What Is It "There For"?

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Paul ends this chapter to the Corinthians by offering this encouragement to help us understand that the trials we face will not be in vain. A lot of years ago, a pastor once said to us, that if we saw the word "Therefore" in the Bible, that we should go back and see what it is "there for" and so we can go back to the beginning of this chapter and see what's going on here.

First of all Paul offers the facts of Christ's Resurrection and says, "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as it were to one untimely born, He appeared to me also" (1 Cor. 15:3-8).

He also said, "and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only; we are of all men most to be pitied" (1 Cor. 15:17-19).

After he had explained the facts of the resurrection and helped those understand the importance of the faith in which they believe, he continues later on in the same chapter to explain the mystery of the resurrection by saying in verses 51 & 52, "Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed." After which he shares this proclamation in verse 55 as he quotes Hosea 13:14 from the Old Testament prophet, "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" And we begin to see that the sting of death is the sin, and it's power, the law, but "thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

So we hear Paul say to us and we read with conviction that we should remain steadfast and be immovable and that we should always "abound" in the work of the Lord, because of the facts given in these passages which is the power that "drives" us through the difficult times in our lives. Some of you are experiencing such a "heavy load" presently and sometimes you don't know where to go or what to do. But the Apostle Paul believes and shares that he knows that your trials will not be in vain. God is watching us. He is seeing every valley we walk through and seeing how we handle it and how we prepare it for the next person to walk through (Psalm 84:5-7).

We are His children and He loves us with a "Never ending" love, that you can be sure of. So when the storm you are walking through gets too tough to handle, you can go to verse 58 of First Corinthians 15 and see that there are those who see, who understand and who know; and then encourage you to "stand tall" because God is with you.

Some will say, "those devotions you write, they are just words, just metaphors to make another feel good about themselves", but I would say, these words are the Words of Truth, straight from the lips of God. It is up to you to choose if you will walk in that Truth!

Dave

The Promise Is For You!

In Acts 2, Peter gives his first sermon after the crowd had witnessed the fulfilling of the Holy Spirit in the world and in verses 37 through 40 he proclaims, "Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do? And Peter said to them, Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call to Himself. And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, Be saved from this perverse generation!"

I'm sure that if I had been at this event, I would have probably "wet my pants," especially if I were without understanding as most of these people were. Even though it was one of the most precious gifts given to us by our Father in heaven, it had to be somewhat traumatic. With so many different sects of people there, so many different dialects, different understandings and languages; it had to be both spectacular and frightening. I counted at least eighteen different "countrymen" there to witness as God laid the Holy Spirit upon some of these people.

Peter recognizes this and raises his voice to declare from the prophet Joel: "And it shall be in the last days, God says, that I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophecy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; Even upon My bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit and they shall prophesy. And I will grant wonders in the sky above, and signs on the earth beneath, Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, Before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come. And it shall be, that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Joel 2:28-32).

Peter continues in verses 22 to 24 saying, "Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know -- this Man, delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. And God raised him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power."

Now I realize that there is more "text" here than I usually offer up, but it is very important for us to understand Peter in the context of the first passage. "Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off..."

And the last verse of chapter 2 declares, "And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved." He was adding day by day, those who would call on the name of the Lord. They received the gift of the Holy Spirit which was offered to each of us when we came to Christ as well. Peter is offering the best advise ever given when he suggests that they repent and be baptised, for the forgiveness of their sins. This is where we are today as well. There are lots and lots of things going on in the world today that we just do not understand and we are probably never going to truly understand them in light of this world. Only when we have entered into eternal life, might we understand the significance of these events, however, will it really matter then? I myself was reminded just late last week that the disease that was found in me, is rearing it's ugly head once again, but in light of eternity, does it really matter?

I only care to number myself with those like Peter and John, Paul and the other disciples who believe that repentance matters more than anything happening now or every to happen in this world.

I think back to January 28, 1985 (I remember what class I was in when the announcement came), President Reagen stood before the country and made this comment about the shuttle disaster just a few minutes off the launch pad. He said "They slipped through the surly bonds of heaven to touch the face of God." I'm sure that our President at the time was not even aware of how profound a statement it was that he made. For a day will come when you and I, those of us who have trusted our hearts and lives to Jesus Christ will slip through the bonds of heaven and earth, and we will "see" Jesus, face to face.

Now if you can't get excited about that prospect, I'm supposing that your "exciter" is broken!

Dave

The Four F's Of The Church

Good Sunday morning to all of you. Most of you who are reading this devotion a just "stirring" and getting your families ready to go to your church. How wonderful it is to have the freedom and ability to come together as a "family of God" to worship together.

I would just like to share a couple of verses with you this morning and then wish you a wonderful "Lord's" day. I'm looking at Acts 2: 42 where it says, "And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and in prayer." This passage of scripture has, in the past, been referred to as "the four F's of the Church." Let me share them with you:

1. "Fitting In" - continually devoting themselves to the apostles teachings" This is how we learn and grow as we come together to teach one another about the Lord.
2. "Fellowship" - as we come together consistantly, we grow in the Fellowship of the Lord.
3. "Fed" - the breaking of bread with the disciples was a very intimate part of their relationship with the Lord. It all comes together as you are taught, are in fellowship and fed concerning the Lord.
4. "Fruitful" - what other way is there to be a fruitful witness of God's if you are not particapating in the other three parts above.

So here we see a very simple illustration of the church. One where people Fit In, are in Fellowship together, are Fed (not only with food but with the Word of God), and becoming Fruitful as they go forth and share their faith and learning with others.

Finally, in verse 43, Doctor Luke says that "everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles." I participate in that kind of church today. We come together specifically for the purpose of spreading the Word and that cannot be done without these disclipines. So if you, or your church is not involved in these disclipines, you need to get there. You are who God has chosen to see that His Word is spread and you and I must be responsible to do it right. Not to mention the joy of fellowship with His saints (that's you and me, man)!

Dave

I appreciate and covet your prayers as my oncologist has expressed some concerns about a few recent tests I have had. Probably nothing and I'd be just fine with keeping it that way, so thanks.

The Blood That Forgives

"When He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them saying, Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins." (Matthew 26:27,28).

Here our Lord Jesus has instituted the covenant of the Lord's Supper. What I see here is that Jesus reaches almost back to the beginning by using the drink as an analogy of His blood. In Exodus 24:8 "Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words." And also in Hebrews 9:22 it says... "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."

Jesus taught from the beginning of His ministry that the answer to the forgiveness of sin was the spilling of blood. All over the Bible you can find "the shedding of blood." So after Jesus had experienced the agonizing six hours on the cross, dying for the sins of the world, He reminds His disciples that His sacrifice, in shedding His blood, gave to them, and whoever would ask, eternal life in Him.

When life throws something at you that you just cannot understand, go back to the cross. When you can't quite wrap your brain around an unsuspected diagnosis, a financial difficulty, an unexplained tragedy, you need to go back to the cross where the blood was shed. This is the one that counts. This is the blood of the Savior. This is the blood that He referred to with His disciples when He said "for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins."

Sometimes the weight of the world gets to be too much for us to take, however, Jesus has given us "an out." He exclaimed "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne."

Can you see the blood from where you are? You can learn more on my website at www.nowwhut.org.

Dave

From Here To Eternity

"Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will morn over Him. Even so, Amen" (Revelation 1:7).

Notice in this verse that John writes that "every eye will see Him?" In fact, he even goes back to those who nailed Him to the cross when he says "even those who pierced Him." And John tells that all the tribes "of the earth will morn over Him." We do know that when Jesus returns He will judge, the "just and the unjust," so I think that John has pretty much included everybody here in this scripture that he can think of. And Paul writes in Philippians 3:10 that ... "every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." It's that "under the earth" that gives us the remainder of those who will stand before God on that "great and terrible day." In other words, there isn't anyone who is alive or has lived that will not be at this event. You and I included!

I wonder how many of us are looking forward to that day and then how many are frightful of these coming events. If your security is in Christ Jesus as your Savior and Lord, there is really nothing to fear. Oh, I feel confident that it will be somewhat intimidating, but fearful...I say no. I am very much so looking forward to that day when Jesus breaks through the clouds and claims us, the church of Jesus Christ as His own, and takes us with Him to "forevermore" be with the Lord.

If you want to be free from the fearfulness of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, you just need to recognize that you are a sinner (Ro.3:23), that He died to save you from your sin (1Cor.15:3), and accept His free gift of eternal life by inviting Him into your heart (Ro.6:23). Will that change you immediately? Not sure, but probably not. It takes time to "grow in Christ" so what are you waiting for. Romans 10:9 & 10 says "that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." I can promise you that you are NOT going to get a better deal than that from this world.

Things in the world are changing rapidly, and you never know when your last opportunity will come and go. I wonder about those FEDEX pilots who died suddenly in a fiery crash in Japan a few days ago. What about those three precious families who perished suddenly in a crash in Montana on the same day. When they breathed their last, their fate was sealed. Don't take that chance with your eternity. It's way too long to be separated from God.

Dave

Hope Restored

In Paul's introduction to the book of Titus he says in verse 2, "in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago..."

Hope is a very big word these days. We think of hope when there is a sickness in the family. We rally around hope when we find ourselves in financial difficulties. We are never short of hope of the outcome of a sporting event. And we also hope that America rebounds from the terrible difficulties she finds herself in today.

We look to our leaders for this hope. We hope they have the intellect to bring us through the storm and safely to the other side, with as little damage as possible. Some are experiencing extreme difficulties today as they open the quarterly reports of their 401K's to find that they have lost even more of their retirement. Some have lost ALL of it already. There are plenty of reasons, in the world for us to have hope and they are, for the most part, very valid.

But without minimizing these tribulations, I believe that there is a hope that most of us, as Christians share, that begins and ends with Jesus Christ. I can remember reading the story of the disciples all huddled together in the "upper room" after the Crucifixion of Jesus, feeling that the leadership of the world had just destroyed all of their hope by hanging Him to a cross. In fact, they buried their hope in a borrowed tomb. But in John 20:26,27 Jesus declares to his band of disciples "Peace be with you." Relatively shocking to the disciples, I'm sure, but they witnessed Thomas placing his finger in His hands and touching His side and making his wonderful declaration of hope when he said "My Lord and my God!" Hope restored.

What we know and understand from study of the scripture and our faith is that even a tomb does not have the ability to hold onto our HOPE which is in Christ Jesus. We believe that Jesus, the Son of God was born of a virgin, He ministered on this earth for about 3 years, was crucified, buried and then rose from the dead. An act that no other, claiming to be God, has been able to achieve.

So in the middle of chaos, even this present day chaos that we experience, we can still have hope. Oh of course, they can take our money, perhaps our cars and homes, they can literally destroy the America that we have cherished for a lifetime, but they cannot have our "souls" and Jesus Christ, the Nazarene (the Son of God) made sure of that when He made that trip to Calvary to pay off our mortgages in heaven. Jesus said in John 16:33, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

I know that we all place a lot of hope on leadership to put things back on track so that our lives may experience some peace again but remember the real peace, the real hope that you and I share that is the hope of eternity is in Jesus Christ. Jesus came to secure our souls, not our bank accounts.

So when you feel like there may be no hope in fixing problems that we may have gotten ourselves into, remember that Jesus Christ came that we might have life, and that life in His name.

Dave

Last Will And Testament

I've been seeing this commercial on TV a lot lately about "LegalZoom.com" and today they were talking about making a family will. It made me think of a passage of scripture in the Gospel of John. You can probably guess the verse. Yes, its 3:16& 17: "For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him."

So I thought about the commercial and then it dawned on me that this verse was God's Last Will & Testament for those of us who are His children. He has given to us, His absolute best. Jesus is talking (I know that because the text is in red, LOL)! Anyway I envision Jesus here as God's attorney and He is directing the legal part of leaving God's gift to mankind and so the above passage is created.

Then I thought, "I don't have a legal will for my family so I'm going to develop one right here." So here goes! "Because I love my family so dearly, I give to them (my wife, my 3 children, and my 4 grandchildren - 5th on the way) and of course, my daughter-in-law and 2 son-in laws, the thing that is the most important to me in life. I give to them my faith in Christ. I believe I am one of those Christians (trips and falls every day) who has one of the strongest faiths in what God and Jesus has done for me that it is my most precious possession. It sustains me in this life. So, this gift I leave to them, to cling to, to cherish and love, and to help them look forward to a reunion someday as we all sit before Christ."

When I look at the scripture in John 3:16 & 17, I realize that the gift that God gave to us was more precious than any other He could have created (not that He created Jesus, for you theologians) so with that in mind, I started to think what it might be that could possibly be THAT precious to me and it is the above gift of my faith in Him. I am please in that faith and pray that all of my family's faith increases to that level as time goes on.

Because God loves you, you can exchange your sins for His righteousness. Could you ask for greater evidence of love? Calvary is proof that God loves, and longs to save you. What I received from Calvary was ultimately (salvation is a given), my faith in Christ, so that is my most precious possession.

So there you have it. My Last Will & Testament and I didn't even need to buy "Legal Zoom...Cool!

Dave

Role Of The Spirit

"And I will ask the Father; and He will give you another Helper; that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides in you, and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you" (John 14:16-18).

For centuries mankind has been trying to understand the role of the Holy Spirit and His place in the Trinity. Volumes have been written on this subject and still it confuses the minds of millions. However, it is written here by Jesus in a simple promise that He would not leave us "as orphans" so He says He will come to us, in the form of this Helper. This Helper is the "Spirit of truth" that the world cannot receive but Jesus says that "He abides with you."

It amazes me that God had the forethought to take care of our every need in this life. After sending His Son, Jesus, who would eventually die for our sins, He also provided this "comforter" in our lives to walk with us while we wait upon our savior to return for His church. In the middle of your greatest trials in life, it is this "Helper" who gives you the sustaining power to continue if you are a "child of God."

And then down a little further, in verse 26 Jesus says, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." So when I have said in previous devotions to "let it fly" so far as your witness is concerned, it is because I believe that the "Spirit of truth" that Jesus left here with us, is the true "Helper of our faith" and He gives us the words to say as we share our faith with the world.

I love the way the Nicene Creed in the First Council of Constantinople (A.D. 381) is quoted.

"We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father... And we believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life..."

Dave

Do Not Love The World

I love this passage of scripture today that I read in 1 John 2:15-17. Here's what it says from my NASB Bible. "Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever."
Paul tells us in Romans 12:2 "do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." I can see that attitude immediately in verse 15. But check out the "warning" of this passage which is in verse 16.

"lust of the flesh" - A preoccupation with gratifying physical desires in your life.

"lust of the eyes" - A craving for and accumulating of things (materialism) in this world.

"boastful pride of life" - An obsession with one's status or importance in this world.

So where am I going with this? I'll bet you can guess! Back to the beginning. Look back at Genesis 3:6 where it says, "When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate." So in this verse we can see the three points that the Apostle John was bringing to light and also a fourth dimension. Look and see that she gave to her husband and he ate also of the forbidden fruit.

"and he ate also" - Adding a social dimension to sin. Sin not only effects the sinner but sometimes those around him/her.

"And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever" (Vs. 17). If we profess to be "Born Again, Christians," and it is our desire to follow Jesus Christ for the rest of our lives, we cannot help but see the deterioration taking place in our world today. Integrity is being replaced with convenience. The truth is being twisted for a lie. I wish I had the time and space to share with you all, two days of conversation back and forth with three women and a man who were obviously deceived and not willing to accept the truth of God's Word over their "Religion". Nobody is responsible for anything. And so goes the neighborhood!

In the beginning of the book, original sin made its way into the world. The New Testament declares the seriousness of this sin and at the end of the book (Revelation), God judges, the just and the unjust. The signs are getting easier to see every day.

Are you in the right neighborhood? Ask yourself this one question. If I don't wake up in the morning, where will my soul find itself? If you are not sure, perhaps its time to move! Click here to find out how!

Dave

Power, Love And Discipline

Here's a powerful passage of scripture that is worthy of discussion. It is found in 2 Timothy 1:7-9 and it says "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me, His prisoner; but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity..."!

Do you consider yourself bashful or timid when it comes to sharing your faith with others? Don't be! Do you feel ashamed? Don't be! The power of love and discipline far outweigh the timid and shameful feelings you may have as you try to testify to your faith in Christ.

It is a fact that before you even arrive at the witnessing experience that God has already sent His Holy Spirit for the purpose of conviction and guidance in the life of the person you will share your faith with. He knows ahead of time where you will be and in what situation in life you will find yourself so since He is the Great "I Am," He has already begun to soften the heart of that one who will hear from you. Begin to take on the mentality that you "are" a prisoner with Christ Jesus and join in His sufferings by sharing His gospel. How do you suppose the disciples felt? Had to be difficult for them. They had no where near the knowledge about their King that you have access to today.

You have been called with a "holy calling" by none other than God Himself. Remember that Paul said in Romans 1:16 that he is not "ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." Now if there ever was a man who could feel shame for his past, Paul would be that man. But he says "For in it the righteousness of God is revealed..." I can't even walk away from that statement. It creates in me even more zeal for His gospel just to know that His gospel, that I testify to, has the "righteousness of God in it"...WOW!

Finally, I just want to point out verse 12 which says, "For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day." All the more reason to "let it fly" when approaching an opportunity to share your faith. But remember to allow your words to come from your heart and not your tongue.

Dave

Study The Scriptures

Verse 15 of Second Timothy 2 says, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth." We are God's workmanship and as such, His desire for us is to be well informed about Him and His Truth. So Paul admonishes his disciple Timothy, and the church to "be diligent" in the study and understanding of God's truth.

A lot of people believe that they cannot possess a deep understanding of the Word of God unless they attend a college or seminary and become a "deep" theologian and that is not correct. Look at the disciples that Jesus chose to change the world. They were fishermen, farmers, tax-collectors and such. Not a one of them graduated from a big seminary, yet their actions after the risen Lord left the Holy Spirit with them was absolutely incredible.

Remember that when you sit down to study scripture you are reading and studying the very words of God and they were meant for you to have and glean knowledge from. And don't lose sight of the fact that there are also words of Satan, demons, angels, and man (both good and bad). God is truth and cannot lie, however Satan "...is a liar, and the father of lies" (John 8:44). Man is natural and does not always speak the truth.

Here is a simple way to develop a good and clear understanding of God's Word as you read it. Ask yourself these questions:

1. Who is it that is speaking in the passage? Is it God, a demon, an angel, or man?
2. Who is it that he is speaking to? Is it the Nation of Israel, or the Gentiles. To the church; perhaps to men in general, or to some individual man or being?
3. Finally, ask yourself how the Scripture can be applied in your own life to make you a better Christian? What is the verse saying to me and how can I use it for His kingdom?

God's Word is "inspired by God" as claimed in Second Timothy 3:16 "...and it is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work" That's pretty much "plain talk" to me. God put it out there for us to equip ourselves for HIS good work.

Dave

Personal Spiritual Appreciation

Friday, March 20, 2009

Today, I just would like to take a few minutes to write a few words of praise and thanks to God for all He has done in my life and all that He continues to do. In my estimation, I am one of the luckiest men alive because first of all I have God in my life (others don't). I have a wife who takes good care of me "in sickness and in health." I have 3 wonderful children and they have provide me with 4 beautiful grandchildren with another one on the way.

I passed by this scripture verse and thought I might just add these personal thoughts with it. It is in First John 5:13 and it says, "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life." This eternal life is so much easier to understand and look forward to when you have all the joys of life that I have. Every day, I witness the love of my family and since the diagnosis of cancer, this feeling of "fullness" with them has become so much more important. Because I have this kind of support, I can walk on hot coals if needed, until the Lord calls me home.

I want to be a good enough witness to others so that some of that feeling rubs off of me and onto others. I am in such a good frame of mind and I want others to experience the peace that I have and live their lives with that kind of peace.

I look for more opportunities to tell others about my God and what peace He has brought to my life. I never thought that I would get here but I am. I have taped to the inside front page of my bible, a newspaper article of a girl I knew who was murdered in her young life, and all she ever did was go around telling people about Jesus. There was a time when I made fun of her and thought she was a "sandwich short of a full picnic" but today, I realize that there is a difference in my heart toward God. I was a Christian then but I was obviously not "Fully Devoted" to my Christ. Today, I am a different man and I believe, for the first time, God is pleased.

I pray that all who read this would take the time to find that very important place in their heart and allow God to captivate it. Absorb His love for you and when you begin to feel it, you will not be able to resist returning it. He's the only one I know who cared enough to sacrifice His Son for me.

Dave

I Confess!

Thursday, March 19, 2009

"Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven" (Matt 10:32). Well, that's cool. Just think. Confess Jesus before men and He will confess you before His Father who is in heaven. Pretty simple, huh? Well wait a minute. Let's go a little farther. Look at the next verse, "But whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven" (Matt 10:33).

We as Christians (disciples of Christ) have a far greater duty to God than we sometimes realize. Have you ever heard the song by Ray Boltz called "Feel The Nails?" (It's number 10 on my playlist below on the left side of the page). Listen to it if you get a chance. It is story about how we re-nail Jesus back on that cross each time we deny Him. Can you imagine how He must feel when His Holy Spirit prompts us to share with someone and we shy away from the task. We are His mouthpiece, just like Moses was.

They say "confession is good for the soul" (I don't know who they are) but I say confessing Jesus before men makes me feel more a part of the family of God. Someday we will, each one of us, stand before God to confess and allow His judgement. Don't find yourself short of "confessing Him before men". That's part of the communion with God. Help me share the love of God before this world explodes.

Dave

The Fields Are Ripe For Harvest

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

In today's passage, Jesus has just finished an important discourse with the "Woman at the well" and He is now sitting down with his disciples in John 4:32, they have suggested to Him that He eat and he says, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." Jesus is like that. He makes statements that make you want to say "what did He say?" They are confused because none of the disciples had brought Him anything to eat yet and He makes that statement.

Then He continues... "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work. Do you not say, There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. Already he who reaps is receiving wages, and is gathering fruit for life eternal; that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this case the saying is true, One sows, and another reaps. I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor" John 4:43-38.

Is this not the entire message of Jesus Christ? Has He not been preparing His disciples for the great harvest? Look at what is going on in the world today. Such chaos and disarray. So much fear and confusion. And Jesus keeps saying that the "fields are ripe...they are white for harvest." A woman asked others on her facebook page to "join her cause" and her cause was that Mormons are Christians too! Well, I just happened to be on her friend list (I think we graduated from the same High School) and boy that "light the match" for me. I spent two days in dialogue back and forth with her and a few of her friends trying to help them understand the error in their ways and shared the gospel, RIGHT ON FACEBOOK, and now all I can do is pray for them.

But can you see through current day events that the fields are truly "Ripe for harvest?" We need to be out there, sharing the Word of God UNASHAMEDLY, and letting people know what REAL CHRISTIANITY IS. I told her that I was going to start referring to myself as a "Fully Devoted Follower of Christ" because Christianity has been so watered down that everyone thinks they are Christian just because they were born in America or something ridiculous like that. GOOD GRIEF! WHAT TOTAL DECEPTION! However, isn't that what God's Word tells us that the "Last Days" will be like? We need to be out in the field, gathering the harvest, for the fields are truly ripe for harvest! Don't hang your head when you hear God speak to your heart. When that "server" comes to your table, ask him or her if they attend church and if so, where! Be Bold, Be Brave. After all, I think Jesus (The Man) was when He hung on the cross for us.

Let the world know that you are a fully devoted follower of Christ Jesus (if you are) and if you aren't, why not? You want to spend eternity in hell? Sure you don't. So if you aren't "BE" and if you are "GO"! It is what you were called to do. Praise the Lord, the world is turn and we are seeing a great opportunity to share His grace. Just Do It! And naturally, as you can see, the word "BE" above is a link to information that can help you discover your relationship with Christ.

Dave

I've Been Out Of Town

Thank you all for your interest in these devotions. I have had some ask where I have been because I have not posted a devotion in 3 days. I have been out of town with my wife, enjoying our travel trailer (and Jack, our dog) and very little access to the internet.

I do so appreciate that you take the time to read what I write as I write what God puts on my heart.

We are home now so I will try to get caught up now. My goal at the first of the year was to have a devotion written for every day of the year so in order for me to catch up, I'll have to do 2 or 3 tonight and then back on track.

Thanks again for taking time out of your day to commune with God. My last post was March 17 so now to work.

Dave

Break Me, Then Use Me Lord

This morning I was reading an old and familiar passage of scripture and thought I would take a few minutes to share it with you along with the notes I have written in my Bible.

• Claim God's Forgiveness

The 51st Psalm starts by saying in verse 1 "Be gracious to me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Thy compassion blot out my transgressions."
Everyday it seems I find a way to sin against the Father. I am reminded of Paul who says (Ro. 7:19) "For the good that I wish, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not wish."

• Confess Your Transgressions

Verse 2 says, "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity. And cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, and done what is evil in thy sight, so that Thou are justified when Thou does speak, And blameless when Thou does judge"

And so David asks God to cleanse him of his sin. Mention them by name and claim responsibility for them. Then turn them over to God.

• Construct New Patterns

Then down in verses 10-12 it says, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Thy presence, and do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit"

Here is where David found his renewal and restoration in God. A "clean heart" and a "steadfast spirit" are essential for developing strong life patterns.

• Communicate My Change To Others

He goes on in verses 13-17 to say "Then I will teach transgressors Thy ways, and sinners will be converted to Thee. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, Thou God of my salvation; Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Thy righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, that my mouth may declare thy praise. For Thou does not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; Thou are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou will not despise"

Here is when we are most successful in our witness and testimony to others in this world. When we are "broken" and "contrite" in heart. We make ourselves vulnerable to God so that He can use us as instruments for His kingdom.

Just as a sidebar and point of historical value, Psalm 51 is the chapter that King David wrote after Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Read the entire chapter and you can almost feel the heartbreak of King David as he falls "face first" in to God's forgiving hands. The story of David and Bathsheba can be found in 2 Samuel 11.

Dave

Time To "Dust Off" The Old Testimony

My devotion today will probably be longer than usual, however, it speaks of today and how we should carry ourselves as Christians in these trying times we live in. Please take the time to read and understand. Some one's eternity may depend on it.

Luke 21:10-19 reads, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name's sake. It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony. So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute. But you will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, and you will be hated by all on account of My name. Yet not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives."

So that may be a lot to swallow right now, huh? Okay, let's take a step back and have a good look at what Jesus is saying to us. He just finished a few parables in the previous chapter and before that He drove the money-changers from the temple, Zaccheus was converted and He talked about the Resurrection. Good grief! A whole lot of things going on here and Jesus points out in the above scripture that "It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony!" Oh, my gosh, has He completely lost His mind? So much stuff taking place and suddenly, in the middle of an emotion filled couple of paragraphs Jesus suggests we should "brush up" on our testimony! Wow, what boldness and aggressiveness.

Listen to what Paul says over in Philippians 1:12-14, "Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear." Okay, time out! They've all lost control. The brethren are "trusting in the Lord because of Paul's imprisonment?"

Can any of you get a glimpse of this subject with respect to what's going on in the world today. Each day another piece of "freedom" is taken away from an American, and not only Americans. We are fighting a battle here on earth and it is mounting. It is becoming more personal and aggressive. I've read so many comments from the Internet about Americans who are "fed up" with the status quo! They don't care to take it anymore. I've been saying for over 20 years now that America will fall from within and "civil unrest" may be our greatest threat.

So both Jesus and Paul, two genuine "leaders" suggest to us that our testimony is important. More important than keeping us out of a prison cell, our testimonies are the foundation of the Cause of Christ. Jesus looks at it as an opportunity to increase the kingdom of God and Paul looks at it as "creating far more courage to speak the Word of God without fear."

And finally, Jesus says to his disciples, "So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute." Are you worried about what to say? Is that what keeps you from sharing the truth of God to others. Jesus says, I'll give you the words to say, and these words, none can either resist or refute.

On a personal note, I think that we are so close to the Lord's return that sometimes I believe I can feel the brush of angel wings against my cheek. That's close. Do you believe? Do you yearn for Christ to return for His church? Get up and get your testimony out there. You have nothing to fear. The One who put this entire universe together promised to give you the words to share.

Dave

Not A People-Pleaser

As I was reading through my scripture for today I made note of some things worthy of comment. I am in Romans 16:17-20. Four short verses that are packed with integrity and courage, fortitude and a tremendous amount of strength. Listen to verse 17... "Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them."

How did Paul know in the first century that we would need to hear about "teaching contrary to the Word of God" in the Twenty-First Century? But it is so true. So many pastors have sold out their pulpits for "easy believism." I know that, I have been there, I have experienced it. And when I took a stand for the God of the Bible, I was dropped "like a rock." And here in this first verse Paul urges us to keep an eye on "what's going on in our churches!" Absolutely incredible. A few years earlier in Galatians 1:8 Paul says to the churches in Galatia, "...even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed." Could "Post Modernism" have been active even back when there were no "recliners" in the church? Incredible!

He goes on to say in verse 18 that "...such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites (or bellies); and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting." I was so glad to be at a church last week in California where the Word of God is the integrity of the church and nothing comes before it or stands in its way (Harvest of Riverside). Our church is growing into that attitude and the world sees it, and recognizes it as a threat to their socially progressive ways of life and naturally, doesn't like it. But that's okay. Paul says, "as long as the Word is preached"!

"For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good, and innocent in what is evil" (Vs. 19). Here Paul give "props" to the churches who WILL NOT COMPROMISE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. That's where we are today. For the sake of the growth of the kingdom of God, WE CANNOT compromise the teaching and preaching of the gospel of Christ. It means EVERYTHING!

Two weeks ago a pastor stood at his pulpit here in Surprise, Arizona and admitted that he could never be among those who would "water down" for the sake of keeping the flock happy. And why? Because he reasoned to his congregation that he would be the one standing before God answering for those lost as a result of his "hindrances contrary to the teaching" of Jesus Christ.

Finally, Paul says "And the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you." There's your promise for sharing your faith wihout compromise. God will soon CRUSH Satan under our feet.

I'm not a people-pleaser. I'm a Jesus teacher! What about you?

Dave

All Nations Shall Glorify Your Name

In Psalms 86:7-10 there are a couple of comments that are a treasure in the life of a Christian and worth mentioning. It says, "In the day of my trouble I shall call upon Thee, For thou wilt answer me. There is no one like Thee among the gods, O Lord; Nor are there any works like Thine. All nations whom Thou hast made shall come and worship before Thee, O Lord; and they shall glorify Thy name. For Thou are great and doest wondrous deeds; Thou alone art God."

Here is King David, in his great faith and a prayer of trust, bragging about his Lord. God is a pleasant help in times of trouble. And we see that even King David acknowledged that "Nations" would bow down and worship his God as apposed to the "little gods" of verse 8.

I got an email comment about one of my devotions from someone who lives in California and this person was so dedicated to his faith that you could almost hear his proclamation of faith in the email. He won't mind me sharing it, after all, it was on facebook. ("I believe Me and My GOD have a very good understanding of MY LIFE and I'll Wait Happily Each And Everyday here on this EARTH being THANKFUL HE has allowed ME to wake again here to enjoy this world protected by HIM THE ONE GOD... The Lord Jesus Christ... SO BRING IT ON I CAN HANDLE IT (with his help ) I Fear Not..") Now that sounds to me like a Christian man who has taken his faith in God at "face value" and is confident of God's protection over his life.

And so we "glorify His name" as we walk through this life not knowing from day to day what will happen, happy to be waiting on the Lord. In good times and bad, He wants our praise and worship. In fact, my thought about that is "if you are not waiting on the Lord, who are you waiting on?" The ground below you may be more shaky than you realize. Choose Christ and live in His wondrous grace. You can know more about God and even give your life to Him is you choose. Just click on this link and it will take you right where you need to be for more about God's Saving Grace. 4 Spiritual Laws of God

Dave

Food And Drink For Everyone!

"Do not be anxious then, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'With what shall we clothe ourselves? For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things" (Matt 6:31,32).

The easiest thing for us to do is to "worry". It takes no money, requires no transportation, nor do we need any one's help. Our biggest adversary knows that we need no assistance to worry so this is the easiest way that he can intrude in our lives. This is why God requires us to live our lives based on His (God's) plan and Him living within us to thwart off these offensive attacks from Satan. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything with prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God"(Phil. 4:6). The ONLY way for us to reach REAL PEACE is for us to surrender even our minds to His purpose.

Up in verse 27 Jesus says to His followers, "And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life's span?" Wow! That's a very straight-forward question asked of them by the King of Kings. Well, how many "cubits" or days, hours, minutes, seconds do you feel you have added to your life over your worry or anxiety?

And so this chapter ends on a beautiful and comforting note. In verses 33 & 34 Jesus says, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Not only have I heard that before, but I have seen that before.

We need to wrap our minds around the actual biblical fact that we are children of the King and He directs our paths. Check out Psalms 3:5,6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." I don't have to ask you because I know the answer. We do NOT have a better plan than God so why not let Him lead?

Dave

See You There Or In The Air!

How often do you think about the future? What will it be like? What about the church? How often do you reflect on the future of Christ's Bride, the church? I settled on 1 Thessalonians 4:16 today and boy did it get me to thinking. For centuries men and women have been saying that the Lord is returning and what a glorious event that will be. And then I continued to read verses 17 & 18 and even became more involved in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words."

I'm not sure that more encouraging words could possibly be spoken than these. God is not going to send someone down here to "retrieve" us but rather Jesus Christ is coming Himself and the Bible says He will be "SHOUTING." I can only imagine (reminds me of a song). And according to God's Word, we'll hear the trumpet of God (I wonder what that will sound like to us). Then suddenly graves will break open and the "dead in Christ will rise first." Can you imagine being there to witness this miraculous event. There's no telling who we might witness "popping" out of the ground to go be with the Lord. WHOA!

Then it will happen for us, if we are fortunate enough to be here and alive at that very moment (in that twinkling of an eye) we, you and I, will be "caught up" together along with them into the clouds to meet Jesus IN THE AIR! WOW! I can't wait. I remember a Christian comedian from the late 70's by the name of Mike Warnke (some of you may have heard of him). I was at one of his shows and he was excited about just discussing the second coming of Christ and he said "It's gonna be a blast. Jesus will come back and as I start to go up into the clouds, I'm gonna grab a sinner in each hand and say 'Are you gonna get saved or do I let go'? I thought that was funny. And then the verse ends with the promise of the church's future..."and thus we shall always be with the Lord." Incredible! Always being with the Lord. That's my kind of day.

As Paul writes this letter to the church, he gives them a glimpse of the church's future and a demonstration of how the Lord will return for us. It is important that we know this for it is a promise of hope as we wait patiently on the Lord, some of us continually fighting battles and trials, for that last person He wants to hear the gospel. You may be sharing Christ with that person later on today, after reading this devotion. Wouldn't that be amazing?

The Lord is coming back for His church, and He wants us to be ready. And we simply need to know and believe by faith that the true Church of Jesus Christ has a glorious, victorious future in the world, in the air, in the kingdom, and in eternity and it CANNOT fail. In fact, Matthew 16:18 says "The gates of Hades shall not overpower it." What more do we need to "Go" and "Do" as He has commanded us? Told anyone about Him lately? Sharing your testimony may be the only thing holding Him back! Maranatha, Lord Jesus!

Dave

Security Is Trust In The Lord

I was just thinking tonight that we have been hearing and talking a lot about "security" over the last several months. Whether or not you fall in line with the new Administration, everything that is happening in the world is causing the average, everyday person some fear and intimidation. I whole-hearted support the office of the President of the United States and I want everyone to know that fact, however, I believe that the man in office is and will fail miserably and mostly because he refers to himself as a Christian and is responding as anything but a Christian. Politics is not the purpose of this devotion but the illustration of the position of our country only confirms my text.

I am looking at Psalms 91:1-4 which reads "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, 'My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!' For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper, and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark."

All those who live their life in communion with God are safe under his protection, and will preserve a holy peace and security of mind all the time. When the verse says "He who dwells" I think of him who sits down beside God. And the next word "shelter makes me think of a secret place of the Most High God. This is where we abide, in the "shadow of the Almighty"

I found these thoughts in a commentary and I thought they said so much I just copied them onto the page. "It is the character of a true believer that dwells in the secret place of the Most High; he is at home in God, returns to God, and reposes in him as his rest; he acquaints himself with inward religion, and makes heart-work of the service of God, worships within the veil, and loves to be alone with God, to converse with him in solitude." (Matthew Henry).

I like that idea. It makes me feel good to get alone with God. My worship is not shared and consequently more intimate.

He went on to say, "It is the privilege and comfort of those that do so that they abide under the shadow of the Almighty; he shelters them, and comes between them and every thing that would annoy them, whether storm or sunshine. They shall not only have an admittance, but a residence, under God’s protection; he will be their rest and refuge forever"(Matthew Henry).

"He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper". Anyone you know ever been there. Perhaps you yourself. Just walking along in life, minding your own business and about to step in the "snare of the devil?" I know! I've been there. And I am so glad I have verses of scripture like these to lean on, to remind me that I dwell in the shelter of the only One who can save me.

Most of those who read my devotions probably believe that I just walk through life without a care in the world, just living day by day, happy as a lark! But my wife could tell you of some pretty dark days in my life. Kind of reminds me of a visiting pastor who said "One day at the end of my message a little girl came up to me. I reached out my arms and she willingly allowed me to pick her up. She kept staring just above my head. Finally I asked her what she was looking for. She said, I am trying to see your "Halo". At that very point, my eyes met my wife's eyes. The woman who picks up my dirty socks and underwear; the partner who sustains me in times not so good, and suddenly I didn't feel so "Godly".

It is indeed "His pinions (or wings) that cover and protect me. Are you there? If not, you need to find that dwelling place in your life.

Dave

God Is Love

Is there any of you who remember this verse as a song? 1 John 4:7 "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God." The bible teaches us that "God is love" (verse 8), that "God is light" (1 John 1:5), that He is a "consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29) and that "God is spirit" (John 4:24). It's not ironic that these accolades would come from John the disciple. The theme of his writings is "love" and he referred to himself as "the disciple that Jesus loved." It is obvious that love is very important in the Christian walk.

It is incredible to me that I can show love to any stranger in the world, because that is what God has called me to do, and at the slightest level of tension, can "bite off the head" of a loved one without giving it a thought. I recognize it as soon as it happens and ask God for forgiveness but I always wonder why it happens that way. Then it comes to me. SATAN! He is a liar, a thief, a destroyer of life, cunning and cruel and he works his way into the smallest "crevasses" in our lives and creates a little "hell on earth".

Verse 8 & 9 says to us "The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love By this the love of God was manifested in us that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him."

Perhaps this devotion is a confession of mine, that I realize that I need to show more love to those who mean so much to me. If you fit into that category, "I love you". Maybe there's someone you need to tell that you love them too.

Dave

Complaint Department

James 5:9 says to us, "Do not complain, brethren, against one another, that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door." And then in verse 11 "...You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful."

I don't think there could be a more timely verse of scripture than this one for today's life. It seems like everything is going wrong and all the people we have trusted to run America all these years either don't have a clue, or are the biggest scam artists the world has ever know. And it is becoming extremely difficult for some Americans to just feed and cloth and house their families. and for this we pray.

But in the midst of the turmoil taking place in the world, I can still find something to complain about. And of course, because the only people I know profess Christianity, I'm complaining at the brotherhood, Whoa!

God has done so much for me in 57 short years of life that you would think I would recognize that and kind of "pass it forward" to another in need. And I don't want anyone to think that we don't do just that. But there always seems to be something to complain about.

I just spent over 2 hours giving my older brother a very descriptive definition of Predestination and in the process presented the Gospel of God to him, one more time. What could I possibly have to complain about.

God forgive me and those of us who get so "inside" that we sometimes don't realize that there are those who have no idea of the joy we carry. I pray that I am a blessing to someone today.

Dave

Justified By His Blood

Romans 5:9 reads, “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.” What does it mean to be “justified by His blood?” It means that Jesus Christ died for us who are “unlike” God. Verse 8 says, “But God demonstrates (or shows or proves) His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” We, being helpless in our sin is exactly why God sent Jesus to die (vs. 6).

In fact God made Jesus Christ, one who knew no sin, become sin for us so that we would become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21). Do you know of any other religious organization that has made such an offer? I don’t. And it was not through “gold and silver” or perishable things that we received our redemption, but rather the shedding of the precious blood of Christ that brought about our justified salvation. Take a look at First Peter 1: 18,19 “…knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.” And First Peter 3:18 goes on to tell us that “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.” Wow. Can you believe this? More importantly, can you deny this?

Today would be a good day to thank God for His great love as He sent His Son to bear your sins and mine in His own body and on an old rugged cross. Can you confess that Jesus Christ died for you on Calvary? Can you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead? If so, then you can, and will be saved.

I can remember someone making this statement when I went to seminary: Justified means “just as if I’d never sinned.” Jesus came into the world to save sinners and I’m so glad He did.

Just as kind of a “sidebar” of sorts, I did some research on the word Justification and found clarification as “Justification is the act of God by which we who are unrighteous in ourselves are nevertheless declared righteous before God. It is a judicial (legal) act of pronouncing one to be right in God’s sight”*

Even James, who stresses the works that flow naturally from saving faith, speaks of credited righteousness (called forensic righteousness)* in James 2:23 when he said “and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,’ and he was called the friend of God.”

*(Systematic Theology Vol. 3 by Dr. Norman Geisler)

Dave

The Reward of Humility

What are you, perhaps bragging about today? How good you do this? How awesome you are at that? Do most of your sentences begin with “Me” or “I”? If so, then you need to read this verse.

“The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, honor and life” (Proverbs 22:4). There is nobody I know that likes a pat on the back more than me. I want people to know how impressed they can be with me, for I am so good AT EVERYTHING! Yeah, RIGHT!

Exactly the opposite. In fact, it is my desire to be hidden behind the Cross of Christ and I want people to have heard from the voice of God when I speak or write. I know that my reward is in heaven and I cannot wait to get there to receive it. This world has nothing that it can give me, including praise and honor that can compare with what the Lord Jesus has in store for me.

In John 14 He has promised me a dwelling place in heaven that is certainly more than I deserve and I am looking forward to walking up to heaven to the waiting arms of Jesus as He welcomes me home. In fact, there is a song, one of my favorites and it is called “I Can Only Imagine” and a video that just warms my heart every time I watch it. I’ll put the link at the bottom here so you can take a look at it.

If your heart is anything like mine, you can’t wait either. Jesus is coming back and He has prepared for us a place so wonderful that we cannot come up with the words to describe it. Don’t seek your reward here on earth. This is not your home. You are only passing through on your way to glory with Christ Jesus.

Click on this link to listen to the song and watch the video. I am sure you will just love it. If it does not work, just cut and paste to your browser and it will download. Click the back browser to return to this page. http://www.andiesisle.com/icanonlyimagine.html.

Dave

Not Slaves But Free Men

As we all know, the Gospel of John emphasizes love and here in chapter 15:12-17, He helps his disciples understand their own relationship to one another. And we can take these verses to heart in our own lives as we are His disciples as well.

“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends, if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you. This I command you, that you love one another.”

There is not a lot of commentary that needs to be said here for Jesus has said it all. In a very profound statement, He has released these disciples from the status of “slave” to a “friend of Jesus” which carries with it a very high reward.

Jesus came to earth at God’s bidding to do the will of the Father, which He referred to several times in the Gospels. Now, pay close attention to this next statement; Jesus has called YOU to do His bidding and that is to be his disciple. My sister-in-law is going through a discipleship class right now called Operation Timothy and I just love it. Just a few short years ago she was on a “fast track” to hell, and heard the Gospel of Christ from another disciple and God has turned her life around. Now she looks forward to leading others to our Lord and I am very proud of her.

You are NOT a slave; you are NOT a free man either. By accepting the invitation of Christ, you are a disciple of Christ chosen by God Himself to do His bidding here on earth. Now go and “bear fruit” for the Kingdom of God.

Dave

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

The book of Lamentations is a book of elegies (a mournful, melancholy funeral song or a lament for the dead). It is really a beautiful book of poems and songs of lament and well worth the time invested in reading. The title "Lamentations" in the Hebrew means "Ah, how" or "Alas!" and out of the 5 chapters, the word "How" starts 3 of them (Chapters 1,2&4). In the Greek, the literal translation is "cry aloud" which is what is seen between both Lamentations and Jeremiah. Lamentations is also one of the 5 Scrolls read on important anniversary days in the Jewish faith (or at least it was back then). However, when it is read in Jewish celebration, verses 21 & 22 are reversed in chapter 5 so as to not make the book end on a negative note. Take a look at them and you will see what I mean. Just some history because I know lesser time is spent in this book of poems from God's Word.

I wanted to direct special attention to Lamentations 3:25&26 which says "The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of the Lord." Here I can see that Jeremiah is warning use of the need for patience in life. Some things in life just take a long time to come to fruition and in his lament, he is responsible to let the people know that time is on God's side.

Jeremiah is seriously grieved with the affliction of Israel's loss and even in his deep sorrow he says in verse 22-24 "The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion says my soul, Therefore I have hope in Him." I recognize this verse as a song I have sung in church before.

All of us have gone through some kind of serious loss in life, whether it be financial, physical, emotional or otherwise, it is our hearts that hurt through the ordeal and here we have a very biblical basis for "waiting on the Lord" and placing our brokeness in His hands. In fact, in Psalm 37:7 it says to "Rest in the Lord an wait patiently for Him..." Also two verses up in verse 5 it says "Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, an He will do it."

I cannot tell you how many caskets I have stood before, watching the family and seeing the enormous level of "loss" in their eyes. There are times when I don't know what to say. It is in those times that I just let God talk through me. Life is hard. And based on current events, it may get much harder. And we need the strength that only God can provide now more than ever before.

Let me challenge you to read through the book of Lamentations. Five little chapters that will allow you to grieve loss and rejoice in the promise of the coming of the Lord. Maranatha (Come quickly, Lord Jesus).

Dave

Who's Holding Your Hand?

"The steps of a man are established by the Lord; And He delights in his way. When he falls, he shall not be hurled headlong; Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand. I have been young, and now I am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Or his descendants begging bread" (Psalm37:23-25).

Psalm 37 is basically a chapter that talks about the security of those who trust the Lord and the insecurity of the wicked. Here in these verses we read a verse that a lot of us have heard quoted several times during our Christian walk (vs.23). Different Bible versions say it in different ways but it remains the same message and that is that the Lord is watching after us, step by step, moment by moment, each day of our lives. There is not an incident or time in our lives that He is not aware of and prepared for. And isn't it good to know that our steps are "ordered by the Lord" helping us to understand how close He is to us all the time. Listen to this verse in Psalm 40:2 "He brought me out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay; And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm." And He is delighted.

Most parents can relate to the next verse. Your walking down the street holding onto your little child's hand and suddenly his or her feet just seem to give way underneath them and you find yourself holding them, literally off the ground, by the one hand, body dangling until you steady the child upright and plant him or her once again on both feet. That's how I invision God in verse 24, holding onto us. Since we are His children, He is holding onto us by our hand and every now and then, something happens that knocks our feet out from under us and we are caught "dangling" between good & bad, right & wrong, helpless and waiting to be set afoot by the Lord. Did you know that Proberbs 24 says that a "righteous man falls seven times, and rises again?" Seven times, the number of perfection. Who else would you rather be holding your hand?

I feel like I can relate to verse 25 "I have been young, and now I am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken." I cannot tell you how many hospital beds I have stood beside as I have watched a Christian man or woman leave this world but I can tell you that I have never had one of them grab me by the arm and try to delay their union with the Lord. We are not forsaken for we are God's righteous even unto death. Check out verse 28. "For the Lord loves justice, And does not forsake His godly ones; They are preserved forever; But the descendants of the wicked will be cut off." Don't care to be there.

Are you sometimes frightened? Does the direction of the world give you pause? Are you wondering what in the world is going on? It's in God's Word. And, praise the Lord, maybe we can experience His return first hand. But never lose sight of the fact that it is He who has hold of your hand, and His promise is to "not forsake His godly ones."

The Bible says in Romans 10:9,10 "...if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." Need to know more? Click here and read the 4 Spiritual Laws.

Dave

Step Into The Light

The book of Philippians is one of my all time favorite books of the New Testament and tonight I am reading from Philippians 2:13-16. "...for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing; that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life..."

One of the first things I notice about the beginning of this passage is that "God" is at work in our lives and not Satan. Sometimes we give Satan more credit than he deserves. In Luke 22:31,32 Jesus says "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." It doesn't matter how difficult the trial or situation in our lives, God is ultimately the One in control of our lives for the sake of "His good pleasure." Remember that Satan has absolutely no power over you that isn't given to him by God and again "for His (God's) good pleasure." The successful journeys through life's trials makes God smile as He sees you strengthened by them.

The second thing is our "grumblings"! Someone said that if God takes you to it, then He will take you through it. Peter says in 1 Peter 4:9 "Be hospitable to one another without complaint." It is funny that I ALWAYS recognize the grumblings in my life. I am trying to show more appreciation to God in these "everyday" battles in life.

Only the heart of a Father can want us to live a blameless and innocent life in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation and in the process be a beacon of light.

Finally as Christian men and women, young and old, we hold fast to the "word of life" most of the time, out of sheer panic but ultimately for the sake of Christ. Remember back to the devotion called "Bridge Over Troubled Water"? That's one of the reasons we hold tightly to God and His Word for our life.

Paul says in verses 17 & 18 "But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. And you too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me."

Just like lifting weights strengthens muscles, trials strengthen faith. Step into the joy with me.

Dave

Is Your Fellowship "WELL"?

Today's scripture verse is from Psalm 31 and it is the last verse in the chapter, verse 24 which says "Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord." I was thinking that this is basically what I have been encouraging over the past two months of devotions. We derive our strength and courage from the Lord and yesterday morning we had the outstanding opportunity to visit Harvest Church in Riverside, California with Pastor Greg Laurie. What a very beautiful and useful facility they have built there. It will be very instrumental in bringing people to Christ.

I just want to share his points today because he very eloquently described this strength and courage by using the acrostic "WELL" in his message concerning the church. He wanted to tell the fellowship that they needed to be a "Well" church and his text was in Acts 2:42-47 with the following:

W - They need to be a Worshipping church
E - They need to be an Evangelistic church
L - They need to be a Learning church
L - And they need to be a Loving church

The Lord knows that in order for us to do the will of the Father, it will require a high level of strength (to get to the other side of trials) and courage (to open our mouths and hearts to share the gospel of God) and so we see here in Psalm 31:24 all of us who have our hope firmly planted in the Lord, need to be strong and let courage come from our hearts where Jesus Christ resides. We just need to "let go, and let God" do His will in our lives and we can have the kind of church that Pastor Greg spoke about Sunday. A "WELL" church, doing the will of the Father.

We are so thankful to Pastor Greg and his staff for all that they do for the kingdom of God and we appreciate being made to feel at home when we visited.

Dave

Your Burning Bush

"And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed" (Ex. 3:2)

No doubt you have all heard of this story in the Bible concerning the burning bush. I immediately noticed that in this scene, there was an angel present. God was planning big things for Moses and so as the story unfolds, there is a representative of God present with Moses. Do you remember your "burning bush" experience? You had one, if you serve God! If Jesus Christ is your personal Savior, sometime in your life you stood before a burning bush, and confessed to God and became His child. Here we see the "burning bush" experience of Moses. This is where Moses and God discuss and eliminate all of the obstacles that get in the way of serving God.

Verse 3 continues ..."So Moses said, I must turn aside now, and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up." Now let me give you my best modern day interpretation of this verse. "WHAT THE ......?" I can't believe that bush is on fire and it is not being consumed! I gotta go check this out" (Stallinian paraphrase). What can you see in this verse? I see a miracle, in fact two miracles. First of all the unconsumed burning bush that God is controlling and second, the surrender of Moses to the unfathomable power of an awesome God. Do you recognize your "burning bush" experience (your salvation) as a miracle of God? You should. He reached across the galaxies of heaven to save your soul.

"And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush, and said, 'Moses, MOSES! And he said, Here I am" (verse 4). Now I personally think that this is a very funny verse among the seriousness of the event. God is appearing to Moses, in the form of an in consumable burning bush, and He calls to Moses twice. Now I added the emphasis to the second "MOSES' and I'll tell you why. Because I believe if this were me instead of Moses I might have done the same thing. You see, I think that as soon as Moses heard God's voice come out of that bush, he turned around and started to run for his life. A reasonable response to a talking bush, don't you think? Anyway, I believe that God needed to yell out to Moses as he was running away from an extremely "unfamiliar" scene. Kind of funny, don't you think? And as we read, Moses recognizes the call of God and submits himself to God's will; "Here I am!" I know my salvation experience was "unfamiliar" territory but I thank God He kept my attention.

And in verse 5 God says to Moses, "...Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." In the moment of your acceptance of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are, for the first time standing on "holy ground" and you are face to face with the Creator and His love for you. It truly is a reverent experience.

Can you remember back to that day? The day you stood before "your" burning bush? It may have been at a church event, it may have been at work or in your home. It may have even been in the middle of a sinful situation in your life and you suddenly found yourself standing on holy ground.

As the story continues, God shares His plan for Moses and He did or is doing the same thing in your life. One of the greatest events in our mortal lives is our "burning bush" experience. That moment when God calls us by name and plants His Holy Spirit in our hearts. Never forget that you were there, and if you haven't gotten there yet, you still can. You may hear that quiet voice in your heart speaking now. Turn to the "burning bush...remove your sandals" and say "Here I am, Lord." He will take care of the rest. Then go tell somebody!

Dave