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What did you do yesterday?

02 Dec

What did you do yesterday?

1 John 2:6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

Take a look back at yesterday in your mind. Just for one day take a good look at your whole day. From the time you got up, until your head hit the pillow last night or early this morning. What were the activities; how were they prioritized? How was your conduct and speech throughout the day? At any point in the day could someone point to you and know that you are a Christian? Would everything yesterday point the opposite direction? These self exams can be a painful process that the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins. He puts mine in BOLD FONT when I humbly take these retrospectives. The Apostle John clearly states our daily duty as a follower of Christ in one simple sentence above.

My study Bible has the heading, “The Test of Knowing Him” for 1 John 2:3-11. These scriptures speak of keeping the commandments He has given us. 1 John 2:3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. The desire of your heart should be to emulate Christ. To be a better person today than you were yesterday. To show the love you have for Him to everyone at every opportunity. When you live with the first and greatest commandment sealed in your heart; this is your hearts desire. Luke 10:27 So he answered and said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ “ The last part of that scripture may be the hard part; loving others. In today’s selfish society showing love and grace can be difficult; but how difficult is it for God to do the same for us?

We will never live a life of perfection; we will fail in countless areas every day. Even when we seek to do good all day we are in constant battles of lust, envy, and great sins in our minds. It is not these sins that condemn us if we have a heart for God. God knows our heart, and knows if these are a battle we face, or a sin we hide. He knows our level of love for our fellow man, or how we hide it. Psalm 44:21 Would not God search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart. Pray for that desire; spend time in God’s Word; soak yourself in the things of God and you will begin to emulate Christ. At the root of it is love, and the deeper your love for Him, the more you will find you reflected Him yesterday and the days to come.

 
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Posted by on December 2, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Simple heart surgery

01 Dec

Simple heart surgery

Ezekiel 11:19-20   Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.

This text come from a vision that God gave the great prophet Ezekiel, known as the Temple Vision. God is pointing out the sin and His judgement on Israel to come. All throughout the history of Israel they are known as stubborn people; stiff-necked is the term used in the NKJV. Moses even pled to God to show mercy on them; again and again. Exodus 34:Then he said, “If now I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.” The central theme in this text in Ezekiel is the New Covenant that God made with us through Christ. Through Christ you gain a new heart.

You cannot remain the same if you claim Christianity. There must be a difference evident in your life. That heart change that you experienced upon Salvation is either fed and flourishes, or it is denied and questionable. We are called to become disciples of Christ, and that change of heart will produce a change of lifestyle. That change of lifestyle brings about discipleship for those in your circle of influence who want to know why. We are told how to live this life in Colossians 3:12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (ESV)

God warned Ezekiel in that same vision of those that continued to live for themselves and the world; of His judgement coming upon them. Ezekiel 11:21 But as for those whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their deeds upon their own heads, declares the Lord GOD.”(ESV) Have you truly changed your life since you claimed Christianity? Does anyone know that you have experienced this heart transplant with Christ? Was it a sincere plea for forgiveness of your sins and for Christ to become Lord over your life? Big hard questions…..but a very simple surgery.

 
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Posted by on December 1, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Adjustments

30 Nov

Adjustments

Daniel 4:14-15    He cried aloud and said thus: ‘Chop down the tree and cut off its branches, Strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts get out from under it, And the birds from its branches. 15 Nevertheless leave the stump and roots in the earth, Bound with a band of iron and bronze, In the tender grass of the field. Let it be wet with the dew of heaven, And let him graze with the beasts On the grass of the earth.

Yesterday clearly had a word for the day; it was pride. It seemed to come up in multiple conversations; it came up in me sharing of my shoulder and that part of my testimony, it came up in sermons; it even came up in school study last night in Daniel. King Nebuchadnezzar had rested on the pride of Babylon he built, but God had given him a dream. He had seen a great tree that had grown all the way to heaven, and he felt it had all been of his work, and not of God. God took him down and humbled him for seven years. He lost his kingdom, his mind, and he lived like an animal for seven years. But God restored his mind and his kingdom when Nebuchadnezzar humbled himself before God.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. I do believe pride is at the root of all sin. Even back to the Garden of Eden, the enticement by Satan came with the lure of pride; “you can be like God”.  Immediately after that came the fall of man into sin for eternity. Pride puffs us up, makes us think we are more than we are; right back to Satan in the Garden. That attitude must be at some time adjusted by God. The means of that adjustment is most likely in relation to the level of your pride. I know; He took a big piece of my pride in the removal of a shoulder muscle. It humbled me and put my eyes on Him. It brought me closer to Him as a result and I am thankful for that adjustment.

In the country in which I live, pride is at the root of it as a nation. You can do anything that you set your mind to; you only limitations are yourself; you can attain anything. This is the American Dream. This dream has invaded our churches today also. David Platt wrote an incredible book called Radical that will forever change your views on your life as a Christian. “We have taken the infinitely glorious Son of God; who endured the infinitely terrible wrath of God and who now reigns as the infinitely worthy Lord of all, and we have reduced him to a poor, puny Savior who is just begging for us to accept him.” Pride has creeped into our nations churches; and we must pray for God’s mercy on them. Isaiah 13:19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, The beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

 
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Posted by on November 30, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Tell them the truth

29 Nov

Tell them the truth

2 Timothy 4:3-4   For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

“Yea, I know but the truth hurts; I don’t want to embarrass them; I don’t want to hurt their feelings.” You need to tell them. Are you a true friend? True friends tell you the hard truths about yourselves; the painful things that are ignored otherwise. I sure wish at many times looking back on my life I had true friends to rescue me from painful circumstances. We so many times think we may be protecting someone by ignoring something, when in reality we are furthering the damage. These people in your life become the only ones in your life that matter, when truth is revealed.

Paul was trying to encourage Timothy to remain true to God’s Word and His Gospel. To preach the Truth at all times. Paul was so concerned that Timothy stay grounded, he emphasized this by using the word truth 11 times in his two short letters to Timothy. There were so many false teachers of that day that could lead others astray by filling their ears with what they wanted to hear. A feel good gospel; no pain all gain. Their is power in the conviction of the Holy Spirit; a power of  conviction and repentance of sin and change. The Apostle John speaks of this power; John 16:8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. 12 I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

Our society, even our churches have become soft; lacking the spine to take a stand and tell the truth. . Their is pain and consequences in this world; there is a need of the power of the Holy Spirit to tell us these truths that hurt as when a true friend does. Everything is not as it seems; everything must be revealed; everything may hurt. When we come to know the truth through sound doctrine and the power of the Spirit; there is spiritual growth within us. Paul commanded Timothy to remain grounded; to preach the whole truth, not just selected pieces that make the listeners feel good about themselves and life. 2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. “You cannot grow in Christ without pain”, Dr. Michael Youssef said yesterday in his radio broadcast. Do you only tell others what you think they want to hear? If so are you their friend?

 
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Posted by on November 29, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Only hard for a time

28 Nov

Only hard for a time

Job 1:1 “Is there not a time of hard service for man on earth? Are not his days also like the days of a hired man?

Are you playing the Powerball Lottery? Do you believe that that any sum of money would be the answers to all your problems, and the key to happiness? Do you know that statistics show that most lottery winners are bankrupt in 10 years? Matthew 19:24 scares me enough to keep me from playing. 24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” In my sin I believe I could be the person that could do both. 327 Million dollars would cause me to die in that prideful shame. Only through the distribution of that all that wealth to draw glory to Christ, could you be that camel. And pride would still creep in.

I am not feeling well. I should want to stay in bed and get some rest, but God called me to this ministry every morning. I get more than I can ever share from my daily time with God. I strive to persevere; to press on through it all; to draw glory to Christ  every day. I am just a pair of hands on a keyboard pointing you to Christ; nothing special, but everything in Him. 2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Christianity does not mean that life becomes a bed of roses. It means that you have an eternal hope placed in you to endure the temporal life here. In that hope comes strength to cope, to endure, to have joy, to share, to encourage, to persevere. Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. All that you face every day that tends to drag you down; Christ gives you the hope to lift you up. As we deal with life and the trials of it; I can only pray you are relying on that hope placed within you through Christ. I cannot imagine doing life without Christ in the world in which we live. You have a better chance of being struck by lightening, than winning the lottery.

 
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Posted by on November 28, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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You want me to what?

27 Nov

You want me to what?

Jeremiah 32:42-43 “For thus says the Lord: ‘Just as I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will bring on them all the good that I have promised them. 43 And fields will be bought in this land of which you say, “It is desolate, without man or beast; it has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans.”

The prophet Jeremiah was in prison for the words he spoke from the Lord. He had delivered the prophecy that Judah was about to pay for its sin. He had told king Zedekiah of Judah that he would meet king Nebuchadnezzar face to face and be taken captive. Judah had been surrounded, the prophecy was taking place. In the middle of all this turmoil, Jeremiah purchased a tract of land from his uncle. Why would you buy a property that was about to be captured? Because God had promised him that he would again give the land back to Israel; that He would turn their hearts back to Himself; that He would be their God again. Jeremiah 32:37 Behold, I will gather them out of all countries where I have driven them in My anger, in My fury, and in great wrath; I will bring them back to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely. 38 They shall be My people, and I will be their God; 39 then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them.

God never breaks a promise; never forgets you, never leaves you alone in any situation as a child of His. He may be allowing all these calamities in your life to draw you near to Him. How else can He get your attention if all is well and you don’t have time, or even give thanks to Him for the blessings He bestowed? He may allow you to feel trapped; a siege wall being built around your life like Judah. You may have only one way to look then – up. In all of this He is at work. He made a promise to Israel, and as a child of His you inherit that promise also. He will never forsake you. He will punish you for your sin, and turn your heart back to Him as a result. 40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me.

We want the easy life; we want Christianity to be a bed of roses. The lives that are beds of roses are living for their rewards now, and suffering the consequences eternally for that decision. Matthew 6:1-5 speaks to those who do things to be seen; to elevate themselves. They have their reward now but forsake it in eternity. Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. When you ask the why of the trials that you are facing, go before God to ask if their is sin in your life that needs repentance first. If God does not show you a sin, it may be part of His greater purpose in keeping His promises. Isaiah 55:9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

 
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Posted by on November 27, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Focus on today

26 Nov

Focus on today

Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Most of the time my anxieties center around the pressures of life; the worries of tomorrow. I can seem to handle the stresses of the day, but it may be the worry of the stress of tomorrow that get to me. If it is mostly about tomorrow, then it is fully out of my control. I am not guaranteed tomorrow, so why should I waste today worrying about what I cannot control? This were Satan has his victory in these battles; he robs us of our joy of today. Matthew 6:25-34 speaks directly to these types of anxiety. 25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28 So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

How many todays are lost in the worry of tomorrows? God places you in a circle of influence; a setting for you to have possible joy for they day. He may place someone before you that needs to hear of Him; that needs that encouraging word that you can give them of your faith in Christ. That person that may be able to relate to your testimony, they may be walking directly in the struggles you have faced with the strength now in Christ; you can now share that with them. 2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Everything we face today we now face with Christ. We must continually seek Christ to tap into this strength; we cannot rely upon our own.

I am trying really hard to seek God for help in this area of my life right now. I have come to describe my anxiety/depression as the Apostle Paul did as, “ my thorn in the flesh”.  Paul pled for God to take it from him, but God let it stay to keep Paul humble, and to keep Paul’s eyes on God. 2 Corinthians 10:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. When you are in the middle of worry, get into the center of it with the strength of God.

 
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Posted by on November 26, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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What is a Fast? Huh?

25 Nov

What is a Fast? Huh?

Matthew 6:16-18   “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Have you ever heard of Fasting? It has not been but a few short years ago that I had not either. Since then my eyes have been opened to a way to draw closer to God. There are mixed views on Fasting in today’s religions; but I personally attest of the power of extended Fasting. A Fast is simply denying yourself the pleasure of food as a means to draw closer to God. There are daily Fasts also, but they lack the benefit of the cleansing of an extended Fast. It takes a 7-10 days for your body to purge all the preservatives that are in everything you put into your body daily. Matthew Henry said, “It is an act of self-denial, and mortification of the flesh, a holy revenge upon ourselves, and humiliation under the hand of God. The most grown Christians must hereby own, they are so far from having any thing to be proud of, that they are unworthy of their daily bread. It is a means to curb the flesh and the desires of it, and to make us more lively in religious exercises, as fulness of bread is apt to make us drowsy.” Once you get over the withdrawals, that is where you find God.

Fasting was a large part of the culture at the time of Christ. Very ritualistic, religious Fasts set on calendars as part of ceremonies. Private Fasting was done also, but many of the Pharisee’s would draw attention to themselves during these Fasts, and that was what Christ was condemning. A private Fast is just between you and God. In Matthew 6, much is spoke about the private time with God and the rewards that come of it. Matthew 6:6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. Prayer is a central theme in Fasting and where you go when the hunger pains come. You will naturally draw closer to God as a result of the increase in prayer to Him. Your sensitivity to God and the things of God will become heightened; you will see many things in a different light.

We have all heard the scripture of faith and prayer that can move mountains. Prior to that scripture, Christ had just freed a child of a demon spirit that His disciples were not able to do. Christ had rebuked them for their lack of faith. Matthew 17:20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” If you have a mountain in your life, consider a Fast to draw closer to God for that ability to move that which seems immoveable.

 
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Posted by on November 25, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Breath deep and read

24 Nov

Breath deep and read

Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad.

There is no real way to explain anxiety and depression to those that do not suffer. It is a hidden demon that lurks beneath the surface. It can lie dormant but awaken quickly when triggered. It waits for the opportunities, then has the ability to change outcomes. The battle is all in the mind, but yet the battle has physical and outward appearances. I have been open with my struggles and my battles seem to be escalating. The Bible has about 14 verses on anxiety and worry; but fear is listed 354 times in many contexts. Fear is the root of anxieties, and fear is not from God. 2 Timothy 1:For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

One of my favorite books of the Bible is Matthew 6. It speaks much of the relationship between us and God. Of what is done in secret before Him; not done in public for accolades. It speaks of prayer and fasting; it contains the Lords prayer where Jesus taught us to how to pray. It speaks of our focus in life, of where do we put our effort. Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Where is your focus? Your career, your family, your pursuit of material gain, your hobbies that have turned into idols? The list could go on. Anything that comes before Christ is an idol in your life. If we make our pursuit God and the things of God, our short time here will be rewarded eternally. Matthew 6:19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Spending time in God’s Word is the key to the battle of anxiety, worry, and life. The more time we spend in God’s Word the more our heart grows for Him. The stronger our relationship with Him, the more strength we have to fight these battles. I do believe the warfare may escalate, but I know we cannot fight without a heart for God. If we stand on our love for God as the spine of our existence, we can know that we will be ok. Deuteronomy 6:5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. This holiday season that is upon us will tend to bring more stress and worry. This is also a time to make the time to spend in God’s Word to give you the strength you need. It can start today.

 
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Posted by on November 24, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Got nothing?

23 Nov

Got nothing?

John 21:3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.

The disciples world had been turned upside down. Christ had been crucified, risen from the dead, and He returned to encourage them multiple times. You know in their minds they had no idea of what the future held. They had to be overwhelmed by the events that had taken place since they had come to know Christ. They wondered what was next. I wonder if Peter just wanted to clear his mind; to return to what he knew well; to spend time fishing. It could have served many purposes including provisions of food, and money to sell what they caught. But it also could have served a means of escape from the pressures of life they felt on themselves.

Life can get to be overwhelming for us all. The pressures of life can seem to rob us of  the joy of life. These times we live in have brought great strains on so many of us. If it were not for my faith, I cannot imagine where I would be. There are so many that find coping in medications, and sometimes it may be necessary. But when all else is lost, we can rest on the assurance of our hope found in Christ. Time alone with God and seeking God is where we find this hope and some of our answers. ‘Jeremiah 33:3 ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.  God was speaking specifically to Jeremiah, but it also applies to all of us as His children too. We are to go to Him in prayer and His Word when we don’t know where else to go. The Gospel of John is a great place to find Christ; and a great place for your eyes to be opened through your heart if you prayerfully ask God to reveal Himself as you spend time there.

This morning as I prayed, I told God “I got nothing”. I had no idea of what to write, so I did a word search of ‘got nothing’ and John 21:3 was the only scripture to appear. It reminded me of how quickly I tend to lean upon myself as Peter; the strong and prideful apostle. I need to rely on God for every day in every way. There is much depth in this scripture of John 21; of Christ’s appearance on the shore while the disciples where still out at sea. They were needy; they had caught nothing. Matthew Henry comments, “Those that would have supplies from Christ must own themselves empty and needy.” When you realize you have nothing without Christ, that first step in the denial of yourself is a huge step in your Christian growth. Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

 
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Posted by on November 23, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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