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I like the back seat

16 Jun

I like the back seat

John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

John the Baptist was talking about his relationship with Jesus; John was making it clear to his disciples that he would not accept the elevated stature they wanted to thrust upon him. John even went as far as to say, 27 “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.” John knew and understood his purpose, God’s will, for his life; he was to prepare the way for Christ; to proclaim that the One is coming that has the power to forgive sins. John had no problem taking a “back seat” with his ministry, pride never seemed to be an issue at all with John the Baptist. Likely his humble spirit is why Jesus said in Matthew 11:11 “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” No greater compliment has ever been paid to anyone that walked the earth; and it was paid to one of the most humble who did.

These words in John’s gospel should apply to our lives daily. We should die to ourselves a little more each day in a world that teaches “self” more each day. We should go against the world and seek heavenly wisdom through prayer and God’s Word. The more time we spend there the more He transforms us into the image of his Son. Your goal for life, your goal for today, should be less of you and more of Him than yesterday. That desire, that humble spirit is where God does that work in you. It is not by building your resume of Christian work in any way. It is not your church attendance record, your good deeds account, or even your charitable giving amount. God seeks your humble heart; he knows your heart and the reason you do everything you do.

The little time that I have preached, my prayer is always been for less of me and more of Him. There have been weeks that I was blessed by countless hours of preparation, and weeks of only an hour’s preparation. That is a battle of the mind I cannot articulate. Keep your spirit humble and seeking the Lord on a daily basis. He will do a work you cannot, and you will be eternally blessed for it.

 
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Posted by on June 16, 2015 in Daily Devotions

 

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Bubbles in briar-patches

11 Sep

Bubbles in briar-patches

Matthew 3:1 (John the Baptist saying) “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

Are you paying attention to the world in which you live, or do you choose to live in your own little world feeling unaffected by it? Do you choose to not be bothered by events in other countries; wars and rumors of wars, for they have gone on forever? How will they affect you in your bubble? Today marks the anniversary of your bubble popping just over 10 years ago. Today we remember thousands of innocent lives lost on OUR soil by those wars that do not affect us. We have had time to “heal”; our president claims we are no longer a Christian nation; we have become weaker than likely any point in our history in leadership and military strength. Your bubble is floating in a briar-patch.

The Bible is full of the prophets of God calling for turning from sin and their need to repent of it. John the Baptist was proclaiming that the Messiah had come; heaven was among them and it was time to repent! Read the Old Testament prophets and how God used them to call nations that had slid into idolatry and great sexual sins to repent before the judgement of God came upon them. Do you remember Sodom and Gomorrah? If you look outside your bubble at the nation you live in, do you see how we as a nation have slid into idolatry and sexual sin just as in Old Testament times? We have become a nation that pursues “stuff,” and we judge each other by the amount of our prized possessions. We have become a nation that glorifies, legalizes, and now even our churches facilitate homosexual marriages!

Do you see all the signs of nature pointing you to the power of the God who controls it? Do you see all these earthquakes, solar flares, meteorites, floods, droughts, and if we are looking at them, also famines and diseases? We are not in control of anything; HE IS! He is giving us all types of signs to repent for the kingdom of heaven is near! Philippians 2:9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Today as we remember the tragic events that occurred on this date in 2001, let us also look at the signs God is giving us as a nation, and a world that He is in control of it all. Is is time to repent an turn from our sins.

 
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Posted by on September 11, 2014 in Daily Devotions

 

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Don’t take a sword to a gunfight

03 Dec

Don’t take a sword to a gunfight

Matthew 4:10-11    Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” 11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

Christ had went to John the Baptist and been baptized in the Jordan River by immersion. Christ had risen from the water, a dove had landed on his shoulder, and God had spoken from heaven regarding his son. Afterwards the preparation for his ministry began as Christ was lead into the desert to fast for 40 days. No details of that time seem to be known, but yet Christ in his earthly form, surely drew closer to God in prayer and solitude like never before. Then at the end of the fast, when he was close to God in earthly form, Satan came on the attack. Christ was tempted by Satan as we know, and Christ refuted Satan with only one thing; the Word of God. In all three temptations, Christ quoted Scripture to battle the enemy. The Word of God is our only offensive weapon in the realm of Spiritual Warfare. How will you do battle if you do not know how to fire the gun?

Only a short time ago I experienced a warfare on an elevated plain. Looking back on how I handled it, I failed miserably. My enemy got the best of me, and anger was what came forth, not the Word of God. I felt like Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane lashing out with my sword; I felt the Holy Spirit say to me, “sit back down”. I am passionate, and my emotions will sometimes get the best of me. I have so much to learn; and it is all found in time spent in God’s Word. The more time you spend there in tireless, prayerful pursuit; the more you are prepared to meet whatever the world throws you. 2 Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

What are you doing this morning? Is your day hurriedly trying to meet the deadlines? Has it started out at a stopwatch pace? In my study of this scripture this morning I was lead to Luke 11:21-28. There are many roads to go down in that passage, but at the root of it is the pursuit of God. In that pursuit is found the strength to fight the enemy. The enemy is lurking all around you today. 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. You must be prepared to defend yourself, you must know how to also be offensive; how to fire the gun, the Word of God.

 
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Posted by on December 3, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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