1 Peter 1:3-5 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” NKJV

When I read this, it makes my heart begin to pound, my mind fills with anticipation, and deep within my spirit, there is leaping for joy; this is it!  Wow, Peter, you spoke such a powerful truth of hope that anyone should be uplifted and encouraged by your words regardless of what generation they are or have lived in.  Tears of Joy are flowing as I type!

An Inheritance Incorruptible and Undefiled that Does Not Fade Away!  That is exciting, but the rest of the verse says, “reserved in Heaven for you!”  You who are kept by the power of God through “faith for salvation,” and it is ready to be revealed in the last time. 

What a glorious day that will be when our Jesus we shall see!  He has given us a Living Hope!  A hope that does not fade!  A hope that cannot be diminished!  A hope that is not dependent on circumstances, current conditions physically, financially, relationally, or politically.  It is all because of and through Jesus Christ!  HALLELUJAH!

I never cease to be amazed that God would love somebody like me enough to inspire people to go to the lengths they did to bring me into an encounter with Him so that I could experience the Joy of Salvation!  I never cease to be thankful for that and shall never forget where He brought me from and where He is leading me to!  Had it not been for a Hill called Mount Calvary, I would be lost and without hope in this world. 

Thank you, Lord, for loving me that much!  I know that you did not just love me but everyone in this world who has ever lived, is living, or will ever live. You Love All!  Thank you for the Greatest Gift that could have ever been given to mankind!  Thank you for being Love Eternal!

As you go through this day, I pray that you will continually remember what we have to be thankful for!  Give thanks always! 

May God be with you as you go through your 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

Through the years, holiness has become a word that many in religious circles desire to avoid.  There are many reasons, including the desire to become more acceptable to the world and lower expectations of discipline and commitment in our individual lives.  In each case, I do not know what the reason is, in each case, I do not know, but I know that holiness is not a bad word to God.  It is something that GOD not only desires but expects because we have Christ living in us, and Christ is HOLY!

Peter’s message to all of us is one for daily living.  He urges us to guard and allow the Holy Spirit to guard our thought lives and to place our complete hope, trust, and confidence in the Lord of Hosts and God’s Amazing Grace!  He warns us not to be conformed to our former lusts and the world but allow the Holy Spirit to transform us into the image of Christ in which holiness is produced in life. 

I am not talking about simply an outward demonstration but something that flows from the inside and becomes worked out in our daily lives.  It becomes part of our nature and character.  It becomes an expression of what is in our hearts that cannot be hidden.  It becomes a spring of living water that refreshes others around us.  I am not talking about becoming Pharisees but Christians who represent the Lord and manifest Him to others around us through our lives. 

Holiness is something to be desired in every facet of our lives.  Do I fall short? I would be lying if I said no.  But I am still pressing toward the mark.  I still find myself needing to repent when I allow the flesh to override the spirit.  But that does not prevent me from desiring and pursuing holiness.  It is my passion to be “like Christ;” if I am “like Christ,” I will live a HOLY LIFE!  It really is that simple!

Therefore, as you go through this day, consider these thoughts I have presented and ask the Holy Spirit to help you “Be holy, for God is holy.” 

May God’s blessings be upon you!

Galatians 5:1 – “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore, keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”  NASB

Through the maturation process (which is still happening) in Christ, I have moved through many phases.  Some of them have been beautiful and beneficial to me, but those I came in contact with, and others have been virtual prisons.  I am thankful that today God has “set me free to be free.”  I am a willing servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.  It is not what He forced me to do but what I have willingly chosen to do. 

I have willingly given up “my rights” for “His will and purpose.”  I do not have a place or position to defend, just a heart full of love for the Master.  Long ago, I came to the place where I was willing to be “whatever He wanted.”  I know we all say that, but I meant it completely, and He has tested me on that commitment on numerous occasions. 

I do not have to be “in front of everyone;” I can follow.  I am willing to do either and have done both.  I do not have to be recognized else my feelings and ego will become so wounded that I pout or separate myself from others.  If what I do is never acknowledged or recognized, and it is what the Lord has ordained, I am perfectly content with that.  I am doing what I do for Him and His Church, not for some popularity or recognition I might achieve.

When Jesus set me free from the bondage of sin, it was like the entire world lifted off my shoulders, and for the first time in my life, I knew real joy and real peace.  That is not to say I had not been happy because my childhood brings back so many good and wonderful memories. I can only imagine what it would have been like to grow up in a home where love did not rule the day.  There was discipline and sometimes very stern discipline, but it was always out of love to shape me into a productive member of society when I grew up.  I thank God for my parents and grandparents; God used them to fully condition me to receive His Love, Authority, and Grace.

After becoming a Christian and entering the ministry, I bought the company line and became a legalist. I was a Pharisee and an exceptionally good one!  I do not doubt that my rigid and unbending stances and demands on people made many of them terribly uncomfortable and even miserable.  Long ago, I repented and continually asked God to help me never return to that place spiritually. 

It was for “freedom that I was set free,” not for “bondage.”  I have been guilty of judging others from time to time.  In those times, the Holy Spirit constantly reminds remind me of my flaws and failures and that God loves them too!  There are things that I hold strong convictions regarding, but some of those things fall into what I would call gray areas biblically, so I keep them to myself and do not try to impose them upon others. 

I have some strong opinions, and an opinion is just that, an opinion.  It is personal, and we should never attempt to impose it on others.  I will share my convictions and opinions with people in the right setting and when given the right opportunity, as the Lord gives me liberty. 

On more than one occasion, I have sensed the “still small voice” of the Spirit of God saying to me, “Roy, this is for you.  I don’t want you to do this or that, but it is not something that I want you to attempt to impose on others.  I will speak to them about what I want them to do.”  I am thankful that God is the Ultimate Judge, and I do not have to assume that responsibility. It would be too burdensome and make life a living hell for me and everyone else.

Therefore, as you go through this day, know that if you are “in Christ,” you are FREE, so live that way!  I do not mean make that a license to do whatever you want because God will bring conviction to your heart. You should always consider a “weaker brother or sister,” knowing that everyone is not at the same experience or maturity level.  People were patient with all of us as we grew into adulthood naturally, so why should we not do the same spiritually?  WE SHOULD!

Blessings upon you are my prayer!

Romans 12:1-2 – “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” NASB

The New American Standard Updated Version renders this ‘spiritual service of worship.’  The KJV and NKJV – – ‘reasonable service.’  I believe both are correct in translating the verbiage and applicable.

The idea presented by the apostle Paul is that we Present to God our bodies or these temples of clay that house our spirits as Living and Holy sacrifices of service.  We are also instructed to reject Conformation with the world and receive the Transformation that comes through renewing our minds and thereby prove or demonstrate the Will of God for our lives in our present world.

Suppose we are to fulfill the Great Commission and take the Gospel message to the world.  And if we, as living stones in the Body of Christ, are to be fitly framed into a Spiritual House for God’s service and purposes.  We must seek to have Paul’s instructions become practical and daily realities in our lives.  We are told in Scripture that “we are not our own but have been bought with a price,” thus identifying that we belong to God and His purpose, will, and desire to be paramount in our lives.

When we present these temples of clay to the Lord, we must be mindful that defiling these temples is not an acceptable option.  We are to be cognizant that while, as Paul declared, bodily exercise profits little, he did not say it profited nothing, and seeking to be fit and healthy should be a reasonable objective physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  We need to be whole to be the best we can be for the Kingdom of God.

I am not a fitness freak, so please do not think that this is my focus, but I have learned after years of neglect and lack of discipline that when I discipline my physical body, I am better able to walk in spiritual discipline.  I have made a lifestyle choice that includes a desire and effort to walk in health. 

I still battle sickness from time to time, but my desire and effort are to present God with the best temple of clay I can give Him and expect Him to develop in me the best spiritual man that can be viewed from this temple.  I press toward the mark of the prize of God’s high calling in Christ.  I have not arrived, but I see the goal, and I am looking for a city whose builder and maker is God.  I want what the angels declared in the field to the shepherds the night of Jesus’ birth – – “Peace on Earth and Good Will Toward Men.”

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

1 John 4:18-19 – “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us.”  NKJV

I have often been told that the opposite of Love is Hate.  However, the more I study the Bible, the more convinced that it is Fear, not Hate, is love’s opposite.  When I review passages such as 2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind,” I become more convinced of this possibility. 

Hate is an emotional response to a stimulus, whereas love is far more than an emotional response, although emotion is assuredly a part of it.  Love is a condition of the heart, whereas hate is a reaction.  Hate is a byproduct, and love is the product.  Fear is the antithesis of Love because it completely turns the heart away from God, who is Love. 

Hate causes paralysis of faith, and according to John, a person that is made perfect in love does not fear, or one who fears is not made perfect in love.  He tells us that there is no fear in love, whereas, in hate, that can exist.  If fear is allowed to survive, it will destroy the heart.  Paul tells Timothy that there is a Spirit of Fear which is the opposite of the Spirit of Power, Love, and Soundness of Mind.

We are repeatedly warned about hate, but there is a heavy emphasis on dispelling fear even more than hate. If we dispel fear, we will give love a place to grow; as love grows, hate cannot find fertile ground to grow.  Allowing fear to dominate will drive out love and open the door to hatred, bitterness, strife, envy, and evil.

A heart can’t live in fear and love at the same time.  That strengthens my view on this matter.  I am not talking about what the Bible speaks of as reverential fear of God but of Torment that challenges the very existence of God, Good, and Biblical Reality.  Fear imprisons like almost nothing else known to humanity. 

I do not question the power and vileness of hate.  I know firsthand and have observed the completely dominating power of fear!  Hebrews 2 advises us that the fear of death places lives in perpetual bondage, whereas the love of God causes us to look at death as mere sleep in the Lord.  One brings peace the other brings torment.

If you are a fearful person, I urge you to call to God and allow the Holy Spirit to shed the Love of God abroad in your heart so that fear is completely banished.  Allow the Holy Spirit to give you the Spirit of Love, Peace, Power, and Soundness of Mind.  Allow God to enable you to LIVE LIFE ABUNDANTLY!

May God bless you as you go through your day!

Luke 12:22-32 – “And He said to His disciples, ” For this reason, I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on.  23 “For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.  24 “Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds!  25 “And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life’s span?  26 “If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters?  27 “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.  28 “But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith!  29 “And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying.  30 “For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things.  31 “But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you.  32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.”  NASB

Recently I had a conversation with a person that I care about deeply, and they were struggling with the condition of things in government, the state of the economy, and the future.  They were wringing their hands and lamenting that the future was so dim and dismal that they were despairing of life.  This person is a Christian, albeit, at that moment, their faith was in another dimension, not on the promises of our Lord.

I shared with them this passage, which they were very familiar with, and said, “This is why I refuse to worry about life.”   You see here, in simple language, our Lord Jesus said, “DO NOT WORRY ABOUT YOUR LIFE.”  Do not fret over what you are going to eat, drink, or wear, and in the context of that truth, where you will live. 

He reminded us of the birds of the air and the flowers of the field and the fact that God cares for them the way He does.  He also cautioned against worry, saying that we cannot add even one hour to our lifespan through worry.  We now know through medical science that we can shorten our lifespan by it.  Jesus told us in the familiar verse 33 what we are “not to seek” and what we “are to seek.”  He then concluded the statement by saying, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.”  In that Kingdom, there is the King and with the King are all the resources that we could ever need.

If I worry about life, I am not placing my faith and confidence in God.  I am not suggesting that we make no preparation for our latter years or that we nonchalantly go through our days with no labor or effort to earn a living.  I contend that would be Presumptuous!  I am saying that once we have done all we know to do, then we Trust and Rest in the Promises of God and take Him at His word. 

He said Do Not Worry!  I believe He meant what He said, so I have chosen to refuse to worry!  I believe, as David declared, “I was young, now I am old, and I have not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging for bread.”  God has promised to take care of us, and He will.

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

Matthew 5:13-16 – “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”  NKJV

I realize that Paul appealed to the Church in Corinth in 1 Corinthians 1:10 that they “all speak the same thing, be without division, and joined in the same mind and judgment” However that does not negate the truth that we were all Born to be Different!  None of us are the same, each of us is unique, and each has a particular purpose in the Kingdom of God. 

Jesus said if salt loses its ability to season, it has no purpose.  He said that a light that does not illuminate has no purpose.  Likewise, a voice that is not heard or does not cry out has no purpose.  We become like trees in the orchard that produce no fruit, and after time, we are only taking up space, space that a fruit-bearing tree could occupy. 

You do not have to preach in a pulpit or have some spell-binding testimony to be a witness for the Lord.  You are salt and light, and you can impact the world that you live in, and you should.  Your presence should bring seasoning to your environment and impact lives. 

I knew a man that never preached a sermon, never did any great exploits, never accomplished great feats, but at his funeral, there were scores of people from what many would call the other side of the tracks at his service and one after the other echoed their eternal gratefulness for this man.  He had impacted their lives simply by his life! 

He lived before them more than he said to them the gospel.  They testified that it was his compassion and consistency that slowly broke down the walls of resistance they had built up in their lives.  It was his example of simply being salt and light that drew them into the Kingdom.  He never tooted his horn or proclaimed what he was doing. He Just Did IT Consistently! 

I have had the privilege of preaching to large and small crowds.  That has been a thrill to be so used by God, but the most important thing is not how much or how often I have preached but how I have lived.  How has my life impacted others?  How have others seen my example?  I pray to God that my life has been salt and light for those that I have influenced through the years.  I pray that I have touched some for the good of the gospel.

Do not think that you have to be a great orator or have a large following or platform from which to speak; simply Live the Life and allow your life to be ‘salt’ and ‘light’ in this present world. 

God bless you as you go through your day!

Genesis 11:1-9 – “Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words. 2 It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.” And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. 4 They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” 5 The LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 The LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them. 7 “Come, let Us go down, and there confuse their language so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel because there the LORD confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.”  NASB

The ideology or desire on the part of man to become the center of his universe and dethrone God was not new to Nimrod and the people in Babel it actually began in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve.  Isaiah identifies that it went much farther back when Lucifer was one of God’s Archangels and rebelled against THE MOST HIGH! 

He decided to attempt to dethrone God and convinced one-third of the angelic creation to go along with him.  He convinced Adam and Eve that God was hiding something good from them.  He suggested that if they voted God out of office and became the center of their universe, all would be wonderful. 

It cost them the Garden and introduced death to the race.  Here in Babel, the attempt to virtually dethrone God and elevate man to a place that God will never allow brought about the inability to communicate, the various languages, and ethnicities that were scattered across the globe.  It has been the source of incredible confrontations and complications in man’s ability to live with man on planet earth.

Sadly, on a smaller scale, many do the same thing in their personal lives by ignoring the clear directives of both the Word of God and the Spirit of God.  We refuse to forgive and thereby close the door to forgiveness for ourselves.  We alienate other humans who could be useful in our journey.  We bring injury to them, and our bitterness results in others being defiled and their spirits marred. 

I fully believe that God is sovereign, but that does not negate His directive for me to go into all the world and preach the gospel and thereby bring the Good News to everyone so that none be lost.  Sadly, we have difficulty communicating not just because of differences in spoken languages or dialects but in differences in beliefs we do not all speak the same language, either naturally or spiritually.

I have found in my opportunities to minister around this nation and world that as I carefully examine my heart to be sure that God is supreme in my heart, mind, life, and thinking, He has used some unique ways to help me communicate to others. God’s Love is a language that is universally understood even when our words are not.  The Holy Spirit’s drawing power is universally felt even when our words fall short of an explanation.  It is when we allow something to dethrone God in our lives that we find the confusion sets in, and in that state, we are unable to communicate and cooperate with our fellow human travelers through this thing we call life. 

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

Proverbs 27:6 – “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.” NASB

Yesterday I asked regarding blind spots and our Christian walk – “Are You Consistent?”  Today I want to ask more questions beginning with the following:

ARE YOU SELF-CONTROLLED?

Romans 8:28 (Phillips) – “Moreover we know that to those who love God, who are called according to His Plan, everything that happens fits into a pattern for good.”

This verse does not say that everything that happens is good.  It says that it will ultimately work for the good. Its focus is on the finished product not the process and incidents along the way.  One of the greatest pieces of evidence, of our walk in the Holy Spirit, is the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives and those include self-control and temperance.  Have you ever asked yourself why it is a mark of distinction to manifest a controlled life?  What is self-control? What happens when self-control is taken to the extreme?

Self-control referenced in the Bible is the quality of abiding or resting in the Lord.  When our entire world is being torn apart, tensions and trials are raging, and men’s hearts are failing them for fear of what they see or perceive is happening or going to the Holy Spirit enables the believer to demonstrate a sense of peace and tranquility that surpasses human understanding.  It is trust in God’s Promises and Resting in them. 

One of the reasons a leader or anyone needs to exhibit self-control is Stability.  People are looking for and longing for Stability and Reality in life.  When the storms of life rage we need stability and that will come with self-control or Spirit Control.

Remember Peter’s reminder of Jesus’ words in 1 Peter 5:7where we are counseled to ‘cast all our cares or anxieties upon Him because He cares for us.’  Jesus said in Mathew 11:28-20 that we can come to Him, and He will give us rest.  As believers, we need to overwhelm the world with our calmness and tranquility during turmoil.

DO YOU THINK INDEPENDENTLY?

Palms 1:1 –“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers!”

People who study such matters tell us that the real key as to whether a person conforms to the pressure of the group or resists peer pressure is whether it comes from that person’s inner personal convictions or from the external mores of his peer group.  An individual with a strong healthy self-image and confidence in God will more readily resist negative peer pressure than one who does not have those attributes.  It takes strength to say NO! 

There are two groups who cannot or do not think for themselves.  The Classic Conformist and the Classic Non-Conformist.  Some people have a convoy mentality. Their life is lived by simply following the directions of the crowd and we all know how dangerous that can be. 

In Psalms 1 three words need to be considered, “Walk, Stand, Sit”.  This demonstrates a progression away from godly principles.  The Psalmist indicates that walking, standing, and sitting are deliberate choices.  Once we have broken the first barrier of walking it is easier to feel comfortable standing with sinners and once, we accept their mindset we can easily and comfortably sit with them.

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

Proverbs 27:6 – “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.” NASB

Have you ever taken a trip with six or seven people in a small car?  Even a short trip can seem like an endless journey when you are packed in like sardines.  I recall a friend telling of taking a trip in a small economy car with his family – six of them packed into that small vehicle. 

He related the trip saying that he was unable to see through the back glass using the rearview mirror.  They were so packed in, and it was an exercise in futility to try to get the children to all move in unison.  He had to completely trust his son to advise him when it was safe to change lanes and his son realizing how difficult it was for the dad to trust him said, “Dad, you have to believe me.  This is a real lesson in trust.” 

The boy was the dad’s eyes. He was able to fill in the blind spots because he could see things from a better perspective.  All of us have Blind Spots and need someone else to help us find them.

Our family and friends often see things in our lives from a clearer or different perspective than we do.  We sometimes become aware of our blind spots as we see those same things in others.  This was possibly the situation when Nathan the prophet went to David the king to point out his blind spot.  Nathan used the approach of relating a supposed real incident to David and enable David to see for himself what his blind spot was.

One would think that Nathan’s story would have been unnecessary.  How could a man cause the death of another without realizing the depravity of his own heart?  Sadly, that is where David was.  Maybe it was out of a sense of entitlement, I do not know, but in the story of David taking Uriah’s wife Bathsheba, and having Uriah killed in battle is a horrific story of how a man like David can descend into the trap of sin. 

Nathan used a third-person story to get David’s attention and told of a rich man who had many sheep and a poor man who had only one.  When Nathan told David how the rich man had stolen the poor man’s singular sheep David was furious and declared that the guilty party should be put to death.  At that point, Nathan pointed his finger in David’s face and said, “You are the man!”  David immediately recognized his blind spot and sin and cried out in repentance. 

In saying this I must ask several questions as we seek to deal with our own blind spots and move forward into what God would have us become.

ARE YOU CONSISTENT?

James 1:8 tells us that a ‘double-minded’ man is unstable in all his ways.  I am reminded of an account a preacher told me years ago. It was a time when God taught him the importance of consistency. 

I heard a man relate an experience that hammered home this truth.  He was rushing home after having dropped off some of their children at school and in the back seat was his youngest son.  He was anxious to get home to attend to other things and began speeding down the highway.  The child spoke up and said, “Dad you are going 75 miles an hour!”  It took him by surprise because he didn’t think the child could read the speedometer but trying to conceal his surprise he said, “So what?”  The little boy said, “But the speed limit is 55”  

At that moment, the Holy Spirit began to minister to his heart, and he realized that it was in his heart that he could do wrong so long as he did not get caught and it was okay.  He was, by his actions, teaching his child a double standard, and conviction gripped him.  He was teaching his son that it was okay to say one thing and yet do another.

For most adults speeding is not a big deal but for a young child in the developmental stages of life it is breaking the law and therefore wrong – CUT and DRIED!  It is a double standard and if we can do it there why not everywhere?

I have more questions to pose but will stop there and pray that God will grant you a great day and help you to be CONSISTENT!  

I pray the rich and bountiful Blessings upon you today!