Having Them In Your Cross Hairs!

If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the LORD will reward you. Proverbs 25:21-22 (NKJV)

I don't know about you, but for most people, I don't think they would be willing to respond to their enemy by going out and buying him something to eat. I think as human beings, we naturally tend to justify our anger, and we might even eventually look to even the score, or retaliate if given the opportunity to do so. If nothing else, at least we could expose those people and their motives for what they really are. Right? Well, maybe not!

Were told in Romans 12:19, Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for Gods wrath, for it is written: It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord.

This can be hard at times, knowing, an enemy is someone who hates and seeks to harm or cause harm to us. It only seems right to protect yourself, or even counter attack when you can expose them for who they really are, along with their evil motives. I can think back on times where I have had people who have come against me, and there have been opportunities to exact revenge upon them. I had them in my cross hairs of my sites.

Unfortunately, I have not always done what is right before God, and I have taken the choice to attack those whom have come against me, and those I love. But I must admit; it has never satisfied me the way I thought it would. In fact, I ended up feeling dirty and convicted in my spirit. I guess this is why it has been said, revenge is a bitter pill.

I like the quote of Josh Billings, who, back in the 1800s said, There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness.

I want to share a story of just such a situation. The Book of 2Kings chapter 6 records the history of the prophet Elisha, who was being pursued, and in fact, was caught and surrounded by the army of Aram in the city of Dothan. As his servant awoke one morning and went outside, he saw that the city was totally surrounded with fighting men. But Elisha didn't panic, and instead, prayed the Lord would show his servant the truth. Immediately the servant was able to see that the surrounding mountains were full of horses, and there were chariots of fire surrounding Elisha.

But what happened next was the point of this writing.

As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, Strike these people with blindness. So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.

Then, Elisha told these attacking men, This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for. And so, Elisha led them to their enemies in the city of Samaria about 10-miles away.

After they entered the city, Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men so they can see. Then the LORD opened their eyes and they looked, and there they were, inside Samaria.

So here is Israels enemy being led right into their hands. I could only imagine the surprise, and the happiness of Israels leader when this happened, as scripture records his words at this time.

When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, Shall I kill them, my father? Shall I kill them? 2Kings 6:21 (NKJV).

Here is where our lesson begins as God leads Elisha to do something unnatural to our fleshly tendencies.

Elisha responds to the King, Do not kill them, he answered, but instead, Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master. So, at Elishas directions, rather than seeking vengeance, and killing their enemies, the King of Israel prepared a great feast for them. And after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master.

Elishas remedy proved to be Gods answer for the situation, as Israels kindness resulted in the army of Aram leaving and stopping their attacks on Israel.

We, as Christians, should apply this lesson to our daily lives when we are faced with those who are bringing attacks against us. We should allow the Holy Spirit to lead us in a loving response to those situations. We should allow God to defend us instead, especially when we have our enemies in our cross hairs, and we can take matters into our own hands. Its a lot easier to do this, when we know that God has a plan that will show His true love through our responding actions; causing others to question how we are able to do these things, and wanting to know about this great love.

STUDY QUESTION: What can we learn from this story?

PERSONAL INVENTORY: Can you see times where you have been attempted to take matters into your own hands, and exact vengeance on someone who has attacked you?

APPLICATION: Allow Gods Spirit to lead you in peace, knowing He has His Angels watching over you, and protecting you. Instead, look for a loving kind way to respond in these times, and watch what God does through you.

Authenticity

"When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, 'Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.'" - John 1:47 (NIV).


"There's a story about a woman finding herself alone in an elevator with the famous and very handsome Robert Redford. As the elevator moved up the floors, the woman, like many of us might, found herself uncontrollably staring at the movie star. Finally, in her excitement and nervousness, she blurted out: 'Are you the real Robert Redford?' To which Redford responded, 'Only when I'm alone.'"


I think that if I were an actor—especially one as successful as Robert Redford—I might find it very difficult to be the real me when I am not acting a part and may all too readily forget who the real me is.


Even without being an actor, I find that one of the most difficult things in life is to be honest with myself. It's hard enough to know and admit what my true feelings are, let alone my motives! And it's all too easy to act out any part to avoid facing the real me. I may act the part of a super-nice (saccharine sweet) fellow to avoid facing my unresolved anger...or super-brave to hide my hidden fears...or gruff and macho to hide my insecurity and so on.


However, it's only as I get real and courageously honest with myself and God that he can help me to grow and become the person he wants me to be. The same goes for getting close to people. Only to the degree that I am open, honest, and real can I relate intimately with those I love. And, unfortunately, the more I hide my true self the more I will live with others together alone apart—a very lonely and unfulfilling existence.

Everything

"And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creep-eth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. - Genesis 1:21,25,31 (KJV).


For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. - John 3:16 (KJV).
Being without my Bible one evening, I didn't remember just where I had left off in my readings. Using a friend's Bible, I opened to Genesis to find a new meaning in an often-read scripture.


That evening, the word that God gave me from these passages was "every". He gave every plant and every creature. Until that evening, I thought that this meant every plant and creature that we had. But the new meaning was that God had given every plant and creature that He had. He held back nothing, not even his Son.


How often do we pray for God to give us this or that, when, in fact, He has already given us everything that we need to meet our needs both physically and spiritually? He has already given us an abundance of food, air, and water. Daily, He offers us His love, His forgiveness, His peace, His joy, His salvation -- His everything.

Party On Wayne!

Be very careful, then, how you livenot as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lords will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:15-18 (NIV)

Party on Wayne! Such was the main theme of the character named, Wayne Campbell, in the 1993 movie titled, Waynes World. A film that depicted spoofs of lifestyles lived in the 70s and 80s and revolved around a couple of slackers who try to promote their public access cable program. The advertisement for the movie featured the reviews of professional movie critics, which comprised the tagline, Youll laugh, Youll cry, Youll hurl.

I cant help but think of how the enemy has used the promotion of this and similar movies to propagate the fun one could have while getting drunk, and wasted in life. And to plant seeds for a future crop to tempting sins, all while simultaneously reminding us as a culture of how funny it is when people live this way.

I would think that most people could spend a few moments reflecting on past participations and say, What was I thinking? Im sure each and every one of us can fill in the blank when it came to giving a story of past times where we have done things which we would not choose to do again. After all, isnt this the point of our experience and wisdom derived through our failures associated with poor choices?

But what if we dont apply those lessons we have learned? What if we see the mistakes and yet, we still go out and participate in these same things? How are we any smarter, or wiser? Well, truth be told, were not!

If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. John 13:17 (NKJV)

Worse yet, we can actually cause others to stumble in these same areas we are participating in. We are told in Ephesians 5:15-18 to be careful how we live. Were to take note of the way we live before others. Were no longer to live for our own personal pleasures, and ourselves but instead, with regards to indulging in drinking, were told not to get drunk on wine. Before we start splitting hairs here, we need to know that Paul isnt just talking about wine here; hes talking about alcohol in general.

There are some who would answer, But Im not getting drunk! Im simply having a few drinks. That may be true. Maybe you only have one drink, or you may have developed a tolerance for even drinking more than most without having disabling effects, but, again, that is not entirely the point here. I am not talking about being legalistic. It isnt a matter of right or wrong with regards to having a glass of wine or a beer. God has given us freedom through our relationship with Jesus with regards to attempting to live a righteous life by obeying His law.

The fact is, we could never do it. We could never perfectly keep the law, nor was it was ever established for that purpose. The law was established to show us that we were incapable of obeying it perfectly, and to show us that we were sinful and in need of a savior.

So now we have been given the Savior in Jesus Christ, and we are to live differently because of this. We now have the power to say no, to the very things that kept us in bondage before. We can see these truths in Gods Word in the following passages of 1 Corinthians:

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 1Corinthians 6:12 (NKJV)

&all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. 1Corinthians 10:23 (NKJV)

So even though God still gives us the freedom to choose to do these things, I now, choose not to, because these things might cause me to come under their control, and they certainly wont edify those within my life. He has enabled me to choose not to do them through the power of His Holy Spirit. And because I understand how much He loves me, I am going to choose to live in a way, which glorifies and honors Him.

We need to think of these things before we attend parties and social activities where we will face these temptations. We need to guard our minds to these temptations to live in the flesh and to appease our wanting to fulfill these desires. If we truly love others in the way God intended for us to, then we would choose to abstain from partaking in anything that might cause another person to stumble in their walk with God, or potentially knowing God. Nor should we applaud, endorse, or encourage those who are partaking in these activities.

We, as Christians, know the things that are sinful, and these lead to death. We are told in Romans, we are no better than those who practice them if we approve of those who practice them.

STUDY QUESTION: What can we learn about our freedom to choose with regards to the effects of the choices according to the scriptures above in 1 Corinthians?

PERSONAL INVENTORY: Can you relate to making choices that may have caused others to stumble in their walk with God?

APPLICATION: Choose to live in a way others may look freely into your life, and not be stumbled. If youre doing something which is not glorifying to God, then lay it at His feet today. Know in your heart; you have the freedom to choose to do this, but it may be causing others to stumble and fall. Once youve made the decision to do what is loving, God will provide the power to follow through on this commitment. Put your faith In Him, not yourself or your abilities.

Criticize by Creating

When God called Moses to deliver the ancient Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, "Moses answered, 'What if they [the Israelites] do not believe me or listen to me and say, "The LORD did not appear to you"?' Then the LORD said to him, 'What is that in your hand?' 'A staff,' he replied. The LORD said, 'Throw it on the ground.' Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it."- Exodus 4:1-2 (NIV).


This was to confirm to Moses that God was the miracle worker and Moses was only God's agent.


On one occasion, I believe it was to the evangelist Dwight Moody, a woman said, "Mr. Moody, I don't like the way you do your evangelism."


To which Moody replied, "I don't particularly like the way I do it either. How do you do it?"


The lady replied, "I don't do it."


"Well I like the way I'm doing it better than the way you're not doing it," Moody answered.


Moody's answer may have been somewhat blunt but he made a good point. In more youthful days I was invited to a planning session for the college-age youth group in the church I was attending at the time. They asked for my opinion about what I felt was not working and how their program could be improved. I said, "I don't feel I have a right to criticize if I am not willing to do something about it." So guess what? I was made the new program director!


It's very easy for all of us (including myself) to sit back and criticize our group, church, politicians, leaders, etc., etc., and not do anything about it.


The great Artist Michelangelo had a great answer. He said, Criticize by Creating." True, most of us will never be a Michelangelo and none of us can do everything—but every one of us can do something no matter how small to help the world we live in become a better place in which to live.


And none of us will ever be called to do what God called Moses to do. But in essence God says to every one of us: "What is that in your hand?" That is, "What ability do you have?" Whatever it is, God wants and expects us to use it to serve him—and we serve him by serving others.

Obstacle Illusions

"He [Jesus] replied, '...I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.'" - Matthew 17:20 (NIV).


Grant Frazier said, "Life is full of obstacle illusions." He's right.


Instead of seeing obstacles as opportunities to grow, negative people see them as obstacle illusions. They see them as mountains too high to climb and use them as excuses to hang on to if they don't want to act responsibly and grow up and therein become stronger, healthier persons.


It's all in their attitude of mind—their negative thinking—and they allow their problems to have a crippling effect in their life. They are faith-less!


On the other hand, positive people are faith-full. They see every obstacle, not only as a challenging mountain to climb and conquer, but as an opportunity to grow and become stronger, better, healthier persons. When faced with an obstacle (as another has suggested), they don't tell God how big their problems are. They tell their problems how big their God is!


Neither do they allow past failures to defeat or depress them. And when the devil comes to remind them of their failures, they remind him of his future! Thus ends their discussion with the devil!


Prayer: "Our Loving heavenly Father, please help me to commit and trust every obstacle in my life to you and give me the faith to 'climb every mountain, ford every stream, follow every rainbow until I reach my dream'—or rather, until I reach your dream for me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen."

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10). What do you do when you feel overwhelmed with life? Unfortunately, many come to see fatigue as normal. They come to accept it as a way of life.

When I stop and pause to reflect on my life, I see that these times point back to my insecurities – my need to be loved, my desire to be valued, the pressure I feel to please other people. So if you add the feeling of insecurity to everything else going on, you have overload. When this happens, what do you do? Cut back a little? Cancel a few appointments? Wrong answers!

If you’re ruthlessly honest, when you’re overwhelmed inside there’s really something going on that’s bigger and deeper and more painful. When we live an overwhelmed life, it affects other people. When you’re overwhelmed you can experience stress, fatigue, frustration, anger, fear, tears, illness, pressure, your relationships are hurt.

When you are overwhelmed, you experience a superficial faith. This is not out of defiance to God where you shake your fist to God and turn your back on Him. You simply become too fatigued and too preoccupied to follow God.

This is not how life was meant to be lived. This is not what God had in mind when he made us. Jesus came to bring us life and have it to the full (see John 10:10). This does not mean we have to pack everything we can into our lives. No, Jesus meant for our lives to be the best life you can ever imagine.

Jesus understood what it was like to be overwhelmed. He understood pressure. There were crowds everywhere. You cannot read the Bible and not see that. Wherever Jesus went there was a crowd. One day Jesus looked up at a group of people who were tired like many of us today. He made a promise that stands to you and me today. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

Watch the life of Jesus Christ. Find some hope so you don’t walk out of here depressed. Find some hope from the life of Jesus Christ to see what He said and what He did.

More tomorrow.

Turning Pebbles Into Pearls

"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" - (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV). 


Into the shell of an oyster a tiny grain of sand finds its way. "The intruder, though microscopic, is a source of irritation and pain to the soft body of the oyster. Unable to rid itself of the unwelcome pebble, the oyster seeks to reduce the irritation by coating it with layers of soft, iridescent mother-of-pearl material from its own
shell. Over time, the oyster transforms a painful irritation into a beautiful pearl of great value."

Most of us have "grains of sand" or annoying "pebbles" that come into our life on a regular basis ... many of which can be very frustrating and even painful.

But every one of these annoyances gives us a chance to grow. Some will require great patience, others tough love. Some will require our turning the other cheek, some confrontation, and some kindness and understanding. For example, addicts need to be treated with tough love. Bullies require us to maintain healthy boundaries. Cheaters need to be confronted. Manipulators need to be managed. Control freaks need to be resisted, guilt throwers need to be challenged, and toxic people may need to be avoided, and so on.

With God's help, if we so choose, we can turn every one of these annoying pebbles into pearls or we can allow them to make us bitter. For it's not what happens to us that matters, but how we react to what happens. What we do about it is what matters—and that's a choice we make either consciously or unconsciously. And remember, "The bumps are what we climb on."

I'm Washing The Car!

&but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the headChrist from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. Ephesians 4:16 (NKJV)


When I was 16-years of age, I went to work at a car wash in the afternoons, when school was over, and on Saturdays. I had long since learned the art of washing and cleaning things from my youth, and so I guess you could say, I took a shine to this new trade. (Pun intended!) The art of cleaning something seemed pretty simple to me, and fairly easy to do, if you werent opposed to working at it, or even getting a little dirty yourself along the way.

Ive found that God has a unique way of using our past experiences to do our present ministry. Its sort of like having these meals throughout the week, and then preparing another meal and supplementing it with some of the items you have in the refrigerator. So, in the same way, Ive taken previous things Ive experienced or have seen, and I tend to use them for giving analogies, with the current situation.

Hey, maybe youre not a big leftover fan when it comes to food, but when it comes to implementing lifes lessons, whether from common ordinary experiences or from the good and bad choices once made; theres nothing better.

Ive always like to use analogies when talking with people and attempting to make a point, because I think people can relate visually to common things and experiences. So, when I can use an example or illustration to give a visual, when trying to convey something, it seems to stick because of this technique. Maybe its just the bizarre stuff I come up with thats remembered. But either way, God uses it.

A few months ago, I was writing a message I was to give for our Calvary Chapel Monday Night study. And in one part of this particular message, I would be emphasizing the importance of reading the Word of God daily, and then, simply applying what they had read to their life. So, God starts to utilize my past to make the point in this message and I get this visual in my head of me standing in the driveway with a bucket of warm soapy water at my feet. In my hand is a nice sponge, and before me sits the dirty truck, which I need to wash. And, just about then it clicks to me what He is sharing!

What if I was to prepare the car soap and warm water in the bucket, and take the sponge and reach down and dip it into the water and then stand back up straight with the sponge about shoulder height, and just stand there with the water dripping down my elbow and onto the ground?

I can almost hear you right now, Okay Scott, where are you going with this?

Stay with me on this, because I think youre going to like it.

So, I just stand there, and then in about 45 seconds, I reach down and dip the sponge into the bucket of warm soapy water and repeat the process of bringing the sponge up to about shoulder height. And this goes on and on and on, with the water just dripping out of the sponge an all over the ground. I would imagine right about then, if the neighbors were looking over at me, theyd be questioning my sanity.

But what if the neighbor knew I had always talked about my car washing expertise, and they also knew I had always preached about the benefits of a clean car? Now they really would be questioning the validity of my belief and also of my abilities, along with my sanity.

Breaking down the analogy: The sponge in this case is our brain, and the water in the bucket is the water of Gods Word.

Jesus answered and said to her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, Give Me a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water. John 4:10 (NKJV)

Heres my point!

"We read the Bible.
"We study the Bible.
"We learn all about Gods Word.
"We fill our minds like the water fills the sponge.

Q:But what good does it do if we dont apply it?
A:It doesnt do any good at all!

And I would have to imagine there are many people in this world who are watching Christians walking around with their Bibles in hand, and with all sorts of knowledge from attending Church and Bible studies, but their not applying the Word to their lives. And, much like the neighbor, theyre probably questioning our sanity.

And our filth filled society is just like the dirty truck in the drivewayit isnt going to be changed or cleaned up unless we apply what we have soaked up in our sponge like brains.

I want to challenge you today Christian! Keep it simple! Read the water of Gods Word. Soak it in, and then ask God to help you use it wherever it is needed. It doesnt do any good to dip the sponge in 70-times in a row and then just stand there. If we use what we have been given, it will cover those with whom we share it with, and it will impact their lives as well as ours. We can then dip our brains back in and soak up some more to be used again, and again.

I dont know about you, but I really like cleaning for God&

STUDY QUESTION: According to John 4:10, what is Jesus prepared to give to all who ask?

PERSONAL INVENTORY: Have you made it a daily habit to share what youve learned from reading Gods Word?

APPLICATION: Take it one day at a time. Prayerfully read the Word of God. Apply it to your life. And then be faithful to share what you know with others whom the Lord has brought to you.

Ignoring The Message

"And he that regarded not the word of the Lord left his servants and cattle in the field." - Exodus 9:21.(KJV)


Most people nowadays prefer some sort of pure drinking water. In our refrigerator, we keep a water jug with a filter, which is purported to filter out a high percentage of the undesirable chemicals and minerals that are in our tap water.


Common sense would seem to dictate that, when we pour ourselves a glass of the purified water, the reservoir would be depleted and we should replenish it. However, it is one of those jobs that we usually
leave for someone else to do.


Not liking to find the jug empty, and knowing that it takes several minutes for the water to filter through when being replenished, I posted a note on the top of the jug, asking users to please be thoughtful and refill when helping themselves to a glass of water. The note seems to be invisible, as it is often disregarded, which is disheartening, especially when going to pour a glass of water for a guest. Ignoring the note is like leaving others stranded.


How often in our daily walk do we disregard the words of others, especially of God? Jesus has said that, when we do something for the least of others, we do it also to him. It may be a small thing; it may not seem important to us; but when something is asked of us by others, we might take time to consider what we would do were it a request from God. We might also ask ourselves what message of God's we might have ignored today.

To Serve With Love-Part IV

If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1Peter 4:11 (NIV)

In Part I of this series on Serving, we learned that it is the Lord that we serve first and foremost. In Part II we learned that we serve Him, and those in our lives because of love. We learned that we have been given a great example of how we are to do this, and that example is Jesus Christ. His life gave testimony of what it means to consider others better than yourself, and to serve them, while denying yourself. And in Part III we learned How, we should serve others with a happy heart and a sincere attitude.

In Part IV, we will take a look at where. In this case, the question is where do we get our strength to serve.

The scripture above in 1 Peter, gives us valuable insight into how we are to serve others. It states that we are to serve with the strength that God provides. This is where, unfortunately, many times Christians make the mistake of attempting to do things within their own power, and with their limited abilities and resources. rather than applying the F.R.O.G. principle, which means to Fully Rely on God.

Q: Why should we serve with Gods Strength, and not our own?

Q: Because we will eventually fail when we rely on our own abilities, resources and strengths.

We will only go so far until:

"Fatigue sets in
"We get stressed out
"We get physically sick
"Someone doesnt respect or appreciate what we are doing
"We dont get the glory we think we deserve
"We dont get the praise that we want
"We become overwhelmed
"We get bent out of shape
"We become mad at others
"We quit serving

God knew that we would not be able to consistently serve others in the way He intended with our limited abilities, so He gave us a helper, which is the Holy Spirit.

If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you foreverthe Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. John 14:15-17 (NIV)

We are told in Philippians 4:19 that God shall supply all of our needs according to His riches. This means that He will give us whatever we need for each situation that He has called us to serve in. You might not consider yourself a natural speaker, but God will take your limited abilities in this area and He will increase them to greater levels to accomplish His will. And let me just say, that it is this divine empowering of these unique individual gifts that we have all been given in one form or another that testifies of His greatness.

You see, God uses us ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things. We just need to be willing to serve Him and then to allow Him to use the power of His Holy Spirit to accomplish these things. If youre a Christian, youve been called to serve. And you can be confident that you will be given a great and mighty power to accomplish all that you have been led to do.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; Acts 1:8 (NIV)

I want to encourage you to never doubt your ability to be used in a mighty way in Gods great ministry. Its not about what you have to offer God, its about God revealing to the world that it is by His might, and His strength that these things are done. God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong (see I Cor. 1:27).


STUDY QUESTION: According to 1 Peter 4:11, where should we get the strength to serve?

PERSONAL INVENTORY: Have you found that you have attempted to serve others, only to get burned out, or frustrated?

APPLICATION: Seek God in prayer when considering serving. If you feel that God has provided an opportunity to serve others, then ask Him to empower you to serve in a way that brings glory to His name.

To Serve With Love-Part III

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2Corinthians 9:7 (NIV)

What is it that you do for a living? Maybe youre a policeman, a fireman, or possibly a teacher, and you serve the community. Maybe youre involved in computer programming, or perhaps your talent lies in construction.

I guess a more important question to ask than What, you do, would be How do you do it?

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Romans 12:11 (NIV)

As Christian men and women, we should be continually asking ourselves, how do we serve others? Is our countenance one that is sincerely filled with joy when doing tasks for others, or are we simply going through the motions?

Can we say with confidence that God is praised by the way we serve others in church or in our job? Can we say confidently that Jesus is glorified by the way we treat and serve others?

If were going to give our time, talent money or abilities in serving others in the name of God, then we better be doing it with a happy heart. Otherwise, dont do it. God doesnt need our help to serve others to get things done. He so loves us that He provides us with an opportunity to serve in His ministry. And He is allowing us to share in the blessing of giving.

There are some who serve because they have been pressed into service; while others do it for the temporary glory, praise and satisfaction that they receive. We must guard ourselves from serving with improper motives.

Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. Matthew 6:1-2 (NIV)

Lets say that your body has been shaped into a fantastic physical example by working out regularly. You do everything possible to sculpture your abs, chest and biceps and by all outward appearances, you look great. But what if you had heart disease? What good would all that external effort to build muscle do if this were the case? It wouldnt do you a bit of good.

So how does this relate to us as Christians with regards to serving?

Well, if were attending church, reading our Bible, praying, and serving others in an attempt to live a Godly life, but our heart is spiritually diseased with a lack of love for God, then were really no different than the person with a bad heart. God doesnt look at our outward appearances like we tend to do, nor does He accept or reject us based on our outward appearance. He looks at our hearts to determine our true intentions for serving (See 1 Samuel 16:7).

So we must be careful to guard ourselves so that we dont appear to be serving with proper motives on the outside, but have a heart that is not truly genuine in love towards the service, or the person were serving. Again, we will simply be looking the part, but not allowing God to do the work through us. God talks about these types of people in 2 Timothy:

&having a form of godliness but denying its power. 2Timothy 3:5 (NIV)

And this isnt just referring to our serving the Body of believers in the Church; it is about us serving anyone that God has brought into our lives.

Hey Christian, lets check our motives each time we are serving someone, whether it is at church or at work. Let us serve them as if we were serving God, and lets do it with love. Our attitude should reflect that we are a blessed people that have much to be thankful for. And our serving should bring us a tremendous joy because we know that we are serving our Lord.

STUDY QUESTION: What can we learn from the scriptures above with regards to our giving and serving others?

PERSONAL INVENTORY: Are you serving in a way that reflects your joy and love for the Lord? Can others see it in your countenance?

APPLICATION: Seek Gods strength and love when serving others. Remember that there is a great reward for those who humbly serve in love.

To Serve With Love-Part II

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:12-13 (NIV)

In part I of this series of devotionals on being a Christian servant, we examined the scriptures to see that it is God that we serve first and foremost. And we learned what the LORD our God requires of us as Christians: But to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

So in this devotional we are going to look at why we serve the Lord and others. What is our motive or basis for this selfless act? Why would we forgo serving ourselves, but instead consider others more important?

The simple answer to these questions is love.

We serve, and do for others because we are serving the Lord in love.

And we have learned this from God, because no greater example can be given to us with regards to serving and loving others, than Jesus Christ.

Jesus came to this earth and lived as a human in body form and He took on the role of a servant. We dont see Him being glorified or given the great respect and honor that was due the Savior of the world. We see Him humbly serving others.

The Apostle Paul when speaking to the Philippians, spoke to them using Jesus as the supreme example.

He said, Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature 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! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name..
And Jesus told us in John 15:
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Fathers commands and remain in his love. John 15:9 (NIV)

So Jesus showed His love for His father by obeying His fathers commands, and serving mankind, and He did this to show and demonstrate love. He asks us to do the same by obeying His commands. And He tells us that we will remain in His love if we do. We are told in Ephesians 5:1, that we are to be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. And we are to live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

So, there is only one way to imitate Jesus life of a servant, and that is to lay down our own desires and follow Jesus, and His ways daily.
&If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23 (NIV)

This means that we serve God first, and we serve Him in love. And we do this by considering others better, and laying our lives down for them. This is the life of Christ. This is our way of being Christ-like. This is Christianity!
Take heart today Christian, because God wants to love others through you. He is love, and His love can flow to others through each of our lives if we simply invite Him to use us in serving others.

STUDY QUESTION: According to John 15, how do we remain in Jesus love?

PERSONAL INVENTORY: Are you willing to serve others in love? Will you let God use you today?

APPLICATION: Ask God today to show you what He would want you to do for others. Ask Him to allow you to serve in various capacities. Get involved in your local church, and start helping meet the needs of the body. There is no better way to love others than to serve.

To Serve With Love-Part I

To Serve With Love
Part I

&Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slavejust as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Matthew 20:26-28 (NIV)

I receive many emails of late that are sharing with me various stories and pictures of the many soldiers that have been serving overseas in foreign countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan. All of these pictures and stories touch and break my heart. And yet, I understand only partially what these men and women have been enduring and persevering in while serving those in need. I wish there was some way that I could say Thank You, to each and every one of them, but I know that this not possible. Still I participate every chance I get to forward these messages, and to say thanks when the opportunity arises to do so.

I was thinking about the service that these soldiers provide, and that fact that each of them is doing it willingly, and without being told that they have to. Each one of them has voluntarily signed up to serve in one of the many branches of the military service, such as, Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, including the Coast Guard, and National Guard.

What I find interesting is that if you were asking most of them, Why do you serve? They would answer, I do it for my country. And many of them would also answer, For God and Country.

Sure, they might talk about loved ones, or all the people that are over in the various places that are being protected and rescued from tyranny or oppression, but it wouldnt be there primary reason. Their serving these people in need was simply a byproduct of serving God and Country. The fact is that they couldnt serve God and Country without also being a blessing to these people in the process.

And that concept is the basis for this series of devotionals titled, To Serve With Love.

Serving others is the basis of our ministry as Christians. We can clearly see that by the scripture above. If we have an aspiration to be viewed as great in Gods eye, we must be willing to serve others.

So the first question that we should ask is, Whom do we serve?

&What does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, Deuteronomy 10:12 (NKJV)

According to this scripture, we are to serve God first and foremost. And we are to serve Him with all of our heart and soul.

When we serve God first and foremost, then others are blessed by our acts of love and obedience to Him and to His Word. We cannot help but to be great servants when we choose to seek God and make Him our first and highest priority.

I want to encourage you to earnestly seek God today. Ask Him to open your eyes to see His perfect will for your life, and those who are a part of your life. Remember that everything and everyone you serve is for God, first and foremost. Because it makes a difference in:

How you serve your spouse and family
How you serve your employer
How you serve your employees
How you serve those you meet throughout the day
How you serve the needs of the Church

STUDY QUESTION: According to Deuteronomy 10:12, what does God require of us?

PERSONAL INVENTORY: Are you willing to acknowledge and implement what God has asked of every Christian?

APPLICATION: Seek to serve God today in every way that He has allowed, and equipped you to.

Failure Turned Inside Out

David, the psalmist, prayed: "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." - Psalm 51:10.



You sit with your head in your hands thinking you're a total failure. "I've blown it again," you mutter to yourself in despair.


Hold it right there! Did you know that Walt Disney went broke seven times and had a nervous breakdown before he became successful?


And that Enrico Caruso failed so many times with his singing that his teacher advised him to quit. He didn't. His mother saw to that. And he became one of the world's greatest tenors.


And Thomas Edison was called a dunce at school. Later, he failed more than six thousand times before perfecting the first electric light bulb.


Think, too, of King David in the Bible. He blew it big time. He not only committed adultery with Bathsheba and got her pregnant, but had her husband killed and took her as another wife. When he admitted his failure, God forgave him and gave him another chance. In fact, Bathsheba became the mother of King Solomon through whose line Jesus Christ came.


And remember Paul the apostle, he was so opposed to Christianity he was running around having Christians killed when God got a hold of him and turned his life around and used him in an incredible way.


God wants to turn our lives around too when we fail. So, if you feel like giving up, don't. Remember failure is an event not a person. Now's the time to give God a chance. It starts with being honest with yourself, with a trusted friend, and with God—admitting how and where you've failed and asking God to forgive you and to help you.


For real encouragement, read all of Psalm 51. And listen to these words also written by David: "There was a time when I wouldn't admit what a sinner I was. But my dishonesty made me miserable and filled my days with frustration. All day and all night your hand was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water on a sunny day until I finally admitted all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, 'I will confess them to the Lord.' and you forgave me! All my guilt is gone." - Psalm 32:3-5, (TLB).


What a gracious, loving, forgiving God we have.

DOES YOUR IMPRESSION CONVICT RATHER THAN CONDEMN?

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

Does it convict rather than condemn? I need to explain the difference because a lot of people go through life living under condemnation and guilt thinking it’s the voice of God when it’s not. Conviction comes from God. Condemnation comes from the devil.

The purpose of conviction is to correct something that is out of whack in your life. The purpose of condemnation is just to put you down and make you feel miserable, guilty, and ashamed. The motivation behind conviction is God loves you and wants to help you be better. The motivation behind condemnation is Satan hates you and wants to make you miserable.

When God speaks to you about an area in your life for conviction, He is very specific. God will point out an area and say, “Ken, you were prideful just then.” Or “you were impatient” or “you got angry” or “you’re resentful” or “you’re jealous” or “you lied just now” or “you exaggerated” or whatever. God will give you a very specific area of your life.

Then He gives you the solution. You confess it, you admit it, you say, “God, I admit it. I was wrong. Please help me change.” And bingo! The conviction feeling leaves instantly.

Condemnation on the other hand goes on and on and on. You can feel guilty about it for weeks, months, or years. That’s not from God. That’s from the devil. If you’ve ever felt vaguely guilty in your life where every time you go to God you feel like, “I’m not measuring up. I’m not doing very good.” That means you’re not hearing from God. You’re hearing from your own voice or your past or you’re hearing from the devil.

How many times do you have to ask for forgiveness to be forgiven? Once. So if you keep feeling guilty after you’ve confessed it and you confess it again tomorrow and the next day and the next day. Every time that thing comes back to your mind and you confess it again and say, “Please forgive me. Please forgive me,” what are you saying? You are saying “God, I don’t really believe You forgave me the first time.” And that’s a lack of faith.
God forgave you the first time you asked for forgiveness and meant it and said help me change

How to Please God?

"He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.' His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'" - Matthew 25:22-23 (NKJV).


In God's economy there is a place of service for every single member of his family; that is, for every individual Christian in the church, or what the Apostle Paul called "the body of Christ." Every one of us is equally important. As Paul said, "The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, 'I don't need you!'" - 1 Corinthians 12:21 (NIV).


And every one of us has at least one gift with which to serve God. The important thing is to know what your gifting is and put it to good use serving God ...first at home ... then in the church and Lord's work ... and in some way everywhere you go. For example, if you have the gift of encouragement, you can use that anywhere.


You are probably familiar with the words of Henry Van Dyke who said so simply yet so eloquently: "Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best."


Remember, too, that people are the "instruments" God uses to get his work done on earth and, like a doctor's scalpel, the sharper the instrument, the more effective work God can do with the instrument. For example, if you have a desire to write, sing, teach, preach, or be a "butcher, baker or candlestick maker" then get the training necessary to be the best at what you like doing best. Then seek ways to use your gifts even if in seemingly humble ways to begin with. My job for several years as a young teenager was to collect and put away the hymn books in our small countrified church.


When we are faithful in the little things, God will lead us to bigger things if we so desire and are so gifted. Regardless, every responsibility is of equal importance in God's service, and we will be rewarded, when Jesus comes, not according to our gifting but according to our faithfulness.

Pressing Toward the Goal

The Apostle Paul wrote, "One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things."
- Philippians 3:13-15 (NIV).


"Goal setting is a risk. One of the most comfortable things in the world is to have no goals, because then there can be no failure. It is equally comfortable to define your goals in terms of what you happen to be doing at any given time. If you shoot first, then draw the target around the bullet hole, you'll never miss the bull's eye. If someone looks later, he might even call you a good marksman." Some people have developed this technique very well. Their goals are set more by their own inclinations than by carefully formulated biblical priorities.


Having a clearly defined goal is the first step towards the success of anything. However, according to motivational specialists only three percent of people have a major goal for their life. Without this we are like a rudderless ship. Instead of our setting the direction of our life, we let the winds and tides of the times take us where they will. As someone has said facetiously, "Blessed be he who aims at nothing for he shall surely hit it!"


As with the Apostle Paul, God has a specific goal for each one of us. It is our responsibility to discover what that goal is and work towards achieving it. And as Paul said, "All of us who are mature should take such a view of things."

Your Not Alone!

Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation. Psalms 91:9-16 (NKJV)

Well, I can only imagine the thoughts running through your mind when you glanced at the title of todays devotional. For some, Im sure the thought of some scary movie trailer they saw on TV, suddenly dashed through their head, with the image of someone stalking them. Okay, enough of that! In fact, stick with me, because if youre a Christian, and youve suffered from this type of fear, youll be given the peace of knowing your being protected.

The story Im sharing with you today is about the Prophet Elisha, and it is recorded in the Bible in the Book of 2Kings, chapter 6. It is a perfect example of what Psalm 91 assures us as children of God.

Now the king of Aram (Syria) was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, I will set up my camp in specific place. But the prophet Elisha, sent word to the King of Israel saying, Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.

So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by Elisha, and found it to be true. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.

This enraged the king of Aram, and thinking that there was a traitor within his officers, he summoned his officers and demanded of them, Will you not tell me which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?

None of us, said one of his officers, but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.

Go, find out where he is, the king ordered, so I can send men and capture him. The report came back: He is in Dothan.
Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.

The next morning, Elishas servant awoke early and he got up and went outside. He saw that an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. He went back to Elisha and said, Oh, my lord, what shall we do?

Elisha responded to his servant, Dont be afraid, those who are with us are more than those who are with them.

Elisha wanted his servant to have the peace of understanding how much God was in control, and to know they would be safe in His care, and so Elisha prayed to God so his servant might see this.

And Elisha prayed, O LORD, open his eyes so he may see. Then the LORD opened the servants eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2Kings 6:17 (NIV)
So, in accordance with Elishas prayer, the servants eyes were enabled to behold the company of an innumerable angelic host that stood ready to intervene for Elisha.

We need to know as Christians; God is going before us in each situation we face. This story is not an isolated example within the Bible, there are many more. The prophet Isaiah even speaks of God going before and protecting a pagan King named Cyrus, because it served in Gods purposes for Israel (See Isa 45:1-7)

It is history such as this, recorded in the scriptures of the greatest Book ever written, which show us Gods sovereignty in every situation.

We should remember what James said about these times, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. (See James 1:2-8)

We should be confident today in every situation we face, knowing God is with us, and will guide, lead and protect us. Call on Him today, and seek His grace, mercy, and guidance for your life. It is never too late to change the direction in which you are traveling. And if the direction youre going is right, but is still filled with tribulation and testing, then know, God is with you, and has His angels protecting you through every aspect of it.

STUDY QUESTION: What can we learn from Elishas answered prayer as recorded in 2Kings 6:17?

PERSONAL INVENTORY: Can you relate to Elishas servant, by looking at overwhelming situations in your life, and as a result, began doubting in fear?

APPLICATION: Remember this story each time you fear. Remember how God sends His angels to protect. Remember how He has given His children the helper called the Holy Spirit. And know add it all up! You have a combination, which is unbeatable. And this, my friends, is His grace.

WHEN YOU FEEL REGRET, EVALUATE YOUR CURRENT DIRECTION

Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy (Proverbs 28:13).

When you feel regret, stop and think. Evaluate your current direction. Now it becomes rather simple as you ask, “Is my life headed in the right direction?” In your mistakes, God can give you mercy.

Here’s an amazing thing: even when a person admits that his life is not headed in the right direction, the most common excuse for not correcting it is: “I just put it off. I know I should, I would, I could.” They’ve been putting it off.

At this stage, if you’re going to admit mistakes, some of us need to admit our apathy – our laziness. “The lazy person is full of excuses saying, ‘If I go outside I might meet a lion in the street and be killed’” (Proverbs 22:13, NLT). That’s a likely one, don’t you think? Try that one this week with your boss! “I really wanted to come to work today but that lion thing. . .” The Bible has some humor here. It says that part of the human condition is this: We will grab at any excuse we can to keep us from doing what’s really important.

I have served as the pastor in Mandeville for 18 years. I’ve preached hundreds of messages. You’ve made numerous commitments that you want to get your spiritual life together and you have as one of your big things in your life, intimacy with God. You say, “I need to learn how to pray. . .I’ve got to start going to Wednesday night. . .I need to take a class.” When are you going to do it? Then the excuses hit. “When things slow down. . .When the business takes off. . .When my kids get out of jail. . .” There all always be excuses.

Quit making excuses. Take responsibility. Nobody is going to change for you. Make “I could. . .I would. . .I should. . .” cuss words in your life. Change them to “I will. . .I am. . .”

“I will be the spouse that my husband/my wife has been praying I will be.”

“I am going to become the parent I’ve always dreamed of becoming.”

“I will take the steps to pursue intimacy with God.”

Nobody is going to do this for you. I don’t think most will defy God. I think most people just are not going to take life seriously. Life will slip by us, and we will come to the end of our lives with more regrets than we already have now.

How's Your Self-Worth?

"Jesus said, "Love your neighbor as yourself." - Mark 12:31 (NIV).


While Jesus said we were to love our neighbor as ourselves, somebody else said, "Heaven help your neighbor if you hate yourself." There's a lot of truth in this statement. The fact is I can only love and accept others to the degree that I have learned to love and accept myself; that is, in a healthy sense.


How I see myself, what I think about myself, how I feel about myself, and how well I accept myself will largely determine what I put into and get out of life. If I see myself as having little worth, I will never achieve my God-given potential. But if I see myself as having great value, not in a prideful way, but as God sees and accepts me, I will, with God's help, be able to reach and achieve my God-given life potential.


Take a bar of iron and make it into nails and it will be worth a few dollars; make it into weight bearing posts it will be worth much more; refine it and make it into stainless steel pots and it will be worth even more; or refine it even further to take out all its impurities and use it to make finely tuned space age rocket engines and it will be worth a fortune.


Life's like that. If you believe in yourself, with God's help and his "refining fire" (plus a lot of hard work), you can become the person God envisions you to be, and be able to fulfill your God-given life purpose.


What is important is not how or where we got started in life but how and where we finish! We had no choice in the former but we do in the latter.

Be Prepared

"Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer" - (Proverbs 30:25, NIV).


Sometimes the seemingly simple things in life can teach us some of the most important lessons. Take ants, for example. Even though their "brain" (central ganglion or nerve) is less than one-tenth the size of a pinhead, ants live in highly organized social colonies. Some collect food, others build the nest and keep it clean, and some look after the queen ants. Nurse ants clean and feed the larvae. Soldier ants guard and protect the food-collecting ants. No wonder the
Bible says, "Go to the ant ... consider her ways and be wise" (Proverbs 6:6).


Among other lessons, the ants "who store up their food in the summer" teach us the importance of being prepared ahead of time for whatever might come our way. The Chinese proverb, "Dig your well before you're thirsty" makes the same point. Children need to be prepared for life, teenagers and young adults need to be prepared for entering the work force, and for taking care of themselves. Those who are planning to be married should prepare ahead for it; unfortunately, too many don't. And all adults need to prepare ahead for retirement and old age.


And most important of all, we need to be prepared for life after life when we will meet our Maker face to face. As God's Word says, "Prepare to meet your God," - Amos 4:12, and as Jesus taught about his return to earth, "Be ready; for when you least expect it, I will come."Matthew 24:44. How tragic beyond all measure for those who aren't prepared for life after death.

Redeeming The Time

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16 (NKJV)

What do you have planned for today? What is it that is going to fill your agenda? Perhaps you have planed on working all day, or possibly enjoying some time away to do some other activity? Have you made plans or any given any thought today with respect to your Christian walk and serving God?

Surprisingly, many Christians dont have this on their To Due List. It is interesting to me how we draw up our lists of the days priorities compiled of all the things we want to accomplish; our goal-oriented itinerary, but we seldom write down things such as:

1.Share the message of Salvation with neighbors or co-workers.
2.Read the Word, and memorize scripture verses so as to be able to share with others the reason for our blessed hope.
3.Tithe my time and ability in helping someone in need today.
4.Pray for family and friends needs.
5.Spend time with God in prayer throughout the day, seeking Him in every situation.
6.Be willing to divert from my list of things to do when God leads someone into my life with a divine appointment.
7.Be willing to spend time with them, encouraging them, exhorting them, and even holding them accountable; trusting in God for guidance.

This is not an exhaustive list, nor am I suggesting one put every one of these on their list each and every day. But each of these things could be added individually or collectively to our lists of other priorities to remind us, we can and should be used daily for the serving of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

There are many who believe, once they have made their profession of faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior; it now becomes their mission statement to attempt to live a good life, and simply hang on until the rapture of the church. This couldnt be any farther from the truth. God has given us life, and life abundantly, both eternally, but also now while still here on earth, and in this body. We are told to live our life by presenting our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service (Rom 12:1).

Christians must no longer act like simpletons; living as if ignorant, by following the ways of the world, especially since Gods own wisdom is always available to them.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, Ephesians 1:7-9 (NKJV)

So what does this mean? It means we know what Gods will is for our life. We have been told in Gods Word of His great plan for our salvation, for eternal life, and for how we are to live. And as Christians, we should be making the most of every opportunity.

No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. John 15:15 (NKJV)

We are told to walk circumspectly, which means to walk cautiously, vigilantly and with awareness. We are to do this because the days, in which we live, are evil. Moral depravity is rampant, and we are becoming jaded to the sinful lifestyles of those who live to feed their fleshly desires. We should be seeking the opportunity to use our time wisely in a way, which glorifies God. It is said, the average American will have spent 15-years of their life watching TV. This leads me to another phrase that says, Stupid is what stupid does. God has not called us to be saved by His grace so we can simply go through life living in such a way as to check out and take care of our own wants and needs.

Hey, we could be simply going for a walk, and instead of just thinking about whatever comes to mind; we could be utilizing this time of exercise to be praying for those people who dont know the Lord as of yet; for the needs of those who you know to be suffering and in need.

I want to encourage you today to think of ways in which you can redeem your time for God. Here is a suggestion: Ask God to show you what He would have you do in each situation. Always be looking for a way to share your faith with others. Encourage people each time you have conversation, and look for ways of sharing scripture supporting your reason for optimism.

God is coming back soon! When He does, I want to be about my fathers business&

STUDY QUESTION: According to Ephesians 5:15-16, how are we to live our lives?

PERSONAL INVENTORY: Are you redeeming the time God has given you?

APPLICATION: Seek to glorify God in all you do. Look for opportunities to share your faith.

Envy: A Poison of the Soul

"Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind." - 1 Peter 2:1 (NIV).


"Aesop had a fable about two eagles, one envious of the other because the other could soar higher and more elegantly than he could. So the envious eagle would pluck his strongest feathers from his own body and shoot them as arrows, trying to wound or kill the other eagle. It was his own undoing, however. He could not hit the high flying eagle, and he was eventually grounded by his lack of feathers. Envy destroyed the eagle."


Envy, greed, and jealousy are all related. They are not only destroyers of the soul, but also of our physical well-being. As Proverbs says, "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones." - Proverbs 14:30 (NIV)


And wasn't envy the cause of Satan's downfall? He was envious of God and wanted to be God himself; and look at the unbelievable mess he has gotten us into—or rather, look at the incredible mess we've gotten ourselves into because we have followed the ways of Satan instead of the ways of God. And how many of the atrocities that are happening in today's world are caused by the envy and greed for control by certain men who claim themselves to be leaders when, in fact, they are destroyers!


Envy is a destroyer. It will destroy you and me, too, if we allow it to do so. Like all of God's instructions, it is not without good reason that his Word tells us to get rid of all envy, malice, jealousy and hatred.

No Condemnation

"When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the [adulterous] woman, He said to her, 'Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?' She said, 'No one, Lord.' And Jesus said to her, 'Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." - John 8:8-11 (NKJV). 
To me there is no more beautiful picture of God's unconditional, non-judgmental, non-shame-based, yet non-condoning love than in the example where the religious people brought the woman caught in the act of adultery to Jesus (as seen in today's Scripture passage).


In those days the penalty for adultery was death by stoning—a terrifying situation for this woman to be in. But for the life of me I can't even begin to imagine how a woman could be caught alone in the act of adultery! This was because this occasion was a setup to trap Jesus—and the "accusation stones" hidden in the accusers' pockets were to throw at Jesus rather than at the adulterous woman!


"The Law of Moses says," these jealous religious
guilt-throwing-shame-based-hypocrites said to Jesus, "that this woman must be stoned to death. What do you say?" No matter what he answered, they believed they had him trapped and would find him guilty. If he said she should be stoned to death, they could accuse him of having no mercy. If he said she should not be stoned to death, they could accuse him of breaking the Law of Moses.


Jesus' answer was brilliant, "Yes," he said, "the Law of Moses says she should be stoned to death. So go head and kill her!" But before they had a chance to move a finger, Jesus added, "And let the man who has never sinned be the first one to cast a stone!"


Thud! The silence was deafening as one by one those religious bigots, like frightened, guilt-ridden puppy dogs tucked their religious tails between their legs and slinked away as quickly as they could.


Jesus then asked the woman, "Where are your accusers now?" To which she replied, "They've all gone, Lord" Then Jesus made a profound statement, "Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more."


Not always of course, but some people commit adultery (and/or fornication) because they are looking for love in all the wrong places. Chances are that this woman was loved and accepted by a man (Jesus) for the first time in her life—loved for whom she was and not for what she had to offer lustful men. Jesus' acceptance of her and his giving her total unconditional love would free her from a life of sin. This is why Jesus could say to her, "Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more, or go and leave your life of sin." Notice, he did not condone her sinful behavior, but neither did he condemn her. Again, it was Jesus' unconditional love that would set her free from her sinful behavior.


God is never about condemning us, making us feel guilty, or making us feel ashamed. It's people who do that to us—including some religious people. God wants to forgive us and set us free from a life of sin. So we, too, need to come to Jesus and receive his unconditional, non-judgmental, and non-condoning love. It's there for "Whosoever will may come."

Our Deliverer

For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Romans 7:22-24 (NKJV)

How about you, can you relate to what Paul is saying here in the scriptures above? I know that I certainly can. How many times have we wanted to do what is right in a certain situation only to fall back to doing what is wrong? Its as if our body has a mind of its own, and it wont take no for an answer. Well, actually thats exactly what is going on when we sin. We are simply listening to the bodys request to be satisfied with something that is not in line with what God desires.

Notice I said, our bodies request, and not demand. Its important we acknowledge this with a clear mind and we remember it. We are in control of what we do, not our body. We make the choices and decide whether we will sin or not. We are the ones within the chambers our own minds that justify our behavior when we know all too well, it is not righteous.

Pauls description of a war being raged within the members of our bodies describes so vividly what we go through when we continue to think upon something and reason that we shouldnt do it. And for each one of us at some point, this process can be too much and we will eventually fail in our own effort in our attempt to change. When this happens, we can become discouraged, and depressed, and even give up hope, and simply start the cycle of sinful behavior over again.

It appears that Paul even comes to a point where he is giving up hope, as he asks the question, Who will deliver me from this body of death? Or was this simply an analogy? You see, it was during this period of history when Paul had written this letter, where a person who was convicted of murdering another individual, could receive as a sentence to his crime, having the body of the dead man tied to his body. And this person might have to carry this decaying corpse for weeks. The stench alone would kill some.

Isnt that the way our past sin can be? We can commit certain sinful actions and think weve gotten away with something, but we end up carrying them around with us. And the stench of them can kill us spiritually. In all actuality, we never did get away with anything, and we end up paying for these transgressions, as our walk with God suffers, and our life reflects the loss of joy we could have experienced, had we not chose to listen to the flesh.

Paul answers his question proposed in verse 24, in the following verse:

I thank Godthrough Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 7:25 (NKJV)

You see, he didnt ask what, would deliver him, he asked who. And there is only one person who is capable, and it is Jesus Christ. It will never be a 12-step program; with some procedure or template we will be able to apply to your life to handle our character deficiency, or weakness in the flesh. I am not speaking ill of these programs, and they may be used for structure in rehabilitation, but the healing and the power to overcome sinful temptation will always be from the power of Jesus Christ through the Helper he sent, known as the Holy Spirit. This is the only way to be delivered from the bondage of sinful behavior, and the bondage of a spiritual and physical body of death.

Christ died for all of us so we could be free from the bondage of sin. When we spend time with Him daily reading His Word, and talking with Him, we will begin to understand just how much He has done for us, and how much He loves us. We were formally darkness, but now we are light. We used to feed our fleshly desires and focus on the things of the world, but now we are to focus on eternal things. Before we couldnt help ourselves, because we were prisoners to our flesh, but Christ has delivered us, and has set us free.

He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, And broke their chains in pieces. Psalms 107:14 (NKJV)

If we continue to live as slaves, then what has He died for? It is time to put those ways behind us and commit 100% to following Him, and 100% relying on Him. Compromise will lead to sin, and the fleshly patterns will start again, because that is the nature of our temporary body in which we live. But it is only temporary, so hold fast and stay focused against the temptation to satisfy the temporary.

As I said earlier, we cannot live the way God has intended for us to live without His help; we will eventually fail. Satan is counting on us to just try a little harder, because he knows he can outlast, and out tempt our willpower. We must rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to sustain our walk, and to lead us in His ways. And this can only happen through a relationship with Jesus. If we look to Him for help, we will not have to give in to sin.

STUDY QUESTION: Who is our deliverer?

PERSONAL INVENTORY: Can you relate to failing in your Christian walk? Can you see where your focus shifted during these times, from Jesus, to the things, and cares of the world?

APPLICATION: Keep your eyes firmly fixed upon the cross, and the things that are eternal; things which have significance for eternity. Cast off things, which are keeping you too busy to spend time with God.

This Is Our Wake-up Call!

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)

God knows our choices that we will make today, and He knows our future and what is in store for us. We on the other hand, dont know what the future holds for each of us with respects to our life here on earth. We dont know how long our heart will beat, or whether or not this will be our last breathe. But we should be able to know when we are going in a wrong direction spiritually. We should be able to feel it deep inside, and know somethings amiss. This is true as an individual, and as a society, or nation.

As a Democracy, most countries tend to last about 200-years, give or take a few in either direction. We have been a country for 232-years thus far. We, as a nation, were founded on Judeo Christian principles, and we followed them and taught them to our children faithfully in the beginning. But as time has passed, and other cultures have come to make this great nation their home, we have slowly begun to change the way we view God, and worship Him.

Back before we became a nation, when there were thirteen colonies from England here, a professor by the name of Alexander Tyler wrote about the fall of the Athenian republic two thousand years previous to his time. He noted that history reflected what he deemed to be a pattern in democratic societies, and it went something like this:

((A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the public treasure. From that moment on the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most money from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy followed by a dictatorship.(( The average age of the world's great civilizations has been two hundred years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence: from bondage to spiritual faith, from spiritual faith to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependency, from dependency back to bondage

Is it remarkable that the very things Alexander Tyler spoke of over 230-years ago, are, in fact, happening within our country this very day? Aside from the socialism we appear to be evolving to, the spiritual aspects are virtually dead-on!

We have seem to run this very course and appear to be on the apex of this shameful chart with our country at the very least, suffering from severe apathy, and starting to rely on full dependency of the Government to provide everything that is needed. With this combination well under way, bondage is the final step in Mr. Tylers template. And although I would say that we, at large, are already suffering from spiritual bondage; physical bondage is not far away as a police state seems to be the next step in dealing with radical Muslim Jihad and the terrorism they bring as a practicing tool.

I would like to point a finger at the government, but I cannot say that they deserve the blame. After all, we are a government for the people, by the people, and of the people, are we not? No! I must turn my attention to those who are calling themselves, Christians. Thats right, Im speaking of you and I.

You see as I read the scripture of 2 Chronicles 7:14, it is God speaking to His people; and thats us!
He said, If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

God didnt address this to any government, or any congressional meeting, but to us, His children. We hold the key folks! We are the ones who turn our heads to the filth that is infiltrating our homes through the computer, and the television, as well as our music. We are the ones who have turned our backs and begun to accept homosexual relationships as alternative lifestyles. God knew this would happen once we stopped acknowledging Him and we no longer gave thanks for the provisions we have been given. Once this happened, He gave us over to our own sinful desires (see Romans 1:21-27).

Perhaps God has not fully judged us as of yet due to the fact that we have supported Israel as a sovereign Nation. We, as a country, have been doing that since they became a nation again in 1948.

I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Genesis 12:2-3 (NKJV)

I certainly hope that we continue to support Israel, and I would hope that we would look at the history of those nations who decided to turn their backs on God, and failed to acknowledge Him, and consider this a fair warning, or better yet, a wake up call. September 11, 2001 seemed to draw people back to churches in record numbers, only to have them slip back out the door when they felt comfortable, content and safe. Now with our economic struggles reaching virtually every households attention, shouldnt we be turning from those things that God abhors?

As Christians, we can make a difference by changing our lives to follow God in every aspect of our life. We can confess our sin, and repent, and turn to Him.

He told us what to do, and how to fix our situation; it is up to us to either comply, or simply be another prideful casualty. We need another spiritual revival, and that starts with us&

STUDY QUESTION: According to 2 Chronicles 7:14, what should we do to help our country to be repaired?

PERSONAL INVENTORY: Are you willing to apply this scripture to your life?

APPLICATION: Lets encourage as many Christians as possible to seek the Lord this year, and to repent of our sin, to turn from our evil ways, and to ask God to repair our once Great Nation, united under God.

My Hope! It's The Reason I Smile-Part II

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 1Peter 3:15 (NKJV)

What do you put your confidence in? Where do you derive your hope? Is it your bank account, hoping one day you will have amassed a fortune? Perhaps its your job, hoping one day you will have scaled the latter and be on the top? Maybe its your health, hoping one day you will have the body you always dreamed of? It could be in the electing of a new president, hoping he will be the one to fix all of our economic, environmental and war issues. None of these things are worthy of giving us a true hope, because all of them are temporary at best, and each of them will fail eventually.

We are told in the Book of Titus what our hope should be based upon.

&while we wait for the blessed hopethe glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, Titus 2:13 (NIV)

Jesus is coming back! Hes coming back to rapture His Church up into the heavenlies (1Thess 4:17). He will gather us up and take us from this fallen earth to be with Him.

Every person who has walked the face of the earth has been given a chance to experience and receive the free gift of eternal salvation by the grace of God, through faith. Gods Word has taught us to say, No to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self controlled, upright and Godly lives. We know Jesus came, and gave his life as a sacrifice on the cross to redeem us from all wickedness and sin, and to purify for Himself a people who are His very own, and who are eager to do what is good.

Gods Word tells us, He is coming back, and it will be just like it was in the days of Noah, and of Lot. It will be business as usual. People will be marrying and eating and drinking as if life is going on forever. They will be focused on the temporary wants and desires to fulfill their fleshly lust. They will be building, planting and buying goods. Their society had been broken down to the point where no one was walking with God, nor did they have a desire to live in a way, which pleased God.

Doesnt this sound like our culture? Have we not legislated God out of our schools, our work places and our lives?

If we have this blessed hope in Jesus coming back soon, then we should be living soberly, righteously and Godly. We should be looking up constantly, expecting Him to return at any moment. Because if I believe the Lord is coming back soon, it will greatly affect everything I do.

If a person doesnt believe the Lord is coming back soon, then he or she will live in such a way to show total disrespect in how God would want them to live. They will partake in the parties along with those who become drunk. They will participate in the office gossip instead of holding their tongue. They will build their kingdoms on earthly treasure and fame rather than eternal glory and rewards, which have been promised for those who abide in the Lord.

Christianity isnt a fable; its the message of hope from God Himself. Its the message of how each of us cam be given the free gift of salvation. And, when properly understood, it should be met with a great hope for our future, followed by a life of selfless living while serving others and winning them to the kingdom of God. It will be full, exciting, and filled with peace when our trust is placed properly in the God of the universe, and His perfect plan for our life. Any compromise is simply taking away the blessings, which have been ordained for those who hold fast to the promises of God.

As a result of this hope, I live with a positive attitude, doing my best to be a light in society, working towards a better community and world by studying and applying the Word of God to transform my ways of living. Bible prophecy clearly tells us, there will never be a utopia here on earth until Jesus comes back. But this should never deter us from living a life in which we are making a positive change to our world. We have our hope in eternity, its true, but we have a hope to win souls as well, and to allow the Holy Spirit to empower us to make positive changes while still here on earth.

I pray Gods blessings on you this day. May you see and feel the hope of Jesus in your heart.

STUDY QUESTION: According to the scriptures above, how should we live, and what should where should we be deriving our hope?

PERSONAL INVENTORY: Have you found yourself placing a greater hope in temporal things? Have you found yourself with no hope because of what you see on the news?

APPLICATION: God has a perfect plan for your life (Read Jeremiah 29:11). Place your hope in Him, and His plan, and trust Him. Ask Him to show you His plan for your life, and live it with a blessed hope, knowing it will be exactly the way He wants.