A Sin Free Life

A Sin Free Life

"For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it."
James 1:10

In scriptures like the one above the Bible is telling us that all of our sins are important. I realize that people have a tendency to want to place a value on the type of sins. For instance most would say murder is a horrific sin, but that telling a little white lie is not bad. In the sight of God both are still a sin, and nowhere in the Bible does God make a distinction about the severity of them. He does not rank them by their importance, or tell us to never commit the first four as they are really bad sins, and that the last three are not really all that bad. His words tell us just the opposite and that all sin is bad and must be avoided. Other scriptures tell us "And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him." 1st John 3:5-6 These are powerful words that tell us just how important it is to lead a sin free life. With such powerful scriptures in mind, please do not take your daily walk with God too lightly, and try to justify any sin in your life. You need to avoid any sin, whether you consider it small or large, as God does not put a value or ranking on any kind of sin. Once you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior you are expected to remove all sin from your life. John 9:41 "Jesus said, If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains." When you accepted Jesus into your heart, your sins were forgiven to that point, but if you continue in sin your guilt remains. Jesus expects your life to change and remove all sins.

God's Plan For You

God’s Plan For You

“Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there.”
1st Kings 17:3-4

God had just told Elijah that there would be a drought for several years in the land, and to go to a place where he would not have to contend with it. How easily Elijah could have said, “Lord, I really don’t want to be in this place and depend on the ravens to feed me, I would rather stay where I am with my family.” But Elijah trusted God and went where God told him to go. God was preparing Elijah for the future, as not long after this Elijah was standing on Mount Carmel with 450 false prophets, and God was ministering to the people through Elijah, and showed all of the false prophets to be followers of Baal, the devil, and they were all killed. God intervened through Elijah, and the people began to follow God. Sometimes we don’t like where God has put us, as it is not in the plans we have for our lives, but God has bigger plans for each of us and places us where He wants us to be at the right times. Maybe this is how you feel today as you are not where you want to be, but you need to consider that God has you where you are because you can be more effective there. Maybe He wants you to take advantage of the opportunities in front of you, and be faithful in the little things at this time, as He may have plans for bigger things later on. If God has placed you out in a ravine like Elijah, just hang in there. Be faithful, do what God is calling you to do; wait on Him and in His timing He will do something wonderful for you. Remember that you are where you are today, not because of your decisions but because of God’s.

Have You Really Committed

Have You Really Committed

"And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ."
Romans 8:9

This is another scripture that tells us the importance of making God number one in our life. When we accept Jesus into our hearts, as our Lord and Savior, it is important to show this by the kind of life we live each and every day. We cannot go on living the sin filled life we led before, but our daily life must change, as sin must be eradicated from everything we do. I am afraid that there are many people that go up to the altars at their churches on Sunday and ask Jesus to be their savior, but then expect their lives to be the same as before. This will not be the case if you have truly accepted Jesus into your heart, as your life will change dramatically. You will now make God number one in your life. You will think about Him when you wake up each day. You will pray to Him all during the day. You will be convicted when you are tempted to sin by Satan, and will turn away from your sinful ways. You will want to know more about God and what He expects from you, and will want to read your Bible and gain His wisdom and understanding. Your entire outlook on life will change and you will finally be at peace with yourself. This is how your life will change when you have really accepted Jesus into your heart. If you are not experiencing this kind of change in your life, you need to realize that you may not have fully committed to making Jesus your Lord and Savior. Just as the scripture above says if you don't have the spirit of Christ in you, you don't belong to Christ. Please make sure that you have really committed your life to Jesus today.

God's Guide For Your Life

God’s Guide For Your Life

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6

This scripture is an important one, as just this scripture alone gives us so much guidance in living the Christian life. The first point is to trust in God, as if we always put our trust in Him, we will always know that God is there at all times and does not change. We find throughout the Bible that all the biblical heroes always had faith and trust in God no matter what circumstances they faced. The second point tells us that we must not rely on our own understanding, as our human mind has only limited comprehension. God is all knowing and shows us that our every thought and motive is always visible to Him. There is nothing that we do, say or even think that He doesn’t see. The third point is that by trusting God is to acknowledge Him in all things. God knows the plan He has for every person, as He knew us while we were in the womb. He has given each of us spiritual gifts to be used on His behalf, and expects us to use these gifts to fulfill His purpose. We are to use our gifts to influence others and further His kingdom. We are to always give thanks to God for the blessings He bestows on us and acknowledge Him in all we do. So often success may tempt us to feel proud about ourselves and take credit for our success, but it is God who makes our success possible. If we follow the first three points, God promises that He will make our paths straight, as He will work on our behalf to overcome barriers along the way. As you reject self-reliance and acknowledge Him, He will keep you on the straight path.

Faith Can Heal

Faith Can Heal

"What do you want me to do for you? Jesus asked him. The blind man said, Rabbi, I want to see. Go, said Jesus, your faith has healed you."
Mark 10:51-52

These scriptures are from the story of Bartimaeus, a blind man who had enough faith in Jesus to be healed. Bartimaeus, knew that Jesus was coming by, and yelled out to Him as he stood by the roadside. Jesus heard his plea and said by your faith you have been healed. There are other scriptures throughout the Bible where people were healed because they had enough faith. You may find yourself struggling with an illness that could use the healing power of Jesus in your life. Healing did not end when Jesus left this earth, as the Bible tells us that if we have even the faith of a mustard seed that we could move mountains, much less heal our bodies of disease. We still find healings going on in churches all over the country, where people of faith are still being healed today. Having worked in health care for over 45 years I have seen x-rays where patients showed signs of cancer, then weeks later when these x-rays were repeated the cancer was gone. The faith that these people had was enough to heal their bodies of this deadly disease. Yes, by faith you too can be healed even as I speak, as it is not too late to receive your healing. If any of you are facing a serious illness, and don't know where to turn, get down on your knees and pray for God to heal you. Faith can be increased by two or more coming together in one cause, and praying for healing. Just remember that nothing is impossible with God, and if you can believe and trust in God with enough faith you too can be healed.

The Choice Is Up To Us

The Choice Is Up To Us

“The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Matthew 13:41-42

Jesus Christ died for all sinners, and all who receive Him are forgiven of their sins and will receive an eternal life. But Jesus also tells us that all who do not believe in Him and receive Him as their Lord and Savior will spend their eternity in Hell. The scripture above is just one of many that describe what Hell will be like, and it waits for those who do not come to know Jesus. In the Book of Matthew alone there are over 40 scriptures where Jesus warns us about Hell. Throughout the Bible He warns us of the kind of life we are to lead while on this earth. It is not going to be an easy journey as He tells us the gate to Heaven is a small one but the gate to Hell is a wide one. He tells us that the road to Heaven is narrow but the road to Hell is broad. There are two destinations we will all arrive at, either life or destruction. There will be two groups of travelers, the few that will reach Heaven, and the many that will reach Hell. There are also two lifestyles we can live, either the Doers or the Sayers. Then there are the two inevitable ends we all will come to face, either entering the kingdom of Heaven, or to be thrown into the burning lake of fire, Hell. The torment of Hell will be everlasting. Nothing will be as horrible about Hell as its endlessness. People in Hell will experience the absence of hope. But Hell does not have to be our destiny, as Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, and to give us a future of eternal life in Heaven. The choice is all up to each of us.

The Eyes Of God

The Eyes Of God

"The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good."
Proverbs 15:3

I drive almost 100 miles each day operating the small business that we have owned for over 25 years. During the three hours that I am in the car, I will pass many police officers sitting on the side of the road with their radar guns aimed at the cars that pass, to see if they are speeding. No matter where we are someone is always watching us to make sure that we are following and obeying the laws. The police officers will immediately tell us when we are not following the law, and will penalize us by giving us a ticket. I want each of you to know that God is also watching you, and knows everything you do. He knows when you are not obeying His laws and commands, and is recording each and every time you violate them. He may not immediately penalize you like the police officer, but you must understand that He does keep track of every time you break one of His laws. One day God is also going to judge you, and every one of your transgressions; every one of the times you break one of His laws will be laid in front of you. God is going to judge you fairly as every sin you committed will be held against you. The only thing you will have as your defense will be Jesus Christ. Jesus will be there to defend you if, and only if, you have turned your life over to Him, and asked Him to be your Savior. If you have asked Him to come into your heart, all the laws you have broken, and all the sins you have committed will be erased from your record, and you will have a clean slate. Jesus is your only chance when you stand before God at His judgment throne.

Is Your Conscience Clear

Is Your Conscience Clear

“So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.”
Acts 24:16

We have all heard the old saying “Let your conscience be your guide.” However, this may not always be the best guide throughout our lives, as our conscience many times is programmed by the way we were raised and the family values we were taught. If we were taught Godly values by our parents, then our conscience could be our guide and we should follow it. However, if we were not taught Godly values by our parents, and we observed them doing things that they considered right in their eyes, we could very easily become accustomed to these wrong things, and it could become a habit to us, and it would not seem wrong to continue doing them. These habits, although not right in God’s eyes, would seem normal to us, and we would not think twice about continuing to do wrong. Until we come to Christ, the standard is the world system in which we were raised. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and begin to study His Holy Word, we soon realize that our bad habits are not pleasing to God, and then our conscience can become our guide. Since our minds are now conformed to God’s way of thinking, we are renewed in such a way that what we believe is in accordance with God’s truth. I would encourage each of you to be very cautious about going against your own conscience once you are committed to Christ, as He tells us that He will lead us on the right paths and will not let us go astray. The Holy Spirit does work through our conscience as God seeks to renew our minds. We need to thank God everyday, that our mind and conscience can be renewed daily through the power of God.

There Is Only One Way

There Is Only One Way

"But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
Matthew 7:14

This is a follow up to the previous devotional which again tells us the importance of keeping God first in our life each day. The only way to Heaven is to accept Jesus into our hearts, believing that He died for our sins and obeying and doing His commands. There is no other way to Heaven, even though we may hear Oprah, the Scientologist Cult, and many other new age religions teach that there are other ways. Let me tell you plainly that the only way to an eternal life is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. If you think there is any other way, you are being deceived, and better wake up before it is too late. The scriptures used in these two devotionals are the words of Jesus, and tell us that many are going to be deceived by false teachings and will not find their way to heaven, as the doors and roads to heaven are narrow. Another scripture which you need to remember is, "Again I tell 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." Matthew 19:24 This is another scripture from the mouth of Jesus warning us, about the kind of life we need to live. I do not want anyone to be deceived into thinking that the road to Heaven in an easy one. You must make a sacrifice and make God first in your life. You must eliminate sin from your life. You must turn your life over to God fully, not just give Him the crumbs from your table. You must spend time with Him, use your talents and gifts for Him. You must get your mind off yourself, and make Him first. This is the one and only way to Heaven.

Children Of God

Children of God

“But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”
Matthew 18:6

In our society today we see the deterioration of the family, as divorce rates are climbing and families are being torn apart. Parents are being bombarded with financial pressures, time issues, peer pressures imposed on their children, and the overall moral decay of our society. However, even with all of these pressures it is still the duty and responsibility of parents to keep their family intact. The Word of God tells us that the proper upbringing of our children is one of the most important responsibilities we have before us. In the previous devotional I discussed the innocence of our children, and that they do not understand right from wrong when they are babies. They can be taught this, however, by godly parents, who have God in their lives and in their homes. But I am afraid that many parents don’t have time for God, and this is having the wrong affect on their children. This reminds me of a story about a mother who was running furiously from store to store on Christmas Eve trying to get those last minute gifts. Suddenly, she realized that her little three year old son was missing. She looked around and saw him standing with his little nose pressed against a frosty window. He was gazing at a manger scene. “Look mommy, its Baby Jesus in the hay.” The mom grabbed his arm and jerked him away snapping, “We don’t have time for all that. Can’t you see that Mommy’s trying to get ready for Christmas.” We must begin to take time for Jesus and teach our children about him. We must not permit the pressure of life to cause any of our precious children to sin, because of our neglect.

The Narrow Door

The Narrow Door

"Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to."
Luke 13:24

There are many warnings such as the scripture above where the Bible is telling us that the path to Heaven will be a difficult one. We must always remember that Satan is still alive in our world today, and is busy trying to do everything in his power to distract and tempt us from following God and doing His commands. You may get up each morning with the good intention of reading your Bible and spending a few minutes in quiet prayer time, but the interruptions and the time restraints keep you from this time with God. These interruptions come from Satan, as he does not want you to spend any time with God. It is so easy to become distracted by the little things of daily life, and not do your daily devotionals, prayer and Bible reading. The important thing to remember, however, is that you are allowing these things to come between you and making God first in your life. When you are allowing the little things, the little morning irritations, to keep you from spending a few moments with God, you are allowing Satan to win the battle. It is so important that you spend time with God each morning, and not let little things distract you. You need to give God the first fruits of your time each day, reading and praying to Him, and asking Him to lead and guide you in the hours ahead, and keep Him first in everything you do. Don't let Satan come between you and the time you spend with God each morning. When you make God first in your life, you won't be the one that is denied entry through the narrow door.

You Have A Choice

You Have a Choice

“I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
Luke 18:17

Throughout the Bible we find scriptures such as the one above where God is telling us that we need to be as innocent as a little child in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. God also tells us that the path to his kingdom is a narrow one and that few will find it. He also tells us that it will be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it will be for a rich man to get to heaven. God is warning us through these many scriptures that we must be prepared to lead a godly life while on this earth, one that is obedient to His commands, and one that is pleasing to God. Little children, are examples where God tells us that we must be willing to imitate them if we are to experience an eternal life. Even though all people are born in sin, even little children, they have not been subjected to Satan and evil, where they have to make a choice between doing what is good or bad. Most adults, on the other hand, have had the laws of God taught to them, and have also experienced the temptations of Satan, and know what is good and what is evil. We have made our own choices, based on this knowledge, to follow either God or Satan. The paths we have chosen to follow will either lead us to temporary pleasures or to eternal pleasures. It is so important to consider all these warnings that God is giving us, which tells us just how difficult it will be to follow Him throughout our lives. Satan will forever be there with his temptations, and excuses that we do not have the time to follow God, and that we need to look out for ourselves first. This kind of reasoning will sound good to many people, and will lead them astray, as this makes us think only about tomorrow, and not about where we will spend all eternity. The choice is yours.

The Face Of Jesus

The Face Of Jesus

"When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus."
Matthew 17:8

Could you imagine opening your eyes and looking up and seeing no one except the face of Jesus? There is a song, which is one of my favorites, called "What a Day That Will Be", and has the following lyrics, "What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see, and when I look upon His face, the One who saved me by His grace; When He takes me by the hand and leads me to the Promised Land, what a day, glorious day that will be." This is a day that I am longing for, as no longer will I have to suffer, worry and deal with all the pressures that this life brings. All my struggles, trials and problems on this earth will be over. One day I know I will open my eyes, and get to see the face of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and know that I will spend all my eternity in Heaven with Him. That certainly will be such a glorious day for me, and one that I long for. I will be reunited with my dad and my grandparents and get to spend my eternity in their presence. I want to encourage each of you to want this in your life as well. I want you to be able to look up and also get to see the face of Jesus, and know that you will also have a home in Heaven. There is nothing that is more important in your life today, than to know that your future home and your eternity is secure. Today, just take a moment and thank God for all that He has given you on this earth. Then ask Him to open your eyes so that you can see what He has to offer you by asking Jesus into your heart. Tell Him that you also want to open your eyes and look up and see no one except the face of Jesus.

Would You Follow Jesus

Would You Follow Jesus

“Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
Luke 9:62

I have written many devotionals about the calling that God makes on our lives. Although we sometimes may question this calling and feel that we are not worthy or adequate to do God’s will, we must always trust and be obedient to God. We can see in the scriptures just how important it was to Jesus to have His disciples follow Him when he asked. He came to several of them and told them to follow Him, and when they asked if they could attend to some business, He emphatically told them no, as they were to come now with only the clothes on their backs and follow Him. In the scripture above we see another instance where Jesus stated to not look back, but to follow Him now. I am sure it took a tremendous commitment for some of the disciples to just drop what they were doing and follow Jesus. Matthew was a tax collector, and was probably quiet wealthy, but he stopped what he was doing, gave up everything and followed Jesus. Several of the others were fishermen, who had families and a business, but when Jesus called they also stopped and immediately followed Jesus. I am sure all of these men had some wealth and material possessions that they left behind, but they were willing to give all of this up and go follow Jesus with not even a promise of where their next meal was coming from. If Jesus called you today, would you be willing to drop everything, give up your wealth and material possessions and be obedient to follow His call. I believe this is what Jesus wants each of us to be willing to do. He may not ask all of us to simply give up all that we have worked our entire lives for, but I believe we need to be willing to do this if He called. Do you have enough faith and trust to follow Jesus if He called?

Do You Know Your Future

Do You Know Your Future

"You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times."
Matthew 16:3

The weather is important to us, as it can determine what we do each day, the clothes we wear and can even affect our attitudes. Most people monitor their local weather forecasts each day to know what is in store for them and what to expect. I believe God understands how much the weather plays in our daily lives, as He spoke in the scripture above about discerning the face of the sky, as people try to predict what the weather will be. In Jesus' time however, they didn't have the weather channel, the newspapers or computers to show them local forecasts. They had to look at the sky to try to interpret what the future held in store. Even though we have advanced greatly in being able to predict future weather patterns and trends, we still have no way to predict what the real future holds for us. We can still look at the sky as the scripture above indicates, but have no clue what will happen even an hour from now, much less tomorrow or next week. Our lives can be changed instantly as a result of a natural disaster such as a hurricane, a tornado, a flood, an earthquake or other disasters. We simply don't know what the future holds. When we read the book of Revelations, we can get a glimpse of what the future will be like, and often we can become frightened what we find in its pages. The thing I want you to remember however, is that you can know without a doubt what your future holds when you ask Jesus into your heart. You don't have to look at the sky or depend on anyone to know that your future and your eternity will be secure with Him.

We Must Learn To Forgive

We Must Learn to Forgive

“For as churning the milk produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife.”
Proverbs 30:33

There are not many of us that have not been hurt at some time in our life, which has stirred up anger inside us, against the people who have hurt us. Many times this anger has grown and become an infection that has spread throughout out life, and has kept us from experiencing God at His fullest. As I counsel people I have found that forgiving hurts of the past and moving on with their lives is difficult for many of them. I have heard these people say they can never be able to forgive those who have hurt them, as they have been damaged too greatly to forgive. The thing that we must always remember when we think we are unable to forgive, is that we don’t understand just how much we have been forgiven by God. It may be difficult for some to see this, especially those who have gone through deep hurt, but nothing others have done to you is as awful as what you have done to God. Jesus died a terrific death for us as He was beaten, humiliated, crucified and died on the cross for our sins. Our sins did this to Him and He is still willing to forgive us. Unless we are willing to forgive others, Jesus tells us that He is not willing to forgive us. This is important, as His refusal to forgive us if we are not willing to forgive others, could be the only thing that will keep us from experiencing God’s kingdom. Having been given such forgiveness from God, can we, or better still, dare we withhold our forgiveness from anyone who has betrayed our trust and hurt us, no matter how horrifying that hurt has been? I would encourage each of you to search your self and see if you are holding anger against another. Do it today and forgive them so that God can then forgive you.

Safe In The Arms Of Jesus

Safe In The Arms Of Jesus

"The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil."
Isaiah 57:1

This past weekend my son and his wife came to us with some bad news. They had found out about a week earlier that they were pregnant, and everyone has been overjoyed knowing that our little two year old granddaughter was going to have a little brother or sister. However they just discovered that she has miscarried and has lost the baby. It is difficult in my eyes to understand why the Lord would want to take someone so precious as our little baby home to be with Him. In my perspective, it was too young to be taken, as it did not have a chance to experience life, but most of all I did not get to know it, hold it in my arms and love it. However, when I pull myself back enough to see it from an eternal perspective, I am envious that I am not in the presence of God with it right now. I know that someday I will get to see it, and hold it in my arms in Heaven. I also know that since we won't be able to raise and take care of our baby ourselves that Jesus will do it for us. So in my own limited knowledge of God and Heaven, I believe that our baby is now wrapped in God's arms, happy and waiting to see its mommy and daddy someday, and also its grandpa and grandmother. I can also just imagine my dad, sitting next to Jesus, rocking and holding his great grandchild in his arms, singing to it and loving it. I can't wait until my turn will come when I too can hold it in my arms and love it, but I know it is safe in my dad's arms right now and is with Jesus.

You Still Have Time

You Still Have Time

“But Abraham replied, Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.”
Luke 16:25

The scripture above is from the story in Luke of the rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus was a beggar who spent most of his days at the gate begging for food and money. He was covered with sores, and even the dogs came and licked his sores. He had lived a miserable life. The rich man passed Lazarus each day at the gate but did not look toward him or try to help him in any way. Then one day both Lazarus and the rich man died and were judged by God for what they had accomplished during their lives. Lazarus was carried away to heaven, but the rich man spent his eternity in Hell. So many people around us could die in the next year or even in the next hour, many unexpectedly and rapidly, and many of them will be lost. They will face the same fate as the rich man, a place that has been feared since the earliest times of life on earth. This will be a dark place of endless night, and a dreary place of never ending hope. Most people think about this place more and more the older they get. There are dozens of scriptures in the Bible that tell us about life after death in this place and what it will be like. All of us have a destiny that will be either a joyful existence in the presence of God, or a Christ-less eternity in the place prepared for the devil and his angels. If you are not saved and have not accepted Jesus into your heart you will be destined to spend your eternity in this place. You will have no name, no reprieve, no visitors, and no hope. Your chance will be over and you will spend forever alone and abandoned. But there is still time for you to escape this fate, as Jesus can still come to your rescue and save you from this terrible future, if you will ask Him.

God Is Watching You

God Is Watching You

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward."
Colossians 3:23

I have written several devotionals over the years about working at everything we do as if we were working for the Lord, and doing the best we can. I believe God wants us to give Him our best in all that we do, and our goal should be to please Him and not man. Even if these are the mundane, menial tasks we do around the house each day, we should do them the best we can. A simple task of just keeping our dishes washed and put away is a prime example. I have always thought that a good test to check our motives is to think what we would do if God was watching us. Would you want God to see a sink full of dirty dishes in your kitchen if He suddenly walked in. This may seem like a simple example, but I would feel guilty if God came to my house, and saw that I had not washed the dishes for several days. I believe God has given all of us an internal conviction that lets us know what we are doing is right or wrong. If our sink is full of dirty dishes we are convicted if someone would suddenly drop in when we didn't expect them, and see our mess. However, if our dishes are washed and put away and our kitchen is clean, we are at peace if someone drops by. If we make choices that are wrong, we don't feel right, but if we make good choices we are at peace with ourselves. I would encourage you to ask God to convict your heart today, that you will do your best to please Him in all things, as He knows and is watching everything you do.

Churches Without Walls

Churches Without Walls

“As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collectors booth. Follow me, he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.”
Matthew 9:9

I believe the calling of Matthew, is a good indication of what God wants each of us to do in our own lives. My point is that Matthew was a tax collector, and was probably one of the most despised men in the land, as he collected taxes from the people. The tax collectors were usually wealthy individuals, as they were allowed to keep part of the money they collected for themselves. They were disliked and in our eyes they would not have made a good candidate for Jesus to have representing Him to all the people during His ministry. But Jesus chose Matthew, because He wanted to show others that all people could become believers. Jesus does not want us to just spend all our time with other Christians, but to go out into all the world and find those that are lost. We certainly need other Christians in our life to encourage and uplift us, but our mission field needs to be out in the world, where sinners are and where we can spread the word of God to the lost. This is why we find many of the most successful ministries in our country going out to the prisons, to the bars, in bicycle gangs, anywhere there are sinners that need to know about Christ. There are many of the more well known evangelists that used to be drug addicts, prisoners, prostitutes, etc. themselves that have been converted and are now winning souls for Christ. Our churches should all have an outreach in their local communities, into places where they can tell others about salvation. However, I am afraid that many of our churches are churches with walls around them. I believe our churches should be churches without walls, where we are out being evangelists as God commands.

Be Strong In Jesus

Be Strong In Jesus

"That is why for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
2nd Corinthians 12:10

We can see many scriptures in the Bible teaching us things that go completely against the views of the world. For example "You cannot serve both God and Money." Matthew 6:24, or "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 1st John 2:15 However, the scripture for today's devotional goes even a step further, as Paul is telling us that we should delight in all the difficulties that we face each day. I know it is hard to see how we could be glad that we have sickness that destroys our health, or have financial problems that wipes out our money and wealth, or have relationship issues that destroys our friendships, or have all the other difficulties and problems that we face each day. However when we look at some of the teachings of Jesus, we see that he tells us "And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:27 He gives us another example where the rich man came to Jesus, and was told to give up everything he owned and follow Jesus, but he refused and left sad. The message that God wants us to get is that we live in a world that promotes our self centeredness, our self gratification, our need for material possessions. We want to be comfortable, feel satisfied, and have nothing that will take away our joy and happiness. If we lived in a world like this, it would be almost like heaven, as there would be no pain, no worry, no pressure, or nothing that would cause us grief of any kind. There would be no reason for any of us to turn to God for anything, as we would be self sufficient and not want for anything. However, we don't live in this kind of world. When we have health problems, we see just how frail our life can really be as it can be taken away so quickly. When we have financial problems, we see just how quickly our wealth, our money and all our material possession can disappear overnight. When we have relationship issues with family or friends, we can see just how easy other people can turn against us. All of the problems we face during our lives should be a constant reminder to let us see just how easy our safe and secure worlds can fall apart, and make us realize that we cannot handle everything on our own. Through all the struggles and trials we face daily, we quickly discover just how weak and fragile we really are. It is only when we face these difficulties in our lives that often we turn to God, as this is the time where He can show His strength and might, and demonstrate to us just how weak we really are. This is the message that Paul is trying to show us, as he learned that when he was weak, that this was the time when God could work in a powerful way through him. It is through our times of difficulties, problems and struggles in life that God can really demonstrate just how much we need Him. It is during our times of weakness that we realize that we have very little control over what goes on in our lives, but rather that God has complete control of everything. If you are going through a tough time with your health, your finances, your relationships, or some other problem today, stop complaining about your circumstances, regardless of how painful they may be, and turn them over to God. Allow yourself to be weak, and dependent on Jesus, who will show you just how strong and able He is to help carry your burdens for you.

Prophesy Is Being Fulfilled

Prophesy is Being Fulfilled

“If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your forefathers for ever and ever.
Jeremiah 7:5-7

The above words were ones that came to the Prophet Jeremiah from God, and that he was to proclaim to the people. This one scripture mentions the violation of many of the Ten Commandments. But when Jeremiah gave these words to the people they did not listen and continued in their own sinful ways, and continued to suffer and be punished by God for their actions. We do not have prophets, such as Jeremiah in today’s world, to proclaim the word of God, but we do have the Bible, which is God’s written word, which gives us the same messages that the prophets gave. But regardless of who gives us the message, our society still does not obey God’s word, as we continue to go about our own ways, disregarding the commandments, and we are also going to be punished. The Prophets were prophesying about Jesus’ coming and what the future held for the people of Israel. They did not have the New Testament which proved that what the Prophets had prophesied had come true, but we now have these also to tell us what will happen when Jesus again returns. But just as the people of Israel did, we also are not listening and being obedient to God’s word. It is so important to heed the wisdom of God, and put it into practice in our everyday lives. These words should not be taken lightly, and dismissed, in that we convince ourselves that we still have tomorrow to begin to obey them, but rather we need to be ready as the prophesy’s are being fulfilled.

God Is Still In Control

God Is Still In Control

"But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth."
Deuteronomy 8:18

In the scripture above we see God warning the people of Israel to be very careful, and remember that whatever wealth they had been given came from God's power and not by their own hands. He wanted them to remember that it was Him that had brought them out of slavery and bondage in Egypt, and had provided all their needs in the desert. He did not want them to become arrogant and think that they had done all this on their own, and forget what He had done for them. Most people today are like the Israelites and think that their success in life is due to their own ability, but fail to recognize that their ability to earn wealth comes from God. Just like the people of Israel, God is still trying to remind us that it is not by our hands that we have what we have, but it is by His hands that we have the ability to produce wealth. So often we are just as arrogant as the Israelites were, and think that we have created our own success by our own strength and abilities, not realizing that God's hand is still responsible for whatever success we have. Just looking at what has happened in the stock market these past several years, we see vast fortunes that have disappeared overnight, and should recognize just how fragile our wealth really is. I believe these are messages from God telling us that just as easy as we can make fortunes, He can take them away in an instant. God is still telling us today that our successes and our failures in life is still in His control, and is part of the plan that He has for each of us. Remember that God is still in control and by His hand gives us our wealth.

A Historical Perspective

A Historical Perspective

“Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.”
2nd Chronicles 34:1-2

The scripture above tells us just a little about Josiah who was made king when he was only eight years old. But from the moment I read about him, I was very impressed because in the prior two generations of the kings of Jerusalem, they had ruled with evil intentions, and had turned their backs on God and their kingdom had suffered. But when Josiah began his rule he brought God back into the land, and the kingdom began to prosper again. This is how it was for the people of Israel as when they turned their backs on God they suffered, but when they worshipped God they prospered. During Josiah’s reign two impressive things happened. The Book of the Law was found and began to be followed, and Josiah began to celebrate the Passover again, which was a sacred part of their worship. These two events indicated that God was again part of the daily life of the Jewish people. The story of Josiah intrigued me because I believe we see this kind of history being repeated in society today. For instance as I have done much research of my family’s ancestors I have found that when a divorce occurred, which resulted in a broken family, it took about two generations for the family to mend and heal itself. During these two generations almost without exception divorces in the children’s family would continue until someone would break the cycle. Then the next generations would be divorce free for several generations, and the family would thrive. I believe there is much to be learned by looking at history such as Josiah as it repeats itself over and over, even down to our own generations.

Our Stubbornness

Our Stubbornness

"The Israelites are stubborn, like a stubborn heifer. How then can the Lord pasture them like lambs in a meadow?"
Hosea 4:16

I have a little dog named Teddy, that likes to go with me everywhere I go in the car. He can see me starting for the door and is jumping as high as he can, as he thinks we are going for a ride, and usually will not stop until we get out the door. He is stubborn and doesn't like to take no for an answer. In the scripture above God is comparing Israel to a stubborn calf, as they would not listen to God's commands and obey them. Regardless of all the things God had done for them through the years, and had blessed them, they kept going back to their wicked ways of worshiping idols, and pursuing their evil desires. God even called them stiff-necked as well as stubborn in other scriptures, because of their stubbornness and their rebellious ways. I wonder if God looks at us the same way, as we are often stubborn. The Bible tells us what we are to do, we know God's commands, we know right from wrong, as His commands are clear, but we are too stubborn or stiff-necked to follow and obey them. We know the rewards of following God's commands, which is a home in heaven, and also the penalty of disobeying them, which is to spend our eternity in hell. However, we often don't take seriously His teachings and continue our sinful paths. Our stubbornness and the temptation of temporal pleasures of this earth get in the way of doing what is right. Unless we get past our stubborn nature, it is going to prevent us from experiencing the rich blessings that God wants to bestow on us.

Take A Stand

Take a Stand

“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.”
Psalm 19:7

We live in a world today that is becoming more evil, where Christian morals are being violated, and where godly family values are being ignored. God’s Ten Commandments are being mocked with impunity by millions of people, and even the mention of God in our schools and our government is being banned. The sad thing that I am observing is that we as Christians are showing very little remorse, and doing nothing about it. I am afraid that this anti-godly attitude is being rubbed off on all of us, as we keep bending and compromising our rules to allow for more freedom for the liberals who are very outspoken. When God gave us His Bible and all the commandments, He gave it to us so we would be obedient to His words, and follow them and teach them to our children as He commanded us to do. He expects us to walk the talk in our actions and behaviors each and every day. I believe our government should not be questioning God’s word and making laws such as to permit abortions, when God has told us what He says about this horrible action. Man cannot make laws that Christians should follow that go against what God teaches us. Homosexuality and same sex marriages are other areas that man is defying God’s teachings and enacting laws to approve of this sin. The Christians of this great nation are standing by and watching this happen every day, without taking a stand. God warns us that we must take a stand when we see God’s commandments questioned and violated as they are being done. I would encourage each of you to look around you and compare the kind of laws that Americans are being forced to submit to, and then read your Bibles to see what God says about these laws.

Are You Ready

Are You Ready

“There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.”
Luke 21:11

This is a scripture which tells us just a few of the signs of the end of the age. None of us can predict when God will come again, but there are earthquakes, famines and pestilences and fearful events and signs in our world today that could indicate that the end is near. Just this fall a deadly unstoppable influenza pestilence is mutating and strengthening which could be one of the pestilences that is mentioned above. The last time an influenza outbreak occurred was in 1964 when almost four million people died. In 1918 almost eighty million people died from an outbreak. In fact, the 1918 outbreak was the greatest disaster that America has ever had with almost one half million people dying in just a few weeks. To get all of this in perspective, Jesus warned us that a plague, a pestilence, a wall of death is going to someday stalk the entire planet. I believe that with the advent of Global Travel, it is possible to have a plague that could be spread to all points of the globe. The Bird Flu is another threatening plague that could jeopardize all mankind. The Bible also goes on to say that if these catastrophic events didn’t stop they would wipe out all human life. The potential is there for this very thing to happen. For our generation, the ability to kill a quarter of mankind with the spread of pestilence or war fits into the timeframe that God tells us could be the end of the age. It is so important that each of us are ready for this time, as although we do not know the day or the hour, the end days could be near. We need to be ready and have the assurance that if this time would come soon, that our eternal life would be guaranteed as we have accepted Jesus as our Lord.

A New Life

A New Life

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
2nd Corinthians 5:17

There is something exciting about getting something "new". I can recall our children's faces when they got a new toy, or when they got new clothes, or got their first new bicycle. There is something inspiring about getting a "new" anything. Most people even try to change their appearances by new hairstyles, makeovers, whiter teeth, to plastic surgery in hopes of creating a new look. The problem with these superficial changes is that it is only skin deep, and only covers what is on the outside. In the scripture above Jesus promises us that our entire being can become new, not just the outside surface, but also our inner being, when we ask Him into our hearts. Our happiness and joy begins with what is inside us, in our hearts, not on the outside. Just think what a new beginning could mean to you today. I am confident most of you have made mistakes during your life. You have committed sins you are ashamed of, you have done things that you regretted doing, you have hurt others, and done things that you wish you could erase and eliminate in your past. When you accept Jesus, all of these are forgiven, as anyone who comes to Jesus is given a brand new start. "All things have become new." What an amazing promise God has given us. We not only get a new start, but we become a new creation. "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." Isaiah 43:25 Once we accept Jesus as our Savior He wipes all our sins away and we are given a new start with a new life,.

God's Calling

God’s Calling

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.”
Isaiah 61:1

The Bible gives us scriptures such as this which indicates that each person has been called of God, and has a purpose and a destiny in God’s kingdom. For some, it may be in the public eye to serve in government. For others, it may be behind the scenes, as an encourager and helper. Others may be called into a leadership position, while others may be called to minister to providing for the needs of others. Each of us can have more than one talent or gift, but God has given each of us a calling. I know my wife has such a tremendous gift as an encourager, and can help anyone who is having difficulties and problems in their lives by uplifting and showing love for them. I have also talked and counseled with many people over these past 10 years about their calling, and I have had several say that they are waiting for God to show and tell them how to use their gifts and talents. The answer to this is that God will show and tell them when the time is right. We should remember that Jesus prepared himself for 30 years for His ministry which lasted only 3 years. We must be patient and wait on God until we have time to grow and mature from our past hurts and wounds, and heal ourselves. We are never going to be effective serving God if we are bitter, have not mastered forgiveness, pride, self centeredness and been given the other fruits of the spirit. But there will be a point in each of our lives when God will release us to do the things that He has destined for us to do. When this time comes we will find ourselves producing much fruit in our calling, as we will be reaching out to minister to those who are hurting and are without hope. You must be patient and wait for your season to come when God calls you.

The Total Bible

The Total Bible

"This is what I told you while I was still with you; Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."
Luke 24:44

Over the years, I have constantly heard people talk about the laws in the Old Testament and state that they don't apply anymore to our lives today. In the scripture above Jesus is speaking to His disciples about the things that had been written before He came to earth. There are many Christians that want to focus on the New Testament more than the Old Testament, and as a result spend most of their time reading and studying the New Testament. I realize that we love reading the words of Jesus and His teachings, and following His ministry, however we cannot discount the Old Testament and what it teaches us. Jesus tells us over and over that God's commandments still apply to our lives, and must not be discounted in any way. The Old Testament lays the foundation for the New Testament. It is in the Old Testament that prophesies were recorded of who and what was to take place in the New Testament. The Law of Moses, the stories of David, Abraham, Jacob, Isaac and all the other great men of God chronicles the history of God's people, as His plan of redemption for all mankind is recorded in these books. We have to study the past in order to better understand God's plans and purposes for us today. Without understanding how God created the universe and man, and knowing how sin entered the world it is impossible to see why Jesus had to come to redeem all mankind from sin. It takes both the Old Testament and New Testament to make the Bible come alive for us today.

Turn To Jesus

Turn to Jesus

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33

When you have troubles confront you where do you turn, to your God or away from him? According to the many scriptures found in our Bible, God tells us to expect troubles and tribulations throughout our lives. Most of the apostles were beset with troubles all through their ministries, and spent much of their time in prison, or on the run from their enemies. Paul and Barnabas were strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in their faith and trust in God, and saying, “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” Acts 14:22. With the assurance that we are going to encounter tribulations during our lives, we are faced with the question who do we turn to? I can remember my oldest son when he was about 2 years old walking into our living room when the lights were out. He did not know that I was sitting on the sofa, and when he entered the darkened room, I yelled out thinking that I would have fun with him and surprise him. Instead, it terrified him. One would expect him to have run away from danger, as he could not see who was there, however he began running directly to me with arms outstretched, looking for comfort. This is the innocence of a young child. I believe this is how we should be as adults, as when danger threatens we should run and seek comfort from Jesus, as He is the only one that can provide complete peace and comfort. The one thing that I would encourage each of you is to also run to Jesus in your good times as well. Don’t just use your times of trouble to run to Jesus, but think about Him during your good times, as He will give you comfort and peace any time you call.

Times Of Suffering

Times Of Suffering

"And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."
1st Peter 5:10

I usually get several e-mails each day from my readers, telling me about the problems and suffering they are going through in their lives. When I hear of someone suffering, I feel concern, sympathy and even sadness for them. It is sometimes difficult to realize that the Bible tells us that we will endure suffering, and see the kinds of problems that some people are facing. However, we need to realize that God knows what people are going through, as He knows all things. We don't understand why He allowed tragedies, such as the earthquake in Haiti, to cause so many people to suffer. The bottom line is that we will never understand why God does what He does, and allow these things to happen. We must continue to live by faith, and believe and trust that God has a reason for everything that happens to us. The scripture above gives us a glimpse of how God views our suffering, as it tells us that "after you have suffered a little while, Christ will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." When we keep our faith and trust in God during these times of confusion and pain, we will have more peace, comfort and hope in our suffering. We must look beyond our pain for the moment, and pray that God will reveal the bigger picture and plan that He has in store for us. We may not see God's bigger picture, but we must realize that He has a plan for each of us. We must trust Him to do His will, and give us the strength to endure.

Open My Eyes

Open My Eyes

“Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.”
Psalm 119:18

This wonderful scripture is a very simple one, but one that should be so meaningful to each of us. It is telling us to open our minds and our eyes, so that we will see the wisdom of God’s word, so that we can apply it in our every day lives. This is so important to open our eyes to the knowledge of God’s Holy Word, and see how we are to love others as we love ourselves. We are to see how we are to deal with the needs of others around us, and take care of the weary and the downtrodden, and be able to assist them in some way. We need to see the people that God has placed in our lives, whom we are to encourage with words of faith and deeds of compassion. We need to see and understand what our true motives are, and the purpose and plan that God has for us. So often we go through each day not seeing and understanding the will that God has for each of us, therefore we miss opportunities to be a witness for Him to others that may never have this opportunity again. God has given each of us gifts and talents that we are to use fully to further His kingdom, but so often we bury these gifts and they wither away and die, and do not produce fruit for God. God wants us to produce a bountiful harvest, and grow and multiply our gifts by using them to influence and bless others with them. We need to search out and see the opportunities all around us, and take advantage of our gifts to witness for God. It is so important to open our eyes to all of God’s commands, and begin to be obedient and follow them throughout our lives. If we commit our lives to following God, making Him our top priority and seeking His wisdom daily, our eyes will be opened and His law will be revealed to us, and we will never be the same again.

My Daily Devotional: Don't Dwell on "What If's"

My Daily Devotional: Don't Dwell on "What If's": "Don't Dwell on 'What If's' 'Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have understanding and power.' Proverbs 8:14 ..."

Don't Dwell on "What If's"

Don't Dwell on "What If's"

"Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have understanding and power."
Proverbs 8:14

How many times as adults do we reflect back on our lives and wonder "what if" things had been different? I know that in my life I have always wondered "what if" my father had not been killed in World War II, when I was two years old, how my life would have been different. Would I have been a different person today? Would I have had other brothers and sisters, instead of being an only child? Would I have married my wonderful wife, and had the children that we have been blessed with? Would I have had the problems and difficulties I had as a teenager? These are all the "what if's" I have thought about over the years. During my earlier years I questioned why God had allowed all these things to happen to me. However, as I have gotten older and wiser, I know that God has destined what my life would be like even before I was born, and knew all the things that would happen. I realize now that He had planned my life to be what it is like today. I have learned invaluable lessons over the years that have shaped me and molded me into the person I have become. If you are in a situation where you are questioning the "what if's" in your life, I want you to realize that God also knew about you from the beginning, and knows your situation even today. God has you where you are today, because this is His plan for your life. Don't dwell too much on "what if's", but spend the rest of your life making sure that you know what lies ahead, in your future. Despite what your circumstances have been, God is with you, and has always been. Let God lead you into the future.

Building A Stronger Family

Building a Stronger Family

“He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.”
Acts 10:2

As I have expressed many times in my writings, I believe that parents have a tremendous responsibility to be living examples for their children as to God’s will for the family. Building a stronger family is not easy. It takes a lot of work, time, prayer and sacrifice. The results, however, can be highly rewarding as parents begin to see their children develop into godly men and women, and see how their future generations can be affected by the kind of example they set. There are many things that we can do to strengthen our families, and be the role model that God wants us to be. We need to always show appreciation, respect and love to family members. Compliments and sincere demonstrations of approval are needed so badly by our children in today’s society. Our children need to feel good about themselves and develop a positive attitude. Much of this is developed when we spend time together, such as meals, working together and having fun times together. We need to structure schedules in order to spend time with each other. We must be committed to each person’s happiness and welfare, by spending time and energy with each other, and making our family our number one priority. We must spend time developing good communication patterns by talking and listening to each other. We must know what is going on in each others lives, and showing respect to all members of the family in everything we do. God must be present in the family at all times, and family life needs to revolve around Him. God will protect the family that has Him as their priority. I would encourage parents to make God and your family your top priority today, so that your children have the best chance to succeed.

Helping Others During Trials

Helping Others During Trials

"Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was."
Job 2:13

This past week I received an e-mail from one of my readers telling me that their young son had just died from cancer, and they were asking for prayers. It is difficult to know what to say to someone in this situation, as we cannot imagine the thoughts that are going on in their minds, as to why God was allowing this to happen. In the Book of Job we can see how some of his friends comforted him during the time God was testing him. They were also concerned about Job and just spent time sitting with him in silence. Job knew that they cared for him, and that they did not know how to comfort him, other than to be there with him. When we look further into Job's suffering, we see other friends that were giving him advice, telling him to renounce God, as that would stop his suffering. We have to be careful as to how we comfort people, and not give them wrong counsel. If you are watching a friend go through a difficult trial in their lives, you need to pray for the wisdom on how to help them. It is not our place to give them our personal counsel or guidance. Our role as their friend is to intercede in prayer for them, and to help them in the ways that God is leading us to help them. We need to remember that God is watching how we will respond in these situations. We must trust God, seek His counsel, and wait upon Him to know how to help. Wrong advice given to someone who is in pain, can cause them to turn from God, but good advice can comfort them and have them turn to God during trouble.

Put God In Control

Put God in Control

“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”
2nd Corinthians 10:3-4

I believe that the strongholds mentioned in the above scripture, and the battle that is being waged is to gain control over our minds. Satan is waging a fierce battle to gain control over each of us, and our mind is the ultimate prize that he wants control of. Our minds control our actions, our thoughts and our behavior. What we think governs what our actions are and where our attention is directed. We can’t outsmart or outthink the flesh or the devil on our own, as there is too much temptation that is thrown at us to resist. Our weapons must be “divinely powerful” if we are going to win any spiritual conflict with Satan. Satan is going to try to promote his lies through deception and temptations to try to turn us to sin. We need, however, the wisdom and knowledge that our Holy Bible gives us to resist this deception and temptation; we need God’s help. We may think that we are strong enough to resist Satan on our own, but we must realize that even though we believe in our own ability to resist, we are not strong enough to withstand the devils attacks. When we wake up each morning and turn on our televisions, we will be attacked by the evil that we see; we will be attacked when we get to our places of work by the evilness, and be tempted to do wrong; everywhere we go we will find evil. We must understand that our world is full of temptations, and we are vulnerable to these throughout our day. We must rely on the strength of God to withstand and ward off the enemy. We must allow God to have control of our minds, as this is the only way to resist Satan’s attacks and keep us pure.

What Do You Boast About

What Do You Boast About

"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Galatians 6:14

There are not many families in our country which do not have pictures of their children, grandchildren, parents, and other relatives hung on their walls, on their tables and usually scattered all throughout their house. Most people have their wallets full of pictures of their children and grandchildren. We all think that our children are the prettiest and the best compared to others. It also goes beyond just our families, as we proudly display any trophies, service awards, college and high school diplomas, and any other award or tokens that demonstrate our importance. Boasting is nothing new, as even in Biblical times, we see all the rituals that accompanied the mark of being a Jew and obeying the Jewish laws and customs. The Jewish requirements even went further and demanded the rite of circumcision to prove the Jewish faith. The apostle Paul, tells us that we don't need to boast about our faith, except to tell others about the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on the cross to save us from our sins. We don't have to prove, or show anyone a certificate, or an award, or be the best, the prettiest, or smartest to be recognized and known. The only thing we need to boast about is that we have been saved, our sins have been forgiven, and we now have the promise of an eternal home in heaven, to be with our Lord and Savior for all eternity. This is the only thing that Paul tells us that we should boast about, as all the other things in life does not matter, and will be meaningless in the end. Just boasting that we belong to God is all that matters.

My Daily Devotional: Trust and Have Faith

My Daily Devotional: Trust and Have Faith: "Trust and Have Faith “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine lik..."

Trust and Have Faith

Trust and Have Faith

“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.”
Psalm 37:5-6

So many times in our lives we have situations where we had been feeling comfortable with our lives, then suddenly uncertainty enters the picture and we feel unsure and uncomfortable. We can see examples in the Bible where this even occurred with Peter. Peter was a fisherman and was familiar with boats and spent much of his time on the water. He was also familiar with storms and knew how to deal with these and felt comfortable just being on the water. Despite all this, when he saw Jesus approaching his boat, walking on the water, he immediately trusted Jesus so much that he stepped out of his boat, where he was safe and comfortable, into a situation where he was unsure and probably a little uncomfortable. This lasted only a few moments, and then he began to doubt, and his walk on the water ended abruptly. This is how many of us are in our walk with God, as we put our trust in God and are so committed to following Him that we actually step out of our boats, and our comfort zones. We must remember that God will never allow us to fall and sink when we are living by faith. This is the place where God wants us to be, in our walk with him; the place where we have complete trust and faith that whatever we do will succeed. It doesn’t matter that we have stepped out of our comfort zones, and may feel insecure about what God has called us to do, we need to know that God is there and will not let us fail. If God is calling us to do his will, we must be obedient and not hesitate to step out in faith. We must not let doubt and fear of the unknown keep us from pressing forward to do God’s will, as when God is by our side we will be victorious.

God's Inner Beauty

God's Inner Beauty

"Just as there were many who were appalled at him--his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness."
Isaiah 52:14

In the previous devotional I discussed King Saul who was a man of great outward beauty, but his inner beauty was greatly lacking. In the scripture above this is the description of Jesus after being beaten and humiliated and then hung on the cross to die for our sins. This scripture tells us that Jesus had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him. There was nothing in His appearance that would want us to desire Him. Although Jesus was the Son of God, He was sent as a humble servant, to be despised and rejected by men. He would be arrested, tried, convicted and nailed to a cross. From a human standpoint His birth, life, suffering, and death was not what we would expect as the Son of God. However, even though we don't see the beauty of His birth, and His death, we all can see the inner beauty of what He means to us. "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:5 I believe these are some of the most powerful scriptures found in our Bibles, and all Christians should be able to see behind the ugly outward appearance, and see the beauty of what God's love is like for each of us. We should see the beautiful face of God, and should bow in humble adoration to His nail pierced hands, and the crown of thorns on His head. We should all rejoice as we view the beauty of our Lord and Savior and His love for us.

My Daily Devotional

Jesus Has Plans for Us

“Take away the stone, ‘He said. But Lord, said Martha, the sister of the dead man, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
John 11:39

Have you ever been disappointed with God’s apparent lack of response to your prayers? I am sure that almost all of us have at one time prayed to God, and have not had our prayers answered in a timely manner. It can be disheartening when you have asked God to help and intervene in a particular situation, and to know that He could have changed the outcome of your particular circumstance. But through all this, we must realize that God’s plans may not be our plans, just as it was with Martha and Mary, and their brother Lazarus. We can see in the scripture above that it was not that Jesus did not care about Lazarus, as He loved him, and had not forgotten about him. The Bible tells us that Jesus intentionally delayed going to help saying “it is for God’s glory, so that God’s son may be glorified through it.” Jesus had a plan, but Mary and Martha did not know that. All they knew was that their brother had died and Jesus didn’t come in time. Jesus knew their pain and felt it also. In fact, the Bible tells us that Jesus wept with them, but when they came to the tomb, Jesus commanded that the stone in front of the tomb be removed and for Lazarus to come forth. Many times in our lives we only see the trouble in front of us, and we want Jesus to come to our rescue and save us, but we don’t always know about God’s divine plan for us. We can become weary and disappointed when God does not immediately answer us. We need to remember that sometimes God’s plans for us might include a delay. As we wait, we must not give up, but continue to trust and have faith that God will answer our prayer, and that He cares for us and in His time will come and save us

Is Your Beauty Skin Deep

Is Your Beauty Skin Deep

"He had a son named Saul, an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites--a head taller than any of the others."
1st Samuel 9:2

The scripture above describes King Saul before Samuel anoints him as King. Even in this time there was a great value placed on outward beauty, and Saul filled the bill as an attractive king for Israel. However, Saul's beauty turned out to be only skin-deep, as shortly after becoming king, he revealed his true inner character by disobeying God on two different occasion. He then made matters worse by trying to cover up his sin by lying and blaming others. God knew what was happening, and that Saul was not obeying Him. The Lord was displeased with Saul's behavior, and his punishment was that he was rejected as King over Israel. Saul's beauty proved that it was only skin deep and should give us reason to look at our own lives. Are we guilty of devoting major attention to our outward appearance, while neglecting our relationship with God. God knew the heart of Saul, and that he did not follow His commands. God also knows your hearts and knows if you are obeying Him. God can see behind your outward appearance through to your inner being. He knows if you are covering up a sinful heart, and what your relationship is with Him each day. You can put on your good front with your fellow man, but cannot fool God into thinking you are more than you really are. If your outward appearance is not the same as your inner appearance, now is the time to seek forgiveness and begin a new life. God can forgive you of all your past sins, and let your inner beauty be as attractive as your outward beauty.

My Daily Devotional

The Majesty of God

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
Genesis 1:27

Last night I attended a small group meeting of our church, where a series called the Truth Project was being discussed. This session was on the differences between evolution and divine creation. As this discussion continued for several minutes, I was reminded of my career in the health field and the knowledge I have learned about the human body. Everything in the human body must function and work together, and in unison for us to be healthy and in good physical condition. If our heart is not functioning, blood will not get to the rest of our body and these parts will deteriorate and we will die. If our brain does not work properly our muscles will not know when and how to move our arms and legs. If our lungs do not pump and produce oxygen the rest of our body will suffer and die. When God created man He made us in His image, His perfect image, and with all the complexities of every part of our bodies working and functioning together. The presence of God is in us because we were made in the likeness and image of God. All we have to do is look at our own bodies to recognize the amazing wonder that God has created. We can also see His majesty all around us in the wonders of nature, when we see birds in flight, the fluffy clouds in the sky, a magnificent sunset, a beautiful rainbow, the feel of the wind on our face. God is all around us and to have someone question His creativity, and suggest that all this beauty was created by a process of evolution is absurd. Just knowing the wondrous creations that God has made is enough to give us a glimpse of what lies in store for us when we enter heaven, to be with Him for all our eternity. The majesty of God will be everlasting and all this is for us.

Look To The Future

Look To The Future

“This is how it will be with any one who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”
Luke 12:21

So often I believe that people become so enamored with material possessions and wealth that they lose sight of what the real riches of this life is all about. The scripture above is a lesson that each of us need to learn and follow. It is the story of a rich man who was a farmer, and whose crops had produced so generously that he had no place to store them. He thought to himself, I will tear down my barns and build bigger barns where I can store all my grain and my goods, and I can lay back, take life easy and be merry. But God told him that this very night his life would be taken from him, and then who would get all his possessions. We must never forget that our material possessions and wealth will some day pass away, as they are only temporary things, and that they are not going to last, but will be here for only a season. Everything that we cherish and love will be left behind for someone else to use and enjoy. The only thing that should matter to us is what is waiting in heaven, as this will be eternal and will last forever. We must look beyond the moment, past our temporal pleasure and into the future. Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of stew that Jacob was cooking, as he saw only a temporal pleasure and failed to look ahead. There are a lot of people like that today. They don’t think about God, or have time for Him unless they have some trials or troubles come against them. Then all at once they begin to think about God, and now have time to pray to Him. Then when their problems and crisis is past they return to their old ways, and no longer think they need God in their lives. I would encourage each of you to seek God, not as a temporary God, but as an Eternal God, one that will last forever.

God Will Not Disappoint

God Will Not Disappoint

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5

Every one of us will sometimes have problems that we expect others to help us with, but we will find that they do not always have the answer and will disappoint us, even though they may not intend to. It would be nice to have someone that we could depend on, but there is only one that we know that will always be there for us, and that is God. When we depend on God we will never be disappointed, as He is always going to be there showing His love and providing all our needs. The majority of disappointments and hurts we will face in life are ones where we have depended upon others, and they have let us down. Whether it is a family member, business associate or a friend, we set our expectations that others will assist us in a project or something we are interested in. Then for whatever reason, when they do not come through with what we expected of them, we are hurt and disappointed. Usually the people that we have trusted and have depended upon in the past are the ones that will disappoint and hurt us the most in these kinds of situations. The thing that we need to remember during these times is that everyone’s priorities are not the same as ours. We should not expect others to be as enthusiastic about our projects and plans as we are. They have their own priorities and projects and their own expectations. What may seem like the most important thing in our immediate life may not be important to them, and results in them not taking the time to help us, and we become disappointed and hurt. However when we are disappointed with others, we can look upward and find God who is always there for us, as He will never leave us or forsake us. I would encourage each of you to keep your eyes on Jesus, and you will never be disappointed in the results.

Resist Temptations

Resist Temptation

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
Matthew 26:41

Temptation is a strong force that drives a wedge between what we mean to do and what we actually do in so many issues of our lives. Every one of us makes decisions all during our lives concerning financial issues, relationship issues, family issues and work issues. We reach a point in each decision as to whether to do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord, or whether to be tempted to do something that we know God would not approve of. Temptation is present in most of our daily lives to try to gain a foothold in our minds, our attitudes and our actions and lead us down a path that could lead us to our ultimate destruction. When we are tempted to do what we know is not right, we are living independently of God, and living in the flesh, which is of Satan. This is really the true battle when we are facing temptation, as we are deciding whether to follow Christ or Satan. The scriptures tell us that God has provided a way of escape from every temptation. 1st Corinthians 10:13 “And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” It is important for us to know what is right and wrong at the time we are tempted, as we must control the temptation at the beginning, because if we don’t control the temptation at the threshold, we run the risk of allowing the temptation to control us. Once we give in to the temptation it is very difficult to turn around and escape, and return to our innocence. God will provide a way out when we are tempted, but we must be willing to take a stand and not give in to Satan. Our stand is to trust and be obedient to God’s will for our lives, as God will strengthen our will to obey.

My Daily Devotional

Our Sins Will Find Us Out

“The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”
Galatians 6:8

We have all read the Bible’s wisdom telling us what we sow, so shall we reap. I recently saw a story that so well exemplified this wisdom. A successful building contractor called in one of his senior employees, a skilled carpenter, and told him he was going to put him in charge of the next house the company was building. He told him to order all the materials and oversee the entire process from the ground up. This was the carpenter’s first opportunity to be the boss, but greed got the best of him, as he began thinking that he could make more money for himself if he would cut a few corners. He then ordered second grade lumber, inexpensive concrete for the foundation, put in cheap wiring, and cut every corner he possibly could. All of this with the thought that the paint would cover up all the inferior materials and no one would ever know. When the home was completed, he asked the boss to come and see it. His boss was impressed by the outward appearance and said, “you did such a fantastic job and have been such a good and faithful worker, and so honest all these years that I am going to show my gratitude by giving you this house.” This is such a good example of how we reap what we sow. We can’t make beautiful flowers bloom in the summer if we plant weeds. We can’t reap righteousness if we sow sins throughout our lives. If we want to reap rewards from God we must obey and follow his commands. We cannot go our own way and continue our sinful nature, and expect to be rewarded by God on our day of judgment. We reap what we sow, and our sins will someday find us out, and we will receive our just rewards as we stand before God.

My Daily Devotional

Obedience to God

“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.”
Hebrews 11:8

I would like for each of you to consider if you are willing to obey God even when it’s not easy, and you don’t understand? This kind of obedience takes a great deal of faith. It takes a devotion to God and a desire to please Him and obey Him, regardless of the circumstances and the unknown. Growing in faith and obedience is a process that will span our lifetime, and is one that will have no boundaries as we can grow each day. So many times throughout the Bible we see examples of just how much faith the Biblical men of God must have had. Noah must have had a tremendous faith to obey God in building the ark, or Abraham must have had an outstanding faith in God to obey Him when he was commanded to kill his own son. None of these examples were easy ones for these people to follow and obey God, but they trusted Him so greatly, and had so much faith that they were willing to sacrifice everything for God and be obedient to His commands. What would you do if you suddenly got a command from God to go build an ark or to kill your child? We need to all work towards building this kind of faith in God by meditating in God’s word, by prayer and letting God live in our daily life. We need to be in a position in our faith that when we sense God’s direction in our life, that we don’t hesitate, but will step out in obedience, even when we don’t understand the reason. We need to trust Him, as God’s plan and purpose for each of us is always perfect. We need to pray to God to help us follow in the example of Abraham and Noah, and be willing to sacrifice all that we have in obedience to God and His will for our lives.