Christians are not just on this planet to have a good time, though some of us can't help ourselves. We actually have a task. We are on a mission. That mission is to save the world. No pressure, right?!? Part of the difficulty in saving the world is to get people to understand they are in jeopardy. But most people know this. Most people recognize there is something wrong, and they are trying their best to survive the chaos. Unfortunately many people are satisfied to work all of this out themselves. They don't think they need a Savior they can't see. So sometimes the most difficult part of the Christian's mission is to get people to believe that we actually know the only way of escape. We have been saved by the only rescuer. To say people are skeptical is an understatement. There is a reason we are called 'believers' and they are called 'unbelievers.' It isn't because we are better or smarter, but simply because we have put our faith is Christ and they have not... yet. But let's be honest. It isn't easy to take someone's word on the most important faith issue in the universe. I mean, there must be dozens of religious options from which a lost person can choose. Why should they choose Christ? Well, we know why they should choose Christ. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is the absolute only way to obtain eternal life. So that part is easy. We know what we have to do, and why. But the 'how' is an interesting element. How do we get people who do not believe in and invisible God to believe that He is real? Well, it will always come down to faith. It always. has. Ultimately each person has to believe in what exists but cannot be seen. But God does give us all a peek into His reality. We can see God in nature. Just by looking around at the marvelous creation we can see that there is a God. And God has promised that anyone who truly looks for Him will find Him. But beyond that, He gives signs of Himself through the people who have come to believe in Him. At one point the people of God were enslaved in Egypt. God had promised to rescue them from their oppressors. He chose to use a human deliverer named Moses. God had worked miraculously in Moses' life, and even revealed Himself to him in a face to flame conversation where Moses saw God in a burning bush, and God told him that he would be the one to go to Egypt and lead His people to freedom. Moses was fearful of the prospect and this conversation ensued... Moses answered, “What if they won’t believe me and will not obey me but say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?” The Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied. Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake. Moses ran from it, but the Lord told him, “Stretch out your hand and grab it by the tail.” So he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand. “This will take place,” He continued, “so they will believe that Yahweh, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” In addition the Lord said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” So he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, his hand was diseased, white as snow. Then He said, “Put your hand back inside your cloak.” He put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, it had again become like the rest of his skin. “If they will not believe you and will not respond to the evidence of the first sign, they may believe the evidence of the second sign." (Exodus 4:1:8) Here we see God using two things to prove Himself to unbelieving people. When Moses suggests that simply showing up and saying he is acting on God's behalf won't be enough to convince people in distress, God asks, "What is in your hand?" God will use whatever is handy. You are handy. Whatever you work with is what God will work with. You don't have to go to seminary or Bible college to be useful in the kingdom of God. God will use you in whatever stage of life you happen to be in. Moses was at that point a shepherd. He had a staff in his hand. God used his staff to show Himself. What is in your hand right now? It could be a pen. It could be a stethoscope. It could be a wrench. It could be a phone. It could be a tray of food. Whatever it is, God wants to use that. He wants to use your whatever you have to show Himself to those who don't believe. But what if they don't believe that? What if they think that your material blessings or tools of life are your own success? What if they see others who have the same things but are not believers? God then used Moses' own body to prove His greatness. This can be scary, but it is obviously very effective. God often proves Himself through our personal experiences in our own physical bodies. We are His, so He can do with us as He will. God may take you through a dark moment in order to reveal Himself to others on the other side. While some people may believe when we use our specific tools of communication, nothing speaks of the reality of God like a personal in-body revelation. The miracles God performs in us can be the greatest testimony. God wants us to surrender our stuff and our selves. He can and will use both to reach the lost and trapped unbelievers. He will use what we have as well as who we are. God isn't playing games with us or our emotions. He is simply trying to save the world. And not only do we have a front row seat to this amazing project. We are actually part of the crew. Today you will have the opportunity to use the tools in your hand to share the Good News with someone. Don't hesitate just because you think you are not qualified. God has qualified you. But then He may take it a step further and prove Himself through your own body. I don't know what this might look like. But it will be unbelievable... so that others may believe. An old song says, "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands." But it seems that God uses our hands to get the world into His hands. As a tip, it is likely that you are reading this on your phone... which is in your hand. Use your phone to show the glory of God today. Right now, go to your Facebook and post something that will cause the unbelieving to believe. See how cool this is? This is an absolutely free resource. If you would like to support us, you can give via the above link.
I woke up from a dream this morning. I can't remember anything about the dream except that I had just been told by someone, "You have the body of a 50 year-old." It wasn't a nice feeling. The last thing I remember was being 21 and getting married. And here I am at 50. And worse yet, the guy in my dream laughed and told me I have the body of a 50 year-old. But I'm not 50. Almost... but not quite. I laid there and did the math. "I'm probably over half way done." I may be way more than half way done. But even if things go well, I'm probably half way done. I sat up and asked myself, "Is it too late to finish strong?" I went to the kitchen, grabbed a banana and a yogurt, sat down at the table and began praying. I told God that I didn't know how much time I had left, but I wanted to make it count. I asked Him if it is too late to make some changes that need to be made. I could almost hear Him audibly say, "It isn't too late for Me." As I ate my 50 year-old, out of shape, old dad breakfast, I scrolled through the news. The first story to pop up was about the Duke University basketball team staging a record-setting comeback. I've been a North Carolina basketball fan for most of my life. So I know a little bit about basketball, and Duke. I clicked. It turns out #2 Duke was down to #16 Louisville by 20 with about 11 minutes to go in the game. That means they were well past the halfway point. Legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K) called a timeout. He looked at his team of young players and said, "We're going to win." He admitted later that he may have been telling them a lie. He was literally hoping they wouldn't lose by 35. But the players said that they believed him. One of the star players recalls, "You're looking at the greatest coach of all time, and he's telling you that you are going to win." They believed it. They ended up being down by 23 with about 10 minutes to go. Then they rallied to post an NCAA feat. No one has ever come back from being down 23 in less than a half. Coach K said during a post-game interview, "It's a crazy game. Human beings are crazy. We are spectacular for 9-1/2 minutes, and it was just good enough." Duke's defense forced an incredible 9 turnovers in the final 8 minutes. The other team missed 9 of their last 11 shots. And star freshman Blue Devil, Zion Williamson scored 11 points, grabbed four rebounds, had three steals, and a blocked shot in just under 10 minutes. He said he got some inspiration from his mom in the stands. "I'm not going to lie. I was very frustrated. I don't know if this is cheesy or corny, but when I was on the bench, I heard my mom in the stands. She said, 'It's okay. Be you. When you get back in, make them pay.'" At the end of the game, when the young man who is the runaway favorite for national player of the year honors had a chance to drive to the basket himself, he passed it off to another player who drove and was fouled and hit the game winning free throws. I don't know where you are in your life, but you are bound to have some discouraging moments. You may be past the halfway point in your game. You may know it, or you may not. You may think your chance for victory is over. But I want you to know that God is in the comeback business. He says you can win. I'm not talking about basketball games, or business deals, or financial gain. I'm talking about victory in your battle with the enemy. When He tells you that you are going to win, He isn't just trying to motivate you with a false hope. He is telling you that the victory is already won through His work on the cross. And while the enemy may have gotten the best of you for whatever reason and in whatever season, the game is not over. If you will surrender to His plan, and play some defense, the enemy will be forced into turnovers, because he is defeated. Listen to the people in the stands who believe in your calling and gifting. You will have your chance to score. You will have teammates with you who can support you and score when you can't. This isn't just a sports analogy. It is a word of truth for those who may feel like they have missed their opportunity. Paul told the early Christians who were in need of encouragement, "Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil. For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand." (Ephesians 6:10-13) Don't worry about how late it is in your life. Focus on what God is saying about who He is, and where He is in your life. He inhabits eternity. So it is never too late for Him. [Bible quotes are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.] This website is an absolutely free resource. But it does take time and effort. If you would like to support this work, feel free to give via the above link.
It must have been difficult being a disciple of Jesus. I mean, it was certainly awesome. But it was a high visibility and high accountability environment. When you combine those two elements, it was without doubt a pressure cooker of stress. Jesus was obviously very gracious, but still, could you imagine Him calling you out? On several occasions we see Jesus holding the disciples to a higher standard, and it just feels painful. More than once He rebukes them for their ‘little faith.’ Now I’d say it took a fair amount of faith just to devote your life to following and learning from Jesus. But when they would fall short, Jesus loved them enough to tell them, “Come on, guys. I expect more from you.” Remember when the disciples traveling in a boat through a storm? They saw Jesus walking on the water. Peter got out of the boat to walk to Jesus on the water. He became distracted by the wind and waves and began to sink, calling upon Jesus to save him. Jesus pulled him up from the water and brought him to the boat. He then said, “Oh you of little faith.” Really?!? The only one of the disciples to actually venture onto the water… and he had little faith? That’s because our faith is not measured against others when it is our time of failure. We have all had moments of little faith, and even no faith. Those are difficult times. We sink without faith. I think most of us would like to have more faith. We want stronger faith. But are we doing what we are supposed to do to have more faith? Faith is first and foremost a gift from God. We think of faith as a rock. But faith is more like a seed or a muscle, than a rock. God gives us a bit of faith that can grow and become stronger. We don’t necessarily have Jesus or someone in our lives who audibly calls out, “Hey David… you are so weak in your faith today,” but we know when our faith is weak. Sometime trials come when our faith is very low, and our faith level is exposed for what it is. Perhaps it is so dramatic that others see it. In those times we may start going to church more, or praying more, or reading our Bibles more. Then our faith begins to grow. Why? The apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome… “So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.” (Romans 10:17) Faith comes from the Word of God. You will not have strong faith without the Word of God. It is impossible. Show me someone who is not in the Bible, and I will show you someone who is weak in the area of faith. Show me someone who has a strong and growing faith, and I will show you someone who is in the Word and has the Word in them. You may think… “It can’t be that simple.” Why wouldn’t it be? God isn’t trying to keep us in a small faith realm. He has provided everything we need for life and Godliness. God gives us food to grow physically. Why wouldn’t He give us food to grow spiritually? He has. So why would we constantly wait until we are sinking in life’s storms before we call out to the Word of God to save us. Today you probably want more faith. Get into the Word. In fact, I challenge you to be in the Word for the next 7 days and see what God does in your faith life. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. [Bible quotes are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.] This website is an absolutely free resource. But it does take time and effort. If you would like to support this work, feel free to give via the above link.
Fear is a great motivator. It can actually save your life. If you are standing on the side of the road and all of a sudden hear a loud horn and screeching brakes, you immediately jump out of the way and avoid being hit by a car. You can be walking on a trail in the mountains, and when you hear a certain swift noise, you know there is a rattlesnake nearby. Fear is not bad. In a perfect world, fear would be strange. But on planet earth, it is a great motivator. But there is a motivator that is more powerful and productive than fear. It is faith. Faith is greater than fear for several reasons. Fear and faith are both about belief. But fear is a negative belief, while faith comes from a positive place. Here are some ways to understand the differences between fear and faith... Fear is a belief that something bad is about to happen. Faith is a belief that something good is already happening and will at some point come to full fruition. Fear can cause you to get out of the way of something bad. But faith will cause you to get in the way of something good. Fear is reactive. Faith is proactive. Fear is the harvest. Faith is a seed. Fear paralyzes. Faith produces. Fear looks at reality assuming the worst. Faith looks at reality affirming the best. Fear replaces hope. Faith reinforces confidence. Fear is discouraged by God. Faith is honored by God. Fear destroys people and families. Faith secures people and is a great heritage to pass down through families. The Bible talks a lot about fear and faith. Depending on your translation, a form of the word fear is found around 340 times. A form of the word faith is found 540 times. Sometimes the word fear is used in the context of fearing the Lord... which is the only acceptable form of fear... actually more of an awe and ultimate respect. Here are some things God has to say about those who live by faith... My righteous one will live by faith; and if he draws back, I have no pleasure in him. But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and obtain life. Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. For our ancestors won God’s approval by it. (Hebrews 10:36-11:1) Fear and faith are both powerful. They are both beliefs in things that are not seen. Every time you come to a dark place, you can fear it, or you can faith it. You have the choice to move forward in either one. God never approves of fear. He always approves of solid faith. There is absolutely no benefit in believing that horrible things are going to happen, but great blessing in believing that God is up to something in your life. I'm not saying we should live without concern. But our concern should result in a life of believing God for the best, and not instantly thinking the worst is going to happen. If you are a Christian, faith comes in your package. Just use it. Exercise it. Recognize the result. Then build on that the next time you come to that scary place. You cannot live in fear. You can only die in fear. You can die in faith... or rather for your faith. Many have. But on the other side of dying in faith is living forever... which is what our faith is for anyway. Today, choose to believe the promises of God. Do not fear. God is with you, and He is not afraid. [Bible quotes are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.] This website is an absolutely free resource. But it does take time and effort. If you would like to support this work, feel free to give via the above link.
Laws are serious, except when they are hilarious. Some laws are just weird. You have to wonder how some of them came to be. Every state has its own fair share of laws that just make you scratch your head. Some of them are simply antiquated and made sense 150 years ago. But there are plenty that make you question why anyone would pursue such legal prohibitions. Here is a sampling of some of the legislative craziness. For a pickle to legally be called a pickle in Connecticut, it must bounce. Taking a snooze in a cheese factory, bake shop, confectionery, or creamery is illegal under Illinois’ Sanitary Food Preparation Act. You may not catch fish with your bare hands anywhere in Indiana. Exploding golf balls are not allowed in Massachusetts. Carrying seaweed “from seashore below high-water mark” after the sun has set is a violation of the state’s fish and game provisions. Giving fish alcohol is prohibited in Ohio. The Bible includes many laws… literally hundreds of laws. Some of those laws make a lot of sense, and create the framework for a workable society. Others make a lot of sense because they explain how to make things right in a society. But there are some laws, even in the Bible that make you turn your head and go, “Really?!?” But there are two laws that rule the whole universe. These are not the law of gravity, or some other natural law. On multiple occasions Jesus was asked by people who were covered in laws what is actually the greatest law? Here is what Jesus said… “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.” (Matthew 22:37-40) There is nothing silly about these laws. There is nothing wrong with these laws. These laws are truly the cornerstone of a successful life and civilization. Obeying these laws brings life and order. The more people obey these laws, the less we will have to make other laws, because when these laws are kept, the activities curtailed by other laws will not exist. Today you will be faced with various decisions about how to treat people, or what to do with difficult situations. I challenge you that before you try to figure out all of the ramifications that can or should… or shouldn’t happen depending on your actions, just ask yourself this question… What decision in this situation would honor God the most, and at the same time truly make life better for the other people involved? [Bible quotes are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.] This website is an absolutely free resource. But it does take time and effort. If you would like to support this work, feel free to give via the above link.
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AuthorMy name is David, and I want to know God more, and help other people find Him. Archives
March 2019
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