"No Comparison"

"Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity." Psalms 37:1

Too often we look at other people and compare what they have to what we have. We even compare ourselves with those who aren't walking with the Lord and wonder why they have so much more than we do and we are the ones who are "living right". When it appears that the wicked are getting ahead, doing better and are more prosperous than we are, if we aren't careful we will give place to anger and jealousy.

The word for "fret" in the verse above doesn't mean to be worried about something, it actually means "not to be angry". So the verse is a command and a warning- do not let anger and envy arise in your heart when you look at the wicked prospering. You must guard against this because the enemy will use it to destroy you. When we are tempted to be angry that they are doing better than we are, we must remind ourselves that their prosperity is only temporary- it will not last forever. What we have will. The things that are eternal are what we are looking forward to receive. We must also remember that our reward is in heaven- not in the earth. For the wicked this is the only reward that they have- there is nothing good that awaits them. We need to also remember to be content with and thankful for what we do have. We have all our needs met because the Lord is faithful.

So when you are tempted to be angry with or jealous of those who are not "living right", stop and remember what you do have: eternal life, peace, a relationship with the Heavenly Father, your name written in the Book of Life, treasures in heaven. How can you compare the two? You can't, there is no comparison.

Have a great day. Don't get angry with or jealous over the wicked when it looks like they are more blessed than you.

For further reading:
Hebrew 13:5
Matthew 6:20
Philippians 4:19
Psalms 37:9

"He Speaks To Us"

"And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend." Exodus 33:11a

Earlier this morning I was thinking about how wonderful it is that the Lord will speak to us. Those who worship false gods don't have this privilege because their gods are not real and therefore cannot speak. But our God, the only true and living God, desires to speak to us- He wants communication with us. We see this at the very beginning in the Garden of Eden. We see it throughout the Old Testament and in the New Testament when God, through His Son Jesus, came to earth and walked among us and talked with us.

Some say that the Lord doesn't "talk" to people. I beg to differ- and I am so glad He does! He may not speak to us audibly, although He can and might. But He speaks to us through His word- the Holy scriptures. He speaks to us by His Spirit. He speaks to us when in prayer. He speaks to us though that still, small voice. He speaks to us through situations. He speaks to us through the creation. He speaks to us through other people.

Is He speaking to you? He desires to. We were created to have fellowship and communion with Him. What better way to do that than through His talking to us. The method in which He speaks is not the main issue. The fact that He speaks to us at all should cause us to rejoice. I need Him to speak to me; I need to hear His voice; I need Him to tell me what to do; I just can't make it on my own without hearing His voice guiding me. So this morning I am rejoicing because He does.

Have a great day. How wonderful it is that the God of creation desires to talk with me and you!

For further reading:
Genesis 3:8
Deuteronomy 5:4
Hebrews 1:1,2
1 Samuel 3:8-10

"The Thanksgiving Tie"

"Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence." Psalm 140:13

What is your thanksgiving (that which you are thankful for) tied to? What is the foundation upon which it is based? I am so thankful for the blessings that the Lord has sent, and sends, my way. I never want to take them for granted. I want to exhibit a thankful heart to Him for them. He has blessed me with so much- a roof over my head, clothes on my back, food on my table, a loving family, dear friends, health and air to breath. I am thankful for these and more blessings. But my thanksgiving is not tied to my material/physical blessings.

If your thanksgiving is tied to your blessings only, what do you do if those blessings are gone? What if you didn't have those things any more? What if you found yourself destitute of earthly provisions, material things or close relationships? How thankful would you be if all these blessings disappeared from your life?

This is why, although we should be thankful for the blessings we see, they are not the foundation upon which our thanksgiving is based. I am thankful for something greater, something eternal-- my thanksgiving is tied to the cross, not material blessings.

I am thankful, truly thankful, that Jesus came to earth and became the sacrifice for my sins so that I could come into right relationship God. I am thankful that through His shed blood and the price He paid my sins are forgiven and I am now God's child, His friend, proclaimed as righteous and no longer His enemy. I am thankful for eternal life. I am thankful that when I stand before the Lord and the books are open, my name will be in the Book of Life and I will hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy and rest of your Lord". I am thankful that I have a home prepared for me in heaven. I am thankful that hell is no longer my destination. This is the foundation upon which my thanksgiving is based. Things change, loss happens. Look at Job, he suffered tremendous material and physical loss, yet he still worshipped- "My Redeemer lives". His foundation of thanksgiving was based on eternal riches, not earthly riches.

Treasures on earth may slip away, but treasures in heaven are eternal. And those treasures were provided through the shed blood of Jesus at the cross. So what is your thanksgiving tied to? Your material blessings or the cross which provided your eternal blessings?

Have a great day. My thanksgiving has its foundation in the cross. What about yours?

For further reading:
Matthew 6:19,20; 25:21,23
Luke 10:20
Job 19:25,26

Your Own Prophets"

"For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed." Jeremiah 29:8

Deception has been around since the Garden of Eden. There have always been false prophets and teachers, but Jesus warned that in the days prior to His return they would increase, and He warned us not to be deceived by them. If ever we needed to heed this warning it is now.

"Let not your prophets, your diviners, your dreams". The first warning here is that not everyone who is called a prophet, teacher, preacher, etc. is called by God. They are either God called, self called or man called. Therefore, not all of them are chosen by God. So don't let the ones you, not God, have chosen deceive you.

We tend to chose to listen to those who will tell us what we want to hear. We want to always be told "good things". We don't want to hear anything "bad" or "negative". We must guard against always looking for a "positive" word. True prophets (a true voice for God) will not always tell you what you want to hear- often they will tell you what you don't want to hear.

It is dangerous to be seeking only a word that tells you nothing but good all the time. If we are doing that then we are actually seeking a word that will appease our flesh and give us a license to yield to the desires of our flesh. We need to hear the truth- it will minister to and bring about transformation in our spirits. And the truth is what sets us free.

When the Lord speaks to us, it will not always appeal to our flesh. It will not always be an "easy" word- it is often a "hard" word. A true word from God doesn't always tell us what we want to hear. It doesn't always make us shout for joy. His word will often tell us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, go the second mile, turn the other cheek, sell all you have, forgive seven times seventy, if you suffer with Me you will reign with Me. The word itself may be "hard to swallow" and not what we "want" to hear, but God loves us enough to tell us what we "need" to hear.

So does this mean that the Lord will never tell us anything good? Of course not, but more often than not it won't be something that we want to hear. He is not out to appease our flesh- flesh has to die. Everything He does and says to us is always for our good and out of His love for us.

Have a great day. Don't be deceived by prophets of your own choosing just because they tell you what you want to hear.

For further reading:
1 Kings 22:1-18
Matthew 24:4,11,24
2 Timothy 4:1-4
1 John 4:1
2 Peter 2:1-3

"He's Thinking About You"

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Jeremiah 29:11

I just wanted to remind you this morning that the Lord is thinking about you. You are on His mind. He hasn't forgotten you. He knows exactly where you are and what you are going through. His thoughts toward you are not evil thoughts. His thoughts are good thoughts. He loves you and cares about you. Never fall into the "trap" of believing He doesn't. Never believe the lie that says- He has forgotten you or He doesn't care. He has not forgotten you and He does care about you. Never forget that, no matter what your circumstances look like and regardless of what your feelings tell you.

Have a great day. The Lord is thinking about you... you are on His mind.

For further reading:
Hebrews 13:5
Isaiah 49:15,16

"Know The Truth"

"And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many." Matthew 24:11

The Bible tells us that in the time prior to the return of Christ that many false teachers and false prophets would arise teaching false doctrines and damnable heresies. I believe that time is now. So how do we stand against the deception of false teaching that is not only in the world, but has crept into the church as well? The answer lies in knowing the truth- God's word. ("Thy word is truth." John 17:17)

If you aren't reading and studying God's word then you won't know the difference between truth and error and that makes you vulnerable to deception. I understand that the way those who work in the treasury department learn how to recognize counterfeit money is by studying the real money. They study the real money by looking at it and handling it so much that when the "fake" comes across their path, they readily recognize that it is not real.

We need to learn a lesson from that. If you aren't studying God's word, then how will you spot the "counterfeit" when it presents itself to you? How will you know it is false if you don't have the truth to compare it to.

Being deceived by believing what is false is a serious matter. So serious that it is what brought sin upon all mankind. Adam and Eve believed the lie of the serpent and disobeyed God. Sometimes the deception is so subtle that if it were possible even the very elect could be deceived. So don't think that you know enough of the truth (the Bible) that you don't have to worry about being deceived. You have to continue to stay in God's word and never get slack in it for one minute. It is the only thing that stands between you and a fall through deception.

Have a great day. If you don't know the truth, you have nothing to compare the false to when it comes.

For further reading:
Matthew 24:1-11, 23,24
2 Peter 2:1,2
2 Timothy 3:13-17; 4:3

"Dead Bug"

"Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." Luke 10:19

When I came into my office yesterday morning, I was greeted by a big flying insect. It reminded me of a wasp as it swooped past me. I grabbed a tablet and hit it intending to kill it- but didn't. It flew and landed again, so I hit it again- I still didn't kill it. Every time it flew past me I would hit it; every time it landed I would hit it but it would get up and fly away each time. I finally left it alone and sat down at the computer, but it would fly past me so the "chase" was on again. I made a dozen attempts to kill that pest, but each time I thought that surely it had to be dead I would remove the tablet and it would fly away. It was almost ridiculous that I was not able to kill this bug and it would not die. Finally, as I was getting ready to make another attempt to kill it, I heard these words come out of my mouth, "This is not right, I have dominion over you. You will die in the Name of Jesus." Guess what? I hit it again and it died!

I told you this story because as it was going on it reminded me of besetting sins that we often deal with. They may seem small and that we should be able to easily overcome them yet we can't. Every time we think that we have victory over it, there it is again - "alive and well". Does this sound familiar? Have you struggled or fought with something and thought you had finally defeated it only to see it "get up and continue to 'fly around'"? Have you thought that you had victory over anger, or bitterness, or a temper, or jealousy, or pain a situation had caused you, or any number of other things that "harass" you, only to discover that it is still there?

It may have sounded odd for me to talk to a bug and remind it that I have dominion over it and it was going to die. But it was mostly a reminder to me- and now a reminder to you- that I do have victory through Jesus over besetting sins, over those things that the enemy tries to entangle my life with, over those things that try to steal my peace and joy, and that try to have dominion over me and make me its captive. Jesus brought salvation, healing and deliverance at the cross. We can walk in victory and freedom over those sins that want to continue to "hang around". They have to go in His Name. You have been made free- free indeed. You have been given power and authority over these things. Sometimes we just have to remind ourselves that Jesus already gave us the victory- "in all things we are more than conquerors"- and that we need to take authority in His Name over them.

Have a great day. Stop letting that sin/thing "harass" you, there is victory over it. Jesus has given you the victory.

For further reading:
Romans 8:37
1 John 4:4; 5:4
John 8:36
Hebrews 12:1
Philippians 4:13
2 Corinthians 2:14
1 Corinthians 15:57

"Seek After God"

"There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God." Romans 3:11

What a sad verse. "There is none that seeks after God". Why do I think it is sad? Because it is the truth. Who really seeks after God? We seek His provisions, His blessings, His benefits. We seek Him for what He can do for us. We seek Him in time of need or trouble. We seek Him when we need answers. We seek Him when we want something that His hand can provide. But do we ever really seek after "HIM"? There is a difference.

Shouldn't we seek Him when we need help? Yes, of course we should. But seeking after God doesn't always mean you are seeking Him for some "thing". It means you are seeking Him Himself. You are seeking to know Him in a more intimate way. You are seeking to know what His desires, like and dislikes are. You are seeking to find out what is in His heart and not only what He can give you.

When was the last time you went to the Lord that you didn't have a need to talk to Him about? When was the last time you went into your place of pray and told Him that you didn't want anything- you had no request, no questions, no pressing need to talk to Him about, but you just wanted to gaze upon Him, you just wanted Him, you just wanted to sit in His presence and love on Him for a while? Has it been a while? Do you feel as though you are wasting your time by doing that and not making some sort of request? Are you too busy to do that? Do you only go to Him when you are in need? Then it sounds like you are among the "none that seek after God".

Have a great. Are you seeking after HIM- to know Him, to discover His heart, to love on Him- or what He has?

For further reading:
Isaiah 29:13
Matthew 15:8
Psalm 27:8

"Learn From Mistakes"

"Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." 1 Corinthians 10:11

We all make mistakes but hopefully we will learn from them so that we will not continue to repeat them. We can also learn from the mistakes of others. The verse above admonishes us to learn from the examples of the Israelites when they were in the wilderness so that we don't make the same mistakes they did- mistakes that have great spiritual consequences.

What were some of the mistakes that they made that we can learn from? The main "mistake" was their lack of faith. God did such a miraculous thing for them by delivering them from Egyptian bondage. Not only did He deliver them, but in a mighty way by demonstrating His great power over Pharaoh. They saw the plagues that He brought upon Egypt. They saw the supernatural protection of God the night that death went throughout the land killing the first born in every household. They had been slaves but they left Egypt with treasures. They saw one miracle after another. Yet, when they came to the place where they were about to inherit the promise of their own land, they did not enter because of their unbelief.

After seeing all that they had seen, after hearing the voice of God from heaven, after being led by His presence (the cloud by day and pillar of fire by night), after seeing the sea open up and make a way of escape from Egypt, after seeing their enemy drowned in the sea, you would think that they would have never doubted God ever again about anything-- yet they did. These things were written for our example because we are no different. The Lord has done some miraculous things for all of us. He has provided our needs, answered our prayers and come through for us at just the right time time and time again. He has been with us and we have seen Him working on our behalf, yet, we tend to still "disbelieve" Him when we come to certain situations in our lives. We tend to do the same thing they did.

We have an advantage when we read about what happened to them, we can go to the end of the chapter and see the outcome- the outcome and consequences when they trusted God and when they didn't. We know how the story ended. We can see that God was always faithful and did what He said He would do regardless of how the situation looked. From that we can learn that He will do the same thing for us so we have no reason to doubt or allow unbelief to enter in and keep us from inheriting our promises.

Have a great day. We can learn from our mistakes and the mistakes of others.

For further reading:
Hebrews 3:12,19; 4:6,11
Acts 7:36
Deuteronomy 6:21; 26:8
Mark 9:24

"Strength For The Journey"

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13

When we receive Jesus as Savior and Lord, that trip to the altar or wherever you made the profession, is not the end, but the beginning-- the beginning of a life long journey. Salvation doesn't mean we have "arrived", it means we are just getting started. Along this journey from here until we reach our final destination- eternity- the "road" will not always be smooth ahead of us. There will be "pot holes", bumps, things that try to make us detour or turn around, ups and downs, highs and lows, valleys, mountains to climb, wildernesses to go through, rivers to cross and a whole list of other obstacles that we will encounter. Obstacles such as temptations, issues in relationships, financial difficulties, times of loss, grief, sorrow and pain.

Sometimes the journey feels as if it will never end. Sometimes we feel as though we have become stuck in the valley or will die in the wilderness. Often it may feel like we will never be able to climb the mountain that is in front of us or get through the storm that is raging around us. While we may feel this way, and while we do face these times, I want to encourage you this morning that you are not on this journey alone. The One who you came to at salvation got on the path with you. He is walking every step of the journey with you. Whether you are in the valley or on the mountaintop, in a storm or on a smooth path, He is right there. And His strength is right there for you as well.

You can continue on this journey, you can make it through whatever "terrain" you are facing, you can reach the end because His strength will be there when you are weak. It will uphold you. It will empower you. It will give you the grace you need. It will give you your "second wind". It will provide the victory to overcome all obstacles that get in the way. So don't give up, don't give in, you can make it, you can finish your course because the Lord Himself is with you and His strength is perfected when you get weak and weary of traveling.

Have a great day. The journey may seem long and unbearable at times, but the Lord is with you giving you the strength you need to make it to your final destination.

For further reading:
Psalm 18:29; 68:28
2 Corinthians 12:9
Joel 3:10
Ephesians 6:10

"There's A Famine"

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord." Amos 8:11

I believe that we are seeing the fulfillment of this prophecy in our day- at least in this nation. There is a famine of the word of the Lord. You may ask how can that be when we are inundated with preaching. We have churches on every corner in our cities. We have twenty-four hour Christian television. We have more ministers and ministries than ever before in the history of our nation. This is true, but in the vast majority of them we are lacking the "word of God".

In many churches socials, fellowships, gimmicks and programs have replaced the preaching of the word. Some have stopped preaching the word of God altogether because it isn't "popular" so they are preaching what that think the people want to hear in order to grow a big church. There are some others that are still preaching the "word" but they have watered it down, compromised its meaning, not rightly divided it, or brought in "another" gospel- one that is a mixture of scripture, tradition and philosophy (thus making it something other than the "truth"). The preaching of the word of God has been taken lightly as if it is the least important part of the ministries. I would like to clarify this morning that it is the MOST important part.

I remember when I first got saved sitting in church and there would be times when the Lord's presence showed up in such a powerful way during praise and worship. After the worship was over, we would dismiss and go home. I can remember hearing others, and thinking the same myself, say that it was a great service because the preacher didn't even get to preach. As I am growing in the Lord, I can see that even though it was a great time in worship and the presence of the Lord was there, this was wrong thinking. The Lord wanted to do both- receive our worship and bless us in the process, but He also wanted to speak to us and edify us through His word. This mentality seems to be the norm now. We want the "experiences" more than the word. We want to "feel" something more than we want to "hear" something. We want God to "do" something more than we want Him to "say" something.

As I said earlier, the word is the MOST important part- in the church, in our ministries and in our individual lives. Jesus touched the lives of people through miracles, healings and deliverance while He was on earth. But He never neglected to give them God's word. He gave the people His Father's words everywhere He went- in every city, in the temple, in His encounters with individuals, when He was invited into homes. As Christians, the word of God is our life, and it gives us life. The word has to begin to have priority in our churches, ministries, homes and lives again. Without it, we will not only suffer a "spiritual famine" but we will also be destroyed. "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." - Hosea 4:6

Have a great day. Are you experiencing a famine?

For further reading:
2 Timothy 4:2
Luke 8:1; 5:1
Acts 6:7
Romans 10:17
Ephesians 6:17
Hebrews 4:12
John 5:39; 6:63
Proverbs 4:20-23

"Growth Is Obvious"

"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." 1 Corinthians 13:11

Growth is a natural part of life. Everything that is living grows- people, animals and plants all grow. Just as growth is a natural part of this physical life, it is also a part of our "spiritual life".

When we come to Christ and receive Him as Savior and Lord, it is called the "new birth"- we are born again. The Bible calls us "new born babes". From that moment on growth should be taking place in our "spirit man".

Physical growth is easy to see because it takes place primarily in our appearance. I can go for weeks without seeing my granddaughter and the next time I see her I can immediately tell she has grown- she looks bigger and her features have slightly changed. Our spiritual growth is not always that obvious because it doesn't take place on the "outside", it takes place on the "inside" of us. The growth of our spiritual man is recognized by our actions, attitudes, responses, speech, treatment of others and by our love.

But just like there are noticeable changes that take place in our physical growth, there should be noticeable changes that take place in our spiritual growth. When we are growing spiritually we begin to notice a change. Those noticeable growth changes are such things as being forgiving toward those who have done you wrong, love for your enemies, change in your speech, kindness, not being easily offended, joy, peace, patience, less selfish and self-center and the greatest change is that we are looking more and more like Jesus.

So, how obvious is your spiritual growth? Are others seeing a change continuing to take place in you? Are you looking different in your attitude because of the presence and influence of Christ in your life? Or are you still the same as you have always been?

Have a great day. Spiritual growth may not be as obvious as physical growth, but it should be evident.

For further reading:
John 3:1-7
Ephesians 4:13,15
1 Peter 2:2

"Choose The Way of Escape - Part 2"

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

Yesterday we talked about God always making a way of escape when we are in a time of temptation, and that it is up to us to take that way. Often, we struggle with that "way" because it is not always obvious to us. It isn't like there will be a "physical door" standing in front of us with a bright red "Exit" sign over it. It would be easier to recognize it if it were.

So what does the "way of escape" look like? Let me list a few ways.

The word of God will be a way that He has made to escape the temptation. Have you ever been in a time of temptation or great trial and a scripture will come to mind? That scripture is your way of escape-- obey what it says.

Daniel's way of escape when the king's meat was set before him was the "purposing in his heart". Daniel had purposed in his heart long before he reached the temptation, that he would remain obedient to the commands of the Lord regardless of what faced him. That settled heart and mind kept him from "floundering" and being "double-minded" when the time of testing did come.

Joseph's way of escape when being tempted to sin by Potaphar's wife was found in his statement to her- "How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" (Genesis 39:9b) Joseph understood that when you yield to something that is contrary to God's word that it is "sin". The sin issue was settled in his mind and so he didn't allow the questions as to whether it was right or wrong tempt him to do the wrong thing.

Sometimes the way of escape comes through a still, small voice that you hear in the depth of your being and you know that it is your answer- so you follow it.

Another way is through prayer- prayer will bring God into the middle of your temptation and He will give you the strength to resist it. Also fasting. Some days the Lord will impress on me to fast. I have to be honest, I don't always yield as I should. But I have noticed that on the days when I don't, I eat more than I should. I have come to realize that often if I would fast when I feel impressed to, it was my way of escape from giving into my fleshly appetite.

These are a few of the ways that God opens a door for us to escape. We need to recognize what those ways are and give heed to them.

Have a great day. There are many different ways that the Lord can use to give us a way of escape.

For further reading:
Genesis 39:8-10
Daniel 1:8
James 1:8

"Choose The Way of Escape"

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

"But will with the temptation also make a way of escape." There is no doubt that temptations come- we are tempted daily to sin, to yield to our flesh, to stop following Jesus, and so on. But we have a wonderful promise that in the times of temptation the Lord will make a way of escape for us so that we will not be trapped by the temptation with no choice but to yield to it. So the problem when we do yield is not that we had no choice but to yield, the problem is that we did not take the way of escape that was provided for us.

You see, God makes a way of escape and provides a means of deliverance, but it is up to us to choose to take it. He opens a door of escape but we have to go through it. He doesn't do it for us. He provides it for us, but we must make use of the provision.

It works the same way in the area of obedience. God gives us a command but it is up to us to obey it. It works that way where the gift of salvation was concerned. It was provided through Jesus' shed blood at the cross but it is up to us to choose to receive the gift of salvation.

When we give into a temptation, we can't blame God as if it was His fault. We can't accuse Him of not loving us and "letting" it happen. We are to blame and we are at fault. He did what He said He would do "make a way to escape". He was faithful to provide it just as He promised, but we did not take the way of escape that He provided.

When you are facing a temptation, look for the way of escape, it is there and it will be up to you to take it. He will not take it for you or make you take it.

Have a great day. There is a way of escape made in every temptation, but you have to choose to take it.

For further reading:
Philippians 4:13
James 1:13

"Too Heavenly Minded"

"...but we have the mind of Christ." 1 Corinthians 2:16b

We have all heard it said, "You can be so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good". I understand where those who say that are coming from, but I don't believe that it is an accurate statement. As I thought about it, I began to think about the life of Jesus. He was nothing but "heavenly minded". He had a "kingdom mindset" behind everything He did- He did it with the kingdom in view. Everything He said was in reference to the kingdom. His thoughts were on the things of the kingdom- not on worldly things. Everywhere He went He was presenting the kingdom. His whole live was wrapped up in the kingdom and kingdom things and He was continually relating it to those on earth. He was the "embodiment" of the kingdom while He was on earth- showing us what the kingdom was like.

I don't think being "too heavenly minded is the problem". I think the problem with most Christians now days is that we aren't heavenly/kingdom minded enough. Perhaps it would be better said this way, "We need to be a little more heavenly/kingdom minded if we are going to be of any earthly good".

The scriptures tell us a lot about the renewing of our minds so that we won't be conformed to this world. They tell us what things we are to think on, and all those things are spiritual/heavenly things. If we are truly going to be of any earthly good, then we are going to have to be more kingdom minded than we are and less worldly minded--- we are going to have to keep heavenly things always in the forefront of our minds. Those things are: all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; the wages of sin is death- eternity in hell; the love of God that brought Jesus to earth to pay the price for our sins so that we can have eternal life; God's grace and mercy that He has shown to a lost and dying world; heaven; peace with God; fellowship and communion with the Father; joy in salvation; etc. We are going to have to have our minds on these "heavenly" things so that we will not forget that God loves the lost and without Him they are perishing.

Without being a little more heavenly minded we look, sound and act just like the world and, therefore, our lights are hid. Keeping our mind on heavenly/kingdom things keeps everything in perspective so that our lights continue to shine brightly and we don't lose our saltiness. If the world is going to see and hear about who Jesus is- it will happen as they see it and hear if from our lives. And they will only see it and hear it as we are more heavenly minded than earthly minded.

Have a great day. We need to be a little more heavenly minded if we are going to be of any earthly good.

For further reading:
Romans 12:2
Philippians 2:5;4:8
Colossians 3:1,2
Luke 17:21
John 14:9

"God's Great Mercy"

"And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the Lord; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man." 1 Chronicles 21:13

I heard someone ask this question, Who would you rather on your side? Men/Women or the God who created the Men/Women? For some reason that question reminded me of the story in the Bible about King David when he disobeyed the Lord by taking a census of the people. Naturally, his act of disobedience brought not only consequences but it had to be punished. God gave David three choices as a punishment then allowed him to choose which one he wanted. "And the Lord spake unto Gad, David's seer, saying, Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the Lord, I offer thee three things: choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee. So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Choose thee either three years' famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the Lord, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me." (verses 9-12)

Out of the three David chose to fall into the hands of God and not man. His reason was: "for very great are His mercies". David knew that even though God's punishment was justified and deserved, God would show him mercy even in punishment. Therefore, he would rather face God than man because he knew that God's mercy, love, compassion and forgiveness was attached to His judgments. "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?" (Hebrews 12:6,7)

Even though David faced the punishment and Israel suffered for it too, David was right-- God stopped the punishment when David fell on his face before the Lord crying out in repentance asking for mercy.

I weep when I think of the goodness and mercy of God. We fall, we sin, we disobey, we reject God and by doing so we deserve punishment, yet when we will turn to Him asking for forgiveness and mercy, He so graciously gives it to us.

David was guilty of his sin against God, and God showed mercy on him. Are you in need of God's mercy this morning over your act of disobedience? It is available to you just like it was for David. His mercies are awaiting you today. Go to Him in repentance and fall upon His mercy.... I am sure you will find it.

Have a great day. The mercy of God is so much greater than all our sins.

For further reading:
Lamentation 3:23
Psalm 33:22; 51:1; 66:20; 103:17

"Wrong or Right Reason?"

"Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed." John 6:27

We put way too much emphasis on the physical life and material things. This is even true when it comes to our spiritual life. In John 6:26, Jesus tells us this: "Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled." Jesus said that the people were seeking Him because of the physical blessings and physical needs that He was providing for them. Then in our opening verse He tells us that this is the wrong reason to seek Him, and what we should be seeking Him for instead.

If we are seeking the Lord and following Him for the "things" He can give us, then we are following Him for the wrong reason. The crowds followed Jesus everywhere He went while He was on earth. Most were following Him because of some miracle He could give them, or because He fed them with bread and fish, or because they wanted Him to heal their body or do something for them. But few followed Him for the "right" reason. Think that isn't true? Then where were they all- where were the crowds- at the cross?

Why are you following Him? What do you seek to find from Him? Are you following Him because of some material thing you want Him to give you? Are you following Him because you want His physical blessings on your life? Are you following Him because you want to see His hand moving in your life? Are you following Him because of the eternal life that He provides? Are you following Him because you love Him? Are you following Him because you desire to see His "face" and know His "heart"? There is a right and a wrong reason for following Him. If your reason for following Him is based on receiving material blessings that He can give, then you are following Him for the wrong reason.

Have a great day. Is the reason you are following Jesus attached to some physical need He can provide for you, or out of love?

For further reading:
Matthew 6:19,20,33
Mark 7:6
Colossians 3:2

"Guilty Without Guilt"

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." 1 John 1:8

I want to talk about guilt this morning. In the English language the word guilt is a noun and a verb. The word guilt used as a noun means that it's a fact that you have committed some offense, some wrong doing or violated some law. Guilt as a verb deals with the feeling of remorse over some wrong that you have done. For example, the feeling of guilt may come as a result of cheating on your spouse. You betrayed the love that they gave you by giving yourself to someone else. It may come because you said something hurtful or harmful and now you wish you could take those words back because of the pain they inflicted. Parents often feel guilty because they did not spend time with their children while they were growing up. Some suffer with guilt because they committed a crime against another person through theft, murder, abuse, etc.

The guilt we feel is because we are in fact truly guilty of doing what we are feeling guilty about. It is not because we are innocent. I want to encourage you that if you are dealing with guilt today over something you did that you have repented of and received forgiveness from, the Lord wants to deliver you from it.

Look at the life of the Apostle Paul. He was guilty of persecuting the church. His occupation was to seek out those who were living for Christ and have them imprisoned or put to death. Then one day he had an encounter with the Lord on the Damascus Road and his life was forever changed. Instead of persecuting the church, he became part of it and preached the same gospel that he had tried to destroy. Although Paul was guilty of all the things we just said, he did not live in guilt over them. Had he, he would have never been able to preach the saving, healing, delivering message of Jesus. The guilt would have stopped him every time he opened his mouth. The point I want to make from the life of Paul is that while he was guilty, he did not live in guilt. And you don't have to either. The Lord wants to deliver you from the guilt of what you have done and give you healing and forgiveness. Did Paul still endure some things because of his guilty act? Yes. But he did not endure the struggle of wresting with those guilty feelings- he had peace, his guilt was gone.

Are you wresting with guilt? Are you guilty of doing the thing that you are having remorse over but you can't get past the guilt of it? The same healing that was available for Paul is available for you. The same peace that the Lord gave to him He wants to give to you. He wants to deliver you from the guilt.

The enemy wants to keep you bound in guilt so that he can stop you from fulfilling God's purpose and accomplishing God's plan for your life. He wants to keep you feeling guilty so that you will not pursue a relationship with the Lord.

This morning, take your guilt to God. Ask for His forgiveness, then let Him take the guilt away and give you peace.

Have a great day. You may be guilty, but the Lord wants to deliver you from the guilt.

For further reading:
Romans 8:1
1 John 1:9
Acts 9:1-26

"What Happens In Church"

"He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation'." Mark 16:15

You've heard the motto on commercials that says, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas".  Others have decided to adopt the same motto, such as, "What happens at grandma's, stays at grandma's", or "What happens at home, stays at home"... etc. 

I am concerned that the church has adopted that same motto, or mentality-- "What happens in church, stays in the church".  In other words, what the Lord does for us while we are in church, our worship, our encouragement, our faith strengthened, our strength renewed, the miracles that take place, the praise that is offered up, we tend to leave behind when we leave the church building.  This is not God's plan.  He doesn't intend for His church to leave what He does for them when they gather together locked up inside the church walls until we gather for the next service.  He wants us to take it outside the walls with us.  He wants us to take it into the highways and byways, into the work place, into the grocery store, to the school campuses, into our community.  It was never suppose to "stay in the church".  The great commission that we were given was for us to go into all the world and preach the gospel-- share the good news, share our praise, share our faith with others, especially the lost.  

What happens in church isn't just for the church.  It is to equip the church and strengthen the church to be the church outside the walls and to let others know about the love, salvation and grace of God that comes through Jesus Christ.  

Are you leaving what the Lord did at church for you behind you when church is over?  Are you letting it stay in church until next service time?  Or are you taking it with you wherever you go?

Have a great day.  What happens in church is not suppose to stay in church, it is supposed to be shared with others.    

"Evidence"

"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." John 13:35

If you say you are a Christian, how much evidence is there in your life to back it up? It is one thing to say you are something and it is another thing to actually be what you say you are. When my first granddaughter was little, she would come to me from time to time with her hands in the air saying, "I am a bear.. growl!". Another day she would be on her hands and knees on the floor saying she was a horse. Of course, she was not a bear, she was not a horse, or anything else she pretended to be. Just because she said she was something didn't make it so.

Just because we say we are Christians doesn't make it so either. There has to be some evidence in our lives to back it up. And sometimes the things that we think are "evidence" are not. My granddaughter thought that just because she growled like a bear, showed me her teeth and made a fierce face, I will believe that she was one. Some people think that just because they do some "Christian things" that this is enough evidence to prove that they are a Christian.

The true evidence is internal evidence, not external. It is who you are on the inside, not just what you do on the outside. You may do some good deeds that look like what a Christian does, but that doesn't mean that you actually are one. Just because my granddaughter imitated a bear didn't make her one- that was not enough evidence to prove she was one.

The real evidence that we are a Christian comes from within- out of the heart. It is not something you can imitate, it is something that is either there or it isn't, and it is something that only God's Holy Spirit can put in and produce in you. Is the evidence that you are a Christian just your words professing that you are one, or is the evidence a Christ-like heart being manifested in your life.

Have a great day. What is the evidence in your life that gives proof to your profession that you are a Christian?

For further reading:
Matthew 7:20; 15:19
Galatians 5:22,23
Titus 1:16