April 13, 2012 … The Outcome of Spiritual Shortcuts

Blogger's Note: It was 29 years ago today that God brought me to place of brokenness where I could receive Him as my Lord and Savior. So, I praise God today for my Rebirthday in Him. ... wrb
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Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: 1st Samuel 21-24 … To study these chapters, go to this link -

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Passage of the Day #1: 1st Samuel 21: 1-2 … 1 David went to Nob, to Ahimelek the priest. Ahimelek trembled when he met him, and asked, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?” … 2 David answered Ahimelek the priest, “The king sent me on a mission and said to me, ‘No one is to know anything about the mission I am sending you on.’ As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place. 3 Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find.” … 4 But the priest answered David, “I don’t have any ordinary bread on hand; however, there is some consecrated bread here—provided the men have kept themselves from women.”
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Passage of the Day #2: 1st Samuel 22: 18-21 … 18 The king [Saul] then ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests.” So Doeg the Edomite [Saul’s servant] turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. 19 He also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep. … 20 But one son of Ahimelek son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to join David. 21 He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD. 22 Then David said to Abiathar, “That day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your whole family. 23 Stay with me; don’t be afraid. The man who wants to kill you is trying to kill me too. You will be safe with me.”

My Journal for Today: Today’s chronological read in 1st Samuel, Chapters 21-24, especially the first two chapters, gives us the first glance into a weakness in David’s character when he copped out to a lie of expedience, apparently in denial or defensiveness, in order to get some bread (i.e., holy bread) from the Priests under the supervision of the head Priest, Abimelech [see the focus passages copied above]. And we see in these highlight passages, that this lie ultimately led to the execution, under the orders of Saul, of 85 priests, their families, and the destruction of all their possessions.

This is a gruesome reminder that any believer, even a dedicated servant of God in pursuit of God’s own heart, like David, can be vulnerable to spiritual shortcuts and capable of deceit – even in the self-perceived service of God [see Jer. 17: 9]. Most certainly leaders, God’s shepherds, like David, must be ever vigilant not to cut spiritual corners and make unGodly decisions, because the results can be devastating, as we read in these chapters of 1st Samuel.

I can recall a season of time some years ago when the Elders of my church, i.e., Central Church in Collierville, TN, abrogated our responsibilities to watch over the flock in our church by allowing our Senior Pastor to make decisions without our due vigilance of oversight; and we allowed our Pastor to make decisions without our oversight or accountability; and this short-cutting of God’s spiritual oversight almost led to the torch of God’s Spirit being lifted from our church with our church going through the worst spiritual crisis in it’s 100+ year history. But God, in His mercy, much like He did with David, allowed us to learn from this mistake; and with our repentance and restoration to leadership, in unity, we were able to confess, come together, and build a unity of proper leadership, allowing God’s light to shine from our church again with a new purpose of oversight and vigilance to correct our shortcuts of leadership in the past.

But all Christians, especially ordained and anointed leaders, must remain vigilant and refuse to exercise selfish shortcuts as we read of David doing in this instance so that God’s Spirit might be grieved and dampened by our decisional denial. God’s way and His will must not be compromised; and when it is, there ALWAYS will be consequences; and those consequences can be horrible as we read, involving David above. Now later we will read of another shortcut David will take, which will be just as horrible as this one we read about today; but we’ll look at David’s back-sliding of leadership involving Bathsheba and his murder of Uriah later.

Right now, we need to set a battle plan in motion which allows us to have oversight and/or accountability, with feedback from other believers, probably more mature and insightful and discerning that are we, to prevent us from taking spiritual shortcuts in our lives. Is your “battle plan” of vigilance and accountability in place?

My Prayer Today: … Lord, thank you for surrounding me with a number of cohorts of responsibility and accountability in my life, due to my tendency to be gullible and to relent to my Jer. 17:9 heart. Amen

April 7, 2012 … A Godly Vessel Grows

A Humble Blogger’s Note: I hope you take in what I believe God’s Spirit gave for me to write in this journal entry. Why do I feel so compelled to ask this of any who might read this? Because I’m clearly not intelligent enough to write what came from my dig into God’s mine of wisdom this morning. What you read below was written without any editing on my part; and I’m simply not smart enough to write such thoughts. Hence, my charge to dig into these first three chapters of 1st Samuel and to read what God gave me to blog today. Thank you. <’wrb><

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Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: 1st Samuel 1-3 … To study these chapters, go to this link -

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Highlight Reference Passage : 1st Samuel 3: 19-21 … 19 The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the LORD. 21 The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.

My Journal for Today: Well, we were quickly through the book of Ruth yesterday; and now, on to 1st Samuel, Chapters 1-3, where we’re introduced to an important character as the history of Israel transitions from the time of the Judges into the era of the Kings. And the character, Samuel, became God’s vessel of light during this transition.

There are many interesting and instructive things about which I could journal from these first three chapters in 1st Samuel. I hope you’ve read the entire reading segment. Not too many key characters in Scripture have the early part of their lives described; but Samuel is one; and we read of how his mother, Hannah, like some other key women in the Bible, was barren and prayed to God a vow to have her son, if God would so allow her to give birth to a son, to become a Nazarite, giving him entirely over to God; and that’s exactly what happened. From Hannah we learn that being true to our word to God will be honored by God.

There is the story of Eli, the Levite Priest, who was a much better mentor than he was a father; and he even abrogated his role as a parent, which allowed for the raising of two sons whom God had to discipline because Eli would not. Here we learn that parenting is a vastly important mission in God’s kingdom which should never be overlooked, … even by those who are in the role of “priesthood,” (which, by the way, are all Christian fathers in these New Covenant days).

And we are introduced to Samuel in his early years, who was raised under the mentorship of Eli to be a priest in the Tabernacle; and later we’ll see that he rose to be a Judge and Prophet for God’s people, a giant who would anoint the first Kings in Israel; and would carry the voice of God to His people. Here we learn how important it is to find and carry out the role which God has purposed for each of us.

As we read through the stories and are introduced to characters like Samuel, I am relearning that God has chronicled these stories – about these people – for a reason … His reason. And our Lord wants us to pay attention to their lives so that their stories, and the stories about His chosen people, can help shape our lives.

For example, I see, from my studies in recent days, just how important it is to be obedient to God’s lead through spoken (now written) word. I see from the life of Hannah, how God wants us to trust Him and His promises; and when we do, good things – Godly things – will happen. I see, from the life of Eli (and later Samuel himself), how important the ministry of parenthood is for God’s kingdom. And I see, in Samuel, just how our success for God’s purposes comes through a deep and abiding relationship with God, which must be fostered, if we’re to be used by God for His glory.

If you’re following along with me in this trek through the Bible chronologically this year, I hope you’re gleaning these lessons from God as well. Yesterday, we saw how Ruth faithfully followed God into His fields where she gleaned what was left in the field by God’s leavings; and her faithful gleanings led to her marriage to Boaz and her conversion to the one, true God from her pagan background. And today, as I scrounge through what God has left for me to glean from His bountiful field of truth, even the gleanings are gratefully gathered and I can amply feed upon God’s food for my life.

My Prayer Today: … Lord, thank you for leaving so much for me to feed upon in the harvest field of Your word. Amen

March 28, 2012 … Say It Again, Josh!

Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Joshua, Chapters 22-24 … To study these chapters, go to this link -

Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Joshua 1: 1-9… To study these chapters, go to this link -

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Highlight Reference Passage : Joshua 22: 4-5 … 4 Now that the LORD your God has given them rest as He promised, return to your homes in the land that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side of the Jordan. 5 But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses, the servant of the LORD, gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to Him and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
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Highlight Reference Passage #2 : Joshua 23: 6-8 … 6 “Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. 7 Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. 8 But you are to hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have until now.
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Highlight Reference Passage #3 : Joshua 24: 14-15 … 14 “Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

My Journal for Today: Today in my chronological reading plan, we’re closing out on the Book of Joshua – the last three chapters. And in reading and meditating through them, a theme resounded out of redundancy from words God gave Joshua right back in the first nine verses of Joshua’s book.

Remember God’s pep talk to Joshua in Joshua 1: 1-9, as the LORD was encouraging the leader of God’s chosen just before they were to cross the Jordan and enter the promised-land? If you don’t recall those words, I’ve provided a link to that passage above. But when you study that directive of encouragement from the Lord, you will read many of the same words/thoughts which Joshua used to commission and encourage the people to move forward in their lives after they had taken the promised-land.

Meditate on the three highlight passages I’ve copied for you above; and you’ll see how Joshua mirrored the instructions God had given to him before the land was taken. And when you study Joshua’s charge to the people, you realize that this is God’s bottom-line charge to all of us, just as it was (and IS) Jesus’ bottom-line instruction for us as we live in God’s promises today.

And isn’t it wonderful symmetry that Joshua’s name in Hebrew is “Yeshua,” which, of course, is the translated Hebrew name for “Jesus.” And here they both are giving us the same choices as we cross over the Jordan river of our lives, and in repentance, leaving behind the old life, we live in the promised-land which the LORD has for us.

Joshua laid it out very clearly for the people [in Joshua 22: 5] … “…be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses, the servant of the LORD, gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to Him and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” And then old Joshua, just before he died, told the people ever so clearly where he stood; and we quote him from one of the most oft-quoted passages in Joshua’s memoirs, … [written in Joshua 24: 15] "… choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, … But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

And that, my dear one and fellow follower of the LORD, it is our choice as well this day. Whom will we serve? And my friend … as for me, I choose to follow Joshua … Yeshua … Jesus!

My Prayer Today: … LORD, I follow You!!! Amen

March 22, 2012 … The Prescription for Spiritual Success

Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Joshua, Chapters 1-4 … To study these chapters, go to this link -

Added Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Joshua 1: 1-9 … To study these chapters, go to this link -

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Highlight Reference Passage : Joshua 1: 8 … Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

My Journal for Today: My chronological read in the Bible today takes me from the “Book of the Law,” i.e., the first five books of the Bible, penned by Moses, into the chronicle of God’s people, led by Joshua, moving into the promised-land. And the highlight passage from these four chapters, which I was led to read/study today, and to which you’re linked above, was easy for me to pick. Joshua 1: 8, which was God’s specific prescription to Moses for spiritual success, is a passage which has helped to shape my life; and hence I have a particular personal/emotional investment in this blog this morning.

First, the key verse today lies at the outset of Joshua’s charge and encouragement – by God Himself – for Moses’ hand-picked leader to take the people across the Jordan, moving from what is now the country of Jordan into the designated and God-given promised-land in what we now know of as Israel. This was certainly a daunting task for the man who had been Moses’ right-hand warrior and co-leader for so many years. But here was Joshua, tagged as the complete and singular leader of God’s people; and he wasn’t used to wearing the mantle of leadership which Moses had held. So, at the outset of Joshua 1, verses 1-9, we read of God’s pep-talk to Joshua, encouraging him with a remembrance of the covenant that God would give Joshua and the people every parcel of property where they walked into the new land; and with their obedience to His word – past and present – God would be with Joshua in all he did.

But the highlight verse today, Joshua 1: 8, is key in this task directive God imparts to Joshua. And the Lord tells Joshua that for this task to which Joshua has been selected by God, Joshua must discipline himself to be in and stay in God’s word (and that would be those first five books of the Bible) day and night, being “… careful to do everything written in it;” … and if Joshua did this, God promised him success and power in carrying out God’s charge [i.e., His will].

My reading friend, I hope you can see the immediate application for you and me for this prescription for success when we are moving in life across whatever Jordan we must cross and when we move through life toward God’s promised-land. But whenever we know where God is leading us (i.e., His will or direction for our lives), it usually involves some decision to cross a “Jordan River” in our lives. Perhaps you know that you need to begin living in a manner which involves courage to change some habit or lifestyle pattern. At one point in my life I knew that God wanted me to turn from pursuing sexual sin and other habitual patterns of idolatry and/or covetousness in my life. The decision to repent and move from ungodly behavior to Godly behavior was my “Jordan.” Well, it was a mentor, the Moses in my life, who helped me, as his Joshua, to see the application of Joshua 1: 8 to the task that God was laying out for me … i.e., to be obedient and follow Him (much like Jesus instructed His disciples in Luke 9: 23).

So, using the instruction and personal interpretation of Joshua 1: 8 for the life choices which lay ahead of me, my mentor helped me realize that I was going to have to be in and stay in God’s word daily and continuously, letting God’s word and His purpose guide me, … much as is put forth in other Scriptures like Isaiah 55: 11 and 2nd Timothy 3: 16-17. So, needing desperately to reform my life under God’s will and direction and away from fleshly pursuits, with the help of my mentor, I got involved in a rigorous daily scripture memory process; and he helped me begin and develop the discipline of a daily morning Bible-led devotional, where I would be in God’s word daily and getting God’s word deeply into my being in a disciplined way. And that, my friends, is the essence of what God was instructing Joshua to do to be successful in carrying out the will God had for his life.

My dear one, how much is God’s word a part of your pursuing personal success with regard to God’s will in your life? Is there some task or direction which you know God is leading you toward; but you have retained selfish desires to satisfy your flesh rather than fulfilling God’s will successfully? Well, if so, have you tried carrying out and following through with the Joshua 1: 8 prescription?

And one of the scripture passages I was given by my mentor to contextualize, memorize, and internalize years ago was Psalm 119: 9,…11, where God’s word states - How can a young man (i.e., an immature Christian) cleanse his way? … By taking head to Your word. … Your word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You.

My friend, I don’t know about you; but I want to be a Christian who is successful in the way I live, avoiding sin in my life, and being able to live in fulfillment of God’s will. And today’s prescription for success in living this way is the same for me (and for you) as it was for Joshua; and if we desire to be successful as “Christians,” being in, living in, and living out God’s word is the key to that success.

My Prayer Today: … Oh, Lord, how I desire to stay in Your word everyday of my life, letting Your word guide me and empower me to be successful in shining Your light in a very dark world. Amen

March 14, 2012 … Say it again, Moses!

Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Deuteronomy, Chapters 11-13 … To study these chapters, go to this link -

Deuteronomy 11: 26-28: … [The Choice!] … 26 See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse—27 the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; 28 the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.

My Journal for Today: Actually, as we read through Deuteronomy, Chapters 11-13 (if you’re with me), I was taken by Chapter 11 today where Moses (AGAIN) lays out God’s choice for His chosen ones with regard to the Mosaic Covenant. I hope you’ll use the link above and read all of Chapter 11: but THE CHOICE is spelled out again for us by Moses, laying it out for a people who had a track record of forgetfulness, selfishness, and blatant childish disobedience [sound familiar?]. And Moses was concerned that the children of the current generation of Israelites, those who had never seen all that God had done for His people, miraculously delivering them from Egypt, providing for them in the wilderness for 40 years, and being there with them in the Tabernacle as they traveled, would very easily lapse into disobedience as they went into the promised-land. The Prophet could easily foresee the likelihood that this youngest generation would be vulnerable to disobedience and, therefore, breach their obligations to follow God’s commands as they traversed into God’s promised-land; and Moses knew what the result would be. So, the aging Prophet laid the fateful choice out for God’s people once again, writing it down in what was to become God’s Book of the Law. And, my friends, we of the New Covenant, in this age of God’s grace, really have the same choice, don’t we?

We can choose to live or die under the covering of the blood of Christ. We can choose to believe in Jesus and obey Him and live eternally as His disciples; or we can choose to reject, in disbelief, what He did on the cross; and the result of the latter choice is eternal death, … i.e., never being allowed into God’s heavenly promised-land. And even after we make the choice which leads to eternal life, it is God’s New Covenant (in Christ) to give us His resurrection power in our lives, living eternally blessed in God’s promised-land. In other words, even as saved believers, we can choose to be disobedient and experience the deathly consequences of our disobedience in sin, which will render us impotent against the powers of our spiritual enemies, … Satan, the world, and our own flesh. The choice is still obedience and power in the promised-land … versus … disobedience and death in our lives; … and WE CHOOSE.

I’m praying this morning – as I do so many mornings – that I will see the power of surrender to God’s will, seeking and finding His way by following God’s word, which was what Moses laid out for God’s people in God’s Book of the Law; and it is what we have laid out before us as believers in the truth of God’s word. Let me pray that you see the choice as Moses and Jesus have laid it out for us; and I pray that we all choose life.

My Prayer Today: … Lord, I pray that all who read here with me have made their choice, as I have, and we choose to follow You in obedience to Your word, knowing that You will provide life for all who do. Amen

March 11, 2012 … Obey – Disobey … Our Choice

Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Deuteronomy, Chapters 3-4 … To study these chapters, go to this link -

Deuteronomy 3: 23-29: … [The Price of Disobedience] ... 23 At that time I pleaded with the LORD: 24 “Sovereign LORD, You have begun to show to Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works You do? 25 Let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan—that fine hill country and Lebanon.” >>> 26 But because of you the LORD was angry with me and would not listen to me. “That is enough,” the LORD said. “Do not speak to me anymore about this matter. 27 Go up to the top of Pisgah and look west and north and south and east. Look at the land with your own eyes, since you are not going to cross this Jordan. 28 But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see.” 29 So we stayed in the valley near Beth Peor.
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Deuteronomy 4: 39-40: … [Obey and Live] ... 39 Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. 40 Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the LORD your God gives you for all time.

My Journal for Today: Reading through Chapters 3-4 of Deuteronomy today in my chronological Bible reading, I’ve decided to back off a bit with minimal comments as to what you’ll read and understand from these two chapters. I’ll make a few brief comments below (yeah, I know – “promises, promises!”); but I am going to ask anyone who’s here to read my blog to read the two chapters to which I link you above for study. Then I’ll ask you to see if you’re not a bit overwhelmed with conviction – as was I when I meditated on these two chapters today.

I think you can tell from my titles above that obedience and/or disobedience of our God was as the heart of the reading today; and that fact carries my degree of conviction. If we are serious about living as our God demands of His people and we want the results of what God promises His followers, … OBEDIENCE is the key to living the God-promised and God-fulfilled life our Lord lays before us as we trek toward His promised land.

Below you see a picture I’ve copied into this blog which was taken from the highest peak of what is now Mount Nebo in Jordan [the highest peak in the mountain range referred to in Deut. 3: 27 above as “Mount Pisgah”]. In the photo you see a group of pilgrims, which included yours truly, looking over at exactly what Moses would have seen, … the land God would not allow him to enter because of his disobedience. As I took that picture, looking out over the promised-land from Jordan into Israel, I just couldn’t help but imagine how much more in my life I could have realized if I had lived so many years of my life in obedience, rather than in disobedience to God’s established order and His teaching from His word.

BUT … I do have the rest of my life ahead; and if I cross the Jordan of decision and trek through the wilderness of this life, keeping my eyes on the prize ahead, as Paul wrote about in Philippians 3: 13-14; and if I live as my Lord, Jesus, charged me to live in Acts 1: 8 and Luke 9: 23. following Him in faith with the witnessing power of God’s Spirit in me, as well as living in obedience to His word, … I will have the success that God promised to Joshua (see Joshua 1: 8) in living out my life successfully as an obedient follower of God’s word and law.

What about you? Are you on board with this obedience deal? Come along, my friend; let’s cross over any Jordan of decision we need to cross and let’s trek toward the promised-land, living obediently and following our Lord in the battles of life which lie ahead. His promise is to take us home; and that’s all we need to follow Him, isn’t it?

My Prayer Today: … Lord, lead me; … I will follow in obedience. Amen

March 10, 2012 … Redundancy Teaches

Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Deuteronomy, Chapters 1-2 … To study these chapters, go to this link -

Deuteronomy 1: 1-3: … [God Speaks On Deafened Ears] ... 1 These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the wilderness east of the Jordan—that is, in the Arabah—opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab. 2 (It takes eleven days to go from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the Mount Seir road.) … 3 In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses proclaimed to the Israelites all that the LORD had commanded him concerning them.

My Journal for Today: Okay, now we’re taken by our chronological Bible read into the “book of redundancy,” as I call it. … Deuteronomy, … which, when I’ve read it in the past, always seemed to be quite a bit repetitive from a lot of what was already covered in Leviticus and Numbers. Actually, I know that the word “Deuteronomy” comes from the Greek “deutero” [second] and “nomos” [law]; so, … the title for this book means a “restatement of the law;” and that’s exactly what Moses is writing here, an historical recounting and restatement of “The Law” for the posterity of the people, as well as a chronicling of their trek through the wilderness in God’s purification process of these very fallible and forgetful children.

And it is this latter reason for Moses writing Deuteronomy which has captured my application attention for blogging this morning. God repeating, via Moses, all of this information about why He turned an 11 day trek into one which lasted 40 years was worthy material for His people (which includes me). They needed to get it – AGAIN; and so do I. Therefore, it’s worthy enough for me to pay close attention to this Book as I read through it one more time, trying to glean what God has for me by reading what He had Moses write for the Israelites.

I’m certainly no different than God’s stiff-necked and recalcitrant Old Covenant Jews. I can so easily go into pity-party mentality and grumble about my circumstances. I too often tend to see things my way rather than seek out – or just simply trust – life as God’s way. I wander though life with a self-inflated attitude when my Savior keeps saying over and over to me, in a personally redundant paraphrase of Luke 9: 23, [God’s Spirit speaking to me Christ’s throughts] … “Bill, if you want to follow after Me as My disciples, you just have to deny yourself, trust me in all of our travels through life, and simply follow Me.”

But like the Israelites, wandering through the desert on the way to God’s promised-land, do I get it? No, … even though God redundantly keeps trying to show me this truth and message of obedience in so many different ways, I’m coming to believe that God needs to be very redundant in repeating His message of truth through His word over and over and over so that people like me can wander in the wilderness of life and die to our sin nature, giving us life and direction, through God’s grace and truth, taught so repetitively in His word.

So, as I read through Deuteronomy … AGAIN, … I’m going to expect that God is going to give me truth after truth after truth for my living just as He was doing through Moses in this Book of repetition for His children, the Israelites. Hopefully, I’ll see those truths and die to self, allowing me to live … in and through God’s truth revealed by His Spirit through His word.

My Prayer Today: … Lord, say it again so that I’ll hear it this time! Amen

November 25, 2011 … Finishing the Race

Passage of the Day: Ephesians 5: 15 - 16 [highlight verse in bold/underlined] …
15 Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

My Journal for Today: Returning to Ephesians 5: 15 – 16 this morning, this month my devotional time with God, with John MacArthur as my biblical shepherd in Strength for Today, has focused on finding the mind of God (i.e., searching for Godly wisdom) and then applying that wisdom to my life in these perilous times in which we live as Christians. In Acts 20: 24, Paul is attributed by Luke to have written to Christians, “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.” Note that Paul saw himself and other Christians to have a finite, God-led, course in life, and in the time he was given, Paul felt that his Christian witness to Christ’s gospel was of utmost importance. And that is why Paul’s exhortation in Ephesians 5: 15-16 becomes so pertinent to us today … yes, even critical.

We live in a most challenging era of history; but 1st Century Christians felt that way as well. In all eras of time, human lives in this fallen world have been tinged by evil and social upheaval. So, in these perilous times in which God has allowed us to live, we must do all we can to find God’s will and make the most of our time, giving witness to the next life with Christ. And as we’ve come to understand this month, one of the keys to living a productive and fruitful Christian life is to know God’s will and way through His word.

If we are to follow Christ’s command [in Matt. 5: 16] and shine His light in the world with Godly living for all to see our Father in Heaven, we must be able to say, at the end of our allotted time on this earth, that we have crowns of righteousness waiting for us in Heaven. So I have to ask myself, “Can I say the following, as Paul did to Timothy?” [see 2nd Tim. 4: 7 – 8] … “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

And I have found that it is WISE for me to do a periodic inventory of my values; and then to analyze seriously how I’m using my time to fulfill what God has for my life which will shine His light and glorify God. In other words, are we all walking the worthy walk for Christ (see Eph. 4: 1 – 3)?

That is our challenge … today, tomorrow, and always.

My Prayer Today: Help me, Lord, to be all I can be for You. Amen

November 22, 2011 … Watch Your Step

Passage of the Day: Ephesians 5: 15 [note terms in bold] – [NIV] … 15 Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, …

Ephesians 5: 15 [note terms in bold] – [NASB] … 15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, …

My Journal for Today: John MacArthur, in his Strength for Today devotional on this date, returns to Ephesians 5: 15 to emphasize the exhortation to Christians to “walk carefully” in Christ. I’ve added the NASB version of today’s key verse above because it uses the translated term “walk,” which is another translation from the Greek, rather than “live,” as in the NIV. I like the term “walk” paired with “be very careful” because, as MacArthur alludes in his devotional, they can create the word picture of a soldier being so very careful as he clears a minefield.

I’ll return to this mental image; but focusing on the Greek, term “akribos,” which has been accurately rendered in the NIV for Eph. 5: 15, “to be very careful;” and it’s a term which means to be hyper-vigilant to what is going on around us in the world. The second key term in today’s verse is “paripateo” in the Greek; and it refers to our ”daily living or walk,” especially those habits or disciplines which comprise our habitual walk in the world. Using these terms together, Paul was saying to the Ephesians, and to us [paraphrased], “As you walk everyday in this world, walk with extreme care and vigilance!”

And that’s why the mine-clearing soldier image is so apropos in this exhortation. Wouldn’t you agree that life, as we know it, truly is a minefield? And I’ve often asked this question of other Christians, “If you had to walk through a minefield, would you rather be first; or would you rather follow someone who knows exactly where every mine is placed?” The answer is a no-brainer, of course. And applied to Eph. 5: 15, Paul is saying that the wise Christian will do all he can to seek the perfect minefield walker; and that, my dear readers, is Jesus; and then we follow Him.

Christ commanded His disciples (in Matt. 16: 24, Mark 8: 34; and one which I probably quote more than any other in ministry, Luke 9: 23) to follow Him ever so closely by denying ourselves. Proverbs 3: 5 commands the believer to trust God’s way completely and not try to walk in life using our own ideas; and Prov. 3: 6 promises that if we do that, God will lead us carefully down His pathway of life. And God’s pathway, even if it’s fraught with “mines,” is always the safest path to follow. Hence, our need to be vigilant and disciplined in following our Lord rather than our own feelings and flesh-driven ideas.

To the world, a “careful walk” might mean using our head knowledge, gleaned from worldly education, science, or even from man-made religion, to avoid the dangerous circumstances of life. It might encourage the worldly warrior to take on the minefield alone by using modern technology or to follow religious positive thinking gurus to point out the mines of life; but the truth of such strategies would place us at the mercy of others who are simply trying to show us the way by man-created technologies or thought processes. When we follow the way of Prov. 3: 5 – 6 and/or Luke 9: 23, merely trusting and following Christ, we may not always avoid the dangers of life’s minefields; but we’ll always know that God will bring us through the minefields of life the right way! And I don’t know about you; but I’d much rather follow Jesus through life than risk doing it on my own.

My Prayer Today: Lead me, Lord, and I will walk where You walk. Amen

September 4, 2011 … The Promised Holy Spirit

Passage of the Day: John 14: 16 – 17 … 16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever — 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be [some early manuscripts state “is” instead of “will be”] in you.

My Journal for Today: What a pronouncement; … what a promise! In fact, this promise that Jesus made to His inner circle of disciples in the upper room discourse just hours before His time of passion and death was fulfilled for the church at Pentecost as it has been for every individual believer who receives the indwelling Holy Spirit upon believing and receiving Christ as Lord and Savior.

As John MacArthur points out in today’s Strength for Today devotional, this promise and its ultimate fulfillment actually has four elements …

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#1 … A supernatural Helper identical in Spirit to God, the Father, and God, the Son (John 14: 27b); …
#2 … A supernatural or divine perspective on the world and life (John 14: 19); …
#3 … A supernatural Teacher Who provides believers with the mind of Christ (John 14: 26); and …
#4 … A supernatural peace which assertively and positively allows us to deal with our spiritual enemies (see Phil. 4: 7; 1st Cor. 10: 13; and Eph. 6: 10 – 13).
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And as we read in John 14: 21 and 15: 5, all that Christ demands of His disciples (i.e., you and me as born-again Christians) is that we believe enough to obey the teaching and leading of His Spirit. Now, this devotional entry may be short; but is that not the most provocative and powerful promise that God could give to anyone who believes and submits to our Lord? The question is … are we discerning it, believing it, and acting on it?

My Prayer Today: O Lord, help me in my unbelief! Amen

August 16, 2011 … Serving Your Master

Passage of the Day: Matthew 6: 24 … "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

My Journal for Today: Jesus’ teaching and exhortation in today’s passage is straight forward and logical. He says NOBODY can be a slave to two masters. The Greek word for “nobody” means ……… NOBODY!

Now, in today’s world, many people are into “multi-tasking;” and many people get quite good at this method of getting things done (even though this can be a recipe for “burnout,” which is another lesson entirely!). But handling two tasks simultaneously is not what Jesus is teaching about. When he uses to the concept “serve” in today’s teaching, He is referring to the Greek word “douleuo,” which clearly refers to being a “slave” to a master. And Jesus is saying that we cannot be a slave or servant (i.e., disciple) to Himself and to any other worldly or fleshly master, such as money (in this instance). For in bowing down and serving money or some worldly pleasure as our master, we are deferring our allegiance to Satan, the world, or self, which means that we cannot serve God at the same time.

The world and Satan, the world’s [temporary] master, demands that their followers be proud, to walk by sight, to seek the things of the world, and to be anxious over everything, having no power except that provided by Satan. But our Lord, God, demands Christians to be humble, to walk by faith, to seek the things of heaven, and to be anxious for nothing, having all power provided by our God. And as you can read, these two masters are separated by 180 degrees of difference in their demands. So, which will we choose?

Romans 6: 17 – 18 reminds us that Christians, who are now in Christ, were once slaves to sin; but now, anyone who has chosen to believe and make Christ as Lord, becomes a slave of righteousness. Hence, the Christian – the true Christian – will never comfortably be able to choose to be a slave to the pursuit of the world or selfish gain because God’s Spirit will never provide peace in such pursuits. When God’s Spirit is deeply rooted in the heart of any believer, that one becomes a sold-out bond slave to Christ; and any decisions that are made in the flesh or in the pursuit of Satan’s world will produce Holy Spirit generated reactions (i.e., conviction), ultimately leading one to surrender to The Master, Who always wants the best for His servants. But if a Christian chooses to be temporarily mastered by his own deceit-ridden heart, by the world, or by Satan, he can expect to live in the misery of conviction and chastisement from a God who loves that one enough not to let him stay directed toward a sin-directed master.

I know that the concept of being a SLAVE is not one that sits well with the western consciousness, especially in our culture of American individualism and post-modern relativism. But the irony is … we can never find true freedom or God’s peace without being a slave to God’s Truth (see John 8: 32); and Jesus is The Truth (see John 14: 6). So, we, as believers, must decide … do we serve (i.e., become slaves) of Christ; or do we serve Satan, the world, or the flesh?

It is our choice!

My Prayer Today: I serve You, Lord! Amen

August 6, 2011 … Love of Money Obscures Life’s Simplicity

Passage of the Day: 1st Timothy 6: 8 [bold/underlined]… 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

My Journal for Today: It is so easy, in our fast-paced, techno-informational culture, to lose sight of whom we are (in Christ) and whom we need to be or become as Christians. As I noted in my devotional entry for yesterday, we lose sight of the real meaning of contentment with diminished peace/power in our lives when greed, selfishness, or materialism become our focus.

In today’s passage, the Apostle Paul exhorts his younger protégé, Timothy, and teaching all believers about the basics of life so that we can have contentment, peace, and spiritual power as we live out our lives on this earth. And yesterday I also alluded to the teachings of Jesus (in Matt. 6: 33), where He strongly states that our focus must be on God first with our lives lived for His kingdom.

And using John MacArthur’s Strength for Today again, this learned author and theologian provides us [with some of my own editorial comments added] with five (5) reminders to help Christians focus on what is important and to help us avoid getting seduced into materialism

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>>> #1 … Evaluate [i.e., filter] every purpose or temporal decision in the light of Matthew 6: 33. If you’re looking for a “WWJD” [What Would Jesus Do?] filtering mechanism, that verse from Jesus’ own mouth is the best one we have to see if we’re following Him, as He commanded, in this life [see also Luke 9: 23].
>>> #2 … Be thankful for everything because God owes us nothing. If we have a sense of spiritual entitlement or a victim’s mentality because of the challenges of life, we can never be truly grateful for God’s grace and providence [see Phil. 4: 19].
>>> #3 … Recognize needs versus wants. Doing so usually frees up our God-given resources (time, treasure, and talents) for Godly goals [see 2Cor. 9: 6, 7].
>>> #4 … Always spend less than we earn. How much more clear could Godly logic be; … because spending more than we earn leads to debt; and in doing so we become a slave to our indebtedness [see Prov. 22: 7]?
>>> #5 … Live sacrificially for God’s kingdom. … Our goal is to live for Savior rather than for self or the world [see Romans 12: 1-2].
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And I personally believe (and have experienced) … if we live by these principles, ever focusing on God’s word for guidance and direction (see Joshua 1: 8), we will be free in Christ, empowered by God’s grace with all that we need in live (see God’s promise in 2nd Peter 1: 3 – 4).

My Prayer Today: I say again, Lord, … You are my all – in – all. Amen

July 23, 2011 … Add Knowledge

Passage of the Day: 2nd Peter 1: 5b … [NIV – see bold text] 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; …

2nd Peter 1: 5b … [NASB - see underlined text] 5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, …

My Journal for Today: John MacArthur makes an excellent point in his Strength for Today devotional for this date. He writes the “… moral excellence (remember from yesterday the Greek term, “arête”) cannot develop in an intellectual vacuum.” MacArthur, I believe, correctly claims that our culture, and even the church, has begun to succumb to an experiential orientation, … a feelings-first mentality, if you will, … where the pursuit of truth [i.e., Godly knowledge/wisdom] is shunted aside. The question, “Is it biblically correct?” is considered an unloving, divisive issue [i.e., politically incorrect] in many churches today.

However, in today’s passage/verse, Peter makes the inexorable connection between moral excellence and the pursuit of knowledge (for which the Greek term is “gnosis,” which means “a proper understanding” or an accurate discernment of the absolute truth). Yet, the church, especially some ascribing to the charismatic movement, push aside an intellectual pursuit of doctrine in lieu of finding a spiritual experience in their abiding relationship with Christ.

God’s word is clear, however, (see also Eph. 4: 13 - 15), teaching that Christians who lack doctrinal truth are believers who are childish and/or unstable in their faith, subject to blowing with the winds of cultural/worldly influences. That’s why Paul in the passage in 1st Cor. 14: 20, exhorted believers to be mature in their understanding of truth and not like children, who rely on their feelings. Yes, of course, Christ would have His disciples be childLIKE in their trust of Him – but not childISH. Again Paul exhorts, “… that your (Christian) love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment.” (see Phil. 1: 9 - 11)

As the OT Prophet, Hosea, declared, “…let us know, (and) … let us press to know the Lord.” (Hosea 6: 3 - NASB) And that should the credo of every Christian; because to know God is to pursue becoming like God – which translates behaviorally into the pursuit of Christian “arête” or moral excellence; and that is the springboard of Spirit-led sanctification in discipleship.

My Prayer Today: Help me to know You, Lord, through Your truth. Amen

June 8, 2011 … Integrity Passes the Test

Passage of the Day: Daniel 1: 14 - 16 … 14 So he [Ashpenaz] agreed to this [Daniel’s proposed scheme] and tested them [Daniel and the Hebrew boys] for ten days. 15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.

My Journal for Today: In our lives our spiritual (i.e., Christian) integrity WILL BE tested. The testing may be set in motion by God Himself, as it was for Abraham (see Genesis 22: 1-2).

SCRIPTURE: Gen. 22: 1 - 2 … 1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," He replied. 2 Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."

However, more likely, the testing may come from our circumstances, mostly resulting from our own choices – as when Israel wandered in the wilderness (see Deut. 8: 16).

And finally, the testing of our Christian integrity may come from Satan, allowed by God, as it was for Job (see Job 1: 12; 2: 6). But no matter the source, all testing is under God’s control and foreknowledge in order to mature believers and bring them into increased fruitfulness (Romans 8: 28; and 1st Peter 1: 6 – 7).

In today’s passage, Daniel and his three friends were tested as they carefully, yet assertively, chose to stand for God’s principles in the face of death before the worldly authorities. And God honored their stand for His glory by clearly intervening to make them look healthier than their peers after only ten days of their vegetarian diet. This, of course, had to be supernatural; because when you consider that middle eastern, Hebrew diet of the day, there is no natural way that they could have looked so physically different from the other Babylonian fed trainees in such a short period of time. And so, God, through the faithfulness of the Hebrew lads and His intervention, had opened the way for Daniel and his young friends to continue honoring God as well as witnessing to His power to the Babylonians.

We must believe in the truth of 1st Cor. 10: 13 (which I hope you have memorized by now) … that God will never allow us to be put in or to go through any test, trial, temptation, or tribulation through which, with His help or guidance, we cannot pass or endure. As you’ve hopefully believe from Rom. 8: 28 (which I ASSUME you have also memorized by now), ALL tests are for our good as Christians; so, we should be ready, and more importantly willing, to take the tests in Christ’s Name. Prayerfully, we will come out of these tests with a passing mark (… from God, of course).

My Prayer Today: Help me, Lord, in any test of life which may come my way today. Amen

May 20, 2011 … Rejoicing Through The Spirit

Passage of the Day: 1st Peter 4: 14 [see bold highlight] … 12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

My Journal for Today: And today we continue on with Peter’s contextual message to those suffering for their faith with the 14th verse of 1st Peter 4. Can you just imagine Christians in the Circus of Rome or in Asia Minor having pitch poured over them, which was lit by the Roman guards; and then to hear, as was reported historically, these burning Christians proclaiming Christ’s Name and singing His glory? It’s tough to see myself being able to praise God in that light; but I do believe it happened; and I know it’s possible.

Peter points out, in today’s verse, that such devotion, faith, and proclamation of joy in Christ, in the face of “fiery trials,” could only take place because of “the Spirit of glory” (i.e., the Holy Spirit), Who indwells all born-again believers. Again, I refer any reading here to the wondrous texts from Paul to the Corinthian Christians (and to us) in 1st Cor. 10: 13 and 2nd Cor. 12: 9. Can you see how many times I refer to these scriptures and why I say that these two would be two of the best passages from God’s word to commit to memory?

John MacArthur, in his devotional for this date in Strength for Today, reminded me (us) that this Spirit-driven power in the first martyr for Christianity, Stephen, was the power that allowed him to witness so deeply to his faith just as Jesus had done on the cross, asking God to forgive those who were stoning him to death (go back and read Acts 6: 15 and Acts 7: 55 – 60). And in Stephen’s story of martyrdom, we have the same grace in the face of human weakness, again spoken of by Pau, whom BTW was a witness to Stephen’s stoning, l in 2nd Cor. 12: 9, that would allow this man, Stephen, being stoned to death, to do a super-human act of Christlikeness. And all of us who are truly in Christ have that same power in us.

The question, at least for this war weary Christian soldier this morning is, … “Has my belief and challenged faith been strengthened and developed to the point that I could/would rejoice in the face of any fiery trial as did Stephen or the Apostle Paul?” I would like to answer “yes” to that question; but going even deeper into my relationship with Christ and practicing the disciplines of the faith with even more diligence can only make my belief stronger and my skills as a Christian warrior more battle ready. So, in the Spirit, I press on even as I am this morning! (see Phil. 3: 13-14)

My Prayer Today: Glory be that You are in me and for me, Lord! Amen

May 12, 2011 … Trials’ Lessons: No Partiality

Passages of the Day: James 1: 9 – 10 … 9 The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. 10 But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower.

See also 1st Peter 1: 3 – 6 … 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

My Journal for Today: Today (above) we have two passages to consider, which both convey two elements of a powerful message of truth. Taking these messages together, we see that rich and poor, as well as the powerful and the weak in this world, are loved and served equally by God. Aren’t you glad? I sure am.

Take note of what happened on Christmas Eve in 2004 with the incredible devastation of the far-eastern tsunami. Many rich and powerful tourists were swept away, along with the poorer and less powerful residents in those areas affected. It is true that the rain falls on the rich and poor alike when it falls, just like the love and grace of God showers all equally; … the worldly powerful and the worldly weak are covered equally by the love and grace of God. Again … praise the Lord for this truth!

And as we read above from Peter’s praise, the poor and disenfranchised of the world can take hope – great hope – in the resurrection power of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. ALL believers, no matter what our social status may be, can, and actually, must revel in the glory of our future inheritance as believers in Christ. Read of this in Ephesians 1: 11 – 14 …

SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 1: 11 – 14 … 11 In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 Who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.

However, after taking in this truth of God’s impartial love and grace being offered to all who would receive it, we also have to consider the other side of this spiritual coin, where the opposite and horrible truth resides for those who choose not to believe in and receive Christ as Savior and Lord. Whether these non-believers be rich or poor, powerful or not, they will one day, BY THEIR CHOICE to reject Christ, be living together and eternally in the fires of hell, which is separation from the same God Who would have visited His glory on them had they chosen to receive His saving grace..

So, may we all – rich and poor – powerful and week - come to the Cross to receive the glorious inheritance which awaits us from our faith in the resurrected Christ. Oh, how I pray you have joined me here.

My Prayer Today: You, Lord, are my only hope and refuge. Amen

May 7, 2011 … Trial’s Lessons: Right Priorities

Passage of the Day: Genesis 22: 10 - 12 … 10 Then he [Abraham] reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son [Isaac]. 11 But the Angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!"
"Here I am," he [Abraham] replied. 12 "Do not lay a hand on the boy," He [the Angel – likely Jesus] said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from Me your son, … your only son."

My Journal for Today: It’s a test! And the question from today’s passage, involving the poignant and powerful test Abraham had to endure, becomes – Do we pass God’s test when He calls for our radical obedience in the face (at times) of overbearing demands from the circumstances of life?

Sometimes the teaching from God is almost unbearable. Jesus taught a hard truth in Luke 14: 26 (see below) when He told His followers that discipleship could cause them to seem like they hated their own family. [“hate” here refers to turning radically from selfish desires or feelings for others]

SCRIPTURE: Luke 14: 26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.”

But as with all such challenging demands from Christ, Jesus, Himself, is our Model. He was the suffering servant (see Isaiah 53), Who went to the cross in perfect obedience to His Father in Heaven, encountering incredible hardship, pain, and even death to carry out God’s will. And that becomes the mold into which we must pour our lives … no matter how challenging it might be, especially when we are called – by God – to move in directions which our family may not agree. Often, when Muslims convert to Christianity, their family hates them for it; and many times the newly converted Christian must turn his/her back on the family to pursue discipleship in Christ.

So, what in our lives stands in the way of following Jesus as He commanded … to deny self, to take up His cross daily, and to follow Him [Luke 9: 23]? Are we willing to put Christ first – even above the lives and feelings of our families? Of course, Christ would never ask us to do anything that subverts the roles we have as Christian husbands or fathers or even as friends in steadfast Christian family relationships. That’s illustrated as clearly as it could be in today’s highlight passage about Abraham and Isaac. He certainly didn’t allow Abraham to take the life of his son. But many times Christ’s calling will mean that others will have to take second place as we lift and carry His cross and follow Him in our daily life. Are we ready and willing to do so?

I pray that I am.

My Prayer Today: Lord, help me pass Your test. Amen

April 20, 2011 … Compassionate Loyalty

Passage of the Day: Matthew 27: 55 … Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for His needs.

My Journal for Today: In this passage we read of women, who follow Christ loyally as He had commanded in Luke 9: 23. Yes, these were true “disciples,” living out Christ’s commands in that passage, offering their special gifts/services for their Savior, … women who deserved special recognition in God’s word, which was provided by God’s Spirit through the Gospel author, Matthew in today’s highlight passage. Most certainly they will have Christ’s recognition in Heaven; but in today’s verse we see the women who followed Jesus (in the background as he traveled in His earthly ministry) receiving singular recognition as they followed their Lord all the way to the cross.

And by the way, it’s interesting to note that the women followers of Jesus didn’t bolt and run in fear as did His close male disciples. To some degree this is still evident today in the preponderance of female service and involvement in most Christian churches in America – the women serving Christ faithfully and the men, with some exceptions, of course, exhibiting a “bolt and run” attitude when confronted with the truth of Christ’s rigorous commands toward discipleship/ministry/mission (see Acts 1: 8, Matt. 28: 19-20, and again – Luke 9: 23).

The women who faithfully serve God’s will and in His work have their role models in these women of Matt. 27, who, though crushed in despair, still ministered to their Lord’s needs, even in light of His hanging on the tree at Golgotha. We read about three of them further in John 19: 25 – 27 … women who loved their Lord and of Christ’s love for them …

SCRIPTURE: John 19: 25-27 … Near the cross of Jesus stood His mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," 27 and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

In today’s church, as I alluded above, we see the counterparts of these loyal and compassionate warriors, … women who, in today’s church, quietly and faithfully follow Jesus even through incredibly rough circumstances. They pray for others diligently. They work quietly with little or no up-front recognition, using their gifts for God’s glory. And they share their faith, through Christlike action, even when they are not sharing the Gospel verbally (which many of them do very effectively as well). More often and often more effectively than Christian men, I believe, the Sisters of God’s family are more faithful in their witness and true to Christ’s Great Commission (see Matt. 28: 19 – 20) than are today’s Christian men.

As an Elder in our church, I am blessed to be able to see this in action. As a blessed husband of one of these “faithful warriors,” I see this every day. In so many ways, my wife and the women of our church are faithful as surrendered servants in God’s kingdom. We are also blessed in our church to have many men who are servant-leaders for Christ; but more men need to be more active in God’s kingdom; and they, the men, are outnumbered as core members of our church – probably 3 to 1.

The women of my church, however, live both sides of the model given to us by Lazarus’ sisters, Martha and Mary, close friends of our Lord during His earthly ministry – giving faithful service and devoted worship as their personal ministry and witness, tirelessly using their gifts for the betterment of God’s kingdom and for His glory. If you’re a man and reading this, I would hope that this convicts you, as it does me, and directs you to be more faithful and to take the servant-leader role in God’s kingdom very seriously in your local church home.

But … Hail God’s powerful and dutiful women!! And I am blessed to married to one who embodies all that today’s passage captures.

My Prayer Today: Thank you, Lord, for Your servant, Elly Berry, whom You gave to me to be my helpmeet. Amen

April 13, 2011 … Peter’s Repentence

Passage of the Day: Matthew 26: 74 - 75 … [see underlined] 74 Then he [Peter] began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, "I don't know the man!" Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will disown Me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly.

My Journal for Today: Wow! This is a passage with which I have deep personal empathy and identity.

Peter’s response to the recognition of His thrice denial of Christ, which is recounted in today’s passage, as well as in Luke 22: 61, … especially after a long series of self-driven behavior (see Matt. 26: 35, 40 – 41, 51 – 52, and 69 – 70), shows the long-suffering patience our Lord has for believers who fail Him, even repeatedly (and are you, like me, saying “Amen” right now?).

And I love the passage in John 21: 15 – 19 [please look that one up and meditate on its significance], which probably best illustrates Christ’s infinite patience, love, and grace as He helps Peter be restored into fellowship with his Lord, along with a charge to move forward in his (Peter’s) relationship with Christ. Jesus patiently and lovingly, in the John 21 passage, brings this fallen warrior into a healed and restored fellowship with his Lord with the charge from the Good Shepherd to go and feed His sheep [which is a charge to fulfill Peter’s calling in ministry]. Could there be a more poignant and powerful description of just how much the Good Shepherd loves His sheep and is willing to do all it takes to keep them close to Himself so that they (we) can grow and thrive?

This is a living example of the truth of 1st John 1: 7, 9; and it should give hope to all of us who claim Christ as our Savior. When we’re willing to return to the Good Shepherd, with dirt on us from our encounters with sin in our nature, He is fully willing to cleanse us completely and to allow us to be restored of strength and direction. That was the lesson from the parable of the “prodigal,” wasn’t it? Well, somewhere along the path of our discipleship as Christians all of us have failed our Lord, by commission or omission. But we still, from that moment forward by confession/repentance, can be like Peter in the John 21 passage [have you taken it in – fully? … please do!]. We can receive God’s grace and walk in repentance with His Spirit giving us His direction and power. We can deny self, take up our cross daily, and follow Him (see my oft cited passage: Luke 9: 23).

But as with Peter, it takes our recognition of our sin or separation from the Shepherd … AND our willingness to return to Him in repentance so that Christ can (and will) be able to impart His blessing and fill us with His grace. Only with this enabling grace can we fulfill the admonition of Paul in Phil. 3: 13 – 14 … to move forward toward the prize which awaits us in glory, shining God’s light for others to see our Lord’s love from the darkness (see Matt. 5: 16).

Where are you, my friend? Have you been in the darkness? Do you need to come into the light, … to repent and be restored today? If so, go back, … run into the arms of your Abba Father and be restored by the Good Shepherd, who will say to you what he said to Peter, … “Go, and feed my sheep.” And with the cleansing of character that comes from repentance and renewal, you will be able to do just that, … shining Christ’s light though your gifts and good works for God’s glory.

My Prayer Today: I am restored in/through You, Lord! Amen

Special Blogger's Note: It’s a special day for yours truly – my “re-birthday.” It was 28 years ago TODAY that I was, like Peter, allowed to repent and be restored from an angry agnostic who had lived in habitual sexual sin for over two decades and was seeking spiritual strength and renewal into my now life, almost three decades later, as an ordained Minister of the Gospel. Perhaps you can see why I identify with Peter so much. And any of us, as lost souls or backslidden believers, in need of repentance and renewal can run to our Prodigal Father, and receive the restoring love He has waiting for us. If you need that love, I pray that you will come to the Good Shepherd, our Abba Father, running into the open arms of the loving and merciful Good Shepherd and hear Him say, "I love you; ... now go and feed my sheep."

April 10, 2011 … They ALL Failed the Test

Passage of the Day: Matthew 26: 56b … 56 But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then ALL the disciples deserted him and fled.

My Journal for Today: Above I capitalized the word “ALL” for emphasis. That word “all” in that passage is the Greek word “pas,” which is used almost 1300 times in the New Testament; and it means just what it says. It means “each and every one” of Jesus’ disciples cut and ran. If this had been test of their Christlikeness or a measurement of the maturity of their discipleship, how would these men have done on the test?

I capitalized that word “ALL” for emphasis so that we can see that ALL of Jesus’ closest disciples fled when the pressure was on. ALL of them, fearing for their lives as Jesus was arrested, cut and ran. And these were men who had walked with their declared “Messiah” for three years. They had seen Him perform all of those miracles recorded in the Gospel accounts … turning water into wine … walking on water … calming a raging sea with a wave of his hand … feeding the multitudes with a few fishes and loaves, … healing all those people; … and even witnessing Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead. And three of their number had seen Jesus transformed on the Mount of Transfiguration. And yet, ALL – not some of them, … but ALL - of the remaining disciples fled when their “Messiah,” the One they had declared to be the Son of God, was taken away by the soldiers. I don’t know about you; but personally, the facts surrounding this event are hard for me to grasp.

Oh, it’s so easy to ask, “How could they do this?!!” But I wonder if I would not have been the same cowering disciple as these men were given that test of my discipleship. Earlier I referred to Cassie Bernall’s simple faith with a gun to her head at Columbine High School. She didn’t run or deny her Lord as did Peter and the other inner-circle Disciples. No … like Jesus, Cassie Bernall died for her faith. Wow, … I would hope and pray that I could be like Cassie, especially since, like her, I have the benefit of the biblical account of our Lord dying on the cross for my sins; and I have declared in faith, here in this safe place, that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. Actually, to be fair to the disciples who ran that day, sometime later, after they witnessed the cross and the resurrection and the ascension, they all died, save John, the death of martyrs for their faith. These men were not cowards down deep in their hearts; but they were very human; and as we know from the truth of Jeremiah 17: 9, we humans have hearts which are wicked and deceitful to the core of our being. We ALL have in us the capability of failing the test of loyalty to our Savior when the consequences are dire and our very lives are threatened.

When the real testing comes, we must ask ourselves if we can live up to Paul’s exhortations to stand in the gap when the times get tough (see Eph. 5: 15 – 16 below) ...

SCRIPTURE: Eph 5: 15 … 15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

So, … can we stand with Christ … or rather, can we walk with Him and follow Him … wherever He leads us? [see Luke 9: 23] Can we walk worthily in His steps, calling ourselves “Christian?” [see Eph. 4: 1] Well, of course, it’s not easy. And we may pass the ultimate test of discipleship, as did Cassie Bernall, even when we’re called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice for our Lord. Go ahead … ask the big test question on God’s pop-quiz of followership here in this safe place.

The question looms large; ... will we pass the test? Will we stand for our Savior and deny self? Will we stand for purity and against sin in a culture which beckons us to fall into line with Satan rather than the Savior? ... Will we?!!

But we know, in our faith, that it’s worth it to stay the course … not to “cut and run;” … but to fight the fight … to witness for our Lord no matter the circumstances. Hopefully, we’ve learned our lesson from that of group of Jesus’ disciples who got the ultimate lesson in fear versus faith. Only with God’s strength can we prevail (and I hope you all know, believe, and live the truths found in Rom 8: 31, Phil. 4: 13, 2nd Tim. 1: 7, and 2nd Cor. 12: 9). Because, if we do live - with belief - these truths, we will pass the test.

My Prayer Today: Help me, Lord, to be faithful when it counts. Amen