Just for Laughs

Hey, all. It's a late night, and I'm about to turn in (guess I should've decided against a half pot of coffee!). Anyway, when I first saw this clip, I about fell over laughing. More than a month later, my kids still ask to see "the funny email", since that is all they know of computer stuff. So, here's the link. Enjoy!

Click Here

God bless, and good night!
~Jeff

Keep Your Eyes on the Road

"Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet And all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil." Proverbs 4:25-27

As I was driving in to work this morning, I heard a new rendition of an old hymn that I haven’t heard in a long time. As I listened, the third verse stood out to me. Here are the words to this beautiful verse:

“O to grace how great a debtor
daily I'm constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here's my heart, O take and seal it,
seal it for thy courts above.”

It got me thinking about my own walk with the Lord Jesus Christ, and how easy it is to get distracted from the path I am walking. “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love”. I can identify with that. It’s not that I’m a backslider, I’m not, but I understand how prone to distraction I can be.

As we read through the Bible, we see in many places where God warns His people not to turn to the right or the left. We read that God desires them to follow Him wholly, and to not allow things to pull us away from Him. One of the saddest verses in the entire Bible, in my opinion, is 1 Kings 11:6: “Thus, Solomon did what was evil in the Lord's sight; he refused to follow the Lord completely, as his father, David, had done” (NLT). Here was man who had powerful experiences with the God of the universe. He had on two different occasions been visited by the Lord, he was given everything he had by Him, from his wisdom to his riches, and yet, he did not set his gaze straight before him, but he allowed distraction to draw him away from following the Lord. His distraction took the form of women that were heathens, worshipping false gods. So Solomon allowed compromise in, all because he looked away from God.

There are surely many diamonds to pick up as we follow the path Christ leads us down. But as the Israelites of old, coming into the Promised Land, were told to stay behind the Ark, because they were in a land they had never been in before, so let us stay behind God, following Him close. For there the most precious diamonds will be found. All that glitters is not gold. From my own experience, it easy to see what shines so beautifully as we pass by, but the temptation is to veer off and chase the gems in forbidden territory. I'm reminded of years ago, when I was learning how to drive. My dad constantly said one phrase to me: "keep your eyes on the road". Come to think of it, my wife has said that to me a lot too. So today, let’s do as the writer of Proverbs tells us, and set our gaze in front of us, keeping our eyes fixed on our wonderful Savior. God bless.

Waiting With the Vultures

“And He said to him, ‘Bring to Me a heifer three years old, a she-goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.’ And he brought Him all these and cut them down the middle [into halves] and laid each half opposite the other; but the birds he did not divide.” Gen. 15:9-10
Abram had received a promise from God that He would have a son of his own, and that the land of Caanan would be given to his descendents. Yet, Abram still asked God for a sign of this promise. That is when God told him to get the sacrificial animals.
Abram knew exactly what God was doing. This was how covenants were made in ancient times. He was telling Abram that they would enter into a covenant.

Abram knew just what to do with the animals. He cut them in two, signifying a blood covenant. It was a way of saying, “If I don’t hold up my end, let the same be done to me!”

Since God had appeared to Abram previously, he fully expected that once the sacrifices were cut, and then God would show up to walk through the pieces with him. But God did not show up right away. Instead, the vultures did, so Abram drove them away. Eventually, he fell asleep, and that was when God showed up.

This event in Abram’s life teaches us:

1. There will be times of waiting on God for His timing
For most of us, the hardest part of serving God is the waiting, for me especially. Let’s just say that God is really doing a work of patience in me!
Abram had to wait some 20 years for the promise of his son.
Joseph waited for years for the fulfillment of his God-given dreams.
The point: we must wait in faith. Ps 37:7a “Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him”
2. Our sacrifice will be attacked by the enemy. Our sacrifice of faith, trusting God when everything says to give up, will be visited by the vultures.
Abram had hope and faith when all human reasoning said to give up. He hoped and trusted in the face of opposing circumstances.
We must remember that we are a living sacrifice. We are called to times to lay everything before God, even in the face of criticism and opposition. It’s easy to trust God when the things are going right. It’s entirely something else to trust Him when the when things are at there darkest.
Yet we need to realize that God is with us in that darkness. Abram awoke from his deep sleep not just to darkness, but God was with him in the darkness (v. 17).

3. Finally, remember that in the darkest times of trial and affliction, when we seem to have lost everything, God will bring us out with what we didn’t have going in.
“And [God] said to Abram, Know positively that your descendants will be strangers dwelling as temporary residents in a land that is not theirs [Egypt], and they will be slaves there and will be afflicted and oppressed for 400 years.
But I will bring judgment on that nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.” Gen. 15:13-14

You will come out of the fire greater than when you went in! I’m not talking about material things, but you’ll come out with faith that you didn’t have before.

You’ll have perseverance that you didn’t have before.

You’ll have a greater hope than before.

We all know the verse Job is famous for. “Naked I came from my mother’s womb; naked I shall return. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord!” A wonderful statement of faith, but that simply sustained him through the fight. The verse that gives us hope is at the end. “And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.” Job 42:12

I pray that this message has blessed you, and reminded you of the hope we have in Jesus Christ. God bless!

I Bought The Field

"Then Hanamel my uncle's son came to me in the court of the guard according to the word of the LORD and said to me, 'Buy my field, please, that is at Anathoth, which is in the land of Benjamin; for you have the right of possession and the redemption is yours; buy {it} for yourself.' Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD. "I bought the field which was at Anathoth from Hanamel my uncle's son, and I weighed out the silver for him, seventeen shekels of silver. "I signed and sealed the deed, and called in witnesses, and weighed out the silver on the scales. Jeremiah 32:8-10 NASB

This is an amazing passage of Scripture. Just to get a basic understanding, Jerusalem had been besieged by Babylon, and Judah lay waste. Most of the people had been carried off to Babylon, and only the very poor were left. In fact, Jeremiah was in prison! And that was when the Word of the Lord came to him. Look at what God tells him to do. He said to buy a field in Anathoth from his cousin. God was asking Jeremiah to do something that made absolutely no sense at all. This is like us today going to the worst, burnt out area of the city, and while everyone else is getting out of town, and values are plummeting, we buy property. It made no sense to the natural man. But Jeremiah obeyed God, and did it anyway, having the deed shut away in a jar of clay, with only a seemingly far-off promise of future blessing, and a declaration of, “Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, [and] there is nothing too hard for thee” (v. 17)

I wonder how Jeremiah must have felt when this all occurred. I wonder if there was any doubt or wonder at why God would have him do such a thing. All he could do was put it in God’s hands, not knowing when promise would come to pass. To the onlooker, or the witnesses that day to the transaction, it must have seemed so foolish. “Jeremiah’s buying a field where…?” could have been whispered in the prison cell that day. I think I know somewhat how Jeremiah must have felt.

You see, these past several weeks, I’d been going though one of the hardest times of my life. I was on the verge of losing everything, and God seemed so silent about my trial. I had times where I cried out, even sometimes yelled at God (think of the scene in the movie, “The Apostle”, where Sonny is screaming at the Lord). Yet, I could sense the Lord urging me to press on, to keep being faithful. I didn’t realize it fully till the next day, but I was so downcast I was about to walk away from my calling. In my mind, all I could do was reason that it’s no use. I keep tithing, I keep praying and seeking God. I keep studying the Word and getting sermons, which if it weren’t for this blog, probably wouldn’t ever be preached. I had all I could take. Perhaps Jeremiah kept thinking about that waste of a field that the Babylonian armies were sitting on, fighting the urge to scream about the waste of money. This was where I was at.

Then, on Sunday morning, my pastor had finished preaching and given an altar call. I can’t even remember what it was for now, but I went forward, and prayed one more time. Before I knew it, there were five or six people gathered around me praying. They were all praying to God about what I had need of! God was there and He had heard me all along! Then, an older brother in the church, a councilman, full of wisdom, came up to me and started speaking the Word to me. He reminded me of God’s promises. He reminded me of God’s timing. And most of all, he reminded me of God’s call on my life. I don’t think that man understood the brevity of where I stood at that moment, on the edge of laying my call aside. It was exactly what I needed to hear. It was a word in due season, spoken to my weary soul.

The full impact of what happened that morning didn’t hit me until the next evening, as I was stuck in traffic on I-94, trying to come home. It brought tears to my eyes to realize how great God’s call is, and that even though everything seemed to be falling apart, He was still there calling me, and using me. Today, I have a renewed passion for following the Lord Jesus wholly.

I am so grateful that when I was at my lowest, He sent someone by to tell me what I needed to hear the most. Thank you, Lord, for the grace and goodness to me. God bless.

What's With the Firmament?

“And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which [were] under the firmament from the waters which [were] above the firmament: and it was so.
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years” Genesis 1: 7, 14


You know, I can’t seem to get away from this passage of scripture right now. So forgive me as I go for day # 2 in Genesis 1. A couple years back, I remember doing a study on the days of Creation. I was drawing similarities with God’s work in Creation, and His work in the New Birth. I noticed that when He created the heavens and the earth, that they were without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Holy Spirit was hovering, or brooding over the face of the deep. We, too, were without form and void, and without order and chaotic. We too were in spiritual darkness. But the Holy Spirit was hovering over us, too, convicting us of our sin, and telling us of our need for Christ. Then God said, “Let there be light”. We too had to have His light to shine on us in our unregenerate condition, so we could become aware of our need of Him, and His forgiveness. I progressed on in my study, but I stumped when I came to the creation of the firmament. I had no idea what the connection was. The firmament is an old word for the expanse of the sky. And the sky is immensely important. But I just didn’t see any connection. So, I moved on, and eventually studied something else.

Then a month or so later, as I was having my morning devotion before work, I felt impressed by the Holy Spirit to read the nineteenth Psalm. So I did. What I read brought back the old study, and that first verse jumped off the page, and into my spirit. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” Suddenly, when I had all but forgotten that study, God brought it back and showed me what I had not gotten prior. The purpose of the sky is to allow us to see what God has made above the ground! In a real sense, it’s a window to what He has made beyond our little world. Imagine the beauty of a clear, starry night. See the falling stars, the moon, the planets, and the comets. Get you telescopes and spot the nebulas and far off solar systems. We get to see it all through the “window” of the sky.

In the same way, others need to be able to “look” into our lives and see the great things that God is doing, and has done. Maybe you are like me, and had an anger problem. I’ve put a hole in my bedroom wall. I would throw things. I would scream and yell and give myself migraine headaches for nothing. But God changed me! Maybe God is developing a faith in you that can stand the strongest storms. Perhaps He is putting His love in you for the most unlovable people. It could be joy in the darkest times. But people will notice. And when they do, just as 1 Peter 3:15 says be ready to give them an answer for the hope that is in you!

God wants people to see the change He is making in you. And He will get all the glory for it! So, stay in His presence, and stay in His word. Stay in prayer, and let Him do the surgery that only He can do. Those who look into your life will see only that that declares His glory! God Bless.

Moonlit Nights

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: [he made] the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth” Genesis 1:14-17

Here in Michigan, we are getting ready to enter our famous Michigan wintertime. There is lots of cold wind, ice and snow. My kids are looking forward to sledding and making snowmen. Ah, the joys of childhood. I’m looking forward to de-icing the van and shoveling the sidewalk. As if!

One thing that I do love, especially in the winter, are clear nights with bright moonlight. I’m talking about the kind of moonlight that seems bright enough to read a newspaper. When we had a dog, it was during the winter. And my job as the man of the house was to get up at all hours of the night, bundle up, and take the puppy out. As much as I hated the task (I love to sleep!), I looked forward to those clear, moonlit nights. Ah, the memories I had with Scooter. Good riddance, boy.

The thing about the moon is, as every first grader knows, it has no light source in itself. It is completely dependent on the sun to get its light. When we enjoy the moonlight, we are actually enjoying reflected sunlight. It got me thinking about the above scripture. You see, as we look through the Old Testament, we see pictures of truths that are revealed in the New Testament. From the animal sacrifices to the feasts, and even the tabernacle and temple, we see pictures of the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary. I believe this is a type of Christ and His church. Let me explain.

As the moon has no light of its own, but is totally dependent upon the sun, so we reflect the light of Christ to this dark world. 2 Corinthians 4:6 tells us that, “God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts, to give the light of knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” The light we reflect is not our own, it is the light of Jesus Christ. And yes, we know that the Devil blinds the minds of unbelievers, so that the light of the Gospel can’t shine to them. But shine the light nonetheless!

Remember, Jesus said that we are the light of the world. He said that men would see our good deeds, and glorify our Father in heaven. That is why it is so important to live lives worthy of the Gospel. We need to make sure that the deeds others see us do are righteous. We must guard our testimony. Remember, one thing unbelievers look for are hypocritical Christians. Those who say one thing, but live out something different. Don’t block out the light with the clouds of sin. Let’s be honest, and walk in integrity. So shine that light, and let the Lord use you to to reflect His light! God Bless.

Nothing without Him

I just read something that spoke to me. I read a blog by a friend of mine, a fellow preacher, about people that will not admit their weaknesses, causing them to struggle through their whole lives. These folks spend all of their time trying to fill the vacuum in their hearts, when the only One who can fill them is the Lord Jesus Christ (To read what he wrote, click on the link to the right called, "The Dawg Howse"). It got me thinking again on a topic close to my heart, and should be close to the heart of all who trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. That topic is our need for daily personal fellowship with Him. The Gospel of John says of Christ, “in Him was life, and that life is the light of men” (John 1:4). Lord, don’t let me neglect the Light that You bring to my life!

Nowadays, it seems that there are a million distractions that keep us from fervently seeking our Lord. Prayer makes our lives, but time does not seem to allow us to pray. I know personally what I must do to ensure that I get the time I need with the Lord. Not just the time in His Word, the Bible, but also “praying without ceasing”. I try to keep in an attitude of prayer. Worshipping the Lord, singing praises to Him, blessing Him, are all ways I keep the “line open”. The more I seek Him, the more I realize just how much I need Him. Also, I realize how far short I fall in my prayer life.

Jesus said John 15:5, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, brings forth much fruit. For without Me you can do nothing”. How true are those words! As a follower of Christ, and especially as one called and commissioned to preach His Gospel, and equip His followers, I need that time with Him. I know, He is always with me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t initiate fellowship with Him. One thing I recently read from the old Methodist preacher E.M. Bounds said that God chooses to use men. How much more shall we run to the prayer closet and fall upon our Savior, and cry out to Him for the spiritual sustenance we so badly need? “Lord, make me a man of prayer. I know that apart from You, I can do absolutely nothing. Lead me into greater depths of your Life and Spirit. Make me like You. In Jesus’ Holy name, Amen”.

Thank You, Lord Jesus!

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, [and] into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, [and] bless his name.” Psalm 100:4

I took a short walk today. It is a beautiful day outside, sunny and 56 degrees. As I walked, I praised and worshipped the Lord. I found myself thanking Him for His goodness. I thanked Him for such a wonderful day, especially given that it is November. I thank God for what He has given me. He has given me salvation from my sins. He has baptized me in the Holy Ghost. He has delivered me from certain ruin with alcohol. He gave me a beautiful wife, and three beautiful kids with one more on the way. We have a roof over our heads, heat and electricity, and running water. We have transportation. God has been good to us. I thank Him for all that He has done.

But I also thank Him for what He has allowed me to endure. I thank Him because He has been developing godly character in me. He has been giving me a greater faith in Him. He has been pouring out His love in my heart. He has used the trials and difficult times to make me more like Him.

I thank Him for the lessons He has taught me about a father’s love through my own children. I thank Him for the patience that He is still forming in me, again, through my kids. I thank Him for bringing my wife and I even closer to Him and each other through seven years of marriage.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to give thanks in every thing, for this is the will of God in Christ concerning us. We must remember that God is using every situation we find ourselves in for our good. So let us give Him thanks today, because even though we can’t understand what the Lord Jesus is doing all of the time, we can rejoice because no matter what, He is using the situation to make us into the men and women of God that He has called us to be. God bless!

Light for the Battle

I feel like I’m beating the same old drum lately. For some reason, God continues to give me messages that are trial related. But, I will do it anyway. I pray that someone out there is blessed by what I share today.

Joshua 10:12-13

Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. [Is] not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.

There are a couple of things to note about this particular event.
1. This was a battle to make good a treaty they never should have made.
The men of Gibeon had fooled Joshua into believing they had traveled from a far country. Joshua took them at their word, and failed to inquire of the Lord.

2. Joshua had to let his yes be yes. Although through deception, he vowed to fight for these people, and so he did.

Even though this was caused by his own lack of diligence, God was still fighting for Joshua and the Israelites. Not only were they slaughtering the armies of the five kings, but God also helped by sending a monster hailstorm to kill even more than Joshua’s army did.

It must have been an exhausting day for Israel. They traveled all night to get to Gibeon, and fought all day. Evidently, there wasn’t enough daylight left to finish the job, so Joshua prayed that God would make the sun stand still.

What is the connection? First, God will give us light for our battles. Those soldiers couldn’t effectively fight in the dark. They needed to see what they were doing. In just the same way, we need the light of God’s word and His presence to light our way in our battles.
Jesus said, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:4-5) As we go through this life, we also have been given light to light our way, the Spirit of Christ within us!

Second, God will fight for us, even if we have put ourselves in the jam! That fight that day to protect Gibeon should never have happened. But God was still with Israel. And He caused good to come out of the situation, in that some of the people they were to conquer were done away with in one battle because they all joined together as one. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.”, and verse 31, “What shall we then say to these things? If God [be] for us, who [can be] against us?” God will fight for you!

Be assured that God knows where you are in the battle. And even when things would seem the darkest, God is there to light you path! And know that He doesn’t cast you aside when you’ve caused the problem yourself, but He says to come boldly before His throne of grace, and receive the mercy you need in time of trouble (Heb. 4:16). God Bless!

A Work Prayer Request

Hello, friends. Today at work I had a call from a manager in another part of the Division I work in about a job I applied for a month ago. I am supposed to hear about the proper testing for this position next week. Please pray for me. I have been praying about a better paying job for a very long time. This could be the answer!

God knows exactly what we need. I pray that this is what I've been looking for. I'm hoping to be back with a new devotion Monday morning. Until then, brethren, may God bless you! Till next week.
~Jeff

Blessed Afflictions

{God} said to Abram, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years.
But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions.” (Genesis 15: 13-14 NASB)

One topic I have written a good deal about in this blog is the storms and trials God often takes us through. What can I say? It’s a subject I know all too well. As I was listening to a preacher last night, he preached a bit from Genesis 15, but spoke about the sacrifices that Abram laid out. In reading the chapter this morning, what jumped off the page to me are the verses quoted above.

The Israelites were in terrible bondage in Egypt. Exodus 1:14 gives a description of what they endured for four hundred years: “And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, [was] with rigour”. Finally, God sent Moses back to Egypt to deliver His people. As God said, they came out with abundance (Ex. 12:36).

While it is important to encourage each other to weather the storms in our lives, I believe it is also important to say that God wants us to bring out of our storms what we didn’t have before. I’m not talking about tangible things, though God most certainly can do that. Romans 5:3-5(NLT) says, “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us-they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” As we go through our trials, God wants to develop Godly character in us. He wants to bring us out with greater faith than when we went into the trial. He wants to bring us out with greater love, and with a greater understanding of His goodness. This affliction today is working a far greater and eternal weight of glory (2 Cor. 4:17).

As I close out, I would like to mention the church at Thessalonica. They were an afflicted, persecuted church, yet they grew in adversity. They grew in faith and love (2 Thes. 1:3). So, just as they grew, let God grow you in you storm. And rejoice knowing that He will bring you out with more than you went into it with. God bless!

A Study on Shoes

I love the Word of God. I love to study the Word. Well, Sunday morning I was doing my morning devotion in the book of Joshua. I was reading the fifth chapter, and when I came to verse fifteen, I seemed to get stuck. I haven’t been able to get this verse out of my spirit. Here is the verse:

“And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest [is] holy. And Joshua did so.” Joshua 5:15

Of course, we know that Joshua’s mentor, Moses, had the same experience when God first called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. I have always wondered what the removal of the shoes could mean. After all, God could speak to us no matter what we wear, look like, or where we are. So I began to study out the purpose of shoe removal in Bible times. What I found was quite interesting. Also, I should say that the purpose of blogging this today is really a study. I would be more than happy to read what other people think of this happening in the Bible.

First of all, shoes were never worn indoors. So for one to put shoes on meant that there was some kind of activity or work to be done. Could God have been telling Joshua that the job at hand of leading His people into the land of Canaan was His job? Joshua was to follow God’s leading, and not to try to work out his own plan. Often, in our zeal to fulfill God’s will, we try to “make things happen” when it seems that God is not moving, or not moving at the rate we would like Him to. We can look at Abraham, with the Hagar ordeal, or Jacob and his mother trying to make God’s promise come to pass through their own deceitful means. That is not to say we should not exercise foresight and wisdom, but that above all, “Except the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that build it” (Ps.127:1).

Shoes were not worn in a Holy place. The presence of God made the place holy, or set apart. Since shoes were used for everyday stuff, walking in all the common areas of life, to bring what is common to what is set apart for God was wrong. We must remember that God is Holy. Everything He does is Holy. We must never treat the Holy purposes of God as something common. Joshua was to realize that what God was ordaining him to do was holy, and needed to be treated as holy.

Shoes were removed in an act of humiliation. When a man refused to do his job of taking his dead brother’s wife as his own, to raise up a child in his brother’s name, he was publicly humiliated. This was done by being spit upon by his brother’s widow, and having his shoe removed (Deut. 25:7-10). Also, it was a custom for one to relinquish his right to property, as seen in the story of Boaz and the kinsmen-redeemer that declined to take Ruth and the piece of property that was Naomi’s late husbands. Joshua was forfeiting any right to his own will. He was humbling himself before God, realizing that only God’s way in the right way. Also, let us remember that we must humble ourselves before the Lord, because if we don’t, He certainly knows how to.

Finally, only the very poor and slaves had no shoes. Joshua needed to realize, as we do, that we are impoverished without the Lord Jesus. Even if we have great wealth and abundance, we are still in need of God.

Well, that is all for now. I pray that this in some way blesses you. And, as I said before, feel free to post your views on this topic. We are all taking this walk with Christ one step at a time, so if anyone has insight I haven’t got, I want to hear it. God bless.

Change, Change, and More Change!

Hebrews 13:8
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

We live in a world of change, don’t we? People change. Fads change. Styles change. Ideologies change. In fact, it has been said that the only constant is change. Today, I became personally affected by change. I found out that the company where I’ve worked for the past ten years has sold out several of its product lines, including the one I work in. The good news is, that the new company I work for, and I stress new, because it is a newly established business, is launching with a big workforce of employees that have been shifted to this new company. Not one job has been lost. So, while things have changed, some will stay the same. Yes, change is everywhere.

The writer of Hebrews understood that change played a big part of their lives. You see, they were afraid for their lives. You could have been killed for faith in Jesus Christ. Many of the believers were contemplating a return to Judaism. But in the midst of all of the change, and all the fear and running, these folks could have the assurance of One that will never change- the Lord Jesus Christ! These people had built the house upon the Rock. And though the world was turbulent and changing all around them, they needed to be assured that Jesus was always with them.

In today’s world, there is a lot of fear. Will there be a job for me tomorrow? Will the stock market crash? You name it, there is uncertainty attached. But, brethren, be assured that this whole world can pass away, but out confidence can remain fixed on the One who never changes- the Lord Jesus Christ! God bless.

A Praise in the Darkness

Last night was a hard night for me. I didn’t sleep very well. I must admit, I was under a great deal of fear and anxiety. Is it just me, or do fears seem to grow when the lights are out, and you are trying to sleep? Anyone who reads my blog on a regular basis knows that my family and I are going through an extremely hard time right now financially. It sounds almost selfish to me to mention that, because these are hard financial times right now. I don’t like to talk about that in this blog, though, because it’s my desire to minister to those who read this. Well, that is still my plan.

When I tried to go to sleep last night, as I’ve already said, fear took a death grip on me. I lay in bed in anxiety, praying to God to help me. It felt like every demonic force in hell was attacking me. So, I got up, walked out into my darkened living room, and began to seek God. I prayed, I cried out to Him, I praised Him just because He’s God. I then turned the light on, and grabbed my Bible, and began to read aloud the Word of God. Because I know that I’m not the only one who deals with such fear, I decided to type out some scriptures I read last night that helped.

“But you, O Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts my head high. I cried out to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy mountain. Interlude. I lay down and slept. I woke up in safety, for the Lord was watching over me.” Ps. 3:3-5

“I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” Ps. 34:4

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee” Isaiah 26:3

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27

“Now the God of Peace be with you all. Amen” Rom. 15:33

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:6-7

Read these verses of scripture. If you have some more, read those as well. Feel free to post scripture in the comment section. Remember, though we all deal with certain degrees of fear and anxiety, press through and trust God. True faith, as I’ve said before, doesn’t eradicate difficulty, in weathers it. God knows what you and I need, and He has said He would meet those needs. So, don’t give up, and don’t let fear paralyze you. Lift up praise to God, and thank Him for what He’s doing in your life. Continue to pray for me, and I will for you. God bless, friends.

Kids Say the Darnedest Things

Hebrews 5:12-14 NLT
“You have been Christians a long time now, and you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things a beginner must learn about the Scriptures.* You are like babies who drink only milk and cannot eat solid food. 13 And a person who is living on milk isn't very far along in the Christian life and doesn't know much about doing what is right. 14 Solid food is for those who are mature, who have trained themselves to recognize the difference between right and wrong and then do what is right.”

I believe it was Bill Cosby that had a show out for a while which was entitled, “Kids Say the Darnedest Things”. Everyone watching would get a good laugh at the funny and cute things little kids would do and say. As a parent, I have found myself seemingly in a perpetual episode of that show, as I’m sure all parents have. I found myself thinking about some of the times when my kids said the darnedest things as I sat at work last night. One of those more recent times was a couple of weeks ago, as I sat at home one night, having just put my six and three and a half year old daughters to bed for the night. As I sat on the couch watching TV, I heard the familiar sound of the girls playing upstairs. Knowing the early waking time in my home, I sternly hollered up the stairs for the girls to quit playing and get back in bed. I was shocked (and quite amused) by what my younger daughter actually told me. “Daddy, you just be quiet!” I’ll just let you know, my little girl received a lesson in talking to Daddy like that, and she hasn’t since then. What makes kids say stuff like that? It’s just how they are. My kids have grown up in a home that honors Jesus Christ above all, so it’s neat when we hear them out of the blue start talking about God and Jesus. But just as they can talk about God, they can turn on a dime and start talking like my daughter spoke to me. It’s really just a child’s maturity level.

We can get like that spiritually, can’t we? The Bible admonishes us in several places to “grow up”. Some places it’s said nicely, other places, like in our passage today, it’s much more direct. I know there are times in my personal walk with God that I am tempted to revert back to being a “baby Christian”, and begin to whine to God. Perhaps it’s those times when we’ve been praying and praying for God to do something, or give us something, and the answer is “no”. Maybe there are times when we find ourselves spiritually “pouting”, because things didn’t work out like we hoped they would. Maybe we’ve even taken a mouthy attitude toward the Lord when He has asked us to do something we don’t want to do, like pray for someone that has mistreated us. Let’s remember that the Bible tells us to put away childish things. We don’t see things too clearly right now. But, we can trust that the Lord sees all and knows exactly what we need, when we need it.

I’m reminded of yesterday’s blog, about the disciples panicking in the storm. Immaturity in the things of God causes us to look only on what we see in front of us. But, just as the Lord knew exactly what was happening on that lake, so He knows exactly what is happening in our lives. Over and over, we are told in the Bible to “grow up”. True growth looks beyond our selfish reasoning, trusting that God knows best. So, let’s not be like my two-year old son, who for some strange reason has the urge to repeatedly try and explore the oven, and gets mad when Mommy stops him from opening the door. Mommy just knows what’s best. When God tells us no, just know that He knows best. God bless.

The Other Side of Faith

Mark 4:35
And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

I just read some articles by some of the more popular preachers. It seems from what some of these people preach that living for Jesus is nothing but roses. I do believe that God wants to bless us. He wants to give us abundant life. But that doesn’t mean that He won’t use hardship in our lives to mold us into what He desires us to be.

We hear the passage above, and we give the Lord Jesus praise for being the “peace speaker”. And we should praise Him for calming storms in our lives. But notice what He said to His disciples after He calmed the storm. “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” Come again, Jesus? Let’s flash back to what He initially said to the disciples. He said, “let us pass over to the other side” (v.35). They already had His word that they were going to make it. The storm was not calmed because of their great faith, it was calmed because of their lack of faith.

How often do we encounter storms in our lives? This passage should give us comfort in knowing that on our journey, as we progress in our walk with Christ that storms will arise, but we will make it to the other side. True faith is not seen in calming the storm, it’s seen in weathering the storm. In the book of Hebrews, we all know of the “Hall of Faith”, the eleventh chapter. And in this chapter we read about some of the victories that faith brought to those who trusted God. But somewhere around the thirty-sixth verse, we begin to read about those who encountered severe storms. They were mocked, beaten, imprisoned, stoned, sawn in half (ouch!), and killed with the sword. Yet, all these had faith! They trusted God, in spite of their circumstances.

True faith is not about living well, with no bumps in the road. True faith isn’t about money in the bank. It’s about trusting God-period. So hang in there with me, wait out the storms in your life, and let God mold you into the man or woman of God He has called you to be! God bless!

Thumbs and Big Toes

Judges 1:6-7
Then Adoni-Bezek fled, and they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and big toes. 7 And Adoni-Bezek said, "Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to gather scraps under my table; as I have done, so God has repaid me." Then they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.

Have you ever thought about the uses of certain parts of the human body? Like, what is the appendix really for? Or, do we really need our pinky fingers? Do the eyebrows really serve a purpose? We can be assured that each part of our body has a God- ordained purpose. But try to imagine going through life having lost a part of the body that is essential, such as a leg or an arm.

In the passage above, the Israelites had captured an enemy king, Adoni-Bezek, and cut off his thumbs and big toes. We find that this wicked king had done the same to those he had captured. As he had done, it was now done to him.

What would this king’s purpose be in cutting off people’s big toes and thumbs? Really, it rendered them defenseless in battle. Without their thumbs, they could not hold on to the swords. And since the big toe plays a big part in walking, not having them made them pretty much immobile.

So, what is the picture for us nowadays? We also have an enemy, and he’s not interested in your physical thumbs and toes. But he does want to incapacitate you. Just as the loss of the thumb for those ancient soldiers meant that they could not grip their swords, so the enemy wants to cause us to lose our grip on the Sword of the Spirit, the word of God. How does he do that? He will use our trials and hard times to cause us to doubt the Word. He also uses distractions and busyness to keep us from the Word.

But he also wants to “cut off our toe”. Without the big toes, walking is severely hindered. The Devil wants to hinder our walk in Christ. He wants nothing more than to render us lame in our relationship with the Lord, by various temptations to sin, and by the cares of life. If he can keep us in sin, he can keep us in guilt in shame, and in so doing, keep us out of the presence of God.

Remember friends, Satan wants to make you ineffective, because he knows that those who are truly sold-out, crucified Christians will cause the kingdom of darkness great harm. God bless.

Accepted in the Beloved!

“…to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved” Ephesians 1:6

Before I get into the devotion today, please continue to pray for me concerning my post from yesterday, “A Little Weak Today”. I am still battling fear as I mentioned both in the original blog, and in the comments as people were reaching out with encouragement and prayers. But I am reaching through the fear and anxiety today to share what I believe God has placed on my heart.

I was listening to an online sermon yesterday. I had heard this message before, but something this time really spoke to me. I won’t quote word for word what was preached, but I believe this is a message we all need to hear. It deals with God’s acceptance of us.

How many of us have found ourselves on the wounded end of an offense? How many of us have maybe even told the offending party, “I forgive you, but I can’t trust you.” Or, “I forgive you, but I can’t have the same relationship anymore”. That is forgiveness without acceptance. I think that as Christians, there is a fear that sometimes lurks in the back of our minds that says, “Sure, God forgives me, but I’ve messed up too much to have the same relationship with Him”. It doesn’t make sense to us on a human level, because we have too hard a time doing that with each other. A wife may forgive her husband for adultery, but trust and acceptance is not an instant thing. But God accepts us immediately. He says to “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). He tells us that we have “boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus” (see Heb. 10:19). He not only forgives us, He accepts us!

I think of the Prodigal son. Here was a young man that insulted his dad by demanding his share of the inheritance. Basically, he told his dad that he couldn’t wait for him to die. He wanted his money ASAP! He went off and blew the cash, and found himself in poverty. While feeding hogs, he decided to go home, and try to have his dad hire him as a servant. As he was going home, his father saw him. The boy recognized the forgiveness in the hug and kiss. He knew that his dad had forgiven his sin. But what he did not expect was the ring, the robe, and the shoes. He didn’t expect the party, and the fatted calf. He did not expect to be accepted back as a son. But that was what he was, a son.

Friends, no matter how we mess us, let us remember that God always accepts us. He gives us access to Himself. You may have wandered into the mire of the pigpen, but there are new shoes, a ring, and a robe of righteousness waiting for you! Your Father has accepted you! God bless.

A Little Weak Today

I hate doing this. My purpose from the beginning of this blog was to use it as tool to minister to those who happen to stumble across it. To give my brothers and sisters in Christ some encouragement, possibly when they most need it. Sometimes, that has happened right in the middle of a battle for me, when it seems hardest to reach out. Today is one of those days. I am in need of prayer.

I often think of David during these times. Just a simple read into my archives of previous posts reveals that. But there is another person I think about, and even as I am writing this impromptu blog, he popped into my head. Elijah, the prophet of old. In his weakest, weariest hour he found himself just wanting to go home and be with the Lord. Everything seemed to be against him. As he was running for his life, he had all he could take, sat down under a tree and requested that he might die. Now, don't worry, I'm not wishing death on myself, but I feel like I'm at the end of my rope right now. I have a lot of things closing in on me, financially, I can't take care of any of them, except one.

I know that God is faithful. I also know His timing is not our timing. And like the old song says, "He may not come when you want Him, but He'll be there right on time. He's an on-time God". It's in times like I'm in currently that God uses to test us. In the waiting. The acid test of time. He is purifying me through this time. He's preparing me through it. Please, friends, when you read this, pray for me. God Bless.

James 2:14-17

“What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,
and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,’ and yet you do not give them what is necessary for {their} body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, {being} by itself.”

As I was driving into work this morning, I was listening to the local Christian radio station. One of the hosts was talking about the book of James. I can’t remember what he talking about specifically, but it did get me thinking. I began to meditate on the above scriptures.

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding this passage throughout the years. Some feel that the Bible actually contradicts itself here. After all, Paul taught us that salvation is by grace through faith, without works, and James taught that without works, faith is dead. A good reading of James shows us, however, that he was not teaching a works- based salvation. He was telling us that true faith should have vital signs.

People can talk a good game. There are many that profess faith in Jesus Christ. James was telling us that those with “real faith” will be revealed by the outworking of that faith. He gave us the example, quoted above, of a destitute person, totally impoverished, with absolutely nothing. We are not to simply bless the person verbally, but to reach out and help them. That is what distinguishes “lip service” from the real deal. Even Paul told us that “faith worketh by love” (Gal. 5:6). Jesus also differentiates between merely professed faith and faith that shows itself. We all know the story of Matthew 25, when Jesus will at that day separate the sheep and the goats. “Insomuch as ye did unto the least of these my brethren, ye did unto me” (Mt. 25:40). If we are truly saved, then what we believe will be demonstrated by what we do.

Take the time today to reach out to someone. Tell them about our wonderful Savior, and then show them Jesus through your actions. I pray that this blog blesses you today. Just another trip into the sometimes scary place called my head!