Galatians 6:9-10 – “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”  NKJV

We all know people who are always doing good things for other people.  It was or is their heart, no matter the recognition or reward.  They did it.  Then we know those who do good things if the recognition or reward is there.  They continue their efforts and actions as long as the accolades roll in.  I’ve known parents, spouses, and even workers and bosses express their weariness at doing good things for others only to have it go unappreciated.   And frequently, I have seen them cease their actions, and some even fall into bitterness over it.

If what you are doing is based on the immediate gratification of recognition, then you are doing it for the wrong reason.  If you do what you do “in the name of the Lord” and “for the Lord,” your reward is beyond this life and in this life. 

Paul encouraged us not to give up and not grow weary in our efforts to do good things.  He assures us what we should all have settled deep in our hearts – GOD SEES ALL!  Like farming, there is a time of preparing the soil, a time of planting the seed, a time of germination, a time of growing, and then finally, a time of harvest.  We reap What we sow, we reap Later than we sow, and we reap More than we sow. 

According to Paul, this is especially noted when we do good things for anyone; God sees it.  When we are doing good things for those of the household of faith, let me give you a Roy reason for this:  Those of the household of faith are already in the fight and are either sowers of the Gospel or potential sowers of the Gospel.  They are laborers in God’s harvest, and when we do good things for them and help them continue their efforts, we are furthering the cause of the Kingdom in a very tangible way. 

No matter if anyone recognizes your efforts or even expresses appreciation for what you do – Do Not Lose Heart!  God will never forget what you do or have done, and even if it is in Heaven, He will honor your labors, especially if they are labors of love out of a pure heart for the right reasons.

Therefore, as you go through this day and this year, look for opportunities to bless others, especially those of the Household of Faith!  

May God be with you, guide, guard, protect, and richly bless you in all things and at all times!

Mark 8:34-38 – “When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel will save it.  36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?  38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” NKJV

I find the words of our Lord penetrating and thought-provoking.  Jesus can speak a few words that would require volumes to dissect and digest and yet are so clearly understood and simple.  One of those passages that contains so much that one could spend a lengthy amount of time meditating upon each line and sentence and yet not exhaust what is said.

We spend much of our lives trying to get ahead and carve out a niche for ourselves.  But Jesus said that if we follow Him, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him.  Our ambitions must become secondary to His desires, goals, and plans for our lives. 

We spend significant time trying to preserve life or give ourselves a platform, condition, and cushion upon which to live the good life.  Yet, the Master said that if we “seek to save our life, we will lose it.”  If our singular drive is “storing up for ourselves, we will find that we are putting money in bags with holes, and in the end, our lives will come to naught. 

Most people want to reach the place where they have arrived, their ship has come in, or some other description of success materially and monetarily.  But Jesus said, “So what if you manage to gain all the world’s wealth and its power and prestige but lose your soul? What have you accomplished?”   What will a man give in exchange for his soul?

He clarifies that it is possible to have Everything in this life and yet have Nothing eternal value.  I’m not suggesting that having money, possessions, or even position is in itself a bad or evil thing; I am suggesting that if that comes between you and God, it is.  The Scripture clarifies that we are to “seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness,” In so doing, He will provide whatever we need when we need it, in the amount and timing that we need it.

I don’t know about you, but I desire to have Eternal Worth rather than Earthly Wealth.  If I can have both and use that wealth for the cause of the Kingdom, I will rejoice, but if I have to choose one or the other, I will choose GOD!  I rather have Jesus than wealth or fame.  I’d rather have Jesus than be the king of a vast domain.  I rather have Jesus than anything that this world can offer, and in having Him, I have everything that this world can afford.

May God be with you as you go through your day!

Isaiah 30:21 – “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.”  NKJV

Too many times, we do not listen!  We do not listen to each other; we do not listen to what is being said because we are often thinking about what we will say next rather than actually listening.  We do that in our daily lives, and we do it with God.  I have gotten into trouble more times than I care to remember because of this flaw and work on it constantly to develop Hearing Ears! 

I have been accused of having selective hearing.  We all do! I must confess that sometimes I have tuned things out either because I thought I knew what would be said, was disinterested, or had not yet perceived the full gist of the conversation.  Sometimes rather than interrupting and asking questions, I nodded and pretended.  I have answered questions wrongly as a result. Sometimes my responses brought delight to some around me and resulted in great embarrassment for me.

Yet, when it comes to God, we need to Learn to Listen and develop ears that are highly attuned to the Voice of the Spirit of God and the Word of God.  If we do, this promise becomes not only a benefit but a refuge at all times, not just in a time of danger or potential trouble.  It becomes a powerful source of confidence!  It becomes a source of faith!  It enables us to develop a trusting relationship with the Lord that can come in no other way than having Heard Him and then observing Him fulfill what He declared.  A few times of that, and you will develop a keen desire to Hear God! 

There have been times when I wanted to hear from God but allowed the noise surrounding me to become so loud with the clutter, fretting fear, and anxiety that I could not hear what He was saying.  I contend that God is Always Speaking, but we are not Always Hearing!  From Genesis to Revelation is a Speaking God! 

He spoke, and the Worlds were framed.  He spoke, and blind eyes were opened, deaf ears were unstopped, lame limbs regained strength, and the dead came back to life.  He Speaks, and it is our responsibility to Listen and Hear what He is saying!  He is not just speaking to hear his gums rattle.  He has a purpose!  He Never talks to talk.  He Speaks because there is something to be Heard.

I encourage each one to remember the words of our Lord Jesus when He said, “My Sheep hear my voice, and they know Me.”  Sheep respond to only their master’s voice because they recognize it, which does not happen naturally. It is a learned process.  That applies to us as well with the Lord. 

Through the years, I have learned How I Hear God by finding out How I Do Not Hear God!  Through making mistakes, I have learned something about truly hearing Him.  I recognize the Counterfeit by recognizing The Real. 

So, as you go through the day, may you Hear that still, small voice of the Lord and follow Him.  Blessings!

Romans 14:12 – “So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.” NKJV

The beginning of this Chapter is filled with worthy things for every believer to consider.  Things that are vital to victorious living would take a long time to cover them all.  I have chosen to isolate this passage to address the personal accountability issue.  I cannot recall the last time I heard a sermon or message on that subject in church, yet it is critical to Christian living.

To give a brief synopsis of the early portion of this chapter, Paul begins bringing to light our responsibility to those “weak in the faith,” frequently fledgling Christians trying to find their footing in their new life.  He gives some specific instructions:

We are to receive them but reject disputes, debates, and arguments over doubtful things. If we major in dialogue regarding things that the Bible is silent on or does not clearly define is not beneficial to spiritual growth and development.  It may be an interesting study and one that could prove valuable in the long term through individual study, but the debate over these issues tends to become a hindrance to faith and truth and should be avoided.

Example:  What you can eat as is discussed in verses 2-4.  What day you should worship on, as discussed in verses 5-6?  Paul reminds us that none of us live in a vacuum and that our lives affect others. Our lives are a reflection upon the Lord Himself, so we should avoid these kinds of open debates and judgments, which often lead to divisions and separations rather than mutual sharing and encouragement.

Verse 11 is significant:  “As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.”

Therefore, Paul tells us that in light of all this, we should remember that each of us shall give an account of himself to God.  He further encourages us not to judge each other but seek agreement and mutual sharing of the faith rather than becoming a stumbling block to cause another to fall or be hindered. 

As we mature in the faith, we realize that we should not look to or at other people but look to the Lord.  If we compare ourselves among ourselves, we are not wise and will either become Pharisees or will develop a false sense of piety rather than a realization of our responsibility for our lives and actions and that we will ultimately stand in accountability before the Lord.

Notice he says, “Each of us shall give account of himself to God.”  He did not say, “Each of us shall give an account of others to God.”  You and I may differ on some things theologically, and that is okay.  We may disagree on some things regarding eschatology, and that is okay. 

I heard a preacher say, “Some are Pre-Trib, some are Mid-Trib, some are Post-Trib, but I’m Pan-Trib.”  He explained what he meant by saying, “I believe it will all pan out in the end regarding the coming of the Lord.”  I believe he is correct; it will.  I have a particular view, but that does not mean it is etched in granite, and there is no possibility that I am wrong. 

My core and foundational belief is that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God and that He died on the Cross for my sins, rose for the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for me and is returning as He said so that I can spend eternity with Him in Heaven.  That is etched in stone for me! 

In confessing my sins and believing in Him, I believe He has extended grace to me that brought about the new birth (Salvation), and I have been transformed from darkness into light.  That is etched in stone for me!  I believe I am personally accountable for my actions, words, and attitudes and will give an account before God.  You will give account for you; therefore, instead of fretting over minor theological disagreements, we should be focused on pleasing the Lord in our lives and giving others an example of Christianity that draws to the Savior. 

So, my plea is to focus on personal accountability and seek to help others, but rather than judge them, encourage them in your life and with your love.  Educate them in truth whenever possible but always with an open mind and heart, knowing that we see in part and look through a glass darkly while walking in these human temples. 

So, as you go through your day, consider your actions, words, and deeds, and know that you are accountable for yourself!  May God’s best be yours on this day!

Matthew 21:18-22 – “Now in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry. 19 Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered. 20 Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, “How did the fig tree wither all at once?” 21 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen.  22 “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”  NASB

Have you ever wondered about this account in the Bible?  Was this simply an example of Jesus being angry, and since the fig tree had leaves but no fruit, he cursed it?  The disciples were amazed, not only by his words and action but by the result.  If Jesus cursed it out of anger or frustration, He tainted His piousness and holiness by succumbing to man’s emotions and retaliating against an object that could not strike back.  Not very Messianic if that were the case. 

Several things in this account must be considered.  Jesus noticed the fig tree while at a distance.  He could see leaves, and in Palestine, the fruit appeared before the leaves.  Therefore, He was right to expect it to have fruit.  However, it had the appearance of fruit but no fruit.  It was showing outward signs but had no substance.  Jesus was hungry for fruit and saw an object that cried out, “I have fruit,” but had none.  What was His purpose in cursing the fig tree rather than simply walking away?

It was an object lesson for the disciples and all who would read and hear the account in perpetuity.  But an object lesson of what?  What was the lesson to be gleaned from this event?  He had multiple lessons He desired to convey.

One that is often missed is that of appearance without corresponding fruit.   People may talk the talk without truly walking the walk. The Pharisees, in that day, loved to appear pious and holy, but inside, they were full of corruption.  Jesus repeatedly taught about the heart versus the appearance.  He seized this opportunity to teach a lesson on prayer, faith, righteousness, and fruit-bearing.  He emphasized the danger of appearing to be something you are not. 

Remember, in the Book of Acts, Ananias and Sapphira pretended to be something but, when exposed, cost them their lives.  That is a situation that is repeatedly warned against in Scripture.  Our Confession must be backed up by our manifestation of “Christ in us, the Hope of Glory.”  Jesus even said, “Not everyone that says to me Lord, Lord will enter in but the one that DOES the will of the Father.”

A second lesson He was conveying was the power of prayer and faith in facing any obstacle in life.  The statement of Jesus, “…if you have faith and do not doubt…” is directly connected to what manifests in our hearts, not what we Profess or Confess with our mouths.  It is not what we appear to be but what we are that opens the door to faith that dries up fig trees or moves mountains in life. 

In the last verse, our Lord says, “And…”  that is a very important word because it connects the message to the previous verses, including the cursing of the fig tree.  He says, “And, all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”  Not to chase a rabbit down another trail, but how much does ALL cover?  The directive was Prayer, Believing, and Receiving, which includes expectation.

If we are to develop our prayer lives and faith lives to the place of moving mountains and seeing problems wither, we must become what we appear to be.  If we profess and confess that we are Christians, then we must manifest the life of Christ in us.  We must have the Gifts of the Spirit operational in our lives and manifest the Fruit of the Spirit in our hearts.  It is one thing to talk the talk but another to back up that talk with the walk that manifests what we profess.

The Fig Tree is a warning and appeal.  A warning against being all show and an appeal to allow the Holy Spirit to make Jesus so alive in our hearts that we have His mind in us and trust Him completely in all things.

God bless you richly as you go through this wonderful day!

Galatians 1:6-10 – “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!  10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.”  NASB

I have addressed schisms and divisions before and how the Holy Spirit instructed me to be less exclusive and more open to what others I disagree with have to say.  That being said, I do not want to convey the idea that we should become so politically correct that we tolerate tenets and doctrines that pervert the message of the Bible.  Paul addressed that in this passage.  He was bold to say that even if an angel preached something different from the Message of Christ, he should be rejected.

In the context of this passage, we find that some were preaching a different gospel and a different door to God than Jesus.  The Cross, and the His sacrifice for the sin of man is the only Door!  Some tell me everyone will go to heaven because a God of Love could send no one to hell.  That is a Perversion of the truth of the Bible because it declares that not all will enter that eternal abode, we call heaven.  All will not accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior, which is the only access to the Father as declared by our Lord Himself and validated throughout Scripture.

Some have suggested that Jesus is not the only Savior and that no matter what supposed deity you believe in, God will accept that just as He accepts Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross.  That is a Perversion of the Gospel!  I will not silently sit by and hear it without a response, especially to those I have responsibility for.  I am not seeking to please men or have favor with men.  I want to please God.  I like for people to like me, but if it is a choice between declaring what God declares and having people like me, I will have to endure being disliked and even hated because I would be demonstrating something other than love for my fellow man if I did anything less.

Jesus is the only Door to God!  The Cross is the only acceptable sacrifice for the sin and condition of man.  It is a straight gate, a narrow way, and as the Bible declares, few (in comparison to the billions who live and have lived) will find it.  Do not turn from the Message of Jesus to some other supposed Savior that will lead to death, not life.

May God be with you as you go through your day!

Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”  NASB

As we progress into 2023, we should start at the beginning and move forward from a solid and sure foundation.  Too often, we try to plug in somewhere rather than begin at the beginning.  Some attempt to start in the middle, have no history or foundation for the past, fail to understand the present and miss the future.  Some want to go to the end and see how it turns out, with no foundation, experience, or history to lead them to that point of ultimate culmination.  It is imperative that we ‘begin at the beginning’ and lay a proper foundation that is anchored in God’s Truth.

How did it all begin?  Genesis Chapter One, Verse One tells us that it started with GOD!  God, the creator, created the ‘heavens and the earth.’  The first twelve chapters of the Book of Genesis are foundational to understanding the rest of the Old Testament and any of the New.  I consider Genesis the ‘Seed Book’ of the Bible and know that God is systematic and orderly in His presentation and progression; therefore, I fully believe that He gave us a definitive guide or basis of information here at the beginning of the most important book that any of us will ever read.

If you begin with a ‘Big Bang,’ you will not and cannot see God as the creator because you believe in ‘random chance’ to explain the entirety of creation and man’s existence.  That would be like taking a few railroad cars loaded with printer’s type and a shovel, scooping them up, throwing them into the air, and expecting a novel of epic proportions to come forth.  It would be like taking the pieces of a watch and placing them in a bag, shaking them up, and expecting a finely tuned precision timepiece to be the result. 

Scientists cannot explain the complexities of man’s nervous system with the miles of blood vessels, nerves, etc.  Design implies a designer, and it would take far more ‘faith’ for me to believe the theory of evolution, the big bang, or some other theory other than “In the beginning God created….”

If we begin at the wrong premise, we will arrive at the wrong destination if we start anywhere other than “In the beginning God….” We start wrong and will come to the wrong conclusion.  If you want me to explain everything about God, you are asking the wrong person.  Frankly, I do not believe you will ever find a human to fill that role. 

But let’s turn the tables, and you explain the human body’s complexities, the universe, its operation, and life.  Oh, I’m sorry I asked a challenging question.  I declared that what you believe is based on what you have been taught and your willingness or unwillingness to consider the Bible’s account.  Your scientific evidence is not evidence but theoretical postulations from the likes of Charles Darwin and others. 

You ignore the holes in those theories.  You cling to them because it makes you feel secure not having to acknowledge the existence and power of God. After all, that would make you accountable to Him.  I do not mean you as inclusive of all who read this, for I doubt that many who read this believe that, and most are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

So, as you progress into this year, I urge you to make a commitment to go back to the beginning and start there with God as the starting point of your life.  It does not matter where you are on your journey from the cradle to the grave. Going back to review the foundation is never a bad thing.

May God be with you as you go through your day!