John 12:9-10 12/3/2024

“But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also,  because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus.”

This verse made me laugh.  Jesus had just raised Lazarus from the dead,  and the best threat the chief priests could come up with was to kill him again?   What do you think Lazarus had to say about that? … Probably something like, “Really? … Again? …  You guys understand that doesn’t scare me, right? …  I’ve been there, and there, is better than here”. 

The priests are clearly the ones who are fearful here ...  I bet most would have rather heard Lazarus discuss the afterlife, instead of threatening him with more of it… How revealing is it that this groups ultimate threat was something that Jesus had already exhibited complete power and control over? 

As I imagine Lazarus’ attitude toward their attempts to intimidate him – I am challenged by it.  

Haven’t I too been released from the power of death?  Hasn’t death lost its sting in my life just as it had in Lazarus’?  I should be bolder, less intimidated, and less focused on the temporal,  as I have already begun my eternal life… I have died and been raised to walk anew in Christ…  The only thing  that physical death changes now, is location. 

These facts should change us.  As in this passage, are we so bold that it can be said that on account of us, many are going away and believing in Jesus?  If not, why not?  What are we afraid of?  Where is the courage we see in Lazarus after he was called out of death? Our salvation means we too have been called out of the grave to walk with Christ.  Based on that, shouldn’t we be more like Lazarus when this world is threatening?

My guess is, that the day after Jesus raised him, Lazarus’ “to-do” list looked very different than it did before… His fear and anxiety about worldly issues no doubt vanished as he walked out of that tomb… Maybe we should examine what we allow to frighten us, and what we plan to invest our time in today.  Let’s make sure that as people  who have already been delivered from death, we are fearlessly chasing what matters.

“Living in the light of eternity changes your priorities.” - Rick Warren

TITUS 2: 9-10

 “Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.”

“Bondslave” refers to  people who had acquired debt and for financial reasons were sold into slavery.  Paul isn’t validating slavery in any form. He is stating how we are to conduct ourselves when we end up in oppressive situations.

There are many forms of slavery today. Criminal slavery imposed on others,  as well as slavery, we impose upon ourselves such as career, credit card debt, image, etc. … So, there is a lesson here on what you allow yourself to be a slave to,  but that is not the point of this passage. 

Instead, these verses reinforce Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men”.  The concept is to realize that you are God’s servant, no matter what the endeavor.  It is all encompassing, and  “fairness” is not the target, excellence is. 

Today’s “entitled” philosophy does not embrace this teaching. This passage demands your unfair boss and the selfish people on your team become important to you. It requires you to enthusiastically work with, not against your demanding employer.  It expects you to be a servant in your marriage and family even when it is not reciprocated. Every group you are involved in should run smoother because you are a part of it, even when it is unfair or one-sided. Your assignment is to treat others as more important than yourself simply because God loves them.

That is where the bar has been set. And though it is tough to swallow in our culture of individual rights, the all-important goal is not to tarnish the name of your Savior.  If you think this is unfair – you are correct… But you don’t want fairness, you want grace. That is what God has given you,  and what you must offer others as well. 

So, if you can’t sacrificially treat your family with respect, work hard for your boss, and be a positive influence on your friends, please don’t teach Sunday School.  This chapter says your self-centered response to unfairness will significantly minimize any impact your religious lecture might have.

“Preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words” - St. Francis

John 4:10 11/19/2024

“Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

The most troubling flaw in my prayer life is that I often forget who I’m talking to… Jesus tells this woman she doesn’t ask the right questions, because she doesn’t know the power He possesses.  I spend a lot of time in prayer making suggestions instead of listening because I forget who He is… If I contemplated the majesty of  the one hearing my prayers, they would be different. 

When Christ gave us the templet for praying, He said… “Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name”. Hallowed means respected, holy, sacred…  the natural next step after such an acknowledgement  should be to contemplate that… It makes sense that His holiness would shape your interaction with Him. 

The next phrase, “thy will be done”…  is the only logical progression… If you realize you are communicating with The Creator, the only rational next statement is to ask Him to control everything in your life.  If you prefer your own will, then you too have forgotten who you’re talking to. 

The foundation of my prayers must be the recognition of His Power. When I begin there, I ask the right questions… Instead of “placing my order” for the day, I come desiring guidance. I come with more questions and less solutions. Approaching God with a  “poor spirit” gives me the attitude that prepares me to hear the correct answers.  

There is a difference between saying your prayers and praying.  One is a one-way religious exercise in frustration, and the other is a two-way personal communication that results in guidance, power, and peace. 

The enemy’s desire is to have us habitually recite our memorized mantras, instead of crawling into the lap of our loving God and praying… Prayer brings our heart before Him with all our scars and allows us to receive the healing power of our Father.  Prayer changes things, and its power comes from the  power of the One to whom we pray. 

“Our ordinary views of prayer are not found in the New Testament. We look upon prayer as a means for getting something for ourselves; the Bible’s idea of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself.” -  Oswald Chambers 

1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 11/12/2024

“…Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.  Therefore, comfort one another with these words.”

“Two minutes!”... 

We used to shout that in the locker room as the time approached for us to head to the football field for the game.  The excitement and anticipation were palatable.  All the work that we had put in, all the sweat we had invested – was forgotten and overrun by our enthusiasm. You could hardly hold us back as we were headed out to play. Our focus was not on the safety and comfort of the locker room but the reckless excitement waiting for us on the field. 

That kind of focus and anticipation is what we should feel every morning as Christians.  JESUS IS COMING BACK… And it won’t happen gradually. Like a kickoff… the trumpets of Heaven will sound, and the King will return.   The question is not IF, but WHEN? 

Do I live in that reality? Do I wake up each morning with that thought on my mind motivated by Heaven …or am I distracted by the temporary trinkets of this world? 

C. S. Lewis turned our worldview upside down when he pointed out that you don’t HAVE a soul… you ARE a soul… you HAVE a body.  Is that my templet for life? Do I live as though everything in the physical realm is temporary and only the Spiritual is infinite?

Being a part of a church is wonderful, having buddies who support you and remind you that we are not alone is uplifting… But the kickoff is the reason for the team. The Kickoff is our purpose… and this is what should occupy our minds through the difficult times of preparation. Christ’s return is the event that should dictate a mood of anticipation and excitement as it approaches.  

This passage says this is what we should use to comfort each other and prepare ourselves for His return.  We must acknowledge that flesh is fleeting and will pass away – The Spirit is eternal…  the main thing, is to keep the main thing, the main thing…. Will I leave the house this morning with my mind set on Heaven?...

”Two Minutes!”

“The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus.”
— Bruce Lee

Philippians 2:5 - 8 11/5/2024

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross.”

That is an overwhelming passage… 

Christ, being fully God, humbled Himself and came to earth as a servant.  Offering redemption to those who were not only beneath Him… they were His own creation.  Yet, they rejected and crucified Him …as He prayed for their forgiveness. 

This passage says that is the attitude I am supposed to have … This is not poetry or a parable… it is an historically recorded example we are required to follow that at times feels unattainable. 

I can be a servant,  when I am recognized for it… I might even enjoy it as long as others are appreciative.  But it would be difficult to serve those who disrespect me…  For the Son of God to become a lowly human …and then have other lowly humans mock and crucify Him? ...while He loved them?  That seems outrageous …Yet according to this passage, that is where the bar has been set.  

So, today if I am gracious and those I serve are not grateful… or I’m unselfish, and no one applauds…  how will I respond? … How will I react when others ignore my kindness?   The answer to those questions will be embarrassing if I go through the day with the “mind of Boyd”.  But if I willingly choose to have the “mind of Christ”, the results can be astounding.  

If I decrease, and Christ increases, my life will become radiant, lighting up any room I enter.  If I have the mind of Christ I will serve people – not out of obligation or religious devotion – but because like Christ, I love them. Love never stands still, it demands action. Sometimes to lift someone up you must get beneath them… Are you willing to lower yourself so you can effectively elevate others?  

There is no way around it… this passage insists that we decide who we love most. 

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”
- Anne Frank

John 8:31-33 10/29/2024

“So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples;  and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”

Jesus is addressing new believers, telling them that obedience to His Word is the identifying mark of His true followers and that without it, they were living as captives. …. He tells them that His Word will set them free, but they arrogantly argue that they have never been slaves.  

What about you… have you been set free?  Or have you adopted a  mediocre faith that ignores scripture and maintains that you don’t need liberation?

There are no chains more powerful than those we choose not to acknowledge…  the ones we have accepted as “normal” and no longer try to break.  The strongest prison is the one we choose to sit in, even though the door is open. 

Our culture offers “shrink to fit” truth, and limited freedom, while The Bible offers radical truth and complete liberty. But we miss it, because we don’t seek truth, we seek comfort.  As long as our jail cell is comfortable, we are content.  

What if we changed that?  What if we re-evaluated “normal” and filtered every “accepted” habit through God’s word.  What if  we decided to get comfortable being uncomfortable and change our lives to fit scripture, instead of changing scripture to fit our lives?  Living out truth produces freedom that makes us effective warriors for the Cross. 

It is a choice you will have to make deliberately; the enemy is content to leave you restfully undisturbed in this area because your captivity makes you ineffective for the Kingdom of God.  

It is your call… you can stand there on the sidelines and be comfortably ordinary  – or get in the game and pursue being dangerously extraordinary.  

If you will open your Bible and question the status quo, you might find freedom to do what you were created to do… You might find that the Son has obliterated the chains you’ve been putting on every morning and realize that you’re living in bondage, and only the Truth will set you free.  

“Freedom is something that dies unless it's used.” -  Hunter Thompson

Galatians 3:1-5 10/22/2024

“You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?  This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?  Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” 

When writing to the adulterous Corinthians Paul instructs them gently. To the Cretans in the book of Titus he is patient and explanatory. But here he is straight out rebuking the Galatians without much of a filter. In this passage he basically asks them if they’re stupid.

We find a similar approach when Jesus encountered thieves and prostitutes, He corrected them, but gently. But when faced with Pharisees who believed they could earned their way Christ was severe, calling them snakes, and whitewashed tombs for thinking they could earn redemption. 

This seems to indicate that arrogance and believing you can earn deliverance is especially repulsive to the Holy Spirit.  That makes sense, because for God to pay the price He paid for my salvation, and then I act as though I can earn it -  is an amazing display of ignorance and ingratitude. 

Jesus died to redeem my soul, and there is no amount of work I can do,  or money I can pay to earn that … it is insulting to insinuate that there might be.

That is a frightening observation because “legalism”, “works-salvation”,  and “judgementalism”, are sins we in the church dance pretty close to, and it appears these sins and the arrogance from which they originate are particularly offensive to God. Egotism may be the enemy’s most powerful tool. 

Have I been saved by grace, but become better than you because of my works?  Did the Holy Spirit provide salvation and then my flesh say, “I’ll take it from here”?  Paul calls that whole line of thinking foolish.  

While we must boldly speak truth, we also had better check our hearts regularly and make sure we are not being bewitched by some foolish, self-exalting approach to Christianity that allows us to feel anything but gratitude for our salvation.

“If there be ground for you to trust in your own righteousness, then all that Christ did to purchase salvation, and all that God did to prepare the way for it, is in vain.” — Jonathan Edwards

John 6:61-64 10/15/2024

“Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?  Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!  The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing”. 

The dilemma for the American church is that when Jesus spoke it often offended people.… and we are some of the most easily offended people on the planet.  Our default response to correction is victimhood.  This predicament interferes with us “recruiting” members for our church. 

Our focus on increasing membership makes us unwilling to lovingly address unpopular topics that are clearly defined by God’s Word.  Any honest reading of scripture reveals God’s definition of marriage, sexuality, morality, the value of the unborn, greed, and a host of other topics that have been deemed “off-limits” by our culture … Jesus addressed difficult subjects, and never once changed truth to pacify His audience. 

It is not our goal to offend but some will see truth as offensive. If you call truth hate, you will hate truth. But like a good doctor we cannot be overly concerned with how medicine tastes to the patient - only that it heals them. I must lovingly give the correct dose, no matter how it impacts the patient’s opinion of me. 

If the truth offends my audience,  the remedy is to remind them that truth does not originate from man; man came from truth.  You can’t look through the lens of deception, and self-will, and expect to see the truth of God.

If you desire to change scripture and only follow what suits you … it is because you have forgotten who wrote it.  It isn’t a rough draft for you to edit.  It is a document written by the omnipotent Creator of the universe. Its purpose is to light your path, and without it you’re walking in the dark. 

“Christian” is not something you comfortably add to your resume.  You die to yourself, and Christ lives in you.  You become “unoffendable” by anything written in scripture and simply dedicate your life to following it. 

 If the Bible offends you… It is not scripture that needs to be adjusted…. You have options for responding to The Word of God, but being offended by it, and demanding it be changed isn’t one of them.

"An offended heart is the breeding ground of deception." - John Bevere

John 1:45-46 10/8/2024

“Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses wrote in the Law, and the prophets also wrote: Jesus the son of Joseph, from Nazareth!”  Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good be from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 

Philip found the Messiah and ran to let Nathanael know…  He realized who Jesus was …He said “We found the promised one”… Philip had met the Son of God, and he recognized Him because they had been looking for Him for Centuries.  His knowing  “who  and what” he had found was the key…. and it still is today.  

Jesus is not a surprise. His first appearance in the manger was prophesied for thousands of years, and His return has been foretold by historically documented predictions. He is one of the most recorded figures in history.   His life has been verified by both church and secular historians, so the question of His existence is not the question…  Knowing “who and what” He is – is what changes everything.

When Philip realized this, he did the only logical thing he could do… He ran to tell his friend.  That is the only rational response we can have as well. If you realize that He is the foretold lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world, and you don’t tell the people you love… How can you say you love those people? 

The problem is that they may not be interested in your discovery.  So, we can also learn from Philip’s confident approach to witnessing… When Nathanael mocked him,  Philip didn’t retaliate, he simply said “come and see”… Those three words carry a wealth of theological implications and are incredibly powerful. 

You and I need to put away our argumentative rebuttals to naysayers and simply say “come and see” …  Our intellectual opinions are not as powerful as saying, “look at the changes Jesus has made in my life”, and then living in such a way that they can “come and see” Christ in us. 

The power of the gospel is that you have been made a new creation, and our job is let others know that God offers new life to all who come to Him.

“Live as a credible witness. If our actions don’t line up with the message we’re proclaiming, we risk losing our credibility.” — David Jeremiah

 

1 CORINTHIANS 10: 6-11

“Nor are we to commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day.  Nor are we to put the Lord to the test, as some of them did, and were killed by the snakes.  Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, …”

Read the last sentence again… This message applies to us individually and collectively.  It states that debauchery carries severe consequences.  God has made that historically clear. Yet somehow today, we not only tolerate these evils… we celebrate them.  

You argue that you stand against sin…  but what about “Grumbling”.  Are you lovingly pulling others out of the gutter, or just grumbling against those who are in it?  Do you love the word of God,  or do you resent His commandments? In this passage the result of self-centered grumbling was death, just like the other sins on the list. 

God is not vague about the purpose of this passage.  It says, “these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction…”.  That is not hard to interpret. In the original Greek, It means, “these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction…”.  

Do we suppose God’s opinion has changed about worshiping money, pursuing pleasure, or normalizing sexual perversion? Do we think it is acceptable now to grumble about the obligations of serving God?

This passage states that it is unwise to test God.  Yet here we are, dancing close to the flames. There is a precedent in this passage which we are unwisely ignoring. 

God’s word is not a buffet, you cannot choose which commands you follow. Cherry-picking scripture is pursuing YOUR will, not God’s. 

Christianity is an “all-or-none” proposition… You either surrender to God, or you don’t.  The Lord has outlined expectations on conduct, marriage, sexuality, treatment of others, and even attitude… They are not suggestions, nor are they subject to cultural standards, and ignoring them carries consequences. 

Jesus proved His love for us by dying to save us while we were still sinning…  So, we don’t avoid sin to make Him love us … We avoid sin because we love Him. 

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments...”  - Jesus (John 14:15) 

1 CORINTHIANS 8:1-3 9/24/2024

“Now concerning food sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes one conceited, but love edifies people.”

1 Corinthians was written in response to questions from the church.  Apparently, believers had correctly deduced that an idol is just a lifeless object.  So, if meat killed in front of it is cheaper, why not eat it? 

However, some new believers were disturbed by this activity… They were hurt by the freedom practiced by these “mature” believers … So, apparently the mature believers wrote Paul, requesting approval for this practice. 

It’s not a difficult theological question… those eating the meat were right…  It makes no difference whether an animal is slaughtered in a barn, or in front of an inanimate idol... But Paul responds to the problem the question reveals… not the question itself.  

He is perhaps repeating the statement “We all possess knowledge.” …and then criticizes the underlying reason for it.  He, not too gently, points out that knowledge puffs you up… but love builds others up. 

If I say, ”my humility makes me better than you” – You know there’s a problem with that statement. Paul is pointing out an issue to the Corinthians in the same way. If you say you know about love, yet your knowledge leads you to run roughshod over your neighbor’s feelings, then you don’t know about love. 

Paul is saying that they have a heart problem.  He is explaining to them that being correct doesn’t always make you right. Paul could have properly said, “eat what you want”, as Luke said in Acts 10:15.  But in this case Paul doesn’t want to discuss the law, he wants to address their hearts toward their younger brothers and sisters in the faith. Your knowledge of the law is flawed if you use it to only promote yourself. 

When is the last time you gave up your freedom for fellow believers?  Have you ever passed on an argument you could have won because you cared more about others than yourself?  Later in this letter, Paul basically says, “if eating my favorite food causes my brother to stumble, then it’s off the menu”… Is that your approach to your friends at church – or does your “knowledge of your rights” make you the most important person in the pew?

“A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.”
- Benjamin Franklin

Romans 8:18-19

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.   For the eagerly awaiting creation waits for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God.” 

Peace of mind comes from our perspective.  We each choose our mindset based on what we know to be true.  Our culture continuously spews agitating lies to unsettle us and move us in the direction the puppet masters want us to go, but at the end of the day, the choice is ours. 

I had an uncle who lived in Palestine, Texas that I called Uncle Jack. I loved him dearly and he taught me much about life.  Uncle Jack was a postman and farmed about 20 acres of land as well. He was a godly, country gentleman, who quietly served his family, community, and church until the day they found his body sitting by a tree where he had been working his land. 

This morning’s passage begins with the phrase “I consider”, which the commentators say should be translated “I reckon”…  and that is what reminded me of Uncle Jack. That is something he would say, and something he lived out.  He “reckoned” any trouble on this side of heaven wasn’t really worth mentioning, considering what his Savior had done for him.  Uncle Jack didn’t waste much time complaining.  He chose each day instead to get up, do his job, come home, farm his land, and find joy in loving others … and looking back, I find great wisdom in that. Uncle Jack controlled what he could control, and trusted God with the rest. 

Paul says I should do the same.  If I believe what I say I believe, my troubles today fade in light of what I have been promised for tomorrow. And it’s not just me… the entire creation has been waiting for Christ’s return, and that is what we must focus on.  The Gospel doesn’t just set me free; it makes the world right again. 

I need to focus on this eternal truth and not spend so much time obsessing over my day-to-day struggles.  Uncle Jack would’ve said, “I reckon today’s problems are in bigger hands than mine”…  and based on this verse, I reckon I agree with him. 

“Sorrow looks back, Worry looks around, Faith looks up” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

John 2:16-17 9/10/2024

“And to those who were selling the doves He said, “Take these things away from here; stop making My Father’s house a place of business!” His disciples remembered that it was written: “Zeal for Your house will consume me.” 

This passage describes when Jesus walked into the Temple and found it being dishonored, used as a place for personal advancement instead of  worship.  He found people pursuing profit not purity, using God’s house to fleece God’s children.  His zealous reaction didn’t surprise  the disciples as it had been prophesied in Psalms nearly a thousand years earlier. 

The Temple was a beautiful building. Its purpose was to allow people to receive communication from the Lord.  It was sacred ground and the abuse of it deeply angered Christ. 

I heartily applaud His actions when it is directed at the moneychangers …but am less enthusiastic about what should happen when I am the one abusing the temple.  Scripture says my body houses the Holy Spirit.  Is there any doubt of God’s response when I pollute it with hypocrisy, lust, anger, or self-centeredness?  How can I applaud the turning over of the moneychanger’s tables, and then be surprised at God’s anger when in the name of “religion”, I act just like them.  The next verses refer to Jesus body as the Temple, so the application is undeniable.  

This highlights a crucial fact.  We don’t take our bodies TO church….our bodies ARE the church. We are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. How can we fill our hearts with perversion, drugs, drunkenness, and self-righteousness, and expect God’s Spirit to reside there?

To pollute our “Temples”  and then show up on Sunday for hypocritical self-advancement, looks a lot like the activity that angered Christ in this passage.  God does not change, so we should expect His reaction to be similar.   

He made a whip, scattered the money, and turned over the tables…  You can argue if you want to, but it is clear that God resides in your heart and expects you  to sanctify it and keep it holy… God is still zealous about His Temple, and that necessitates that you walk in purity. It stirs His wrath when you claim to be His child, while you defile His house. 

“The temple in which the Lord Jesus delights most, is a broken and contrite heart, renewed by the Holy Spirit.” - J. C. Ryle

Philippians 4:6-7 9/3/2024

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Anxiety is our new epidemic.  Technology has re-wired our brains, and  Instant gratification is our expectation… If we don’t get immediate fulfilment and/or relief our default response is anxiety. 

This passage contains a remedy for this.  It was written 2000 years before the “Anxiety & Depression Association of America” discovered the same thing and called it  “Habit Reversal Training”. The ADAA’s description of  HRT is “ the use of a competing response, which is an action that is incompatible with the habit you are trying to break”.  They recommend gratitude for breaking anxiety, since they are incompatible in the brain together.

So, it only took psychologists 2000 years to partially catch up with the truth scripture teaches here. The full truth of course is that you can find rest in an all-powerful Heavenly Father who loves you. But this verse specifies that if you prayerfully thank God for His blessings, unexplainable peace will guard your heart and mind. 

Scripture does not imply this is easy. But Paul confirms what the ADAA has finally figured out - that God has created you in a way that causes thanking Him and praising Him to bring you peace.

Ephesians describes a battle where faith is a shield that extinguishes the flaming arrows of the evil one. Anxiety is an arrow that burns hotter than most. God says faith can put it out, and gratitude can bring healing to your heart and mind. 

This is a war… but God promises we are more than conquerors.  Do what you can to alleviate your anxiety. Talk to your doctor, talk to your friends, eat well, get rest… But most importantly talk to God and meditate on scripture, not circumstance… Faith is your shield, and scripture is your sword so fight back.  

Refuse to dwell on your past or dread your future… Reach out to others for help, you are not alone.  Thank God for His blessings. Then prayerfully open your Bible and win todays battle… trusting that His blood has covered yesterday, and His loving power will control tomorrow.

“We cannot always trace God's hand, but we can always trust God's heart.”
- Spurgeon

1 John 4:20 8/27/2024

“Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar.“

This passage is ignored by “good Christians” every day.  But before rebuking them let’s look in the mirror.  Do I preach the gospel yet spew venom about my opposition. Do I attack evil, or the people it controls?  We need to understand that God is not saying that if you claim to love Him, and hate your brother,  you are confused... He is saying you’re  a liar.  If I told you I love you, but hate your kids, you’d say the same to me.

So, since we can’t argue.  We minimize who qualifies as a brother or sister… We are not the first to use this strategy. In Luke 10:29 a question was asked about whom we must love, which prompted Jesus to tell the parable of the Good Samaritan. In this parable Jesus “flipped the script” and instead of someone needing to qualify as  my neighbor, He put the onus on me.  I am responsible for being someone’s neighbor, not determining if they qualify, to be mine. 

There are other places in scripture where it clearly states -  that loving your brothers, your neighbors, and even your enemies is a necessity when loving God.

There is a need for deep theology, and it is crucial that we understand God’s law and plan for salvation.  But no matter how educated you are, you have nothing of significance to share about God if you hate His children.  If you don’t love your brother, then you don’t love their Father, and you are an imposter at family gatherings… They will know us by our love. 

So don’t waste people’s time by preaching at them if  you don’t love them.  Your words will be gutted of power, and you will become “a clanging cymbal”.  This verse means you must love other cultures, denominations, and ethnicities… and (brace yourself) those with other political opinions. You don’t have to agree with them, but you can’t hate them.   

We need to stop pretending we don’t understand this verse and make a choice.   Start really loving others and start thinking of them as more important than ourselves… or quit talking. Because if we say we love God without loving them – we’re just liars. 

“Don't Tell Them Jesus Loves Them, until you're ready to love them too.”
- Steve Camp

Acts 13:3-4 8/20/2024

 “So, after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.”

Barnabas and Saul are sent on a missionary journey.   They end up in Paphos where God strikes a sorcerer blind for opposing their message.  If my ministry got to the point that opponents were struck blind because of their opposition, I would probably set up shop and wait for the financial support to pour in.  But these guys kept moving to the next town.  What kept them advancing?  Maybe moving forward was a byproduct of their habit of being still?  

This passage says that  “AFTER fasting and praying they were sent…” Apparently fasting and praying were prerequisites for action.  Ironically, you can’t “fast” quickly – It requires time which allowed them to meditate on what God had to say. 

How much of that do we do?  How often do you fast and pray?  What do you choose to abstain from so you can focus more on God?  

Try skipping a meal and see if it doesn’t sharpen your concentration on The Lord.  Refuse to look at social media for an entire day and see if it doesn’t change your mindset.  Fasting involves temporarily denying yourself of something and using that hunger or habit to drive you to connect with God. 

So, what do you need to “fast” from today?  Food, phone, television? …none of these are bad things, but all need to be secondary to your walk with God… and your walk requires undivided concentration.

Our dopamine driven brains frantically avoid “stillness”.  Next time you find yourself waiting… look around and see how many people impulsively grab their phones for distraction. This is by design. The enemy looks for ways to provide stimuli that will make you feel better - without making you better... 

What decoys distract you from stillness with God?  Whatever they are, like everything satan offers, they are temporary and counterfeit, and will eventually result in anxiety,  and dissatisfaction.

Make the decision to Fast and Pray. Schedule time with God.  This is why you were created.  If you will discipline yourself to temporarily give up comforts in order to seek clarity with God … Your stillness will provide clear direction the next time God tells you to move.

"By fasting, the body learns to obey the soul; by praying the soul learns to command the body."  - William Secker

Jeremiah 6:10,15 8/13/2024

“10 …The word of the Lord is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.”

“15 Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush…”.

These verses were written thousands of years ago, but there is no denying that they are applicable today… We have become easily offended, and impossible to embarrass. This is the wrong direction for both emotions. 

Our culture is offended by The Word of God … In fact, we are offended by anyone’s word if it contradicts our own.  We have declared ourselves to be our own little gods, and if anyone disputes our view, they receive instant aggression and cancellation.  Ironically the opinion that is not tolerated, is not tolerating others’ opinions. 

Clearly this is illogical, yet we deem it necessary to preserve our personal sovereignty.  Our national mantra is  “ I alone, will decide my truth”… That sounds cerebral, but the problem is there is only one truth, and you don’t own, or determine it. Truth is established by the Word of God and your opinion is irrelevant in determining its validity.  

Nevertheless, we continue to sin, give it a made-up unoffensive name, and mock those who call it what it is…  We gather leaders who say what our itching ears want to hear, and disregard those who point to inconvenient truth.  “Science” is championed when it suits us, and ignored when it doesn’t.  We have lost the ability to feel shame  – and shame is a safeguard that pulls us back from the insanity of wholesale immorality. 

There is a right way and a wrong way to live.  God has offered to be your Lord and Savior, but those titles are inseparable. You can’t claim His love while you ignore His law (John 14:15) . God has clearly written the truth in His word. Embracing that truth will set you free. Rejecting it will put you in bondage, so the choice is yours.  

Quit struggling in the quicksand of your own arrogance and give your life completely to Christ. Hand the reigns to your Creator and purge your life of the world’s lies. In your heart, you know the truth. Pursue it today…  tomorrow is not guaranteed.   

Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain't goin' away.
- Elvis Presley

Hebrews 13:1-3 8/6/2024

“Let love of the brothers and sisters continue.  Do not neglect hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.  Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are badly treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.”

If you read this verse in the original language …it means exactly what it says in English…. In this passage God is “cutting to the chase” and telling us precisely how we must live.  It sounds a lot like Jesus’ answer about the greatest commandment of all….  Love God and love your neighbor.  If you do that, the rest of the law will fall into place. 

There is extra punch added when you read that some of us have entertained angels.  We have interacted with beings who reside in the presence of God.  How differently would we greet strangers and meet their needs if we kept that in mind? 

What about the rest of the passage? ... How do I treat prisoners? How do I treat the downtrodden? … How many times have I unknowingly ignored the needs of  angels causing Heaven to hear a first-person account of my calloused arrogance? 

The difficulty in applying these verses is that the things demanded are merely symptoms.  They only occur when love has invaded your heart.  You cannot offer what you don’t have. So, to fulfill this passage God will have to fill your heart with His love.  Then you will treat others with kindness and hospitality because what is in your heart is what splashes out on others when you get jostled.

If you want to be frustrated, keep pretending you care about others in order to advance yourself… But if you want to live as God intended, put others first and love with reckless abandon.  Rest in the fact that God has met all of your needs.  That will give you freedom … 

So, let’s set some goals -  encourage three people before lunch today.  Greet strangers as though they may have just left the presence of God. Start each morning with prayer and scripture… Then you will naturally fulfill this passage by treating others in a way that will make even celestial beings feel right at home. 

“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”  - Mother Teresa

Job 38:1-3 7/30/2024

“Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:  “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?  Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.”

This is a hard book.  Job endures unimaginable trials compounded by judgmentalism and lack of support from friends and family. But after thirty-seven chapters of God’s majesty being judged … The Creator has heard enough.  The Lord speaks out of the storm and begins with a  question that basically asks “Who do you think you’re talking to?”… Followed by questions that suggest Job should do more listening and less evaluating.  

What about us. How much of our prayer life is spent seeking God’s will, and how much is spent telling God what we think He should do?

The Cross allows us to approach God as his beloved children, but we should not forget whom we are approaching. We don’t evaluate God’s plan; we seek to understand it. Jesus tells parables which promote constantly praying and even “bugging” God for answers. But we can never forget who He is.  

Following this verse, God list some of His qualifications for being God. When these are brought to his attention, Job responds:  “Surely, I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.” Being reminded who we pray to, should solicit the same response from us. 

Too many churches  represent God as a feeble deity begging for our approval… Our world condescendingly mocks its Creator … but this passage indicates we have dangerously misjudged Him. This book contains a severe reprimand.  He is not a genie that we evaluate …He is the omnipotent Creator who will question us, and we will answer to Him.

Make no mistake, He loves you, weeps with you, and your pain is so precious to Him, He holds your tears in a bottle… but as you struggle, God is not pacing the floor.  He is in complete control. 

We must learn to stop trusting the outcome and start trusting the God who determines it.  And when we can’t see the way, we must trust His heart … In the eye of the storm, know that God loves you, He has a plan, and the anchor will hold. 

"It's not great faith you need; it is faith in a great God." - N. T. Wright

James 3:14-16 7/23/2024

“But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.”

Last week we discussed how anxiety and gratitude cannot exist together in the brain.  This makes  gratitude the silver bullet in our battle against anxiety.  So, let’s examine what inhibits gratitude … This verse says the culprit is self-centered envy which throws our life into confusion. 

The internet is the perfect breeding ground for this problem.  Most people publish the perfect online image with little concern for accuracy.  But somehow, we miss the obvious fact that everyone else is doing the same thing.  Everyone is publishing fictional “profiles” with heavily edited photos to back up the facade.  This spurs our “Friends” to exaggerate even more until we all deceive ourselves into “virtual nirvana” where everyone is envious of everyone else’s fabricated lives… No wonder there is anxiety. 

What you don’t see is that all your “perfect friends” have struggles.  Even as they post pictures of their incredible adventures, many are dealing with rollercoaster relationships, health struggles, and financial problems.  So, as we privately struggle with our real-life problems, and look online and see our friends sailing through life untouched,  it causes us to crash. Here’s the thing… it’s not true.  

When we compare our reality with someone else’s made up life, it confuses us. This opens the door to anger, self-pity, envy, jealousy, and resentment.  The instigating circumstances are fake – but the resulting emotions are real.  And these emotions destroy our lives. 

Do you have bitterness and envy?... Did you allow it into your life by believing you’re the only imperfect person in your circle? Have you exhausted yourself trying to keep up the façade?

Just stop and take a breath … Don’t compare your life to others, you’re not seeing the whole picture. Though it may feel like it, you’re not alone… We are all broken people. Share your struggles with a friend, and then together, count your blessings.  We all have difficulties at times; you are not the only one. Trust the Father’s love and know you never face the struggle alone.

“Envy is the art of counting the other fellow's blessings instead of your own.” - Harold Coffin

Exodus 13:3 7/16/2024

“And Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you departed from Egypt, from the house of slavery; for by a powerful hand the Lord brought you out from this place…”

From the beginning God has told us to remember the mighty things He has done.  

We are instructed to have faith - not a blind faith -  but a proven faith… based on past deliverance. God has repeatedly proven His trustworthiness and instructs us to build monuments or celebrate certain days to remind us that He is faithful. 

We don’t need to be taught self-pity, that comes naturally.  But we do need to practice gratitude. Gratitude and anxiety cannot exist in the brain at the same time. Gratefulness reduces the level of cortisol, otherwise known as the stress hormone.  So, if your anxious, start counting  your blessings … The breath you just took can be the first one on your list.

Our memories are short when we are blessed - and long when we are hurt – that should be reversed. We should purposefully ingrain the victories in our minds so we will have confidence at the next challenge.

We need altars and ceremonies to turn our gaze from ourselves to God. Our strength is only found in His strength.  Our worth is only found in His worth.  We emphasize the fact that He loves us -  but more precisely we should focus on “why” He loves us…. We didn’t earn it… It is not because of our good works. He loves us because we are His. He has chosen us to be His cherished children and paid the adoption fee with His blood. While we were rejecting Him, He died to save us. That is why we are more than conquerors, that is why we are thankful….  Gratefulness is the spontaneous response to this grace.  

Put that message on a sign above  your bathroom mirror, place a note in your car, put a cross on your desk... but do something that constantly reminds you of the fact that He created you, He loves you, and in spite of your failures, you are the apple of His eye.

Gratitude is the only rational response to His blessings. It will change your life if you will just be still long enough to remember all He has done. 

“Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions.” – Zig Ziglar

Mark 3:28 7/9/2024

“Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”

These are terrifying words from Jesus regarding the limit of God’s tolerance. There are arguments about the exact meaning of the passage, but one thing is frighteningly clear… If you reject God’s plan of salvation … if you blaspheme the Spirit by denying your need for redemption, and repeatedly reject His offer -  the offer will end, and there is no plan B. 

That’s hard to hear because God is love, and we have mis-defined Love … Love and tolerance are not the same thing.  Love sometimes has hard edges.  That’s counter to our culture’s mantra “love me like I am”… But loving you, and condoning your sin, are actually incompatible. God loves us as we are - but He loves us too much to leave us that way, and like iron sharpens iron sometimes love produces sparks. 

Peter was reminded of this when he tried to direct Christ away from the Cross. And  Jesus’ own family is reproved when they tried to remove Him from danger… Resisting God’s plan (even with good intentions) is hazardous. The Holy Spirit opens your eyes to your need and offers you the only plan available for your redemption. If you reject that plan, you are rejecting the only plan in which God can remain God… and still fellowship with you and me.  

So, if you repeatedly push away and  blaspheme the Holy Spirit as He tugs at your heart – God will eventually say “have it your way”… to which there is no recovery.

Contained within the Triune God is Unbending Holiness,  Perfect righteousness, and inconceivable love… And the Cross is the only place these characteristics can coexist.  Only the cross transfers to us the holiness necessary to commune with God. If you reject that, there is no other proposal.  

So, this morning, acknowledge your need of redemption, embrace the Holy Spirit’s offer of renewal, fall to your knees and give your life to Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life and there is not, nor will there ever be, an alternate route.

“Every divine action begins from the Father, proceeds through the Son, and is completed in the Holy Spirit.” - Saint Basil

Amos 1:2 7/2/2024

“He said, “The LORD roars from Zion And from Jerusalem He utters His voice;...”

When I was in Africa, I heard a lion roar … Not in the zoo… a wild roar.  I felt it more than I heard it, and it brought an immediate sense of dread.  Amos uses the awesomeness of that encounter to illustrate the intensity of God’s response to sin. 

In this book, Amos is delivering judgement from the Lord. There are five offenses in the first chapter that describe abuses of God’s chosen people … At the time they occur, God doesn’t send lightning, or unleash angels … But God is now preparing to roar His response. Amos is going to reveal a side of God we have conveniently disregarded today.  God is Holy… His justice is unbending, and there is no terror like that of sinners in the path of His wrath.

Ezekiel, Joel, and now Amos – all bring the same message of The Warrior God and the terrible price exacted for our depravity. God’s fury is staggering…. His response is a Roar of vengeance… a clap of thunder signaling the coming storm of retribution. This Holy God of Armies is not the one we hear preached from the pulpit very often, and perhaps because of that, we have become comfortable and stopped working out our salvation with fear and trembling.

We call sin a mistake, recite a little prayer … and continue with our day. But sin is the most abhorrent, repulsive act a man can commit… We must get our heads around that. You cannot grasp the love of God until you understand the horrific stench of sin… You can’t understand grace until you comprehend what you have been forgiven of…. 

You didn’t make a mistake; you spit in the face of God.  You arrogantly rebelled and declared yourself King . Your willful sin was the reason for the torturous death of His Son.  You should recoil at the remembrance of your wickedness… you should spit the word “sin” out of your mouth like poison.  It is important that you understand the lethalness of the disease - so you can appreciate the miraculous power of the cure. 

"This day, my God, I hate sin not because it damns me, but because it has done Thee wrong. To have grieved my God is the worst grief to me."
- C.H. Spurgeon

Mark 16:-7 6/25/2024

“But he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; see, here is the place where they laid Him.  But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’”

After the Sabbath, the ladies brought spices to the tomb to anoint  Jesus’ body. But when they got there Jesus was gone and there was an angel sitting in the tomb waiting on them. There are multiple lessons here, but this morning, let’s look at one beautiful nugget of truth hidden in this passage.  

Look carefully at what the angel said to the women, ”Go, tell His disciples and Peter”… Why is that significant?  Why would the angel single out Peter?  Perhaps it was because the last time Peter saw Jesus, he had completely failed him.  Peter had cussed out a servant girl and swore he didn’t know who Jesus was. He had denied his Savior. And Jesus saw him do it.

Still, during the most pivotal moment in history,  God directed His Angel to mentioned Peter by name to those at the tomb so Peter would know,  and the disciples would know,  that Peter was still on the team. 

That is powerful. It assures Christians that  – when we fail, God doesn’t canceled us.  During  your greatest collapse, He won’t turn His back on you… in your worst moment,  you’re still His child. Win or lose … walk righteously or stumble… Nothing changes His love for you.

There will be times you fall  – But there will never be a time you are not loved… So, get up, grab His hand, and keep going.  Ignore the lie that you are now unusable… God is a God of details.  And the detail of including Peter by name after his worst failure… is a beautiful picture of the Heart of the Father.  You are still loved, you’re still useful, and you’re still on the team. 

"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." -  God  (Romans 8)

2 Peter 2:13-16 6/18/2024

“…They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions as they feast with you,  having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having hearts trained in greed, accursed children;  abandoning the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the reward of unrighteousness;  but he received a rebuke for his own offense, for a mute donkey, speaking with a human voice, restrained the insanity of the prophet.”

Peter goes on a riff describing the evil “prophets” of his day … and it sounds so much like America it is frightening. Our society is developing creative ways to sin, renaming it, and proclaiming it normal, and you are labeled a problem if you disagree.

We have become arrogant and ignorant believing we determine the truth… We make up our own facts… cherry-picking our convictions -  and reject God’s Word as our compass.  Claiming to be wise, we have become fools… But as Christians we must stand on truth...  Do I?  Am I a  mouthpiece for God … or am I part of the problem?  Am I walking the tightrope between truth and popularity? Am I becoming like Balaam, in need of a donkey to restrain my insanity of preaching what the world wants to hear?

 What about you?  Are you pursuing God’s plan with God’s truth - or are you pursuing your plan with your “truth”?

The first commandment is that there is One God – That means His word IS TRUTH.  If you change His Word to make it less offensive,  it is like watering down medicine – it may taste better, but it won’t heal your illness.

No one intends to destroy their lives with debauchery, baseless “facts”, and pretending to be their own God.… yet it happens all the time.

That pattern started in the garden with our first failed attempt at being a deity, and creating and following our own “truths”… 

There is a God… and it’s not you…  You don’t argue, debate or negotiate with the omnipotent Creator of the Universe… So, wake up, and abandon the insanity of relativism. Follow the only truth that emanates from the only God and is clearly written in His Word.

“We must not allow our emotions to hold sway over our minds… Our emotions must become subservient to the truth.” - Jerry Bridges 

Revelation 8 6/11/2024

 “When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.”

Will this be the first time there will be no sound in Heaven? One half hour of quiet… Will the four-winged creatures in Revelation stop saying Holy, Holy, Holy?  Will there be no praises, no prayers from the saints, no singing? …. Just an ominous threatening silence. What a frightening moment that for the first time ever there will be silence as God prepares to judge the world.

I am disgusted as I imagine the mask wearing and finger pointing on earth when the trumpets begin to sound – As judgement comes our self-centeredness and decadence will be put on full display and we will do as we always have… blame others. But when the 7th seal is broken there will be no excuses or blaming…  and instead of being disgusted at the hypocrisy on earth I need to be sure I eliminate any trace of that hypocrisy in me. 

This passage is a prophecy, and it will be fulfilled exactly as it is presented here - just like so many others in the bible already have been. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. God is “love”, but this confuses us because we miss define love.  We think of God as a feeble heavenly grandfather and that does not describe the omnipotent Lord of Armies we see in Revelation. Holiness is a requirement if we wish to be in the presence of The Lord.  

This chapter makes it clear that judgement is coming…  it won’t be relative… there will be no grading on the curve. There is a holiness required that can only be met by the saving grace of Jesus Christ… it is free, but it is priceless.  I need to be working out my salvation with fear and trembling – relying wholly on the blood Jesus shed on the cross… and letting my conduct reveal that fact. The thirty minutes of silence is coming… What you do now will determine what you hear after that…  Accept His grace and let it be “well done good and faithful servant.” 

“All the grace contained in the Bible is owing to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior; and, unless we consent to Him as our Lord we cannot expect any benefit by Him as our Savior.” – Matthew Henry

John 13:34 -35 6/4/2024

“I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another… By this all people will know that you are My disciples…”

Most of us have heard these verses. What many people don’t realize however, are the circumstances surrounding this “new” commandment. Jesus didn’t say this when everything was “hunky-dory”… in fact, the world was coming apart at the seams… Just prior to this,  Judas had left dinner to betray Jesus, Christ would soon have His heart broken by His close friend ...The disciples also would suffer. Their world was about to be shattered by the arrest, trials, and crucifixion of their Savior and friend. 

So, there is a massive impending crisis and what does Jesus do?  He didn’t specify survival techniques; He didn’t outline a political campaign. The game plan appeared to be that they would look the  storm in the eye and love each other better.  He reinforced  it by saying it would be that love that identifies who they belong to.  

If you check the news today, it appears our world is on fire – God says to love one another better… All this click generating panic is not from God. Sure, we should educate ourselves and stand for truth, but our countenance must be of men who trust that God is omnipotent in every circumstance… There is no fear in love and if we rely on His power, we will walk confidently, trusting HIS plans, not ours. 

Jesus says this love is our ID card. People will know I am a “Christian”, Not by my debate skills, but because I fearlessly love others.  

It doesn’t mean we acquiesce to cultural norms; it doesn’t mean we blindly follow instructions… It just means that every plan must clear the standard of loving God and loving others prior to us acting on them.  

Everything I do must be generated by an unfaltering faith in God’s power to mitigate the outcome, and an unfailing love for His children. That will give me the peace and confidence that should flow from all believers, and it will give me the assurance needed to abandon anxiety and instead display this “new” command of loving others. This was Jesus’ answer to the crisis… will I follow it?

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God…“
– God (Isaiah 41:10)

Esther 8:8 5/28/2024

“Now write another decree in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king’s signet ring — for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.”

Earlier in Esther,  an irrevocable decree had gone out from Haman to kill all the Jews. But when the king learned the truth, he gave the same irrevocable power to Mordecai.  He did not revoke the edict sent out by Haman… so the danger was still present.  But the  king instructed Mordecai to meet the danger by writing his own decree. 

So, Mordecai summons the royal secretaries. He brings in specialists. He strategically chooses what to write and who to send it to. Then gives it to the fastest riders, and with this new decree God diverted catastrophic injury to His people, just in the nick of time.

What calamity is God in the process of delivering you from?  What battle are you currently fighting?  Just remember that when  God moves, He doesn’t always remove the danger… sometimes He gives us a way to meet it. Mordecai’s decree didn’t eliminate the threat, but it allowed the Jews to prepare for it and defend themselves…. It also revealed that the Queen was a Jew and increased their political power so that many joined their ranks.

God does not always remove us from danger.  Sometimes He provides opportunity,  courage, and strength to fight through it.  Neither fear nor panic are in His playbook, and  It is never too late for God to turn the tables.  In this case all that was needed  was for Mordecai to hold to his convictions, and Esther to be courageous enough to approach the king. 

If you are facing adversity that seems unavoidable, hold your course.  Cling to your convictions and be strong and courageous enough to approach the King knowing He will have a plan. 

If Faith is defined as the evidence of things not seen… then what you’re looking at isn’t what matters… What matters is your faith in what you haven’t seen….Yet.  Hold on, have the courage to look the storm in the eye, keep walking straight, and stand in faith until the rain subsides. 

"True faith rests upon the character of God and asks no further proof than the moral perfections of the One who cannot lie." — A.W. Tozer

Proverbs 29:27 5/21/2024

“An unjust man is detestable to the righteous, and one whose way is upright is detestable to the wicked.”

Wolves and caribou don’t go to the watering hole together. Their lifestyles exclude each other. That applies to people too… unjust men, and upright men don’t form community groups together. Their goals don’t line up. 

However, verses like these are often conveniently misapplied.  We use them to justify spiritual arrogance and exclude people we don’t like -or when we want to party, we are quick to declare that Jesus ate with sinners. If we want to ignore sin in others, we quote the verse that says don’t get the splinter out of your brother’s eye with a log in your own, and we tend to leave it there.  But the next verse says remove the log, and help your brother get rid of the speck…. God demands love and change.  We love the love, but we bristle at sanctification.

Jesus ate with sinners to instigate life changes, not to normalize sin or promote inclusion. Conversations with “sinners” ended with “sin no more”….or  “give away your wealth and follow me”.  The Jesus who dined with criminals said  - “if you love Me, you will keep my commandments”. He also said, “you are either for Me or against Me”. In other words, choose a team. You  can’t play for both squads.

I love sinners and pursuing their salvation is the reason I’m still here.  So, at times I seek their company.  But my ambition is their conversion. Conversely, when I am in the trenches of life and need help, I seek men who share my faith and will battle next to me. 

I wish I could serve God wholeheartedly, and be completely comfortable, accepted,  and loved in this world… but that simply cannot happen.  I must choose who I’m going to serve.  If I intend to soar like an eagle, I can’t wallow in the mud. There are no muddy eagles. I must choose a team and follow their playbook. 

However, as I soar, I must remember Christ delivered me from my filth … So, I should love sinners so much that I am drawn to them… Not to  wallow in the mud with them… but to show them where they can get their wings. 

“Evangelism is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.” - D. T. Niles

Ezra 4:4 5/14/2024

“Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans …”

The Israelites were in exile and decided to build an altar to God. Those in the area were opposed to their plan.  But that didn’t deter the Israelites. As we have westernized Christianity, we have fallen into the trap of believing that God leads by removing resistance.  In fact, the opposite is often true.  When Jesus said don’t be surprised if they hate you, because they hated Me first.  The implication is that I should be concerned if I fit into this world a little too well.  Resistance is often God showing me I am going in the right direction not the wrong one.

Jesus said, "…I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16).  We are called to be different… and some people don’t like different. But many churches focus on being innocent to the exclusion of wise, for fear of offending.  This is illogical. We are in a war and the enemy has no interest in peace negotiations.  Nothing is easy since the fall and we must expect to struggle. 

When we follow God - there will be opposition. Both spiritual and physical. The easiest way to get blindsided is to not expect resistance. We are working against rulers, authorities, powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil. (Ephesians 6:12) And when you advance God’s Kingdom you can expect a response from the gates of hell . 

The Jews were trying to build an altar. The enemy schemed to stop those plans. Be certain that no good work goes unnoticed or unopposed.  The bigger the goal the bigger the fight that should be expected. Be wise… be determined… be prepared.  

We are to be peaceful when it is up to us… but it is often not up to us.  Be prudent and sensible… but in a reckless kind of way. God has demonstrated that there is no reason to fear those who try to discourage us and make us afraid. ….Remember that the lamb of God is also the Lion of Judah… Build the altar.

 “It’s a jungle out there…used to be a garden.” - Tonio K.

Isaiah 6:6-8 5/7/2024

“Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your guilt is taken away and atonement is made for your sin.”   Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!” 

Put yourself in Isaiah’s shoes  … There is an angel approaching you with a coal in his hand from a fire so hot that he used tongs to get it out. As he stretches it towards your lips do you duck, do you run?  – does it burn?   However it feels, you are told that your guilt has been removed and your sin has been paid for by the grace of God … How do you respond?  

The chorus of the song “I can only imagine” asks a similar question : “Will I stand in Your presence? Or to my knees will I fall? Will I sing Hallelujah? Will I be able to speak at all?”… when I hear that, I think to myself, I will  definitely fall down in silence - ashamed of how undeserving I am … That sounds good on the surface, however with that response the focus is still on me.  As I fall in silence my thoughts are about me and my weakness, not the power of the blood that was shed for my atonement. 

But Isaiah focuses on God… when God asks for volunteers he shouts,  “Here I am, send me!”   Isaiah is thinking of God’s power not his own failures and  lack of strength … they are irrelevant.  Can I get there?  Can I die so completely to myself that I don’t have to “humble brag” about my unworthiness. Can I be so sure of God’s strength that my past weakness becomes immaterial? Today I will focus on The King of Kings. I will eliminate the self-centeredness I have disguised as humility, and eagerly look for ways to boldly serve God.  

Will you yell “here I am, send me”… Will you trust God - or will you sit in silence today, focused on what you can’t do?

"True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” -  Rick Warren

Genesis 3:12 4/30/2024

“The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”

Blaming others for our conduct started in the garden.  When God asked if Adam had eaten the apple,  Adam blamed Eve, and then he blamed God… What about you, do you own your mistakes, or do all your apologies have a big “BUT”?  

We tend to say, “sorry, BUT… , and explain why we did what we did … Instead, be sorry for your actions  - or offer reasonable explanations for them -  but choose one, because both aren’t true.

As a society we have lost the ability to own our behavior.  We blame parents, culture,  our environment… you name it, we blame it.  This comes from a stubborn refusal to look in the mirror. Brace yourself … Sometimes your problem is completely your fault.  Confess, repent, and change it. 

Life doesn’t give participation trophies, you reap what you sow, and the consequences don’t change because you “feel” like they should.  So, make it your default reaction to “Own” your mistakes... Stay with me on this because there is an upside to approaching life this way… It gives you power.  

Obviously, there are times when we suffer innocently.  But when your life has been upended and you are blamed for it, you can respond in one of two ways:

1. – Deny all responsibility and blame others, leaving you with no power to fix it, making you a victim. 

or

2. – Own the problem and consider remedies, which gives you control. 

Do you want to be a victim?  If not, consider the possibility that you might bear some blame for the situation. That helps you respond calmly to accusations, which allows people who love you to help you. That calmness will also confuse those who are attacking you out of spite.  Humility and confidence produce thoughtful consideration,  instead of the knee-jerk argumentativeness we often see today.

Make “Owning it” your first consideration when responding to complaints … Look In the mirror, could It possibly be your fault?  You should hope so…  because then you can fix it. To gain wisdom, you must admit that you still have things to learn… OWN IT.

"If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month. - Theodore Roosevelt

Ecclesiastes 1:2 4/23/2024

“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”

Have you read Ecclesiastes? It’s not what you would call light reading.  It is eleven chapters of making sure we understand that without God, life is pointless… The last chapter gives us the solution… but it takes a while to get there. So, why did God include this book in the Bible? 

Perhaps it is because disloyalty and distractions are our greatest temptations.  We constantly chase false gods who compete for our devotion. We search for idols in our lives to give us significance. That is problematic because as Spurgeon says: “If Christ is not all to you, He is nothing to you.”  

Is Christ everything to me? Or do I have little deities I pursue to make me feel important? Is growing my relationship with God my primary goal? My calendar and checkbook would argue against that. The time I spend meditating on scripture, compared to time spent pursuing the next dollar or accomplishment, would indicate that there is competition for my allegiance. 

So, Ecclesiastes  provides research data for me to contemplate.  The richest, wisest, most powerful king who ever lived methodically evaluates every possible angle to worldly fame, pleasure, possessions, and power… Read his report, examine the data, and contemplate his conclusion.  His examination is comprehensive and exhaustive and concludes that the world is unable to provide any true meaning. Nothing this planet offers can compete with what Paul calls “the surpassing greatness of knowing Jesus Christ.”

The summary is that the grief and pain this world thinly masks with trinkets and baubles is ever present - and unless there is something more -  we are gerbils running on our little wheel, and it is meaningless. 

So, God includes this book and demands  we choose our compass... Ecclesiastes is saying “Fish or cut bait”.  Is Jesus everything to you? God’s offer is to be your King… not an additive used to achieve your goals. Abandon your idols and follow Him - or quit talking about it. If you choose Christ, commit to Him completely and stop chasing the wind.

It is really pretty simple. We were created to worship God – We are here to bring as many people as we can to Heaven … everything else is redundant. 

“Your commitments can develop you or destroy you, but either way, they will define you.” - Rick Warren

PSALM 119: 52,55 4/46/2024

 “I have remembered Your judgments from of old Lord, And comfort myself.“

“ … I remember Your name in the night, And keep Your Law. “

Memory is a hot topic these days. According to Psalm 119, remembering God  provides comfort, calmness, and direction. Scripture tells us to work on our memory in numerous ways:

- Build monuments to remind us of His promises. 

- Be still and remember that He is God. 

- Take communion in remembrance of Him. 

- Hide His word in our hearts. (Memorize scripture)

In this passage David’s spirit is bolstered by remembering God’s judgements and law. Recalling God’s mercy and deliverance, and controlling our thoughts is an important strategy in limiting stress and anxiety. So, do you work at it? 

Exercising regularly and eating right are important physically. Exercising and caring for our brain is even more crucial. We are militant about diets, supplements, and avoiding toxins bodily, but seem careless with our thought life. Why is that? Why don’t we take daily dosages of scripture with the same discipline we take vitamins? Shouldn’t we approach time in prayer with the same consistency we apply to working out? 

My mother suffered from dementia and there were times she wasn’t sure who I was… but she never forgot a single hymn we sang in church.  So, whether you realize it or not, the music you listen to matters…  The images you allow to be seared into your brain matter. Regularly feeding your mind packaged fear from the media matters. Garbage in means garbage out… Your brain gives back to you, what you give it. You control the input, and that determines your mental and emotional strength. 

The benefit of a strong mind is the ability to remember His name when the darkness comes. When we face storms, He is our shelter… Train your heart to remember Him. Read His word. Build monuments. Regularly celebrate His faithfulness. Prepare for the storm by speaking, reading,  and meditating on scripture. 

No matter how my body decays I want His commandments tattooed on my mind, so the last thing that leaves my consciousness is His Holy Word. Even if the time comes when I can’t remember my own name, I never want to forget His.

“There is no place in my soul, no corner of my character, where God is not.” - Evelyn Underhill