Hebrews 12:1-2 – “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  NKJV

I remember a cousin giving me advice before I departed for boot camp saying, “I was fearful of not making it but the more I thought about it the more I realized that if so many others had successfully gotten through that ordeal I could too.”  That helped me more times than I can count in boot camp, Vietnam and life in general.  The very fact that a host of others have successfully traveled the path inspires me that I can too.

Paul used the truth powerfully.  He sought to inspire the hearts with the reality that others have walked the path and because they have we should be careful to divest ourselves of all hindrances, develop patience and confidence in God’s promises and determine to endure or finish the course.  We run, not without purpose but with our focus on the LORD Jesus who is that friend who will never leave or forsake us.  He is the one that has gone before us to prepare a place for us.  He has promised to return for us and allow us to join Him in that heavenly abode forever.

The confidence inspired by others successfully achieving an objective is a powerful inspiration and reminder.  There are things we must do to enhance our journey and propel us toward victory.  Most of us have loved ones who have proceeded us having crossed over and their faith, lives and commitment are inspirations as are the desire to see them again.  In life’s difficulties we can and should be reminded of the myriad of others who have faced similar circumstances and successfully defeated the enemy.  As my cousin said, “If they can I can too!” 

I would be remiss if I failed to note that it is not in our strength we run this race but in His.  It is a biblical truth that we can DO ALL THINGS through Christ who strengthens us.  We are MORE THAN conquerors through Him.  If God is for us who can be against us?   Therefore, knowing that He has led multitudes through the twists and turns of life and successfully led them to victory we can rest in confidence that He will lead us as well.

            May the Lord be with you as you go through this day!

1 Corinthians 15:12-20 – “Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up — if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. 20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”  NKJV

Bill Gaither wrote an incredibly powerful song at the birth of their son called, “Because He Lives.”  Truly, because Jesus lives we can!  We can face the future without fear and in perfect peace because He has risen from the dead, ascended to the right hand of the Father and now makes intercession for us.  Because He lives I can…

• Face Life…

The Bible tells us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever therefore the three days we need to concern ourselves with are “yesterday, today and tomorrow”.  Yesterday is history so fretting over it is futile.  It is history and what is written is written. Worrying about what might have been will not change what is or will be.  Tomorrow has not yet come and might not come therefore concerning ourselves with it is without redeeming value.  Our Lord confirmed that telling His followers to “take no thought of the ‘morrow…”  He was not counseling against planning or preparation but to not be overwhelmed with what might be.  The day we should focus on is TODAY for as the Bible declares in Psalm 118:24, “This is the day which the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”   TODAY is the moment in life that we should devote our attention.  Today is the day of salvation.  Today determines tomorrow in our lives.  Because He lives we can face today and life.

• Reject Worry…

Jesus instructed His followers in Matthew 6:25 – “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?”  NKJV We can live in peace and confidence that God is at work on our behalf and in our best interest at all times.  Remember in Romans 8:28 we are told – “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” NKJV Because He lives we can live worry free!

• Face Death…

Death to the unbeliever is finality and painfully troubling.  Although few truly yearn for death the believer is so completely confident in the promise of eternity death holds no terror.  The difference in how we face death is Jesus Christ.  If we have received Him as our personal savior death has no sting.  If we have not then death brings fear to our hearts as a terrorist’s threat of destruction.  Because He lives I can face death without fear.

• Face Eternity…

The Bible makes it clear that judgment is real.  Heaven is real.  Hell is real.  All will stand before God and give account.  The covering of the Blood of Jesus is essential and His presence at the Judgment Bar defending us before the Father is vital and affords incredible comfort as we face eternity.  Because He lives we can long for our eternal destiny rather than fearing.

May the Lord be with you and may your heart leap for joy as you consider the power of the truth that He Lives!   Blessings!

Luke 9:62 – “But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”  NKJV

The title and the text have some wiggle room to attain the message I desire to present in this short devotional.  Truly, if one looks back at their past longingly and regrets or pines for the pleasures of sin that is an awful place and fits squarely in the word of our Lord in the above passage.  That is something I would want everyone to hold in the forefront of their consciousness but not specifically what I desire to present today.

I have said and heard others say, “If only I could be eighteen again knowing what I know now.”  There is both good and bad in that statement but at its heart it is a wrong frame of mind; for the past is the past and time once lived cannot be recovered.  It is gone!  Paul, told the Philippians that he knew he had not achieved spiritual perfection but was continuously reaching for the prize.  He emphasized that in pressing forward he refused to look back.  Lessons are learned in our experiences but they should never become a point of focus that we keep before us.  Learn the lesson, implement the learned and move forward.

Eighteen is so far in my rear-view mirror that I can barely remember it and although I made many mistakes at that stage of my life and have wondered how differently my life would have been and be had those mistakes not been made.  I dwell there only momentarily for almost immediately the Holy Spirit reminds me that my path led me to Christ and eternal redemption.  I made several choices after high school to avoid Vietnam and with each choice something changed that kept my path headed to Southeast Asia.  I wanted to be an Air Force pilot, I had opportunity to cross branches to the Army and train for flying helicopters but made choices that negated those possibilities.  Had either of those happened my life could have and probably would have been dramatically different if I had survived.  Experiences in childhood, high school, military and afterward conditioned my heart to hear the tugging of the Holy Spirit and the wonder of salvation.  I would not change that for anything so I do not want to be eighteen again.

Some want to be eighteen again or any age younger than their present years because they fear the eventuality of death.  Death is a horror if you do not know the LORD in salvation and forgiveness but holds no sting or threat if we do.  We know that it is simply a promotion, sleep and/or transition from the physical reality to spiritual and eternal reality.  If it were possible to turn back the clock, travel back in time and be eighteen again where is the guarantee one would make the right choices and still arrive at the desired destination.  The desire is somewhat rooted in vanity but even more concerning is it expresses a lack of peace.  It expresses a lack of contentment with where our lives are now.  It expresses a desire to be god and in control rather than walking in faith and obedience to the Father.

We are on an eternal journey and reaching the finish line is not an undesirable thing.  Rather than wishing we could return to the days of youth let’s focus on making the remaining days of our lives productive and full.  I desire to LIVE not ENDURE or EXIST.  I desire to savor every moment of the remaining days and my prayer is that the LORD enable me to fulfill my purpose in this generation.  I want to be a vessel the Master can and does use to touch lives for God and good.

Never focus on the past but keep your eyes on the prize that is before!  The end of the race is better than the beginning!   May God bless you, guard and guide you as you walk through this day in Him!   Blessings!

2 Timothy 1:3-7 -”I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, 4 greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, 5 when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. 6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”  NKJV

Three things are foundational in my life and outlook:  Faith, Family & Freedom.  The Bible reveals in Hebrews 11:6 that “without faith it is impossible to please God…”  We are also informed in Romans 10:17 that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  We read in Ephesians 2:18 that salvation is by grace and we receive that gift or prize through faith.  So Faith is incredibly important in the spiritual.  We demonstrate our faith through obedience.  Our obedience to the directives of the Word of God indicate our confidence in the God of the Word and is an expression of faith.  Without faith we would be like rudderless ships tossed on the sea of life.  Some have accused me of preaching a “blind faith” that is unreasonable but I contend that Hebrews 11 teaches faith that the unbeliever could easily view as “blind”. 

The writer of Hebrews 11 presents a complex definition of faith saying, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  I heard a preacher take this text once and contended for NOW FAITH.  Not future faith, past faith but present faith or faith that is alive and operational in the NOW.  This faith described in Hebrews is a demonstrated confidence in the promises and provisions of God.  It is the desired object yet unseen but possessed in the heart, mind and spirit by FAITH.  Faith transforms hopelessness into hope and inspires those facing seeming sure defeat to rise and stand on the promises of God.  Is it “blind”?  Only to the natural mind or eye.  For we are serving one who sees the end from the beginning.

I find it tragic in dealing with people, reading articles, seeing television programming and observing the efforts of Hollywood to witness the lessening of importance to the family unit.  I realize that I was raised in a different generation and with parents and grandparents who were totally committed to family and valued it above everything but God.  My parents considered it both an obligation and privilege to teach, nurture and train us in life.  They believed that if they kept us pointed in the right direction and taught us basic principles of morality, life and faith we would become wholesome contributors to society and could, in time, become responsible parents ourselves.  In my family we did not and do not rubber stamp attitudes and actions simply because of kinship.  We illustrate the idea of iron sharpening iron but at the end of the day we value family and carefully guard those relationships.  My sister was a grade behind me in school and I was told once that some guys were afraid to ask her out because of me.  The statement was, “You are so fiercely loyal to family and friends some guys are afraid.”  I responded, “Nothing to fear unless you harm her.”

Today the world and America are witnessing the weakening of Freedom on many fronts.  Freedom is not the absence of chains on the body but the absence of chains on the heart.  Of course none of us want to be in chains physically and find slavery repulsive but many are in chains spiritually, mentally, emotionally, financially and politically.  Freedom is a treasure never to be treated lightly.  Freedom on virtually every front is fragile if there is not a solid foundation of Faith.  If I do not trust or have faith in government I will not feel confident or secure in my freedom.  If I do not trust others I cannot have confidence or feel secure in relationships.  If I do not have confidence in the Word, Promises and God Himself I cannot be Free spiritually and become an easy target for the enemy of our souls.

Therefore, I believe it is imperative that we first develop a foundation of Faith, strengthen Family relationships and in that condition we can achieve and enjoy Freedom regardless of what transpires in our world.  For me it is:  Faith-Family-Freedom!

            God bless you and God bless America!

Matthew 18:21-23 – “Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”  22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”  NKJV

I know some believers who are such incredible literalist they frequently arrive at some amazing conclusions regarding scripture.  I had to deal with a situation where a church member had gotten into trouble because during an argument someone struck him.  He followed the biblical mandate and turned the other cheek and they hit him on that cheek as well.  He then proceeded to give the other person a thorough thrashing and I had to plea to keep him from being arrested for assault.  He could not understand the problem for he said, “But I turned the other check and the Bible does not say anything about what to do after that so I took it literally to mean I was on solid ground.” 

I remind him and others of this passage and attempted to convey that Jesus was not saying forgive 490 times and then on 491 it is open season.  Several protested that we must take the Bible literally and since Jesus said 490 there had better not be number 491.  I laughed thinking of the ledger they would have to keep for the 490 sins and possibly in the context the same sin.  Imagine being so consumed with revenge and being allowed to retaliate that you kept such a ledger.  I cannot fathom that for by the time 491 rolled around the bitterness would have consumed the one supposedly forgiving.

Forgiveness has to have at its foundation a desire for restoration.  It cannot be focused on the offense or self for if it is it will prove to be other than forgiveness.  Forgiveness cannot be a balance sheet or scale it has to be a matter of choice from the heart that desires to restore the one offending.  If I declare that I forgive you and harbor resentment I have not forgiven.  I have only exercised the application of a faux balm on my conscience but the root is still there.

Forgiveness is to release into the hands of God and then take my hands off.  If I am keeping score I have neither released it to God nor taken my hands off.  God clearly says, “Vengeance is mine…”  Remember this question was about being offended, wounded, or wronged by a BROTHER.  He gives a directive on handling offenses between brothers earlier in the chapter and few, if any, follow that prescription. Few churches are equipped mentally or spiritually to follow that directive.  The ultimate end of church discipline, God’s chastisement or forgiveness is restoration.  It may not happen but that must always remain the objective.

We do not forget but we, as God, make the decision to never allow that offense to come into play in our dealings with the one forgiven.  I am not suggesting that you do not guard against being taken advantage of but you cannot do that to the place that you are cynical and lacking compassion or trust.  If you get burned you get burned and you can turn to God for His comfort and protection.  Never allow your heart to become hardened or filled with bitterness because of offenses.  

Forgive and we will be forgiven!  What a promise and provision from our LORD.  May the Lord be with you and bless you as you go through this day!

Matthew 12:1-8 – “At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”

3 But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:  4 how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?  5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?  6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple.  7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.  8 For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”  NKJV

As I look back on the years I laugh and cry over the Phariseeism of many in the Church.  This account has always stood out to me and given both comfort and confrontation.  The Holy Spirit has used it to remind me of the danger of becoming legalistic and ritualistic.  Through the years I have been around preachers who would blast people for working on Sunday but would lead the crowd to the restaurant after church for lunch.  I have heard sermons on the sin of hunting or fishing on Sunday but then hear a promotion of the upcoming Cowboys game and even a viewing party in the church fellowship hall.  I guess we tend to kill the sacred cows we don’t want.

Here the Pharisees were incredibly upset with the disciples for “working” on the Sabbath by gathering ears of corn and eating them.  How dare the disciples, for the Law of the Pharisees demanded no work be done and that was considered work.  I find it most interesting that they were not even remotely concerned with the disciples taking someone else’s corn.  Justice was not their strong suite but keeping every jot and tittle of their law was.  Their self-righteousness was enhanced by their strict compliance but justice and mercy were secondary.

Jesus took their exceptions and exposed their hypocrisy pointing to that which is most important – – Messiah!  He forced them to come face to face with Mercy and that is a message that we dare not forget.  Mercy truly rewrote my life and yours!  Without God’s mercy and grace we would be in a world of hurt.  It is not our great sacrifice or strict compliance with some man-made list of rules that justifies it is God’s Grace!  It is possible to become so zealous for the minute that we miss the vital.

God help us to realize that God is the focus not a particular day of the week.  God help us to remember that it is by Grace that we are saved not by our compliance to a list of rules and our comparison to others.  Yes, I know what day it is and I also know that the LORD is Lord of the Sabbath and every other day of the week.  This is the day the Lord has created and I will rejoice and be glad in it.

            God bless you as you go through this day!

Proverbs 18:9 – “He who is slothful in his work is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.” NKJV

The Bible clearly teaches and experience confirms that prodigality is bad.  If we remember the parables of the talents we realize that mishandling or not developing that which God has given is viewed negatively by the LORD.  There are people who spend more than they can afford and always seek to live well above their means.  They are not good stewards and in a sense throw away what they have in wasteful living.  The Prodigal.

The Bible also reveals that idleness is bad.  A person who is lazy and negligent in their work, labors or duties is akin to those who openly and actively destroy.  Laziness is not just a propensity to avoid work it is destructive.  It siphons from that which is productive and squanders it on that which is unproductive.  It is visible in today’s ‘entitlement mentality’ crowd who are perfectly content to sit idle and allow the produce of another to sustain them.  No wonder the apostle Paul declared that if one “would not work” they “should not eat”.  The operative word is WOULD NOT.

This is true in the everyday matters of life but it can and should also be applied to the spiritual.  If we are negligent in our studies, prayers and labors for the Kingdom we adopt a life that is non-productive and even destroys.  If we see evil and danger and sit idly by we are guilty of the blood of those who go into perdition without warning.  If we know to do good and fail to do it the Bible calls that sin.  How can we stand before the LORD expecting to hear commendation and acceptance when we have neglected that which we know?

Laziness or slothfulness is not a genetic or even a product or condition of one’s environment, it is a heart and mind condition.  Children need to be taught industry.  My heritage taught me that you work for what you receive with the exception of salvation.  Grace is a free gift but if after receiving grace we sit idle and become slothful in our Christian responsibilities we are trampling underfoot the Blood of Jesus.  We do not work to earn our salvation but we work because of our salvation.  I believe that Jesus’ statement in Revelation is applicable.  “I would that you were hot or cold but because you are lukewarm I will spew you out of my mouth.” 

God is not asking everyone to be fanatical zealots but He is asking that we bloom where we are planted and stand ready and willing to share our faith and present Him to the world.  The depraved man will be bent toward laziness and slothfulness but when the Holy Spirit resides in the heart He always motivates us to action.

            God bless you as you go through this day!

1 Peter 1:13-16 – “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”  NKJV

Without question there is a visual allusion to the long robes they wore and when they were performing labor or service they would tuck them in their girdles or waistbands so as to be able to move freely without hindrance.  I fully concur that we must allow our minds to be free of encumbrances so as to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ there is something more that I would offer.

The loins are always understood as that part of the anatomy from which reproduction comes or is initiated.  Therefore, if we are to gird up the loins of our minds could it not be understood that we are to prepare ourselves so that our minds can give birth to thought and thereby imagination and creativity.  Is it not in the loins of the mind that we encounter our LORD in knowledge and fellowship?  Is it not in the loins of our mind that we embrace His life and have our minds renewed so that we become one with Him in our consciousness thought?

If out of the physical loins, reproduction is possible then out of the mind’s loins we give birth to thought.  Peter’s instruction is, in my view, a directive and encouragement to bring our minds into obedience to Christ and thereby resting our hope squarely on the grace that comes to us through the revelation of Christ.  It is through this that we are better prepared and capable of obedience in all things.

I find it disturbing that too many in Christendom give so little importance to the mind.  I am not suggesting mind over matter or any other metaphysical activity but I am saying that our minds are incredibly important in our spiritual development and walk.  If we are as we think in our hearts then how could we not understand the value of the mind?  The mind, like the muscles in our physical body, must be exercised to have strength, discipline and grow.  In the things of God if we are to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ we must learn to gird up the loins of our minds.

I encourage you to allow God to expand your mind, stretch your thinking and infuse into you an ever expanding imagination guided and led by the Holy Spirit.  How far can you think in Christ?   God bless you as you go through this day!

James 1:19-20 – “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” 

In our microwave world of instant everything where we demand things immediately if not sooner and we wanted it yesterday this passage can be problematic.  There are principles in every facet of our world that if we begin wrong we will normally reach the wrong destination or reach the right one marred and scarred.  This passage illustrates that perfectly.

• SWIFT TO HEAR…

Many people I know find that a most difficult task for hearing is frequently one of our shortcoming.  Not that we cannot hear but that we do not listen and therefore do not hear.  I have known people who are so focused on their response and what they will say next they fail to hear what the other is saying.  There can be little agreement, comradery, fellowship and certainly no “koinonia” if this is the case.  To develop interpersonal relationships and build unity we must HEAR and James instructs us to be SWIFT in that pursuit.  It should a prime objective to both hear our brothers and sisters and to hear the Spirit of God.

• SLOW TO SPEAK…

Sadly, many fail at this point even if they have heard.  We have a tendency to engage mouth before we engage the mind and too frequently before we have discerned the heart of the Father on the matter.  Many proudly proclaim, “Well, I just tell it like it is and let the chips fall where they may.”  That can be good but it can also be incredibly destructive, insensitive, unfeeling and without grace.  If we carefully weigh our words, evaluate the consequences and impact of those words we will find the guidance of the Spirit of God empowers us to dynamically impact others.

• SLOW TO WRATH…

One of the reasons we tend to speak quickly is because we fail on this front.  If we are quick tempered and allow our anger to quickly boil over into rage and wrath we will find it impossible on the second part speaking.  If we allow the Spirit of God to maintain control over our tempers we will find that we are able to speak soft answers that turn away wrath without being perceived as a doormat or pushover.

Obedience on these points is valuable, if for no other reason than failure does not produce righteousness.  If we are to be God’s witnesses and are to manifest Him to the world then we need to walk in God’s righteousness.

Therefore, I encourage everyone to seriously seek the help of the Holy Spirit to empower, enable and strengthen our discipline so that we are Swift Hearers, Slow to Voice our Opinion and Controlled in our Anger.

            May the Lord be with you as you go through this day!

Judges 3:31 – “After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel.”  NKJV

            This has always been a fascinating sentence inserted in the history of Israel and their recorded struggles for freedom in the Old Testament.  Ehud had led the nation to victory over the Moabites and eighty (80) years of rest or peace ensued.  As he grew older portions of the land began to fall into the hands of plunderers and thieves, especially those of the Philistines.  There was no one to lead Israel to victory and most people, the historical record indicates, simply stayed off the highways and were isolated and living in fear.

We know little of the man named here (Shamgar) and it appears that there was nothing particularly unusual about him with the exception of his obedience to the Spirit of God.  I cannot unfold the account with historical accuracy but simply draw from this verse to say, “Little is much when God is in it.”  Here, it appears that one man, alone, without proper weapons or battle armor withstood an army of Philistines with what the Bible calls an “ox goad” or as many identify a plough-share.  This was nothing short of a miracle and in this act of a solitary man the nation of Israel was once again delivered.

That screams to me that the false claim, “I am only one what can I do” should be forever eliminated from a Christian’s vocabulary and philosophy.  If God could use Moses, Joshua, Caleb, David, Samson and Shamgar to perform exploits outside the norm then why can He not find one among us today to deliver?

It is not the armor or weaponry that one has at his/her disposal but the Arm of the Lord that matters.  If God could use Gideon and his small band of men to completely route an entire army can He not raise up deliverers in this generation?   He can, but He first has to find willing hearts who will dare to believe Him.  He has to find those so completely trusting they can see no option but success and value His word over their lives.  He has to find someone who will dare to believe in the impossible and attempt the improbable.

In something like the exploits of Shamgar one has to acknowledge the intervention of the supernatural for in the natural it would be impossible for one man with a plough-share to defeat 600 armed men.  Yet, the Bible declares it happened and I believe it.  Therefore, I draw from it hope and faith to believe that if God directs it He will enable and provide.  Rather than focus on the problem focus on the God of the solution and hope will begin to rise, faith will strengthen and courage will ooze forth from deep within.

Truly, little is much when God is in it but much is little if God is not there!   Remember He said, where two or three are gathered in My name I am in the midst of them.  God bless you as you face this new day!