Galatians 3:27-29 – “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.”  NASU

I am often amazed at how people sometimes strain at gnats and swallow camels in trying to establish their theology and doctrinal explanations or exclusions.  Paul, a foremost authority on Covenant in the New Testament, begins his discussion with the Galatians speaking about covenant and reminded them that even covenants of men are established on principles and conditions.  He gives the seriousness and importance of promises or ‘our word.’  He explains to them that God gave a promise to Abraham and then 430 years later came the Law but the Law could not invalidate the promise.  He also explained that the Law did not bring the promise and that inheritance into the Family of God was not based on the Law but the Promise.  He explained that the Law came because of sin and it was a road map to faith and now that Christ has come and we have received Him we are not under the tutor or road map but had become sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

He instructs them that if they have been baptized into Christ clothed themselves with Christ then they (we) belonged to Christ and are therefore Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise!   That is powerful if you can receive it!  The Promise God made to Abraham in Covenant is something that every believer should study carefully and embrace fully.  It identifies the truth that we can never earn our salvation that it is fully by grace that we are saved through faith.  It is not based on works it is based on God’s mercy.  It is rooted in God’s Promise not how well we keep or do not keep a set of rules and regulations.

 Please understand I am not saying that discipline and self-control are not important.  I am not saying that we can do whatever we please and there are no rules we are to follow.  Certainly there are rules of moral conduct that must be observed and that means we must demonstrate self-control and live within certain guidelines of accepted behavior.  Yet, we are FREE in Christ and not constrained by the list of rules and regulations that any particular sect, denomination or religious order dictates.  We are constrained by the Spirit of God based on the Word of God. 

We know that Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.  Abraham, Hebrews 11 tells us, was one of the patriarchs of faith in our biblical history.  He obeyed when he could not see or understand all that God was directing him to.  He believed that God’s direction was right God was trustworthy and obeyed beyond what most of us would be capable.  He had a settle assurance that the things he hoped for were real even if he could not hold them, see them or currently experiencing them. HE BELIEVED!  That is the key element in our heirship.  Faith trumps sight or feelings for it is rooted in the confidence that God is who He declares Himself to be and His Promises are what He has declared them to be.

I encourage you to study the Promise God made Abraham and embrace it incorporating it into your life and labor.  Blessings as you go through this day!

John 3:27-31 – “John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”  NKJV

If I am completely honest, it feels good when someone sends accolades your direction but at the same time I am almost always troubled by them.  It is not with a sense of ‘false humility’ that I am troubled but a realization that I SHOULD NEVER be the focus, HE SHOULD!  When I receive earthly praise for anything, this verse comes to mind and while I never want to fail to acknowledge the expression and show genuine appreciation for the speaker or writer I do want to keep it all in perspective.

Any ability I have and any gift or talent is from Him.  I know that the very breath I breathe is at the choosing of God to allow me more time on planet earth. I know that although I may have studied, labored, honed and developed skills the source of those gifts, talents or abilities are HIM!  In Him I ‘live’, I ‘move’ and I ‘have my being’.  It is IN Him, THROUGH Him, and BY Him that anything good that I am comes to fruition.

I echo John’s words and heart saying, “I am not Him.  I am just a voice or a vessel.”  I have never wanted to be an echo but a voice but even in that I am just a voice not the voice for that title and distinction is His alone.  He deposits in my heart and I convey what has been deposited.  I did not originate it, He did.  All I am, have, will be or will have is directly connected to HIM.  Therefore, if you see something in me that even remotely seems to warrant praise it WAS, IS and WILL BE Him.  He is the deserving one I am not.

Again, some may consider my protest an exercise in ‘false humility’ but I do not mean it that way.  Rather I pray that everyone will understand that the deep cry of my heart is to LIFT HIM UP and when He is lifted up men are drawn to him.  If I am lifted up and anyone is drawn to me that would be a tragic mistake for I am human, with human frailties, kinks in my armor and will most likely disappoint in something at some time.  HE WILL NOT!

I have experienced the ‘puffing up’ of my ego too many times in life and experienced the pain of being brought back to reality, I do not need nor do I want that.  I want to simply be a vessel meet for the Master’s use that brings honor.  I like the characterization the Jewish leaders made of Peter and John in Acts 4:13.  They saw them as lacking the credentials of education, polish, and sophistication but noticed one distinct thing that separated them from others – – THEY HAD BEEN WITH JESUS!  That is the cry of my heart that people see Him in me not just me.  If I am successful in that endeavor then lives will be changed and the Kingdom of God advanced through the efforts assigned to me.

So as you go through this day beware of flattery and focus on Him.  May God bless you richly as you go through your day!

Luke 9:57-62 – “As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”  59 And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” 60 But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.”  61 Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” NASU

Well NO but that is what I had a person tell me regarding this passage that Jesus was saying, “Let the walking dead bury the dead.”  Context is important when considering anything and especially scriptural truths as is the case here.

Remember the bold declaration in this account to Jesus, “I will follow you anywhere.”  Jesus responded with his unique way of challenging their commitment and exposing the lack thereof.  Another came to Him and said, “I will follow you but let me go home first to bury my father.”  That is when Jesus said, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead…”  The man’s father was not deceased but he was asking to be allowed time to go home assume his responsibilities and ultimately receive his inheritance first.  Jesus said, “NO!” 

But, the use of that phrase, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead,” is interesting for we know that the Hebrews used the word dead to express indifference toward something or identify that it has no influence or authority over them.  We are told in Romans 7:4 to be ‘dead to the law’ and in Romans 6:11 we understand that to mean that sin has no influence over us for we are ‘dead to sin.’  In a very real sense our Lord was identifying that which is most important – the proclaiming of the Gospel of the Kingdom.  In that sense He was advising those petitioning Him for a delay in commitment and service was a choice between life and death.  It was not a statement of our Lord of lack of empathy for the loss of a loved one.  Remember how he reacted at Lazarus’ tomb – HE WEPT! 

Further we know the Bible teaches that we are to ‘honor’ our parents Ephesians 6:2 and elsewhere so our Lord would never suggest disrespecting parents or divesting our responsibilities.  He was rather identifying that to which these were being called was far more important than earthly treasure.  The real question is not whether the Lord was being too harsh in His response but what was the man asking or seeking.  It would seem that he was looking for an excuse to delay his commitment while justifying himself saying, “Once this is done then I will….”   I have dealt with scores of people who use the same type of excuse for not serving God and the thread is always the same.  ‘Once this or that is done then I will….’  NO!  Today is the day of Salvation.  NOW is the accepted time.

Jesus said in Luke 9:23 – “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”  The decision to accept the call of God to salvation should never be delayed for we know not what a day may bring forth and life is truly a vapor.  It is here one moment then gone.

            God bless you as you go forth in the Life of God!

Luke 6:27-31 – “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.  29 To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.  30 Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.  31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.”  NKJV

Within most human hearts the concept of ‘loving our enemies’ is foreign to our nature.  Even after we become Christians this is a most difficult concept to fully implement even if we understand it, believe it to be right, and want to obey.  It is incredibly difficult to feel any charity toward someone who has hurt, is hurting, or will hurt you.  Someone so filled with hate for you they participate in attempts to do you injury makes it a very difficult to ‘do them good.’  Lord, don’t you know what they did?  For someone to openly curse you wishing your destruction to BLESS THEM is almost inconceivable and if they physically abuse you to ‘turn the other cheek’ is out of the question for many.  I have had some in church tell me, “I don’t get mad I get even” and did not feel the least bit contradictory in their testimony and actions.  If someone steals from you to give them additional stuff is not normal in the human family, at least not most of it.  Then the clincher is the last sentence brings it all home, “And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.”  WOW!

The last sentence brings home the principle of ‘sowing and reaping’ that we reap WHAT we sow, MORE than we sow and LATER than we sow but we REAP!  We reap in kind and if we sow to the wind we reap the whirlwind.  Believing this is truth is easy because it is in the Bible and comes from our Lord Himself but putting into practice in our lives is not so simple.  Most believers try but many fail miserably in the application of this truth.

Have you ever thought about the reality of conflict in the religious or church world and then placed that alongside this passage?  If we cannot accomplish this with those of like precious faith how in the world will we do it with those who are outside the faith?  Someone challenged that with me and said, “Well being hurt by someone who is supposed to know better and be better is more difficult than someone who lives in darkness.”  Maybe that is true for I know that being wounded by a friend or fellow believer has left a more painful sting than when an unbeliever hurls their barbs.  Regardless the directive is that we are to love, serve, bless, mediate peace, exhibit charity and consider others regardless.

Understand I am not saying anyone should remain joined to someone who abuses them nor am I saying one is prohibited from self-defense.  What I am saying is that if we seek to manifest Jesus in all things and at all times we will be hurt and will suffer loss but if we understand God’s principles we will find that ULTIMATELY we will reap great reward.

In the next portion of that scripture Jesus clearly identifies that if we love those who love us back, which is normal, we have not done anything spectacular. If we reciprocate in good deed for good deed we have really not done anything worthy of note.  On the other hand if we truly exhibit love for those that hate us and help those that can never repay that is a horse of quite another color and something that God does not overlook.  The idea is not doing things trying to earn God’s favor but to be reflective of His character.  The motive is always important in the action.

            May God be with you as you go through this day!  Blessings!

Matthew 1:18-25 – “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”  22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”  24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.”  NKJV

I have thought many times about what Joseph must have felt when he found that his virgin bride to be was with child.  He could have no concept of the miraculous supernatural event that had transpired to bring about her pregnancy and would have concluded that she had been wanton.  His love for her and his character is demonstrated in the statement that he wanted to ‘dismiss her in private’ not wanting to further embarrass her and maybe it was to hide his shame as well.  He had to be deeply troubled and perplexed as he became aware that the woman he was to marry was pregnant with a child not his.

Imagine the angel of the Lord coming to him in a dream and informing him of what had transpired and how even then most would have been troubled wondering if this was truly a revelation of God or just something fictional.  Even if it was from God how would people react to the news that Mary was pregnant and connect the dots that the child had not been sired by Joseph.  The fact that he honored the dream and kept himself from her until the birth of Jesus speaks of his faith and obedience and that should be recognized.  Little is said or even known about Joseph in the Bible record but I consider him a man of great integrity and faith and while Mary is greatly honored should Joseph not be given credit for his role in this?  Men, sometimes it is not what we do that is noted and praised by others that speaks of our faith but what we do when the full revelation is hidden from other’s eyes.

There is no indication in scripture that he was less than loving and nurturing as a human father to this child and that speaks volumes of his love toward God, Mary and the child.  His faith enabled him to do that which God desired and required and I can only imagine how difficult it must have been initially if not long term.  Thank you Joseph for loving God enough to be obedient, caring for and protecting Mary and the Christ Child.  Thank you (believers) who are faithful even when the tongues wag trying to bring you shame.  Thank you Father for loving us so much!

            God bless you as you go through this day!

Luke 14:16-24 – “Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, 17 and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’  18 But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’  19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’  20 Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’  21 So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’  22 And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’  23 Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.  24 For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.'”  NKJV

            Years ago the Kingsmen released a song entitled “Excuses” and it was spot on as well as hilarious.  I won’t go into the lyrics of the song but they are easily found if you ‘google’ it.  I am reminded of a situation once when a person working under my supervision did something incredibly wrong and lacking in intelligence.  I called him in to discuss his conduct seeking to determine any possible extenuating circumstances that might have motivated the action.  As he began his explanation it was obvious he was attempting to give an excuse.  He suddenly stopped, looked at me and said, “I know you do not want to hear any excuses so I’ll just tell the truth.  I was being lazy and did not think I would get caught.”  I almost laughed at the refreshing display of honesty at that moment, counseled him on his behavior and actions.  He was not terminated but would have been had he attempted to offer excuses.  He took responsibility, admitted his error and was somewhat repentant and became a very good worker.

In reviewing the passage above it is very clear that ‘excuses’ have been around almost as long as man.  If you will remember in the Garden Eve blamed the serpent and Adam not only blamed Eve but God for her flaws.  I have a friend who preached on this text.  He preached a very compelling message but one thing caught the attention of everyone more than anything else he said.  As he went through the excuses illustrating them and their meaning he came to the last one and said, “The others gave an excuse this man gave a reason.  He married a wife, and therefore truly could not come.”  The crowd roared in laughter and he almost lost the impact of his message but masterfully fit it in to the reality that we sometimes truly believe that our ‘excuse’ is a ‘reason’ or explanation that justifies.

I have often said, “I am not interested in excuses but reasons.”  I am, however, interested in the reason(s) for the excuse(s) for they speak to the problem and help us to get to the root rather than the symptom.  Why do we feel compelled to make excuses when we could easily be honest about the situation?  As we can see in the parable, Jesus made it clear that God is not moved positively by our excuses no matter how valid we believe them to be.  It is so serious that those invited were uninvited as a result of their excuses.

As the song by the Kingsmen we truly do hear ‘excuses’ every day and the devil has no shortage of suggestions.  I had a person tell me once that it was too cold in church but he went deer hunting that morning and sat in an open air stand in freezing temperature.  I did not press the ‘too cold’ part for fear he might have been speaking spiritually.  So instead of making excuses calling them reasons why not examine the reason for the excuse and ask the Lord to address that kink in the armor.

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

1 John 4:1-4 – “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. 4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”  NASU

I am convinced that few, if any, actually desire to be losers or failures.  I have never met anyone who truly deep inside want to fail.  Some are afraid to try and others fear the pressure, commitment and responsibility that accompanies success but nobody wants to fail.  I remember times when we would choose sides for a game and invariably there would be a couple of guys who caught everyone’s attention.  Allen the athlete and uncoordinated Carl (not real people just examples).  One was a superstar at everything he attempted and the other had difficulty walking and chewing gum at the same time.  Everybody wanted Allen but nobody wanted Carl.  The idea was to get Allen on your team but not Carl and if you were successful victory was almost guaranteed.  Getting on the right team was always a crowning accomplishment. 

In the passage cited above there are ‘two teams’ depicted one doomed for certain defeat and the other guaranteed victory.  You have the final choice as to which team you will be on.  Wait!  That is almost too simplistic for it sounds on the surface as thought we make the choice and immediately declared the victors and just need to sit and wait for the trophies to be handed out.  While it is not that simple, it is a matter of choice and that the game still has to be played.  The battle still has to be fought for the devil will not just roll over and acknowledge defeat although he is defeated.  He will try!

He will attempt DECEPTION trying to trick us into making a wrong choice as did Adam, Eve and Abraham and Sarah (Hagar resulting in Ishmael).  It is imperative that we ‘test’ the spirits and remember our gauge is God’s Word.  It is also important to remember that the devil is transformed ‘as’ an angel of light so he is not always easily recognized.  Jesus did not say we would not experience the devil’s attacks he said we would ‘overcome’ them.  He did not say we would not have to deal with the devil He said we had ‘authority’ and ‘power’ over him.  In John 16:22 Jesus warned, “…in the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

Let me give you a few things to consider:

•   You Are Going To Have Trials… (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)                                                                                 You may be Allen the athlete but you still need outside help.  You need the power of the Spirit of God      in your life.
• In Your Own Power You Are No Match For The Devil.
• You, As A Believer, Have All Of Heaven’s Resources Available To You.                                             (Isaiah 40:8, 12, 15, 28-31; 43:2; 45:2-3; 54:17, 19)

2 Corinthians 2:14 – “Now thanks be unto God which always, causes us to triumph in Christ…”

Let me suggest three things that must be seen for us to become what God has designed and desires.  We must SEE who He that is in the world really is.  We must SEE who He that is in us truly is.  We must SEE who we are in light of that truth.  We are MORE THAN CONQUERORS through Jesus.  We belong to God and have overcome for God is fighting for us and God is greater than all we face!  So when the enemy comes against you resist him, rebuke him and exercise your biblical authority over him.  Your trials are opportunities to trust God and your impossible situation is an open door for God’s miracles!

Choose to win and be blessed as you go through this day!

Proverbs 23:7 – “…as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”  NKJV

Let me say at the outset that the context of this passage is about charity or the lack thereof of a greedy stingy person.  However it can be applied much beyond that and that is what I wish to do at this time.

Though years of ministry it has been my observation that a very significant portion of people say they want to ‘soar with the eagles’ but often ‘quack with the crowd’.  Why?  Well it is far easier to become part of the crowd than it is to go against the grain.  It is easier to go downstream with the current than to swim or paddle against it.  Too often we are caught up in the clutter and distress of our present world and if we do not rise above the crowd and see it from a heavenly perspective we will miss opportunities and solutions.

I know some who truly ‘desire’ to break free but desire alone is not enough.  If we are to attain that lofty goal of ‘soaring with the eagles’ we will find there are some incredibly fierce battles and intense struggles in our future.  We will have to come to a clear understanding that ‘how’ we think is important.  We will have to come to grips with the fact that ‘what’ we think about is important.  We will find it mandatory that we gain ‘control’ of our thought processes and bring them into captivity to Jesus Christ.  It is absolutely necessary that we ‘think clearly’ ridding our minds of clutter.  That we ‘think courageously’ filling our hearts and minds with faith and confidence.  We must learn to ‘think confidently’ knowing that we can do all things through Christ our strength.  Simply, you do not ‘soar’ with the eagles by simply deciding you no longer want to ‘quack’ with the crowd.  It takes courage, determination and work!

WE BECOME WHAT WE THINK…

We read in Romans 12 that we are not to be conformed (ducks, geese, turkeys) but transformed (eagles).  There is to be a renewal or reprogramming of our minds (thought processes).  2 Peter 2:22 is a most riveting passage which speaks to what I’m talking about.  Why do dogs and hogs go back?  I believe that the simplest explanation is that they think differently.  You can give Rolls Royce to a person who has no concept of its value or worth and they will appreciate it no more than a VW Dune Buggy.  That is true in all things!  We have to reprogram our thought process with the kind of information that will propel us toward our goal.  Sadly, many are entrenched in ‘defeatist thinking’ and find soaring almost impossible.

SATAN’S NUMBER ONE TARGET IS OUR MINDS (Thoughts)…

He knows too well that if he can keep us bound in our thoughts he can keep us from becoming what God desires us to be.  In Ephesians 6:10-11 we discover the ‘wiles’ or ‘schemes’ of the devil. The Greek word is ‘methodia’ from which we get our word ‘method’.  The Amplified calls it the ‘strategies of the devil’.  In verse 12 we are told that our struggle is not with ‘flesh and blood’ it is with spiritual powers of darkness.  In 2 Corinthians 4 we read that the devil is described as the ‘god of this world’ and ‘blinds minds’.  In 2 Corinthians 10 we are instructed to ‘take control’ through the Holy Spirit of our thoughts.  It is possible to be transformed from one who ‘quacks with the crowd’ to one who ‘soars with the eagles’.

We need to bring ‘every thought’ captive to the obedience of Christ Jesus.  Our thoughts are incredibly important in our spiritual development.  So as you begin this day begin it with the commitment to ‘think rightly’.   Blessings as you continue your journey!