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Paddle, paddle, paddle…….

02 Apr

Paddle, paddle, paddle…….

Philippians 1:12 But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel,

My best friend told me in ministry one of the hardest things to do, is to know what not to say. When I gave my testimony a few weeks back I understood what he meant. I struggle with it in this ministry; I know God is allowing these trials in my life, but I struggle with how much to reveal. In my pride I am a contained person; even those closest to me do not know the level of my struggles, I do not wish to reveal them for they have their own burdens. Only God truly knows what I hide behind smiles. I am trying to draw near to God right now for discernment, clarity, and wisdom for these paths I am on. Those big things in life that affect more than just you; they affect those around you. The things that keep you awake, and occupy your mind during the day. Only God knows the level of struggles, and only God can get help you get through them.

I want to have the apostle Paul’s attitude; he understood every single thing in his life flowed through God’s hands and it could be used to draw glory to God. Paul wrote Philippians from prison, and in prison God was glorified. 13 so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; 14 and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. God was using Paul in prison to reach into the Roman military and royal courts. To his fellow brethren on the outside, he was inspiring. They heard of how he was preaching in prison, and that was what had landed him there to begin with. His faith was so strong he feared no man. His life, strength, and focus is found in Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Paul knew that God had his feet where He wanted him for that day. He was to remain there and preach the gospel wherever he was for that day. Paul was in the center of God’s Will for him.

I can just about guarantee that most of you are struggling in some way too. It is seemingly becoming a mark of a Christian to be struggling now. There comes with that an understanding that you are not of this world, and of how this world is headed downstream away from God. You must be constantly fighting against this world to swim upstream to keep your eyes and heart on Him. The enemy will provide you all the comforts of this world to keep your eyes off God. Living in this world and the ways of it, are much easier than living for the promises after it; but in this life determines the rewards, or punishment of it, for eternity.

 
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Posted by on April 2, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Not about the bunny

27 Mar

Not about the bunny

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

I almost wish I could just open up my heart today. I am having a rough week in the spiritual sense; I had wanted this week to be special, to spend a lot of time with God. I feel God drawing me near, yet my enemy in this world is bringing the great distraction of busyness, and tormenting my soul. The inner wars create anxieties, but they have become expected, and I have become accustomed to my thorn in the flesh. I still draw near, and I still feel the weight of what this week represents. Do you? Do you place more emphasis on the birth of Christ than the death and resurrection of Him? The virgin birth is but a detail of the power of the blood that was in that child that morn. That blood in that infant had the power to save your soul, and this week represents all that the new birth of your life in Him, through Him, on that Cross contains.

Christ repeatedly slams the religiosity of the leaders of that day. Of the pride and arrogance that they carried; of the enslaving rituals that they demanded; of the methods that they preached and the hypocrisy in which they lived. They elevated themselves, and much of their preaching simply had a self serving motive. 27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Christ had come to fulfill the law that could not be fulfilled under their guidance. Their answer stood before them, not exalted, but in the example of a humble servants heart.

Christ ends his speaking out against the religious leaders of that day in a heartfelt lamentation for Jerusalem. He knows of how they have consistently rejected the signs and prophets that God had sent them. He departs Jerusalem and goes to the Mount of Olives on His way back to Bethany. There He teaches of the end of times, of His second coming; this is known as the Olivet Discourse found in Matthew 24. This week should grab you, it should tug at your soul for what it represents. It should make you question your religiosity and your eternity. This week should draw you closer to Christ; I pray that you answer that tug on your heart to it.

 
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Posted by on March 27, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Speak Up!

26 Mar

Speak Up!

Matthew 10:34-37     “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

Christ is in Jerusalem in his last days before his crucifixion. He has went into the temple and cleared it of all the evil that had called it a place of business instead of place of prayer. Matthew 21:12 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ “ He had began to teach and heal in the temple again. He was bringing new hope and challenging the way the people had been living. He was rocking their world right to the core of their faith; there must have been incredible emotion surrounding his ministry in those final days.

There were those that came to faith in Him during those days; and this surely resulted in conflict with those closest to them. They were at the height of the Jewish calendar, the Passover celebration. A pinnacle of religious ritual. All Jews came together to celebrate their delivery from slavery by God to their ancestors. Now they had God in their midst, yet so many still rejected Him. Christ had spoken these words in Matthew 10 to his disciples, telling them of the division and disappointment that would result in following Him. Christ was surely feeling this, knowing in these days Judas was preparing to betray him. There is a indescribable pain that is felt when those closest to us rest in their religion, or blatantly deny Christ. He spoke directly to the Pharisees regarding their denial; pointing to their failure in plain view of everyone. Matthew 21:42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes’?

We may tend to shy away from sharing with those closest to us. Those in our family, our closest friends, or co-workers, those that may see the evidences, yet do not know the cause. We may tend to think we will loose that relationship; but are we placing that relationship above ours with Christ? Are we hiding our faith, or worse yet are we ashamed of it? In either of them we are denying our faith before God. Do not be ashamed of the hope that He has placed inside you. Do not be afraid of putting those relationships on the line for Him. What if that person stood at the gates of hell crying out wondering why you never warned them; why you never shared what made you different. Matthew 10:32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven”. Invite someone close to you to church this week. Better yet, share with them the hope that lies within you, and then invite them to experience it themselves.

 
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Posted by on March 26, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Just listen

23 Mar

Just listen

Jude 1:16-19     These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. 17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

How good of a listener are you? This calls for a deep self reflection, and maybe an honest evaluation from someone close to you who will tell you the truth. When I look back on my life, I see how awful a listener I was. I thought I knew what someone was going to say, so I finished their sentences for them. My attention span was so short I would only gather a highlight of what they were speaking to me. In my pride I most likely missed many important lessons in life in my inability to listen. I thank Christ for changing and still sanctifying that personality trait in me. Through Him I have become a better listener, and realize what I have to say is not as important as what I am receiving.

Jude is speaking to the false teachers of the day; to those that are tickling the ears of the hearers, and perverting Christianity. All their glorious words seem to draw the attention to themselves. They stand in their own glory,, and not the glory of Christ. They will seemingly point to all that Christ has given to them, and seemingly hidden they elevate themselves. Many a preacher stands in the pulpit of pride today, and their hearts will have to answer to Christ in their motives. They twist the Word of God into their own motives, and here Jude points out their eternal destinies without the Holy Spirit living inside them. 19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. There are those that struggle with pride, and their are those that truly preach from pride and further themselves from the humble servant heart of a disciple.

The better listener you become, the more discernment you will gain. If you will simply listen to what the person has to say, their hearts will be revealed. Someone whom you may have elevated may reveal they are truly only elevating themselves. When this truth is revealed as a good listener, you must with God’s help evaluate what they have been teaching. I have been continually disappointed in Godly men, and their pride in their ministries. But that is also where we come to understand man will always disappoint; that is why we focus on Christ who will not. The more time you spend alone with God the better you will understand the Word of God and begin to be able to discern those teachers. 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

 
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Posted by on March 23, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Edjumikashun

22 Mar

Edjumikashun

Proverbs 2:1-5     My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, 2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; 3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, 4 If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; 5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God.

It is pretty much a standard of living that you will spend at least 12 years of your life in school. Therefore you will spend the first 18-20 years of your life seeking the minimum education required to “do life”. I stopped there with my diploma many years ago, only seeking the bare minimums to collect it and move on. I did not see the value in a further education, and I have paid for the mistakes of my youth. An education is a tool upon which the mind has doors opened to further the capabilities of it, and all those affected by it. This understanding has come from a lifetime of realizing mostly by error, the mistakes of things lost without knowledge found in that education.

Have you come to know Christ and desire to know more of Him? Have you answered that call He placed upon your soul in an act you still struggle to explain? So many times we come to know Christ, and feel that tug of desire to know what is next. We have felt that change that He brings, but we sometimes wonder how we are to get more understanding Him. It is all found in the heart that pursues him in prayer and his Word. The key to unlock to mysteries of God are found in the pages of God; through the power of the Holy Spirit he has given you. 1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

A high school diploma will get you just over 86,000 hours of education in that 12 years. You will have invested a good percentage of your early life in the pursuit of knowledge, and the hope and understanding of how it may be applied in your life. In Christ you have opened the door to eternity and all the endless possibilities that lie in it. For the remainder of your life here, the wisdom of God is given in the guidebook of life, the Bible. A heat that is genuinely seeking God every day will live a life in the rewards of the wisdom He reveals through His Word. Proverbs 2:10 When wisdom enters your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul, 11 Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you. Spend the rest of your life in the pursuit of a heavenly wisdom and understanding of God and the things of God found in His Word every day. The rewards for your time here are greater than any diploma recognized by man.

 
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Posted by on March 22, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Annual Performance Review

21 Mar

Annual Performance Review

Proverbs 16:11 Honest weights and scales are the Lord’s; All the weights in the bag are His work.

Good advice is something we all treasure. Wouldn’t a book of advice from the wisest man who ever lived be a best seller? King Solomon prayed to God for the wisdom to do a good job for God; he wanted to be the best ruler he could be. 2 Chronicles 1:10 Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?” 11 And God said to Solomon: “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life–but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king. God granted his request and made Solomon the wisest man that ever lived. Solomon filled the book of Proverbs with very simple direct words of advice from what he learned as a man of God.

As a sidebar of my business, I deal in the scrap metal industry. I am at the mercy of their scales, and the integrity of their hearts. A dealer may present a much higher payout as a lure, but the scales upon which they are weighed are dishonest. Proverbs 11:1 Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, But a just weight is His delight. The Lord knows the weights upon which the scales are measured, just as he knows the scales of our hearts. Integrity in business is becoming a thing of the past. Integrity is not a quality that you possess outside of the business world, and then let it slide to make the deal at whatever the cost. You either have integrity or you do not. Integrity is not a variable; it is not an option that you choose when it best suits your purpose. If you believe that it is, you are weighing your life and your heart on dishonest scales.

Have you ever stood your ground at work for something you believed in? Have you ever not participated in the deal that was shady to say the least? Have you stood up for what you knew was right before God, even though that decision cost you a payout? That payout will be rewarded in eternity on the Lord’s scales. He does not forget when you paid even a small price for standing up for what you knew was right in His eyes. Proverbs 16:2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the spirits. The closer your heart is to God, the easier a life of integrity comes. You will be seeking God on all these decisions in prayer and His Word. He will direct your thoughts as a result of this time invested in seeking His wisdom. Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. The Lord is the CEO that you answer to above any manager here on earth; He is the one who knows all that goes on, and why it goes on. He is the one you must answer to on a daily basis for your actions at work, and in life.

 
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Posted by on March 21, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Sleepless Nights

16 Mar

Sleepless Nights

Psalm 138:3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul.

There are those times in life when sleep escapes us. We toss and turn and try to rest for our bodies are weary. We are tired from the mental strain that is upon us, and sometimes this can tire the body more than the physical work. The mind is so powerful, when it is operating under peak demand, its toll is taken on the whole body and our physical energies are spent on it. Yet when we lie down to rest, to regain our strength, our mind has not yet come to the end point of it’s work. It continues to generate and the sleep that renews escapes us. I have had many of those nights recently, and I am sure many of you are under mental strains yourselves.

Although I cannot hit the off switch in my mind, I can rest in the assurance that all is well. The anxieties, (that really aren’t always anxieties), just seem to preoccupy my thoughts for more hours than I desire to remain awake. I am currently under great strains, yet I am also under great care in the arms of my King. This brings about a peace in these stressful situations that the world does not understand, but it presents an opportunity to share what you possess with those that know the strain. David fills the Psalms with his heart for God in all that he faces. It does not matter what he is facing, even when he questions God, he knows God is in control of all of it. 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me. God has either allowed or designed where you are at right now. Whatever you are facing will either draw you closer to Him, or Satan will drag you away from Him, depending on where your heart lies.

Sleepless nights are many times the best alone time with God. A friend of mine calls these times “Nightwatch”, when he is awoken and feeling led by God to pray. Opening the Bible in the stillness of the night removes the white noise static of the world. Prayer and meditation from hearts that cry out in these quiet hours are moving times with God. There is something special when God awakes you in the middle of the night. We want the spectacular, the power of God evident to us, yet we may miss the still small voice that comes at 2am. When God spoke to Elijah, it was not in the evidences of His power, it was in the whisper. 1 Kings 19:12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. It may be that God knows you will only hear Him in the still of the night when only He has your attention.

 
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Posted by on March 16, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Oh no! They are up again!

13 Mar

Oh no! They are up again!

Acts 19:15 And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”

Paul was on his third missionary journey and he was in the town of Ephesus. Ephesus was a town full of supposed magic; even in the name of God they were trying to exercise their power over evil forces; this brought them supposed prestige. Even the seven sons of a priest had fallen into this dark world and were practicing this magic. God began to do strange miracles through Paul in this region to reach these people. His sweat rags, handkerchiefs and aprons were healing the sick and casting out demons just by those affected touching them. This was proving this that Paul’s preaching was truly from God.

These seven sons of Sceva had called upon Christ’s name to cast out an evil spirit. The evil spirit replied to them “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”. The evil spirit did the unthinkable in that he casts out the exorcists. 16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. The evil spirit had called their bluff; he had laughed in their haughtiness and showed them they were nothing but false; no power in Christ but false prophets. He had left one body and leapt into seven, humiliating them as they fled naked. This became greatly known throughout the region and the name of Christ was glorified.  17 This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. 18 And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. 19 Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.

Does Satan know you? Does Satan fear you for the power that resides in you as a disciple of Christ? Or is he satisfied at the religion that you rest on with your weekly worship and false security that will have no effect on his kingdom? Does he know that you truly are so busy that you have no time for Christ and the work He has laid before you? Do you feel so good about yourself that you present no threat to the kingdom of darkness? You will pay eternally for that pride. You should desire to have your picture on a Most Wanted poster at the gates of Hell. Your life should be focused every day on the Kingdom Work; a disciple such as Paul that spreads the Good News to a dark and dying world of false religions and securities. This world needs those disciples such as Paul to live their lives focused on eternity. The time is now, the time is every day that you awake and spend time with God. Every morning when you awake, pray, and open the Word is a day Satan knows who you are in Christ. That day may be difficult because Satan desires to take your eyes of Christ. Dig in for it is a war that is worth fighting when you are a disciple of Christ that is known to the enemy.

 
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Posted by on March 13, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Dare to be different (Jesus Freak #2)

08 Mar

Dare to be different (Jesus Freak #2)

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

All through history you find those that deny the power of God, even denying that there is a God. There is theology wrapped up in those that believe, and those that deny. Those who believe are considered the “elect”, and those that deny are not. Therein lies a basis for deep doctrinal argument on the biggest topic of Predestination. That is not a topic for a morning devotional. Paul was writing to a church troubled and divided. The church was claiming to be followers of different leaders, and taking their eyes off Christ. They were placing their trust in the wisdom of men, and not the power of God. This today even happens when we place more hope in the man delivering the message, and not the message itself. The message of the cross is the Gospel itself.

Those who deny the power of God are simply placing more faith in themselves than they are the Creator of the universe. They believe their own wisdom is so great, they have figured it all out. They believe that only the ignorant believe in God; how dumb we must be for placing our faith in an unknown God. Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. The proof of God is all around us in creation; the evolution ideal takes more faith to believe in that the ideal of a supreme being. The pride in ones wisdom, is the road paved to eternal damnation. That pride will lead you down a path of destruction without the humbling of your heart, and the realization that you don’t have it all figured out.

Do you smile at the opportunities to share your faith, or do you withdraw for the fear of ridicule? That is a small victory for Satan every time you withdraw. You should never be ashamed of sharing your faith, most likely that urge you feel is because the Holy Spirit is wanting to use you to encourage that person who stands before you. Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.You don’t want to miss that opportunity; it is a step closer to God for you, and most likely them too. You will experience God in your life, and see the fruit of His work through your life. If your message comes with ridicule for your faith, smile and shake the dust off your feet. God has prepared your heart, but maybe not theirs yet. John 15:18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Dare to be different from all those out there who say they believe, yet there is no evidence in their lives. Share your faith whenever possible, and let God perform the increase.

 
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Posted by on March 8, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Daily nourishment & directions

07 Mar

Daily nourishment & directions

Ezekiel 3:1 -3   Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll. 3 And He said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you.” So I ate, and it was in my mouth like honey in sweetness.

Ezekiel, the great prophet of God was being called by God to deliver the message from Him to Israel; a message that God told him that some would hear, and some would not. He told Ezekiel not to be afraid, for He was with him. As God opened the scroll before him it was printed on both sides. 10 Then He spread it before me; and there was writing on the inside and on the outside, and written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe. God was full of sorrow for how Israel had become a rebellious nation. God commanded Ezekiel to eat the scroll, to feed on the words that God was giving him. These words would become the message that God would speak through him to his people. The words were planted in his heart.

You do not have to stand before the Creator and eat a scroll to feed on the Word of God. We are fortunate enough to have both the history of time before Christ, the life of Christ, and the message of Christ, all at our fingertips. God has given us his holy Word to enable us to pursue all that he has intended for us to have for our time here. The guidebook of how to live a life pleasing to Him for our short journey here. We are but pilgrims on the way to the Promised Land, and the Bible is the map for the journey. Hebrews 11:16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. Have you at some point in your life spent so much time with the map that you have it memorized? Are you sure you know the path that leads to heaven?

Every day you awake to the same routines: Eat breakfast and fly out the door to work or the duties of the day. It is ingrained in us to not miss breakfast, for it is the most important meal of the day. It gives us the energy to accomplish the tasks and withstand the trials of the day. More importantly is the nourishment and direction found in daily mornings with God. 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. You will miss daily encounters with God if you do not dwell there. The same scriptures you read will speak directly into situations of the day; you may hear them again from peers or other media; you will see the strength of that scripture in a situation you face when the Spirit reminds you of what you recently read. This is what you have been missing by not feeding on God’s Word every single day.

 
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Posted by on March 7, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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