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Do you see the red dot on the target?

09 Nov

Do you see the red dot on the target?

Colossians 3:2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Even as I tried to pray this morning the world rushes in. The tasks of the day, of the next day, of all the busyness of life. All these things that we all try to do, so many times trying to do too much. In today’s rough economy if we are lucky enough to have a job, most likely we are expected to be doing more for less; to make up for the budget cuts. We then take the personal side of our lives and try to pack in every activity possible; even church is hopefully made the cut on the itinerary. Satan smiles; our eyes are on the tasks and not on Christ. Well played Satan; well played indeed. Time we feel is our enemy; and we may pay for it for eternity.

The Apostle Paul was writing to refute all the false teachers in Colosse. and Laodecia.  They had come and presented their “to do” lists to the believers. They had led them astray in all of the ritualistic religion tasks they were tell people they must do to be saved. The pressures of the tasks pointed to people earning their salvation; and not the grace God has given them through Christ. They were taking their eyes off Christ and focusing on what they saw as required tasks. Paul pointed them back to focusing on Christ. Colossians 1:21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight– 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister. Grounded and steadfast – focused.

There is the busyness; then there is the pain that may take our eyes off Christ. It may be the loss of a job, the strain of relationships, the pain of sickness, and the list goes on. The trials of life designed by Satan is to draw our attention away from the target. Satan wants us to lash out at God; to be angry in the “why me”? God allows the trials to grow us and draw us near to Him; Satan’s plans backfire; so Satan will form another plan. A mark of a true Christian is a life of struggle; a life of desiring God in all that they face. A life marked by the pain of the trial, and the ever-growing heart for God. 1 Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. We must press within ourselves to realize all we face can seem small when we focus on God. I even feel trapped in my current situation in so many ways; but I strive to not let it get me down. For when I begin to look down into worry, my eyes are no longer looking up to my eternal King sitting on the throne; and I get to join Him for eternity.

 
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Posted by on November 9, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Timeless freedom and joy

08 Nov

Timeless freedom and joy

2 Peter 3:8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

Yesterday was a roller-coaster of emotions. An outpouring of love for my birthday from friends, coupled with discussions of pain in the same circle. Some of the pain was from the political scene, yet it is time to move on and pray for our country. Most of this talk was more of the personal sort; more about the realization of the trials of life that God seeking people are facing. I said yesterday it seems to be the mark of a disciple to be under strain in their lives right now. Intense personal tribulations of many sorts I have heard from many of you. God’s leash on Satan and his limitations are reaching deep into Christianity. Satan is peaking; but we must keep our eyes on eternity, and focused on Christ at all costs for our temporal time here. These pains too shall pass.

Christ had been speaking to His disciples regarding His second coming. He spoke in Luke 21 of all the wars and pain before His return. He spoke of the signs of His return and the redemption of His followers. Luke 21:28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” Christ exhorts them to keep their eyes on Him and to pray diligently for strength during all they face. He is pointing even us to remain focused on Him in the trials in our lives today; to set Him as the goal. Luke 21:36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” All our pain is temporary; all our pain now is but a speck of sand in the ocean of eternity in God’s eyes.

In our minds we cannot grasp eternity. We are drawn to it; to long for it; but we cannot understand it. The power of sin weighs us down to the present tribulation. The power of sin robs us of the joy of seeing the freedom of eternity. In 2 Peter 3 above, God looks at earthy time as one thousand years here, is equal to one day in eternity. Do the math. Is what you are facing at this very moment so grand that it robs you of the joy of eternal paradise? Satan is the ultimate deceiver, and a strength he has is anxiety as a deception of the mind. I know this personally. The closer you grow to Christ, the stronger his attacks with worry. So much of our worry is focused on tomorrow when tomorrow may never come. 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. Can we just strive to spend today focused on eternity and what awaits us there? Can we spend today knowing whatever we are facing God has never given us more than we can handle? Can we spend today sharing our hope with someone who is facing a mountain alone, without God?

 
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Posted by on November 8, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Our Nation has become a missionary field

07 Nov

Our Nation has become a missionary field

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.

Our country was at a crossroads, and yesterday the majority has spoken and selected our path. The path we have selected has changed the nations face for eternity. We were once founded on the principles of  “in God we trust”, and now we have turned our backs on God. Both choices left little hope for our nation, but the choice made went against Biblical doctrine in the support of abortion, homosexuality, and the sanctity of marriage. Our nation turned our backs on God and we will have to answer His call for judgement. Our once great nation has become a missionary field itself; a call for pastors and disciples to preach the truth at all costs; to go against society and point those lost to the err of their ways and the forgiveness in Christ.

Paul was warning Timothy of how his followers may go down the paths of whatever felt good. They would steer away from what they knew was right and the pain of it; to go listen to whomever made them feel good. They did not want to hear they were living in sin; they wanted someone to tell them it was ok. Apostasy can become the road you’re headed down when you start with denial of sin; and the eventual turning your back on the sin you have become convicted of. 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. Do you turn away from Christ when His Spirit living inside of you begins to prick at what you hold dear? Do you have the idea that God sees that you are a good person outside of that sin? Do you feel that the scales of good and evil weigh in your favor? No such scale exists.

Paul charged Timothy to preach the Truth at all costs. 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. Matthew Henry said, “Convince wicked people of the evil and danger of their wicked courses. Endeavour, by dealing plainly with them, to bring them to repentance. Rebuke them with gravity and authority, in Christ’s name, that they may take thy displeasure against them as an indication of God’s displeasure.” There is a call to all of Christ’s disciples to become missionaries in your own country now. We who profess Christ, must proclaim Christ to those He has placed in our circle of influence. Stand for Christ and be bold to point out the sin; and point out the forgiveness of that sin in Christ. There is only Good News if you know the bad news first.

 
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Posted by on November 7, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Whack! Chip chip chip…..

05 Nov

Whack! Chip chip chip……

1 Peter 5:6-7   Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Yesterday Dana gave her testimony to our small group. It was a heartfelt cry from a woman who was seeing God work in her life. I told everyone I wanted to hear it too; I had only witnessed half her life of it. As I listening intently, she opened up of pains of death, family struggles, personality and career struggles. I began to notice a common thread in our testimonies, that until I heard her say it, I guess had only been noticed. Her testimony is also rooted in pride. This morning as this scripture above was on my phone inbox, I felt God open my eyes to our similarities even more. God has designed the changes in the securities of both our careers & lives to strip away that pride.

The Apostle John points us to this; to the draw of living for a temporal world vs living for an eternal God. 1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–is not of the Father but is of the world. When your drive is the pride of your ability to reach the goal, the goal is useless and laden in sin. The walls that you build, the roads that you pave to reach what drives you take your eyes off the One who is providing the means to attain it. Everything you think you can do; all that you accomplish that is not for the kingdom of God will fade away. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

God has humbled both Dana and myself the past couple of years. He has stripped away what we held dear; taken away what we placed above Him. He is showing us what truly matters, and showing us our sins in that pride of life. Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom. God may bring His hammer and chisel to chip away at what you consider your rock of pride. He took away my ability in physical strength of my right arm. He took away Dana’s career that she worked for since childhood. God got our attention, and now our attention is focused solely on God. Every day that you spend puffed up in the goals you attain; may be a day closer to God pointing out your sin of pride. The realization of that sin, with a humble repentant heart before Him in a plea for forgiveness, could prevent the hammer and chisel effects. The realization of how big God is, and how small you are, is a life changing step for the remainder of your time here and into eternity.

 
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Posted by on November 5, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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But this is heavy God

02 Nov

But this is heavy God

Hebrews 10:32-37   But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: 33 partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; 34 for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. 35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: 37 “For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.

I don’t even know how to pen all the pain I see these days. Those around me that are struggling financially seems to be a common thread; the pains of an economy that is so far from where it peaked only a few short years ago. These pains have infiltrated families, churches, careers, and to be honest most of our lives. The leadership of our country is failing to give us hope and simply spending money so grotesquely that it is further devaluing the dollar and increasing debt. Our world as we know it is collapsing around us, and very few of us have escaped the reality of it. Pain has an underlying tone in the smiles of cover. We all want everything to be ok; but it is not.

The author of Hebrews is speaking to how once we were saved, the trials of life came to steer us away. Satan’s sons prosper when all of God’s children struggle. All of these struggles are allowed and designed for strength and endurance. We would never by choice take these tough roads of life that deepen our faith, for we would take the high road of simplicity and ease, and rest shallowly there. God wants more; wants to bring you more to the likeness of His Son; wants to show you the weight that He bared for you from deep within; knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. These tough times build us like weights we carry strengthen us. The heavier the weight or burden, the stronger or faith becomes.

I truly feel there is an urgency in the air for those who do not know Christ; or worse yet those who rest in false religion. The reality of our world is that it is so far from God; and Satan is peaking before his eternal fall. Satan has planted so many false teachings in today’s society, and so many have been led astray by the struggles of life. They have went someplace to ease their pain; some religion that preaches only joy and not conviction of sin. The author of Hebrews was warning the Jews to not fall back into the trap of the false security of Judaism; to hold fast to their faith in God’s grace through Christ; and the rewards of that endurance. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. No matter how heavy the burdens get, through the pain of it you are gaining strength. We may only see and feel the present of the pain, but God sees the strength and the end, eternal result of it.

 
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Posted by on November 2, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Well, to make the sale I……..

01 Nov

Well, to make the sale I……..

Proverbs 11:1-3  Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, But a just weight is His delight. 2 When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom. 3 The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.

I own a heating and air company and in the past 10 years the value of the metals in the equipment has also pulled me into the scrap business. Scrapyards can tend to be a shady business of sorts now, for the value of these metals have brought about theft. But something early on I realized what the integrity of the owner and his scales meant they could be thieves also; stealing with tampered weights of the metals being brought in. The scales of any merchant even in biblical times were a mark of integrity of that person; a mark of trust. The only one who may truly know that mark is the only one who sees all; for you cannot fool God.

That integrity in business is what the Lord speaks of here. That integrity is many times lost in an struggling economy; where corner cuts and shady deals are the norm for profitable business. Today where everyone is struggling; integrity seems to be a lost treasure. Do you seem to loose what you hold as values if that is what it takes to make a deal? Integrity is not a quality that you posses partially; you either have it or you don’t.  Integrity is a measuring tool of the Lord, and many times He will let the lack of it be revealed. 3 The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.

God takes our daily lives in the business world very seriously. This is where He has placed us every day for us to influence those around us. How does He feel when that circle of influence see the Christian acting worse that the atheist? God calls that dishonesty an “abomination” to Him; a gut wrenching hatred as my study Bible says. When you profess Christ to those around you, you are put under a microscope to be viewed how you handle every situation. The next time you are tempted to lie to make the deal; know that you are turning God’s stomach doing so. Integrity in business is not a lost trait these days; you either have it or you don’t. Integrity is not for your personal life only. Proverbs 28:6 Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than one perverse in his ways, though he be rich.

 
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Posted by on November 1, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Break THAT appointment?

31 Oct

Break THAT appointment?

Psalm 63:1 A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.

Psalm 63 was written by David and believed to have been when he was fleeing from either Saul or Absalom, which may have led to him hiding out in the caves. David was missing the worship that he found in the sanctuary. His heart yearned for that time of gathering together to praise God. But the Psalm also speaks of the expectancy and assurance that David has in God. He desires his time with God early in the day and into the night; 6 When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. David truly has a heart for God; he is focused on God even when everything else around him is failing.

I have been asked of the why and how of this ministry recently. Why do I get up early every day, never sleeping in? How do I get up and write early every day? The best answer is expecting to hear from God. I am nothing special in God’s eyes; I just pen the experiences to encourage you to do the same; to experience the same relationship as I. Just as David above, we are living in a dry and thirsty land that is far from God. Satan is seeking to draw your attention away from God every single day in many ways. Do you think you can have a heart for God if you only spend an hour one day a week with Him? Satan get 167hrs; God gets only 1; really? The more time you spend every day seeking God, the easier it is to face the troubles of the day and life. When your focus changes to God and the things of God, you gain God’s strength and peace to fight the daily distractions that Satan places before you.

Do you really want to change; really want to grow closer to God? It only requires a humble heart and a conscious effort on your part. You must first change your habits, break cycles, truly show God you desire to grown closer to Him. Put something aside that you had been putting before Him. Arise earlier in the day to get alone time with Him. Set the clock 15 minutes early to start with, and make tomorrow the day that changes your life. I promise you if you will “Seek Ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33), the rest will fall into place. God will show up to meet with you in those quiet times every day. Your heart will become expectant of those alone times with Him every day. The ‘why’ becomes very easy to do; for how could you dare to break an appointment with God? Proverbs 8:17 I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me.

 
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Posted by on October 31, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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A favorite book

29 Oct

A favorite book

2 Timothy 3:16-17    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.

Do you have a favorite book? It doesn’t seem like too long ago I would have said no, simply because I did not read at all. Maybe the occasional magazine or newspaper article, but never an entire book. The list of them in a lifetime was counted on one hand. When God began to stir in my heart, I wanted to know more; and I knew where to find more, between the pages of the Bible. I made the effort to start reading my Bible a small bit every day. An employee and now very close friend gave me a NLT(New Living Translation) Bible, for he had heard me speak about having trouble understanding. The language was much clearer and God began to open my mind through my heart with it.

Everything you need; everything you want to know; everything about God is found in the Word of God. You will never begin to understand; you will never grow in your faith; you will never learn more about God until you seek God in the Bible. God’s words through the prophet Jeremiah to Israel still apply to us today; Jeremiah 29:13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.  What does with all your heart mean to you? It can’t mean to expect God to leap off the page with a revelation given to you in a flippant effort grudgingly performed. It takes a humble heart seeking God in prayer before opening the Word. That effort comes from an act of love and expectancy from God revealing Himself to you in the pages the times before. Once God begins to open your eyes in His Word, you heart leaps at the opportunity to see and hear Him again.

You want your faith to grow don’t you? It will not grow out of experiences, it will grow out of time in God’s Word. No experience can ever take the place of God’s Word. The experience may excite for a time, but the experience can be moved to a point of worship and seeking it again. I personally can attest to that. God is found in your heart; and your heart must be prepared and opened to receiving what He reveals to you in the time you spend in His Word. You will begin to hear Him, and hearing Him changes everything. Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. My library may be growing, but I have one favorite book that stays on my desk and goes with me to church. It is a rainbow of color with highlights, underlined texts, my own comments, my own heart between the pages of Gods revelations. Select you one copy, and make a consistent effort to seek God with it. Your life will never be the same for you will hear God in it.

 
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Posted by on October 29, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Pick up the Word and fight

28 Oct

Pick up the Word and fight

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

This has been one of the roughest weeks of inner battles I can remember. The strains of the inner world peaked yesterday with a bought of depression. I have had an incredible life load this week with big discussions with the banking industry about life changes. All of them are geared towards life changes that are more focused on God. Satan sees my plans and has sent his armies of spiritual warfare on the offensive. I have kept these battles to myself, and this is not the place for the details either; we all are battling something; mine are none greater. I had never battled anxiety and depression until the last five years or so; but it has shed a new light on the unseen. There are many types of these; some chemical, some spiritual, some mental. The point of my battle is to open it up to you and share with you how cope, as in the scripture above.

I am not a doctor, I only know my side of this experience; the anxiety feeds the depression. The anxiety is where the war begins, and the anxiety is where the war is either won or lost in the attitude change. The battle cannot be won without a heart that is seeking God in the realm of this spiritual war. This battle is fought on a plain we are not; so we must fight with the only weapon we have, God’s Word. Ephesians 6:17 and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; When the strains become great, we must go to God.

Ephesians 6 speaks of this warfare of which I am entangled; and the requirements as a soldier of Christ’s army.  11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

All I face every day; all I share every day here; all I try to do is to point you to God. I am no different from you; I face the same struggles as you, I have many of the same pains as you; I only wish to show you where my eternal hope lies, in Christ. This small ministry is a rock in my strained world right now. God laid this ministry on my heart, and Satan knows God is using it, so he comes at the vessel of it. I can only know he is a defeated enemy, for I am a soldier for Christ.

 
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Posted by on October 28, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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What matters?

23 Oct

What matters?

Matthew 22:37-38   Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment.

I am not a person who seeks the spotlight. I want no attention drawn to me in the light of this ministry. God knows this, and keeps the ministry silent to me. He performs the work He desires with it; my circle of encouragers small; and pride at bay. I humbly am thankful for His design for it to only draw attention to Him. This ministry is to show you God’s work in my life daily, and to encourage you in the pursuit of Him daily. A heart that is in constant pursuit is a heart that will find God. God speaks through the prophet Jeremiah to Israel reminding us all;  And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13).

This scripture in Matthew aligns with the first commandment that God gave Moses to Israel. Exodus 20:3 You shall have no other gods before Me. Matthew is trying to stress the ideal that every part of our being should be solely focused on God. Every essence of our being, the present of our heart, the eternal of our soul, and the focus of our mind should be on the One whom created and sustains us for the day unto eternity with Him. Everything that you place in your life above your relationship with Christ is a God to you. The realization of it, and the desire to lower its statue, is a heart that seeks God. We have in today’s society an ever growing list of pressing demands on our time that Satan has deceived us into believing their priority. When we stand before God, how will we explain the, “well I know, but I had to ……..”

Our country is facing an election that is dividing us as never before. Our president has become a celebrity and poor leader; and his opponent is a Mormon, and Mormon’s are not Christians. This is an election of truly the lesser of two evils. Our focus should not be on the political arena for either will not be a candidate that runs the office on his knees. Our focus should be on our relationship with God, and how we can be disciples of His, to draw others to Him who will never disappoint. The hope that God places in your heart when you are focused on Him, is the hope that will carry you when all else fails you. Romans 5:5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. If you will truly turn your heart, your soul, and your mind over to God; you will see the events around you in a different light. You will begin to see what matters eternal, and become focused on sharing that love you have with those that God places in your life. That priority shift is an eternal shift that the woes and worldly stresses cannot take away; for it is the hope that does not disappoint.

 
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Posted by on October 23, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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