My Plan

On May 30, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Jeremiah 29: 11

“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”

God had a plan for us from the beginning. Before He created us He made a plan for our success and well-being. I intend to use this week’s devotions to show the plan He had for us and how it has unfolded with time.

It really begins before the Garden of Eden when He conceived us and the earth. He made us an ideal place to live, learn and grow. That was only the beginning, of course, but all through time He had a plan for our welfare, a plan that was not for calamity. By His own admission, it was a plan designed to give us a future and to bathe us in hope continually. Never were we to feel hopeless, mired down in tragedy and misfortune. His plan was for perfect peace, “Shalom” in the Hebrew, which is the all encompassing fullness of everything being as it should be. Shalom is rendered welfare in the New American Standard because the word peace doesn’t incorporate the fullness of meaning, and in fact, paragraphs of text cannot fully convey the complete provision, health, wellness and blessing which is included in the word “Shalom”.

It is a pinnacle word for us though, one which is at the very peak of expression because it describes the plan God had for us. His plan was for a perfect environment provisioned with everything we need and want. More than anything, His plan had us walking hand in hand with Him daily so that we would never have a want in our hearts. We should have never experienced one moment of loneliness, isolation or one unfulfilled second. His plan met all of our physical, emotional and spiritual needs and desires. His plan for us was heaven, heaven here on earth, a safe place where we could bask in His radiance and skip around like hinds on the heights.

The plan became corrupted, but stay tuned as we venture forward, looking deeper into God’s plan for us. Through this brief, but exciting journey, you will come to know, in your heart, where your life with Him is meant to reside today.

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Memorial Day

On May 29, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5: 1

Our freedom was not free to Jesus nor to the many people who have fought to preserve it.  We must be diligent, daily, to stand firm for those many blessings, including freedom, that Jesus and so many others have died to secure for us.  Lest we forget . . . .

Blessings on this day of remembrance.

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Good Treasure

On May 26, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Luke 6: 45

The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good: and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.

I didn’t know what to write on today so as I looked through my Bible, this verse jumped out at me. We’ve all read it before and heard the sermons. Still, we are often fooled by people so maybe it is worth looking at again.

I noticed that the way we can often tell what is in a person’s heart is by what comes out of their mouths. If they are sold out to God and trying to be like Him, then they will speak kindness and their speech will be gentle for those are the characteristics of God.

What about the silver-tongued devil – you know the one, he talks a good game. When you first meet him he is charismatic and charming. He even talks about God and the Bible as if is heart is with God. Do you know that the anti-Christ will be the same way? He will say soothing things that will lead many people astray. Keep listening though and these people always reveal themselves. As you get to know them better, you begin to see harshness in their character. They aren’t kind and generous. In fact, my experience is that they are completely self-serving. If you have something they need or want they will ooze charm. The minute the advantage wanes, however, they begin to show you another side. You have been used. Their hearts are not filled with the love of God no matter how pretty a yarn they weave. Godly thoughts are not self-absorbed. Godly thoughts are always focused on other people.

What should you do? First, you must penetrate the veil. You may have been fooled for a while but once you look at the fruit of their life and the words of their mouth you will see the truth. Look at their relationships. Are they always in confrontation with someone? Do they constantly have new stories about some jerk at the store or at work? It is always someone else’s fault, they will tell you, but this is a good indication that the source of the problem is really them. Look at their relationships with their spouse and children. What do you see? Go beyond the immediate family. Are they kind to their parents and siblings. Do they do nice things for their nieces and nephews? As you check the fruit on their tree, look for generosity. Our Father is foremost a giver. God is extremely generous, even with people who don’t deserve it. Do they give easily and frequently? Are they good tippers. Do they give gifts to their pastor or do they just suck off other that person’s fruit and never restore them?

And here is a big thing – do they tell the truth even if it will cost them something. Do they do what they say they are going to do. If they say they will call you back, do they? If they say they will meet you, do they continually find excuses to change the schedule? If a person can’t even return your phone call or do what they have told you they are going to do then I can tell you without meeting them that the fruit on their tree is bad.

One thing I have noticed is that people usually tell on themselves. Eventually they let you know where they are. Your job is to go get a new friend. There is a reason Jesus told us to check the fruit on people’s trees. We are supposed to exercise wisdom and seek better and more edifying relationships. We are not to be found in the company of fools. Some people are hard to get away from, I understand that. Bosses, co-workers and family are examples of people we are forced into relationship with. My advice is to limit your exposure, and to tell these people the truth in kindness if they confront you. Don’t let them drag you down and learn to say “No” to them. Take control of your life and don’t let them bully you. Just say, “No.” I know it is hard but we must grow up in wisdom and stop letting these people suck the life out of us. Their heart is not where it needs to be so pray for them but don’t hang out with them. Pray daily but do not continue to be a victim to their manipulations. That is your responsibility and God has better for you than people with evil in their hearts.  Look again at the series on love from First Corinthians and let that be your guide in relationships.

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Trust and Blessing

On May 25, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Jeremiah 17: 7

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord.

In a conversation last week, the theme about trusting God kept coming up. Time and time again the circle seemed to close on our learning to trust the Lord. I believe with the people in the conversation last week that this is a critical lesson for us.

Today’s verse says plainly that blessing is in trusting the Lord. Why is that? How can God lead us in the paths of blessing if we do not trust Him enough to follow Him? He can’t. He can point out the way to go but if we do not believe that He is always leading us to the land of plenty then we will hesitate.

Abraham is known for his faith but it was really obedience that made him the Father of the nation of Israel. His father, Terah, received instruction to take his family and go to the land of Canaan but he got comfortable and stopped before accomplishing what God told Him to do. He saw a good land and did not trust God to take him to a better place. Eventually God spoke to Abram telling him to leave his family and go to the place where God would show him. Abram complied and now we know Abraham as the Father of the faith and you didn’t even know Terah’s name. It was through simple obedience that Abram learned that God was on his side. Through obedience, he learned he could always trust God. Through trust and obedience, he became the Father of faith.

Sometimes the big revelations are in the little messages. There is no great message in obedience other than just do it. However, obeying God gives us the evidence and belief that we really can trust Him. As we move over into trust, we find blessing. The blessing has already been provided by our Father. We have to learn to trust Him so that He can lead us to the blessing. Otherwise, we end up wandering around in the tall weeds like the Israelites wandered around in the desert.

How do you learn to be blessed? You learn to trust God daily for the small things. You must learn to hear God for yourself . If you cannot hear God speak to you, how can you trust Him? How can you do what He says if you can’t hear Him. This is ground zero. Practice hearing His voice. Contact this ministry if you need help hearing Him because this is where you must start. Then you can live the life of the blessed person, blessed coming in and blessed going out.

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No Solo Success

On May 24, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Proverb 11: 14

Where there is no guidance the people fall, but in abundance of counselors there is victory.

There is no such thing as a self-made man, only one who’s ego is out of control because there is no success without guidance. Victory is in the abundance of counselors.

Recently I rode, what was for me, a big bike ride. It was only 32.5 miles but it went uphill 3000 feet. That was the most climbing I have ever done. The Shenandoah Park service closed a section of Skyline Drive for one day to all motorized traffic. It was a great opportunity to get out on that scenic road and experience the beauty and grandeur of the mountains. I was so happy to have accomplished that ride but in the sober moments of life and indeed even out on the road, I was equally thankful for all the people who helped me.

You know, cycling can be a lonely adventure and I was all alone on the mountain that day. No one could help push the pedals around but I was never really alone. First, my Father was with me and I was grateful for His presence. In truth, though, there were a lot of people pushing me up that hill. Many people gave me encouragement in the days and weeks leading up to the ride and that really did help me. There were times when I was concerned about the ride but there was always someone there telling me that I could do it.

That isn’t all though. Riding in Georgia a couple of weeks before I met a woman named Varina who shared her knowledge of nutritional gels with me and gave me lots of good advice. Then there was Dr. Goldberg who coached me on nutrition and hydration. Mike, the owner of the local bike shop, spent a lot of time with me, encouraging and teaching me. Then, where would I have been without Diane who drove me to the beginning of the ride and picked me up on the other end, having to go around, of course, because the road we were all riding on was closed to cars. And then there were my prayer partners, who prayed for me and for my ride. I honestly wonder if I could have succeeded in that ride without even one of these blessed people. While it may have appeared I was on my bike alone, isolated on that mountain, the truth is that there was a team of people who helped me up that hill.

Wouldn’t it be something if I arrived at the top to declare what a great solo success I achieved? It just is not true. Additionally, all of the people who prayed, taught and encouraged learned from others. We are all standing upon the shoulders of those who have gone before. Even the technology of nutritional products these days is well advanced of what was available only a few short years ago.

That is how it is with life. We can go further faster today because of those who have gone before and because of all of our teachers, parents, coaches, encouragers and prayer warriors. I thank my God for each of you. Every encouragement you give keeps casting additional seed through the people you have blessed. I am thankful for all of the experiences my friends have learned from and for the time they have spent becoming educated. Truly no one of us is an island and even in the isolating alone times, it is good to remember all of the people who have contributed to the successes of your life.

You are never alone because your Father is with you but you also carry with you the prayers and encouragement of many people. In abundant counselors you find the victory because success is a team sport.

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Foolish Wise Men

On May 23, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

1 Corinthians 3: 18 – 19

Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become foolish that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God.

These two verses are under a heading Foundations for Living. This is part of God’s foundation teaching series. I should begin by telling you that these two verses are just a small part of an expansive teaching from the Apostle Paul. Paul had a huge revelation about the wisdom of God having been sent into the earth and how we all are partakers thereof but not in ourselves but rather through our integration with Jesus for in him and because of him, we now have the mind of Christ.

The wisdom of the world, on the other hand, is utter foolishness. To God it must sound like mindless chatter, for nothing in this world has come into being apart from God. He understands all of the science; all of the biology and physics that make this universe in its great expanse and every cell of our bodies work. He created all of the laws of physics. We are just trying to discover them. So, how foolish is it for us to catapult our estimation of our intellect above that of the Father. None the less, I hear people talk about our intellect and frankly, many of them have their intelligence on the throne of their lives rather than Jesus. I knew one person who could often be heard repeating the God gave us an intellect for us to use. While I do not disagree, this person used it as an excuse to defy the Word of God. Now how smart is that? The celebration of human intellect begins to sound like foolishness. Don’t get me wrong. I do not find any virtue in ignorance. I believe in both formal and informal education. In fact, I think the moment you stop learning, you begin to die. Life should be an ongoing adventure. That adventure, however, shouldn’t be spent basking in the glow of our grand intellect. It is a venture with God and with the Holy Spirit who knows all of the thoughts of God. It is a quest into the heart and mind of God, a journey which we have been specially equipped to take.

The only wise person is the one who seeks God and His wisdom. All else is foolishness. If we will abandon human reasoning in favor of divinely led revelation, we will come to understand the universe. All knowledge is at hand. If we will humble ourselves we can have it all. The intertwined life with the Holy Spirit is truly one of inspiration and revelation. We don’t even have to be that smart, just smart enough to realize we’re not.

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Compassionate Grace

On May 22, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Exodus 34: 6 – 7

Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth.

How often have you heard about the angry, vengeful God of the Old Testament? Well, here He is full of compassion, grace, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. You know, we’ve got to be careful about what we listen to. Show me the scriptures! Give me evidence! When we actually look at the Old Testament, especially in its entirety, we find a God who was long on patience and whose actions were characterized by lovingkindness.

God is love and He so loved all of us that He sent His only begotten son to the cross for us. No one sends there only son to suffer and die for people He doesn’t love. He gave everything precious to Him so that we could be saved. Is that evidence of a vengeful God. And think about it this way . . . didn’t Jesus come to earth, suffer and die in the Old Testament? The new dispensation and the new covenant could not be ushered in until Jesus went to the cross, died and arose so all that we celebrate in the Christian faith about resurrection, salvation and the new birth is based on the Old Covenant love of God.

Yahweh has always been a full of compassion and lovingkindness. When Moses hid himself so that God could pass before him, what he saw and reported was that this God was full of graciousness, truth and compassion. We learn that God was and is slow to anger. How can we justifiably describe Him as angry when He is slow to anger? Does that make any sense at all?

The truth is that God is as He always was. He has not changed. His love for us has always motivated His actions. The fact that He did not send a lightning storm and strike down the grumbling, complaining Israelites in the desert is proof enough of His long suffering. Not one among us is as patient or as slow to anger as our Divine Father and yet we accuse Him of being impatient and merciless. It is just not true. We’ve been lied to but now we know.

Never be afraid of your heavenly Father. Never fear seeking counsel and communion with Him. He is gentle and kind. In fact, He is the most gentle being that has ever inhabited this universe. His compassion knows no boundaries. I love Jesus and I know you do too but we must remember that Jesus came to reconcile us to the Father. Jesus is the way. The way to what? To the Father. Jesus’ mission was to bring us back into relationship with the Father when we, like the prodigal son, sinned against Him and went astray. All the while, the Father was awaiting us, His eyes searching the horizon, a gold ring and new robe in Hands readied to drape us in the family colors and crest. He is the one who was deprived yet He longingly awaited our return, every day searching the road in the anticipation of our appearance. He never lost faith. He put the sacrificial lamb on the alter so that we would be able to approach Him with a clean conscience. This is the act of love, not anger.

The God of the Old Testament is a loving God, full of grace and mercy, abounding in compassionate concern.

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