John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  NKJV

1 Corinthians 13:13 – “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”  NKJV

Even a cursory reading of the New Testament reveals the emphasis Jesus placed on Love!  John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  35 By this all will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another.”   I would suggest that in truth all of the actions that we are enjoined to take toward “one another” are simply Love in Action!  Philippians 1:9, “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in the knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God.”

I am 100% convinced when there is a sufficient flow of Agape Love in a life and a church, divisiveness will shrink into nothingness because Love drives out darkness and disarms the devil, like nothing else.  Love brings to light that darkness cannot endure.  Love covers differences in nonessentials and enables “oneness” to become reality.  I, therefore, believe that one of if not the greatest needs of the church and the individual is Agape Love!

When it comes to relationships in churches or believers we would do well to remember and determine that We are Family!  We are “members of one another.”  That is a foreign concept to some but interesting, nonetheless.  I wonder how many would deliberately do damage or hurt another part of their own human body?  Would you deliberately cut off a toe because it bumped into the bedpost during the night?  Yet, we do that very thing in the Body of Christ.  Amazing, isn’t it?

One of the clear messages of the New Testament is that we are “members of one another.”  Every New Testament writer confirmed and echoed that truth, but the apostle Paul made it crystal clear by using the analogy of the Human Body in 1 Corinthians 12:14-26.  There is no way that even the most carnal and immature believer could miss Paul’s message.  He wraps up powerfully in 1 Corinthians 12:27, “Now you are the Body of Christ, and each of you is a part of it.”  

I wonder if many or possibly most believers miss Paul’s emphasis here.  We have been told to search for and attempt to discover our spiritual gifts in order to function in the Body of Christ.  We have been told that because in these passages the apostle makes extensive reference to spiritual gifts.  However, if you examine the passage more closely you will find that idea nowhere in any exhortation that the individual Christian is to look for or try to discover their spiritual gift.  I suggest you cannot find that in the Bible.  But, before I lose you, if I have not already, let me address what I believe Paul is emphasizing.

• No Individual Christian can function effectively alone.

Question:  Have you ever gotten a speck of dust or something in your eye?  When you do the natural instinct is to take your finger and rub it, right?  It took more than the eye to resolve the problem.  That is the natural response but in the spiritual, we seem to think we can be islands needing no other member of the Body of Christ.  Wrong! 

• No Member of the Body of Christ should ever feel he is more or less important than any other member.

No individual believer has exclusive rights to God’s grace.  We are all equal at the foot of the Cross.  Romans 12:3, 5, “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt with each one a measure of faith… 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.”   Ephesians 4:2, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”

• Christians should work hard at creating UNITY in the Body of Christ.

We cannot function effectively alone we need each other as the natural body needs all its members for the most efficient functionality.  None of us is more important or less important than anyone else in the Body of Christ even though some have a more prominent role or position.  We are to be clothed with humility, remembering that even the one who has the greatest responsibility is also to be the greatest servant.  Therefore, all of us should strive for Unity and Peace because We Love the LORD and We Love One Another!

Did you follow it?  The emphasis was not on the gifts but preserving the Bond of Peace and creating Unity in the Body of Christ.  The gifts will become visible as the need presents itself and we utilize them, but Peace and Unity are things we must work toward and seek diligently.  I truly believe that Agape Love is the one of, if not the most powerful weapon, the Body of Christ and individual has in combating the forces of hell. 

Agape Love is our ultimate weapon against darkness.  There is no difficulty that enough Agape Love will not conquer.  There is no wound that enough Agape Love will not heal.  There is no door that enough Agape Love will not open.  There is no division that enough Agape Love will not bridge.  There is no wall that enough Agape Love will not scale or pull down.  There is no sin that enough Agape Love will not cover and redeem.

So, make it your goal to Walk in Love at all times and in all things! 

God bless you as you go through this wonderful day in Him.

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  NKJV

1 Corinthians 13:13 – “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”  NKJV

The most prolific word used for love in the New Testament is Agape which describes “love at its ultimate.”  However, there are three other Greek words for love and of the four only three are used in the New Testament. 

• ERAN (Eros) – A word that describes the passion and the impulses that go along with it.  It focuses on the physical and sensual and it might be surprising to note that this word is not used in the New Testament.  This can be sinful as in lust but is the natural type of love that occurs between a man and a woman within the confines of marriage.
• STERGEIN (Storgi)- I would venture to say that many have never heard of this type of love but it refers to “natural affection” and is used to describe the love of parents for children or children for parents.  It is found in the New Testament twice with the prefix “a”, denoting the lack of natural affection.  [Romans 1:31 and 2 Timothy 3:3]. 
• PHILEIN (Phileo) – The word means ‘fondness, affection, or liking.’  It is used to describe the love between friends and is NEVER used to describe the love we are to have for God.  It is used 45 times in the New Testament.  It is not a passionate love like that between a husband and wife.  When Jesus asked whether Peter loved Him was “agapao” but Peter, possibly being caught off guard said, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.” [John 21:15].  The word Peter used was “phileo” or brother love.  At that point, Peter apparently didn’t get it. 
• AGAPAN (Agape) – This is ultimate love or love.  It is not based on emotion but a conscious decision to act for the welfare of the object of that love.  It is used 320 times in one form or another in the New Testament.  It is not human in origin and is received then given back and is always associated with the love of God.

Love, the song says, “Is a many splendored thing” and without it, there is always Disunity in lives, homes, and churches.  I believe that “love problem” or problem from the lack of love we identify as Disunity is one of the greatest threats to churches in today’s world.  Conversely, Unity is one of the most needed qualities any person, family, or church can have, and I am convinced that Unity can only be achieved through Love, but I am not talking about Eros. 

Paul tells his listeners in Ephesians 4:15-16, we are to “Speak the truth in love.”  He makes it clear that as that transpires, “they will, in all things, grow up into Him who is the head, Jesus.”  He identifies that in that relationship and condition, “the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes the growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”  If you dissect and digest that you will find enough meat to feast on for years and it will change your life.

Over and over the New Testament writers exhorted believers to engage in specific activities that would enable the Body of Christ to function effectively and grow spiritually.  Often, we find a unique word to describe this mutual and reciprocal process – Allelon, “one another”.  It is used 58 times in the New Testament including the Gospels and the apostle Paul uses it 40 times.  Although some of the concepts are repeated from letter to letter, but when all of the One Another exhortations are studied and grouped according to their specific meanings they can be reduced to approximately twelve significant actions that Christians are to take toward “one another” to help build the Body of Christ.

I do not have time to detail them in this devotional but will say that the greatest is Love!  Paul described this as a more excellent way in 1 Corinthians 12:31 and 13:13. The exhortation to “love one another” is found in his writings more than all the rest.  Of the 48 references what we are to do to “one another” as fellow believers 11times we are told to “love one another”.  If you incorporate Christ’s direct commands to “love one another” from John’s gospel the number climbs to sixteen.  It is without question; Love is the most important issue for the believer in the New Testament.  To love fellow believers is a basic injunction and is evidence of spiritual life and salvation.  Yet, amazingly believers are often deficient in exhibiting “love to one another” for one reason or another.

We will pause here and pick up next time in considering this matter.  God bless you richly as you walk in His light and love. 

Matthew 15:1-11 – “Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, 2 “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”

3 He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?  4 For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’  5 But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God” —   6 then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus, you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.  7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:

8 “These people draw near to Me with their mouth And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'”

10 When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand:  11 Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”  NKJV

I have met and been around Christians who rigidly adhere to external restrictions as evidence of their faith and piousness.  They have their “do’s” and “don’ts” and religiously keep their list and demand that everyone else complies or be branded a heretic and apostate.  They compare themselves with others and so long as their ledger sheet has them keeping more of their religious requirements, they feel good about themselves and beat their chests saying, “Thank God I am not like them.”  The stench of that attitude surely ascends to heaven and most assuredly does in the minds and hearts of those who have not yet come to Christ in their communities.

David, in Psalm 39:1, declared, “I said, I will guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, while the wicked are before me.”  I was once a legalist and a very devout Pharisee early in my Christian walk.  I became that because of my misunderstanding of the message being taught by ministers and older Christians. 

As the LORD opened my eyes and taught me a fuller understanding of His truth, I rejected that mindset and embraced Grace in a way I had never truly known it.  I do not mean I began to wink at sin, but I understood the reality of our LORD’s word in verse eleven above.  It is tragic to have a list of rules, regulations, restrictions, prohibitions, and outward demonstrations and fail to “guard the tongue”.

James 3 addresses the power and danger of an unbridled tongue.  If we keep all the rules but allow our mouths to issue forth words that destroy, are filled with anger, and profane we fail spiritually.  We are allowing the hypocrisy of legalism to defile and that is truly a tragedy.  It is no wonder that the writer of Proverbs would declare in Chapter 18:21 that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…”  No wonder much is said about the tongue in Scripture both in the Old and New Testaments.  It is said that the “eyes are the window to the soul.”  I would like to add that the “tongue is the window to the heart.”

Blessing and cursing cannot proceed out of the same fountain and when we fully grasp that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, we will seek the help of the Holy Spirit to guard our words and mend our minds so that we have the mind of Christ and every thought, word, and deed are brought into the obedience of the LORD.

God bless you as you embark on today’s journey.

Matthew 8:5-13 – “Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, 6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”

7 And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!  11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.  12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.”  NKJV

I have heard and preached many sermons preached on “faith.”  I have heard many definitions through the years, but seldom do I hear anyone address the aspect of the dimension of faith as is revealed in this passage.  In my view, it simplifies faith wonderfully and is often overlooked by the majority of Christ’s followers.  The story is not an uncommon one in the Life and Ministry of our LORD.  Here is a military commander with a sick person in his life who was dear to him.  He turned to Jesus for help in his time of need and desperation.

Sadly, too often we do not consult the LORD until it is desperation time.  In desperation, often, faith is nowhere present because “fear” and “anxiety” override our confidence, and faith is relegated to “wishful hope” rather than “confident expectation.”  It is clear, to me, this military commander believed, otherwise he would not have come to Jesus.  He also understood something about authority and obedience that too often we miss or overlook. Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.”  That would have caused incredible excitement in most hearts, but this commander revealed something amazing.

The commander addressed his view of his own worthiness and Jesus’ worthiness.  He did not view Jesus as His vending machine to provide whatever he wanted or needed but as someone worthy of great respect and reverence.  He saw Jesus as LORD!  He then said something that most of us believe in our minds but often fail to incorporate into our lives.  One Word from Jesus is enough.  We say we believe, “when Jesus says it is enough it will be enough” but we live as though more is required than His word.  We have His word in the Bible but either relegate much of it to another dispensation or time or we do not truly believe it or that it applies to us. 

This commander unveiled a military aspect of faith that we would do well to not only understand but incorporate into our lives.  He said, “I am not worthy for you to come to my house but if you simply Say the WORD, it will be done.”  If that was all we had it would be commendable but not revelatory. He then said, “For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me.”  Catch what he said, “under authority, having soldiers under me.”  He understood Authority! 

Jesus responded saying, “I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel.”  Remember that Jesus said, “All authority is given to me.”  He also said that He gave us “Authority over the Power of the devil.”  This man understood the power of authority and that if Jesus issued the command it was done.  He said, “if I say to this one, ‘Go’, he goes; and to another ‘Come’, he comes and to my servant “Do This’, he does it.”  He understood that Faith was a path of obedience and understood the power of authority. 

If Jesus is who He said He was and the Bible declares Him to be, and He is, Then we need to view faith from this military perspective and see the power of authority and the flow of the chain of command.  Who has power over all the power of the devil?  Jesus and since we are in Christ and Christ is in us, “We are more than conquerors through Him that loves us.” 

Reach out in Faith confident that HIS WORD is Enough!  God bless you as you go through this wonderful day in Him.

Luke 14:25-33 – “Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.  27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.  28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it —   29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’  31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?  32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.  33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”  NKJV

There is a “cost” in following Jesus.  There is a “cost” in virtually everything we do in life, and we must be prepared to “pay the price” for our choices and “face the consequences” of our decisions and actions.   When Jesus presented this scenario of “counting the cost” of the man building the tower He was specifically addressing DISCIPLESHIP!  But we could apply that truth to every aspect of life.  It should, without question, be a clear warning and admonition for us to avoid “running” before we know where we are running or why and to never go off ‘half-cocked’ but to make a reasoned decision in our actions.

I had a person tell me once that God commanded him to “hate” his family in order to be a good Christian and Disciple.  He said, “That is my cross.”  He used the words of our Lord in this passage to justify his belief and estrangement from family.  The word “hate” here does not mean hate in the sense we normally use it but hate in the sense of “love, less”. 

The argument that the Bible teaches Socialism should be quickly dispelled in this passage as our Lord makes it incredibly clear here and elsewhere that He offers no “welfare program” or “easy believism”.  The idea or truth of “counting the cost” means recognizing and agreeing to the terms and conditions.  Following Christ may cost us much and in some cases, everything, in the natural but the prize is worth the cost.

Anyone seeking to follow Jesus for what they can get will not stick around long because they soon find that it is not all “what’s in it for me?”  In verse 33 Jesus makes an incredibly arresting declaration saying, “whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”  This can easily be understood as more than physically letting it go but emotionally releasing it.

God does not ask that you commit to a “vow of poverty” in order to follow Him and that you can never possess any of this world’s good but that they cannot possess you.  We cannot serve God and mammon and if you recall the dilemma of the rich young ruler who turned back because “he had many possessions” you get the picture.  It is one thing to possess something and quite another for it to possess you.

The conflict can be illustrated as I heard another describe.  Suppose you received word that you had been given a lavish property in Hawaii.  There was the provision of airfare, ground transportation, and all expenses were to be paid out of the trust and it would cost you nothing out of pocket.  You have options as to how to address this gift.  You could puff out your chest and brag about what you owned.  You could begin to daydream about the property and even make plans about how you will enjoy and use it. 

BUT until you board the plane and leave where you are you will Never actually possess it.  You cannot live where you are and there at the same time.  You have to take affirmative and definitive action.  That is the way some approach Christianity and Discipleship. They love the idea of eternal life, avoiding hell, and having Jesus at their beck and call, but they are not willing to leave the life they now live.  Their desires, lifestyles, and sinful habits are too precious to them.  Oh, they often have a token change and even join the church and attend with some regularity but want to retain ownership of everything else.  Jesus said, “NO!” 

Salvation is not and cannot be earned only received.  It is the Gift of God and not something we earn, purchase, or deserve.  It does not matter how philanthropic we may be, or how many good deeds we do it is BY GRACE through FAITH and the GIFT OF GOD in Christ Jesus.  If we are going to be Disciples of Christ we must first, “count the cost” and determine that no cost is too great to follow Him.

God bless you as you go through this beautiful day!

Ezekiel 33:1-6 – “Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, 3 when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.'”  NKJV

In today’s world of heightened danger from terrorism, hate, and crime, there is the encouragement for the public, “See something say something.”  That is something that is practiced in Israel and other parts of the world and has proven to be instrumental and valuable in protecting against an attack.  Yet, I have been told many times from a spiritual standpoint, “Well, it is none of my business” or “I don’t want to meddle.”  

How valid are those arguments when it comes to DANGER?  Would you consider it meddling to warn a parent or a child if the child was in danger of running into a busy street?  Would you consider it none of your business or meddling to warn residents if their house was on fire?  Would you consider it meddling to inform your neighbor if you saw someone break into their house and cart off their goods?   I suggest that we are quite selective in what we deem “meddling” or “none of our business” and tragically consider it good citizenship to sound a warning in the natural on many fronts but unacceptable in spiritual matters.

This passage suggests multiple responsibilities in times of danger.  If we see “danger” or the “sword” coming and sound the alarm of warning and it is heeded people are saved or better prepared to deal with the present danger.  However, if we sound the alarm and it is ignored then their blood is on their heads not our hands.  It is a grave matter, biblically, to ‘see danger’ and not ‘sound the alarm’.  That would be knowingly and deliberately allowing harm to come to others when we could have, at least, warned them of the impending danger.  God does not take that lightly nor should we. 

Although we often declare that our system or code of laws have their roots in the Bible, we might not realize just how true that is.  In Deuteronomy 22:8, if someone falls from your roof, and you failed to install a safety fence around the edge, you would be held liable for the death of that individual.  It may have been gross negligence on their part, but you had an obligation to ‘warn’ or take steps to prevent the danger. 

In Exodus 21:29-31, if a man owns an ox that is prone to harming people, the owner is held liable if he fails to ‘confine’ the ox and it harms or kills someone.  If the ox ‘harms’ someone the owner is fined, but if it ‘kills’ someone, the negligent owner was to be put to death.  You might say, “That is awfully severe,” and I agree it is, but it speaks to the seriousness God has with regard to “warning of danger” whether that danger is “eternal hell” or “physical danger”.  God holds us accountable for Sounding the Alarm! 

I believe that one of the assignments I have from God is to be a “Watchman on the Wall” and to sound the alarm of impending danger that I see.  Therefore, if I remain silent when I see danger, I have violated a commandment of God and could never justify or argue that I was not guilty of “he that knows to do good and does it not to him it is sin.”  If I See It and do not Say Something, sounding the alarm I become accountable before God for the harm that comes. 

However, if I do sound the alarm, then the responsibility shifts from me to those being warned.  In keeping with this reality, we must also understand that the messenger, as well as the message, may be rejected and we should always seek God for ways to make the message palatable, so it is understood, received, and heeded. 

God bless you as you go through this wonderful day in Him!

Hebrews 13:5-6 – “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”   6 So we may boldly say:

“The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”   NKJV

If this were the only place, we find the Promise that God will NEVER leave or forsake us it would be enough, but it is not an isolated promise, but repeated numerous times in Scripture.  It goes to the heart of God’s desire and purpose for our lives.  God did not inspire us to get in this race and begin this walk only to abandon us in the process.  Heaven forbid for that would be a picture of God totally foreign to the biblical view of His person, nature, and character.

In Deuteronomy 31:6, God spoke to Joshua as he was charged with leading the nation of Israel into the Promised Land, “Be strong and very courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave your nor forsake you.”  NEVER!  Take it to the bank, God will not abandon you.  People may but God will NEVER do so. 

God repeats the promise in verse 8 and we read it again in Joshua 1:5. we find the same promise that God will never abandon us in 1 Kings 8:57, 1 Chronicles 28:20, Psalm 37:28, Psalm 94:14, Isaiah 41:17, Isaiah 42:16, and here in Hebrews. We are instructed that out of the mouth of two or three witnesses let everything is established and we have more than two or three occasions in which God has promised to NEVER LEAVE nor FORSAKE us. 

I do not know what situation you are now facing or might face in the days to come.  I do not know what might be around the next corner of life.  I do not know the future, but I do know the one who controls the future and am 100% satisfied and confident that He is a Promise Keeper and if He said He WILL NOT leave or forsake us He WILL NOT leave or forsake us.  Therefore, take heart and comfort no matter what you face God is the same yesterday, today, and forever and HE WILL NOT FAIL.

If the vision He placed in your heart still seems to be light years away from fulfillment it is not a sign that He has abandoned, you.  It might be you have not launched out into the deep as you should.  It might mean that the time is not yet.  It could mean any number of things including the possibility that the devil is hindering, and you need to defeat him in prayer to allow the breakthrough to come. 

It does not mean that God has abandoned you.  If He put it in your heart, He will provide that which is needed to achieve the purpose and vision He gave.  Therefore, be patient, be faithful, and be confident – He is Still God!   If He said it, He will bring it to pass, that you can bank on.  

I encourage you to remember the account of Daniel 10 when the angel of the Lord appeared to Daniel in his time of prayer and said, “Do not fear, Daniel, for, from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.  But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia…”  There was a spiritual demonic hindrance and if you realize that God will do whatever it takes to fulfill His promise to NEVER LEAVE or FORSAKE you your heart will endure the trial and rise to victory.

God bless you as you go through this day!

1 Corinthians 10:12-13 – “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”  NKJV

I had a person tell me, “It just happened and there was nothing I could do about it” in reference to a failure in their life.  If that statement is true, then the passage above is a lie.  The Word of God is not a lie.  We do get “caught” in faults, situations, and circumstances but they Do Not just happen.  We open the door and fail to look for and receive the “way of escape” God has provided.  It really doesn’t matter what the temptation is, there is a way out if we will stay sensitive to the Holy Spirit and not allow the devil to inundate us with justifications that seek to excuse our behavior. 

Will we tell God that it “just happened” and we were totally caught off guard without a way out?  I don’t think we’d dare attempt that justification or excuse because we know better. If we fail to heed the warning signs of the Spirit and the flesh, we open ourselves to failure on any and every front in our lives. 

I had a woman tell me once about her infidelity, “He said such good things and cared about me unlike my husband, and it just happened.”  NO, IT DID NOT!  You opened the door.  You entertained the flattery and began to enjoy the attention and allowed your guard to be lowered.  I have no doubt that God was continually giving you warning signs and offering you ways out, but you were enjoying the attention too much and the flesh was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. 

We do not just “Fall into Temptation” we walk into it.  If we allow the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, or the pride of life to override the pricks of the Holy Spirit we become subject to succumbing to temptation.  When we “fall” it was not totally unexpected, but we kept moving nearer and nearer to the edge and finally could no longer maintain our spiritual balance, and over the edge we went.  But never doubt there was a way out, a path of escape because that is God’s promise and God never lies.

I cannot emphasize the importance of the biblical directive of Paul in the next verse, “…flee idolatry” and the other biblical warnings to “resist the devil” and to “shun the very appearance of evil.”  We talk ourselves into failure because of circumstances, situations, disappointments, and sometimes simply through flattery. 

I have had preachers tell me, “Well, there is no harm in harmless flirting.”  Seriously?  Harmless flirting?  What is that? Remember it is the “little foxes that spoil the vine”.  If you continue to sow seeds to the flesh and ego, one day you will find the harvest comes in and you won’t like the result.  It is one thing to be friendly it is quite another to flirt which often subconsciously entertains something beyond the harmless. 

I have witnessed situations develop as a result of “harmless flirting” in a moment of weakness, disappointment, and even anger over a situation.  If that door had not been opened the opportunity would not have presented itself and the fall into temptation would not have been a possibility. 

God is faithful and He expects faithfulness from us.  The good news is, “if we sin, we have an advocate with the Father.”  Never, justify a failure or indirectly blame God for not warning you of the danger because He has promised to provide “a way of escape.” 

God bless you as you go through this wonderful day in Him.

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 –“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”  NKJV

Compartmentalization is defined as “an unconscious psychological mechanism used to avoid cognitive dissonance, or the mental discomfort and anxiety caused by a person’s having conflicting values, cognitions, emotions, beliefs, etc. within themselves.”  

In Christianity, it gives rise and attempts to justify holding the view of one’s having a “spiritual life, church life, family life, business life, etc.”  I had a very well-respected man, a pillar of the church and community, tell me that his business life, family life, and spiritual life were all separated and that allowed him to function more perfectly in this present world.  I cannot accept that as biblically valid for we are what we believe and out of our belief system our lives are reflected in our various life engagements. 

If we compartmentalize our lives so that one does not overlap the other, we could be devious in business, disloyal in our relationships, and yet maintain the appearance of godliness in the church.  That dog won’t hunt, in my opinion.  We read in Proverbs 23:7 (Amp), “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he [in behavior – one who manipulates] …”  Jesus informed us in Luke 12 that a person’s life DOES NOT consist of possessions.  His existence may consist of possessions but not his LIFE!  Life is the sum total of all we are in all areas of our existence. 

I believe compartmentalization is one of the major reasons so many are avid defenders of the idea of “separation of church and state.”  If we completely divest politics from our spiritual and moral makeup, we are able to stand behind and with politicians who are not godly, do not support godly principles, and demonstrate a character unbecoming to the faith.  If we completely divest politics from our spiritual and moral makeup, we are able to support legislation that gives us a benefit on one hand while running afoul of the basic principles of God’s word and morality. 

I do not want to make this devotional about politics, but every area of life is part of our Life and important.  What I believe politically, economically, socially, and relationally is directly connected and stems from what I believe spiritually.  If I value the Word of God and consider the Bible my guide for faith and practice, then I cannot and will not separate it from every compartment or area of my life.  WHAT I BELIEVE IS WHO I AM!

It would cause less angst in our hearts if we could compartmentalize our lives and feel no guilt or remorse for deviousness, often called shrewdness, in business.  However, our conscience will not allow us to have that disconnect Unless we allow our conscience to become “seared”.  

Compartmentalization allows Christians to become anesthetized to the wickedness and evil in society on various fronts.  I am amazed at how little sin troubles many who profess Christ today.  We are able to be inundated with profanity, lewdness, vileness and do not feel completely soiled needing a bath. 

Our spirits are not grieved when we are bombarded with godlessness, and we are able to allow it entrance through our eye or ear gates not realizing that it taints our spirits much more dramatically than we imagine.  I have had some tell me that I am being “holier than thou” or too “Puritan and Prudish” in my views because that’s just the way the world is, and we have to be in it.  Yes, but we are not to be OF IT!

You are not a cat and do not have nine lives distinct and separate from the other compartments of your being.  You are the sum total of the various aspects of your life and a reflection of what you believe. 

If we truly believe the Bible is the Word of God then I suggest that we need to come before our Lord and ask Him, as David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.”  [Psalm 51:10-11]. 

In Proverbs 4:23 we find, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”  The word “issues” refers to the “outgoings and boundaries”.  Our hearts (what we believe) shapes our lives, who we are, and all we do.  How can we believe in an Omniscient God who wants us to seek first and foremost His kingdom and righteousness if we compartmentalize our lives including Him in some and excluding Him in other portions? 

God bless you as you go through this wonderful day in Him