* Gaining Entry

Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?” But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” So John agreed to baptize him. After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”

Matthew 3:13-17 NLT

One of the tasks at my day job is to make sure my people know about and meet a contract’s required certifications to do the work for a client. There are safety trainings and certifications, as well as various mandatory drug and alcohol tests, and each has to be renewed annually. Once approved, they are also subject to random drug tests to prove that they are still in compliance with the requirements for entry to the facility.  

There is usually a grace period, but once that's over, there are no excuses, no exceptions. The contract is there - it's specific about the requirements. It doesn't matter how much you think you know about it - or what you learned years ago. Have you done what is asked of you? If you want in, do what's required of you. When you do, then you get the stamp of approval that allows you into the facility. They'll wave you through the gate because your name is on the list.

It reminds me a little of the requirements to gain access to heaven. It doesn't matter if you're a "good guy." It's not about what you know or how long you've known it. The only way to gain entry is through the Blood of Jesus Christ. In John 14:6, Jesus tells us that no one gets to the Father, except through Him [Jesus]. It's about training - aligning ourselves with the Word. It's about keeping the training current. 

Luke 9:23 NKJV tells us, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 

1st John 2:23b-25, ...But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us.

In other words, when you do, you get the Father's approval. Is your name written in the Lamb's Book of Life?

Prayer:

Father,

          Please notify us of the changes to be made in our lives, so that we fully comply with Your requirement of us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Run to Win

You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth?

Galatians 5:7 NLT

There are certain things we must do if we're going to finish the race and finish it well. First of all, make sure you're headed in the right direction. With Christ the path is already laid out. Next - Work on putting one foot in front of the other. Don't think about the miles that stretch before you. One foot in front of the other, over and over - taking care of the small stuff will diminish the big stuff. Be a momentum builder, not a momentum stealer. Problems don't kill momentum - ATTITUDE kills momentum. Pay attention to who you run with or who's trying to run around you.

If you intend to finish, you've got to find others who will help you keep pace and stay on track. Sprinters don't win marathons. Paul writes in Galatians 2:2, I went there because God revealed to me that I should go. While I was there I met privately with those considered to be leaders of the church and shared with them the message I had been preaching to the Gentiles. I wanted to make sure that we were in agreement, for fear that all my efforts had been wasted and I was running the race for nothing.

Stay focused as to why you're in the race to begin with. The rules may disqualify you if you forget what the race is all about. When we focus on the rules, we become referees, not participants.

2nd Timothy 2:22 tells us to, Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.  

REMEMBER it's not always about what we're running TO, sometimes it's about knowing what to run away FROM!  1st Corinthians 9:25-27, Paul tells us, All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified." Perseverance and endurance will get us to the finish line.

It may not seem like it to some, but the race is still on... even if you decide you're not running another step. Even if you pack it in and call it quits, the race continues. Life IS the race. You can't win, place or show from the sidelines. Quitting is not an option. God never quit on us...

Prayer:

Father,

         Your Word assures us that only those who endure to the end will receive the crown of life. We eagerly anticipate that day, Lord. Let it be soon. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

East to West +

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts. My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.

1st John 1:8-1st John 2:1 NLT

Ever had one of THOSE kind of days... you know the one when you're snuggled in so warm and cozy and waking up slowly, contentedly stretching and ready to hit the snooze alarm when all of a sudden in mid-stretch you realize there's a vague recollection of already having whacked the alarm twice. In one svelte move, you're throwing off covers, feet hit the floor and as you grab up the phone to peer incredulously at what time it is, you're already full speed ahead, adrenalin-pumping, throwing the clothes in the dryer, praying the touch-up cycle will suffice in place of ironing, as you race to the shower and pray for God's help in clearing traffic and fixing your hair - all in the same breath...

Then you get to work and the mad dash you made to get there seems as though it may be the high point of the day. Try as you might, there just doesn't seem to be any way to recover and all you hear in your head is the line from Casting Crown's song, East to West I can't bear to see the man I've been come rising up in me again...  The Bible tells us that satan is the accuser of the brethren. It also tells us, if we will remember, that he's A LIAR and the father of all lies! The first line of our text for today reassures us with TRUTH - If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.  We're not stuck there. We don't have to stay there.

Bottom line - if we were never going to need forgiveness, Christ wouldn't have come and laid down His life to purchase our forgiveness. He wouldn't be our Advocate, pleading our case before the Father. Yes, confessing our sin to Him and asking forgiveness is the beginning of our relationship, but it's not all there is. Let's keep moving forward. We have a long way to go - as far as the East is from the West.

Prayer:

Father,
          There aren't enough words within my command to properly thank You for all You've forgiven in my life. Or to definitively express what I feel regarding Your mercy and Your grace... To say I love You seems so trite given the way the world has lowered the value of that precious expression, but I know that You, Father, look on the heart. Look on my heart, Lord. Read what is there for You. Remove everything else that does not reflect You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* In Good Faith

You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price.

1^st Corinthians 6:19b-20a

Recently, I had a conversation with someone regarding Life is like… quotes. For example, Life is like a coin – you can spend it any way you wish. That conversation got me to thinking in a different vein with regard to our life as Christians. Our life as Christians is like a certain real estate law. In real estate, there is a provision on certain properties that are purchased in good faith. They are paid in full, but if they are not developed to be what they were purchased to be in the time allotted, the purchase price is forfeited, and the property reverts back to the former owner.

When Christ was hanging on the cross, right before He died, He said, "It is finished." The price was paid and we were redeemed from satan. Undeveloped, not yet what we were purposed to be, but the price was paid.

What did “It is finished” mean? Did it mean everything is fine – no more problems – no issues from then on? Obviously not. What it meant was that Christ had paid in full the required price of purchase. The rest is up to us. The price has been paid, but we decide if we will take advantage of the purchase. The Buyer is willing to work with us to develop the “purchased property” because we were purchased in good faith. Will we develop in good faith…or will ownership revert back to satan?

Prayer:

Father,

         Thank You for paying the price to redeem us from our sin. Thank you for providing all we need in order to develop the measure of faith that You have given to each of us. Help us do so, in Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.

Just for Today

That he [God] would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. 
Luke 1:74-75 KJV

Being one who is fascinated with words, I find the KJV (King James Version) to have an interesting turn of phrase. Most of the other translations/versions of the Bible refer to the phrase "all the days" as "all our life." And while all of our days do comprise all of our life, it's interesting - perhaps even overwhelming -  to think of our lives in terms of one day at a time. 

God instructs us to take one day at a time (Matthew 6:34). He basically told us there is enough to think about or get accomplished in one day - don't think about the rest of it. Remember, His mercies are the reason we are not consumed - they are new every morning... every day...all the days of our life (Lamentations 3:22-23). 

If we knew certain situations were going to last years, we couldn't face it. We couldn't do it. But one day at a time? By God's grace and with His provision, we can do that. In good times or bad times, let's take it one day at a time. Enjoy it or survive it, but do it just for today.

Prayer:

Father, 
         Thank You for giving us a timeframe we can live in. According to Your Word in Psalm 90:12, teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Grave Digger

If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.  So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

2nd Corinthians 5:13-17 NLT

I love this Scripture. It is a strong foundational stone, pivotal - life-changing for those who get it! ...We have all DIED to our old life!  Dead. Gone. What do we do with something that is dead? Get rid of it. We bury it! 

Here in the south, many of our homes are pier and beam - up off the ground. Sometimes, a critter will get up under there and die and if we don't get it out, it is awful! It starts to decay and break down immediately. It stinks and it is horrible, to say the least! You gag, trying to get it out from underneath the house to bag it and bury it or get it to the side of the road for pick up. Would anyone want to tell the story of it and then go dig it back up so you can look at it and smell it and experience it all over again? No way! Of course not!

Then why would we pull out the proverbial shovel and go digging for the remains of our old life? It STINKS! It's rotting - there's no life in it!! There isn't anything there that you need. And be assured, if in the remotest chance that there IS something worth resurrecting, GOD will resurrect it in HIS timing. Stop being a grave digger! 

Prayer:

Father,

        Let any digging we do, be done in Your Word. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Impossible?

He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
Proverbs 16:32 NKJV

Who do you think of as the most powerful man or woman in the world?

People’s thoughts generally turn to world leaders or the wealthiest, and the responses are almost as varied as the number of people you ask. However, according to Scripture, it’s the one who in his weakness finds his strength in an unseen (by the world) God or the one who rules his own spirit or the one who controls his tongue.

Doesn’t that seem simple enough to do? The Truth is - apart from God, it's impossible.

Prayer:

Father,

          We submit our will to Yours. We want to live Your will for our lives. Help us, Lord. By Your Grace, cause us to be mighty for You. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

* Reflection

The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow.
Revelation 4:3 NLT

As I walked into my home office, I caught a glimpse of a colorful, tiny flash of light from the other room. As I went to investigate, I realized that earlier in the day I'd forgotten to close the lid of my jewelry box. The sun was setting and cast its light just right to slip through the blinds and catch the facets of the birthstones in my mother’s ring. For just a snippet of time, it was brilliantly lit as though it were alive. It was a unique moment with the sun lighting up the stones and reflecting back, and in that instant, I was reminded of our text for today.

For the nanosecond of time that it took to transpire, I feel as though I received a wealth of insight - the most obvious being how the faceted stones reflected the light. To me, the facets were an example of Christ followers who get close enough to Him to allow Him to cut and shape them into a thing of beauty. Submitting to the necessary cutting away of those things that don't or won't reflect His light...being transparent before the Lord our God. You see, it's the transparent gems which are normally faceted.

Faceting reveals the optical properties of a stone's interior at its best because faceting maximizes the light's reflection. However, it's not done indiscriminately. You can't just whack off a piece here and there. It takes careful consideration by the master jeweler - if He cuts too deep or too shallow, the light just passes through and isn't reflected back. It won't sparkle.

God calls us His precious jewels, but if we don't allow God to shape us, if we don't submit to Him, if we refuse to go through the cutting away process, and choose to keep parts hidden from His view, we cannot reflect His light back to Him - or to others. Anyway, that's my reflection on reflecting...

Prayer:

Father,
        Whatever it takes to make me reflect You... In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen

* Too Late

The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones. He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?”  “O Sovereign Lord,” I replied, “you alone know the answer to that.” Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord!'
Ezekiel 37:1-4 NLT

Ezekiel was taken to an open valley and plopped down in the middle of dead, dry bones, bleached by the sun. Nothing left of the lives that had been. No life. No hope of life. No chance of having what might have been. What could have been. Over. Finished. No hope of ever being whatever it was they set out to be and all because they wound up on that battlefield. Just dead, dry bones... Can you see it in your mind? Can you picture that? Not a place that would evoke the desire to do a happy dance...

And God wants me to do what?!? Are you kidding me?!? Speak to dead, dry bones?!? No way! I'd look like a fool! It's too late for that! 

Do you feel like that? Does your life feel bleached out - dead and dried up? Are you lamenting over what 'woulda, coulda, shoulda' been if you had not ______________? Do you think it's too late?

Ezekiel 37:7-10 The Message, I prophesied just as I'd been commanded. As I prophesied, there was a sound and, oh, rustling! The bones moved and came together, bone to bone. I kept watching. Sinews formed, then muscles on the bones, then skin stretched over them. But they had no breath in them. He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath. Prophesy, son of man. Tell the breath, 'God, the Master, says, Come from the four winds. Come, breath. Breathe on these slain bodies. Breathe life!'"  So I prophesied, just as he commanded me. The breath entered them and they came alive! They stood up on their feet, a huge army...

Okay, that was just a vision. It's not like that could really happen, right?  Well, I'm here to tell you that it can and it does...every time God is invited. Whether it's your dead, dry bones or someone else's. Dry bones, listen to the Word of the Lord!

2nd Corinthians 5:17, This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Galatians 6:15-16,  It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God.

Revelation 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

God is calling you. He already knows what you did or didn't do and only He can fix it. And believe it - He CAN fix it...and He WILL! But just like the watch can't be fixed till you take it to the jeweler, your life can't be fixed until you put it in God's hands. It's a safe place. Put yourself in His hands. It's NOT too late! It's NEVER too late.

Prayer:

Oh, God!
             Let the heart respond to Your call, to Your pleading, to Your touch. Let Your will be done, Father. We don't want blessing - we want You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen  

Clean Up, Aisle 6

It's your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words. A good person produces good deeds and words season after season. An evil person is a blight on the orchard. Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation.
Matthew 12:34b-37 The Message

You know it's easier to clean when you don't drop stuff all over the place. You might be thinking to yourself, 'What does that have to do with our text for today?' Well, lots actually, depending on who you are.

Have you ever been flippant with someone in spite of the fact that you knew you should have kept your mouth shut? I hate it when that happens! No sooner than the words leave our mouth and in our mind we can almost hear the imaginary PA system blaring, "Clean up in Aisle 6. Bring the bucket." 

Tonight, as I sat here reflecting on the day, I got a mental picture of all my words in a day being gathered in a huge bowl and offered up to the Lord. What will be His reaction? Will He breathe deeply of the beautiful essence of love and care, encouragement and edification, hope and life contained in my spoken words? Or will He gag and hold His nose, turning away from the stench of hurt and hate, discouragement and insult, despair and death?

Words are powerful; take them seriously.

Prayer:

Father,
         According to Your Word in Psalm 19:14, May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Mere Humans

This is what the Lord says: Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord.

Jeremiah 17:5 New Living Translation

People are looking for answers - a way out. They are desperate. They've looking to everybody and ANYbody to help them out. Some think the government will fix it. Some think the banks. Some think a revolution - but they're looking at something other than God. It doesn't matter who's the smoothest talker - or the savviest strategist - or the most brilliant business man. If we're looking at a person - trusting them to get it done - we're cursed.  

True - there are many talented people. Stand around any coffee pot or water cooler, and you'll learn about new ones all the time. We've talked about it here before - the different talents people have. Most of the time when we think of talent, we think of performers or athletes or the arts, but there are many forms of talent. How often do we recognize someone's ability to be very organized? How about the one who will just get in there and get it done - whatever it is? What about the person whose greatest strength is the peace that emanates from their quiet spirit and envelops those around them wherever they go? Have you ever just looked for the talents in people? The good in them? What about the one at work who will ALWAYS make the pot of coffee for the next guy? The one who always makes you laugh. The one who somehow knows when you need a little something to pick you up.

Everybody has something they're good at - something that just seems to come naturally to them. Many times, the average person doesn't even recognize the significance of it or how unique the talent is simply because they can do it - so they think everyone can. Unless, of course, they're a performer or professional athlete or make megabucks with their talent. That's a little different, or so it seems, but the truth of the matter is this. God created each of us. His Word says while we were in the womb, He formed us and fashioned us to be able to accomplish His purpose for our lives. Any talent, gifting, "natural" ability - it was all put in there by God. We can't take any credit for it. 

If you're an athlete, God gave you the ability to be strong, to be quick and agile. And He gave you the desire to win. Someone might argue that you exercised, you did the time in the gym, on the track, on the field. You honed the skills. That may be a fact, but the Truth is, God gave you the muscles that would develop. He kept you in health, so you could endure. He gave you the intelligence to recognize what you had to do in order to accomplish all those things. If you're a performer - a singer, for instance - you may have taken endless hours of lessons and practiced at every opportunity, but it wouldn't matter how many lessons or great instructors, if you had no voice to begin with. No ability to carry a tune or recognize one - even if you practiced 3 times longer than you were instructed.

You don't need any more illustrations - I know you get the picture. WhatEVER your talent is - whatever the position in life is - when we boil it all down, we have one common denominator. God and what He put in us. And that's Who we better trust - no matter what we're believing for.

Prayer:

Father,

         Zero in on those things we're trusting in that are NOT you. Reveal anything and everything where we may have mistakenly placed our trust. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Take His Word for It

If anyone hears what I am saying and doesn't take it seriously, I don’t reject him. I didn't come to reject the world; I came to save the world. But you need to know that whoever puts me off, refusing to take in what I’m saying, is willfully choosing rejection. The Word, the Word-made-flesh that I have spoken and that I am, that Word and no other is the last word. I’m not making any of this up on my own. The Father who sent me gave me orders, told me what to say and how to say it. And I know exactly what his command produces: real and eternal life. That’s all I have to say. What the Father told me, I tell you.
John 12:47-50 The Message

I thank God for those people in our lives who speak truth to us no matter what. We know that we can believe whatever comes out of their mouth. In today's idiom, we can 'take it to the bank.' Their words are gold.

Isn't it great to have friends like that? Even if sometimes they say things we don't like, we still know that what they're saying is true. We believe them and we can take action based on their word. Regular folks with skin on. Good as gold - take my word for it.

So then that begs the question, If the Creator of Heaven and Earth, Almighty God, King of kings, and Lord of lords, tells us something - even goes so far as to write it down - how is it that we have a hard time believing what He says?!? Jesus tells us that He only speaks what the Father tells Him to speak. That would be the Father - God - the same God who CANNOT lie... and yet, oftentimes we respond to His Word and His promises as though they were counterfeit. As if there's no weight behind them, so then we don't take action based on His Word. We don't believe His promises made to us.

We don't take His Word for it...

Prayer:

Father,
           Forgive us for willfully choosing rejection. This day we repent and turn our hearts and minds toward You only and what You have to say to us. We want to take Your Word for everything. Let all other words fall on deaf ears. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Locked Doors

That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said.  As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”

Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said.

John 20:19-26 NLT

There they were behind locked doors, afraid that the same leaders who killed Christ would kill them. Totally understandable, right? What a horrific experience! Grief-stricken. Confused. So afraid... Then Jesus showed up! What a great time of rejoicing it must have been!! 

Imagine having someone restored to you who you thought was gone forever! Everything was changed! Everything He said was true - they had living proof!! The Messiah!! Then He said to them, "As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you." 

Eight days later... the Scripture reads... The doors were locked... Pastor Alan asked the question, "If everything changed, why hasn't anything changed?"  What has God said to us? Are we still behind the locked doors of our hearts and minds? 

Prayer:

Father,
           Your Son came to set the captives free! Fill our hearts and minds with the boldness and courage of our freedom. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Called By Name

Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.” Then they remembered that he had said this.
Luke 24:5b-8 NLT

In the depths of grief and despair, it's difficult to remember even the important things. It's as though the disconnect affects everything. The details are lost under a mountain of memories and can't make their way to the top through the ocean of shock and (or) tears. Shock and grief can make you feel as if all the oxygen is being sucked out of your world. And as we all know, the brain doesn't operate well without oxygen. 

Christ was kind enough to warn His loved ones what was going to happen, but they were still in denial. In John 20, Mary Magdalene discovers the body of Christ is missing and runs to tell Peter and John. Later, after they're gone, she is still weeping at the tomb. How often do people go back to a graveside because it was the last place they 'saw' their loved one? It's human nature. Blinded by her grief, she didn't even recognize her beloved Savior until He called her by name. "Mary!" (verse 20)

God's Word tells us that He has ransomed us. He has called US by name and we are His. (Isaiah 43). Will we accept the ransom He paid on the Cross at Calvary? Will we answer His call? 

Prayer:

Father,

          There aren't enough words to properly thank You and praise You for all You have done to buy us back and redeem us from sin, death, hell, and the grave. But we believe Your Word - that Jesus Christ is Your Son, that He died on the Cross at Calvary to pay for our sins and that on the third day, He arose victorious over death, hell and the grave. We accept Jesus as our Savior, and wait for the final day on this earth when You will call us home because we are Yours. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Your Value

Our firm decision is to work from this focused center: One man died for everyone. That puts everyone in the same boat. He included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in his life, a resurrection life, a far better life than people ever lived on their own. Because of this decision we don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don't look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other.

2nd Corinthians 5:14-19 The Message

Sometimes, people have a hard time seeing past the superficial to get to the officially super part of a person. Have you ever experienced that - from either side? 

Often, I speak to people who are down and out. They really struggle to see anything of value in themselves or in their lives.  I like to use illustrations when speaking to help get a point across. So, I will take a $20 bill, straight from the ATM machine. New. crisp. Looking good! I'll hold it up and ask, "Who'd like to have this $20 bill?" Pretty much everyone wants it. Then I crinkle it up into a little ball. "Do you still want it?" (yes) I smash it between my hands several times, slam it against the podium and smash it again. "Do you still want it?" (yes) I throw it to the floor and stomp on it. Then put my heel on it and really grind it into the floor. "Do you still want it?" (yes)

At that point, I usually pick it back up and try to smooth it out, and make some remark about it not looking quite as good as it used to. And then because I normally speak at a function with a meal, I'll take it to a table and spill iced tea on it or coffee, then mop it up. I can get pretty creative with it, and I always ask, "Do you still want it?" And the answer is always yes, because $20 is $20 worth of something, even if it won't fill the gas tank. 

The point I make is that we all looked pretty good when we first started, then life slaps us around a little or we get knocked down. Somebody steps on us...maybe a whole lot of somebodys...but the point is, we still have value. God can and will bring us out of the circumstances of life and cause our lives to be made new. Still us, just new again because of what Christ did on the Cross.

If you have a hard time recognizing the value God places on you, you need to remember the price He paid for you. And it wasn't when you were all new and shiny and thought you were worth the most. He loved us while we were yet sinners, in our own filth, and sent His willing Son to die on the Cross for our redemption. That's your value.

Prayer:

Father,

        Such an exchange is beyond our ability to fathom. We know our sin. Help us to KNOW the power of the redemption through the shed blood of Jesus. Keep us ever mindful of Your value of it. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* To Live

For to me, to live is Christ...

Philippians 1:21a NKJV

Some people define living by how much money they earn, what possessions they have or have accumulated; what they're able to provide for their loved ones. Others define living by what they're able to do, where they're able to go. Still others define living by what they are able to offer. Have you ever thought about it? Scripture tells us in 1st Peter 3:15 to be ready always to give an answer to every man who asketh you a reason for the hope that is in you...

There are those who would want to argue about Easter vs. Ishtar, but I don't want to get into a history discussion of all that, because in spite of "all that" - let's not lose sight of the Truth. Whether historically Christ's death, burial and resurrection took place around the Spring solstice or not is irrelevant to me. The Truth remains that there was a crucifixion; Christ's body was entombed, and most importantly, there was a Resurrection!! And that same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives inside of every born-again follower of Christ (Romans 8:11).

Christ's Resurrection is about life and living it! Raymond Lindquist tells it this way - Christ defeated death in order that life in Him might always live. And it is life that we want, life in Christ. Whether we put it in words or not, our constant thought is 'Life, more life, always more and more life.'  Reverend Lindquist goes on to write that Resurrection Sunday [Easter] is Christ's victory over all that would restrict, deny and strangle life.

That victory - the victory Jesus won over death, hell and the grave - provides our definition of what it means to live...truly live.

Prayer:

Father,

         Thank You for all You have provided in Your Son that we may live. Help us to remember with grateful hearts ALL that was done to provide it. Help us to walk in the newness of life You have given us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Seeking Comfort *

And God spoke all these words, saying: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.”

Exodus 20:1-3 NKJV

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of comfort food? Bread in any form – pizza, biscuits, hot rolls, bread sticks? Ice cream? Something fried? Banana pudding? In Texas, it’s generally chicken-fried steak and gravy, with mashed potatoes and corn, with a basket of hot, yeast rolls and real butter. Whatever it is that comes to your mind, 99% of the people I know all have some sort of “comfort” food - what they eat or drink (or want to) when they’re stressed. The so-called experts say that a person’s definition of comfort food goes back to a favorite meal from childhood. I don’t know that I necessarily agree with that concept because I didn’t know about chicken-fried steak or Gringo’s green sauce when I was a child…

Not counting restaurants and grocery stores, America is obsessed with food. It seems as though the primary make up of every gas station and each convenience store basically adds up to a walk-in vending machine. In almost every hotel, any kind of waiting room in America – be it car repair or doctors’ offices - there are vending machines. It seems like 8 out of every 10 T.V. commercials are about food or drink and the 9^th one is about a medication of some kind to help you with what you ate. With billions of dollars spent to advertise, we are bombarded with slogans such as “Obey Your Thirst” "Betcha can't eat just one"  "Do you love anyone enough to give them your last _______ "  "Gimme a break! Gimme a break - break me off a piece of that _______!"    "What would you do for a  _______?"  "Gotta have my pops!"  "Have it your way" "I'm lovin' it" "Where's the beef?" "Yo quiero  _______."  "You deserve a break today."  (How many did you know?)

Is comfort/snack food bad?  In Romans 14:14, Paul writes, I know and am convinced on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. Okay… Keeping in mind that this Promise is written from MY walk, then why am I writing about comfort food? Because I was pierced in my heart with this Scripture from Isaiah 41:10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. And that was reaffirmed with Jesus’ own words, Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

I often wonder why it is we go immediately to food for comfort. Would I settle for a fake life jacket if I were drowning? Would I want a party balloon instead of oxygen if I needed help to breathe? I realize cold weather is NOT life or death for most people in most situations, but reaching for substitutes to fill God's place in our lives IS life or death. If we're cold, let's be baptized with the fire of the Holy Spirit. If we're thirsty, let's drink from the Fount of Living Water and we'll never thirst again. Instead of jelly beans, let's have Jesus. Instead of crackers, let's do Christ. Instead of hot Cheetos, let's have the Holy Spirit. I'm just saying, if we need comfort food, why not reach for the Bread of Life? There is no greater comfort.

Prayer:

Father,

         Forgive us when we reach for any substitution to comfort us, instead of You. Lord, You are our one true Comfort.  Help us to keep food and drink and all else in proper perspective and purpose. It is only through You we find what we truly need to live and move and have our being. Help us to recognize this Truth and live our lives accordingly. Father, let our lives be a living epistle of Job 23:12, I have treasured the words of Your mouth more than my daily bread. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

Again

Again the Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. They served the images of Baal and Ashtoreth, and the gods of Aram, Sidon, Moab, Ammon, and Philistia. They abandoned the Lord and no longer served him at all.
Judges 10:6 NLT

I belong to a small group at my church and our "extra" reading this session is the Book of Judges. I've been finding it difficult to journal on these chapters. The behavior of the Israelites is so repetitive and predictable; that is, until I finally realized it's the story of mankind from the beginning of time to this day...

We sin and get into trouble. We pray and repent and beg God to rescue us. He does in a mighty way, and we toe the line for a while and everything is good. Then in the good times, we tend to forget that God forgave us and rescued us and before you know it, we're back in it again! Sound familiar? It is chronicled in the Book of Judges. Over and over. Again and again.

The practical application of it all is that disobedience always brings judgment, but it's also about God's faithfulness in spite of ourselves! And THAT is chronicled throughout God's Word!

Colossians 1:19-22 NLT assures us, For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

To think that God loves us enough to reconcile us to Himself through the Cross at Calvary so that we can stand holy and blameless... When was the last time you thought about that? Well... let's think about it again.

Prayer:

Father,

          As we are reminded yet again of Your faithfulness and goodness and mercy and grace to forgive us and save us, we ask also that You prepare the hearts and minds of those who will attend church this Easter weekend around the world. Let them hear and embrace Your love story for us all and may it change their lives, too. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

You're a Keeper +

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ: Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.

Jude 1:1-2 NIV

Even if you're not a fisherman, almost everyone knows what a keeper is when it comes to fishing or friendship. It's one you don't throw away.

Jesus promised that He would make us fishers of men. In John 10, Jesus makes the declaration that no one can remove all the people God has given to Him. Christ understands catching and keeping. The only catch and release He does is raising up the ones He's caught and releasing them to go get others who need to be caught and kept. 

There are times when following Christ is difficult. Scripture tells us that those who endure till the end will inherit the Kingdom of God. We fight against what seems to be restrictions, but in reality, are opportunities to put ourselves into submission to His will for us.

He didn't ask us to complete it on our own - under our own ability - in fact, we can't. He holds you in the palm of His hand and no one - NO ONE can pluck you out. 

We get tired and we want to give up. Don't. Don't flop around in the net, either. Jesus will keep you. His Word assures us...

If we finish Jude's letter, it reads,

Remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires." These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

Remember this is not catch and release, unless it's to catch others.

And finally - To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. 

To him who is able to keep you... Yes! God our Savior thinks you're a keeper.

Prayer:

Father,

         Thank You for loving us and keeping us from falling. We look forward to being in Your presence - without fault and with great joy - because of Your great mercy and provision toward us. Keep us close to You, Father, In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Training

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6 KJV

Some people think teaching and training are the same thing. While they are similar, they are not the same. You can teach someone - provide them with the knowledge of what should be done to develop a certain set of skills or talent. They can know everything they need to do in order to accomplish their goal. However, unless they combine it with practical application, there is no value added. There must be training. Train up a child... Some things they will get the very first time. Some, they won't get for the first one hundred times. Frustrating, yes, but training is the key. You'll notice the Scripture doesn't define what age is old.

We all know that every athlete has to train. And when serious athletes face challenges, they step up their training to meet the requirement of the challenge. A runner doesn't train the same for a marathon as he would for a 50-yard dash. And when running a marathon, he or she doesn't just go outside and run around the block and then say, "Okay, I can run, so I'm ready." Nor would we expect them to be ready just because they know how to run. You see the point I'm making. It takes training to qualify for the competition, training to be able to maintain a position in the competition and endurance training to be able to finish no matter the circumstances.

It's the same with "baby" Christians. It doesn't matter their age in physical years. Yes, one would think that an adult (in years) would grasp the concepts and deeper truths more quickly than a child in years, and yet Scripture tells us we must come as a child. They must first be taught and then apply the training for what they've been taught. Yes, some things they'll get the very first time. Some, they won't get for the first one hundred (or more) times. Frustrating, yes, but training is the key. Remember, Scripture doesn't define what age is old...
Christ's training example of obedience only to the Father qualified us for the competition to have victory over death, hell and the grave. It takes training and disciplining our lives to His Word to be able to maintain a position of humility and submission to the Father in the race. And it is only those who endure, no matter what the circumstances, who will finish and receive the crown. That's what we've been taught according to the Word of God. However, now, we're in training... 

Prayer:

Father,
          Thank You for providing the Word to teach and the faith, strength and patience to train. Help us to see the opportunities You have placed before us so that we embrace them and utilize them wisely. Help us to grow in Your wisdom and in Your grace. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Value vs. Worth

So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
2nd Corinthians 5:16-17 NLT

Have you ever wondered at the value that is placed on some things - marveled at what people will pay for an item because it's old or rare or because of whose it was? According to Harry Rinker, renowned Worthologist, provenance adds value (one aspect of which is ownership history). Objects are perceived as more valuable when the story of their owner(s) is known. Mr. Rinker also points out this fact; the true value of an object is what someone is willing to pay and this value differs from person to person. Just because it was Great-Grandma's doomaflotchie doesn't necessarily make its value marketable. However, to YOU, the very fact that it was Great-Grandma's doomaflotchie may make it absolutely priceless!

Our lives are formed and patterned by what we've done and/or what's been done to us. Often times, those things that are less than desirable still influence our choices and behaviors. And it's not a matter of what we think in our head - it's a matter of what we believe in our heart. We can think all day long 'I'm a child of the most high God' but if what we believe is 'I'm the red-headed step-child just allowed to stay on sufferance' -  that makes a HUGE difference in how we respond to God. Scripture tells us that what we believe in our heart is what makes us who we are. Selah...

Dr. Bob Hamp* uses this modern day parable as an illustration. The Kingdom of God is like a Beanie Baby. Do you remember those? Little beanbag stuffed critters with the red tag (and if you removed the tag, it lost its marketable value)? Material-wise, in mass market form, there's about twenty-five cents worth of value in one. In the cultural market, they sold for somewhere between $5.95 and $8.95, depending on where you bought them (Bob said $6.95, but obviously, he never bought many). However, he personally knows someone who collects them and that person recently paid $1,000 for ONE beanie baby. Yes, you read that correctly - one THOUSAND dollars. That may seem insane to you and me, but in the voice of Harry Rinker, the true value of an object is what someone is willing to pay and this value differs from person to person.

Continuing with Bob's analogy... Material-wise, if you were to melt it down, all told - the human body would be worth about $1.39 for mineral content; based on the Gold Standard, obviously not a candidate for marketing. In the cultural market, you might be worth a little more depending on what you drive, where you live, your level of education and ensuing career choice, and how you look. Based on that, it's sad to say, we all know people who would still see $1.39 as their personal value based on lies they've believed about themselves.

However - pay attention - your TRUE value is what someone is willing to pay for you. God Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth, paid an inestimable, incalculable price for you! And it doesn't matter how insane that may seem to anyone else, including yourself, that's your value according to God. And His standards don't fluctuate on any market, nor is your value diminished because of bumps, bruises, nicks, scars, or dirt of any kind.

Your TRUE value is what someone is willing to pay for you. On Calvary's Cross, Jesus paid it all.

Prayer:

Father,
          Thank You for the cross at Calvary. Open our hearts to the Truth of You. Rip out the lies that we have bought and paid for. Replace them with the Truth of Your certificate of value for what we're worth to You, so we can get on with doing Your business. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

*http://gatewaypeople.com/ministries/freedom-kairos/media1

Less Than

The Lord told Gideon, “With these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Send all the others home.” So Gideon collected the provisions and rams’ horns of the other warriors and sent them home. But he kept the 300 men with him.
Judges 7:7-8 NLT

Can you imagine being out-numbered in a fight by more than four to one and coming out the winner? Well, you might, but you'd definitely have to think about it. That's how this started - One hundred, thirty-five thousand Midianites against Gideon's original army of thirty-two thousand fighting men; four to one. I can only assume, at the risk of assuming, that Gideon chose to take God at His Word in 6:16, “Gideon,” he Lord answered,  “you can rescue Israel because I am going to help you!"

But wait!! What if your odds were 450 to 1? That's LESS than one percent!!! 0.002222 to be exact. No way. No how. Head for the hills! And yet, that's exactly what they did - 300 men remained to fight and WIN against 135,000 because God said so.

The question we have to ask ourselves is, statistically, where do we fit in with these percentages? Are we the winning less than one percent?

Prayer:

Father,
         Thank You that You with us in any equation causes us to come out on top! When the battles we are in seem insurmountable, help us to remember that with You, we are more than conquerors, even when we're less than by the world's standard. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen 

Who Do You Know? *

Then the Lord himself said, “Gideon, you will be strong, because I am giving you the power to rescue Israel from the Midianites.”
Gideon replied, “But how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest one in Manasseh, and everyone else in my family is more important than I am.”
“Gideon,” the Lord answered, “you can rescue Israel because I am going to help you!"
Judges 6:14-16a CEV

We pray. God answers. Then we tell Him all of our excuses why His way won't work, based on what we know of ourselves. Why do we do that?!? Maybe we don't recognize the Creator for who He is! Perhaps we don't remember who hung the moon? (And the sun. And the stars. And the planets.) 

Excerpts from the lyrics from I Know My Redeemer Lives may serve to remind us:

Who taught the sun where to stand in the morning?
And who told the ocean you can only come this far?
And who showed the moon where to hide 'til evening?
Whose words alone can catch a falling star?

The very same God that spins things in orbit
Runs to the weary, the worn and the weak.
And the same gentle hands that hold me when I'm broken
They conquered death to bring me victory...

It's THAT God! HE is the One who says, "Because I am going to help you!" Oh, that we would know God in His greatness better than we know ourselves in our weaknesses!

Prayer:

Father, 
         Please forgive us for all the times we fail to recognize You for who You are and for all the times we have minimized You and limited Your will and purpose for our lives. Once again, we repent and submit our lives to You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen