to be trust with a PERIOD?”
What a question! This young believer resolved to trust God. Period. He writes, “And that’s why to this day, whenever I send an email, my signature at the bottom looks like this:
Ernie Johnson, Jr. Trust God…Period.
Can you say, “Amen?”
Jun 30, 2022 – Ken Burns is the film maker best known for his PBS renditions of the Civil War, Baseball and the Vietnam War. Regarding the subject of American exceptionalism, he says, “We simply have to hold ourselves to a much higher standard than anyone else is held to. I think that’s part of the American promise.”
Those words are true for America but are also true for us as God’s people. We are held to a higher standard by the world AND God because we have a higher calling and a higher destiny. Jesus describes us as “the light of the world” in a world of “darkness,” as “salt” in a tasteless world, as walking on a “narrow road” when most are walking on a “broad road.”
So let’s paraphrase Ken’s words like this: “We Christians simply have to hold ourselves to a much higher standard than the world is held to. I think that’s part of the Christian promise.”
Evangelist Fred Brown tells about getting in trouble as a child by imitating the neighborhood children. His mother reprimanded him severely. Fred complained, “Why can’t I be like the other children?” His mother answered, “Because you’re a Brown, that’s why!”
Throughout the Old Testament rebellious Israel asked, “Why can’t I be like the other nations and have a king and do all of this other stuff?” God’s answer never varied: “Because you’re Mine, that’s why!”
Quite simply, God has made you special! That means the world needs your godly influence! Try to attain that standard each day that you live.
Jun 29, 2022 – Someone said, “I’ll always remember the Bible teacher who held up his well-worn Bible and said, ‘Every believer should WRECK a copy of the Bible every ten years.’ In other words, we should use our Bibles so much that they gradually wear out from use!”
His challenge reminds me of the old saying, “A Bible that’s falling apart is usually owned by someone who isn’t.” Consider those words carefully. Then look again at Today’s Verse for a Better Ministry. This promise is not about tranquilizer peace but about genuine peace. Unfortunately, this world of ours is seeking peace in all the wrong places: bars, sexual encounters, entertainment, exercise, work, money, education, etc. and ignoring the real peace of God that comes from “loving God’s law or instruction.”
How does the Bible bring peace? It involves much more than reading. It also involves learning…learning who to trust with our souls and everyday life. The Apostle Paul writes, “whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have HOPE” (Romans 15:4). In its simplest form, the Bible is a book of HOPE for otherwise hopeless people.
Through the Bible I have watched Noah trust when there was no evidence to believe, have walked with Abraham as he searched for a city whose builder and ruler is God, have journeyed with Moses into Pharaoh’s threatening throne room only to later walk triumphantly through the Red Sea, have watched Jesus astound the masses with His words and power, have viewed the land becoming dark at noon as Jesus became sin for me, have watched the stone roll away from the door and heard the angel say, “He is not here! He has risen as He said!”
I have witnessed over and over again that living by faith is the greatest life of all, have knelt in prayer and experienced Him during my days in the valley, have thought of giving up and giving in only to have Him whisper, “Go try one more time,” and, in so doing, realized He’s still hanging in there with me. He has become my confidence and guess what? Peace has been the result of that confidence. I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED and I can truthfully say, “O for grace to trust Him more!”
During my ministry I have observed that people fall into two categories: those who are continually restless and those who live in peace or confidence. Without exception I have also observed that the former spend little time in the Scriptures; the latter, however, have a special affinity for the Scriptures. For them it is similar to an addiction in the sense they are resting upon each and every word/promise of God. Their trust goes beyond belief in self; it soars to the throne of God.
Quite honestly, you cannot separate genuine peace from a longing for the Word of God, because the Word of God is the promises of God upon which we stand. All other ground is sinking sand.
“My Bible—worn from years of fingered use,
Penciled margins, verses underlined,
With edges frayed and many pages loose
Shows where God impressed my heart and mind.” F. Hess
Jun 28, 2022 – Today’s headline reads, “46 Migrants Found Dead in Abandoned Trailer in San Antonio.” Who does such a thing? 46 souls abandoned to slowly die in the Texas heat! Is that driver any better than the person who attacks a school? Not in my view. Sadly, this incident will be replaced by other heinous acts in the weeks ahead. A stolen car was wrecked two miles from us just a few hours ago and the thief is at large. We are exercising caution at this moment around our house. The local news at noon, six, and eleven always includes acts of violence. Sadly, Uvalde, Texas will be forever grief-stricken by its own horrific event. So unbelievably sad.
Lest we forget, the war in Ukraine is fully engaged and witnessing unspeakable acts of barbarity. Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, viewed with his own eyes the methodical Russian destruction of Kyiv, Ukraine and described that war as “an absurdity in the 21st century.” Absurdity? That word might be appropriate for the intellectual mind that, having seen a glimmer of hope in the limited conflicts of recent years, sees a peaceful world as indeed possible, but the word “absurdity” is quite inappropriate for the BIBLICAL mind. Why the difference? The biblical mind accepts the biblical teaching regarding the UNCHANGING nature of man.
According to the Bible man’s nature is like a spring that bubbles from the ground. One can place his foot on the bubble to quench its arrival, but the spring will soon break forth in a different place. That’s just the way man is. It is similar to one newlywed suddenly spouting off to the other and the other shockingly asks, “Where did that outburst come from? I hadn’t seen that side of my mate before!” But the other side was always there!
Billy Graham concludes, “We are given to violence. It fills our screens, fills our novels and our books. As we look around, we find that there is little personal, domestic, social, economic or political peace anywhere.”
Even at its best, the nature of man is an unsettled nature which is at war with God (Romans 8:7), his fellow man (Today’s Verse) and even himself (Isaiah 57:21). Romans 3:9-20 paints an accurate picture of what is wrong with man…and why our ministry exists.
Man’s sinful, depraved condition cannot be changed by the will of man or the will of the flesh (John 1:13), passing new laws or better education. Today’s Verse guarantees that the current condition will continue until the end of the world, because man’s HEART will remain unchanged until the end of the world.
KEY: The only remedy is the new birth or being born again. Jesus asserts, “You must be born again” – a birth which results in “a new creation.” The new nature does not mean the old violent, rebellious nature is removed (1 John 1:8, 10) and life is ha-ha-ha from that moment on. However, it does mean a new power exists which can overpower the old power or the old nature (Galatians 5:16). Jesus does not make life easy, but He does make life easier. The Apostle Paul writes, “It was for FREEDOM that Christ SET US FREE” (Galatians 5:1).
Your ministry is the only cure for this world, because the heartbeat of your ministry is this message: “You must be born again.”
Keep sowing Jesus. You are someone’s hope.
Jun 27, 2022 – Revival! What a strange word for most church-goers today! A bishop once pondered, “I wonder why it is that everywhere the Apostle Paul went they had a revolution and everywhere I go they serve a cup of tea!”
Have you ever considered Jesus Christ’s last words to the church? Contrary to how we think, those last words are not the Great Commission in the final chapter of the four gospels. Rather it is the Revelation message to “Repent!” Jesus spoke to seven churches in the second and third chapters of Revelation; Jesus commanded FIVE of those seven churches to repent…to turn from their sin and worldliness and experience revival.
What is revival? Quite simply, it is a return to what God considers NORMAL New Testament Christianity. Vance Havner often said, “We live so subnormal that if we ever lived normal the world would consider us abnormal!”
This writer is convinced the only thing that can save America is not witty Facebook posts but genuine revived Christians…Christians who have returned to the front lines of battle with “The Lord our Banner” marching before them.
Interested? Read on! Personal revival needs to happen in two directions: vertical and horizontal. Too many emphasize only the vertical aspect between man and God, but I suggest the vertical must also be married to the horizontal if genuine revival is to persist for the long term. Allow me to explain.
Vertical or “from earth to heaven” involves a renewal of the heart toward God. It is not a second “born again” experience, but the action of God’s child in confessing his sinful pattern of worldly living and becoming clean before God. King David’s confession in Psalm 51 contains such revival words as, “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” What does God say in response? “If my people, who bear my name, humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Thank God, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Revival begins with God cleaning us!
The horizontal response can be summarized in an old statement: “It’s not how high you jump that counts; it’s how straight you walk when you come down.” The “jump” or “vertical” must be followed by the “walk” or “horizontal.” This horizontal aspect includes a commitment to the Lord’s complete purpose for your life. Caution: It is not adopting a purpose of your own construction, but it is committing yourself to God’s purpose as revealed in the Bible. The Bible purpose MUST prevail!
God’s purpose for every child of God can be summarized in five words. Let’s examine each word briefly.
WORSHIP. The first commandment comes first for a reason. “You shall have no other gods before me.” Worship is much more than attending a church service. It is the daily, hourly, every moment experience of submitting ourselves to our God…to remembering AND practicing the Bible teaching that “you are no longer your own; you have been bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body, soul and spirit which belong to God” (1 Corinthians 6:18-20). Through worship we recognize that He deserves everything AND we proceed to give Him everything.
DISCIPLESHIP. Becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ essentially means that we place ourselves under the disciplines of Jesus Christ. We learn how to imitate Him in thought, attitude and action. He becomes our Rabbi and we become His student.
MINISTRY. “Whom God calls God also equips.” God did not save us and put us in the reserves. No, He gifted us with abilities to serve Him and we are responsible to exercise those abilities. No laziness allowed!
EVANGELISM. The heartbeat of Jesus is missions or reaching the world with the glorious message of salvation. Genuine revival prompts us to be part of God’s Great Commission of reaching our neighborhood and world for Jesus Christ. We share Christ as the Savior!
FELLOWSHIP. Fellowship is more than “bellyship” at a church dinner. It has been defined as “two fellows in the same ship” or “having things in common.” We have been born again into God’s family and are now recognized as God’s children. That means all of us are related. We’re called brothers and sisters! We need to uphold one another as family in our Christian service.
Remember: The only cure for those around you is a REVIVED Christian…in other words, the REAL thing. May you have the will to be real!
Jun 24-26, 2022 – What is prayer? Short answer: Talking to God. What kind of effort does prayer require? Short answer: wrestling, work.
Notice the two underlined words in today’s text. First, “wrestling” or “struggling” comes from the Greek word “agonizomai” from which we get our English word “agonize.” Agonize like in training for the Olympics or the Navy Seals. It’s the opposite of “at ease in Zion” where the living is easy and we do our own thing whenever we want to do it. The second word “works” comes from “ponos” which emphasizes “labor, toil to the point of pain.”
What kind of man is Epaphras? Epaphras is a worker! But his main WORK is in the category of prayer. Isn’t that interesting? It isn’t called fun but it is called work. It is a matter of Epaphras putting himself in their shoes, experiencing their anguish and fighting the devil with them. He has become personally engaged in their spiritual battles. He is past the point of praying only when he feels like it and has entered the zone of praying with determination, persistence, anguish of soul (who among us willingly embraces anguish of soul?) because he is convinced, and rightly so, that only prayer can tip the scales in their favor.
Robert Murray McCheyne of Scotland reminds us, “What a man is on his knees before God, that he is—and nothing more.”
A ministry cannot have spiritual depth without serious prayer. It just can’t and the reason it can’t is because that is the way God designed ministry. God wants ministry to begin not with what we do but with Him.
We must enter His presence before we enter the presence of men. Believe it or not, even entering His presence can be a struggle. Sometimes it is a joy to walk into His throne room. But at other times the flesh fights us every step of the way. I enjoy the former; I despise the latter. I want prayer to be easy, how about you? However, it is often not easy. But I suspect God really likes it when I agonize…work hard to enter His throne room and overcome my fleshly resistance…then comes the time of effective praying, interceding, wrestling for others, working overtime on their behalf. And God listens!
So the next time you come up with an excuse not to pray…ah, you know! And while you are at it, wrestle some for me!
Jun 23, 2022 – During his sermon to the children, the pastor was speaking about the need for unity within the church. Looking at the youngsters, he emphasized, “God wants us to be one!”
One particular four-year-old immediately protested, “I’ve already been one; I want to be five!”
Church unity is a blessed thing when it exists; it is a disaster, though, when it does not exist. This topic is often discussed but poorly understood. What is the chief error in our thinking? It is imagining that WE create the peace. That could not be farther from the truth. Suffice it to say, a man-created peace falls far short of a God-created peace!
Today’s Verse does not say, “keep the unity of the church…the unity of the class…the unity of the staff.” The focus is not upon us and our ambitions but upon the Holy Spirit and His ambitions. It is the Spirit’s unity, or, more precisely, the unity that the Holy Spirit creates.
Most important, though, how does He create such unity? He creates a unity which is in keeping with God’s overall purpose of establishing His kingdom (and reign) in the hearts of people everywhere. Although God’s work does have a physical element (potluck suppers have a role though not a major role), the spiritual element is God’s greatest focus. God wants man to know Him (the first commandment) and obey Him. All else pales in significance when compared with the previous statement.
God’s Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) is perhaps the most thorough statement of God’s primary purpose. The Great Commission contains the five components of worship, evangelism, discipleship, ministry and fellowship. The unity of the Spirit involves the Holy Spirit uniting us to these five components so that God’s purpose becomes OUR purpose. Our deepest unity is with God and other believers who are united to God’s purpose.
Such a church will be feared by the devil. And by many in society. It is the opposite of the church that bragged about being “at peace.” Someone investigated the church and concluded, “Yes, you’re even at peace with the devil!” Needless to say, no church should be at peace with the devil…but many are. Their peace is not the product of the Holy Spirit but of a commitment to lethargy and mediocrity…to low hanging fruit. “Onward Christian soldiers!” is not their mantra.
Bottom line: Real unity exists when we are united to the Spirit’s purpose. His purpose becomes our purpose. That is the highest form of living for any person or any church. In so doing, we will “live a life worthy of our calling” and “our calling” is the Spirit’s calling!
Jun 21, 2022 – These comforting words from the angel at Jesus’ tomb are the most important words ever spoken! They are more important than, “I love you” or “I got a pay increase” or “Look at my new car” or “You’re going to be a grandma!”
Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ…well, quite simply, there is NO hope without the resurrection. If the life of Jesus ends at the cross we are doomed, even damned forever and ever and ever with no hope of rescue…not ever. After all, a dead savior can save no one, including himself.
But Jesus’ life did not end in that manner. He offered His life as our sacrifice and died. He was buried because that’s what we do with people who are truly dead. Then came Easter and prior to the dawn He was resurrected or restored to life. No one stood outside His tomb and prayed for His healing or resurrection; rather, He had prophesied, “I have power to lay down My life and I have power to take it up again.” And He did just exactly that!
On January 14, 1965 at the age of nine this pastor came to the resurrected Christ and accepted Him as my Lord and Savior. The resurrected, all-conquering Christ saved my soul (the Bible is His contract to preserve my soul) and has walked with me for the past fifty-eight years. It has been as real an experience as being married to Ruth Ellen. Friends have come and gone but He remains a “friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
Do you know Him? You can! (See yesterday’s devotional for more material.)
Here is the Bible plan: “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. Now the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on Him will not be put to shame, for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, since the same Lord of all is rich to all who call on Him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord WILL be saved” (Romans 10:9-13). Amen?
Jun 20, 2022 – What does “now” mean? It means “at this present time or current moment.” Not tomorrow or next year or, as in the case of Governor Felix, a “more convenient season” (Acts 24:25). In other words, “now” is never on man’s schedule, but it is always on God’s schedule. God emphasizes the offer of salvation occurs at a stage called “now” and “now” is not the same as “always available.”
Unfortunately, many hear God’s gracious call to salvation and refuse that call so many times that there are no longer any further “calls.”
An old miner lived alone with his dog in a little mining cabin. The man always kept his dog chained outside the front door. One night the dog began whining and barking. The old miner walked to the door and roughly scolded the dog. The dog fearfully crawled on its stomach to the doghouse and disappeared.
The miner returned to bed and was soon asleep. Almost immediately the dog began barking again, but this time even louder and more frightened. The miner again scolded the dog and the dog again crawled back to the doghouse.
The same episode happened only five minutes later. The miner grumbled, “A man can’t get any sleep around this place.” In anger he grabbed his rifle and killed the dog. Then the miner returned to the bed for a long night’s sleep. He slept peacefully.
Sometime during the night, though, the robbers came. They killed the old miner and they stole his money.
Moral of the story: The miner killed the only thing which was warning him of the danger surrounding him. The same event occurs in so many lives today. The Holy Spirit of God calls men to their need of a Savior but the call is ignored, rejected, ridiculed, even cast aside. This results in the awful condition described in Hosea 4:17, “Ephraim is joined to his idols; let him alone.”
Perhaps you have not yet trusted Christ as your Lord and Savior. Please read again Today’s Verse. Remember, this is God’s Word and God says, “Now (that means today) is the day of salvation.” Never postpone what you know should not be postponed!
On the other hand, perhaps you have already trusted Christ but know someone who would benefit from considering these words. How about sending this devotional to them and planting the seed of salvation? It is possible someone might hear these words later today, “Today is salvation come to your house!” (Luke 19:9).
Jun 17, 2022 – We are a people of the Book! Which book? The Word of the living God! 66 books in length beginning with the truth of creation in Genesis to the truth of the new creation in Revelation. Inspired by God and inerrant (without error) on those blessed parchments…still believed today by you and me and will continue to be trusted until God says, “It’s quitting time for planet earth.”
With that in mind allow me to share a lengthy but soul stirring quote from John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement.
Wesley writes, “To candid, reasonable men I am not afraid to lay open what have been the inmost thoughts of my heart. I have thought, I am a creature of a day, passing through life as an arrow through the air. I am a spirit come from God, and returning to God: just hovering over the great gulf; till, a few moments hence, I am no more seen; I drop into an unchangeable eternity! I want to know one thing—the way to heaven; how to land safe on that happy shore. God himself has condescended to teach the way; for this very end he came from heaven. He hath written it down in a book. O give me that book! At any price, give me the book of God! I have it: here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be homo unius libri (a man of one book).”
Which book is most seen in a casket with our loved one? You know! It is the one book which provides hope of a resurrection.
Which book is most seen in a motel room? You know! It is the one book which can point us to God.
Which book is most printed in the most languages? You know! It is the one book which meets the universal need of man.
Which book tells us or our origin, our condition, and our end? You know! It is the one book – the only book – which actually has the answers that we need.
If you have this book, you are very blessed. But if you KNOW this book, you are much more than blessed. You can now KNOW much that can never be otherwise known. It is God’s book. It is God’s book to you. May you treasure its words as the treasure it is.
Therefore, in the words of Wesley, “Let me be homo unius libri (a man of one book).”
Jun 16, 2022 – Precision! How important is precision in your line of work? In cooking a meal or dessert? In golf or tennis or baseball? In accounting and investing and audits? In driving? In surgery and medicine? In piloting a jet? In determining the fate of your soul? Yes, how important is being precise? Obviously, it is very, very important.
Today’s Verse is a “precision” verse that you may have previously overlooked. It introduces the reader to NINE staggering chapters of pure precision. The next two verses set the stage for what follows: “Now there was a wall surrounding the outside of the temple. The measuring rod in the man’s hand was six units of twenty-one inches; each unit was the standard length plus three inches. He measured the thickness of the wall structure; it was 10½ feet, and its height was the same. Then he came to the gate that faced east and climbed its steps. He measured the threshold of the gate; it was 10½ feet deep—one threshold was 10½ feet deep.”
We believe these measurements pertain to the future Messianic temple to be constructed in Jerusalem during the Millennial Age. You may have the time to read all nine chapters. If not, I urge you to take ten minutes – just ten minutes – and skim through the chapters. Don’t worry about what is being built…just note the precision of the design and construction. So precise! Of course, our measuring system may not match up “precisely” with the system of Ezekiel’s day but you’ll get the picture! God gave Ezekiel a detailed plan.
That leads me to two statements. First, God is a very precise God. Too many treat God in a generalized, even flippant way. His opinion is considered one of many and thus easily discarded. However, that is not the biblical portrayal of God. God has spoken and He has spoken very precisely. He even asserts, “This is THE (not merely “a”) way. Walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21). As for me, I do not want to be “precisely wrong” with my life; I wish instead to be “precisely right.” How about you? God’s Word makes “precisely right” quite clear. (Note: The warning to Adam and Eve regarding the forbidden fruit was quite precise. On the other hand, the admonition to find “life” is quite precise, too: “He who loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39). Thank God for precise warnings AND precise blessings!)
Second, Ezekiel BELIEVED the measurements. He believed them so much that he wrote them verbatim…precisely as they were precisely given to him. Nine chapters of precision…architecture design work that, quite honestly, bores many of us because we aren’t geared like architects! But Ezekiel did indeed “pay attention to everything I am going to show you.” He believed what God revealed and faithfully recorded it. Most importantly, he expects these chapters to precisely occur as he wrote them.
You and I are like Ezekiel in this respect: We believe God’s record so much that we have not only built our lives upon God’s record, but we are also staking our reputation to that record. We stand as believers in an age known more and more for its unbelief. We believe it so much that if a mosquito bit us it would fly away singing, “There’s Power in the Blood!”
Isn’t it great to be certain? Absolutely certain? I do not understand all of Ezekiel’s data. I only know Ezekiel is 100000000% certain this is the way the future temple will be constructed. CERTAIN! And since it is in the Bible I find myself being just as certain as Ezekiel. How about you?
Jun 15, 2022 – “The world will change more in the next ten years than in the last hundred years.” Dare I say, “than in the last one thousand years or two thousand years?” One of Bob Dylan’s most popular songs reminds us, “The Times They Are A-Changin’.” Yes, they are.
Many bemoan change but it must always be stressed that “where change exists so also opportunity exists.” A 2018 Forbes article describes our graduates’ world like this: “The four superpowers are cloud, mobile, IOT (Internet of Things), and AI (Artificial Intelligence). Cloud is supercomputing power at unlimited scale. Mobile is unlimited reach. IOT is unlimited access. AI is unrivaled intelligence. It really is the cascading effect of these four things coming together that ushers in the fastest technical evolution that’s ever occurred in history.” Add to that this new thing that defies definition: the Metaverse, a power that may be the best thing since…well, the last best thing.
Such change can be overwhelming, especially as we become older. Is anything or anyone truly stable? Not for just a few months but for decades? Someone that we can depend upon at any stage of life?
The answer is “yes” but it is not me nor is it your best friend. Quite honestly, we’re changing, too. But if we look up to Him who sits upon the throne of this universe, we find One who boldly says of Himself, “I change not” (Malachi 3:6).
Consider carefully these profound words: Our God is a God that works IN any age AT any age. How about the age in which Abraham lived? Yes. The God of today is the same God that led Abraham on a journey of faith. How about the age in which King David lived? Yes. The same God protected Israel and poured out His grace upon mankind. How about Daniel’s period of history? Things looked grim. But the same God revealed Himself to Daniel in some of the Bible’s most prophetic teachings of all. How about the days of the early church in the book of Acts? They worshipped the same God that was worshipped by Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And how about us? It’s incredible to realize that the very same God of so long ago is still thriving today! His mercy is the same, His grace is the same, His holiness is the same, His knowledge is the same, His purpose and plan are still the same and none of these items have changed in one iota. We may conclude, “He is God! Supreme! Above all! Unchanging! All-powerful!” Indeed, the God that is revealed in the closing book of Revelation is the very same, unchanging God that is revealed in Genesis 1:1. You can’t get any better than that!
But there is more to consider. “Our God is a God that works in any age AT any age.” “AT any age” is specifically directed to you. Some people are good for us when we are children but become less valuable as we enter college or adulthood. Unfortunately, they don’t relate to us as well at our advanced age. But that is not so with God. God will ALWAYS be able to relate to you no matter how far you go in life or where you go in life or what you encounter in life. For example, the book of Proverbs provides wise instruction for every stage of life. IMPORTANT: YOU WILL NEVER OUTGROW GOD. You can lean upon Him when you are a child, a struggling teenager, an ambitious newlywed, an income-earning employee or a hard-working mother, a retiree, even one who is nearing the end in a nursing home. No matter the age, He knows what you need and He can supply what you need.
Look at Today’s Verse again. A “present” help has the idea of an “easily found help” or a “readily available help.” 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, from the day you are born until the day you go to be with Him…and even then He will still earn the title of a “present help.” Amen?
Jun 14, 2022 – Ever been rejected? Ever had a friend walk away? Ever faced loneliness? Ever had to push on but push on alone? Today’s Verse is not about you—it is about the Lord Jesus during His walk on earth.
The story goes that the builders of the temple received stones similar to concrete blocks (even bigger) from a nearby stone quarry. On one occasion, though, the builders could not find any use for one stone, so they discarded the stone. They rolled it into a gully and resumed work. But eventually they found themselves in need of a cornerstone! They tried the remaining stones but none of them fit. By design the cornerstone was a very unique stone; not any common stone would work. Question: Had someone forgotten to order this unique stone? Then someone remembered the stone that had been discarded. They retrieved the stone and, sure enough, the rejected stone was the most important stone of all! It fit perfectly! Everything came together when the cornerstone was placed.
This Messianic Psalm (a prophetic Psalm that reveals truths about the coming Messiah/Christ) identifies the Lord Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone…not just for the temple, but for all of mankind. Indeed, in the New Testament “He came unto His own and His own received Him not” (John 1:11). He, the Lord of Glory, was rejected just like the stone and ultimately crucified. But, most importantly, God the Father APPROVED the Son by resurrecting the Son and making Him to be the chief cornerstone for those who believe.
Remember: “Without Him life would be nothing” but with Jesus we are saved! Delivered! Transformed! And that means we can rejoice with joy unspeakable or inexpressible.
But we’re not yet finished! Todays’ verses (22-23) are followed by our response in verse 24. It reads, “This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” R-E-J-O-I-C-E! Be glad! Those are triumphant words, yes, very satisfying words! Based, though, upon what? First, His rejection by the people! Second, His reception by the Father, RAISED FROM THE GRAVE and being given the most important place as the chief cornerstone for each of our lives (Ephesians 2:20).
Jesus is my cornerstone. I can build my life, my soul, my everything upon Him with the understanding that He, as a solid foundation, will survive every storm of life. Thus, I can declare in confidence, “My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus’ name. When He shall come with trumpet sound, Oh, may I then in Him be found; Dressed in His righteousness alone, Faultless to stand before the throne. On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand.”
I repeat: “On Christ the Solid Rock I stand!” Can you say the same?
Jun 13, 2022 – The headline read, “At least 34 people have been confirmed dead in a ferry sinking off the coast of Indonesia.”
What a tragedy! The headline was more than news to me: It also reminded this pastor of my own ship (life) without Christ at its helm and unknowingly headed for the rocks and hidden reefs of destruction. “There is a way which seems right to a man but the end of that way is death” (Proverbs 14:12). “They bring upon themselves swift destruction” (2 Peter 2:1). “Great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:27). Am I alone in this predicament? I think not.
But God gave you and me a lighthouse to warn of us the danger AND to steer us safely through! This Savior named Jesus has come to be the light of the world and He lights or illuminates every person who comes into the world. That light points us directly to Him…His work on the cross…the empty tomb…His triumph as Lord and Savior, Conqueror of the grave, Deliverer of those imprisoned by sin, and Vanquisher of every foe!
Ronnie Henson wrote a song emphasizing this truth. “There’s a lighthouse on the hillside That overlooks the sea, When I’m tossed it sends out a light That I might see. And the light that shines in darkness now Will safely lead me o’er. If it wasn’t for the lighthouse My ship would be no more.
“And I thank God for the lighthouse; I owe my life to Him. Jesus is the Lighthouse, And from the rocks of sin He has shown a light around me That I might clearly see. If it wasn’t for the lighthouse Tell me where would this ship be.”
This pastor has been saved from destruction by God’s Lighthouse! Can you say the same? Give Him praise today by allowing His light to shine through you!
Take a moment to sing the song with John Starnes by clicking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PCtz_6Ur1I
Jun 11, 2022 – Do you remember the old-fashioned tomato baskets? A youngster asked an old-timer if any good came from his attending church. The youngster said, “Do you remember all of those church services? I’ll bet you don’t so what good were they?”
The old-timer had a tomato basket next to him. He gave it to the youngster and instructed him to fill it with water from the creek. The youngster tried…yes, he did but the water leaked out as he returned. The old-timer asked him to do it again and the youngster did…and the results were the same. This process was repeated two more times.
Finally, the exasperated youngster said, “This is ridiculous! This isn’t accomplishing anything!”
The old-timer asked, “Is there any difference in the basket from when you first began?”
He blustered, “Well, it’s a lot cleaner now!”
The old-timer smiled and said, “End of the story.”
Can you say, “Amen”?
June 9, 2022 – Have you ever considered the “tenses” in your salvation? God’s Word is inspired (2 Timothy 3:16) in every detail and one of those details is the verb tenses. Let’s take today’s verse and amplify Jesus’ words in the following way:
“I, Jesus, assure (these words are My guarantee or My “amen”) you: Anyone who hears My word and believes (salvation is by faith, not works) Him (God the Father – another proof of the Trinity) who sent Me has (present tense – means right now!) eternal life and comes (not future tense as in the future but actually a present tense verb in the Greek signifying the judgment curse of hell has ALREADY been lifted at the moment I believed – hallelujah for this!) not under judgment but has passed (perfect tense in the Greek meaning “already passed over and will remain passed over—a permanent condition) from death to life.”
Remember: Eternal life is not something you get when you die! Today’s Verse teaches eternal life is a PRESENT POSSESSION of every believer. It is the life of God in you (Colossians 3:4, 1 John 5:12). It is the #1 distinguishing quality of believers…the reason believers behave and think different from the world. They are alive with the life of heaven, not merely earth!
Consider the testimony of John Newton, a lowdown slave trader who was later born again and wrote “Amazing Grace.” Newton writes, “I am not what I ought to be. I am not what I wish to be. I am not what I hope to be; but, by the grace of God, I am not what I was.” What created such a life-changing difference in Newton? Today’s Verse! “Eternal life!” The born again quality of life which comes from above when we receive Christ as Lord and Savior.
We will continue this thought tomorrow regarding the stages or tenses of our salvation. But here is a teaser for your consideration: Harry Ironside, pastor of Moody Church, was asked by a stranger if he was saved. The famous pastor replied, “Yes, I have been, I am being, and I shall be.” What did he mean? Properly viewed, God’s salvation has past, present, and future components! Ah, more tomorrow!
June 8, 2022 – Do you ever have a problem with fear? Some time ago I was scheduled for an MRI on my shoulder. The attendant slid me back into the machine. Ten seconds later I said, “This won’t work. Let me out. I am already sweating.” I had previously done several MRI’s with no problem, but this time was different. Claustrophobia (fear of tight places) finished me!
I lost that battle, but I have overcome an even worse fear: the fear of an eternity separated from God and enduring His punishment. Jesus says in Today’s Verse, “Do not fear those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Focus your attention on three key words: first, the last word in the verse which is hell. To many people “hell” is a curse word but to God it is the destiny of the cursed. “Depart from Me, you cursed” (Matthew 25:41). Such a place truly exists, such a place should be feared, and such a place should be shunned. Yes, there is such a thing as a healthy fear!
Second, the word “soul” in contrast to the “body.” The word cosmetics (from the Greek word “kosmetikos”) means “adorn” and has reference to how we “decorate” these frail bodies of ours. We humans have a tendency to worship our skin. Would to God we paid as much attention to our souls! Our souls will live forever; our bodies will live for only a century or less. Based upon the length of existence, which should be given the priority? Obviously, the soul!
Third, the word “destroy.” More than twenty translations, without exception, use the word “destroy.” The Greek scholar Vine states, “The idea is not extinction but ruin, loss, not of being but of well being.” I posed a question to my Sunday night attendees: “Why did you accept Christ as your Savior?” The vast majority agreed with the first response: “I was afraid of going to hell.” They knew the story of the rich man in hell (Luke 16) and did not want to join him in that awful place. They chose life and received Christ!
Ready for some good news? The blood of Jesus Christ has rescued me, along with you if you are also a believer, from such an awful destruction. God has promised, “When I see the blood I WILL, not might but WILL, pass over you.” “The blood of Jesus cleanses us from every sin.” “In Christ we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” “For by His one offering (on the cross) He has perfected forever those that are sanctified.” “Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” No more! Praise the Lord for those two words and all the other words, too!
As a result, I never lay awake at night fearing death or what comes after death. Why not? My faith is in Jesus Christ who is now preserving my soul! I take Him as His word. How about you?
June 7, 2022 – It happens quite often in our state of Ohio. “The calendar says it is fall but the thermometer (along with the electric bill) says it is more like summer.” Or “Florida weather in Ohio on Christmas.” But one item remains certain: In time the weather will catch up with the calendar!
The same can be said about the current conduct of man in contrast to the future of man. Man boasts today just as he did in the days of Noah, “Let us eat, drink, and be merry!” Man engages in all kinds of sinful activities with zero regard for the holy laws of the infinite God of heaven. Yet, as in the case of today’s weather, today’s season of reckless living will ultimately end. Then will come the inevitable judgment and woe to the one who enters the judgment without the blood of Jesus pleading his case!
Remember: Man may mock God today, but it is God who gets the final say. God always gets the last word. SO TAKE YOUR LIFE SERIOUSLY! Haggai 1:5 says, “Now, the LORD of Armies (hosts) says this: ‘Think carefully about your ways.’” Please note the role in which God speaks. He does not speak as a mild Counselor or Parent but as the Conquerer…literally, the Lord over the heavenly army or the most powerful army of all. He emphatically wants us to know that His will WILL prevail. There is no doubt about it. Do you agree?
What does He say to you and me? “Consider your ways!” Your life deserves this effort from you! If you have never been born again I urge you to take the time (important things always take time) to read the complete book of John. All 21 chapters. Why? John is the #1 book about salvation. It is not only an informational book, but it is also a transformational book. God will speak as you read and make it clear that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life. Yes, your life deserves this effort from you!
Don’t be like Severus, the Emperor of Rome. Near the end of life he cried out, “I have been everything and everything is nothing.” Risen to the top only to find disappointment! He turned his attention to the urn in which his ashes would be stored then said, “Little urn, you shall contain one for whom the world was too little.” Sadly, he hadn’t learned a thing! Give him the starship Enterprise, let him explore the galaxy with Captain Kirk and he would still declare, “everything is nothing.” Unfortunately, too many people never learn…just keep chasing the same illusion.
“Consider your ways” while there is still time to “adjust your ways.”
June 5-6, 2022 – “God remembers that we are nothing but dust.” BUT DO YOU REMEMBER? Probably not any better than me. Our family’s current experience with Covid has forcibly reminded me of the frailty of my body, my mind, my friends, as well as my plans. With the exception of one serious, lengthy illness (undetermined cause), I have been blessed with good health during my 67 years. Covid will hopefully not be the second serious, lengthy illness but that remains to be determined (today is day seven).
Let’s return to the main thought for today: What should I (and you) remember? Allow me to share some simple lessons that God has brought to my mind during this time of illness.
First, the old adage: Man proposes but God disposes. Due to Covid, my daily/monthly planner has become a shambles (but God’s planner for me records no adjustments). Our illness disrupted our Vacation Bible School, retirement celebration for church members, attendance at my brother-in-law’s once-in-a-lifetime ordination as pastor, plus babysitting our grandchildren. Yep, I proposed! Developed plenty of proposals! Nothing wrong with that. But, in this case, “THY will be done” trumped “my will be done.” “For the resolutions of the just depend rather on the grace of God than on their own wisdom; and in Him they always put their trust, whatever they take in hand. For man proposes, but God disposes; neither is the way of man in his own hands.” (Source unknown)
Second, “Lord, thank You that things are as well with us as they are.” My grandfather, a poor man in the things of this world, always began his prayer with these words. He had experienced the Great Depression. He knew things could always be worse…even much worse. We take so much for granted. It is during our downtimes that we realize how little we truly possess or can call our own. Sadly, due to a stomach condition one of the first billionaires could not enjoy a simple eggs and sausage breakfast like I do. Some will never witness the glory of a sunset or the beauty of a baby’s smile but I can. Whatever we are able to enjoy, let us thank God for that ability…and take full advantage of it.
“Lord, teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). “Our life is but a fog that is quickly burnt away.” A serious disease strikes…it may be anticipated because of long-term health trends or it may be totally unexpected. But it does happen…AND IT WILL HAPPEN. The only question is “When?”
People purchase life insurance to provide for their loved ones but soul insurance (salvation through the blood of Jesus) is the best long-term insurance anyone can ever buy. Demographics suggest I may live to perhaps ninety years of age. That would give me around 8,400 more days. I will make plans to thrive for those 8,400 days but Covid reminds me of the value of these first twenty-four hours called TODAY. Do I have an objective for today? Will I treasure the opportunities of today? Will I be a blessing to others today? Will I walk with my God today? Will I grow today? After all, tomorrow may…
“Lord, help me to remember.” Amen.
May 31, 2022 – To whom do we desire to minister the most? The American dream is one of climbing the ladder, not descending the ladder…of getting more, not getting less…of leaving behind our own poverty and anything that reminds us of our poverty. Sometimes that philosophy carries over into our ministry and we find ourselves secretly courting those in the “better” category rather than the “lesser” category. After all, can’t doctors and lawyers give more to the church than those who depend upon our church vans to even make it to church?
Let’s do a self-inspection today as to whether we minister like Jesus or think in terms of the worldly focus upon the next higher (not necessarily upper) class and moving up instead of down.
Jesus didn’t complicate life not did He complicate ministry. Jesus says in Today’s Verse, “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.”
Were you ever poor? Hey, are you still poor? If the answer is yes, Jesus wants you to know that He came to earth specifically for you. It is not by accident that He mentions the poor rather than the rich. The Bible emphasizes, “Though He (the Son of God in heaven) was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor so that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Jesus spent most of His time with the poor. He didn’t live in a palace but in small houses alongside the poor. His apostles weren’t rich; most were fishermen or common laborers who worked for little financial reward. His bank account was so small that He did not spend much time in motels. Indeed, He said, “The foxes have holes but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Perhaps the closest Jesus came to riches was being buried in the tomb of a rich man (Isaiah 53:9).
One observer said, “God must love the poor because He made so many of them.” Indeed, the Bible declares God has assumed the much-needed role as the “Father of the fatherless and the protector of widows” (Psalm 68:5). God often reminds the rich that their riches are the result of God’s grace; therefore, some of God’s strongest condemnations are addressed to the rich about their biased dealings with the poor (James 5).
It is so easy to ignore those who are a step or two below our own social level. Many years ago two women approached me and said, “Pastor, we will not work in Vacation Bible School if you bring in the children from the slums. We don’t want them here.” These women were two of my better workers. My reply, though, was quick and without hesitation, “I will find someone else to do the work. We are the only hope those children have.” Sure enough, those ladies did not work in VBS but God provided me with some substitutes. I do not regret the decision, because I believe Jesus would have made the same decision.
You need to face this issue head-on in your own ministry. To whom will you minister? Are some people beneath you? Has Today’s Verse uncovered an area that needs improvement? Always remember: Jesus constantly ministers to us and EVERY ONE OF US is beneath Him! And yet He never complained in the Gospels about rubbing shoulders with people like us. Isn’t He great? I say “Three cheers for Jesus!” for giving Himself to us.
Take a moment to re-read today’s verse. Note the categories: blind, lame, lepers, deaf, dead and poor…those folks don’t get very far in life. That’s why they need help…well, Jesus, God in flesh, deliberately chose to help…will we?
May 30, 2022- It’s Memorial Day. A special friend in the faith died yesterday. He knew me longer than I knew him. He was from my father’s generation. He was a relative in the flesh, but he was also my brother in God’s family. This latter relationship better describes our relationship. He was one of the hardest working men in the Lord’s work that I have ever known and led many to know Christ as Savior. Indeed, I never knew him to miss church except for illness. His name was Vint Rice…unknown to most of my readers but, rest assured, known to God as you are also known to God.
Vint gave it his all. So do many of you. Question: What makes such Christians? It is the pursuit of knowing Christ!
Today’s Verse for a Better Ministry demonstrates such a Christian’s heart for Christ. The Magi (wise men) of the first Christmas had an incredible thirst, even a need to be in the presence of the One who was the Christ, the King of the Jews. Their journey was long (in excess of one year) and difficult, but the hunger was much greater than the problems of the journey. They arrived with a large checkbook, too. They presented rich gifts to the King because in their eyes He was more than just the King of the Jews. He was also their King. They were not obsessed with things, but with Him. They “fell down and worshiped Him” because they had been doing that activity every day in their heart since they began their journey. In brief, their goal was KNOWING THE KING.
This goal of KNOWING HIM is what separates people, even Christians. Those Christians that rise to the top are obsessed with KNOWING HIM. He is their focus, not merely religious, even church matters. They do whatever they do for Him and that drives them to a higher degree of excellence. They live out the old song, “Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small. Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.” If you know those words in daily experience, happy are ye. You know of what I write.
John Piper asked, “Why did the Magi bring gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh? When you give a gift to Christ it’s a way of saying, ‘The joy that I pursue is not the hope of getting rich with things from you. I have not come to you for your things but for yourself. And this desire I now intensify and demonstrate by giving up things in the hope of enjoying you more, not the things. By giving to you what you do not need and what I might enjoy, I am saying more earnestly and more authentically, ‘You are my treasure, not these things.’” Amen!
May 28-29, 2022- The mass killings in Uvalde, Texas have shocked all of us. No one in their right mind woke up that morning expecting such a tragedy to occur. But it did. Likewise, one year ago no one in Ukraine expected an attack from Communist Russia to devastate their beloved country. But it did. But lest we dwell solely on the negative, let us remember that some around us have been recently blessed with an unexpected promotion or pay increase or resolution of a health issue. Unexpected. Unanticipated. Made no difference, happened anyway.
Someone recently said, “We live in uncertain times.” He thought for a moment then said, “But there has never been a time in world history when one could say, ‘We live in CERTAIN times.’” How true! When we are young we look forward to the day when the uncertainties will be cleared up. But when we become old, we know from experience that day NEVER arrived. We learned instead to cope in whatever way was necessary. And, with God’s help, we somehow survived and kept plodding along…running into even more uncertainties on the way!
2022 is hastening into the summer season…soon the fall season…and before long we’ll be shopping again for Christmas and awaiting the first snowflakes of the winter. Wonder which uncertainties will come your way prior to the end of this year? Some unpredictable items will be positive while others will be negative. Interestingly, most of those items will come regardless of which direction we choose. But, most importantly, how we handle those uncertainties is up to us.
So what is a person to do when such uncertainties come?
Consider: Worry is a conversation you have with yourself about things you mostly cannot change. Prayer, though, is a conversation you have with God about things He can change!
During the next seven months we will either WORRY or PRAY. The first word “worry” is based upon a lack of faith in our God. The second word “pray” is based upon substantial faith in our God. Worry is described in today’s text as “leaning on your own limited understanding.” That’s a problem that leads to more problems! Prayer, though, is based upon “trusting in the Lord with all your heart” and allowing Him as Master to direct your paths or future.
Worry…or pray.
Which word will best describe you as you finish 2022?
May 26-27, 2022- What is the purpose of God’s Greenhouse? The purpose is to provide spiritual growth resources for the disciples of Jesus Christ. One of the foundational principles for this ministry (and hopefully YOUR ministry) can be found in this edition of Today’s Verse for a Better Ministry.
It has been said that every Bible parable ought to have a title. I agree! Amazingly, most Bible teachers miss the correct title of this famous parable in Matthew 13 because they are more interested in the four types of soil. Just check a commentary or two…we are obsessed with identifying the good ground, rocky soil, etc. A sample title might be “Identifying Four Responses to the Gospel” or “Four Types of Listeners.” Unfortunately, in so doing we miss a very important lesson.
Let’s begin where Jesus began—with the title provided by our Lord in verse 18. Jesus said, “Hear the parable of the what? the sower.” Notice what Jesus did not say. He did not say, “the parable of the four different kinds of soil or the parable of the seed.” He did not say “the parable of how the devil fights the Word of God.” He did not say “the parable of which soil pictures those who are saved and which soil pictures those who are lost.”
But what He did say was “the parable of the sower” and He focused our attention squarely, first and foremost, on the person doing the sowing. Why? It is because there can be no sowing without there first being a sower! There can be no hearing without there first being a sower. There can be no responding or growth without there first being a sower. There can be no reaping without there first being a sower. We may conclude there can be “no anything” without there first being a sower. Of course, he must also have the right product (the seed is identified as the Word of the Kingdom, aka the Word of God’s Kingdom in vs 19) but the point is the product cannot work without there first being a sower! (That’s why Jesus urged us to pray for laborers in Matthew 9:38.)
Pay attention to the next statement: The sower pictured in Today’s Verse is someone who is continually sowing his life in the lives of others…sowing his time, his energy, even his finances in the lives of others so they might bear fruit! Some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold! This act of sowing is not done singularly or randomly but it is actually a pattern or a lifestyle. He exists to sow! Jesus set the example for us in His own life; He expressed it with the words, “I must be about My Father’s business” (Luke 2:49).
Are you in the sowing business with our Lord? Have you adopted a sowing mindset? Are you “sowing your life” in others to bring them to Christ? Remember: The entire process begins with you.
(Note: my second book “Fifteen Spiritual Laws to Grow People” develops the sowing mindset in an easy-to-understand format. See: https://godsgreenhouse.net/books)
May 25, 2022- How well do you understand the concept, even the results, of salvation? How well can you explain salvation to an unbeliever? Need help? Read on!
The two words “in Christ” present salvation in terms that even the youngest Christian can understand. These two words are both doctrinal (doctrine or core teaching is similar to a skeleton; without a skeleton you’re nothing but a blob) and practical (it affects how I think and therefore how I behave).
Think of this expression “in Christ” like a flannelgraph or PowerPoint presentation. What does it mean? It sounds too theological to many but note that it is the location (grocery store) of “every spiritual blessing” to the believer. Whatever “in Christ” means, it obviously has enormous impact upon how we live.
Let’s return to the flannelgraph idea and change the phrase to “in Noah’s ark.” Why? You know what Noah’s ark looks like! AND you can visualize it. So picture Noah’s ark in your mind…the boat, the animals (by perseverance the snail reached the ark), the people, the approaching storm clouds. Can you see it? Now think upon these questions. Where could one find safety? Only IN Noah’s ark which pictures “in Christ.” The rest of the world perished in the flood.
Where were the provisions of life? IN Noah’s ark which pictures “in Christ.” Jesus promised, “I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly or to the fullest” (John 10:10).
Where were God’s people? IN Noah’s ark which pictures “in Christ.” “Your life is hidden WITH Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). We are not only saved but also safe! United with the risen Christ who is triumphant over all adversaries (1 Corinthians 6:17). Some of Noah’s family were saintly in their conduct while others were less so but their location was the same.
Where was the presence of God? IN Noah’s ark which pictures “in Christ.” “In Christ” means God the Father now sees me as being in His Son! Interestingly, the name “Christ” means the “anointed One.” Being in Him means we are also in the anointing…the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9).
By contrast, the two words “in Adam” summarize the sphere or location in which the unsaved person dwells. Such a man is outside the ark of safety which is Christ, separated from the presence of God, lacks salvation and the abundance of God’s blessings. Thus, God describes the unsaved person as “lost.”
This is why the Bible makes such a big deal out of “in Christ”…and why you should, too! JUST REMEMBER THE FLANNELGRAPH!
May 23-24, 2022- The headline in the pro-business Forbes magazine (2019) reads, “Reimagining Capitalism. How to make the greatest system ever invented more responsible, more accessible and more accountable. Our blueprint for a new American dream.” Those are strange words from Forbes and indicate an honest re-assessment of their prior views. I then had to read the article because the headline intrigued me.
In reading the article I found myself also intrigued by something else. That “something else” is no one will ever be able to truthfully write an article titled “Reimagining Jesus” or “how to improve Jesus!” Why not? Jesus is Lord of all and Jesus is Lord over all! He is Supreme to all created beings, because He created all things! He is the absolute sum of perfection, so much so that He is able to declare, “I am the Way (not one among many), the Truth (not one among many), and the Life (not one among many).” He is “made to me wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption…all I need, all I need” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Indeed, He is so complete that we are declared to be “complete in Him” (Colossians 2:10) and in none other including ourselves.
Just imagine…if Jesus was a product for sale we would say, “Here is a product which will never wear out. It is a product which is good for every situation of life. It is a product which will improve you in every part of your being. It is a product which will keep you from trouble and prevent you from ruining your life. It is a product which can bring peace, joy, love, acceptance, and purpose. It is a product which even includes eternal bliss. Most importantly, the value of this product is immeasurable and yet this product is also free.” WOW!
His name is Jesus…and He is my friend. Is He also your friend?
May 20-22, 2022 – A tooth for a tooth! Would you like to live by that standard?
During a root canal experience with a bad tooth, I was reminded of the Old Testament penalty that can be summarized as an “eye for an eye, and a TOOTH for a tooth.” In other words, if someone knocked out your tooth you had the opportunity to reciprocate and force him to experience the same loss (and pain).
I recall playing football with the much bigger boys when I was perhaps eight years of age. I was a runt in those days! The boys played rough. During a play one of them knocked out one of my teeth. That hurt! I ran home to momma with a bleeding mouth and a new hole; the offender almost out-ran me to momma with the bad news and his apology! Oh, he pleaded for grace and grace was bestowed.
But in the Old Testament I could have exercised my right and knocked out one of his teeth! I wonder: Which tooth would I have chosen? Obviously, the one that would hurt the most! He had hurt me and it made sense to return the favor.
The cross of Jesus Christ teaches that Christ provides a salvation which is not based upon a tooth for tooth experience but rather upon a grace for sin experience. It was our sins that caused Jesus to undergo such a violent beating, but none of us have suffered in that way for our sins. Our sins caused the nails but none of us…our sins caused the crucifixion and the sacrifice and, in turn, we go free? Yes, we do indeed go free.
“For by grace are you saved through faith and that salvation is not of yourselves lest any man should boast!” We must never forget that it was “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a _______ like me!”
Have you been saved from your sin and sinful lifestyle by trusting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? If the answer is yes, you are a living recipient of God’s abundant grace. Leave the “tooth for a tooth” philosophy at the foot of the cross. Instead, try to share God’s grace with a spouse, child, parent, neighbor, co-worker, friend, or total stranger today.
May 19, 2022 – “HE IS NOT HERE! He has been resurrected just as He promised!” Those words set apart Christianity from every other world religion. As a matter of fact, those words explain the very existence of Christianity, because those words turned defeated apostles into triumphant apostles. The despair of the cross was replaced with the victory of an empty tomb. Trembling in fear, even hiding in houses, was replaced with boldly declaring faith in a living Savior. What else can create that change except the conviction that Jesus rose from the dead?
Many famous people are buried in the underground vault beneath St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Tomb after tomb bear the words, “Here lies the body of….” Then follows the name of some general, artist or politician.
How different it was at the tomb of Jesus! There it is not, “Here lies the body of Jesus,” but rather the spoken declaration of the angel, “He is not here! He has risen!”
Earthly greatness usually ends with the grave. But the greatest demonstration of Jesus’ power began at the grave when He conquered death!
The SECOND greatest demonstration of Jesus’ power is the changed lives of His followers. The critics mock the idea of a physical resurrection and insist the apostles advocated a lie. But will so many, without exception, devote their life to a lie, accept persecution to advocate a lie, and even die for such a lie?
Andrew was crucified, Barnabas was stoned, Nathaniel was flayed to death, James was beheaded (supposedly his guard accepted Christ and was also beheaded), James (the half-brother of Jesus) was cast off a cliff, Matthew was killed with a sword in Ethiopia, Matthias (the replacement for Judas) was stoned AND beheaded, Paul was beheaded after much suffering, Peter was crucified like his Lord, Simon the Zealot was sawn in two, Thaddeus was martyred, and Thomas was ironically killed with a spear (John 20:25). John, though, was spared martyrdom; he died naturally of old age after completing the canon with the writing of The Revelation of Jesus Christ.
It has been said, “The UPWARD look must be accompanied by the OUTWARD look.” These men lived that little saying to the very end. “They gave testimony for the rest of their lives to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.” What was the result? Ah, my friend, “GREAT GRACE WAS UPON THEM ALL.” Each of them experienced the resurrection in his own daily life!
Let us likewise be diligent and give testimony of the most important event in human history. “He is risen! Thus, He ever lives to save to the uttermost!”
May 18, 2022 – A widow, left with five little boys, was honored at a banquet. She had raised the boys to be upright men. The host asked, “Explain to us how you did it.”
She replied, “The secret lies in an occasional pat on the back. It gets positive results if given young enough, often enough, and low enough!”
Do any of you have a mother who specialized in pats on the back, including the backside? Or specialized in fixing breakfast and cakes and pies? Or washing and ironing clothes? Or believing in you when you stopped believing in yourself? Or helping you with your homework? Or not being hungry for the last piece of chocolate if you asked for it? Or singing gospel hymns, praying, living for Christ? Or ________________ (please fill in the blank with something your own mother did).
Though it is rarely recognized, such mothers are incredible ministers. A child may attend Sunday School sixty minutes per week, but the child is with the mother seven days a week. The child learns much by what a mother says but most by what a mother does. The child’s ears are constantly open; if a mother has eyes in the back of her head, the child surely has ears in every room of the house! She ministers when she feels good as well as when she feels bad. Her attitude teaches even when her lips are silent. Her values are openly displayed. Her faith in Christ is seen by all. Yes, a mother is an incredible minister…and needs to approach life with that thought embedded in her mind.
The outstanding English preacher G. Campbell Morgan had four sons. All four became ministers. During a family reunion, a friend asked one of the sons, “Which Morgan is the greatest preacher?”
The reply came, “Mother!”
Fathers, pray for the mother in your house. Her responsibility is awesome. Furthermore, her privilege can never be measured. Help her become the best minister she can be. In so doing, she will not only shine inside the home but she will also shine outside the home. Amen.
May 17, 2022 – What motivates me? Today is my 67th birthday. My cake is the same size as always but it is no longer big enough for all the candles. As I prayed this morning, I recalled many experiences over these 67 years…and the Lord impressed upon me this question, “What motivates me? What has been the guiding motivation for these many years, particularly my adult years?” I, like many of you, have marched to a different drum. I do not drink, I do not gamble, I do not do drugs, I do not run around on my wife, I do not curse, etc. All of that means I, like so many of you, am different.
So what motivates me? What “graces of God” have motivated me into who I now am? I am not perfect…far from it! Yes, “God is still working on me, to make me what I ought to be” and He won’t finish until He calls me home (Revelation 20:6). His grace is not yet finished but it has made me different than others.
What motivates me? Please allow me to share these motivational verses from the Word of God.
“Behold, a sower went forth to sow…” (Matthew 13:3). All I ever wanted to be was God’s pastor…God’s messenger. Thank God, I married a woman who agreed to that calling before we said, “I do!” We have both sowed and continue to sow. My pastoring days will end July 3 of this year and we will move to a new location (Dayton, Oh), but we will keep sowing in some capacity. It is who we are.
“My Word will not return void…” (Isaiah 55:11). The Word of God changes people. I believe God’s Word is inspired from cover to cover. My last book “God Speaks—Today!” expresses my belief that God has spoken to man!
“The AUTHOR and finisher of our faith…” (Hebrews 12:2). This is my life verse because I, too, am an author. Based upon my books, I was recently introduced by evangelist Glenn Mathews with the words, “I am the preacher but Tom is the writer.” Great compliment acknowledging where each of us excel! I began writing as a teenager. My first book (written in high school but never published) was a fictional book for teens titled “The Sound Master.” I love writing…that which is written can minister forever. I have now authored four spiritual growth books under the theme “God’s Greenhouse.” Other books are on the way (see www.godsgreenhouse.net).
“Come and follow Me…” (Matthew 4:19). The greatest call of all is to “leave your nets and follow Jesus.” I believe in that call and have tried to be compliant to that call. (We recently completed a video series on this theme. It is on the video page of the above website.)
“Study or do your best to show yourself approved to God…” (2 Timothy 2:15). The Greek word “spoudazo” means “do your best.” I have tried…that is all any of us can do.
“In hell he lifted up his eyes being in torments…” (Luke 16:23). I believe in hell. I have tried to preach hell hot and heaven sweet. I have knocked on hundreds of doors to tell people about Jesus. I have taught soulwinning in my churches. I believe!
“Seek first the kingdom of God and everything else will be provided” (Matthew 6:33). I finish with this because I want to impress upon you that God has provided. We did not always live well, but we lived WELL ENOUGH. And God has been with us every step of the way. TO GOD BE THE GLORY! He has kept His promise to us…and He will be faithful to keep His promise to you.
May 16, 2022 – What is the impact of giving a Bible to someone? To anyone? The impact can be priceless, yea, even life-changing!
One of the greatest ministries in today’s world is the Gideons International. Who among us has not been blessed to see a Gideon Bible in a motel or distributed to students? But do you know how the Gideons began?
This outreach is the result of a meeting between two men who wished to band together some commercial travelers for evangelism. What began in 1908 as an Association of Christian businessmen placing Bibles in hotel rooms has evolved into an expanding mission to provide Scriptures to all people in nearly every facet of life. These faithful men have taken more than 2 billion Scriptures in more than 95 languages to 200 countries, territories, and possessions across the globe. How can one measure the impact of such a ministry? Only God can!
I have often said that one can never go wrong by giving a copy of God’s Word to a soul in need! And ALL souls are in need whether they recognize it or not. It has been my privilege to have two men in my pastorates serve as Gideons. Outstanding men in an outstanding ministry! I encouraged them! At their request I attended both the local and state Gideon annual banquets and was blessed by what I saw and felt. Like you, I have been given Gideon New Testaments and have often read the Gideon Bible during my hotel stays. My wife and I have often given funds to the Gideons in memory of loved ones…such a gift is living and powerful and is a wonderful way to honor a loved one.
Without hesitation, I recommend this ministry and any ministry which distributes the all-powerful Word of God! (One Gideon chapter distributed copies of my book “15 Spiritual Laws to Grow People” to motivate its members.)
“My Word shall not return to Me void, useless, without result” is God’s promise to us as we minister in this dark age. Indeed, my entire ministry as well as your entire ministry depends upon the fulfillment of that promise. If those words were not true, I would throw up my hands in despair and go home! The task would be hopeless. But those words are true! God has promised to bless His Word!
Keep sowing God’s Word! God will bless you in your sowing!
May 11-12, 2022 – 1-2-3. Superstitious? Avoid stepping on cracks? Did a black cat cross your path? Bad things happen in three’s so what is next?
Today’s motivation comes from an article I wrote for our church bulletin (June, 2019). I think you will sympathize, empathize, and say “Been there, done that, and SURVIVED THAT, but it sure happened at a strange time!” Happy reading!
“Life threw a curve ball at my wife and me in the past two weeks…three curve balls in fact. First, a tire went bad due to a manufacturer defect. At the same time the spring on our garage door snapped in two. Then the trip to Pigeon Forge almost didn’t happen when the Altima’s transmission went kaput in those Tennessee mountains. It’s totally shot. A new transmission has been ordered from Nissan.
“Count them. 1, 2, 3 disappointing events. Do you remember the superstition that bad things happen in three’s? I have heard people say, ‘Two people have died. Who is the third?’ and they would begin speculating. We Christians, though, DON’T believe in superstitions because our faith is in an omnipotent, omniscient God—not in some other force.
“The Bible fact is that bad things happen to both good and bad people just like good things happen to both good and bad people. Job faced his own trials by teaching his wife, “Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad??” Of course, we humans prefer the good and shun the adversity!
“There are so many things we cannot explain. Thomas unexpectedly broke an arm a few days ago. Pat unexpectedly spent two days in the hospital. Chris was unexpectantly interviewed by Time magazine. Two negatives, one positive.
“IMPORTANT: As Christians we don’t have all the answers. But we rejoice in knowing a God who does have all the answers. We’ll follow Him and see what He wishes to do! I’d rather trust Him than trust myself!!!!!!”
May 10, 2022 – Me to Jack: “It’s good to see you!” Jack to me: “It’s good to be seen!” We played that game for several years before Jack went to be with the Lord. Even today I will welcome the attendees to our church with the words, “It’s good to see you” and someone will shout back, “It’s good to be seen!” (Ah, in this case, “he being dead yet speaketh!”)
Do you know it really is good to be seen? The importance of being part of a greater whole is significant to all of us. Very few people truly wish to withdraw from the world and retreat to a deserted island. Why? The Lord created us with a need to be with people. A 2018 study showed that 22% of Americans always/often feel lonely, lack companionship, or feel left out/isolated.
Recently researchers at UCLA discovered that social isolation triggers cellular changes that result in chronic inflammation, predisposing the lonely to serious physical conditions like heart disease, stroke, metastatic cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. Another analysis found that lonely individuals had a 26% higher risk of dying. This figure rose to 32% if they lived alone.
God agrees with those studies. In the beginning God said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” Can you say amen to that? One of the cures for my loneliness is my local church…a body of people who have like passions and problems as me. Take the time to look around you during your next church service. Look at the faces…old, young, etc. If you have committed yourself to those people, it is highly likely some of them have committed themselves to you. Even now some faces may come to your mind…faces of a dear brothers and sisters that actually treat you as more than a number…treat you instead as the human being you are.
The Bible refers to God’s local church solution as “fellowship” which is another way of saying “two fellows in the same ship.”
If you’re lonely, don’t retreat! Show up with a smile and reach out a hand! Those people are there for you!
May 9, 2022 – In his commencement address at McGill University (Montreal), writer Rudyard Kipling gave the students some much-needed advice regarding life values. He posed the question, “What about those people whose scale of values is based solely on material wealth? They will have difficulty all of their lives.
“Do not pay too much attention to fame, power and money,” Kipling said. “Someday you will meet a person who cares for NONE of those things and then you will know how POOR you really are.”
Staggering words. But true words. We rush through life. We accumulate things. Then we sit down and read about people who care for so few things that we emphasize the most. For example, I am currently reading the biography of Paul Lee Tan (author of Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations). Tan had little in worldly possessions for much of his ministry but he had Christ and Christ was his purpose for living. His first car cost $50…$50! And the windows were broken. He said the car still ran but he always drove in the slow lane on the highway. Then one day he came out of seminary and found the car had been stolen! A car worth $50 had been stolen. The theft forced him to return to bicycling. BUT IT DID NOT CHANGE HIS PLANS NOR HIS LIFESTYLE. The goal remained “living is Christ.”
There is a sereneness, a peace in those who have made Christ their main goal in life. The Apostle Paul described his life goal in these words: “That I may know Him!” This goal consumed Paul’s entire being. It wasn’t a case of “things” being unnecessary but it was a case of “things” being “not necessary unless they help me fulfill my purpose in life.”
The goal for the Apostle Paul, Tan, John the Baptist, Peter, David, Isaiah, Samuel and so many others was not things but a person, namely Him whose footstool consists of this entire universe.
It rose above knowing a little about the Bible, teaching a Bible class, even preaching. It rose to the level that “I want Christ to live His life through me…to minister through me.”
Try it for yourself. It will help you keep your perspective on what matters most in life.
May 7-8, 2022 – What does God think of mothers? Read on!
A Mother’s Special Love
“Our Heavenly Father could have sent His Son with angels bright;
He could have sent Him fully grown To save man from His plight.
But He who is all wisdom Chose to place in hands of love
The future of the universe, The glory of above.
He knew there was no other love On earth which could compare
To the unique devotion Of a mother’s special care.
So deep His trust in this rare love, His faith in it so sure;
He gave a mother His own Son, Entrusting Him to her.
In doing so, He lifted up This role above all others;
And proved that there’s a soft spot In His heart of hearts for mothers.”
Connie
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY FROM GOD’S GREENHOUSE!
May 4, 2022 – Consider these not-so-popular quotes from your youth! “Welcome back to school! We’ve missed you!” “You will have time to get to your class before the bell rings.” “You will use algebra in your adult lives.” “We will soon figure out how to turn off the heat.” “No, we don’t have air conditioning.” “Teaching all of you is like trying to hold 35 corks underwater at the same time!” “Don’t worry! As long as there are tests, there will always be prayer in school.”
Do any of those quotes bring back memories? How about this one? “School is back in session.” I was not one of those happy-to-go-to-school kids. Those words, “School is back in session” sent chills through me like the Terminator saying, “I’m back.” Like most people I learn (still learn) what interests me. I reluctantly learn what does not interest me. Would you happen to be like me?
But consider this crucial question: Was school ever OUT of session? Then again, is school even out of session for us who have graduated? Not really. School just occurs in different formats like grade school, middle school, high school and higher education. Indeed, our current school or place of education/learning may not even have a name. Then again, perhaps it does have a name…the name called LIFE. We can either embrace it and grow from it or reject it and become stale/stagnant.
We should always be learning, though sometimes it may occur reluctantly in some situations. There is always more to know that needs to be known. And the day we stop learning is the day we actually start dying. Why? We were made to learn, to grow, to expand our horizons.
Science teaches that God has designed our minds to absorb much more knowledge than they presently contain. Interestingly, that potential will someday be more fully realized. Daniel 12:4 looks at a future time (most likely the Millennium when Jesus rules for 1,000 years) and says, “knowledge will increase.” This potential is supported by Isaiah 11:1-2, 9, 41:19-20, 54:13 and Habakkuk 2:14.
Long term thinker/investor/optimist John Templeton used to talk about a coming “golden age” for mankind with longevity restored, the heightened enlightenment of the mind, cures for our diseases, ease of transportation and communication, an abundant and increasing food supply, etc. He felt it would begin in this current century. Who knows? He may very well turn out to be right. After all, the promised Millennial Kingdom (and its amazing leap forward in knowledge) may be as close as seven years away.
Ah, maybe the world of Elroy Jetson and Astro will soon be a reality rather than a cartoon! So keep learning…develop a goal of learning something new every day…continually expand your horizons…make yourself as relevant to others as you possibly can…maintain an open mind…listen and ponder…ask God to teach you and keep teaching you if you miss God’s lesson the first time.
NEVER EVER STOP LEARNING…NEVER STOP GROWING!
May 3, 2022 – “For every human, there is a quest to find the answer to why am I here, who am I, where did I come from, where am I going. For me that became the most important thing in my life, everything else is secondary” written by a 21-year-old musician. Much later in life the same man said, “When you’ve had all the experiences—met all the famous people, made some money, toured the world and got all the acclaim—you still think, ‘Is this it?’ Some people might be satisfied with that, but I wasn’t and I’m still not.”
Those words were penned by the late George Harrison of the Beatles. Such incredible talent and yet such a wasted life! “Wasted years, O how foolish!” Maybe we should say, “Wasted life, O how foolish!”
How do you put life in perspective? Jesus said, “My assignment is to do the will of Him that sent Me and to finish His work” (John 4:34). Period. Nothing more to be added. Jesus may have even said it with an exclamation point! He seems to say it in a very emphatic way because He feels what He is saying…it is very engrained in His entire being and will ultimately motivate Him to finish the work by walking up Golgotha’s hill and dying for our sins.
Vince Lombardi, the legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers, once told his players, “Think of only three things—your God, your family and the Green Bay Packers…in that order.” The Lord Jesus Christ calls His believers to have Him as their first priority. “Seeking Him first” puts everything else in perspective…including the Green Bay Packers!
As for me, I am satisfied with God’s purpose for my life and I am trying to fulfill that purpose! How about you?
May 2, 2022 –It may only happen once a year but we can somehow remember most of them. We remember the meal, the people, the desserts (especially the desserts), the decorations, the time of day, even the Detroit and Dallas football games. Recently Ruth Ellen and I found a picture of our first Thanksgiving meal in Chattanooga (we were married in August, 1976). We could clearly remember the meal! Even me! (Sadly, we had no tv to watch football.)
Thanksgiving is a man-made holiday (unlike God’s events at Christmas and Easter), but every Christian needs to turn the 24-hour day of Thanksgiving into the continual spirit of thanksgiving and make thanksgiving an everyday event.
It is important that all men pause to give thanks that “things are as well with us as they are.” Are things the best they could be? No. Could things be worse? You bet’ cha! Indeed, things are worse for more people than we can count.
We have seen the painting of the old man bowing his head at the dinner table and giving thanks for a loaf of bread…his entire meal! All of us have much more to be thankful for! Never forget that though you may have earned what you have, that, at the same time, God’s grace provided you the means to earn it. Don’t be like the fool (Luke 12) who said, “Look what I have done!” and was thankful for HIMSELF! Instead, recognize and appreciate that your God deserves to be called “the God of all grace.” He is exactly that! “He giveth and giveth and giveth again!” And you and I “taketh and taketh and taketh again”…often without ever thanking Him from Whom all blessings flow.
How often do you celebrate Thanksgiving? That’s not really the key question. Perhaps we should change the question and ask, “How often do you live in the spirit of thanksgiving?” It’s not so much a celebration as it is an attitude…a spirit that recognizes our God is the source of what we have, even our minds, health, housing, food, family, and, well, you name it.
May you live in that recognition every day…every moment.
Apr 30 – May 1, 2022 – How much recognition, even acclaim, do you need? Everyone wants (and needs) to be appreciated. But some are never comfortable in their own skin or in their own accomplishments; they crave recognition like a drug addict craves narcotics. They are like the apostles arguing—arguing over what? On the night of our Lord’s betrayal Jesus finds them having “a heated dispute over which one of them was considered to be the greatest” (Luke 22:24). How silly!
Call it ego. Call it self. Call it pride. All of us wrestle with it. Part of this issue is positive like in us wanting to be sure we did well. We don’t want to mess up the Lord’s work with our effort. Part of this issue is negative like in us being in competition with others with similar gifts or abilities. Trust me when I say preachers struggle immensely with competition such as “Who has the bigger church or the more recognized seminary degree or the more followed radio/tv/internet ministry?”
This issue has the potential to turn a joyous life into a miserable life. That’s one reason the Bible makes such a big deal of handling it with a submissive attitude rather than a big ego attitude. It’s called humility. Today’s Verse for a Better Ministry reminds us that we are not serving ourselves but we are called to serve Him who is above all. Jesus “did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage.” Those are strong words. The Creator of all things willingly submitted to God the Father, even enduring the suffering and humiliation of the cross. That boggles my mind, how about you? But He won whereas we so often lose.
Yes, there is great satisfaction in knowing we did well. There should be equally great satisfaction in knowing others did well, too.
Baron Justinian von Weltz renounced his title, estates, and income, and went as a missionary to what was then Dutch Guiana. Today his body lies there in a lonely grave, and he is forgotten by the world. But not forgotten by God. As he was preparing to go into missionary service he said, “What is it to me to bear the title ‘well-born,’ when I am born again to Christ? What is it to me to have the title ‘lord,’ when I desire to be the servant of Christ? What is it to be called, ‘your grace,’ when I have need of God’s grace? All these vanities I will away with and all else I will lay at the feet of my dear Lord Jesus.”
May we live that same attitude and give glory to God for using someone like us.
Apr 29, 2022 – Bernard Gilpin was an Anglican preacher of the sixteenth century who was arrested for preaching the gospel. He was being taken on horseback to London for his trial, and he kept repeating, “Everything is for the best.” His captors made fun of those remarks.
On the way he fell from his horse and broke his leg. This brought joy to his captors. But Gilpin responded, “I have no doubt that even this painful accident will prove to be a blessing.” He was delayed because of the injury and arrived in London some days later than the expected date.
Upon reaching the prison the officers and Gilpin heard the church bells ringing joyously throughout the city. They asked the reason why and were told, “Queen Mary is dead, and there will be no more burning of the Protestants.”
“Ah,” said Gilpin, “you see, it is all for the best.”
In Gilpin’s case his life was spared. In John the Baptist’s case his life was not spared. Which man was blessed? Both.
Another man, John Gill (18th century English Baptist whose pastorate eventually became Spurgeon’s Metropolitan Tabernacle) writes regarding Job’s struggles. Job posed the question, “shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?…see Lamentations 3:38. Job suggests that he and his wife had received many good things from the Lord…as appears from Job 1:2; they had their beings in him, and from him;…they had had an habitation to dwell in, and still had; God had given them food and raiment, wherewith it became them to be content; they had had a comfortable family of children until this time, and much health of body, Job till now, and his wife still; of their former happy circumstances, see Job 29:1; and besides these outward mercies, they had received God as their covenant God, their portion, shield, and exceeding great reward; they had received Christ as their living Redeemer; they had received the Spirit, and his grace…; they had received justifying, pardoning, and adopting: grace, and a right unto…eternal life…and therefore such must expect to receive evil things, or to partake of afflictions, since God has appointed these for them, and has told them of them, that they shall befall them; and beside they are for their profit and advantage; and the consideration of the good things that have been received, and are now enjoyed, as well as what they have reason to believe they shall enjoy in heaven to all eternity, should make them ready and willing to bear evil things quietly and patiently.” Well said!
When life fails you, remember that God has not failed you. Submit to Him and count your blessings. You’ll be surprised how many blessings you count!
Apr 28, 2022 – Tom Brady, the most successful player in N.F.L. history, was the 199th pick in the draft of 2000. 199th! Not first or second or third. As I recall he was not even drafted on the first day when the television cameras were rolling…but drafted on the second day when he was just a one-line item crossing the ESPN screen…not even worthy of discussion.
How could so many so called experts have been so wrong? The talking heads on ESPN were even wrong! Guess what? This year’s NFL draft occurs today. Guess what else? The experts will be wrong again. Many with “to-the-moon” potential won’t make it past first base. Some with “who-would-want-him?” potential will actually have a long-term career.
The same experience is replicated throughout our world in choosing government leaders, company executives, contractors, etc. We seek wisdom in making the right decision but we are unable to really know all that needs to be known, for example, one’s intensity of purpose, one’s true belief system, one’s ceiling as to ability. The Peter principle teaches that people are promoted based on their success in previous jobs until they reach a level at which they are no longer competent…and no one really knows what that upper level happens to be. It is always guess work on our part.
The same activity happens in Christian ministry. We act so smart and assume we “know” when in reality we know so very little about who in our congregation will rise to a special level of ministry and who will never rise beyond a mere pew sitter. The crowd mocked a stripling named David when he challenged Goliath. Yet Jesus is acknowledged to be the “Son of David.” Wow, were they wrong! A little boy brought loaves and fishes…who was he? The apostles were mostly uneducated fishermen with little expectation of being anything else. Paul? A brilliant man but as wrong as wrong could be until he met Jesus, and even then who would take a chance on such a man? On and on the list goes. Indeed, Moses’ question, “Who am I?” seems to be a better quality for Christian success than “I am more gifted than you! Step aside and make room for me!”
I recall Lora in my first church. She was shy and was overlooked by many. I asked if she would like to try teaching a Wednesday Bible class for the primary children. She almost passed out! But she said yes. We patiently developed her into someone very, very special. I will forever count her among one of my best decisions!
Truthfully, we don’t know and we won’t know until we do know. Don’t make the mistake of others and merely “look on the outside” (people let me see what they want me to see and that is often skin deep) but try to enter God’s mindset and “look on the heart.” In so doing you will find gems where you did not think any existed.
P.S. I hope you’re not disappointed in your team’s draft results! One thing is certain: We won’t know the final answer for a few years.
Apr 27, 2022 – I am a Biblicist. Most likely, so are you. We are a people of the Book known as the Bible. We believe God has spoken and His Word is truth. Can you agree?
The term “Biblicist” describes a person who interprets the Bible, when it is sensible to do so, literally rather than symbolically. What is the difference? One example should suffice. Alva McClain quotes Pope Gregory the Great’s very symbolic interpretation of the book of Job: “The patriarch’s three friends denote the heretics; his seven sons are the twelve apostles; his seven thousand sheep are God’s faithful people; and his three thousand hump-backed camels are the depraved Gentiles.” (The Greatness of the Kingdom, pg. 143) One can only wonder if anyone else sees what Pope Gregory sees.
Symbolic interpretations inherently face the dilemma of validation: Who can verify that the symbolic interpretation is correct? Unfortunately, the symbolic interpretation is often nothing more than guesswork. Generally, the Biblicist does not encounter such a burden. He approaches the Bible with the attitude, “God means what He says.” He supports the old saying: “If the first sense makes good sense, seek no other sense, or you will end up with nonsense.”
Most doctrinal statements contain a statement such as this: “The Bible is the final and supreme authority in faith and life.” Lewis Chafer properly takes that statement one step further. “He is a Biblicist, namely, one who not only regards the Bible as the sole rule of faith and practice, but as the ONLY dependable source of information in realms wherein divine revelation speaks.” (Systematic Theology Volume 1, p. 7)
W. A. Criswell says, “The whole Bible I preach literally, as being literally true. When the words are not to be taken literally but are representative and figurative, such a fact will be clearly indicated and it will be most obvious. The context will reveal it and the Scripture passed before and after will inevitably indicate it.” (Why I Preach That the Bible Is Literally True, pp. 121-122)
James B. Green adds, “The Law and the Prophets, the teaching of Jesus, and the preaching of Paul; these are declared to be the Word of God. It has been estimated that the Bible, in various ways, asserts its own inspiration some 3,000 times. How often does the Bible have to say a thing before men will believe it?”
Such a view of the Holy Scriptures distinguishes the Biblicist or Bible believer from the rest of society.
We are a people of the Book! There is no alternative.
(Excerpts from God Speaks—Today!)
Apr 26, 2022 – John and Betty Stam met while students at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, married, and went to China as missionaries. They were killed by bandits during an insurrection. On the eve of their deaths John wrote a letter to their mission agency, the China Inland Mission. The letter said, ““My wife, baby and myself are today in the hands of communist bandits. Whether we will be released or not no one knows. May God be magnified in our bodies, whether by life or by death. Philippians 1:20.”
He was age twenty-seven; she was age twenty-eight. Their deaths motivated many to leave their livelihood and become missionaries. John said, “Take away everything I have, but do not take away the sweetness of walking and talking with the King of glory.”
Consider his words carefully: “Take away everything I have, but do not take away the sweetness of walking and talking with the King of glory.”
Enoch “walked with God” (Genesis 5:24). The word “walk” suggests a habitual walk, an everyday lifestyle versus a once-a-week-going-to-church lifestyle. In other words, God and Enoch were best buddies. Quite a statement!
Noah “walked with God” (Genesis 6:9). This walk occurred when God was set to release His wrath upon rebellious man with a worldwide flood. That indicates we can walk with God in even our current wicked age.
The wording is different regarding Abraham but the point is equally clear: Abraham walked with God. God said, “Walk before me,” and Abraham walked out of his home country and into a land he knew little about. On one occasion God even said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do with Sodom?” That question indicates the intimacy of Abraham’s walk with God. They must have had some really interesting conversations.
Each man experienced close fellowship with God. “Fellowship” (Greek koinonia) means “things in common.” Each man had commonalities with God that allowed a personal companionship to exist. They weren’t adversaries but they were in agreement! Imagine walking day after day with God! Yes, that is our privilege as His children. Our privilege is not only to know about God but to know or personally experience God. This is not make believe but real life to the dedicated child of God.
That is why we sing, “And He walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me I am His own. And the joy we share as we tarry there None other has ever known.”
May your fellowship deepen, deepen and deepen even further until you meet Him face-to-face!
Apr 25, 2022 – We call it “CHANGE!” 90% of all the items in the supermarket did not exist 10 years ago. 50% of the college graduates are going to jobs that didn’t exist when they were born. Someone observed, “My great-grandfather rode a horse, but he was afraid of a train. My grandfather rode a train, but he was afraid of a car. My father rode in a car, but he was afraid of an airplane. I ride in an airplane, but I’m afraid of a horse!” In this case change has come full circle!
Some people embrace change and see opportunity whereas others discourage change and see turmoil. We abhor the change Putin has brought upon the people of Ukraine but pray for the change that would come from a country-shaking spiritual revival. We regret the change resulting from a loved one leaving us but would welcome the change brought by our Lord’s return. We may conclude that how one views change is often determined by how satisfied we are with the status quo.
For example, Jesus arrived as a babe two thousand years ago and what a change he brought! “Never has man spoken like this man!” “What manner of man is this that even the wind and the sea obey His voice?” “Who has ever made the blind to see or the lame to walk?”
Jesus brought so much change into the world that the world could not handle Him!
Has Jesus changed your life? One of my childhood songs begins, “What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought, Since Jesus came into my heart. And I’m happy, so happy as onward I go Since Jesus came into my heart!” Amen! I remember that hour, how about you?
Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10), that we might be delivered from darkness into His awesome light, that our eternal address could change from the flames of hell to the perfections of heaven. Therefore, we can say with the Christmas angel, “Glory to God in the highest!”
Yes, Jesus brought change to my life. I do not regret those changes; rather, I am most thankful for those changes. I have never been drunk…not once. I have never gotten high on drugs…not once. I have never gambled away my paycheck, never gone hungry, never regretted my decision to follow Jesus. I may struggle with the latest I-phone changes and, yes, I may even struggle at times with the changes that God sends my way but I can confidently say, “Jesus doeth all things well.”
May your confidence continue to grow in Him who loves you so much that He has even made plans for you!
Apr 23-24, 2022 – Someone wrote, “You know you are getting old when the candles cost more than the birthday cake.” That is especially true when you consider the age of man. Based upon the Bible genealogies (the list is not a complete list) we know mankind is at least 6,000 years old. But how old? We simply do not know even though some THINK they know.
How much longer will man last upon the earth? During the 20th century some thought the entire span of man’s existence would be 7,000 years (“7” is considered God’s number in the Bible). Others reached the same conclusion but preferred to use a formula emphasizing 6,000 years (“6” is considered man’s number in the Bible) which would leave room for another 1,000 years for God’s kingdom. Other ideas have percolated, too, especially dates about the return of the Lord. It seems every dramatic world event (even the appearance of the moon and the alignment of the stars) brings forth new dates from “God-has-revealed-the-date-to-me” so-called prophecy experts.
There have even been instances of believers selling their homes, quitting their jobs, giving away their money and waiting in a field for the coming of the Lord on a specific night. They were so certain! But they turned out to be certainly wrong! They ignored our Lord’s instruction and chased after a “prophet” who probably ate the wrong thing before he went to bed…and suffered a nightmare as a result!
We need to remember that ALL such dates are without biblical foundation. Jesus said, “It is not for you to know the dates!” Though unsaid, we can infer He also said, “And you’re not going to be told the dates, either!” Why not? Quite honestly, we’d flunk! If we knew the dates, we would be fixated on the dates instead of our daily responsibilities.
The truth is this pastor does not know when Jesus is coming again, but I do know He is coming again! I do not know what this year or next year holds for my church family, my earthly family, or this world but I do know my Jesus has set the universe in order (I Samuel 2:8). It seems to me that since Jesus can take care of the universe, He can surely take care of His church, our families, and each one of us. Do you agree?
Apr 21, 2022 – Ever feel down? Like the weight of the world has fallen on your shoulders? Like you’re Chicken Little?
In today’s verse David has been threatened with stoning…real rocks that break bones and cause horrible pain, even death. The people had wept so much there were no more tears to release. They threatened to pour out their anger on David. David could have responded by crawling in a hole and pulling the hole in after him. But he instead grabbed hold of the problem and took it before the Lord.
The rest of the chapter reveals that the story ends well. Our fairy tales tell a similar story then end with the beautiful words, “And they lived happily ever after.” But please note David encouraged himself in the Lord BEFORE he knew the outcome of the story. The text does not say David encouraged himself in the outcome but rather David encouraged himself in the Lord. At that time he did not know the outcome; he only knew where to gain strength regardless of the outcome and that strength was in the Lord’s presence.
Too many Christians do the very opposite. They encounter a problem and drop out of church, Bible study, prayer, etc. They should be doing the exact opposite: drawing near to God!
Which direction do you go when you encounter problems? Up to God’s throne or down into a hole?
Here is a prayer taken directly from the Bible for such days. “Let endurance produce character in me, and character produce hope – such a hope that does not put me to shame” (Romans 5:4-5). “Through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures, let me have hope” (Romans 15:4) and “be saved by hope” (Romans 8:24). “Let the God of Jacob be my help, and my hope always be in the LORD my God” (Psalm 146:5). Let me be “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:3) and “let that hope be to me as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, entering into the inner place behind the curtain, where the Forerunner has gone on my behalf” (Hebrews 6:19-20). “Let me have Christ in me, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27) and “never be shifting from the hope of the gospel” (Colossians 1:23) but “enable me to show earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end” (Hebrews 6:11).
“In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Apr 20, 2022 – What could a mouse teach you about God’s will for your life? Read on!
Theologian Paul Lee Tan tells this remarkable story about his mother, Julia Tan. She graduated from China’s Iok Tek Girls School in 1926 and enrolled in a university to study medicine. “During those early years women seldom even went to college.
“In her freshman class, each student was required to raise white mice, to observe and handle them. This was a major shock to Mrs. Tan, who had feared mice since childhood.
“Too embarrassed to tell anyone, she got sick. When her father heard about her illness, he contacted the college president, who discovered the real reason for her illness. She was allowed to transfer to her true love: education.
“And this commenced her life-long odyssey in Christian education. Less than half a century later, this ‘mice-fearing’ lady had established the third largest Christian school in the world!
“What was her secret? ‘I have no secret,’ Mrs. Tan would wave her hand and smile. ‘God gave me many blessings and I want to live for Him. So, using my training in education, I hope that the Gospel message might be proclaimed to future generations.’”
Moral of the story: If God can use mice, God can use anything to steer you in the right direction! Don’t be surprised at how God works in maneuvering you through life to accomplish HIS purpose!
Note: This story appears in Paul Lee Tan’s recent autobiography “Experiencing God’s Grace—An 80-Year Journey.” Many pastors use Paul Lee Tan’s “Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations” and the classic “The Interpretation of Prophecy.” I quote from the latter book in “God Speaks—Today!” The Philippine school noted above is part of the Grace Village ministry.
Apr 19, 2022 – The Super Bowl is one of the most, if not the most, expensive sports events in the world. The cheapest ticket for the 2022 Super Bowl was $4,246. The cheapest lower-level ticket was $6,469. The average ticket price for all tickets was $6,292. The most expensive single-ticket was $71,539 for a luxury suite ticket. That’s a lot of money to rest comfortably in a seat and watch 22 men desperately needing rest! Of course, the stadium was full, too!
For a football game??? How skewed can our thinking be to place such value on a football game and yet so little on our own soul?
By contrast, what would the ticket price be to enter heaven? Some believe the price must be lower because everyone, except the very bad, are going to heaven. Therefore, the bar must be very low to enter heaven. But the Bible (and correct) view states the price is very high…as a matter of fact, the price is so high that not even Trump with his 3 billion, Bloomberg with his 82 billion, or Amazon’s Bezos with his 171 billion can buy a ticket. Nor can you.
How can one truly calculate the price to enter heaven? The Bible says, “The believer has been bought with a price” (1 Cor. 6:18-20) – a price that can only be measured by heaven itself. “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18-19).
“Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow!”
Does that make Him worthy of your praise for the rest of your days? I believe it does. What do you think?
Apr 18, 2022 – Do you ever wonder how many “once more’s” you will have? Napoleon Hill writes, “Your big opportunity may be right where you are now.” Where are you now? Though often unrecognized and neglected, you are at this very moment living in an opportunity to have a spiritual encounter which:
1. Can result in your salvation from the wrath of God and the hell to come. Many are just drifting through life with little regard for their eternal soul’s welfare either in the hereafter or the here-and-now. How much thought have you given to your soul? Wouldn’t it be sad if you by-passed this opportunity because of something on your cell phone?
2. Can help you deal with an important decision. God is at work all around you opening doors as well as closing doors. It is very frustrating to try opening a locked door without the key! Perhaps the choice will be clear; the resolve will finally exist to choose God’s direction for your life. You can sing with us, “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back.”
3. Can give you motivation to face tomorrow. Tomorrow may not be very promising. Maybe God will direct a song your way. Perhaps a fellow Christian may say something that causes you to look up instead of down. A relevant Bible verse may supernaturally enter your mind. Don’t let that moment pass you by!
4. Can strengthen your faith. The Bible encourages us to build a life grounded in Bible beliefs and to not “Be blown around with every wind of false doctrine/teaching!” Faith truly moves mountains! What can you believe with certainty? Or do you even care about certainty?
5. Can remove your feelings of despair and loneliness. You are currently surrounded by Christian people of like emotions. None of us have life fully figured out. We struggle, too. But we can struggle together in our Christian fellowship. After all, what is fellowship but two fellows in the same ship?
Let’s march forward and seize today’s opportunities!
Apr 16-17, 2022 – Imagine this answer appearing on the tv show Jeopardy! “Most important day of celebration in Christianity.” What would be the responding question? How about, “What is Easter?”
The world celebrates Christmas and does so mostly because of the gifts. However, the Christian faith centers on the resurrection of Jesus Christ who freely and graciously offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins. On the cross Jesus traded places with the sinner. He absorbed the sinner’s sin and resulting judgment; at the same time, He gave His own righteousness to the believing sinner so the sinner “could be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). I LOSE MY SIN AND I GAIN HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS! What a trade!
How do we know that God the Father accepted His Son’s sacrifice? Because the Father resurrected His Son on Easter! Suppose Jesus’ sacrifice failed to satisfy God’s righteous demands; if that was so, Jesus would never leave the tomb. But He did leave the tomb…walked out in a glorified body…and that means salvation from God’s wrath is available to you and me both. A dead Savior can save no one but a LIVING Savior can save from the guttermost to the uttermost!
How can a person be saved or delivered from the wrath to come? The Bible says it is by placing our faith in Jesus and trusting Him (not anything we do nor anyone else) as our Lord and Savior. After all, He truly is Lord! He truly is the one and only Savior!
Have you received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Here is the good news and it is awesome news: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved!” It worked for me and it will work for you, too!
(P.S. The resurrection is covered in great detail (four chapters) in my book Sanctification: How God Creates Saints out of Sinners. Available in e-book from Amazon, Apple, Kobo, Barnes and Noble for $3.99)
Apr 14, 2022 – How is it with your will? The defiant boy was told to sit down by the teacher. The standoff continued for nearly three minutes…the boy refusing to sit, the teacher insisting that he sit. Finally, the boy sat down. The teacher thought she had won. But the boy said, “I may be sitting down on the outside but I’m still standing up on the inside!”
How is it with your own will? Indeed, how willing is your will to do what God requires? In today’s verse Jesus is faced with the struggle of bringing His own will into submission to the Father’s will. We often forget that Jesus was human, too, and faced the same internal pressures that we face (Hebrews 2:17-18).
One of the most difficult experiences in the Christian life is submitting our own will to the will of God…saying no to what the flesh wants and saying yes to what God wants. That is not only “doing what is right” but is also where the joy of the Lord will be found…where “I shall give you rest” and the experience of Psalm 23 is found. Until we submit, Psalm 23 cannot be experienced…because we are still seeking to be our own shepherd!
So how is it with your own will? Paul Badgett, consultant for the Kentucky Baptist Convention, provides these helpful thoughts.
- The Bible teaches if we are notsaved,we are out of the will of God (2 Peter 3:9).
- The Bible teaches if we are not being sanctified, we are out of the will of God (1 Thessalonians 4:3).
- The Bible teaches if we are not Spirit-filled, we are out of the will of God (Ephesians 5:17-18).
- The Bible teaches if we are not serving, we are out of the will of God (Romans 12:1-2).
- The Bible teaches if we are not submissive, we are out of the will of God (Ephesians 5:21)
- The Bible teaches if we are not willing tosufferas a Christian, we are out of the will of God (Ephesians 4:18).
May you truly experience this Easter with a willing will.
Apr 13, 2022 – Can a person pray too much? Many years ago this pastor preached at the organizational meeting of a new association of churches. I preached, we ate a noon meal, then returned for an afternoon session. The moderator was called away from the opening of the afternoon session. He asked me to open the service with music and fill in until he returned.
My first song was the Christian anthem, “Victory in Jesus.” It’s a good song for preachers! I then asked a guest missionary to lead in prayer. The choir followed with a beautiful song. The moderator returned to the building during that song, took over for me, and promptly called on someone to pray. Guess who? The same guest missionary! Our brother prayed twice within five minutes.
I recall thinking during his second prayer, “Can we pray too much?” The answer is no. (“Pray without ceasing” is a biblical instruction encouraging us to continue in a state of prayerfulness…able to pray at the drop of a hat.) But can we pray too little? Yes, yes, yes!
Evangelist/writer John R. Rice often said, “All our failures are prayer failures. We fail to pray.” Those words may be too simplistic to cover every failure, but they certainly have a lot of truth in them! We fail to pray and, in so doing, we fail to acknowledge the necessity of God in our lives. Bottom line: If we felt we truly needed God, we would pray. But our problem is not praying too much but praying too little. Amazingly, there is little difference between the prayer life of many believers and an atheist…neither feels a need for God!
We need to stir ourselves on this matter of prayer. “Pray, pray, pray! Without Me you can do nothing! Call and I will answer you!” But God’s promises to listen are worthless unless we first pray.
Pray for one another! Pray for yourself, your family and friends, your brothers and sisters in Christ, and as many lost people as you know. Pray!
Apr 12, 2022 – Do you ever wonder how people can be so smart and yet so dumb at the same time? Abraham Lincoln wrote, “I can see how it might be possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how a man could look up into the heavens and say there is no God.” This pastor concurs. Looking down reveals a mess, but looking up reveals a very organized splendor…something so amazing that our dismay from looking down is replaced with amazement at looking up.
One of the best things about winter is the cold Canadian air which leaves us with crystal clear nights to observe the stars. It seems the colder the night, the more sparkling the stars! Indeed, the view even becomes more glorious the further we move away from the population centers.
And guess who owns it all? Our God who is also our Father, Savior, Protector and Sustainer. The Bible says, “By Him all things consist, or, more literally, are held together.” Our future, along with the universe’s future, is tied to Him.
It reminds me of the little boy who knelt for his bedtime prayer and prayed, “Lord, be sure to take care of Yourself, because if anything ever happens to You, we’re all in a heap of trouble!” Amen!
Be sure to think today about Who is really in charge! And be thankful that He has accepted that responsibility!
Apr 11, 2022 – “O, taste of the Lord and see that He is good!” In the days of old, the people imagined their god was not good; hence, they feared their god even to the point of offering human sacrifices to their god. Such a god was viewed in malevolent terms…vicious, hateful, vengeful, enjoying pouring out wrath upon weak humans.
But that description is not true of our God. He is described as GOOD! “The GOODNESS of God endures continually” (Psalm 52:1).
The Puritan Thomas Manton writes, “He is originally good, good of Himself, which nothing else is…not only good but goodness itself…He is eternally and immutably good, for He cannot be less good than He is; as there can be no addition made to Him, so no subtraction from Him.” Pink notes that God deserves to be known as summum bonum, the chiefest good.
Thus, it is fair to say that all goodness has God as its source. Such goodness is the basis for God’s decrees in how He is running the universe. The universe even begins with such goodness for “God saw everything that He had made and behold it was very good.” This goodness is the basis for your human body…”fearfully and wonderfully made.” The flowers of the field testify further to His goodness. The food that we eat…the health we enjoy…families to love us…companions for our lonely hours. Just count your blessings and you will better realize how GOOD God has been to you! Thank God, He is GOOD and not EVIL as many heathen religions believe.
Ah, what about grace? Indeed, what exactly is grace? Grace is an extension of the goodness of God to those who need such goodness!
Think about the guy holding up a sign at the basketball game behind the basket. What Bible verse appears on the sign? John 3:16. How does it begin? You know! “For God so loved…” That is God’s goodness in action.
I have been on the road with Jesus as my Savior for nearly sixty years. That’s a long time. I’ve had time to “prove Him o’er and o’er,” how about you?
I declare to you today after these nearly sixty years that I still trust God with my life because I believe—am convinced—that He is good! “His goodness and mercy shall be my companions for the rest of my days.”
Charles Spurgeon writes, “We must never tolerate an instant’s unbelief as to the goodness of the Lord; whatever else may be questioned, this is absolutely certain, that Jehovah is good.”
Do you agree? Would you recommend others trust their life to His goodness?
Apr 9-10, 2022 – An American tourist in Europe watched a stunning performance of the Passion Play. Afterward, the tourist went to the actor who portrayed Christ and asked, “May I be photographed with you holding the cross?” The actor agreed.
The tourist stooped to lift the cross but could not do so. He exerted even more energy but still failed to lift the cross. He complained, “This cross is very heavy!”
The actor responded, “Sir, I cannot represent Christ with a light cross!”
The weight of the physical cross was great. Jesus even broke beneath its weight; as a result, a bystander was recruited to carry the cross the remaining distance to the execution site. But the weight of the spiritual cross was so much greater. “If Thou be willing, let this cup pass from Me.” “God made His soul an offering (sacrifice) for sin.” “It pleased Jehovah to bruise Him.” “God laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.” “My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
But what was the outcome? The words are repeated to each of us who receives Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior: “You can now join My in paradise.” What was said to a dying thief is also true for all of us who believe.
“The stripes that He bore and the thorns that He wore Told His mercy and love evermore; And my heart bowed in shame as I called on His name, And Calvary covers it all.
“Calvary covers it all, My past with its sin and stain; My guilt and despair Jesus took on Him there, And Calvary covers it all.”
Apr 8, 2022 – Do you ever lose sight of your purpose? Has perhaps your church lost sight of its purpose? Purpose is our reason for existence. The person or church with no purpose is like the blind man who shot an arrow into the sky and where it landed he did not know…but he proudly proclaimed to one and all, “Bull’s eye!” One can think of many adjectives which describe that activity but “Bull’s eye” is not one of them.
God’s purpose for His disciples and His church is to “produce” or “make” disciples or followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. James D. Price explains, “The concept of ‘make disciples’ does not infer ‘to cause’ or ‘to force’ discipleship, but rather it infers ‘teach to the point of discipleship’ where the person comes to personal faith in Jesus and is ready for baptism.”
Our task is not an easy task. Evangelist Paul Badgett says, “People do what they want to do and I can’t change what they want to do.” We cannot force people into becoming disciples. BEING A DISCIPLE REQUIRES AN ACT OF THE WILL—the will must willingly submit to the disciplines (hence the word “disciple”) of Jesus Christ. In so doing one becomes a disciple, trusting Christ not only for salvation but with everything else, too.
How can I best fulfill this purpose? First, model Christ before others. In the long run we are known more for who we are than what we do. The former (“who”) leads to the latter (“what”). “Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me, All His wonderful passion and purity, Oh, Thou Spirit divine, all my nature refine, Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.”
Second, be genuine. Each of us has encountered people whom we regard as “fakes.” Most unbelievers have a built-in lie detector that detects religious “fakes.” Never fake your relationship with the Lord into being something it is not because you feel you must be some sort of “super saint.” The Lord WILL make Himself known through you if you have a submissive will.
Third, provide answers only if you are certain. Unbelievers often ask difficult questions, sometimes philosophical questions that you have never considered. Consider carefully these next words: You don’t need to have answers to everyone’s questions. I don’t, neither will you. The converted drunk answered perfectly, “I don’t know the answers to all of your questions but I do know God turned my beer into furniture!”
Fourth, sow abundant seed everywhere. The remarkable parable of the Sower begins with the simple thought, “A sower went forth to sow” (Matthew 13). The God’s Greenhouse ministry is built upon the sowing principle of 1 Corinthians 3. The goal is so simple: Sow Christ in as many places as possible. Don’t limit your efforts to the “rock hard” sinners, but be on the watch for fresh opportunities. Just sow, keep sowing and sow abundantly.
Fifth, stay centered on Jesus. He promises, “If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to Myself” (John 12:32). Imagine that! I do my part and lift up Jesus then He does His part and brings the people to an encounter with Himself. What will happen in that encounter? John 16:8-11 will occur first. Evangelist Glenn Mathews observes, “Of sin or sinner because that’s who you are, of righteousness because that’s what you need, and of judgment because that’s where you’re headed.” How will the person respond? Will he rebel and go his own way or will he submit to the will of Christ, receive Christ and be born again?
Sixth, help the new disciple grow in discipleship or the disciplines of Jesus Christ. Think of who helped you…how they helped you…what they could have done better…and you, in turn, be what you can be to develop this new believer into all that he can be for the glory of God!
Let’s work today on making disciples!
Apr 7, 2022 – My friend laughed and said, “My first lawn mower was an 18 inch lawn mower.” 18 inch! He said, “Pastor, the yard was so big it took me 3 days to cut the grass!” Then along came the greatest invention known to my friend: the riding lawn mower! He bought the biggest one available!
We keep improving things. Is there anything, though, which cannot be improved? Yes! First, God cannot improve Himself. Hebrew scholar James D. Price writes about God’s Old Testament name of Yahweh or Jehovah, “The name Yahweh (YHWH) may be regarded as a form of an ancient and rare Hebrew verb (HWH) meaning ‘His is’ or ‘He causes to be.’ God, speaking in the first person, referred to Himself as ‘I am.’” That means God doesn’t need anything to keep operating. He even chose this special name of “Yahweh” for Himself to indicate that awesome truth. God functions within Himself in a way that no other being can do. He is not caused but rather He causes all things. That is beyond my comprehension, how about yours? God cannot be improved.
Second, God’s way of salvation cannot be improved. How can sinful man have access to a holy God? Ah, “we have confidence to enter the holy place by the BLOOD of Jesus” (Hebrews 10:19). “Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow! No other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” Do you recall the words from Rock of Ages? “Nothing in my hands I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling!” The leopard cannot change his spots nor can the sinner cleanse his soul of sin but the blood of Jesus makes us as white as snow! That’s shouting ground!
Nor can God’s plan be improved. The Bible describes our God as the “only wise God.” His ways are higher than our ways, His thoughts higher than our thoughts, His plans totally in keeping with His righteous standards. “My Father’s way may twist and turn, My heart may throb and ache, But in my soul, I’m glad I know He’s the God that’s made not one mistake!” Yes, “Through all the way, though often dark to me, He made not one mistake!” I have often said, “God has never called me in for advice on how to run the universe!” He does not need such advice from any of us.
Fourth, God’s final judgment cannot be improved either. His judgment is in keeping with His righteous nature. The simplest definition for “righteous” is simply “doing what is right.” God’s judgment will result in a just condemnation for the one who rejects Jesus and a gracious acceptance of the one who accepts Jesus. Our courts occasionally reach a wrong decision; however, 100% of God’s decisions will be right.
Fifth, my glorified body in heaven will never need improved. “We shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is!” (1 John 3:2). Jesus never needs to go to a doctor nor will I. Jesus never suffers the ailments associated with aging nor will I. Jesus never frets about Alzheimer’s nor will I.
Again, you can rejoice today that heaven will be as perfect on your first day as a million years from now. “Nothing profane will ever enter it to defile it, no one who does what is vile or false but only those written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27). The devil won’t interfere nor will his demons interfere nor will sin ever raise its ugly head again. “The former things have passed, behold, all things have become new…and will STAY NEW!”
Ah, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Apr 7, 2022 – “There are old pilots, there are bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots.” Those words sound smart but they are NOT necessarily so and, furthermore, should they really be so for any of us? We Americans are fortunate to live in a society where we might actually experience a stage in life called retirement. Social Security, Medicare, pensions, IRA’s etc. These funds and health insurance allow most Americans to walk away from a secular job. I recall the incredible emotional joy as I left my secular employer (a good employer) for the last time and stepped into my “new world.” I felt like I was floating on air as I was raptured to the car!
We age and, with God’s blessing, reach that magical stage where we retire. BUT RETIRE TO WHAT? Retire to a chair? Or retire to a project? Or perhaps retire to MORE ministry for our Lord?
What about you? Can you be a Caleb? The body and mind may be less capable, but the issue is more oriented to the will than anything else. Remember: We should never retire to die but to excel.
Let me suggest some ways to develop a Caleb spirit for the ENTIRETY of your life. First, schedule it as part of your routine. Include this story on your yearly calendar: Caleb’s testimony should be read twice a year at a minimum. Due to Israel’s sin forty years earlier, Caleb was denied the opportunity to “take that mountain!” However, his goal never changed. He did not go from “boldness to oldness” but he remained bold in his old age…truly deserving to be known as an OLD BUT BOLD PILOT.
Again, set biblical goals for your ENTIRE life. Each decade should build upon the previous decade just as the second floor in a building is built upon the first floor. Life, including retirement, should be a continuation of what we believe and do…not something we re-invent as the urge strikes us.
Third, develop a profile of WHO you want to be in your older years. Make a list of everything that is important to you. Then set a goal for how you want to develop YOURSELF in those areas. Remember the Bible says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so he is and so he also becomes.” Today’s decisions will shape the future you.
Fourth, never stop. One of the most powerful testimonies of aged Caleb is these words, “Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak” (Joshua 15:14). Caleb did not rest until he fulfilled his vision. He stayed after it. The next verse states he pursued that vision even further: to the inhabitants of Debir. Still pushing on even after a significant conquest…and a possible stopping point. That’s radical living for a man in his eighties!
Fifth, intentionally challenge yourself to be a Caleb. Caleb’s are not the product of accident, of a lackadaisical “what will be will be” attitude. I went to hear an 87 year old evangelist last evening by the name of Glenn Mathews. He can’t win a hundred yard sprint but he continues to preach, make encouraging phone calls to people. He even sent me an email to encourage me in my writing. He could have quit years ago, but he keeps challenging himself to do more. The world will be lessened when he is no longer able to “do more.”
Sixth, look for MORE, not less, ministry opportunities. It is heartening how many older people relish this opportunity. Some take short-term mission trips overseas to share Christ or work on church buildings. The denominational Disaster Relief teams predominantly consist of retired people. Some in our region travel to Montana each summer to work in Vacation Bible Schools. What an opportunity to share Christ! My retired wife works part-time for a local anti-abortion agency.
At the age of 80 Caleb said, “I want that mountain.” What a man! Just wondering: What will you want at the age of 80? Or 75? Or 70?
Apr 6, 2022 – What do you intend to do with the opportunity called “Today”? The Amplified Bible explains today’s verse in this manner: “making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence], because the days are [filled with] evil.” Sadly, the worst liberals of our day are not those on the far left but those who squander the opportunity known as “Today.”
For example, let’s think about two precious opportunities: first, our soul’s salvation and, second, the importance of a church in your area. Amazingly, many in our world do not even have one church in their region…even one opportunity to be introduced to the Lord Jesus Christ. They live in spiritual darkness with no knowledge such as you possess or can access. No opportunity! Nada one! Thank God, the same cannot be said about you or me, amen? I constantly thank God for my home church where I was given the opportunity to know Christ! Those folk were faithful to their call…are we as faithful to that same call?
We are so blessed that our area is known as the “Bible Belt” because of the large number of Bible preaching churches. Yet this large number is not enough. It is impossible to have too many churches because the majority of people do not attend any church. We need ALL of the tools to reach them. But the laborers are few…ignoring their opportunities for an eternal impact on lives.
During this pastor’s youth, I often heard the preachers say, “Hell will be hottest for the people in our area. That is because this area provides MORE opportunities to hear God’s Word than any other area.” There is much truth in that statement.
Jesus expressed the same idea when He said to the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida, “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes” (Matthew 11:21). Chorazin and Bethsaida were provided greater opportunity than Tyre and Sidon but to no avail!
Lehman says, “One can present people with opportunities. One cannot make them equal to them.” That statement will be fulfilled throughout our country today. The opportunity to be saved will be overlooked by many. The opportunity to know God better will be ignored by many. The opportunity to learn, grow, worship and give this day to the Lord will be tossed to the side and the results will be a rather mediocre day.
Oh, don’t allow this attitude to happen to you!
What will you do with this opportunity called “Today”?
Apr 5, 2022 – “Gentlemen, it’s quitting time.” The speaker entered the room quietly, without warning, and interrupted the men consumed in their raucous behavior with that announcement. The scene was spell bounding for all. Noise became silence The speaker dangled the keys in front of the heads of state, the many guests plus the ordinary from off the street as well as the servants and simply said, “Gentlemen, it’s quitting time.” Thus, ended the…well, everything.
Interesting words. “Gentlemen, it’s quitting time.”
The words indicate the speaker has the authority to make such a statement. Only a fool would make such a statement without the authority to back it up in the presence of such powerful people.
The words also suggest there is such a time as “quitting time.” Contrary to how humanity thinks, there is a time appointed in the volume of the universe as “quitting time.” Such a time will not be determined by man nor by climate change nor by war. But only by the speaker with the authority to make it happen.
Furthermore, the keys suggest ownership belongs to the speaker. Indeed, He does own it all. Based upon that ownership He and He alone has the right to declare, “Gentlemen, it’s quitting time.”
The speaker is the Lord Jesus Christ, the One who comes accompanied not by some mere band of musicians but with the clouds of radiant glory. To Him belongs ownership of everything we see and even that which we cannot see. To Him belongs authority, even power, to fulfill His words, yea, even every promise. And to Him belongs the right, the ability and the wisdom to determine “quitting time.”
“Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen” (Revelation 1:7, NASB) Jesus Christ is indeed coming again. “So it is to be. Amen.”
When all the great plants of our cities Have turned out their last finished work;
When our merchants have made the last bargain And dismissed the last tired clerk;
When our banks have raked in their last dollar And have paid out the last dividend;
When the Judge of earth says, ‘Closed for the night!’ And asks for a balance—WHAT THEN?
Whitfield Green
(Excerpt from the next God’s Greenhouse book: Do I Know Who I Am? To be released in 2023.)
Apr 4, 2022 – Are you a confident Christian? If not, read on! If yes, read on and share this material with someone who lacks confidence!
Every preacher has heard about W. A. Criswell who pastored the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. Vance Havner once asked Criswell, “Is it true that when you first started preaching that you didn’t have the assurance of your salvation?”
Criswell said, “Yep, that’s right. I’d be preaching in the morning and then be on my knees at night trying to feel saved.” That’s exactly how he said it. “Trying to FEEL saved.”
Criswell said, “I finally got to the place where I said, ‘Lord, it says here in the Bible that he who believes on the Son has eternal life and I do believe on the Son. If I knew how to believe any better I would. At the judgment day I’m going to put my finger on this verse and say, ‘Lord, here is where I stand. I stand on the authority of God’s unchanging and infallible word!”
Havner concluded, “By the way he now preaches, he must now have the assurance of his own salvation.”
The poet declares: Heaven and earth may pass away,The clocks of time may cease to turn, Your feelings may go through a thousand changes, But the facts of God’s Word will never change nor will they ever pass away!
Here are two facts from God’s unchanging Word. “He that believes on the Son has everlasting life…and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life” (John 3:36, 5:24). God’s Word says, “He that believes!” Not he that feels good nor he that feels bad either. But he that believes – that is the fact from the Word of God!
1 John chapter 5:11 says, “This is the record that God has given to us eternal life and this life is in His Son. He that has the Son has life and he that has not the Son of God has not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know you have eternal life and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God.” Think with me about two words in that passage. The first word is “record.” The idea is that God is offering a contract to you including the dotted line. If you will accept His terms then you believe and sign the contract and trust Him to fulfill the rest of the contract.
The second word is the word “believe.” Salvation comes by believing in Jesus and CONFIDENCE COMES BY BELIEVING THAT BELIEVING IS ENOUGH! Over and over again the Bible makes it plain that salvation does not depend upon our feelings but it depends 100% upon Jesus and what He did for us on the cross! I repeat: Confidence comes by believing that God’s requirement of believing is enough!
May you go forth in confidence!
Apr 2-3, 2022 – How would you handle this situation? A man stopped at a drug store, went in and asked for some hiccup medicine. The druggist reached across the counter and slapped him in the face as hard as he could. The startled man paused a few moments then repeated his request for hiccup medicine.
The surprised druggist asked, “Do you still have hiccups?”
“No,” the man replied, “I never did have the hiccups. My wife, out in the car, is the one with the hiccups.”
He certainly demonstrated patience!
Patience is a necessary quality for Christian workers. Think of the seed process in our gardens. We plant, we water…and, in time, the plant reaches maturity. But maturity occurs with the passage of time after much tender-loving care. Not a one-time investment but a continuing investment with the expectation that maturity will occur if the process is followed faithfully. We in Christian ministry have the advantage of knowing that our mighty God is at work throughout this process and that He is working to “give the increase.”
In the old days the evangelist rolled into town, made a one-time investment of an evangelistic week and souls were wonderfully born again into God’s kingdom. The evangelist gave these spiritual infants a bottle then left town! Who picked up the process from that point? People like us who lived in that town, who rubbed shoulders with the evangelist’s converts, who were there to guide them through the experience of Christian growth. WITHOUT US—YOU AND ME, THE PROCESS FAILS.
A. J. Gordon urges us to remember, “The promises of God are certain, but they do not all mature in ninety days.” We must continually work the process of patiently providing guidance to the young Christians.
So don’t get discouraged but continually encourage yourself to trust in the Lord’s process. Ah, my friend, the rule is still true: Too often we overestimate what can be done in a short time but we underestimate what can be done in a long time. Just keep patiently sowing…in Jesus’ name!
Apr 1, 2022 – The eternal salvation of one’s soul! Who can top that?
A skeptic talked to a Christian about religion. The skeptic tried to excuse his unbelief by pointing out the evils in the church. He said, ‘The church is full of hypocrites!”
The man of God knew the accusation to be true. He replied, “I acknowledge that there are many who claim to be Christians who do not bear the fruit of the Christian. I acknowledge also that there are faults and failings among all of us. I am not trying to justify the mistakes which Christians make. But I do challenge you to speak a word of criticism against the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.”
The skeptic was surprised. He seemed almost frightened as he sheepishly replied, “Well, no, I couldn’t find fault with Him. He was perfect.”
The Christian continued, “Exactly and that’s why I turn to Him for salvation. I knew myself as a lost, guilty sinner but I saw in Him the One who could save to the uttermost. I TRUSTED HIM! My salvation depends on what Christ did for me but not on what professing Christians are doing.”
My friend, are you trusting in Jesus Christ and Him alone for your salvation? Today’s verse (and explanations within the brackets) makes it plain that salvation is in the perfect Christ! You cannot add anything to Him…can only trust Him!
“Come, every soul by sin oppressed There’s mercy with the Lord
And He will surely give you rest By trusting in His word.
For Jesus shed His precious blood Rich blessings to bestow
Plunge now into the crimson flood That washes white as snow.
Yes, Jesus is the truth, the way That leads you into rest
Believe in Him without delay And you are fully blessed.
Only trust Him, only trust Him
Only trust Him NOW.
He will save you, He will save you
He will save you NOW.”
Mar 31, 2022 – What will happen when Jesus comes again? Short answer: We as believers will become Enochs!
Genesis 5:24 records “Enoch walked with God and was not for God took him.” We often see tombstones in a cemetery which lack completion. The tombstone bears the person’s name and date of birth and a dash. What is to be engraved on the right of the dash? The person’s date of death. The absence of such a date means the person is still alive.
Enoch’s tombstone is similar to those tombstones. It bears the date of his birth but not the date of his death. Elijah, though born near the beginning of civilization, “was not…” that is, he never became past tense like those buried in the cemetery. How do we address those people in the cemetery? “He WAS a good man,” etc. We use the past tense, because the person has died. But Enoch never died…he simply moved on. His life in the same body continues to this day. Amazingly, Enoch, not his son Methuselah, is the oldest man to ever live because he is the first man to keep living!
Enoch was “translated.” The same Greek word appears in Acts 7:16 where the remains of Jacob were moved or translated to another burial site. The idea is that Enoch was translated out of one sphere of life and into another! It was no longer earth for Enoch but rather heaven!
A little girl returned home from Sunday School and said, “Mother, our teacher told us about this man named Enoch. Enoch lived a long time ago. God would walk by every afternoon and say, ‘Enoch, would you like to take a walk with me?’ Enoch would say, ‘Yes, I’d like to take a walk with you, God.’ So everyday God would come by Enoch’s house and Enoch would go walking with God.
“One day God came by and said, ‘Enoch, let’s take a LONG walk today. I want to talk to you.’ So they started out. Enoch got his coat—even took his lunch and they started walking. They walked and they walked and finally it got late. Enoch said, ‘It’s getting late and I’m a long way from home. Maybe we’d better start back.’
“But God said, ‘Enoch, you are closer to My home than you are to your home so you come on and go home with Me.’
“And so, mother, Enoch went home with God!”
I say, Amen! Even so, come Lord Jesus!
Mar 30, 2022 – Are you able to accept your weakness and move on? Arthur Gordon writes (A Touch of Wonder) that one Christmas he accompanied a friend—a minister who was deaf and almost blind, due to a genetic defect—into a crowded store. The friend completed his purchase then turned to leave only to encounter a full-length mirror placed on the exit door.
Gordon relates, “Thinking that someone else was approaching, he stepped aside. So, naturally, did the image. He moved forward, and once more met himself. Again, he retreated.”
By this time all the customers were caught up in the drama. But on the minister’s third attempt to pass, he finally realized that he was looking into a mirror. He cried, “Why, it’s only me!” He made a grand bow then said, “Good to see you, old boy! Merry Christmas!”
Gordon heard one of the bystanders say, “That man really has what it takes.” What “it” was, the author says, was the gift of acceptance— “acceptance of LIMITATIONS that in turn brought the power to transcend them.”
The author concludes, “Whatever your struggle, I would encourage you to quit fighting and accept it, recognizing THAT OUR GOD IS GREATER THAN ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.”
Indeed, God knew about ALL of our limitations when He saved us then gifted us for the ministry. Perhaps that is why He often reminds us of our limitations…so that we will not rely upon ourselves but upon Him!
Thank God, the ministry does not depend upon US but upon HIM in us! Go forth with God in God’s power and let Him speak through a “limited” servant like you!
Mar 29, 2022 – Motivational speaker John Maxwell, one of my favorite writers, teaches, “Every major difficulty you face in life is a fork in the road. You choose which track you will head down, toward breakdown or breakthrough.” Some folk seem to choose based upon a coin flip; they are so haphazard with how they approach life! Others follow their intuition which may or may not be a good guide. I have known some to say, “What will be will be,” but they did not stay long at the crossroads; in time, they, not fate, made a decision on which fork to take. Some follow a textbook written by someone they greatly respect. Some follow their emotions and woe to them if their emotions are like a roller coaster.
Consultant Dick Biggs writes, “All of us have unfair experiences; as a result, some people merely exist and adopt a ‘cease and desist’ mentality.” He states everyone encounters 3-9 turning points or significant changes in one’s life. Biggs then advises, “Turning points can provide perspective, which is the ability to view major changes within the larger framework of your lifetime and let the healing power of time prevail. By learning from your turning points, you can grow at a deeper level within your career and life.”
Interesting stuff. “Turning points can provide perspective.” I might add, “Looking BACK on turning points provides perspective, too!” We realize that such events made us and shaped us into something that is usually new…maybe a good new or a bad new, but we became someone that was more than we were at the time. So we chose a fork and either with confidence or with no confidence we moved into the future. And we became someone new by what we encountered and how we handled it.
I am different than most people because I chose differently when I reached the same fork others did. In many cases I, like Robert Frost, “took the road less traveled by and that has made all the difference.”
I knew as a teenager that I would live a life consumed by the pastorate. I just knew. I prayed in advance for God to provide me with a beautiful wife, a wife that was committed to Christ and one that was also a pianist. God provided all three! We reached a fork in the road regarding our future and chose a Bible college called Tennessee Temple in Chattanooga. We reached a fork regarding the use of our meager money supply and placed it in the hands of God. We reached a fork about raising children and we did not hesitate: They would be taught the Bible at home and also be present in church.
On and on the forks kept coming. It would be presumptuous for me to suggest we always made the right choice. But in these 45 years of marriage there are very, very few big fork decisions that I would adjust or choose differently.
Do you know how our marriage began? We were married on a Saturday evening, traveled to a motel room and the first thing we did as husband and wife was kneel at the bed and commit our marriage to God. That, too, was a “fork” experience. In many ways that ONE, SINGLE decision has helped make all of the other decisions. It’s amazing how the FIRST fork has shaped our entire decision making process for these 45 years.
Wonder whom you will become in the future? Ah, it will depend on which fork you take! Choose the fork which will most honor the Lord Jesus Christ and you’ll be on firm ground!
Mar 28, 2022 – Dad criticized the sermon. Mother thought the organist made too many mistakes. Sister didn’t like the choir’s singing. But all of them shut up when little Joey remarked, “I thought it was a pretty good show for a DOLLAR!”
(The father had put a measly dollar in the offering plate.)
In today’s text David refused to be that kind of cheap Christian. He wanted to pay his own way. The context indicates that David had sinned against God. He owed a great debt to God. A friend offered to pay for the animal sacrifices to atone for David’s sin. That solution would have been accepted by many in modern day Christianity because it was the “cheap way” out of a first-class mess. But it would not have been accepted by God and, thankfully, it was not accepted by David either. David uttered these compelling words, “I will not offer to the Lord that which costs me nothing. It is true my God demands the best, but it is also true that He demands the best BECAUSE HE DESERVES THE BEST.”
How well do you handle this test of your character? We need to remind ourselves in this modernistic age that “cheap Christianity gets cheap results because it views God as a cheap God.”
Let’s look at this issue from another perspective by changing a few words. “A cheap marriage gets cheap results because the husband views the wife as a cheap wife.” Thus, “She doesn’t deserve the best or even second best but she deserves whatever she gets and it doesn’t have to be much especially if this husband’s needs cost a lot.” Ouch! Would you want to be the wife in that situation? No, but we probably know a wife in that situation…a wife who would like to be appreciated and even occasionally adored, pampered, and respected. But she’s not. She’s just a second-rate or third-rate or even lower being in the eyes of her mate. (He probably does not deserve to be called a husband—do you wives agree?)
The Apostle Peter possessed an attitude similar to David’s attitude. Peter said, “Lord, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?” (Matthew 19:27). “Lord, we have given you all that we can give.”
The basketball player says, “We left it all on the court,” meaning he has given a complete effort. Why? Because he esteemed the victory as worthy of the effort.
David says, “I value my God as worthy of the cost…of any cost. Considering all of His benefits to me, how can I do less? If you ask me, ‘how serious are you about your God,’ I will be able to show you the cost not only in financial offerings but also in the hours of time in His service…a lifetime devoted to Him.”
“Whatever the day…yesterday, today, or tomorrow…I will NOT offer that which costs me nothing.” May that be both our prayer and our attitude.
Mar 26-27, 2022 – “You’re too old to have a child.” “Come on! You expect me to believe a ninety-year-old woman can be pregnant?” “Are you off your rocker?” “Are you sure God said that? Are you spaced out on drugs?” “The father is 100? This story gets more ludicrous every time you tell it.”
But God spoke! End of discussion. It will require a miracle. So? The Bible begins with an even greater miracle: the creation of the universe. Thus, this miracle should not be much of a problem for the Creator. No modern day medicine required. Just the involvement of God.
What then happened? Sarah, at age 90, gives birth to her firstborn son Isaac. The father, better known as Abraham, is age 100. Utterly impossible in our way of thinking. But God spoke and He asked, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” (Genesis 18:14). The story concludes with these amazing words, “Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time God had told him” (Genesis 21:2).
God spoke and it did indeed happen just as God declared it would happen.
Lessons from this miracle for all of us:
1. God may call you to believe in the impossible. At least it seems impossible to us, but isn’t that what the very foundation of Christianity is? God doing the impossible for wretched sinners! God may ask you to do something you have never done before.
2. God may wait for you to reach the impossible stage before He intervenes. Remember: The birth of Isaac occurred 25 years after God’s first promise of a son. God deliberately waited…and waited…and waited until they became really, really old.
3. God may choose you to show the rest of us that He can still do anything He wants! So don’t count God short when you have problems!
4. God may bless your golden years more than your younger years. (Sarai’s name (Sarai means “contentious”) was changed to Sarah (means “princess”) because God had a different plan for her at the age of 90.) Some are worth more to Jesus in their “retirement” years than when they are young. Indeed, you may not fully blossom until you become old! (Moses was 80 years of age when he began his most important stage of life. Caleb was also 80 when he declared, “I want that mountain!”)
5. God alone will decide when your fruit-bearing years come to an end. What is the age of 100 to an eternal God?
The journey of faith is indeed a journey of F-A-I-T-H from beginning to end. It occurs on God’s schedule, not ours. It involves not seeing but still believing…like Sarah. Are there any Sarah’s out there?
Mar 25, 2022 – The power of one! We rally at church in order to worship but also to gain strength from one another. Then we disperse into an ungodly world which seeks to overthrow our faith and values. The “we” on Sunday becomes the “one” on Monday. But how powerful can the “one” be? Let me share an article from an unknown author.
“Was this world ever darker than today? The darkest days of sacred history had those who were all alone or shall we say, ‘only one.’ God has singularly used an only one through the ages.
“Only one Noah – in a whole lost world.
“Only one Abraham – ninety-nine years old when God ‘called alone.’
“Only one Moses – born in a heathen land.
“Only one Joshua – his human leader dead.
“Only one Naomi – a destitute widow.
“Only one Ruth – a very young widow forsaking all the old life.
“Only one Esther – alone, though encircled in wealth.
“Only one Daniel – in a heathen court, but God honored his daring testimony.
“Only one Elijah – swept into Heaven in a flaming chariot.
“Only one widow – to be honored with the privilege of feeding Elijah.
“Only one Stephen – to see Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father.
“Only one Philip – to leave the big revival and go to the Ethiopian eunuch.
“Only one Paul – who fought a good fight – kept the faith – ready to be offered up.
“Only one John – to witness and write of the revelation and to cry, ‘Even so, come, Lord Jesus.’
“Of everything that might be said about the names mentioned, they had one thing – FAITH IN GOD!”
Never forget: Faith always makes the difference because God honors faith.
Mar 24, 2022 – Prophecy, specifically fulfilled or completed prophecy, is one of the greatest evidences of the Bible’s accuracy. The time gap (at least four hundred years) between the latest Old Testament writing and the earliest New Testament personality (John the Baptist) sufficiently validates the authenticity of any Old Testament prophecy.
Obviously, the greatest number of Old Testament prophecies pertain to Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
W. A. Criswell writes, “The marvelous portrait of Jesus to be found in the Old Testament is a miracle of the omniscient God. Who could draw a picture of a man not yet born? Surely God and God alone. Nobody knew a thousand years ago that Milton was going to be born or five hundred years ago that Washington was to be born or two hundred years ago that Churchill was to be born. Yet here in the Bible we have the most striking and unmistakable likeness of a man portrayed, not by one, but by twenty or twenty-five artists, none of whom had ever seen the man they were painting. The man was Jesus, the Christ.” (Why I Preach That the Bible Is Literally True, p. 34)
Bible scholars provide a detailed list of more than thirty prophecies and fulfillments regarding the life of Christ that prove the validity of God’s Old Testament prophets as well as the inspiration of the Scriptures. (For example, Psalm 22 describes in minute detail Christ’s death by crucifixion.)
Would any reasonable person conclude those prophecies happened by mere chance? No. Would any rational, objective person suggest those prophecies would happen to the same person? No. Such a detailed “biography before it happens” would not even be considered for publication by today’s weekly tabloids. But each one of these prophecies was made part of the inspired Word of God hundreds of years in advance . . . and has been completely fulfilled.
Thus, we have high confidence, even perfect confidence, that the remaining prophecies will also be fulfilled in God’s time. After all, prophecy of the future is also inspired or breathed out by God.
Mar 23, 2022 – The power of a godly influence! A young nobleman found himself in a little village in Cornwall, England. This nobleman sought in vain for a tavern where he could buy something which was stronger than water. The young man became impatient in his search. He saw an old peasant who was on his way home after a long day of work. The nobleman asked, “How is it that I cannot get a glass of liquor in this wretched village of yours?”
The old man recognized the nobleman as a person of royalty. He pulled off his cap and bowed humbly. But even so there was a proud look in his eyes as he answered rather quietly, “My lord, something over a hundred years ago a man named John Wesley came to these parts,” and having said that the old peasant walked on.
You may think you are a total nobody. No, my friend, the fact is there is power in your life: power to shape your children, power to influence your parents, power to improve your spouse, power concerning your neighbors, coworkers and relatives, too. Above all, you have power to make a difference by pointing everyone you know to the Lord Jesus Christ!
It is true that John Bunyan is dead, but the Christian pilgrims are still marching on toward the celestial city. William Cowper is dead, but we still sing, “There is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel’s veins.” Robert Raikes is dead, but thousands of Sunday schools meet each Lord’s Day to study the Word of God. David Livingstone is dead, but missionaries around the world are still motivated by his story.
All of these effects CONTINUE because of the power of their lives! Who knows what God will do with your godly influence? Never sell yourself short because the old adage is so true: “Little is MUCH when God is in it.”
Mar 22, 2022 – Which would you choose for yourself? Peace in contrast to this world’s war, love in contrast to this world’s hate, faith in contrast to this world’s doubts? Then again, which would you choose for your fellow brothers and sisters with whom you serve our God?
Today’s Verse represents Paul’s salutation to the Ephesians. Oh, how Paul loved them (Acts 20)! It is a far cry from the Paul that “officiated” the execution of God’s man named Stephen (Acts 7:58, 8:1, 9:1). Paul’s prior life and current life is as different as night and day, darkness and light.
Paul experienced a full dose of God’s grace! “By the grace of God I am what I am!” “Twas grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved, How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed. Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home.”
There is an incredible beauty in the man or woman whose life manifests the grace of God. “Things that once were are no more. The old has gone; the new has come.” Grace transforms us, sometimes instantly, most of the time gradually but, above all, grace continues to refine us in more ways than one.
For instance, as I learn to comfort one another, I become a compassionate person.
The more I greet one another, I become a friendly person.
As I continually accept one another, I become an accepting person.
When I learn to wait for one another, I become a patient person.
As I practice life in peace with one another, I become a peacemaker.
So it was with Saul whose life changed to such an extent he deserved to be called by a new title: Paul.
May God’s grace continue its work in each one of us that we might always bless those around us with God’s peace, God’s love and God’s faith.
Mar 21, 2022 – “A man was meant to be doubtful about himself, but undoubting about the truth; this has been exactly reversed” (G. K. Chesterton). Pardon the pun, but how true! We live in an age when the masses actually disparage the truth and hold to wild, outlandish ideas. For instance, some deny the historical event known as the Holocaust. How can anyone ignore six-ten million graves? But they do. And their number is growing. Or people dig up garbage on someone they dislike in order to discredit that person’s testimony on totally unrelated events. Even many Christians are playing that sinful game…even to the extent of “bearing false witness against their neighbor,” but, of course, doing so “in Jesus’ name!” How insulting to our Lord! But, who cares, because that commandment also has been disparaged.
May I ask, what is your relationship to the truth, specifically the truth of God’s Word? Is the Bible really the Word of the Living God or is it a discard-what-you-don’t-like and keep-what-agrees-with-your-personal-opinion Book? Is all Bible sin still considered sin or… Does God really mean what He says? Are the horrors of Revelation 6-19 still coming? Might the Lord Jesus return even today? Is man really a sinner in need of a Savior? Is the blood of Jesus the ONLY means of forgiveness? Is it true there is a heaven to be gained and a hell to be shunned? Is revival (personal, church and national) a necessity? Alas, who needs the church anymore?
Isaiah faced the same issues in his day that we face in our day. He even moaned, “Is there anyone out there that agrees with me? With my report?” (Isaiah 53:1). Sadly, Isaiah was a minority. The brazenness of his rebellious generation voted God out and voted man in…voted man himself on the throne…rewrote the standards of right and wrong…terrorized those who held to the old paths like Isaiah (he was executed for his stand)…led the people in the pursuit of any god except the very strict and narrow-minded God of holy scripture.
Does any of this sound familiar? Three points need to be emphasized: First, the truth is still the truth because God’s Word defines truth. I, as a child of God, don’t intend to budge from this position. How about you?
Second, the end will be the same as the end in Isaiah’s time. He begins his book with this sad assertion from God, “The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand” (Isaiah 1:3). Therefore, “Your country lies in ruins, and your towns are burned. Foreigners plunder your fields before your eyes and destroy everything they see” (1:7). Judgment has fallen because judgment ALWAYS follows a rejection of truth. Modern man will soon learn that lesson.
Third, though the situation is dire the situation still holds potential for salvation. Isaiah also quotes God saying, “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other” (45:22). (Note: This verse was the basis of Charles Spurgeon’s salvation as a mere boy.)
This is a day when the world needs to hear the truth…from us. If not from us, who else?
Mar 19-20, 2022 – The beauty of God’s life-changing salvation is a wonder to behold…and is not readily understood by even many who have been blessed by it. There is a tendency among many to view salvation as a reformation process (perhaps Nicodemus may have fallen in this category) rather than a transformational process (demonstrated by the change in Saul of Tarsus into the Apostle Paul)…as just another religious experience like Confession or Communion rather than the installation of a brand new RIGHTEOUS nature in the person’s life.
Biblically viewed, salvation is a genuine LIFE-CHANGING experience because it includes the creation of a NEW nature in the individual—a nature which the individual did not previously possess. That’s why Jesus referred to it as being “born again;” such a declaration left religious but “UN-born again” Nicodemus scratching his head in bewilderment.
Many in Christianity today are also scratching their head in bewilderment. “Today’s Verse” reaches to many people throughout the globe with varying degrees of Bible knowledge and faith. Let’s devote Today’s Verse to explaining the heart of ministry: bringing people to a born again salvation experience.
The Amplified Bible, one of my father’s favorite translations, captures today’s verse quite well with these words: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].”
“Grafted in” captures the sense quite well. Salvation results in a joining to Christ (1 Corinthians 6:17, 12:13, Galatians 2:20). It is not a joining to a religion or church but to the living Christ. It is not the repetition of a sinner’s prayer but of a personal union with Him, of Him enveloping us into Himself with the result that we are now in His kingdom. “Fused with Christ” or “one with Christ.” It is so much more than mere religion!
“New creation” means the creation of something which did not previously exist. I was merely a part of the “old creation” (my nature from conception) at 8 pm on January 14, 1965. However, I became “born again” or a “new creation” sixty minutes later at 9 pm when I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. At that time a SECOND nature called the “new creation” or “born again creation” was implanted within me. That nature is patterned after God’s own holy and righteous nature (Ephesians 4:24) and creates the desire to live for Christ…to know Him! It is the reason born-again people behave with a different set of values than most of the people around us. We’re different because of our new nature!
“Passed away” does not mean the old Adamic nature with its sinful pattern of living has been removed. Would to God it had been removed but that will not happen until our death or the Rapture (Revelation 20:6, Galatians 5:17). Ryrie points out “passed away” is in the Greek “aorist tense indicating the decisive change salvation brings.” The Apostle Paul contends the old nature’s controlling influence over the believer has been broken, and he now has opportunity to live a new life (Romans 6). It is not the case that “the past is forgotten” but that freedom from sin’s dominion has arrived via the power of the new creation.
“The new has come.” Ryrie comments this phrase is in the Greek “perfect tense indicating abiding results of the new life in Christ. The grace of God not only justifies but also makes ‘a new creation’ which results in a changed style of life (v. 15).”
“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch (old creation) like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see (new creation).” Dear reader, have you also experienced that song? I say, “Amen!” for a know-so salvation!
Mar 18, 2022 – Regrets! The Huffington post in 2012 published “The Top Five Regrets of the Dying.” Here they are:
1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.
3.I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
4.I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5.I wish that I had let myself be happier.
There is an old saying, “Find something you love to do and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” That is indeed true. But at the same time one needs to make sure that the end result is the best result. Unfortunately, the end result may be the desired result but from a biblical viewpoint it may not be the BEST result. The end of Achan (Joshua 7:25), Belshazzar (Daniel 5:30) and the rich man (Luke 12:20) testifies the desired result (“I lived MY way”) is not always the best result (God’s way).
Please allow the life of Moses to speak to your heart today. Moses spent his first forty years in Egypt and much of that time in the palace enjoying the pleasures of life, though sinful it likely was. The next forty years were spent on “the backside of the desert” in solitude with little to his name. That’s eighty years of what we might call “the desired result” but not “the best result.” But in his eightieth year Moses met God at the burning bush (Exodus 3) and his life was thoroughly changed. Moses experienced a life in the next forty years that made the first eighty years pale in comparison. For the next forty years (his last forty years on earth) Moses walked in the presence of Jehovah God, so much so that we are left with this epitaph: “Moses knew the LORD JEHOVAH face to face.” Wow!
Imagine if Moses had died at the age of eighty. There would be no reason for his story to appear in the Bible, because his life did not produce any result of value. But the last forty years are so astonishing that EVERYONE knows about Moses, including even the participants on Jeopardy.
The end result was not a result of regret. It was a result of comfort and satisfaction. Why? It was the right result or the best result!
When death calls your name, what regrets will you have? Will you regret accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior instead of Mohammed, Mary or some other being? Will you regret the hours spent in reading your Bible or in prayer or in church? Will you regret giving financially to the Lord’s work? Will you regret sharing the gospel with others? Will you regret working in Vacation Bible School and other church activities? Will you regret teaching your children about Jesus?
Oh, we might wish we had done BETTER in those areas but wish we had done worse or less? No. If you are like Moses and millions of us, to quote the old song, “I’ll wish I had given Him more.” No regrets on what we gave, only regrets on not giving more. Can you say, “Amen”?
Mar 17, 2022 – A short man wanted to drive a nail in a wall to carry a large picture. He stood on a chair, but it was not high enough. His wife put a small box on the chair. The man, balancing himself precariously, tapped hesitantly on the nail with his hammer.
His wife asked, “Why don’t you give it a brave blow or two and really pound it?”
He replied, “How can a man give a brave blow or two when he is standing on a foundation as shaky as this?”
Ah, confidence belongs to the person that is sure of his foundation! Woe to the person and, even worse, woeful IS the person that lacks a solid foundation…one in which he can put his trust in moving forward with his life. There is nothing worse than continually looking over one’s shoulder and asking, “Am I right? Am I sure? Was there a better way? Am I off course? Will I be satisfied when I arrive at my destination?”
Solomon knew a lot about the importance of a foundation because he built the temple in Jerusalem. It was a magnificent building and became one of the wonders of that century. Today’s scripture makes it clear the foundation was of critical importance. It was the beginning act and it is obvious that great care was given to its construction.
Amazingly, that which would not be seen again in the future was where it all began. That’s how life, including ministry, is supposed to be, too. People only see what is visible such as actions and results. However, what foundational principles led to those actions and results? Did the foundation produce the desired results? Did the foundation need to be rebuilt because the original principles failed or needed to be adjusted?
We must always remember that what we believe eventually becomes who we are and, therefore, what we do. Belief transforms…it really does.
For example, when an adult receives Christ as his Savior he undergoes a “new creation” transformation that results in the laying of a new foundation named Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11). That change, often described as repentance, establishes Christ Himself AND His values as the adult’s foundation for life. Some changes occur immediately whereas other changes occur over a period of time. But we become different because we think different based upon the new foundational values for our life.
It may surprise you to know that Solomon, the builder, was also Solomon, the author. Solomon published his own book about foundational principles for everyday living. It’s called “Proverbs.” This informative, thought-provoking even transformational book is much superior to the best selling “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by the well-respected Stephen Covey. The latter book is indeed a work of genius and should be read by all at some point in your life. BUT SOLOMON’S BOOK IS ON AN EVEN HIGHER LEVEL because Solomon goes where Covey does not go AND THOSE AREAS ARE MORE THAN JUST THE SPIRITUAL.
I urge you to take the next 31 days and read one chapter each day from Solomon’s writings. I guarantee you will be surprised at the depth and practicality of Solomon’s foundation. It is an absolute masterpiece. It deserves to be #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list. Please let me know if you agree…after you read it for yourself.
Mar 16, 2022 – Do you trust him or her with nuclear weapons? The world is asking that question at this point in the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine. Will Putin use nuclear weapons to achieve his purpose? He certainly has the authority to unleash such destructive power because he IS the authority. In turn, President Biden could always respond with a nuclear attack of his own because he IS the authority for the United States. China’s Xi could join in, too, because he IS the authority.
It is fascinating that three men could possess such power. It makes me shudder at the possibilities. Of course, such a battle would be a no-win battle for all sides and, ultimately, for the entire world but that does not negate the possibility of such an outpouring of destruction. The power of one man!
Theologians describe such power by the title of “federal headship.” The greatest concentration of such power was in the first man Adam. God invested Adam with power to influence the entire human race. Whatever Adam did would touch humanity for not only one generation but for centuries and even millenniums. Such power in one man! But so it was.
Adam chose to sin against God. In so doing Adam became polluted by sin or “spiritually dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). Adam’s entire being became deadened toward God…became unable to know or experience God spiritually based upon his own ability. Adam’s nature became contaminated by sin. Through procreation Adam passed that sin nature on to his children who in time passed it on to their children who in later time passed it on…and passed it on down to May 17, 1955 when I was born…and I have continued the process by passing it on to my children…and so the cycle continues.
I did not ask for Adam to sin and rebel against God; on the contrary, I may punch Adam in the nose when I meet him in heaven, but I must reluctantly live with the consequences of Adam’s sin. Quite honestly, I (nor you) will ever reach my full potential because of Adam. What Adam did, he also did to me. I have weaknesses that I should not possess because of Adam. As a matter of fact, I will ultimately die thanks to the choice made by Adam. The power of one man to change so many!
Adam, though, is not the only one who has the potential to change people. Every parent has that potential…to shape a child positively or negatively for adulthood. Every supervisor has the potential to shape an employee (along with his family) in skills and living standards. Every teacher will impress knowledge and values upon his students. This principle continues no matter how old we become. “When I’m old and feeble” I will still be influencing others; in turn, those others will influence still future generations to come. The cycle will continue until the world ends.
You and I may not be world-changers such as Putin, Biden or Xi but we WILL, not might, affect the world of many around us and many coming after us. This is another reason for you to always seek a “better ministry” such as is promoted by godsgreenhouse.net.
You are special because you have power or influence. Use your power to bless others in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Mar 14-15, 2022 – Europe awakening? Are the ten toes wriggling with life? Are we seeing Daniel’s final stage prophecy in its early stages? (This is a special Ukraine-Russia prophecy edition from www.godsgreenhouse.net.)
The world is like a chessboard. One move causes another move or response. It has always been that way because the world is always changing. This includes international politics which, in turn, affect us at home. Daniel 2:21 reminds us that God “changes the times and the seasons, removes kings and establishes kings…” Never forget: God, not man, is in charge!
Prophecy students understand this chessboard concept and try to anticipate the next move…often to their own dismay, because they go out too far on a limb and declare predictions that are unsupported by Scripture–predictions which then fail. This is happening today in many circles, because people are easily drawn to the doomsday scenario.
Two principles should never be forgotten by prophecy students. 1) There are no prophecies to be fulfilled prior to the Rapture of God’s saints. None. Zip. To state otherwise is to assume Paul was wrong when he stated he was “looking or anticipating the imminent return of Christ” in HIS day (Titus 2:13). That would NOT have been possible if other events must occur first. I submit Paul and the early believers were not wrong, but rather many modern-day sign chasers are wrong.
2) The best way to approach prophecy is to recognize what will happen AFTER the Rapture. The events of Revelation 6-18 are an example of those events. Revelation 4:1 pictures this order in these words, “Come up here, John (perhaps a reference to the Rapture), and I will show you things which shall happen afterward.” Important caveat: There is NO guarantee these next events begin immediately after the Rapture. There may be an interim period of time. No one knows and it is foolish to make such a guarantee. It is even more presumptuous to say, “Yes, but I believe such and such” and to treat such a personal view as Scripture when it is nothing but a personal opinion that belongs on the newspaper’s editorial page. (Always distinguish your opinion from the clear teaching of Scripture.)
Thus, the better way to approach prophecy is to list the post-Rapture events recorded in Scripture and then work backward. For instance, we have very high confidence the Roman Empire described in Daniel 2:40-43 will be resurrected (has it ever truly gone away?) in the end days and will be destroyed by the returning Messiah at the Battle of Armageddon (Daniel 2:44-45). (This resurrection is confirmed by Daniel 7:13-27 and Revelation 17:7-18). We conclude the ten toes described in Daniel 2 (Nebuchadnezzar’s statue) suggest a future end-time union of ten nations or national entities of some sort, out of whom will arise the evil Antichrist of Revelation 13 and 17.
BUT HOW WILL SUCH A POWERFUL EUROPE ARISE? Its impotency in recent years was clearly recognized by Putin and perhaps contributed to the invasion of Ukraine. Could it be that we are seeing the stirring of such a revival? Perhaps the wriggling of the ten toes?
Perhaps so but then again perhaps not. But there is logic to this line of reasoning…that Putin has inadvertently moved the chess piece that prompts another piece to be moved.
The following news article (dated March 13, 2022) shows how things MIGHT be evolving in the direction of a resurrected European power. Interestingly, the article is from the more liberal New York Times. Regardless of your politics, I recommend reading the article. It appears below:
“Europe’s assertive response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has presented a possibility that was hard to imagine a month ago: the European Union as a superpower that can alter the global order, promoting liberal democratic values worldwide.
“Before the war, the E.U. focused largely on economic growth. It resisted calls, particularly from the U.S., to increase its military spending and become more self-sufficient at defending Europe.
“Vladimir Putin’s invasion drove European countries to be more aggressive. They imposed tough sanctions, helping to cripple Russia’s economy, and are working to cut off trade from Russia. They have sent weapons and other aid to Ukraine. Several moved to increase military spending, and E.U. leaders met in France over the past few days to coordinate their efforts. The leaders of France and Germany pressed Putin yesterday in a phone call to agree to a cease-fire.
“Europe’s new commitments could help counter the global democratic backslide of the past 15 or so years. Democracies’ failure to stand up for themselves partly enabled that shift. But a tougher Europe, as well as other countries’ fierce response to Russia’s invasion, shows that democracies are still willing to wield power to counter autocratic governments.
“’Democratic nations and people are sending a united message to Putin that democracy matters, and authoritarians cannot act with impunity, and that’s powerful,’ said Michael Abramowitz, the president of Freedom House, which tracks the state of democracy around the world.
“The E.U. is often fractious, made up of nations and ethnic groups that warred with each other for centuries and have different, sometimes competing interests and values. Britain’s vote in 2016 to leave the union shows how far such divisions can go.
“But the E.U. has moved in a more united direction over time. Though it is not a single country, in many ways it acts like one. What began as a loose organization of six nations now includes most of the continent’s population, with 27 countries as members. Most share a currency and open their borders to each other, and they all send representatives to legislative, executive and judicial branches with powers across all aspects of European life.
“The E.U.’s response to Russia’s invasion was another unifying step — one that could push Europe from its passive role to an influential democratic force around the world.
“A sleeping Europe
“Europe’s previous inaction is rooted in World War II. After the atrocities of war and the Holocaust, Germany leaned toward pacifism, refusing to build up its military or ship its weapons to conflict zones. As the E.U.’s most populous and wealthiest member, its approach had a large impact on the continent.
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine suddenly forced the continent’s leaders to confront the prospect that their stance was failing one of the foundational goals of the E.U.: to prevent war in Europe. In what sounds like a paradox, the E.U. might need greater military power to deter more war.
“’Peace was taken for granted,’ Jana Puglierin, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told me. That’s no longer the case, she added.
“Germany moved within days of the invasion to spend more to rebuild its military. Others made similar commitments, including Austria, Denmark and Sweden this past week. More E.U. and NATO members are likely to follow, experts said.“
Are the chess pieces moving? Ah, they are always moving! The pieces may need to move MANY more times in multiple future generations before reaching God’s desired point…or they may be nearing the final move. We simply do not know God’s timing and this is true for every so-called prophecy expert. But we have high confidence in certain things occurring such as a reunited Europe (Roman Empire).
We must admit that it is fascinating to watch the chess moves.
Maybe this time is the final time. Wouldn’t it be great if it is???
(Interpreting the Bible including prophecy is discussed in my book God Answers—Today! on Amazon, Apple, Kobo, etc.)
Mar 12-13, 2022 – “Many things about tomorrow I don’t seem to understand; But I know Who holds tomorrow, and I know Who holds my hand!” Those words could truly have been written by Abraham!
The Christian life begins, continues and climaxes with faith. Many talk about faith but fall short of living by faith. Let’s zero in on two lessons about faith in today’s verse.
First, note the word obeyed. God called Abraham to go to an unknown land. How did Abraham respond? Obeyed. Saluted. Yielded. “YES, SIR!” Not denied, nor defied, nor debated, nor delayed. He simply reported for duty. Ready to go. Maybe not capable in his own mind but convinced it was something he must try. This meant he would be different than others but so what? He conquered every objection and “obeyed.”
Second, Abraham left his home for something of greater importance. This, too, is part of the faith walk. Living by faith includes separating ourselves, sometimes physically but always mentally or spiritually from the world system that exists around us. In Abraham’s case, it included packing his bags and leaving his home region known as Ur (Genesis 12). Ur was Abraham’s home…where he lived, worked, banked, had family and friends. Actually it was the only home Abraham ever knew, because he then became a pilgrim for the rest of his days. Spiritually, Ur represents the anti-God world system which delights in life without God. It is a system which will ultimately pass away (1 John 2:15-17). The “walking by faith” Christian understands it will pass away; therefore, he proceeds to lay up treasures in heaven rather than treasures on earth. That does NOT mean he ignores the here and now, but it does mean he views life from an eternal perspective.
Alas, we should stop to observe that when God calls, you can rest assured the world system will also call…of course, to a different goal! One can only speculate about the pressures brought against Abraham to keep him in Ur. But he obeyed and he went out. Incredible faith!
We often get the idea the Bible saints were always saints; i.e. they had Christian parents and Christian homes and Christian upbringings. But that was not the case for Abraham.
John MacArthur provides this background information: “Abraham was a sinful heathen who grew up in an unbelieving and idolatrous society. He was raised in a home that was pagan (Joshua 24:2). His native city of Ur was in Chaldea, in the general region called Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. It was a fertile land and was culturally advanced. It was near where the Garden of Eden was located and was some 140 miles from where the great city of Babylon would one day be built.” So Abraham had baggage and apparently lots of it.
Interestingly, Abraham’s faith, especially in the early days, was less than perfect. First, he disobeyed God by taking his father with him and, second, Abraham stopped for a time in Haran (the halfway point between Ur and his destination of Canaan—did Abraham have second thoughts? Perhaps. He would not be the first person to do so.). However, and this is very important, Hebrews 11 overlooks this weakness. Many preachers talk about this weakness but not so with Hebrews 11. Is there a lesson here? Yes. Perhaps we should overlook some of the lapses of faith in our own brothers, also, as well as in us!
KEY: The walk of faith is never done perfectly by any of us nor is it done in a straight line. But it is nevertheless done by so many…indeed, it is the only walk many of us know. And that means it is also achievable for everyone reading this article. Can you say, “Amen”?
Mar 11, 2022 – “The telephone pole was approaching fast. I attempted to swerve out of its path when it struck my front end.” “I pulled away at the side of the road, glanced at my mother-in-law, and headed over the embankment.” “The guy was all over the road and I had to swerve a number of times before hitting him.” “I was coming home, pulled into the wrong driveway, and hit a tree I did not have.” “The indirect cause of this accident was a little guy in a small car with a big mouth!”
The police hear all kinds of excuses. Interestingly, so does God. It is so bad in the Christian ministry that we used to sing: “Excuses, excuses, we hear them every day! Oh, the devil will supply them if from church you stay away. When people come to know the Lord the devil always loses, so to keep those folks away from church he offers them excuses!”
Just wondering: What does it take to stop you? Let’s be honest: Life is not easy nor is ministry easy either. It is often easier to create an excuse for not ministering than to go forth and minister. “It’s too cold to minister…” but not too cold to go to work. “Don’t have the time…” but have the time for everything else. Many times the excuse isn’t really much of an excuse…and, yes, we hear them every day! Oh, the devil does indeed supply them! However, as a pastor in the worker recruiting business I sometimes wish the devil would be a little more creative and come up with some better excuses!
Today’s verse represents Jesus’ response to the “excuse people” of His day. Some people volunteered to follow Jesus in what they expected to be an easy life that would accept a lackadaisical level of commitment to the ministry. Jesus, though, disappointed them with a call which required a high commitment. Then the excuses began. As best I know, not one of the “volunteers” stayed beyond the first day.
I thank God every day for those who put their hand to the plow and keep looking ahead, moving forward for Christ. THEY ARE THE MOST REMARKABLE PEOPLE I KNOW…the most encouraging people I have ever met in any area of life. Most of them don’t get paid for their effort in dollars. Many never hear anyone say, “Thank you.” They fight through their personal struggles at home, work and in their own heart and they “keep on keeping on” week after week, month after month and year after year. They are truly remarkable.
These people are different than others. They have a sparkle in their eyes, a joy which Peter describes as joy unspeakable or inexpressible, a hope which can never be quenched, faith that keeps them from veering off the road when tough times come, strength of character that says no to temptation, an optimistic spirit that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” a conviction that God is able to use their effort to build His kingdom. They could offer excuses, too, but they don’t. They simply cannot be stopped. Amazing.
They are very special to their pastor, but most of all to the God whom they serve.
I pray you are in that special category. If not, you can be. I repeat, YOU CAN BE.
Mar 10, 2022 – The Grail Knight said to Indiana Jones, “You have chosen….wisely.” But regarding the Nazi fanatic and his awful demise, the Knight said, “He chose poorly.”
“Which would you rather do?” The question is asked many times a day. We choose food to eat and not to eat, what to buy and not to buy, where to go and where not to go, how to get there and how not to get there, etc. Some decisions are big whereas others are so small we hardly give them a thought. Sadly, many people go through life as if on automatic pilot…lacking the will to sit down and carefully evaluate a course of action, especially one with serious, long lasting consequences.
Today’s verse is the result of a careful evaluation on the part of King David. It is not uttered on a whim but after careful deliberation about something very important: What do I want to do with my life? David voices his heart’s desire (not a parent’s desire, spouse’s desire or boss’ desire) in saying, “If necessary, I, the sovereign king of Israel, would rather step down from my throne and serve as a doorkeeper (someone with little recognition) in the house of God’s presence than dwell among those, even the important somebodies, who do not know God.” That is his life-choice.
Wilson’s Old Testament Word Studies (a Hebrew dictionary) defines David’s goal (“doorkeeper”) as one of “standing or waiting at the threshold.” David could have framed his life choices in multiple ways but he chooses to see life with these two limited choices: be a threshold man seeking God or living in the tents with the wicked. To David the answer is a no-brainer. “Give me God! I want to pursue Him! To be in His presence (His courts) for just one brief 24-hour day is worth more to me than 1,000 days ANYWHERE ELSE. The wicked have much to offer but their offer is paltry compared to knowing God.” This is why David begins the Psalm by writing, “How lovely is Your dwelling place, Lord of Hosts. I LONG and YEARN for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh CRY OUT for the living God…How happy are those who reside in Your house, who praise You continually.”
Recently I was reading through my father’s spiritual journal at his home church. Dad maintained a careful record of what happened in each service…who prayed, the songs, any music specials, the speaker and the speaker’s subject. Though unwritten one item appeared on every page in this more than 200 page book: his love to be in God’s presence with God’s people in God’s Spirit accomplishing God’s work. It totally consumed him…and, no, he was not a pastor during those years. He was just like most of my readers. He loved it with all of his heart because he loved HIM who gave Himself for all of us. It was incredible reading about his passion because it was so much like David’s.
“You have chosen…wisely.” “He chose poorly.”
It was David’s choice to make. It is also your choice to make.
Mar 9-10, 2022 – John Mark failed…failed miserably as Paul’s companion on his first missionary journey (Acts 15:38). Mark may have missed his momma’s home cooking, his friends and the comfort of home. So he walked away from Paul and went home. But Mark eventually grew up spiritually…developed some tenacity…dealt with his failure and pushed on. In his later years he not only became “profitable to assist Paul in the ministry” but God inspired him—someone who refused to remain a failure—to write the gospel bearing his name. Yes, the same John Mark that abandoned Paul later wrote the Gospel of Mark.
Mark’s example is so important because he’s not alone in failing, is he?
One leadership consultant (the name is missing from my report but I believe it is John Maxwell) labels failures in one of two categories: Failing Backward or Failing Forward. Mark “failed forward.” Which direction do you fail? Let’s examine the characteristics of each.
Failing Backward = Blaming others. Failing Forward = Taking responsibility.
Failing Backward = Repeating the same mistakes. Failing Forward = Learning from each mistake.
Failing Backward = Expecting never to fail again. Failing Forward = Knowing failure is a part of progress.
Failing Backward = Expecting to continually fail. Failing Forward = Maintaining a positive attitude.
Failing Backward = Accepting tradition blindly. Failing Forward = Challenging outdated assumptions.
Failing Backward = Being limited by past mistakes. Failing Forward = Taking new risks.
Failing Backward = Thinking I am a failure. Failing Forward = Believing something didn’t work.
Failing Backward = Quitting. Failing forward = Persevering.
HEAR YE!!! To all the John Mark’s in Christian ministry: Write these three words on your daily calendar and keep them where you can see them. “Always Fail Forward.” Learn it. Practice it. Obey it. And Teach it to your children and others.
Mar 8, 2022 – Someone collected a series of letters which little children wrote to God. This is what some of the letters said:
“Dear God, in Sunday School they told us what you do. Who does it when you are on vacation?”
“Dear God, we read Thomas Edison made light. But in Sunday School they said you did it. So I bet he stole your idea.”
“Dear God, I didn’t think orange went with purple until I saw the sunset you made on Tuesday.”
My favorite: “Dear God, my grandpa says you were around when he was a little boy. How far back do you go?”
Indeed, how far back does God go? Everything else has a beginning; therefore, shouldn’t God also have a beginning? But notice the Bible does not begin with “in the beginning God came into existence” but “in the beginning this is what God chose to do.” So if we are going to think about the beginning of God we have to think of God before Genesis 1:1.
So take a moment, open your Bible and read the verse which is BEFORE Genesis 1:1. Just wondering: Is that a problem? Yes. Why can’t you read that verse? It is because that verse isn’t there. Was never written. I repeat: The Bible does not begin with “in the beginning God came into existence” but “in the beginning this is what God chose to do.” God says, “Let Me show you My handiwork” and God proceeds to establish a definition for “masterpiece” that no human can ever match. (As for me I hope to watch a dvd of Genesis 1 in heaven. Want to join me?)
How do you get your arms around this concept so you can understand it? You can’t. Do you know why Israel went back to idols? One reason is because they could not comprehend the vastness of God so they put God in a form they could understand: an idol! Modern man does the same. A physicist recently said, “The pious say, ‘In the beginning God’ but I say, ‘In the beginning hydrogen.’”
The same problem exists for us: How do we answer the question about the existence and omnipotence of God? Where did God come from? How can God tell you the future as if it was history? Last Sunday I shared a message from Ezekiel 37-39 about the resurrection of the nation of Israel (“valley of dry bones”) and the resurrection of Russia (Magog in Ezekiel 38:2, Genesis 10:2). The demise of both have been written about for centuries by unbelieving skeptics but we are witnessing God’s Word being fulfilled in our own generation. Right on schedule, too.
The best response for the world’s questions as well as our own questions is to always accept God by FAITH. Hebrews 11:3 even says, “By faith we UNDERSTAND.” Those words are actually a contradiction (oxymoron) because we don’t really, really understand in a nuts and bolts type of explanation but we do understand as much as we need to understand…we acknowledge that whatever God says is true (even if we don’t understand it well enough to explain it), whatever God claims to have done is true and whatever God promises in the future is also true! Those promises may not happen in our generation but they will indeed happen!!!
So let faith answer your questions. To be honest, faith is all the understanding we need in the here and now.
Mar 7, 2022 – Leadership principles can be found in interesting places. Let’s sail with Noah and glean some pearls of wisdom from his ark experience! The article (probably compiled by many authors) is titled, “Everything I need to know, I learned from Noah’s Ark.” I urge you to carefully consider the wisdom because it applies to your Christian ministry, too.
One: Don’t miss the boat.
Two: Remember that we are all in the same boat.
Three: Plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.
Four: Stay fit. When you’re 60 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
Five: Don’t listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
Six: Build your future on high ground.
Seven: For safety’s sake, travel in pairs.
Eight: Speed isn’t always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
Nine: When you’re stressed, float a while.
Ten: Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
Eleven: No matter the storm, when you are with God there is always a rainbow waiting.
Which two principles are currently needed the most by you?
Happy sailing!
Mar 5-6, 2022 – The song describes our gracious Lord in these words, “He giveth and giveth and giveth again.” Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life and life more abundantly.”
Today’s text illustrates what God can do and actually does do in the lives of His children. Jesus is in the process of feeding the 5,000 men plus the women and children. J. Vernon McGee estimates the total crowd to be in excess of 15,000. That is logical because if you had 5,000 men attend a church service the total attendance would be much, much greater than merely 5,000.
It is nigh impossible for an English translation to truly convey the beauty of what occurred in the hands of Jesus. But may I try? The next paragraph may be difficult but the second paragraph will be to everyone’s liking.
Paragraph #1 (technical explanation) – Greek scholar Marvin Vincent explains regarding “broke” and “gave”, “The verbs are in different tenses; the former in the aorist, the latter in the imperfect. The aorist implies the instantaneous, the imperfect the continuous act. Farrar remarks that the multiplication evidently took place in Christ’s hands, between the acts of breaking and giving.”
Paragraph #2 (practical explanation) – “And having taken the five loaves and the two fish, having looked up to heaven, He invoked a blessing, and broke (aorist tense – it was done once) the loaves, and kept on giving (imperfect tense – He took what He had broken and it just replenished itself in His hands or in the basket) to the disciples in order that they might continue setting them beside them, and the two fish He divided to all. And all ate and were filled.”
He KEPT ON giving. How long did He give? As long as the need lasted!
What was the result? “All were filled or satisfied” and yet there was still more! Talk about leftovers: twelve baskets of bread and fish!
Oh, thank God that He giveth and giveth and giveth and giveth and giveth…
Bottom line: God is always more than enough for every day of our life. Treasure Him on this day!
Mar 3-4, 2022 – Evangelist B. R. Lakin often said, “I have the privilege, the joy of traveling all over America bragging about Jesus! What better job can a person have?” I can almost sense David doing the same thing in this psalm: bragging about the God he knows, the God he worships with all of his heart and soul. It is similar to us bragging about our children and showing off their pictures on our phone. Or someone showing off a house or a trophy or a new car! There is great joy in having something special worth bragging about.
David is absolutely consumed, his bragging cup is running over with the awesomeness of his God. David has climbed to the highest point in the city and is proclaiming, “NO ONE LIKE HIM!”
Look closely at his words. “LORD” or more literally Jehovah (all of the letters in the English translation are capitalized—a way of identifying the Hebrew name as Jehovah) which is usually interpreted as meaning “I AM” or “The Self-Existent One,” needing no one or nothing to continue as He is. “Reigns” meaning no one reigns over Him, not any foreign power or even death. “Robed” introducing us to splendor. “Majesty” defining the splendor. The Aramaic translation says, “LORD JEHOVAH reigns and he wears Majesty!” Wears majesty like we wear a jacket or sweater. Wonder what majesty would be if it could be sold as clothing? Majesty obviously transcends clothing in this verse. The idea of pure glory as raiment leaves me in wonderment, how about you? Nor does David’s God have a normal belt either…it is pure strength.
Based upon the awesomeness of God, is it any wonder “the world is firmly established”? God has issued the decree that this world is established, firm, secure, yea, even unshakeable. Who else can fulfill a commitment like that?
Napoleon once said, “When I see an empty throne I feel the urge to sit on it.” That desire drives tyrants like Putin, Saddam Hussein, Hitler, Stalin and so many others to do unspeakable things in the name of power. But they are merely “pip squeaks” to the God I know. Just pip squeaks. I repeat: pip squeaks. That’s all. And they, along with all of us, need to be reminded of that.
Let us therefore sing, “Only a God like you Could be worthy of my praise And all my hope and faith; To only a King of all kings Do I bow my knee and sing, Give my everything! To only a God like You!”
Mar 2, 2022 – Do you ever find yourself in Mary’s shoes? In today’s text God has revealed something which only God can do: The virgin Mary will conceive a Son from the Holy Spirit. It had never been done before nor will it ever be done again. But it happened. Furthermore, Matthew 1:25 confirms Mary was still a virgin when she gave birth. I believe the entire story, how about you? But I can’t explain it, can you?
Today’s Christian is held to an impossible standard by the unbelieving world regarding the Bible’s authenticity. Unbelievers diligently search the Scriptures for any dubious passage, then ask, “Can you explain this? If not, the Scriptures are not to be believed.”
However, the world’s scholars do not abide by such a standard in their own evolutionary beliefs. Despite their best efforts, evolution can never be proven because the evidence is lacking. As we know, evolution, and its resulting derivative religions exalting man, is blatantly false.
How, though, should the Christian approach difficult Bible passages? God parted the Red Sea but how? Elijah went to heaven in a chariot of fire but how? God protected Shadrach in the furnace of fire but how? Jesus walked on water but how?
Here is a simple rule regarding Bible interpretation: Accept by faith what you don’t understand. There are passages, doctrines and miracles I cannot explain. Guess what? I am not alone. If you study enough you will find yourself in the same boat as the rest of us.
John R. Rice provides a reasonable and comforting response to the Bible’s skeptics. “Of course, there are problems about the Bible. This is not a little book about one subject. It has the most profound discussions of all the great themes the human mind could ever approach. It has much about God, eternity, the unseen world, about mysteries no man knows all about.
“We do not need to know all the answers to know that the Bible is true. The Scripture says, ‘Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God’ (Heb. 11:3). Note, we do not go without understanding. But our understanding goes with our faith! Our understanding and our faith work together.
“We CHOOSE to believe. Wicked scoffers do not choose to believe . . .’For this they willingly are ignorant of’ (2 Pet. 3:3-5).
“So if there are a thousand statements in the Scripture I do not understand, yet am I assured by faith it is all it claims to be, all it is proved to be in the past, proved to my heart and to the hearts of millions of others. I already have so much evidence, what does it matter if my limited understanding, my lack of experience, my inadequate scholarship leaves some things I cannot explain? My heart is so sure from a thousand proofs that I can trust God that He knows what I do not know.
“So, Christians are wise to take the counsel of a saint of God, to ‘believe your beliefs and doubt your doubts.’ What we do know makes us certain. What we do not know we take by faith.” (Our God-Breathed Book—The Bible, pp. 334-335) Amen and amen again!
(Excerpt from my book God Speaks—Today!)
Mar 1, 2022 – Do you ever struggle in understanding the Bible? Perhaps wonder how to interpret the Bible? One young preacher foolishly explained Hebrews 1:1 (“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets”) in this manner: “They were having a severe drought in those times. The sun had dried everything. It was sun-dry! And the poor divers didn’t have anywhere to dive. They were desperate times!” Such logic leaves one scratching his head.Let’s look at a few simple items that can help even the newest convert to learn Bible teachings.
First, don’t overthink. Many Christians sit around trying to think up something new when they should be dwelling on something old…and established. “There is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9) often applies to Bible study, particularly on the level of the average church member. It is my humble opinion if someone strays from what is generally considered orthodox teaching (as developed and aptly defended by greater minds than us) that he’s headed for trouble on other subjects, too…and is trying to thread a needle that does not need to be threaded. I urge you to stay in the middle of the road until you learn why the middle of the road exists. People may stray to the far right or far left but the middle of the road has held firm for centuries. The Christian belief system is a well established system. No new doctrine awaits discovery. It is much more a case of better developing those doctrines.
Second, compare translations. You may prefer a certain translation. That is fine. However, it may still leave you with questions. One simple solution is to see how other people have translated the passage. Biblehub.com provides an easy way to view twenty translations of any Bible verse. Sometimes we just need to see it another way.
Third, interpret as literally as possible. Remember: The Bible was written to be understood by the common people. Thus, how would a common person interpret a particular passage? The same way he interprets the newspaper or a company memo! The old rule prevails: “If the first sense makes good sense seek no other sense or you will end up with nonsense.” (Note: It will be quite obvious if a passage is to be interpreted symbolically.)
Fourth, interpret Scripture in its context. One Christian digressed from this principle when he said, “I already know what I believe. Don’t confuse me with anything else.” But the old adage cautions, “A text out of context is a pretext.” Context often limits the meaning of a particular Scripture to a specific setting, circumstance or audience. Read the entire context!
Fifth, compare Scripture with Scripture. The best interpreter of Scripture is the Holy Spirit; the next best interpreter is other Scripture. For example, how does the same Bible writer use this word or thought elsewhere? Second, how do the other Bible writers use this same word or thought? This type of study can be done easily with an English concordance (more advanced students may use a Hebrew or Greek concordance).
More further down the road! Happy reading (and interpreting)!
Feb 28, 2022 – “He who limps is still walking.” “It’s better to walk alone than walk with a crowd going in the wrong direction.” “One step at a time is good walking.” One comedian said, ““My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. She’s ninety-seven now, and we don’t know where she is!”
Given the importance of “walking” it should surprise no one to learn the word “walk” is used many times in the Bible. The biblical concept implies a LIFESTYLE, i.e. how we live day after day as a pattern of living. It does not speak of a one day occurrence but rather of a continuing occurrence. The word is used to describe the child of God in terms of faithful, persistent living. “Walk in newness of life…walk by faith and not by sight…walk in the Spirit…walk in love…”
What does it mean to walk with God? Let’s explore three items:
First, to walk with God implies reconciliation has occurred with God. Amos 3:3 asks, “Can two walk together except they be in agreement?” God never changes His mind; hence, it must be us who change our mind (repentance) and accept God’s opinion. This means our rebellion is gone (Romans 5:10). Peace has replaced the war caused by our differences.
Second, such a walk implies corresponding natures exist (2 Corinthians 6:14-16). Paul queries, “What does light have in common with darkness?” Nothing! Light cannot walk with darkness. We become “children of light” (Ephesians 5:8) at the moment of being born again into God’s kingdom of marvelous light. We can now walk with God because we have His presence indwelling us (Romans 8:9).
Third, walking with God implies the human will has been surrendered to God’s will. Interestingly, God does not force His company on anyone; rather, we must be willing to accept His company. Jesus describes walking with God as a yoke experience. He implores us to, “Take My yoke upon you.” Notice He does not take OUR yoke but calls us to surrender to His yoke. By so doing, He is given the right of way in our lives. He, being the stronger party, takes us, the weaker party, where He wishes to go. In effect, we’re along for the ride and we fulfill His purpose for our lives.
How can this be? Think of it in terms of Jesus continuing His ministry on the earth…through you! While you enjoy knowing and walking with Him, He, in turn, is directing you in paths that He can minister through you. Remember: Jesus’ ministry on earth did not cease when He returned to heaven. It continues today…through us…as we walk with Him!
Blessed Enoch walked faithfully…and in so doing God ministered through Enoch to others.
So walk as close as you can to God…someday in heaven you will walk even closer!
Feb 26-27, 2022. What do you talk about? Is it of world-changing significance or mostly personal significance? We spend much of our time discussing items that will have zero consequence to the world a hundred years from now…ten years from now or even ten minutes from now. But they are still important in our own individual world!!!
Charles Spurgeon says, “I knew a man who once prayed over a lost key.” Someone ridiculed the man for wasting God’s time as well as his own time because a key is such a small item. Spurgeon, though, reminded the critic that all of our requests are small to the God of heaven. Indeed, one of my church members recently lost her house key in the snow in her front yard. She prayed about the lost key and one of her children “magically happened” across the still-buried key. Thankfully, she did not have to wait for spring to find the key! Pardon me for asking, but I wonder if God chuckled with joy when the child exclaimed, “I found it!”
“Come and talk with me.” Such simple words. But full of meaning. “I am willing to listen. So come and talk. Talk about what is on your heart and I won’t change the subject. Tell me what you are thinking, how you are feeling, what problems you are facing. Just come and talk with me.” So says God in today’s verse.
Sometimes I run eagerly to God to talk with Him. How about you? At other times this man of flesh needs to be reminded of God’s invitation. I need to slow down as I am jogging down the sidewalk of life, see the One sitting on the bench near the sidewalk, and hear His invitation to, “Sit down for a spell. Come and talk with Me.”
We often have the idea that God wants to do all the talking but that is not so. God does indeed have a lot to say (just read the major prophets of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel) but God also has an ear to hear and He genuinely WANTS to hear what we have to say. He may disagree and then begin a “let’s reason together” segment to keep us from the wrong decision. Or He may open our eyes to a new opportunity or a solution not previously considered. Or He may just remind us of His blessings to us. Perhaps He will lift our burden and renew our strength and we will find ourselves ready for the next leg of our journey.
So picture God sitting near the sidewalk waiting today on you to jog by…God saying, “Come and talk with Me.” Could it hurt to accept His invitation? Of course not. Perhaps today would be a good day to say, “I think I will” and sit down for a spell with God. Just the two of you. Enjoy.
Note: The previous devotional “The Russian Bear Has Returned” includes a discussion of Ukraine and Russia’s role in future world history. It is available on this website as well as on the Today’s Motivation page at www.godsgreenhouse.net.
Feb 24-25, 2022 – Sadly, Russia has launched an invasion of Ukraine. As we know from centuries of human experience, no one knows for certain what will happen after the first shot is fired. But we do know Someone who knows all things including even when the LAST shot will be fired. Our faith is in Him.
I taught last evening about the foundational truth of the Christian faith: “he that comes to God must first believe that God is or exists” (Hebrews 11:6). This premise is the foundation for the entirety of the Christian faith. When the world caves in, when it seems as if all hope is gone, when nothing makes sense, God’s people may doubt, even fall away from many of their cherished beliefs but they will fall no further than the foundation…the foundation will hold them up and it will not fail…the foundation that I KNOW God exists and that means God is somehow in control even though I do not see it at the time. There is indeed a God, though sometimes hidden, that rules in the affairs of men, establishes the course of the universe, is on the throne today just as much as when your best day ever occurs.
We BELIEVE the Scriptures are the Word of God. Those Scriptures reveal principles that apply to the current invasion of Ukraine, the hardship caused, and where we as a world go from here. Allow me to share a few principles in this special edition from www.godsgreenhouse.net.
First, the Bible has always said Russia would resurrect and become a world threat. Mark Twain said, “The rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated.” Many people wrote off Russia as a world threat when it collapsed in the 1980’s. However, God and Bible students never wrote off Russia. We knew it would resurrect but did not know the timing. The future battle of Ezekiel 38-39 begins by identifying the attacking countries in 38:2 as Meshech and Tubal. There is evidence to identify those locations as modern-day Moscow and Tobolsk. Magog is likely a reference to the area north of the Black Sea (settled by Noah’s son Magog—see Genesis 10:2). Furthermore, 38:15 specifically states the attacking force will come “from the north parts.” Everything in that prophecy points to Russia…a resurrected Russia. Current day Russia may be the Russia of Ezekiel 38-39 or it may refer to a future Russia…but you can rest assured the Russian bear has or will return in fulfilment of prophecy.
Second, the battle described in Ezekiel 38-39 deserves your reading. It is rarely discussed in a sermon. One reason for that absence is no one is 100% certain about when this battle occurs. Quite honestly, there are problems with any view regarding its timing with one exception: It is clear that history bears no record of such a conflict having been previously fought. This Bible believer is convinced ALL Bible prophecy will be fulfilled. But when? Someone called four days ago to discuss this battle and quoted from an author about why the battle HAS to occur at a certain time. I pointed out questions the author has not adequately answered. The current conflict is NOT the battle of Ezekiel 38-39 because it is directed against Ukraine, not Israel. However, it testifies of the Russian resurrection and of its future invasion to annihilate Israel. Do we see a similar attitude in Putin?
Third, demonic power is usually at work in these conflicts (think of Hitler). In my opinion this invasion makes zero sense. This imperfect world could function as is for quite some time to come. Worldwide prosperity is at an all-time high. Life is good for most people as well as even Russia which is enjoying high commodity prices for its products. Why upset a good thing for so many people? It makes zero sense…and, indeed, in a world of nuclear weapons and soon-to-be out-of-this-world space development, why does Putin think holding Ukraine makes Russia safe? The logic eludes me. But perhaps this scriptures sheds light on my bewilderment: “The spirits of demons go forth unto the kings of the earth to gather them to battle” (Revelation 16:14). Demonic thinking is rarely rational thinking (Mark 5:2-5). So don’t expect the current conflict to make sense either. And that means we don’t know if this battle gets out of control.
Fourth, though hard to accept, God draws nations into these conflicts in fulfillment of His overall plan. Ezekiel 38:4 illustrates how God manipulates human history with God’s own words: “I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws, and bring you out with all your army, including horses and riders, who are all splendidly dressed, a huge assembly armed with large and small shields, all of them brandishing swords.” “Turn you…put hooks…bring you.” World leaders yearn for power. In some ways that quality is what makes them leaders. Ezekiel 38:11-12 mentions Moscow and its allies setting sights upon an easy prey…little risk to achieving great gain…like the carrot in the rabbit trap. God even describes Moscow’s attitude with these words, “you shall think an EVIL thought” (Ezekiel 38:10). Like Eve they looked and SAW! (Note: The Ezekiel battle results in the destruction of the Russian army.) The world does not make sense from my perspective, but it does make sense from God’s perspective.
Fifth, this battle is NOT the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 19). That battle is the culmination of the events described in Revelation 6-18. Those events will occur over a period of seven years. We are a long way from that scenario.
Be sure to pray for the Ukrainian AND Russian people. While you’re praying, also pray, “Thy Kingdom come.” Only then will the Prince of Peace bring true peace throughout ALL the world.
Feb 24, 2022 – Who does God use? One of the most important obstacles to a better ministry is our belief that God can truly use someone like us. After all, we know our limitations. And we have plenty of limitations. We look at the size of the assignment and we shudder. “Me? Surely there is a mistake. God means so-and-so with his great abilities, not me with my weaknesses.”
So let’s establish God’s method of operation: God often chooses the humblest human instruments to accomplish the greatest tasks. The Gray and Adams Commentary says, “All history teaches this truth. Moses was the son of a poor Levite; Gideon was a thresher; David was a mere shepherd boy; Amos was a herdsman; the apostles were obscure and unlearned.”
So it was in the Bible and so it is to this very day. Missionary William Carey was a mere shoemaker. No big deal. But he became a big deal when he translated the Bible into Hindu. Robert Morrison? You probably don’t know the name. He was a factory worker. But with God’s help Morrison developed the first Chinese Bible. Adam Clark, the son of a farmer, wrote one of the most significant Bible commentaries of his era. The man who preached the revival in which I was saved? In his early days he wriggled back into a hill…into a coal seam…rubbing the hill on all four sides…without any of the modern protections afforded the United Mine Workers.
What about Amos in today’s verse? His father is not even mentioned so evidently his family line is humble and of little importance in his day. Amos himself was a shepherd which, in itself, was a common but uninspiring role for his day. Amos states in 7:14 that he also took care of sycamore figs. Both roles indicate his background was agricultural, not business or political or technological. Was this an advantage? Unger wisely states, “His work gave him opportunity for communion with God and for meditating upon God’s Word and its meaning for wayward Israel.” Interesting words suggesting God laid a good foundation for Amos’ ministry.
Who can God use? How about you? Just report for duty and see what happens during the rest of your life.
Feb 23, 2022 – This pastor recently taught about the contrasts between Lot and Daniel. Interestingly, both men occupied a societal position called “sitting in the gate.” That unique expression indicates they possessed a powerful, executive position, perhaps a political position, which greatly influenced others. Lot became one of the worst examples of all time whereas Daniel became a resolute, purposeful person who set a very high standard for all.
That study caused me to reflect on what kind of example I have set for others, especially my children. I did a self-evaluation. If my children followed MY example, they
- Would be in every church service. Would that hurt them?
- Would be close friends with Jesus. Would that hurt them?
- Would be faithful to their spouse and marriage vows. Would that hurt them?
- Would live for God’s kingdom and seek first the kingdom of God. Would that hurt them?
- Would tithe their income to the Lord. Would that hurt them?
- Will not curse or use God’s name in vain. Would that hurt them?
- Won’t gamble or become a gambling addict. Would that hurt them?
- Won’t do drugs or drink alcohol or smoke. Would that hurt them?
- Will be honest. Would that hurt them?
- Will be the friend of the poor and a friend of sinners. Would that hurt them?
Perhaps today would be a good day to write down what you are trying to establish with your own life. Remember: People are watching. Write it out, think it through, revise as required, then pray God helps you to hit the target.
Feb 22, 2022 – Today’s verse is critical to an effective prayer ministry. The Apostle Paul instructs us to pray not merely in a ritual, not merely in emotions, but to pray IN the Holy Spirit. Are you a believer in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? If the answer is yes, you have the opportunity to pray IN the Holy Spirit.
Why? Because you already have God the Holy Spirit living in your heart. The Apostle Paul says, “Don’t you know your body is the temple – the spiritual temple – of the Holy Spirit who is IN YOU, whom you have received from God and you are no longer your own?” This means your body is now sacred—it is God’s temple because God the Holy Spirit lives in you. That’s why you can pray in the Holy Spirit. Not pray merely in your flesh or some ritual or some emotion but pray in direct and close communion with God Himself.
Let me show you how it works. In the days before cell phones, we might need to borrow someone’s telephone. Perhaps we experienced car trouble away from home and needed to call a tow truck. We would knock on a stranger’s door and request to use their telephone.
The kind owner would say, “You may use our telephone. It is in the living room.” The visitor could go into the kitchen, but he would not be close to the telephone. He could go to the bathroom, bedroom, or study, but he would not be able to make the telephone call. He could only access the telephone if he entered the living room.
The same is true for prayer. We cannot use the telephone called prayer to call our heavenly Father unless we are in the room where the telephone is located. God’s Word makes it plain that a person must pray in the Holy Spirit. That type of praying is the opposite of praying in the other room identified as the “flesh.”
“Praying in the Spirit” means we can’t bring our sin into His presence unless we are confessing our sin and abandoning our sin. After all, He is called the HOLY Spirit for a reason. Nor can we pray “our will be done” in His presence. That would be the equivalent of praying on the front porch (in our flesh). We must instead approach Him with pure hands, openness, willingness, sincerity and honesty.
Lehman Strauss asks, “But what does it mean to pray in the Holy Spirit? The superhuman task of praying according to the will of God demands more than mere human reasoning. It needs the wisdom and power which only the Holy Spirit can supply. Human wisdom and human desires can achieve human results, but praying in the Spirit produces divine results. In praying in the Holy Spirit, the child of God has the power and wisdom of God to offset the power and wisdom of the world, the flesh, and the devil.” (Sense and Nonsense about Prayer, pg. 31)
Praying in the Spirit means we are praying under His influence. In so doing our prayer becomes His prayer and His prayer becomes our prayer. The two wills become merged and become one. Then and only then does real praying begin. You reach a stage where you are not only praying IN the Holy Spirit but you are also praying BY MEANS of the Holy Spirit or in total dependance upon Him.
God help us to pray in the Holy Spirit!
Feb. 21, 2022 – Some years ago a group of businessmen were running to catch a train. One was a Christian while the others were not. All of them were rushing to catch the same train.
A little boy was selling chewing gum and candy. He had a box in his hand which contained a few coins. One of these men bumped the boy and knocked him down. The box went one way and the boy another way. The candy, chewing gum and coins flew everywhere. The man ran on, hastening to catch the train.
The Christian businessman stopped to help. He picked up the boy, pulled a clean handkerchief and wiped away a few tears. He then got down on his knees, picked up the chewing gum and candy, put the coins back in the box, pulled out a five dollar bill and laid it in the box.
He said, “I’m sorry, son, that somebody knocked you down.”
The little boy looked up and asked, “Sir, are you Jesus?”
The businessman answered, “No, but I am sure trying to be like Him.”
Maybe today you’ll happen across someone like that boy. Do your best to be like Jesus to that person. You may be the best thing that happens to them today.
Feb 18-20, 2022 – The power of the Bible to challenge a person’s beliefs is incredible and is a bedrock principle underlying a successful ministry. God’s minister should never depend upon his own eloquence, ingenuity or skill but instead upon the Bible itself…a book which breaths the very breath of Almighty God.
Martin Luther’s transformation from unbelief to faith is astonishing to read. This Roman Catholic monk was challenged by one single verse in the Bible…not the entire Bible but one solitary verse…and that one verse brought him from belief in the Roman Catholic system to belief in a Person—in the Savior, Jesus Christ, and Him alone. Thus, began the Reformation of which all of us have received some benefit.
Here is his story. (Note for clarity: Luther’s Bible translation says, “The justice of God” rather than the “righteousness of God.”)
“I greatly longed to understand Paul’s Epistle to the Romans and nothing stood in the way but that one expression ‘the justice of God,’ because I took it to mean that justice whereby God is just and deals justly in punishing the unjust. My situation was that, although an impeccable monk, I stood before God as a sinner troubled in conscience, and I had no confidence that my merit would assuage him.
“Therefore I did not love a just and angry God, but rather hated and murmured against him. Yet I clung to the dear Paul and had a great yearning to know what he meant.
“Night and day I pondered until I saw the connection between the justice of God and the statement that ‘the just shall live by his faith.’ Then I grasped that the justice of God is that righteousness by which through grace and sheer mercy God justifies us through faith. Thereupon I felt myself to be reborn and to have gone through open doors into paradise.”
This story is another example of why our ministry must be saturated with the Word of God and must be dependent upon the Word of God. We dare not substitute anything for God’s Word.
After all, one verse started the Protestant Reformation. One verse can do the same with us as well as everyone we meet.
Feb 16, 2022 – One morning a railroad conductor began taking tickets and discovered that the first passenger had the wrong ticket. The conductor said, “I am sorry, sir, but you are on the wrong train. You will have to change trains at the next station.” The man argued with the conductor, but the conductor finally won the argument.
The conductor moved to the next passenger and discovered that this passenger was also on the wrong train. So it was with the third passenger and the fourth passenger and the fifth passenger.
It seemed strange that so many people could have made the very same mistake. Then the truth finally came out: Guess who was on the wrong train? The conductor was on the wrong train.
Eliphaz said to Job, “My experience shows that those who plant trouble and cultivate evil will harvest the same” (Job 4:8). It doesn’t matter what we think…it’s the way it is.
Hosea tells us, “The wicked sow the wind and then reap the whirlwind, but those who sow righteousness reap the fruit of unfailing love” (Hosea 8:7, 10:12). It doesn’t matter what we think…it’s the way it is.
The train conductor THOUGHT he was right. That did not MAKE him right. Only the Bible can MAKE us right. Only the Holy Scriptures can instill confidence that we are on the right path.
As for me, I’d rather BE right and KNOW I am right than rely upon my intuition. How about you?
Feb 14-15, 2022 – A visitor approached the pastor after worship and said, “I’d like you to pray for my hearing.” The pastor placed his hands on the man’s ears and prayed the most passionate prayer you’ve ever heard.
The pastor then asked, “How’s your hearing now?”
With a confused look the visitor answered, “Well, it’s scheduled for tomorrow.” Oh, my!
When was the last time you heard from God? The longer it is, the more it will show in your ministry. A vibrant ministry is more the result of time spent in fellowship with Him than time spent in church or even studying about Him. It was often said to us during our Bible college days, “The easiest place to backslide is in a Christian school.” Why? It is because the pursuit of knowledge often becomes a substitute for seeking Him. Studying for a class or to teach a Sunday School class becomes a substitute for personal time with Him.
Notice that today’s verse does not emphasize the mind (although the mind is important). It emphasizes hearing in the sense of genuinely listening, grasping what we hear and even applying it to our souls. That is not as easy as it sounds…that’s why it’s so hard to do. Such an activity will require setting aside time (quality time) to listen. It will also require a determination to listen…to truly hear. And it will require a belief that the speaker is worth hearing. Put all of those together and you have the components of actually having a conversation with God wherein He can impress you with His will, draw you into His power for living and service, and extend to you His peace and comfort.
Again, when was the last time you heard from God? Most importantly, how long will that answer remain your answer?
(Note: This subject is discussed at length in the new book “God Speaks–Today!” It is available at any on-line retailer. See the Books page on this website for further info!)
Feb 12-13, 2022 – What do you believe? Do you really, really believe it? Is it evident you believe it?
The London Daily Mail provided this assessment of Billy Graham during one of his first campaigns in England. “He has no magnetism; he has no appeal to the emotions. His power—and power he has—is the indivisible conviction that he KNOWS the right way of life.”
The power of an idea is incredible. Victor Hugo concludes, “There is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world, and that is an idea whose time has come.“ Oliver Wendell Holmes asserts, “One’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.” Last, perhaps most germane to today’s discussion, are these words from Thomas Mann: “If you are possessed by an idea, you find it expressed everywhere, you even smell it.”
The Christian acknowledges a similar power throughout his Christian life. He began life walking in spiritual darkness or spiritual ignorance. Then the light of the gospel shone upon him. He saw or realized truths (similar to ideas) for the first time. He accepted those truths by accepting Christ as his Savior. And life changed. (That’s why the Bible refers to the change as a new creation.) To paraphrase Mann: “If you are possessed by Christ you find Him expressed everywhere, you even smell Him.”
Christ, and by association the ministry He commits to us, absorbs us. It reminds me of the atheist that went to church once a week. When asked why, he said, “I like to hear the pastor preach.”
“But why? You don’t agree with anything he says.”
“That is true, but I like to hear someone talk about something he truly believes!”
Think again about what the newspaper said of a young Billy Graham. “He has no magnetism; he has no appeal to the emotions. His power—and power he has—is the indivisible conviction that he KNOWS the right way of life.”
You and I are blessed with more than an idea. We are blessed with KNOWING, BELIEVING, and UNDERSTANDING firsthand a person (Christ), His message (Bible), and His mission. And it transforms us in ways others can never know unless they come to the same knowledge.
Yes, I believe. That’s why they call me a believer. How about you?
Feb 11, 2022 – Sometimes we lose sight or appreciation of the absolute supremacy of our Lord Jesus Christ…and why we can trust Him with absolutely everything including our own soul. I often need to be reminded that, yes, even the winds and the sea, the universe itself obeys Him. Death nor the grave nor all the demons of hell could defeat Him. Indeed, the Bible contends that, “By Him all things consist or are held together” (Colossians 1:17).
I was blessed to hear the eloquent black preacher S. M. Lockridge in the late 1970’s at Tennessee Temple. He described Christ’s absolute Lordship like this:
“He precedes all others. He is Captain of the conquerors, Leader of the legislators, Hero of the heroes, King of princes and Lord of Lords.
“He didn’t have to put His signature at the corner of a sunrise because He’s the owner.
“He didn’t have to put His name on a laundry tag for the meadows…or carve His initials on the mountains or take out a copywrite on the songs He gave the birds to sing.
“Some say He is dead. Well, who assassinated Him? What coroner was called? Who was so well acquainted with Him that He could identify the deceased? Why was I not called since I am a member of the family?” Ah, He lives! And the most wondrous part of all is He lives within my heart!
Sometimes we just need to be reminded of how great Jesus really is. May these words refresh your memory (and your faith) today.
Feb 10, 2022 – The little boy felt threatened by the bully and said, “My dad can beat your dad!” “No, he can’t.” “Yes, He can!”
The little boy complex is similar to the big adult complex. Life is too big for us at times. We need someone bigger than life. Actually we ALWAYS need someone bigger than life. David writes, “Others expect their help to come from idols made by their own hands like Baal. Some call upon the stars, others upon the animals. But as for me, I know from where my help originates. It originates with Him who made heaven and earth. No one is bigger than Him. He is even bigger than life itself. So I will trust in Him.”
“God is not weak, as some declare: He rules and reigns on High.
He cannot be discouraged, and, He cannot faint or die.
His sovereign hand cannot be stayed, Nor can His purpose fail;
He does His will in heav’n and earth, In every hill and dale.
His majesty is glorified In all created things,
And praise is rendered to His name Each time a sparrow sings.
If tongues of men and angels ceased, The stones would shout their praise:
If birds should hush their tuneful strains The stars would anthems raise!
There is no place in earth of heav’n The voice of praise is mute;
It reaches to the farthest shore, And issues from the brute.
No Gadarene was e’re so wild Grace could not change his mind;
No Saul of Tarsus so enraged God could not strike him blind.
He is the same from day to day; His years can never fail:
He is not weak, as some contend, His pow’r shall e’re prevail.
Elder Ralph E. Harris
Feb 9, 2022 – “The best sermon is not preached…but lived.” All of us know that statement to be true. Many of us have heard thousands of sermons. How many sermons, though, do we actually remember? Sadly, most sermons are quickly forgotten. But we do remember the men that preached those sermons, and, most importantly, we remember their character…what they stood for…how committed they were…something they deeply and truly believed.
To be honest, they were preaching before they ever walked to the pulpit. And they were still preaching long after they walked out of the pulpit. Do you agree?
You are no different than them. WHO YOU ARE will always speak louder than words. We call it credibility. We are credible because we have tried the product and the product worked on us. We’re not like the salesman that was pushing a new writing instrument called “fountain pens,” convinced the general store owner to buy a box then proceeded to write down the order with a pencil. The purchaser immediately cancelled the order! No, we are personally committed to the product because we know it is a superior product to anything this world produces.
That is the basis for the Apostle Paul’s statement to the young believers Timothy and Titus. Paul tells Timothy to “set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).
Paul tells Titus, “Make yourself an example of good works with integrity and dignity in your teaching. Your message is to be sound beyond reproach, so that any opponent will be ashamed, because he doesn’t have anything bad to say about us. ”
One of Paul’s favorite sayings was, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.” He says it three times (1 Corinthians 11:1, Philippians 3:17, 2 Thessalonians 3:7). In so doing, Paul stresses more than how to preach; he stresses how to live.
So which sermon will your LIFE preach today?
Feb 8, 2021 – The evangelist Gypsy Smith (1860-1947) was known both far and wide on both sides of the Atlantic for his powerful preaching. He was known as “Gypsy” because he was born in a gypsy tent. He received minimal education. But he accepted Christ at a young age and began preaching the gospel at the age of seventeen. He kept at it year after year and died on the ocean while traveling to America to preach some more. He died at age eighty-seven. Never stopped. Never quit. Just stayed at it year after year. Someone asked him how he stayed so fresh, so compelling despite his age. Gypsy Smith provided this remarkable answer: “I HAVE NEVER LOST THE WONDER!”
George Beverly Shea taught us to sing, “There’s the wonder of sunset at evening, The wonder as sunrise I see; But the wonder of wonders that thrills my soul Is the wonder that God loves me. O, the wonder of it all! The wonder of it all! Just to think that God loves me.”
The Apostle John wrote today’s verse when he was around ninety years of age. Jesus had gone to heaven sixty years earlier. Much time had passed but one thing had never passed: the wonder of his time in the presence of Jesus. You can sense his “wonderment” as he writes, “even the world itself cannot contain the books that should be written about Jesus.”
John also records an incident (John 7:46) about a time when the temple police were sent to arrest Jesus. The police made a horrible mistake: They listened to Jesus before carrying out their orders. They listened…and listened and listened and then returned empty-handed with this explanation, “No man ever spoke like this man!”
Gypsy Smith, George Beverly Shea and the Apostle John express the same attitude: “We never lost the wonder.”
I promise: you, too, will never lose the wonder if you spend time in the Word with Jesus. He really is bigger than life. In so doing, your ministry will remain vibrant…fresh…appealing.
Feb 5-6, 2022 – Who motivates you? Is it a relative? Is it a teacher? An athlete? Businessman? Christian?
All of us need motivation. And motivation often comes from outside us…from motivators. Of course, our motivators are people we respect for being extraordinary in some area of life. They are people who set a standard so high that we must stretch to reach that standard.
Napoleon said to his soldiers before the Battle of the Pyramids in the Middle East, “Soldiers, from yonder pyramids 40 centuries are watching you to see that you do your duty.” Did he mean the dead were literally watching his men? No. But he did mean their standard must be upheld. Napoleon was saying, “Can you attain their standards? Will they watch you in battle and say, ‘Well done! Great job! You have done your duty!”
It is similar to today’s commander saying, “Arlington Cemetery is watching to see if you do your duty!”
Some people are afraid to go to a grave because they know they have fallen short of what the dead wanted them to achieve. The grave is a reminder of failure to meet a desired standard.
Personally I do not care about the people in the Pyramids but I do care about the standards set by God’s saints before me. Those standards are established in the verses prior to the “therefore” in today’s verse. Never forget: Anytime you see the word “therefore,” stop and see what it is “there for.” In this case, it refers back to the saints of Hebrews 11…people like Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Moses…people who set a very high standard for me as well as for you.
The saints in Hebrews 11 bear “witness” of the desired standard. We get our English word “martyr” from the Greek word translated “witness.” The term does not refer to mere spectators but to personally involved people. They bear witness by their experiences that God brings His people through life to attain the desired standard.
Can I stand with them? Or will they be disappointed in me? What about my Sunday School teachers? My pastors? Will they be disappointed in me?
There will come a day, perhaps soon, when you will need to reach deep for motivation. Look then at Hebrews 12:1. Look at the standard set by those witnesses. And remember God enabled them to rise to such a standard. God can and will do the same for you.
Feb 3, 2022 – Dealing with children evangelistically is very challenging! We do not wish to mislead a child into believing he is a believer when, in reality, he may simply be agreeing with us as we share the gospel.
Let these words encourage you from the old-time Methodist preacher John R. Church. “I was definitely converted in an old-fashioned Methodist revival when I was about nine years of age. My conversion was very clear and unmistakable. I have never had any doubt about my conversion. Some people say that children do not know what they are doing at that age, but I want to testify that I knew what I was doing, and I feel certain that my sins were forgiven and that I became a child of God at that time.”
Lydia Boekell, long-time staff member of Child Evangelism Fellowship, testifies, “I was saved at the age of three. I was in my bedroom and mom was putting me to bed. I knew I was a sinner and I would not go to heaven if I died unless I accepted Jesus as my Savior. So that night I asked Jesus to be my Savior. I was not baptized until I was age eleven. The night before I was baptized the thought went through my mind that if I really was not saved, I needed to make sure I was saved before baptism. So that night I prayed and told the Lord that if I really did not mean it when I was three, I meant it then. But I know now that I was saved at the age of three. I believe Satan was trying to make me doubt my salvation.”
Thank God, a person, even a child, can KNOW he has more than religion! He can know that He has Christ! “Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life” (John 5:24).
Dealing with children is, in most ways, no different than dealing with an adult. The Holy Spirit does the most important teaching of making the sinner aware of his sin, future judgment for that sin, and the solution for his sin: the death of Jesus Christ as payment for all sin. If a person CANNOT comprehend those three facts he cannot be saved REGARDLESS of his age. Indeed, if he cannot accept items one and two, there is no reason in his mind for him to trust in a Savior. Therefore, what does the sinner (including the child) know and accept as fact?
I always suggest asking open ended questions rather than questions requiring a mere “yes” or “no” answer. Let the seeker explain what they know. For example, “What is sin? Have you sinned? What is the penalty for sin? Who is Jesus? Why did Jesus die? What happened to Jesus after He died? What can you do to save yourself from hell?”
James D. Price draws our attention to the opening words in the Great Commission. “The significant word in Mathew 28:19 is the Greek word ‘matheteusate’ which means ‘make a disciple’ or ‘teach.’ The KJV translated the word as ‘teach’ two times (Matt. 28:19; Acts 14:21), as ‘instruct’ once (Matt. 13:52), and as ‘be a disciple’ once (Matt. 27:57). The concept of ‘make disciples’ infers ‘teach to the point of discipleship’ where the person comes to personal faith in Jesus and is ready for baptism.”
Thus, does the person know enough to exercise faith in the Savior? Some do in our first discussion while others do not. In the latter case we need to “teach to the point of discipleship.” Such teaching takes time and must be targeted to their need. (Missionaries follow this process in foreign cultures. Our culture is becoming more foreign all the time.)
Last, we have always relied upon God’s providence to handle any mistakes we make. For example, if we erroneously tell a child he is forgiven it is likely God will continue His work in the child’s life and at some future time bring that awareness to the more mature person. Every minister has baptized adults that made a profession of faith as a child but later determined the profession was lacking. In time God brought those people to such an awareness, they established their personal faith in Christ as Savior, and in most cases they became strong Christians.
God bless you with wisdom to “instruct to the point of belief.”
Feb 2, 2022 – Is a child better off being raised with hard but right standards or no standards at all? Is a business better off having an employee policy book or no policies at all? Am I as a believer better off being “in a yoke” (Matthew 11:29) or being on my own?
King David’s words may stun us once we understand what he is actually saying. David says, “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.” The term “law” refers to the Mosaic Law or the law given to Moses on Mount Sinai. It consumes the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy. Have you ever read the complete law—all 613 regulations (commandments)? Hopefully, the answer is yes. Do you find its rules regarding worship, healthcare, separation, marriage, divorce, diet, sacrifices, clothing, farming, and commerce easy to follow? Not me. On the contrary, it comes across to most modern day people as harsh and demanding.
We New Testament believers might change the verse to read, “Oh how I dread your law but love your grace!” because New Testament grace is much more friendly than Old Testament law. Even the saintly C. S. Lewis questions how one could rejoice in the Mosaic Law. But Lewis rightly concludes, “Their delight in the law is a delight in having touched firmness; like the pedestrian delights in feeling the hard road beneath his feet after a false shortcut had entangled him in muddy fields.”
We must remember the Mosaic Law represented a choice between Law and nothing. God did not provide a multiple choice solution for Israel. He stated, “The Law is My solution. Take it or leave it.”
Here is the key to how we must think: The Mosaic Law was a gigantic leap forward for any civilization yet to exist because the Law represented Truth—absolute truth. It contained certainty not only about God’s identity but also about God’s demands. To use Lewis’ language, without the Law Israel joins the other nations in muddy fields but with the Law Israel stands alone on a hard, paved, mud-free road.
What does this mean to us? Two critically important principles! First, everything outside of God’s truth is a muddy field. Visualize that thought in your mind. Second, it means your ministry (based on grace, but supported by the law) provides a paved, mud-free road to the people around you. This road called God’s Truth is stable, firm, unchanging, solid, life transforming and eternal. That is why you must keep God’s Truth front and center in all that you do. Without you the world will never know how to escape the muddy field.
Feb 1, 2022 – Where do you turn when doubts arise? To whom? Today’s words may be worth keeping for when you go through your deepest valley.
Bible expositor G. Campbell Morgan of England was a young man when he read authors such as Darwin and Huxley along with other progressive writers. It was not long until he began to question his beliefs. It resulted in Campbell’s so-called three ambivalent years. During this time he read many books both for and against belief in the Bible and what it teaches.
His daughter-in-law and biographer Jill Morgan explains what happened. “At last the crisis came when he admitted to himself his total lack of assurance that the Bible was the authoritative Word of God to man. He immediately cancelled all preaching engagements. Then, taking all his books, both those attacking and those defending the Bible, he put them all in a corner cupboard. After locking the door of the cupboard, he went to a bookstore and bought a new Bible.”
Returning to his room, Morgan said to himself, “I am no longer sure that this is what my father claims it to be—the Word of God. But of this I am sure: If it be the Word of God, and if I come to it with an unprejudiced and open mind, it will bring assurance to my soul of itself.” He gave himself to reading the Bible. “That Bible found me!” he said. “I began to read and study it then, in 1883. I have been a student ever since, and I still am [in 1938].”
The greatest defense of the Bible is not what you or I teach but rather it is the Bible itself. Don’t be afraid it will fail because it can’t fail. After all, it is God’s Word!
Jan 31, 2022 – How important is the gospel to you? Is it worth dying for? Is it for living for? Is it worth your finances, your time, yea, even your heart?
The Greek word “euangelion” translated gospel means “good news.” The Apostle Paul makes it clear that the gospel or good news of salvation is based upon the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-3). The heart of the gospel consists of four words: “Christ died for you!” “For” (Greek “huper”) means “in place of.” In other words, His death is a substitutionary death…the innocent dies for the guilty, the righteous dies for the unrighteous and in so doing gives His own righteousness to the sinner, thereby converting the sinner into a holy saint that meets the righteous demands of a holy God (2 Corinthians 5:21).
That is shouting ground for even we modern day Christians! “That I could still go free! What kind of man would reach down His hand and do this for me?” That is why we call it “gospel” or GOOD NEWS. Indeed, it is the best news anyone can ever hear.
The Bible translator and preacher William Tyndale (1494-1536) expresses his own feelings toward the gospel in the preface to his English translation of the Holy Scriptures. Tyndale writes that the word “gospel” “signifies “good, merry, glad and joyful tidings, that makes a person’s heart glad, and makes him sing, dance and leap for joy.” I get that, how about you?
Tyndale lived and preached the gospel. He died defending the gospel at the young age of forty-two. In Tyndale’s eyes the gospel is worth living for and dying for. What do you think?
Jan 29-30, 2022 – What is the favorite chapter of practically everyone? Palm 23. I can prove it with one simple question: What passage is read the most at funerals or in the hospital? It is Psalm 23.
Henry Ward Beecher says of Psalm 23, “It has filled the air of the world with melodious joy, greater than the heart can conceive. It has charmed more griefs to rest than all the philosophy of the world. It has sung courage to the army of the disappointed.”
J. Allen Blair writes, “The remarkable thing about the 23rd Psalm is that it is everybody’s Psalm. The little child learns it at his mother’s knee. The youth seeks its wisdom in hours of temptation and uncertainty. The aged quote it with quivering lips as the Angel of Death approaches.”
Interestingly, Psalm 23 does not contain a single petition or request. It is instead a catalog of the mercies of God! Sears Roebuck used to have a catalog that contained every item you could ever use in your home. Well, Psalm 23 is God’s Catalog and it is full of every item you need in your personal life for the here and now. Not once does the Psalmist beg God or ask God for anything! David simply details for you the big items that are in God’s catalog.
This leads us to a very important question (think before you answer): Is Psalm 23 for everyone? No.
Key: Psalm 23 does not stand alone by itself! Look at verse 4 and notice figuratively where you are located in this Psalm: It is a valley. What makes a valley? A valley is a low spot or a drop off between two mountains or hills. So take a moment to visualize a scene with a mountain on the left, a mountain on the right, and a valley between the mountains. Place Psalm 23 in the valley portion.
Question: What is on the left? Psalm 22! On the right? Psalm 24! These two mountains represent two very important mountains in the Christian life. What is the mountain you must experience firsthand before you can enjoy Psalm 23? Psalm 22 represents Mount Calvary. It contains prophecy about the death of our Lord and begins with the awful words, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?”
What is the mountain you can joyfully anticipate after this life is over? Mount Zion—the heavenly Jerusalem which is depicted in Psalm 24.
Lesson: You cannot know or realize the blessings of Psalm 23 until you first pass through Calvary and accept Jesus as the Good Shepherd (John 10:11) who died for your sins. Then you can know Him as the Great Shepherd (Hebrews 13:20) in Psalm 23 who cares for you in the here and now. In the future you can know Him as the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4) who comes for you!
Most importantly, do you know Him today as your Savior? He promises the abundant life (Psalm 23) plus the heavenly life (Psalm 24) to everyone who comes to Him through the cross (Psalm 22). Please don’t put the cart (Psalm 23) before the horse (Psalm 22) and miss it all! Amen.
Jan 27-28, 2022 – Leslie Flynn tells the story about a man who handed out gospel tracts on a street corner. He did it for several years but he did not see anyone accept Christ so he finally quit and stopped doing it.
Two years later he passed that same street corner. He saw a man handing out gospel tracts just like he had done. He walked over to the stranger and started a conversation. He learned that three years earlier the man had received a tract at that same street corner and, in time, became a Christian.
Then the stranger said, “I’ve come back here many times to thank the man who gave me that tract. But he never came back. So I decided he must have died and gone to his reward. That’s why I’ve taken his place.”
Sometimes we question if our effort is worthwhile. Wonder where that idea originates? With God? No. With us? Perhaps…but perhaps more so with the devil as he works to discourage us from sowing. The devil fears the Word of God and he especially fears the person who sows the Word of God into the lives of people. We have heard the old saying: “The devil trembles when the weakest saint gets on his knees.” Well, it’s equally true when the weakest saint sows the gospel message. The power in both prayer and sowing is not in the saint but in God who has ordained both to His glory.
Let us never forget two, make it three items: 1. God’s Word (including your sowing) will not return void. 2. God will water what you sow. 3. The gospel is the POWER OF GOD resulting in salvation.
Therefore, sow with confidence. And never ever stop sowing for that is the stuff a better ministry is made of.
Jan 26, 2022 – During the Depression a young couple went to the local pastor to be married. The young man gave an envelope to the pastor. The envelope contained a dollar bill and a note. The note said, “Dear Sir, I wish I could give you more for marrying us, but I only have two dollars. This will leave us one dollar to get started on.” They did not have much but they had faith it would work out!
Major league baseball has its “Hall of Fame” in Cooperstown. Football has its “Hall of Fame” in Canton, Ohio (I recommend it for you football fans). The skills required to enter such an elite place are beyond my capability.
But God’s Hall of Fame is much different. To God FAITH is necessary and a prerequisite for fame.
Warren Wiersbe writes, “True Bible faith is not blind optimism or a manufactured ‘hope so’ feeling. Neither is it an intellectual assent to a doctrine. It is certainly not believing in spite of evidence! That would be superstition. True Bible faith is confident obedience to God’s Word in spite of circumstances and consequences.”
Spurgeon explains the relationship between faith and reason with the proclamation, “Faith is reason at rest in God.” Amen!
John Calvin defines faith as “a steady and certain knowledge of the Divine benevolence towards us, which being bounded on the truth of the gratuitous promise in Christ, is both revealed to our minds, and confirmed to our hearts, by the Holy Spirit.” i.e. We believe what God has revealed!
Wiersbe continues, “Faith is confidence in God that leads to obedience to God. True faith is based on what God says and is demonstrated in what we do. People with faith do things for God, and God does things for them.”
- L. Moody adds, “Faith makes all things possible; love makes all things easy.”
Though somewhat cumbersome, Ellicott’s words are worth considering, too: “The fruits of faith are IN the faith which produces them, as a tree is in its seed; they must be developed out of faith, as faith expands and energizes; in the exercise of each grace a fresh grace must issue forth.”
Do you live by faith in who God is and what God has revealed? The entire Bible is a book of faith. All of it! Let those words grab hold of your spirit. Faith is the essence of Christian living. It distinguishes us who believe from those who do not believe. I believe…how about you? Would to God we could believe more! Oh, Lord, increase our faith!!!
Jan 25, 2022 – Has your day already been blessed with grace? At what point in the day do you usually encounter God’s grace? At what point in the day do you run out of God’s grace?
This thing we call grace is an incredible thing, isn’t it? How can you adequately describe it or explain its impact upon your life? The song says, “He giveth and giveth and giveth again.” Another song says, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound…” and then goes on to explain how grace convicts us, saves us, keeps us, sustains us, comforts us, transforms us, and eventually delivers us. Yes, “the Lord has been so good to me!” A few years ago I thought of writing a book titled, “All of grace is my story.” (The book, not yet begun, would be an exegesis of every New Testament passage containing the grace concept.) I suppose all of us could write memoirs with that title.
A certified public accountant decided to open a journal with God. He wanted to write everything that God gave him and everything that he gave back to God. He started keeping a debit and credit book with God.
If someone did him a favor, he put it down as God’s gift to him. He credited God with the sun, his food, his health, his friends and relatives, and a thousand other benefits he received.
On the other hand, he put down what he did for God. Finally, he gave up! He said, “It is impossible for me to balance the books. I find that God is indeed my creditor and what I have done for Him is next to nothing.”
‘Nuff said!
Jan 24, 2022 – The Australian coat of arms is amazing to behold (it’s worth your time to check it out on-line). It contains two creatures: an emu (a large bird that cannot fly—imagine that!) and a kangaroo. Stan Morrison points out these animals were chosen because of one common characteristic—neither can move backward! If an emu (an emu has big, three-toed feet) tries to move backward it will fall over. The kangaroo is prevented from moving backward because of its what? You guessed it! Its long tail. Thus, both animals can only go forward. (Hopefully, they learn this lesson early in life.)
Perhaps we human beings should be made like these animals. We have a tendency to relapse into a lifestyle or attitude that should remain in the past. We often hear of drug addicts and alcoholics suffering relapses but it is not limited to them, is it? The statement, “There you go again!” provides more than sufficient testimony to our own weaknesses.
This is also true in the Christian life. The song lyrics, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love” expresses such a relapse. The Bible is full of relapses: Noah’s drunkenness, Abraham lying about Sarah’s true identity, Lot choosing sinful Sodom, and, above all, Israel’s monstrous sin at Kadesh-Barnea—refusing to move forward into the promised land but choosing instead to return to the wilderness.
Quite honestly, it is hard to KEEP moving forward. It takes work, dedication and discipline. It requires a deep sense of purpose and mission. It requires a burden of the consequences if one returns to wilderness living. In brief, it requires STRENGTH. Weak people can’t do it.
Sad to say, but many Christians have gone backward since Covid entered our world. Though most people have increased their hours at home, it seems evident there has been less, not more, time devoted to Bible study, prayer and ministry of any kind. A staleness has crept into the lives of so many. Spiritual? No, rather it seems their own spirit has been drained.
Does today’s devotional describe you? If yes, how long will it describe you?
“Only one life will soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.”
Jan 22-23, 2022 – “Gentlemen, it’s quitting time.” The speaker entered the room quietly, without warning, and interrupted the men consumed in their raucous behavior with that announcement. The scene was spell bounding for all. Noise became silence. The speaker dangled the keys in front of the heads of state, the many guests plus the ordinary from off the street as well as the servants and simply said, “Gentlemen, it’s quitting time.” Thus, ended the…well, everything.
Interesting words. “Gentlemen, it’s quitting time.”
The words indicate the speaker has the authority to make such a statement. Only a fool would make such a statement without the authority to back it up.
The words also suggest there is such a time as “quitting time.” Contrary to how humanity thinks, there is a time appointed in the volume of the universe as “quitting time.” Such a time will not be determined by man nor by climate change nor by war. But only by the speaker with the authority to make it happen.
The keys suggest ownership belongs to the speaker. Indeed, he does own it all. Based upon that ownership he and he alone has the right to declare, “Gentlemen, it’s quitting time.”
The speaker is the Lord Jesus Christ, the One who comes accompanied not by some mere band but with the clouds of radiant glory. To Him belongs ownership of everything we see and even that which we cannot see. To Him belongs authority, even power, to fulfill His words, yea, even every promise. And to Him belongs the right, the ability and the wisdom to determine “quitting time.”
“Behold, He comes with the clouds.” He is indeed coming again. “So it is to be. Amen.”
”When all the great plants of our cities
Have turned out their last finished work;
When our merchants have made the last bargain
And dismissed the last tired clerk;
When our banks have raked in their last dollar
And have paid out the last dividend;
When the Judge of earth says,
‘Closed for the night!’
And asks for a balance—WHAT THEN?”
Jan 21, 2022 – “I’m busy!” “I’m too busy!” “My calendar is full!” “I’ll call you when I’m free!” “Can’t make it! Can’t be in two places at the same time!” “Can you find someone else? My schedule is full!” ”No time left for you, On my way to better things!”
Ajith Fernando offers this observation: “Sometimes we are so rushed that we do not think straight because we do not have time to think reflectively.”
This condition filters into our ministry also. Henri Nouwen cautions, “In a society in which entertainment and distraction are such important preoccupations, ministers are also tempted to join the ranks of those who consider it their primary task to keep other people busy.”
We perceive the youth to be people to be kept OFF the streets by giving them worthwhile activities. We perceive the elderly as people who need to be kept ON the streets…to be kept active for mental and physical reasons.
Then comes Nouwen’s conclusion: “Ministers frequently find themselves in fierce competition with people and institutions who offer something more exciting to do than they can do. OUR TASK IS THE OPPOSITE OF DISTRACTION.”
The issue for effective ministry is “how to KEEP THEM from being so busy that they can no longer hear the voice of God who speaks in silence.”
Moses spent 40 days alone with God. Paul spent time alone with God in Arabia. Even Jesus spent time alone with His heavenly Father. And you???
At its core the Christian life is about time knowing, enjoying, and conversing…with our Creator! If we remove the Creator from our life we have missed the core for our existence. Such a resulting hollowness can never be filled by anything or anyone else.
Do your best to “be still—not busy—and know that I am God.” Then help others to do the same…but you can’t effectively help others until you first help yourself.
Jan 20, 2022 – What is the difference between old age and young age? In many cases it is nothing but more days. In such cases the person changes in age but not in maturity, changes in appearance but not in wisdom.
But what SHOULD be the difference? Increased wisdom which, in turn, leads to maturity as demonstrated by an improved lifestyle and improved decisions…particularly wisdom gained by tried-and-true experience. This principle is true in Christian ministry, too. The farther we go the more we should know and the wiser we should become in our ministry.
Two Bible words illustrate this point regarding knowledge/wisdom. Both words appear in today’s text. The first Greek word “oida” is translated “knowest” in the King James Bible. Oida captures the idea of “fulness of knowledge,” quite often in the sense of classroom knowledge. The second Greek word “ginosko” expresses the idea of experiential knowledge or knowledge gained by experience. It is translated “know” in the latter part of the statement. Thus, the verse may be translated, “You do not understand or realize now but in the future you will fully grasp or fully comprehend on a very deep level.”
It is similar to the distinction we sometimes make between “head” knowledge and “heart” knowledge. The first is knowing, the second is REALLY knowing. You know by experience what I mean. It is similar to being told the oven burner is hot. But after you touch it you KNOW (ginosko) it is hot!
In many ways maturity is being described in the second part of the verse. Classroom knowledge only takes us so far and sometimes we do not even grasp it. But the knowledge gained by experience (including ministry) should grow us in more ways than we can count.
Today’s discussion is the basis for this song: “I’m so glad I LEARNED to trust Him, Precious Jesus, Savior, FRIEND; And I KNOW that He is with me, Will be with me to the end. Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I’ve PROVED Him o’er and o’er! Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust Him more!”
I sang that song as a mere boy and I believed it. But now at age 66 I sing that song and I REALLY believe it…because I know Him by experience after experience after experience after experience, etc. Yes, I’ve PROVED Him o’er and o’er. I’ve truly LEARNED to trust Him…and I would do it again without hesitation.
Can you say the same? No matter our age such knowledge will increasingly become our experience as we walk with Him through this thing we call life. And we will be the much better for it!
Jan 19, 2022 – “They invested their lives in me.” Who would those people be for you? Would it be a short list? Would it be a long list? Would it ever be a complete list?
I was recently recruited to provide memories for my home church. My father kept his own diary about that church, using the term “beloved” to describe his relationship to the church. He also recorded videos of baptisms and homecoming dinners on the grounds (not inside a building) during the mid-1960’s. (Dad began pastoring elsewhere a short time later and the videos ceased.) All of those videos were about people…not things or goals but people.
During my “memory” work, it was the people that stood out over and over again. I re-lived being with people who have been gone for many years…but their impact upon me continues to this day.
I recalled the story of Pastor Dutch holding a very young me in the pulpit as he dismissed the Sunday evening service. I saw preachers who responded positively to God’s call, devoted their lives to study and prayer, and then taught me all about Jesus and the doctrines that would make me strong. I saw videos of two not-yet-called preachers (Cliff Hartley and John Hankins) who would later go away to a Baptist college and prepare for the ministry…in so doing they showed me the way to do the same. (Cliff is still investing his life in me.) I saw people who thronged to baptisms at the creek because they rejoiced in seeing others follow Jesus. I recalled being present when Ruth P. accepted Christ at the altar then walked back to her husband, took him by the hand, and brought him to Christ.
I re-lived a ton of experiences from my childhood. And I thanked God for those people investing their lives in me. Always building me…encouraging me…giving me their time though I was so very young. And later still doing the same when I, as a young preacher, would return to practice preaching on them!
They truly knew what it meant to minister and knew ministry is all about investing our lives in others. May you always keep that lesson front and center.
Jan 18, 2022 – “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, All the King’s horses and all the king’s men Couldn’t put Humpty together again.”
What a shame! Various questions could be asked such as why was Humpty (though unstated Humpty is apparently an egg) in such a vulnerable position? Even a simpleton knows that eggs break when they fall. It would be similar to a hundred-year-old man climbing on top of a roof to clean out his gutters. It just doesn’t make sense. Then again, did Humpty ever investigate his own weaknesses? Did he know what he could safely do and not safely do? Did he consider the downside to taking such a position? Did he care? Was he simply responding to a spontaneous nature? Did anyone advise him not to do such a foolish thing? Could he have achieved the same purpose but in a safer way?
The above questions may seem frivolous to an egg but they are not frivolous when one considers they largely determine the outcome of our own life. Life is full of tragedies like Humpty. Beautiful children are born with so much potential. But so many of those lives are horribly scarred by the time they reach the age of thirty, let alone an older age.
I have often told our high school graduates, “Most people make their biggest mistakes in their twenties. I wish you could skip your twenties, arrive at age thirty but possess the wisdom gained from your twenties.” In my thinking such a wish would save them from many scars.
But that is not the way life works. I commented in a recent sermon, “Don’t moan to me about your baggage. Why not? EVERYONE has baggage. You must begin where you are and move on.”
Mistakes are made. Humpty crashes. People also crash. Scars are created, some of which can never be undone. Life’s sunshine becomes cloudy, dreams are shattered, troubles are added to troubles.
These people desperately need “you who are spiritual” to help them come to grips with this thing called life. Quite often, it is then that we have an open door for ministry because Humpty realizes he’s in trouble…and needs help. Your credibility as “one who is spiritual” will often allow you to walk through that open door and not only instruct but also demonstrate the power of a relationship with Jesus Christ.
At those times “who you are in Him” will speak louder than any words. “Who you are in Him” over time has resulted in less scars, less Humpty experiences, less troubles because you made a LIFE CHOICE to both KNOW Him and FOLLOW HIM. (“Lead us not into temptation” was part of your experience.) You aren’t perfect and, yes, you have your own baggage but life is different for you than the Humpty’s of this world.
If you aren’t yet to the level called “spiritual” you need to work on getting to that level by submitting to Him and allowing Him to change your life. If you are there, don’t take your eyes off the goal, become lazy and lose it. After all, Humpty needs you.
Jan 17, 2022 – At what point does a person lose impact? Probably never. How can that be? It is so because each one of us is continually sowing our lives, influence and testimony into other people. It’s like a spiritual DNA transfer. But does that transfer ever stop? No. The most “insignificant” of us will live on and on and on and will have a hand in shaping lives for generations to come, either for Christ or for the world and Satan.
Dr. B. R. Lakin was the Billy Graham before Billy Graham came on the scene. The Cadle Tabernacle (seating capacity of 10,000) in Indianapolis was founded by Howard Cadle and Lakin followed Cadle as pastor. The Sunday service was broadcast on WLW radio in Cincinnati. At that time WLW was capable of transmitting at an astonishing 500,000-watts. Its signal reached as far as Central America under ideal conditions. Lakin’s preaching reached more people than anyone before him.
Recently I posted a tribute to Lakin on our Facebook page for Tennessee Temple students of the 1970’s—more than FORTY years ago. (Lakin preached my graduation sermon from Temple way back in 1979.) I was stunned by the high number of positive, even enthusiastic responses. Many wrote tributes of a very personal nature. (The tributes were a blessing to me because Lakin was a personal friend of my father and of my father’s home church, Ice Creek Missionary Baptist.)
Today is 2022. 2022!!! Lakin, though, died in 1984. A LONG time ago. But his influence, as demonstrated in the Facebook response, did not die. Nor will your influence or impact die when you breathe your last breath. So run the race well that your impact will be a heavenward impact for generations to come.
Lakin’s last sermon was titled “If There Be No Resurrection” and was preached on February 26, 1984 at Thomas Road Baptist Church (Liberty University). He married a lady that was saved in his first revival! He is buried on Liberty Mountain on the Liberty campus.
Here are some quotes you might use from this man who still speaks…
His advice about dealing with enemies was, “Love them, pray for them, and outlive them.“
“No matter what may be the means or method that hour comes to me, if you read or hear on the news that I have died, don’t you believe it. That day will be Graduation Day, and I will have just begun to live. I will merely have changed my base of operation. I won’t be dead; I’ll just have moved out for repairs.”
“On my last visit to the Holy Land, I was at the Mount of Olives and someone asked, ‘Dr. Lakin, do you ever expect to come back here again?’ ‘Oh, yeah, I’ll be back but the next time I come I’ll be in the cavalry.”
Jan 15-16, 2022 – Would you do me and yourself a favor? I invite you to take five minutes from your schedule and listen closely to the song, “Born Again” by Sandi Patti (click here to play the song). It tells about a meeting between Nicodemus and Jesus in John chapter three. Jesus said, “Don’t be surprised, Nicodemus, that I say to you, ‘You must be born again.'”
The Christian life begins with the impartation of life…spiritual life rather than physical (soulish) life. Contrary to what is believed by the masses and even taught in many denominations, God’s required salvation for humanity is not based upon human reformation (turning over a new leaf, resolutions, Alcoholics Anonymous, drug rehab, etc,) but upon divine regeneration…the creation of something new from above that completely conforms with the holiness of God (2 Cor. 5:17, Eph. 4:24).
Such regeneration is not done by the will or power of man but by the will or power of God. It is the creation of a new person (the image of Jesus Christ) in an individual that results in a changed life, changed ownership (we are no longer our own but we belong to Jesus Christ), changed eternal destiny (conformed forevermore to the holy image of Christ), changed eternal destination (heaven rather than hell), changed daily outlook (heavenward over earthward) …in brief, changed for the glory of God rather than the glory of man.
As this song ministers to you, put yourself in the shoes of Nicodemus and ask yourself, “Have I been born again?” Do not ask, “Have I been baptized? Do I attend church? Am I religious?” But ask, “Have I been born again?”
Here is what the Bible says: “But as many as received Him (Jesus Christ), to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).
THANK GOD, YOU CAN BE BORN AGAIN!
My Personal Testimony may be read on the first page of this website.
Note: I will resume the normal Today’s Verse for a Better Ministry devotional on Monday.
Jan 12, 2021 – Many years ago there was a famous explorer known as Sir Ernest Shackleton. Shackleton spent much of his time in the Arctic. He was planning his very last expedition to the Arctic when this particular incident happened.
Shackleton was seated in his London office with a friend. The friend said, “I am surprised at the widespread publicity you have given to this new expedition of yours. It is not like you to seek publicity.”
Shackleton said, “I have a purpose in doing so. I want my colleague, Mr. Wild, to hear about my plans. He has gone to the heart of Africa and not left us with an address to contact him. I thought if I publicized the news that the news might somehow make it into the center of Africa and he might hear about it. And if Wild knows I am going he will come.”
As they continued their discussion, suddenly there was a noise in the doorway. They looked up and standing in the doorway was Mr. Wild. It was a dramatic moment as Shackleton ran to Wild and shook his hand.
Wild said, “I heard you were going. The news found its way into Africa. I dropped my gun, picked up my baggage, and made straight for home and here I am. Sir Shackleton, what are your orders?”
Total surrender…total devotion…total selflessness…total commitment…
“What are your orders?”
So, dear Jesus, what are Your orders for me? May that be our prayer today.
Jan 11, 2022 – The world emphasizes power is to be gained by one’s intellect, education, finances, connections, etc. We Christians are trained to think that way. However, God’s Word seeks to re-train us in the principles of another world: the spiritual world. Conquests and victory in the spiritual world for eternal results depends upon a superior power to those already mentioned. Indeed, all of those items are considered weak and impotent in the spiritual world.
A minister was being shown through a large plant where locomotives were built. The guide pointed at one completed locomotive and said, “This locomotive is the last word in engine building!”
The minister admiringly said, “It’s a beautiful thing!”
The guide continued, “Yes, but only if there are three things attending it. First, it must have power generated by internal combustion of crude oil. Second, it must be on the rails, for the power would bring destruction if it is derailed. Last, it must have a good engineer for it will run efficiently only when rightly handled.”
The Christian replied, “That’s just like a Christian. We are powerful and useful only when we are filled with the fulness of God, walking in His way and utterly under the Holy Spirit’s control.”
Amen! So let it be in my life today. How about yours?
Jan 10, 2022 – “You’re too old to have children.” So they said to Sarah at the age of 90 (her husband Abraham was 100 but who’s counting?). God promised, “Sarah your wife shall bear you a son whom you will name Isaac. My covenant will be with Isaac, not Ishmael through the handmaid Hagar” (Genesis 17:19).
But how? God said, “Is anything too hard for Jehovah?” (Genesis 18:14). And, sure enough, “Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him” (Genesis 21:2).
What a story! But what does it mean for you and me?
First, God may call you to believe in the impossible. Sometimes life itself seems to be impossible. But God WILL make a way. It may not be your way but it will be His way and therefore the best and right way. Trust Him and listen to His voice. He still knows what He is doing.
Second, God may wait for you to reach the impossible stage before He intervenes. Remember: the birth of Isaac occurred 25 years after God’s first promise of a son. God purposely waited for the situation to deteriorate before He intervened.
Third, God may choose you to show the rest of us that He can still do anything He wants. So don’t count God short when you have problems!
Fourth, God may bless your golden years more than your younger years. Sarai’s name (Sarai means “contentious”) was changed to Sarah (means “princess”) because God had a different plan for her at the age of 90. There is a lot to be said for a mature ministry. So don’t retire on God but rather refire for God! Keep looking for opportunities to sow Jesus.
Fifth, God alone can decide when your fruit-bearing years come to an end. What is the age of 100 to an eternal God? Indeed, you may fall into that category of “he being dead yet speaks!” This pastor is still being motivated by saints that have preceded me to heaven. Maybe God will use you in the same way.
Just remember to have faith like a 90 year old woman.
Jan 8-9, 2022 – A better ministry is built upon “faith.” But many people try to gain God’s approval through other ways; we substitute other items for faith because those items are easier…only to eventually find those ways don’t really work.
Let these next words sink in: The Hebrews 11 saints gained approval from God because of their FAITH and because of NOTHING ELSE. For example, it wasn’t Noah’s ark that gained God’s approval. It was his faith and his faith motivated him to build the ark. Likewise, it wasn’t Abraham offering up Isaac that gained God’s approval. It was his faith and his faith motivated him to sacrifice Isaac in anticipation of a resurrection.
However, as mentioned before, we often try to gain God’s approval through substitutes. Let’s look at six common substitutes. Perhaps you may identify you’ve fallen innocently for a substitute.
Sacrifice – in 1 Samuel 15:22 King Saul offered a sacrifice instead of obedience. He knew the will of God but chose to follow his own path instead and try to satisfy God with a lesser act. Some Christians offer the sacrifice of a big check to the church treasury rather than give God their heart. Or work in some church activity or…get the picture? But God always wants it all, doesn’t He?
Emotion – We confuse feelings with faith and excitement with spirituality. What is the old saying? It’s not how high you jump that counts; it’s how straight you walk when you hit the ground. Yea, still waters run deep. Faith also runs deep. But feelings run shallow. You’ll never be a stable Christian if you walk by feelings. You must make a decision about which will rule your life: emotions or faith.
Signs – I am always amused by Christians who talk so much about faith but rely upon signs to confirm their faith. Question: How many signs did God give Noah? None. Many church people look at such items as church attendance or the size of the offerings to determine “success.” If those Christians had existed in Noah’s day, they would have fired Noah but yet God says Noah is one of the most successful Christians of all time. Amazingly, Noah ministered 120 years doing it God’s way before God ever gave him a sign (caused it to rain). So much for sign-watching!
Works – Cain brought a substitute (homegrown vegetables) to God and assumed that it was a legitimate substitute for faith in the shed blood. Wrong!
Reason – By faith Joshua “fought the battle of Jericho and the walls came tumblin’ down” then by human reasoning (leaving God out of the decision) Joshua attacked the little burb called Ai and suffered a humiliating defeat. I have grown to realize that, although I cannot pray about every single detail, by consciously walking submissively to the Holy Spirit that He has a way of prompting me when I am straying from faith into relying upon faulty reasoning. Something just doesn’t feel right!
Sight – Adam and Eve “saw” the tree was good for food. Well, it actually WAS good for food but it was a poor substitute for experiencing God. Beauty, though, is only skin deep. So is talent. So is an educational degree. So is a financial statement.
Bottom line: Watch for substitutes to creep into your Christian life. Then run from them as quickly as you can!
Jan 7, 2021 – Want to be a pastor? Want to be a teacher? Want to be a deacon or an usher or anything at all in God’s church? Let’s look at the #1 item that will make you or break you in your ministry.
First, take a few moments to read the verses after today’s verse. Read verses 2-7. Please don’t shortcut this devotional. Read the verses. You’ll be glad you did when we get to our third point.
Second, I count fifteen qualifications to be an overseer. (American denominations define an overseer as a pastor, bishop or elder. Today’s focus, though, is not on the title or even a specific ministry such as a pastor but upon all of us in whatever capacity we serve.)
Third, and here is today’s main point, only one of these fifteen qualifications has to do with ability (“able to teach”). The other fourteen qualifications have zero to do with ability. Zero! Instead, these fourteen qualifications address our character, reputation, maturity and family life. Amazing! Ajith Fernando concludes, “All these are qualities related to godliness.”
It is not a case of character, reputation, maturity and family life speaking louder than our words or our deeds but it is a case of them validating our words and our deeds. These items define the minister even before he attempts to minister. In many ways they serve as a letter of recommendation to the listeners. They provide genuine credibility to our ministry. This is critically important because people want a minister of substance, not a fake. They want genuineness, even deserve genuineness.
Take some time to evaluate your own focus. Is genuineness a concern to you? It not only should be a concern, but it must be a concern. Such genuineness predates anything we try. In short, it is not ministry that makes a minister. On the contrary, it is genuineness that makes a minister. Pray for genuineness.
Jan 6, 2021 – Do you know that ALL people have faith? We have faith that our automobile will start and we are surprised, even stunned if it does not start. People expect their Social Security check to be deposited on time and even write checks in anticipation of that deposit. We willingly put our life in the hands of a surgeon about whom we know very little.
However, faith is only as good as its object. For example, can the object do what we believe (faith) it will do? If not, our faith is vain and we are headed for a big letdown. Thankfully, the object of the Christian’s faith is the God of the Bible. But (and this is very important) our faith must be rooted in a correct view (i.e. biblical view) of God (Matthew 7:21-23). After all, some have faith that there is no hell; does the fact they have faith in their beliefs mean they are right? Of course not.
We live by faith and we need to be certain such faith is well founded….cannot disappoint.
Warren Wiersbe reminds us, “True Bible faith is not blind optimism or a manufactured ‘hope so’ feeling. True Bible faith is confident obedience to God’s Word in spite of circumstances and consequences.” (See Hebrews 11:35 for the consequences which the faithful may experience.)
Please note, biblical faith is NOT a leap into the dark; rather, faith is a leap into knowing God is already there awaiting your arrival. We read in Hebrews 11:8 that Abraham “went out not knowing where he went.” That statement sounds like a blind leap into the dark but compare those words with Genesis 12:1“unto a land I, the Lord, will show you!” “Unto a land I will show you!” is proof that God had a plan including a destination. Thus, we learn (and this is very, very important) Abraham went out not knowing where HE was going but KNOWING or FAITHING that GOD knew where he was going. What a lesson! You see, once you become convinced that this step of faith is God-directed you can confidently step into the dark.
Never forget: living by faith is not a leap into the dark but it is a leap into the revealed promises and guaranteed providence of God. Quite honestly, such living is even more certain than our automobile starting tomorrow morning!
Jan 5, 2021 – The American humorist Mark Twain said, “Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well.” Benjamin Franklin, though, wisely countered that philosophy with the words, “You may delay, but time will not.” Franklin, of course, is correct although Twain’s comment creates the most laughs. One of the most important qualities of successful people in any occupation is their management of time. They grasp the importance of making the most of time and have a way of turning all time into quality time.
In which day do you live? Yesterday? Today? Tomorrow? Could it be that tomorrow is your most important day of the week?
Let this poem from Edgar Guest challenge your heart:
He was going to be all that a mortal should be
Tomorrow.
No one should be kinder or braver than he
Tomorrow.
A friend who was troubled and weary he knew,
Who’d be glad of a lift and who needed it, too;
On him he would call and see what he could do
Tomorrow.
Each morning he stacked up the letters he’d write
Tomorrow.
And thought of the folks he would fill with delight
Tomorrow.
It was too bad, indeed, he was busy today,
And hadn’t a minute to stop on his way;
More time he would have to give others, he’d say
Tomorrow.
The greatest of workers this man would have been
Tomorrow.
The world would have known him, had he ever seen
Tomorrow.
But the fact is he died and he faded from view,
And all that he left here when living was through
Was a mountain of things he intended to do
Tomorrow.
Bottom line: Don’t allow tomorrow to control your calendar. Develop the discipline to turn ALL of your time into QUALITY time. In so doing, you will become a bigger blessing to others…and to yourself.
Jan 4, 2021 – What kind of disciple do you wish to be in 2022? Do I want to go with the flow or rise above the flow? Be mediocre with mediocre results or become a strong person of faith? Today’s Motivation provides a checklist that may give you a fresh perspective on who you are, your goals, and your deeper beliefs. The checklist appears below:
Jan 3, 2021 – We approach each new year with a sense of ___________. What is the word for you? God calls us to walk by faith. But what is it? Let’s do a vocabulary study today about Hebrews 11:1 that may help you grow past your feelings and into faith.
One of my readers recently emailed me and said, “I don’t know what the word believe means.” I responded, “Do you believe the sun will rise tomorrow?” The person answered, “Yes.” I continued, “Then you know what ‘believe’ means.” We plan for the sun to rise tomorrow because of faith!
Let’s take a deep, deep look at three key words. Faith (pistis, Gr.) – means to “believe, trust, put faith in, rely upon a person or thing.” Kindred Terms: The word translated “believe” is found 247 times in the New Testament, and the kindred term “faith” occurs 244 times, while “faithful,” which simply means “full of faith,” appears 67 times. The Greek word for “believe” means to “persuade, to give credit to, to trust, or confide in.” The Hebrew word for “believe” means “to stay, to support, and then, that which forms the stay, its foundation.”
Interestingly, it is from the Hebrew word that we derive the English term, Amen, signifying “of a truth,” or “so be it.” So when we read that Abraham believed God, he actually “amened” Him.
Substance (hupostasis, Gr.) – “that which stands under, a foundation.” It thus speaks of the ground on which one builds a hope. Moulton and Milligan report its use as a legal term. It stands for the “whole body of documents bearing on the ownership of a person’s property, deposited in archives, and forming the evidence of ownership.” They suggest the translation, “Faith is the title-deed of things hoped for.” The Holy Spirit-energized act of faith is the title deed which God places in our hands, guaranteeing to us the possession of the thing for which we trust Him! WOW!!!! This means ASSURANCE that God will do just exactly what He has said!
Evidence (elegchos, Gr.) – a legal term meaning “evidence that is accepted for conviction.” We might translate this verse “the conviction of things not seen as yet.” We may not yet have the physical proof in our hands (not seen as yet) but we act as if we do! We act upon it because it has already been proven and accepted to us. (For example, see Hebrews 11:7 “not seen as yet.” Noah had never seen rain when he built the ark.)
Conclusion: Are you ever mystified as to why some are so certain? Such certainty exists because faith has WEIGHT—it is not light as a feather but it is weighty….faith serves as an ANCHOR in their soul that keeps them steady when the storms and waves assault them. Such faith is rooted in God…and God’s promises are even more certain than the sun rising tomorrow. We believe and therefore we act!
May 2022 be a year of increasing faith for you!
Dec 30, 2021 – A sign in a muffler shop said, “No appointment necessary. We hear you coming.” Uggh! A sign on a plumber’s truck said, “We repair what your husband fixed.” Double uggh! A shoe repair shop advertised, “We will heel you, we will save your sole, we will even dye for you.” Very clever!
But the best…The optometrist sign said, “If you don’t see what you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place.” Yes! Today’s verse talks about the right place for the child of God: in God’s sanctuary!
Think back over the past year. Has it been a blockbuster year for you? Or a normal year? Or the worst year of your life? Well, regardless of your answer you have a spiritual oasis available to you in your church. Your church exists to help you “draw near to God.”
The #1 person you need to know is God your Creator who is also God the Sustainer, God the Savior, God the Guide, God the Author/Finisher of our faith, God the Comforter, God the Ruler of all, God the Prince of Peace, God in human flesh and…do you get the idea? Your church experience will include songs that direct your heart to who God is and what God has done. It may be the old hymns or the new praise worship but it will be about Him whom you need to know intimately.
If you’re in the right kind of church your pastor will open the Word of God and you will hear something from God. The pastor may be the best speaker in the country or just so-so. Every listener, including you, has his own style. But our own style is trumped by our need to hear what God says. And for an hour, perhaps two if you’re lucky, you’ll escape the rat race and be able to focus on Him and your spiritual needs. You are very blessed to have that opportunity. Try to make the most of it in your next visit.
Dec 29, 2021 – “What do you give the person who has everything?” If you’re a man, it’s probably more socks. If it’s a woman, that’s a more difficult issue but you had better get her something! Many of us are blessed to be in that situation.
Wonder what is ahead for God’s church in 2022? Or what is ahead for your family? Or what is ahead for our world? Could it be that 2022 will mark the next event on God’s prophetic calendar: the return of Jesus Christ (“I will come again and receive you unto Myself”)?
Someone wrote, “You know you are getting old when the candles cost more than the birthday cake.” That is especially true when you consider the age of man. Based upon the Bible genealogies (the list may not be a complete list) we know mankind is at least 6,000 years old.
During the 20th century some thought the entire span of man’s existence would be 7,000 years. (“7” is considered God’s number in the Bible). Others emphasized 6,000 years (“6” is considered man’s number in the Bible and would leave room for another 1,000 years for God’s kingdom). Other ideas have percolated, too, but let us remember that such dates are without biblical foundation. Jesus says, “It is not for you to know the dates!” Why not? If we knew the dates, we would be fixated on the dates instead of our daily responsibilities.
The truth is this pastor does not know when Jesus is coming again, but I do know He is coming again! I do not know what 2022 holds for my church, my family, or this world but I do know my Jesus has set the universe in order (I Samuel 2:8). It seems to me that since Jesus can take care of the universe, He can surely take care of our churches, our families, and each one of us. Do you agree? So onward, upward into 2022!
Dec 27, 2021 – Faith! I grew up singing, “Living by faith in Jesus above, Trusting, confiding in His great love!” Living such a life is the hallmark of a successful Christian. But it is not easy because it often requires the believer to trust God in the dark times of life.
Let me share a story I heard in the 1970’s. This story got hold of me. I believed it then…I have never doubted it since the first time I heard it. I am quoting,
“In 1932, my grandfather, A.M. Overton, was a pastor of a church in Mississippi with a wife and three small children. His wife was pregnant with their fourth child but when it came time for delivery, there were complications and both she and the baby died. During the funeral service, the preacher officiating the service noticed my grandfather writing something on a piece of paper. After the service the minister asked him about it, and he handed him the paper with a poem he had just written which he titled, ‘He Maketh No Mistake’”. This is what the poem says:
My Father’s way may twist and turn, My heart may throb and ache,
But in my soul I’m glad I know, He maketh no mistake.
My cherished plans may go astray, My hopes may fade away,
But still I’ll trust my Lord to lead For He doth know the way.
Though night be dark and it may seem That day will never break;
I’ll pin my faith, my all in Him, He maketh no mistake.
There’s so much now I cannot see, My eyesight’s far too dim;
But come what may, I’ll simply trust And leave it all to Him.
For by and by the mist will lift And plain it all He’ll make,
Through all the way, though dark to me, HE MADE NOT ONE MISTAKE.”
Hallelujah! God won’t make His first mistake with you either. So “come what may, I’ll simply trust, And leave it all to Him!” That is faith at its best!
Dec 23 – 24 – 25, 2021 – “What Child is this, who laid to rest, On Mary’s lap is sleeping? Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, While shepherds watch are keeping?”
Some say He was just a good teacher, but good teachers don’t claim to be God.
Some say He was merely a good example, but good examples don’t mingle with prostitutes and sinners.
Some say He was a madman, but madmen don’t speak the way He spoke.
Some say He was a religious phony, but phonies don’t rise from the dead.
Some say He was only a phantom, but phantoms can’t give their flesh and blood.
Some say He was only a myth, but myths don’t set the calendar for history.
What say you? Ah, but there is only one opinion that truly matters. It is the opinion of the invisible God the Father whom no man has ever seen. He declared His opinion during Jesus’ experience on the Mount of Transfiguration in Luke 9. “And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is my beloved Son, My Chosen One; listen to him!”
The instruction, even pleading, for us to “Listen to Him” is still ringing today. Are you listening?
Dec 22, 2021 – Little Derrick sat on the lap of the department store’s Santa Claus. Derrick shared his “want” list for Christmas, had his picture taken with Santa, and was given a peppermint candy cane.
His grandmother wanted to emphasize the importance of saying, “Thank you” so she said, “Now, Derrick, what do you say to Santa?”
Without hesitation, Derrick told Santa, “Charge it!”
When I was nine years of age I looked at the cross of Calvary and I said to the holy God of heaven, “Charge it! Charge my sins – all of them – to the cross of Jesus Christ.” I did not know everything there was to know, but I knew that Jesus wanted to take away my sin and save my soul.
What did God the Father do? God “laid upon Him the iniquity of Tom Swartzwelder” (Isaiah 53:6). God made “Him (Christ) who knew no sin to become my sin or my sin-bearer” (2 Corinthians 5:21). “Therefore, King David says of us who believe, ‘Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.’”
In brief, God charged my sin to the account of His Son Jesus Christ. “My sin, o the bliss of this glorious thought. My sin, not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more, praise the Lord, O my soul! It is well with my soul!”
God then charged the righteousness of His Son to my account and to the account of all of us who believe. The Apostle Paul explains it like this: “Abraham believed God, and it was credited or charged to him as righteousness” (Romans 4).
The theological terms for this account adjustment are justification and imputation. The simple man’s explanation, though, is that God has issued a ruling in His courtroom that I am as righteous as He Himself because He has charged His OWN righteousness to my account. Thank God, “the old account was settled long ago!”
I can enjoy every Christmas season because I know the status of my account with God. Can you say the same? Ah, you can!
Dec 21, 2021 – How much was Augustus Caesar worth when Jesus Christ entered the world?
Money magazine printed this item in 2017. “Not only was Augustus Caesar in charge of an empire that accounted for 25% to 30% of the world’s economic output, but Augustus at one point also held personal wealth equivalent to one-fifth of his empire’s economy, according to Stanford history professor Ian Morris. That fortune would be the equivalent of about $3.7 trillion in 2017. ‘For a while,’ Morris adds, Augustus ‘personally owned all of Egypt.’” (Note: trillion is the right word! He was worth more than Gates, Musk, and Bezos combined!)
So why did Augustus create a census to collect even more taxes? The short answer is God the Father had prophesied that His Son would be born in Bethlehem, not Nazareth. My father used to preach, “God nudged Augustus in the ribs and whispered, ‘Have you checked your bank account recently?’” Like an eager puppy, Caesar decided “enough is not really enough. I need more. Conduct a census so we can collect a higher amount of taxes.”
“So there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered…and all went to be registered into his own city…and Joseph WENT TO Bethlehem because he was of the house and lineage of David.”
Humanly speaking, Augustus issued the decree. But, in all honesty, it was God who issued the decree or arranged the decree. Say the previous sentence however you wish, but God proved once again that He is in charge of the affairs of men. It was such a simple thing for God to do…even a clever thing that would remain hidden to the masses but would be appreciated by God’s people with a knowledge of Micah 5:2.
Ah, isn’t our God grand? He is very much active all around us. Would to God we could always recognize His handiwork! Oh, my, but perhaps you might recognize His subtle handiwork around you this very week! Keep looking!
Dec 20, 2021 – Augustine of Hippo writes, “The Christian should be an alleluia from head to foot!” Constantly praising God!
You may not know this but the being we know as the devil was actually designed to be a doxology. Notice his original design (before he sinned and became the devil): “You were the signet or model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared” (Ezekiel 28:12-13).
This angelic being was not created as the devil but was instead created as the most marvelous of all of God’s creation as the angel Lucifer: God’s #1 created being. Far above man, far above any angel. Second only to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
Amazingly, in his original condition he did not need a musical instrument to bring glory to God because he was a walking orchestra. He did not need a quartet of vocalists singing different parts because he was every note on the scale. He did not need to buy jewelry then put on jewelry because the jewelry was part of his being or his covering or his skin. He did not need to wear makeup to cover his blemishes or his wrinkles because he had no blemishes or wrinkles.
He did not even have to say anything to bring glory to God because he was a doxology by himself. That’s how unique he was in God’s original design.
Do you know such a goal is God’s goal for all of us? Quite obviously, we are not as glorious as Lucifer. Even Adam in his pre-sin state was less glorious than Lucifer. But we, along with all things, exist for His glory. All of creation can “praise ye the Lord” by fulfilling its original design.
Who do you praise the most with your life? The answer is simple: You offer the most praise to the one you deem the most worthy of praise, whether it be God, a spouse, a child, a job, a possession, etc. So how does God rank on your list of “praise”?
Dec 17, 2021 – Excuses! We hear them all the time. Benjamin Franklin said, “I never knew a man who was good at making excuses who was good at anything else.” Here are the top ten excuses:
1.That’s the way we’ve always done it.
2.I didn’t know you were in a hurry for it.
3.That’s not in my department.
4.No one told me to go ahead.
5.I’m waiting for an OK.
6.How did I know this was different?
7.That’s his job, not mine.
8.Wait till the boss comes back and ask him.
9.I forgot.
10.I didn’t think it was that important.
Today’s verse highlights a man who created a NEW excuse. Honestly, it doesn’t matter what the excuse happens to be. The sad truth is anyone can create an excuse., even a bad excuse. Traffic cops hear bad excuses all the time. So do pastors and so does God.
The goal of a better ministry, though, requires God’s servants to rid themselves of excuses and to keep their eye on the ball of serving Christ. Paul testified, “This ONE thing I do” and that one thing did not allow for excuses. “Seeking first the kingdom of God” does not allow for excuses either.
Take the time to identify your own excuses. (All of us make excuses.) Perhaps write them down. Then work on eliminating one excuse. Practice eliminating that excuse. Ingrain it into your lifestyle for a month. Then take a shot at another excuse. Repeat the process for a month. It will unclutter your life and make you more valuable for the Master’s use.
Dec 14, 2021 – “Leadership does not have to do with status; it has to do with responsibility.” (Jesus Driven Ministry, pg. 161) Let’s continue yesterday’s discussion of our responsibility as a steward. As noted yesterday, a steward is “one to whose care is committed the management of the household.”
Luke 16:1 expresses the concept quite well: “There was a rich man whose manager or steward was accused of wasting his possessions.” In symbolic terms the rich man represents God. The possessions belong to God and have been lent to the steward for his wise investment. Of course, the manager or steward is us. God has committed to each one of us His truth, a ministry in His church, the Great Commission of world evangelization, plus the unique role as God’s personal ambassador to the people of planet earth. Thus, we have a great responsibility! That is why Jesus said, “To whom much is given much is required.”
Let’s zero in on one aspect of being a good steward or manager of what God has entrusted to us. That aspect is our attitude. Please notice the Apostle Paul’s attitude in today’s verse. Two words stand out. First, servant. That probably does not surprise you. Jesus’ concept of leadership has always been one of servanthood. “Whoever wishes to be great let him become the least.” “Jesus washed the apostles’ feet.” Indeed, the entire book of Mark presents Jesus as God’s servant.
The second word, though, may surprise you. It is the word that precedes “servant.” It is the word “your.” Most of us read too quickly and think it says, “ourselves GOD’S servants for Jesus’ sake.” But that is not what is said. “YOUR servants” means Paul sees himself as being the church’s servant, not being their boss. He does not show up to run things but to help wherever is necessary, even setting up tables or being a greeter. What an attitude! “I am here to serve!” Wow!
It reminds me of former President Jimmy Carter spending his retirement years helping build houses with Habitat for Humanity. Mr. Carter did not show up to supervise or get a publicity picture but to actually work: to work alongside common carpenters and jack-of-all-trade guys like you and me. What other former president has stooped so low as to build houses for poor people?
I can imagine Paul arriving on the scene and asking, “What do you need me to do? I’ll try anything!” Such a person is a diamond, is worth his weight in gold in any organization but especially in God’s work.
Is that how you approach God’s work and your church? Are you the person who wants to straighten out everyone and everything or are you able to submit to their needs and fill the holes? The need is greater than the number of workers with the right attitude. And in the long run our attitude speaks as loudly as anything we will ever do!
More on stewardship tomorrow…
Dec 13, 2021 – Our one-year old grandson was recently playing with the toy of his three-year-old sister. She spied his activity from afar, hastily ran over, snatched the toy from his hands and yelled, “Mine!” Sound familiar? YES! Question: Do we ever really change?
People commonly say, “It is my life. It is my time. It is my money. My house. My car. My church. My ministry. My desire. My retirement. My children.” The rich man in Luke 12 spoke of “my barns, my crops, and my goods.” One of the 10 Commandments even addresses the sin of coveting. What is coveting? It is wanting more of the pie for ME! What is the businessman taught? “It’s a dog-eat-dog world. So eat them and take from them before they do it to you.”
Much of this coveting emphasis has carried into our Christian lives…and soured us in many respects. It has poisoned how we view life in general…and people in specific.
Ajith Fernando writes about today’s verse: “If Jesus, the Lord of all creation, could speak as he did about the Father owning the children, how much more should this be true of us. We do not own anyone, even our own children. They belong to God, and they have been entrusted to our care for a time. So our relationship with them could be described as STEWARDSHIP rather than OWNERSHIP. “ (Jesus Driven Ministry, pg. 160)
What is a steward? “A steward is one to whose care is committed the management of the household.” Jesus devoted a lengthy parable to explain our role as stewards in the kingdom of God (Matthew 25:14-30). I encourage you to take three minutes to read that passage today.
Stewardship living (viewing everything as belonging to God rather than us) is a much different way of living than what is pushed by Western society…and swallowed by us. It is what I describe as vertical living (everything in my possession is borrowed for a short time from the hand of God) versus horizontal living (everything in my possession is mine and primarily for my distribution or enjoyment).
Wonder which will make us freer and less stressed? Stewardship living draws from God’s bank account called grace, lives by faith rather than sight or emotions, trusts and obeys in even the darkest hour, treats everything and everyone as God’s rather than ours, and brings everything and everyone in our personal universe into the right eternal perspective…that this world will soon pass away but he that does the will of God will abide forever…and part of doing the will of God is planting God in the lives of those around us. It is heavenly living in an earthly world.
Let us pray for more than a vocabulary change. Let us pray for an attitude change into that of a steward of our heavenly Father.
Dec 11, 2021 – “Tell me what jokes you laugh at and I will know your heart. Tell me what you watch on tv and what you read and I will know your heart.”
Those words were uttered by the evangelist during a revival meeting to a crowd of church going people who carried their Bibles to church, tithed, never missed a service…and when he said those words the place became as quiet as a tomb. Wonder why? Ah, you’re a great guesser! You should be on Jeopardy.
It is true there are no perfect Christians and even the best of us are inconsistent at times. That includes me…and you (if you disagree we could ask your spouse or kids).
However, today’s verse should call our attention again to a very important subject: our relationship with the wicked, worthless, unholy activities and temptations that exist in the world of darkness. David sang today’s verse, including the entire song, in the Lord’s sanctuary during a church service. It is a very powerful song that we ought to sing, too. The song offers a positive response to God’s call to a life of personal holiness, shunning sin, “avoiding even the appearance of sin”—doing so not with a legalistic attitude but with an attitude that such things will insult the indwelling Holy Spirit, hinder His work in us, and restrict God’s power in us for effective Christian ministry.
“Take the high road!” said the holy man of God to the new convert, “and you will enjoy the presence of God in a mighty way.” Another said, “Give me a clean drinking glass! God asks us to give Him the same: a clean heart for His service!”
Jonathan Edwards, often credited with preaching the greatest sermon in American history (“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”) writes, “I went on with my eager pursuit after more holiness and conformity to Christ. The heaven I desired was a heaven of holiness.”
Robert Murray McCheyne adds, “Study universal holiness of life. Your whole usefulness depends on this for your sermons last but an hour or two; your life preaches all the week.”
“Take the high road!” Can anyone go wrong by choosing the high road?
Dec 10, 2021 – What a beautiful story! Mark describes an unnamed woman anointing the head of Jesus with an expensive “fragrant oil of nard.” Opposition was immediately voiced by some in attendance such as, “What a waste! This oil has been wasted for no purpose.” “The critics even scolded her for her seeming insensitivity and ignorance.
Jesus, though, silenced the critics with these words: “Leave her alone. She has done a noble thing. She has done what she could. She has anointed my body in advance for burial.”
We will undoubtedly meet this woman in heaven, but may we also meet her today? She lives all around us. We minister with her at church. Perhaps at work also. She is the person who does what she can for the cause of Christ.
“She has done WHAT she could.” What, however, is the WHAT? Of course, the context defines the “what” as the perfume. However, Jesus says it in such a way (“what” rather than perfume) that it is left open-ended, perhaps so we can apply the word in many ways in our present day. Why? Because we too can be the woman!
Bengle appropriately notes regarding “what”: “An abbreviated mode of expression; i.e. What she had, she has freely bestowed; and what she could, she hath done; or else, what she had [it in her power] to do, she hath done.”
Two items stand out: 1) She worshipped Christ with all that was within her capability. Quite honestly, that was a lot. The fragrance was likely worth more than the combined bank accounts of the apostles and Jesus. It was an outstanding gift of worship. It is clear she felt Christ deserved her best. By contrast, the rich young ruler walked away and kept his best! Thus, this woman challenges me to look closer at my own life. Am I giving Him my best? He certainly deserves my best, but do I love Him enough to do so?
2) Even she was limited in what she could do. This is also true for you and me as ministers. One famous Hollywood movie reminds us, “A man has to know his limitations.” There are no perfect pastors, missionaries, evangelists, teachers, greeters, administrators, singers, musicians, helpers, or treasurers. There are just us…people that can do only what we can do. We need to embrace that fact as part of God’s design rather than frustrate ourselves trying to be someone that our design won’t allow. In addition, we need to cut people some slack, especially our dedicated workers who try so hard but sometimes fall short of what we hoped or expected. After all, they, too, are limited.
Each one of you has a God-given ministry of your own. Question: Is it really your ministry or have you surrendered that ministry back to the Lord and made it His ministry? Have you ever had a private dedication service of your own where you laid your ministry upon the altar of God? Where you prayed, “All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I freely give, I will ever love and trust Him, In His presence daily live”?
Here is why that is so significant: If the ministry now belongs to God, isn’t it God’s right to use that ministry as He decides best? Today’s text does not deny that these people had important ministries. But it does indicate they were not there to see the final result (“none of them received all that God had promised”).
These people were like the bottom floors in a 100-story skyscraper. One person’s ministry was to construct the first floor, someone else the fifth floor, but their ministries were long gone by the time the 100th floor was finished. They had a ministry but it was not the ministry that would exist when everything reached its fullest potential.
But could the ministry have reached its fullest potential without them? No. After all, can you have a 100th floor without a first floor or a second floor? Which floor then is the most important floor? Is it the floor when the project reaches its final stage? Or is it the floor when the project begins? Obviously, every floor is equally important because every floor builds upon the other floor.
Maybe your ministry doesn’t look like much right now. Ah, the issue is not what it looks like now but what it will look like when God brings it to its fullest potential somewhere down the road.
That ministry may reach its fullest potential while you are still involved with it. On the other hand it may reach its fullest potential after you are dead and gone.
Are you content to be a building block for someone else’s ministry? Will anyone be able to stand upon your own ministry?
Unfortunately, some people won’t do anything unless they can be in the finale and get the glory…they have not yet surrendered their ministry to God. Hebrews 11 indicates God is not concerned about who is on the 100th floor or the first floor; God is just interested in the ministry getting done.
Will your faith accomplish that for the glory of God?
Dec 7, 2021 – Let’s continue our study on what ministering in faith really means. Insight #2 -Obey when I don’t understand it.
A teacher asked his class, “What is faith?” A woman answered, “I’m ignorant, but I believe faith is taking God at His word.”
The Bible describes God as the “only wise God.” “Wise beyond measure!” That means God is the only Person who is wise enough to never make a single mistake. Rest assured, God is wise enough to not make His first mistake with you either.
Today’s verse says, “God called Abraham to a land which he should later receive as his inheritance and he obeyed and he went forth NOT KNOWING where God was leading him.” Abraham is a classic example of obeying when we don’t understand.
Abraham was about 75 years old at this time. One preacher said that God asked Abraham to give up all of his security at an age when he should have been getting Social Security! The really scary part is God gave Abraham no details. Here is how the conversation probably went.
God: “Abraham, I want you to pack your bags and go to a different land.” Abraham: “Where are we going?” God: “You’ve never heard of it so there’s no reason to tell you.” Abraham: “How long is it going to take?” God: “You’ll find out.” Abraham: “How will I know when I get there?” God: “I’ll let you know!”
Amazingly, Abraham was satisfied with that explanation. Abraham said, “Ok, Lord.” He then packed his bags and went out, not having any idea where he would end up!
Point: God is not nearly as interested in you understanding Him as He is in you obeying Him!
Has God called you into a ministry? Absolutely. Every born again child of God has been called to some sort of ministry. Have you identified that ministry? Are you being obedient to that ministry? Are you personally helping people to become more like Jesus?
You say, “I am trying but sometimes I feel like I am totally worthless!” My friend, remember this: Your ministry will always depend more on faith than on you! That’s why you need to obey God’s call for your life even though you may not understand it.
Dec 3, 2021 – Men who believe. Women who believe. Children who believe. Belief in God, belief in God’s Word, believe in God’s Savior, belief in God’s way is a life-changing belief. Do you ever wonder how different your life would be without such faith? The old axiom is true: You are what you believe. Each one of us is a product of what we truly believe.
If we lack the Christian graces it is because of what we believe, or, more appropriately, choose not to believe. If we are a strong Christian possessing a Christian worldview it is because of what we believe.
Hebrews 11 clearly demonstrates what faith produces in a person’s life. One’s gender does not matter nor does one’s age matter. Faith transforms instantaneously through the repentance aspect of salvation but also gradually through a lifetime of Christian growth or sanctification. We keep growing because we keep faithing or believing. Yes, it transforms like nothing else can do. And others take notice and are drawn to God by such faith.
Someone wrote this testimony about Charles Haddon Spurgeon a few weeks after his death:
“He believed. Everything was a reality. When he was in his study, when he went into the pulpit—everything was a reality. He stood as God’s representative to man and as man’s representative to God. The man who believes every word he says is a power. God works sometimes through narrow-minded men, sometimes through weak men, but always through men who believe.”
Let us believe, too. And may God use our belief to bring others to Him.
Dec 2, 2021 – For what and whom should I pray? Am I identifying the right items or missing some items? In his book Jesus Driven Ministry, Ajith Fernando points out the overall prayer pattern of the Apostle Paul. It might be beneficial to compare your prayer scheme with Paul’s.
1.One prayer request was very general in nature. “Brothers, pray for us” (1 Thess. 5:25), i.e. “when you pray remember me!” Paul depended upon the prayers of others…as do you and I. We need prayer partners!
2.Paul asks five times for prayer for his deliverance from prison or from enemies (Rom. 15:31; 2 Cor. 11:1; Phil. 1:19; 2 Thess. 3:2; Philemon 22). Enemies often devote their time and energy to injuring us. Living for the cross stirs them up like stirring a hornet’s nest. Your prayer partners can lift the situation to the throne of heaven. Don’t hesitate in asking for their prayers!
3.Paul asks for prayer that words may be given him to fearlessly proclaim the gospel of Christ (Eph. 6:19-20). Boldness is essential to a good witness but the flesh is weak. We need empowered…and the prayers of others provide empowerment. The prayer to “Go forth in the power of God” is the best garment anyone can provide for a fellow minister.
4.Paul asks for clarity in proclaiming the message (Col. 4:4). Don’t forget: A clear understanding of the message is important, too. You can’t explain what you don’t understand. We should pray for the ability to articulate what we know…and ask others to pray about this, too. Paul said, “I would rather speak five words and be understood than a million words that leave everyone with a question mark.”
5.Paul asks for prayer help that he might experience open doors for evangelistic opportunity (Col. 4:3). Paul liked to go where no missionary had previously gone. Who had his back? Many prayer warriors!
6.Paul asks for believers to pray that the gospel may spread rapidly and be honored (2 Thess. 3:1). We should pray for God to water the gospel seed that you (and others) have sown in the hearts of people.
The power of prayer is the greatest power known to man. It is us calling upon our God because we recognize our strength is in Him. Paul knew that. I know that and so do you. Take a few moments to review the above six steps and integrate them into your prayer ministry.
Dec 1, 2021 – Why didn’t God do what I prayed? Ajith Fernando (“Jesus Driven Ministry”) has written a masterful analysis about faith praying that may help you understand why God sometimes overrides your requests. He writes,
“The key to our prayer requests should be asking in faith. Some people define faith as believing that God will give them everything they ask. I have heard people rebuke those who added, ‘if it is your will,’ to a prayer for the healing of a sick person. (Mine: See today’s verse…such people have problems with the Bible also saying “according to His will”) On the contrary, faith is wholeheartedly submitting to God’s will with the firm assurance that God knows what is best for us.
“When we demand something from God without at the same time asking whether our request is right or wrong, we are not asking in faith. Those who demand things from God in this way may get what they want, but they could harm themselves for they have defied the sovereignty of God. Those who ask in faith may not get what they ask for, but that does NOT DISTRESS THEM. They know that the sovereign God knows what is best, and he will answer their prayers in the best way possible. Even if they cannot understand why something is best, faith rests on the assurance that God knows what is best.”
I remember my grandfather’s words from nearly forty years ago. “Be careful, grandson, what you ask for. God may give it to you.” The unspoken thought was such an answer from God may actually hurt me in the long run. Indeed, there have been times when I would have strangled if God had said, “Yes.” Due to my immaturity, I would have been trying to drink water from a fire hose! Not good! Nor good for the people I may have brought with me into such a mess.
James cautions, “You ask and don’t receive because you ask wrongly…for the wrong motive that you may spend it on your desires for pleasure” (James 4:3).
Perhaps we should pray today a prayer of thanksgiving…thanking God for not always giving us our way. Then follow that prayer with a prayer of thanksgiving that He truly wants what is best for us to grow and be like Him!
Nov 30, 2021 – Thomas Ken was an Anglican bishop in the late 17th century. He was a man of strong beliefs and strong convictions. For example, he was imprisoned for refusing to publish documents in support of Roman Catholicism. He also refused to allow the king’s mistress, not the king’s wife but his mistress, to spend the night in his home. (Sounds like a good man to me!) Ken also refused to support the reign of King William. That decision cost him greatly; the authorities punished him by taking away his role as bishop. Ken died in poverty in 1711.
But Ken wrote something which has been sung by practically all of us. It was titled, “Awake, my soul, and with the sun.” A strange title. You say, “I have never sung the song, ‘Awake, my soul, and with the sun,” but I say that you have sung part of the song.
The last verse goes like this: “Praise God from Whom all blessings flow, Praise Him all creatures here below; Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts, Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.” Thus, the Doxology was born.
Have you ever noticed victorious Christians are also praising Christians? The two seem joined at the hip. Perhaps that is because praising Christians know Who truly deserves the praise, the honor and the glory: ie. It is God. Thus, they live a life of praise…and victory results from their close, even intimate walk with God.
The Psalms express such an attitude. Today’s verse speaks of David’s confidence regarding the Whom that deserves praise. David happens to be the king of Israel but does he draw attention to himself or to any of his marvelous achievements? The answer is no. His heart is filled with complete confidence that his God deserves his praise, adoration, time, obedience, finances and service.
One of the reasons many Christians fail in the Christian life is they lack such confidence. How? Their lack of personal time with God leads to a lack of praise or heartfelt respect toward God which results in a lack of victory because they do not depend IN CONFIDENCE upon the strength of the Lord. Instead, they are like the automobile that is huffing and puffing on fumes…the fumes of their own accomplishments and ability.
How strong are you in your Christian life? Strength does not come from merely singing The Doxology. It comes from EXPERIENCING the Doxology and allowing that experience to permeate every part of your being. It is not merely acknowledging God is big, even really big, but living in His overwhelming presence and EXPERIENCING that He is really as big as He says. Take time to read the Psalms. Look at Who occupies David’s thoughts and the spirit in which David writes about the Who. And then take the time to let those words of adoration, worship and praise sink into your very being.
Nov 29, 2021 – The words appeared this morning: “Every woman faces one major challenge in life: either she is married to it or she gives birth to it.” Those humorous words caused my wife to laugh…and even me to chuckle though I am on the other end of the joke! But there is much truth in the words. Life presents an awesome series of challenges. And people, both male and female of all ages, represent a high percentage of those challenges.
The story of Joseph, son of Jacob, is an inspiring tale of a man who refused to be overcome by “people challenges.” His OWN brothers sold him into slavery. Oh, how they despised him! He was declared dead by the same flesh and blood…and they probably hoped he was dead! Joseph arrived in Egypt and became a steward in the house of a military officer known as Potiphar. Things began to look up! But not for long. Potiphar’s wife brought a false accusation of attempted rape against Joseph and he was sentenced to prison. Joseph later helped the king’s cupbearer…and was owed a favor in return but the cupbearer totally forgot him. The result: Joseph was still in prison.
These three challenges were caused by people. Quite honestly, some people are just difficult people and seemingly enjoy being difficult people. It is estimated that difficult people make up 20-40% of the adult population. That’s a bunch of people!
Someone defined difficult people as those who must stand on their head in order to smile. Ouch! Such difficult people have a way of making life difficult for the rest of us. Such difficulties led the comedian Victor Borge to say, “Santa Claus has the right idea—visit people only once a year!” Double ouch! Our church custodian once whispered to me, “Deacon so-and-so is grumbling about the grumblers.” Triple ouch!
Joseph’s greatest challenge in life was dealing with such people. He could have become bitter, withdrawn, resentful, arrogant, and actually a challenge himself. After all, he was human. But he drew near to God and God gave him a soft heart toward people. The story ends with Joseph graciously opening Egypt to care for the same family that sold him into slavery.
My father said to me as a young minister, “Keep a soft heart for as long as you can.” Dad knew ministry is not easy. We need help to minister to people. God’s cure is the filling, fulness and fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-24) to continually transform us.
Did someone ruffle your feathers today? Or yesterday? Well, join the club. We’ve all been there and done that…because ministry is to people. Jesus understands because He has been there, too. After all, people crucified Him. Yes, He thoroughly understands this part of ministry. Take Him by the hand and pray today for more grace to keep on keeping on. In so doing you can develop the qualities of a Joseph!!!
Nov 26, 2021 – How solid are you? Are you steadfast, always abounding in the work of the Lord? Can you be counted on? Do you run when trouble comes? Do you treasure depth of spirituality and character? Will your current habits make you a stronger Christian ten years from now?
Something strange is happening throughout Christianity that is very troubling to all of us who love God’s Word and God’s church. Steven Lawson says, “Too many choose a church by style over substance, drama over doctrine, and entertainment over exposition.” For instance, few choose a church after determining such a church will help them develop into a Great Commission Christian—God’s goal for each of His children (Matthew 28:18-20). Few choose a church based upon, “Hey! They major on what the Bible says in this church!”
An old woman toured one of the great cathedrals in Europe. The guide extolled the magnificent architecture and spoke of the many dignitaries buried on the church property. Finally, the tourist blurted, “That’s nice to know, sonny, but has anyone been saved around here lately?” She went to the heart of the matter: we exist to fulfill the Great Commission and bring the world to know Christ as Lord and Savior. Our ministry’s primary goal is to sow Christ!
How is your growth trajectory into that kind of Christian? Also, are you helping others grow into God’s goal for them? Both questions are good questions to help you accurately answer the questions in the first paragraph.
As time passes there will be less and less people that are solid enough to be counted on to do the work of God. But what about you? We need you, yea, desperately need you. And YOU need to be such a person just as much as we need you.
Take some time to think through who you are, your stage of faithfulness and development, and whether Lawson’s words may have application to you. (Note: It is a pitiful sign when the best attendance is at the church dinners, not the Bible teachings or prayer sessions.) Don’t allow yourself to drift with the tide. But become someone that is able to resist the tide, even push through the tide to become stronger, more reliable, and more useful for the Master’s service.
Nov 23, 2021 – On August 6, 1999 a major league baseball player stepped up to home plate in Montreal and made another out—the 5,113th out of his professional career. If a player made all of those outs consecutively and he averaged four bats per game, he would play eight seasons (1,278 games straight) without ever reaching first base.
Was the player discouraged by his performance? No. Earlier in the same game he reached a milestone that only twenty-one other people (at that time) in baseball had achieved. He had reached 3,000 base hits. His name? Tony Gwynn of the San Diego Padres, one of the purest hitters to ever play baseball.
But, lest we forget, Tony had also failed 5,113 times.
We fail, too. So did the Apostle Peter, the man who walked on water, proclaimed Jesus as the Christ, preached the great sermon on Pentecost, and opened the New Testament era to the Gentiles. That’s big stuff. Bigger than anything I have done or you will do. And yet God tells us of Peter’s failures, too. Peter is guilty of a great failure in today’s text. He denied knowing the Lord not once, not twice but three times then in humiliation left the proceedings and “wept bitterly.”
I wish life was filled with success after success, how about you? Pats on the back are much preferred over disapproving looks. But life is not like that. Sometimes we think about walking away but to where? More often than not we are responsible for our failure rather than our environment. We can try but we can never run from us. As long as we breathe we will have to deal with our failures.
Peter was still failing as late as Galatians chapter two. In that chapter Paul essentially labeled Peter a hypocrite…ouch! But, lest we forget, there are two books in the Bible named for Peter. And lots and lots of substantial successes.
It is true no one should ignore his failures. Such ignorance would only lead us to repeat the same failures over and over again. However, failures don’t mean the end…they’re simply another step in life…and ministry. 99.9999% of our failures will be followed by another opportunity for success. It may not be the same opportunity but there will be more opportunities.
So don’t quit. Don’t stop trying. Don’t give up on yourself or the ministry (surprise! perhaps God is bringing another person’s name to your mind at this time and that person needs today’s devotional). Just dust yourself off, take the matter to God and be thankful you get to try again. After all, God loves you enough to let you try again and to ultimately succeed again.
Nov 22, 2021 – Glutzon Borglum, the sculptor who carved Mount Rushmore, was asked if the giant faces were perfect. He replied that the nose of George Washington was a half inch too long, but he quickly added, “It will erode to exactly the right length in 10,000 years so be patient.”
One of the most important ingredients to a better ministry is patience. We live in a fly-by-night age when people, even God’s people, bounce here, there, back again then everywhere. Progress is measured in one step forward, two steps back, three steps forward and three steps back then… We are often disappointed by the apparent lack of steady progress in people. We think, “I’m growing but why aren’t they? They seem to be stuck in a rut and aren’t developing.”
It’s incredibly frustrating. That’s why God keeps reminding us that patience in ministry is a virtue. (It will also help preserve your sanity!)
The principle underlying the God’s Greenhouse ministry is 1 Corinthians 3:6-9, Matthew 13:18-23, Isaiah 55:11 and many other verses which stress the importance of patience…of sowing, watering then allowing God the necessary time to develop the seed. One teacher said, “Do not think grace will come to its full beauty in an hour.” How true!
But God’s Word WILL accomplish what He pleases. Just as it takes decades to build an oak tree so it takes decades on ALL people. The child that attends your Vacation Bible School may not receive Christ until becoming an old adult. The non-growing Christian may not put it all together and really grow until many years have passed. But your sowing effort will be part of God’s process to reach that person.
Are you discouraged? Read again today’s text. Then resolve to let God finish His work in YOU so He can then finish His work in OTHERS through you.
Nov 20, 2021 – Moses, at the age of 80, acknowledges in today’s verse that man at his best is still nothing but a man. Speaking for myself, I can compare myself with many things, including God, but in many ways the “Me Test” is the most disappointing evaluation of all.
The results in the “Me Test” prove I do not even measure up to my own expectations. I still make mistakes, even some mistakes that fall into the sin category. It is true that I have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, but it is also true that I have sinned, made mistakes, and fallen short of my own expectations. This knowledge humbles me greatly.
Am I alone in this knowledge? I don’t think so. I have failed, you have failed, and that means we both need to walk humbly, always cognizant of the Bible warning that, “whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). The warning is appropriate because falling is very human.
My wife and I recently discussed a famous artist. (We were in a home which owned some of the artist’s works.) My wife researched the artist on the internet then reported, “According to this website that artist died from alcohol intoxication.” This one who was on top had come down . . . all the way down. The same cycle is repeated on a regular basis in life. No matter how important we may be, we are still apt to fail.
Someone wrote, “To be humble is also to recognize that you’re going to make mistakes, but that you can learn from those mistakes and do better. When you lose that humility, mistakes always become someone else’s fault.”
Life teaches all of us there will always be someone who can do it better than us.
So why try? Ah, we try because not only is God’s grace greater than our sin but also His power is greater than our weakness. Erring Peter grew into an understanding of that truth. So did Abraham, Moses, Jonah, Paul, and…can you add your name here?
Keep trying. It’s the stuff ministry is made of.
Nov 18, 2021 – Brother Lawrence writes, “I cannot imagine how religious persons can live satisfied without the practice of the Presence of God.”
Yet many try that approach to life. Needless to say, they do not have an effective ministry because Jesus says, “Without Me you can accomplish nothing” (John 15:5). But you, dear reader, are probably not in their camp because they would not be interested in reading a devotional geared to a better ministry. They are seeking something else.
Perhaps we should ask, “How can I make sure I don’t become like them?” Re-read Brother Lawrence’s quote at the beginning of today’s devotional then ask yourself, “What is the key?” May I answer? The key is knowing the identity of whose Presence we seek. After all, He is not a normal person. He is the Creator, but yea, much more than the Creator. “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Lily of the Valley, Alpha and Omega, the Self-Existent One” plus so much more. Quite honestly, words fail to adequately describe Him.
In today’s verse Andrew has found someone uniquely special…someone special enough that he wants others to meet that person. Andrew tells Simon, “We have found…who? The Messiah! The long-anticipated Messiah of the Old Testament is now within reach! Not merely a prophet or a general or a king but the Messiah! God’s Anointed One is here!”
Can you imagine the joy, the excitement, the incredible enthusiasm associated with his discovery? I urge you to reread the verse. Andrew’s words are all-consuming and have captured all of his heart. Everything else is secondary. He is infatuated, overwhelmed with his discovery. He is like the town crier.
One way to refresh your ministry is to refresh your opinion of the One Whom you serve. And the best way to do so is to read about Him in one of the four gospels. No one can read the gospels without experiencing Him…hearing Him…watching Him…knowing Him. He is truly one of a kind and we need to be constantly reminded of that. Let me encourage you to read one of the gospel accounts in its entirety during the next week. (How about a lunch break at work?) Then another gospel. Last, add such a reading to your monthly calendar so you program such a reading into your schedule. You don’t want to lose sight of Him!
Nov 16, 2021 – John Chrysostom, an early church father, insists, “The root of all evil rests in ignorance and from imperfect acquaintance with the Holy Scriptures.”
For Christ, there is Antichrist. For true prophets, there are false prophets. For true apostles, there are false apostles. For wheat, there are tares. For the Holy Spirit, there are unclean spirits. For sheep, there are wolves in sheep’s clothing. How do we tell the genuine from the spurious? For this, we need the illumination ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Without question, we live in a world of ignorance and an imperfect acquaintance with the Holy Scriptures (Romans 10:3, Ephesians 4:18, 2 Peter 3:5). We must remember the Bible is a spiritual book with a spiritual Author communicating spiritual truth to the spiritual component of man. It exists on a higher level than man’s natural capability; therefore, man needs a higher teacher. Thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit—the One of whom Jesus promised “will teach you all things.”
One of my members often brought me questions on a sheet of paper for an after-church question-and-answer session. He encountered these questions during his Bible study. Things that were simple to me were difficult to him. We always had a great discussion; indeed, it was personally gratifying to me when the dawn of realization (aka, the lightbulb came on which is another way of saying illumination had occurred) crossed his face. I taught in words but the Holy Spirit did the real communicating.
Do the scriptures sometimes read like a foreign language to you? Read on! And pray on! Invite the Holy Spirit to come and teach you personally. EVERY Bible student encounters those moments when an oft-read scripture suddenly takes on a new life, not because the Bible reads differently but because the Holy Spirit has opened our mind to more of God’s truth. Despite our many hours of study, there are depths in the Bible which no person has ever plowed. Thus, you do the study, let God do the teaching, and the study will indeed become illuminating!
Nov 12, 2021 – “I will go to sleep down here and wake up in glory!” David said with perfect confidence, “I WILL see your face.” The question is not, will it happen for the believer but when will it happen?
For the first time in our lives, it will now be said: By God’s grace, we’ve made it! Truly made it! We’re finally home! The journey is over. Faith has now become sight. Hope has now become reality. The unknown has now become known. The confusion has now become clear.
Fear is gone, hurt is gone, pain is gone, rejection is gone, illness is gone, death is gone, the devil is gone, temptation is gone, confession of sin is gone, confusion is gone, war is gone, lusting is gone, crying and tears are gone, wickedness is gone, separation of friends is gone, failure is gone, hunger and thirst are gone, criticism is gone, night is gone, lies are gone, being alone and standing alone are gone. They are “no more.”
Instead, glory is here, peace is here, health is here, friends are here, the saints of old are here, Jesus Himself is here and is pleased to call us His brothers and sisters, holiness is here, rest for the soul is here, godliness is here, the fruit of the Spirit is here, Surely Goodness and Mercy are here, full obedience is here, the tree of life is here, unrestrained worship is here, a new name is here, everyone agreeing is here, the law of God reigns here, the truth is here, righteousness is here, life’s answers are here, acceptance is here, victory is here, a new heaven and new earth in which dwelleth righteousness are here. We are finally home!
Might I suggest you look at the “fear is gone” paragraph and identify two categories that you most want to be gone. Indeed, they will soon be gone. Then look at the “glory is here” paragraph and identify the two categories that you will most enjoy. Indeed, they will soon be here…be no longer a promise but a reality.
As for me I am sure I will be satisfied. How about you?
Nov 11, 2021 – John Maxwell taught us in a seminar, “Your attitude determines your altitude.” That truth was exemplified for us yesterday. We looked at buying a house close to our youngest daughter. The house had the correct footage and an acceptable lot but it sure lacked in the “tlc” category. It seemed the owner did not appreciate what he owned; therefore, the lack of proper maintenance will be a headache for the seller and, if any, buyer. We did not even consider placing a bid. The results would have been different, though, if the owner had shown proper care for the house.
Christians are often guilty of the same thing: We fail to appreciate what God has done for us and what He is currently doing for us and in us. Today’s verse applies to our 24 hour a day attitude but let’s zero in on how we approach a normal church service. Most churches, despite COVID, provide numerous opportunities for people to “enter the gates of God’s church with thanksgiving…with PRAISE” and have a life-transforming experience.
Imagine how blessed we are with the opportunity of even one church service. We, unlike those who never hear in certain parts of the world, have the awesome opportunity to learn the truth. The very Word of God—not the word of man or the preacher—will be shared with us. The Holy Spirit will move among us and speak to the hearts of INDIVIDUAL people including each one of us. We will lift our voices in song to our God, praise Him for His greatness, and celebrate His presence in our lives. We will receive encouragement from others of like beliefs and that encouragement will help us stand tall during the coming week. We will be part of a unified prayer experience, an experience wherein we can both share the concerns of our heart and hear the concerns of others. Thank God, we are not alone! Our financial giving will combine with the giving of others to help keep the lights on so the community has a place to meet God…and some of those funds will be directed to do the same in the uttermost parts of the earth.
Unfortunately, though, many people will not make the most of that church service or even give it a half-effort. One conservative pastor moaned to a friend, “I pastor a liberal church.” The friend was aghast because he knew the convictions of the pastor. The pastor explained, “I give everything I can to my people and they give it away…let it leak out. They don’t do anything with it. They just give it back.”
This writer is driven by a compulsion to make the most of every service. I try not to give a second-hand effort to my God or the people. I truly WANT my God to do something in my life and the lives of others in every service. After all, God is speaking in every service. Someone’s future may be hinging on that specific service. Can I therefore give it less than my best?
Every service can help me know Him better and serve Him better. That’s the kind of experience I need. What about you?
Nov 10, 2021 – One of the great church controversies occurred in A.D. 300. A man named Arius taught that Jesus was like God but was not actually God. Unfortunately, many people followed Arius in that heresy.
But there was another preacher who stood up to Arius. His name was Athanasius. Athanasius taught that Jesus is deity, is God in human flesh…is indeed the Sovereign Lord of the universe.
The people said to Athanasius, “The whole world is against you.”
Athanasius replied, “Then it is I, Athanasius, against the whole world.” He stood his ground and others stood with him.
The Council of Nicaea took place twenty-five years later and settled the issue once and for all that Jesus is God in human flesh. Quite honestly, it doesn’t matter what the Council of Nicaea says…it doesn’t matter what Swartzwelder says…it doesn’t matter what you say or anyone else says. All that matters is what God says. Let there be no doubt about it today: Jesus Christ is the Sovereign Lord…the Master of this entire universe.
Make Him the center of your ministry!
Nov 9, 2021 – Children have memorized today’s verse for generations. It is just as important for us adults, too! My pastor father taught me in my early days, “Preaching on hell will get the people’s attention, but preaching on the love of God will get their hearts.” He was right!
Driven by curiosity, I checked twenty-eight translations of 1 John 4:8; twenty-seven translations use the same three identical words, “God is love.” The fourth (Douay-Rheims Bible used in Catholic churches) uses a synonymous expression, “God is charity.” Charity, of course, is the old English word for love. The point is well taken: God is love. (The Greek word is “agape”—the highest form of love possible.)
Do we truly comprehend the meaning of those three words? No, despite all of our study, I fear we barely scratch the surface of their meaning. “God is love” expresses the very heartbeat of God. Many of the early religions depicted their deity as a God who abused, even tormented man, found great delight in creating misfortune and misery for all of creation. However, our God stands apart from those deities. Our God even loved us so much that He gave His precious Son to die for our awful sins in order to save us from the judgment to come. There is no better way to describe such a God than to say, “God is love.” And the best part of all is He loves me, my family and you.
A father and son stood on a hilltop. The father directed his son’s attention to the different landscape which existed in all four directions. He then waved his arm, turned completely around as if indicating everything in every direction, and said, “Son, God’s love is as big as all of that.”
The son immediately replied, “Then, Father, we must be in the middle of it!”
Where else would you rather be than in the middle of God’s love?
Nov 8, 2021 – Mosie Lister writes, “I woke up this morning feeling fine I woke up with heaven on my mind. I woke up with joy in my soul ’cause I knew my Lord had control.” Just curious: what were your FIRST thoughts this morning? “Good Lord, it’s morning!” or “Good morning, Lord!” or somewhere in between. For some of us the morning does not yet exist until we have been “awake” an hour, had our coffee or soft drink, showered, dressed and somehow dragged ourselves to work.
This pastor has always been more of a night owl than a morning sprinter. My wife is the opposite. But we have the same God because He is always available. “He who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps” (Ps. 121:4). God is not like me…nor you. God never takes a walk to clear His mind. God never takes a vacation to get away from caring for us. God never says, “Keep it down! I can’t hear Myself think!” God never gets sick and delegates His responsibilities to someone else. God won’t be laid aside by Covid, cancer, sleep deprivation, or flu. God has never even taken a Tums!
My God was present when I awoke this morning. He was awake with me a few nights ago when the rest of the world was asleep but I could not sleep. He’ll be with me when I visit a doctor later this week (He won’t be late either). In summary, my God is always there even if I am not wide awake…not mentally with it.
He will be there when I get old and cannot remember your name or face. He’ll be there when I come to muddy Jordan. And He will be there when I awaken in glory!
What were your first thoughts this morning? They may not have been about Him but He was there for you. Give Him praise today!
Nov 6, 2021 – I recall watching a much-advertised Oprah television show which dealt with the subject, “What is my purpose in life?” The show featured many so-called experts. They gabbed and gabbed (my jargon for “saying nothing meaningful”). After fifty-nine minutes of nothingness, Oprah finished with, “What is your purpose in life? You will need to figure it out on your own.”
Think through what she said. In other words, you will first have to develop your own process for determining your purpose. Then you’ll have to adjust your process based upon trial and error. Then you’ll . . . do you get the picture? Mankind’s reasoning is, “What works for you may not work for me!” The Greek language has a specific word for that line of reasoning. It is, Bologna! How foolish is such thinking!
By contrast, the Bible is described as a “lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105) The Apostle Paul said, “All, or every single scripture is given by inspiration of God with the result that it is suitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. By following the holy scriptures, the servant of God will be thoroughly and completely prepared to do God’s work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
I can conclude from those, and other, scriptures that the Bible gives me a proven process that will help me achieve God’s goal for my life. I don’t have to invent the process any more than I must invent the wheel. God has freely given the process in His Word! The process doesn’t need adjustment. After all, how can I improve on anything God says?
There may be times when the storms of life batter my soul and I nearly lose hope. I may not see the results that I want to see. The devil may even seem to have the upper hand. But in those desperate hours the Bible will still read the same; that means God’s process will still be the same.
Nov 5, 2021 – A man was struck by a bus on a busy New York City street. The dying man gasped, “A priest! Somebody get me a priest.”
A man stepped out of the crowd and said, “I’m not a priest. But for fifty years now I have lived behind St. Mary’s church and every night I have listened to the church. Maybe I can be of comfort to this man.”
The man then knelt down beside the dying man and said in a very solemn voice, “B – 4, I – 19, N –38, G –54, O – 72.” What was the man calling out? Bingo numbers!
That humorous story has quite a bit of truth in it. Today’s man (including yesterday’s man) seems focused on insignificant items and totally misses the significant items such as preparing for eternity, filling the spiritual void in one’s heart, embracing real and genuine truth, building a life of eternal value, etc. The old sage said, “People are majoring on minors and minoring on majors.” How true!
Today’s verse describes who we were prior to our receiving Christ as Savior and being born again or, in Paul’s terminology in Ephesians 2, undergoing a spiritual resurrection. According to the Bible there are three senses in which people can be dead:
1.Dead physically – buried in a cemetery.
2.Dead spiritually – their spiritual senses have been deadened to the point that they cannot know God or experience God in their daily lives. They need a born again experience or spiritual resurrection.
3.Dead eternally – “Whoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”
Today’s verse focuses on Category #2 – dead spiritually. Those two words describe the unbeliever’s relationship with God. In brief, there is no relationship. That is why Jesus said, “I have come to seek and save that which is LOST.” Do you remember the day when you realized you were lost? Separated from God? Not a believer but actually an UNbeliever? Under God’s condemnation? Headed for a devil’s hell and eternal, unending death?
Take a few moments today to think about who you were…dead in your trespasses and sins. Think also about what would have happened if Jesus had not passed by your soul. Then thank Him again for His mercy and grace that “made you alive in Christ Jesus.”
Build your life around that truth…that reality. Keep it always in front of you: not only who you were but who you have now become and are still becoming. Share it with others in word, social media, etc. Support your church as a “life-giving station.” Support missionaries and be a missionary where God has placed you. Be a spiritual resurrection to others!
Nov 4, 2021 – What are we seeking to accomplish here? The overall purpose of these devotionals is to help you become a better minister of Jesus Christ. Some of that effort is internal—you learn more, apply more and thereby become more effective. I would hate to think I haven’t improved since my early days in 1976! But much of that effort is external—it is realizing you need God’s help and that God is willing to provide that help!
“Greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world.” “Without Me, you can do nothing.” “With men this is impossible but with God all things are possible.” Do you recall Mary’s words to Gabriel? “How can this be?” He responded, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you.”
Look closely at today’s verse. The words in purple represent the assignment. That’s a lot to do! There is an old axiom for bosses: if you need something done quickly give it to the busiest person you have…i.e. that person knows how to get things done. The words in purple will certainly keep a person busy. And that axiom holds true in kingdom work, too. (The more you do the more people will ask you to do.) In this case, the person was Jesus. Jesus quotes this Old Testament passage about Himself. We could discuss why the ministry begins with the poor rather than the rich…perhaps because they will be more receptive…but it is obvious ministry is directed not to people that can do something for you but to people who are often unable to do anything for you. Never forget Christianity is about giving, not receiving.
But you will be busy. And we can talk about how busy we are. YES, WE CAN! “LOOK AT WHAT I DO!” Which is the exact opposite of what we should be focusing our attention upon.
Ministry does not work if it is us doing the ministry. We need outside enablement. Thus, the most important part of today’s verse is the words in green. Is the Holy Spirit ministering through us? Do we have His christening or anointing for service? Have we prepared for service by beginning with Him? The verse BEGINS with Him, not ends with Him.
Richard Foster writes in Celebration of Discipline, “Preaching or teaching that comes forth because the living Head has called it forth breathes life into worship. Preaching that is without divine unction falls like a frost on worship. Heart preaching enflames the spirit of worship; head preaching smothers the glowing embers. There is nothing more quickening than Spirit-inspired preaching, nothing more deadening than human-inspired preaching.” (pg. 166)
Take some time today and everyday to bring the Holy Spirit into your ministry. He will make the difference!
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Nov 3, 2021 – Everyone knows how to build but not everyone has the discipline to build. A city salesman went out into the country and tried to sell some new farm equipment to a farmer. The salesman said, “If you will use this equipment, it will double your results.”
The farmer laughed and said, “I already know how to farm twice as good as I do.” That farmer is like many Christians who could have a powerful influence for the Lord but they lack the discipline to do so. For lack of a better word, they’re just lazy.
I wonder if Jude had someone in mind when he wrote, “Build yourselves constantly…how? By reading a cookbook. No. By watching the football game? No. Build yourself in your most holy faith.” It’s the same faith that was mentioned back in verse 3 where it has reference to the Christian faith. Not to your personal faith in God but to the body of doctrine or teachings that we believe. We use the word in that sense in the obituaries. Someone dies and the obituary says, “He was of the Baptist faith” or the “Methodist faith” or the “Pentecostal” faith. That statement tells us what the person believes. (Incidentally, you never read about anyone being of the “Atheist faith.” Isn’t that amazing?)
Notice it is a holy faith. Why? It is because it comes from a holy God. Above all, God has communicated to us what we are to believe. In other words, your daily faith for living is the result of THE CONTENT or FAITH SYSTEM you believe.
Never forget: You are what you believe and you act out what you really believe…not what you say you believe but what you really believe.
As for me I believe in a sovereign God. I believe in a wise God. I believe in a call to the ministry. I believe “Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.” I believe “he that winneth souls is wise.” I believe in tithing. I believe in prayer. I believe in attending church. That is why I am what I am. The more I study the more convinced I become that all of those things are true and worth fighting for.
I am building up myself in my holy faith and I am stronger today than I was ten years ago or twenty years or thirty years ago.
Can you say the same?
Nov 2, 2021 – Have you ever met someone whom you tried to save from choosing the wrong road? During my recent sermon study I opened one of my reference books and was surprised to find a newspaper obituary from 1986. I met the individual only once. He was young, age 21, and quite popular on campus.
He attended the ordination service for a new deacon in my first pastorate. He was a schoolmate of the deacon’s son and spent quite a bit of time in the deacon’s house. They knew each other quite well. They would often play Trivial Pursuit together.
Our deacon practiced today’s verse seven days a week. He truly lived Christ as best he knew how. He was genuine. This young man saw that Spirit-filled attitude in our deacon. The deacon was a walking witness by not only what he said but also by his standards.
This young man attended the deacon’s ordination then trusted Christ as his Savior a few weeks later at another church in September,1986. He died on November 30, 1986 in a car wreck driving home one night from church. His death was a horrible jolt to the community.
It would be easy to say the ordination service made the difference for him. After all, God sometimes speaks through events, whether bad or good. But I suspect God spoke to him through a lengthy process. That process included the lifestyle of our deacon and his wife. The young man saw and saw and saw…and he saw not perfection but genuineness. There is no question their testimony helped him accept Christ…just four weeks before he got the biggest surprise of his life and entered eternity.
Never forget what you are to stand for. Someone will always be watching