Finding Answers

On June 30, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 14: 6

I am the way, and the truth, and the life.

I think we sometimes become so familiar with certain verses that we cease to hear what they have to say. This is one of those verses. It is amazingly powerful. The world is out there looking for answers to all kinds of problems. Unfortunately, we Christians often look to the world for every kind of answer too. We have forgotten that Jesus came to earth to be the answer. He is the way for which we are searching. Jesus has paved the way for us to go to the Father of all for every answer that has or ever will exist. The creator is standing by to give us answers and show us the way. Don’t look to the world for your answers; they do not have them. Ask your Father. He knows all and is more than willing to share all of the wisdom he has with you.

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Battle Lines

On June 29, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

2 Corinthians 2: 10 – 11

But whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, in order that no advantage be taken of us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

There is a quick way to let Satan into your life – stand in unforgiveness. However, it is just as easy to jerk the rug out from under him – forgive. I imagine this like a line drawn in the sand. On one side is the devil and the other side is the Father. When you forgive you step across into the garden of the Lord. When you stand in unforgiveness, you are playing in the devil’s sandbox. If you stay there, you give him (Satan) permission to come knock over your sand castle. 

Paul says, “Hey guys, we are not ignorant of the devil’s schemes.” Satan wants you to get offended and remain hurt and angry. Paul and the early church understood that this was Satan’s ploy. The church today teaches forgiveness but doesn’t really seem to understand the spiritual battle that is played out in this scenario. If we remain in unforgiveness, Paul says, we give Satan the opening to take advantage of us.

Now that is really a pretty simple teaching. I should think that no one wants to give Satan an opportunity to take advantage of them. Therefore, the simple conclusion is to forgive everyone who offends you (emphasis on everyone). Let their actions be between them and Jesus. Make your focus undermining the devil’s scheme by forgiving. That is where the battle line is drawn.

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Reluctant Warrior

On June 26, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Luke 6: 32 – 35

And if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Fore even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, in order to receive back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.

You can know that God did not choose me as the editor of His book because had he, this section of text would have been edited out. This is Jesus speaking and presumably he is teaching from a position of understanding and wisdom. Whatsmore, everything Jesus teaches us is for our own good even though sometimes it is hard to see the spiritual law behind the command.

I suppose everyone has a thorn in their flesh and thorns are usually people. The worst part about it is that the person Jesus is speaking about above is someone you know. I hope it is not your spouse but it likely is someone in your family or church. It is usually someone close to you. That is what makes this so difficult. You can’t get away from them. Maybe it is someone you work with. No matter what a jerk they are you still have to practice your grown up Christianity. That means that we have to love the jerks even though it is to us that they are being unkind. And guess what. You really don’t even get to call them jerks. Verse 36 says for us to be merciful and verse 37 says “Do not judge.” I have to make a judgment in order to conclude someone is a jerk. 

Did you see the part about loving our enemies? How about doing good to them? What!? Are you kidding me? Now I will tell you honestly, you may be a bigger person than I but I cannot love them in my own strength. I feel strong, negative feelings bubbling up from deep within me and I want to give voice to them and they are not nice. That is me in the natural. If I am going to love them and be nice to them then it is going to have to be through the love of God within me. I am going to assume most of you are like me, still struggling a little with the flesh when you are injured. This is where we have to dig deep. We have to fill up on the love of God. We need Jesus to step out front. 

The first thing is not to let the junk come out of your mouth. Your will can help you with that but it really requires the strength of the Lord. Then start praying for the offender. You aren’t going to want to but do it anyway. Jesus wants you to pray blessings over them. It is crazy. Here is the part that is so hard. You pray for God to bless them and because God honors your prayers, even though that person is not walking in the light, they get blessed. Then they act ugly to you and Jesus wants you to pray more for them. “Look Jesus, I was already gagging on the last blessing they got and you want me to bless them more? Did you not see and hear what they just did to me?” That is what my flesh is screaming but then I am reminded of Jesus’ walk on the earth. One of his beloved betrayed him. That had to hurt. Others disappointed him but through it all he remained the picture of grace, love and blessing. And then I am challenged. I say I want to walk in this earth as did Jesus. Well, here is my opportunity. What will I choose? Shall I rant and rave and tell of the injustice done me? Or will I pray? “Okay Lord, you win, I will pray for them but you must help me as it catches in my throat.”

I imagine everyone can relate to this scenario. We have all been through it, haven’t we? So, you pray but a half hour later you find yourself angry again. Stop right then and forgive them and pray for them. Then when it rises up in you again in an hour, forgive them again and pray again. This is a battle but we are not unwise children. We have the might and the wisdom of our Lord. We’ve got to tag him and let him jump in the ring for us. He has already defeated the enemy and given us power to win. Our victory is in Jesus and in taking his advice. If we will let him be our strength and humble our wills before him, we will come through these battles victoriously.

And don’t miss the end of the passage – great will be your reward and you will be honored as a child of God.

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Sure-footed

On June 25, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 37: 31

The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.

Wouldn’t it be great to know that your steps will not slip; that your steps are sure? Of course it would. The way to accomplish that is to put God’s Word in your heart. The more you establish the Word of God in your heart, the more his wisdom is imparted to you. Then you are able to walk securely. God’s word has answers to all of life’s problems and it also has encouragement and strength. The more time you spend in the Word, the more you fortify yourself. Your steps will be sure because you will be well grounded. We cannot under-estimate how much good putting the Word of God in our hearts actually does us. It is a key to living a successful, peaceful life.

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Practice Time

On June 24, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Galatians 6: 9

Let us not lose heart in doing good for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.

My swim coach taught us that practice hurts less than losing so I learned to love practice. My basketball coach taught that you play like you practice so I learned to practice at full speed. These were good life lessons that have served me well.

Our heavenly Father is a coach too. One thing which has been very evident to me recently is that He will give you a chance to practice your theology. I very much believe in the spiritual law of sowing and reaping. I speak it, I teach it. So, God created a couple of opportunities for me to teach this principle as well as to practice my theology. It’s one thing to have a minister preach a topic and quite another to have to live it out. Last week I taught about one of my favorite spiritual weapons, giving. When the devil is really seriously in your stuff pull out your checkbook and give to an anointed ministry. He hates that. Today’s verse is in the same vein. It tells us just to keep on giving for in due time we will reap. So, don’t sow looking for the crop. Sow in faith because it sometimes takes a bit of time for the crop to manifest. It works exactly like a garden. You don’t plant a seed one day and pick the vegetables the next. It takes a little time. Well, another adage might be, don’t preach a topic that you don’t want to have to live. So, last week I taught about sowing and the Father gave me some opportunities to practice what I preach.

I went to Waffle House one day last week. I was eating my breakfast and reading my book when there was a big hullabaloo down the bar from me. A gentleman had just seated himself and announced that it was his birthday and whatsmore, it was his 60th birthday. The people around him clapped and cheered and as I looked at him I could tell that it was important to him. Then, eureka, a thought came to me, “Buy his meal.” Okay, that isn’t so hard. I asked his server to bring me his ticket and I would pay for it. She really enjoyed being a part of the blessing. As I paid I asked her to mark the ticket “Paid” and write Happy Birthday on it and then give it to him. She said, with a big smile, that she had already thought of that. It was a good experience. Later in the week I realized what God had done. He let me practice the message I gave someone else. Okay, cool!

Then yesterday I was driving to an appointment when I witnessed something interesting. I was stopped at a traffic light and a truck turned left in front of me. As he entered the lane of traffic I saw a woman standing in the median waving him down. The lady was from a McDonalds across the street. This guy had driven off without his drink and she ran him down in the street with his drink and a straw. It was amazing. I mean, how often does that happen? Then I heard a thought cross my mind, “You ought to go give that lady a $1 tip for showing excellence in her job.” Well, I wasn’t opposed to the idea but I was running late so I relegated the thought to the back of my mind. After my appointment I had to drive right by that McDonalds. I felt a tug towards it but I don’t usually eat fast food so I blew it off. I turned the corner headed to the highway ramp when that whole situation came back to my mind loud and clear. So I turned into the shopping center and went to McDonalds and gave the lady the $1 tip from God. There were two managers standing there with big smiles on their faces and they actually did cheer this lady. Again, it was cool.

The moral of the story is be careful what you teach or preach because God is going to give you a chance to practice your theology. It you preach on giving, be prepared to be a giver. If you preach on prayer, get used to praying. God would have us lead by example rather than from command. Don’t tell others to do something you are unwilling to do yourself. God is growing champions but they are forged in the fires of doing rather than the talking. Be ready. It is time for practice.

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Glorious Countenance

On June 23, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 119: 135

Make Thy face shine upon Thy servant.

This is my prayer today and I hope it is yours as well. There is something so simple and yet so holy and intimate about this little phrase. It has captured my heart today as if there are no other words to say in the universe. What prayer shall I utter which can eclipse the sweetness of this petition? What prayer is more powerful than the simplicity of a heart yearning for the eyes of God’s beholding?

Lift up mine eyes, O Lord, that I may behold your glory, the glory which was yours in the beginning and shine your glorious light upon my countenance that I may reflect the beauty of your love, the beauty of your grace. 

Look upon me Lord with favor. Let me find favor in your sight and in the eyes of every person. Let your light so shine that all will know that there is a god in heaven, the one God, Yahweh: father, creator, lover of my soul.

Allow me to be a blessing to all I encounter. Pour through me the abundant generosity of your soul. Let all see that you are a god of great kindness. Shower upon me, precious Lord, the truth of who you are. Let me know you as you truly are and make me a disciple of faith. 

And Father, I pray that your love and grace will fall like a blanket of light on every person who reads these words and that your eyes will behold them in the embrace of your great affection. Let your light rest upon them and keep them. Amen.

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Doubt Arises

On June 22, 2015   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Matthew 11: 3

“Are you the expected One, or shall we look for someone else?”

In Matthew 3, verse 11, are recorded the words of John the Baptist when he prophesied about the coming of Jesus. John said, “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Then when Jesus did come, he (Jesus) went down to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. John at first refused Jesus saying to him to him, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” Matthew 3: 14. John knew who was coming before Jesus began his ministry. He knew the Holy One was on his way. Then when Jesus did appear to him, he recognized Jesus and who he was; as the one who was to come. He knew this was the one about whom so many prophecies had been made and he wanted Jesus to baptize him instead of the other way around.

It is one thing to believe and have faith and then it is another to keep believing and keep having faith. It can be hard to keep on believing when the pressure of the world starts bearing in on you. Would anyone think that John the Baptist, the one about whom Jesus said, “[T]here has not arisen anyone greater,” (Matthew 11: 11) could fall into doubt? And yet that is exactly what happened. Today’s text is what John the Baptist later asked Jesus via John’s disciples.

You see, John the Baptist had faith in Jesus until he found himself in jail. Now all of a sudden, things were not going to well. John began to look at the conditions around himself instead of at the Word of God which was in his heart. John was trying to use his eyes to convince his faith. Instead he should have been using his faith to convince his mind. He expected Jesus to build a kingdom on this earth. When he did not see this kingdom unfolding the way he expected it to, he began to lose his faith; to have doubts. 

Many times God will not do things the way we expect him to. That does not mean that he is not building his kingdom or that he is not fulfilling his promises. You cannot look around you for verification and then choose to believe God. It happens just the other way around. Do not use your eyes. Use your heart. That is where you plant the Word of God and you believe from your heart no matter what your eyes tell you. Then, when you have believed with your heart, you will see God’s victory coming into your life. Do not let doubt arise. Keep it down and your faith up.

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