"Daddy"

Proverbs 20:27
 The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD, 
Searching all the inner depths of his heart. 
 Fellowship with our God is most definitely on the spiritual level. We will not find communion with God in our flesh. The flesh is corrupt and dying. The flesh is limited and powerless. The flesh is shallow and has no depth. Our flesh is contrary to God and it is contrary to our spirit. (Galatians5:17) Why would we even think that our LIving, Awesome, and Perfect God even wants to have fellowship with us in our flesh? Once again we are faced with a choice as believers! Do we truly want fellowship with God? If so, then what is the key to this awesome communion that we so desire? The answer is in how we live. Romans 8:8 says," So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God." The believer is an eternal being, our hope of all things truly is woven into eternity with God. To live in the spirt is to live in this world preparing for eternity. This is what God is looking forward to! He is longing for the completion of our salvation. He longs for the day when we will fellowship with Him and worship Him without the barriers of the flesh. Without the corruption of sin. In Hebrews 12:2, we can see how with joy our God anticipates this fellowship!  "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." The joy set before Him was our salvation. The thought of our heavenly home with Him, brings Him great joy! He has endured so much and paid a great price to make it possible. His love calls us to live in communion with Him. He compels us to and desires us to. We are indebted to Him For what He has done for us. We should feel so  compelled as to walk in fellowship with Him. Romans 8:12-13 says,  "Therefore, brethren, we are debtors- not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." To live according to the Spirit is to live for Jesus. His spirit has entered into every believer. He has come to teach us and to help us to live for Him. He has come to live in us to give us confidence and hope in our eternal fellowship with God. Romans 8:14-15 says, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out,"Abba, Father."  Our spirit of adoption may cry out at any time to our Father in Heaven. We have access to Him, "FELLOWSHIP" has been obtained by anyone who will call on His name and be saved.
Oh, by the way, the word "Abba" means Daddy! How is that for fellowship with Almighty God

Images and Inscriptions

Matthew 22:17-22
 Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said,"Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? "Show Me the tax money."
So they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them,"Whose image and inscription is this?" They said to Him,"Caesar's." And He said to them,"Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."
 What is lawful? Is it lawful to obey ungodly authority? How does the believer submit under government even when government does not submit to God? Jesus answers our question with a question in Matthew 22 vs 20, "Who's image and inscription is on the coin?"  It all comes down to images and inscriptions. I am a believer. Jesus is my King! I carry His image and His inscription in my heart. I am called under His authority to give Him my life. In my submission, God has told me to be subject to governing authorities.(Romans 13:1) This means to obey the laws of the land. I am to commit to my government every thing they ask of me as long as what they ask of me coincides with my submission to God. I certainly  am not to sin against God even if the laws demand it. Also, I am not to use the law of man as an excuse to sin against God. In other words when governmental law gives me the right to do something contrary to God, I am to remember that I carry God's inscription and image. Therefore I am to abstain from sin. It is also a sin to retaliate against government when they do things contrary to God. This is not our place! Just because our government has legalized abortion it does not give the believer the right to bomb an abortion clinic. This does more harm than good. We are to speak truth, pray and leave the rest up to God. We best represent Him by submission and love even if we don't think it is warranted. We must remember that Jesus  witnessed and experienced many unjust acts by the Roman government while He walked on earth. He saw there corrupt practices and never once did He retaliate. As a matter of fact, Jesus ministered to those in the roman government. He even saw them converted. The Roman Centurion had great faith as Jesus healed his servant.(Matthew 8:13) Even Matthew, His disciple was a tax collector for the Roman government. Tax collectors were known for being thieves and yet Jesus loved him. A crooked, rigged trial sentenced Jesus to death, and He never resorted to violence. It was a government ordered execution that put Him to death on a Roman cross and yet He only prayed for their forgiveness. It was at His crucifixion that a Roman centurion recognized Him. In that moment when all of the worlds sin was placed on Him and Jesus cried out to His Father. The earth shook, the sky turned black and the veil of the temple was torn in two. There was no retaliation from Jesus. There was no violence on His part. Only love, only grace, only mercy! The Roman Centurion witnessed how God was saving the world and it was that witness that made his heart change. We read his profession in Matthew 27:54, "So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying,"Truly this was the Son of God!" By submission we are more than conquerers and we show Jesus to the world! Render to the government what belongs to the government and to God what belongs to God!  

Depth, Riches and Wisdom

Romans 11:33
 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
How could we ever truly know the vastness of our Creator? The One who has no creator. God was not born and yet He is and He has always been! He is the God Who was and is and is to come. Wow, the very existence of Almighty God is enough to blow the mind. He just is! When Moses ask Him at the burning bush, "Who shall I say has sent me?" God answered," I AM."(Exodus 3:13-14) The great I AM!  To know God is to know He has always been. His existence is so deep that He is unsearchable. He tells the prophet Isaiah, "His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts." His ways are higher than our ways.(Isaiah 55:8-9) We will never fully grasp God's ways but we can certainly be a student of His higher ways. His ways are past finding out but God still gives a desire to try. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end." He has put eternity in our hearts. We are born with eternity resinating within our very heart. There is depth even in our own being that seems out of our grasp. This can be explained by the fact that we are created in the image of our eternal Father. Genesis 1:27 says, "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." We can not at this point in our walk with Christ possibly understand the depth and riches of eternal life. However, He has placed it in us and has even given us the curiosity to seek out this treasure. He has told us about it in His word and given us glimpses of it by way of His Holy Spirit. 1Corinthians 2:9-10 says, "But as it is written:"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God." Our eyes have not seen, our ears have not heard, but eternity has been revealed to us through God's Holy spirit. Jesus said that we are blessed because we believe and have not yet seen. We are blessed because God is revealing Himself to us through the work of His Holy Spirit. This is better than sight it is the indwelling of God Himself! There will come a day when our faith will end in sight we will see eternity! We will hear, taste, touch and smell eternity! Life will become more lifelike than we could have ever known while living on this earth. We will experience eternity! But until that day we must pray, seek and knock! (Matthew 7:7) We must be diligent, tenacious and unfailing. We need to follow the curiosity that has been placed in us. The deep things of God are to be sought out. To know Him is to know eternity. To know Him is to know life and love in their deepest sense. He is preparing us for eternity with Him. To live forever is to sit at His feet for a thousand years only to realize time has no place in Heaven. It is to sing praises to God and know that there are no deadlines in the throne room of the ALmighty. To live in eternity with Jesus is to live forever and never completely know every thing about Him. He is truly King of kings!

Strong and Courageous

Joshua 1:9
  "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."
Christian why should you ever be afraid? Why is dismay even in our vocabulary? It is the King of all kings who has claimed us as His own. He is the one who has given us authority and ability to accomplish what He has dispatched us to do. Not only that but the One who spoke the world into existence has spoken to us and said,"Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid." I know why we hesitate and freeze in apprehension! I know why we question. I know why we fear. It is because God will not ask us to do things that are reasonable from a human standpoint. He told Abraham to leave his country and go to a place that He would show him. God did not disclose any other information.......JUST GO! This does not fit into the American dream mentality. We cry out,"But God what about my future?" He calls back," You have no future without Me!" He told Moses to go to the king of Egypt and demand that he free His people from slavery. Moses couldn't even talk right, he had a speech impediment. How was he supposed to demand any thing? Especially from the King of the known world! Sure Moses had lived as royalty in Egypt but it had been 40 years. And when he left, he left as a fugitive. Moses had killed an Egyptian because he was abusing an Israelite slave. He left Egypt on the fly and found a job as a sheperd. Moses had been a sheep herder for 40 years and now God was asking him to march into Egypt with a big stick and march out of Egypt with the Israelites. What about Joshua? God called Joshua to conquer Jericho, a heavily fortified city. Joshua and his army were out numbered and more vulnerable. From a worldly perspective they didn't stand a chance. Even the plan of attack was against logical thinking. God told Joshua to march around the city once a day for six days. On the seventh day, He was to march around the city seven times and on the seventh time, blow the trumpets and shout. God told Joshua that upon the shout and blowing the trumpets the walls would fall and He would deliver Jericho into their hands. Never in all world history had a battle been won in such a way as this! Never since, has a battle been won like this! What was the difference????? God was with Joshua! He was with Abraham and He was with Moses! He called them, He equipped them and He walked with them. It was impossible for man but possible for God. This is another way He is glorified. He takes the ordinary and accomplishes the extraordinary! He says,"do not fear and do not be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you where ever you go." He will call us to the seemingly impossible and show the world what He can do through an ordinary person. What if, today we were to decide  to be completely obedient to God. No holds barred, go all out, every thing we have and all that we are, given over to God! Like Abraham, the direction may not be totally clear, just go! Like Moses, we may feel completely inadequate, just trust! Like Joshua, it all may seem very illogical, just obey! God is not asking us to know every thing, to have gifts and talents or great plans for success. He is asking us to be strong and courageous.

Who's Treaten Who?

Matthew 7:12
"Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." 
 We all have an idea of the way we would like to be treated. We all are affected by the way others treat us. Many times the way others treat us will set the tone for the rest of the day or even longer. It could be in a good way or a bad way, at just the right word or action our spirit can soar like an eagle, or we can fall into a pit of gloom and sometimes anger. But the fact remains that the actions of others will have an affect on us. My personal peeve in this subject is encouragement. Because of this fact I give my best effort and make it to be a personal goal to be an encourager. Even when I have to say the hard things, I do my best to say them in an encouraging manner. I love to encourage people it something that God has placed in me. I believe encouragement brings out the best in people. And to be honest I love it when someone encourages me. If it were up to me, "and it's not," any time anyone ever spoke to me it would be words of encouragement! Unfortunately, I live in the real world and that is often not the case. Sometimes what people say is down right discouraging. I'm not saying it is unwarranted. I'm saying it can be discouraging. Though I know I grow spiritually in discouragement, "I still don't have to like it!" I believe it is because of my distain for discouragement that I counter attack by being an encourager. I hope this is making some sense because I think it is the very thing Jesus was talking about in Matthew 7:12, "Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them," How do you want others to treat you? Treat others like you want to be treated! It's a counter attack. It is a defiant attitude! It is like saying, " I will not give in! I will not act out! I will treat others with dignity and honor regardless of how I am treated. Believers we need to wrap or hearts around this attitude and embrace it. I have a few things that God shares in His word that may help us with this. #1Whatever we do in word or deed do it as unto the LORD! This is found in Colossians 3:17. The context of the passage is teaching us how to treat others. We need to ask ourselves if we would treat Jesus in a good way a bad way? Would we be encouraging to Jesus or discouraging to Him? The believer has a responsibility to treat people as unto the Lord. #2 Consider our own faults. Matthew 7:3 says,"And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?" We can be so quick to examine and correct the faults of others and forget our own. I believe it is a good thing to be your own critic and leave the rest of God's people to Him. He is the one who brings conviction and change. Too many times we are trying to do the Holy Spirits job. The Holy Spirit will tell us what we need to change but that change will always begin on a personal level. In other words the only person I can change is me and I need changing. We have plenty to do just working on self! We can start by being good encouragers! #3 Remember everyone is a work in progress. Philippians 1:6 says, "being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;" No one is perfect and no one will be perfect until Jesus comes for His church. We need to remember this about each other. If we can take in consideration that every one needs Grace and Mercy then it sheds a whole new light on the way we view and treat one another. As I close this devotional I would ask you to think about how God has treated us. Not as we deserve, but with mercy and pity.  He was thinking of us while He was on that cross. We were not perfect. There was no way we could ever make it to Heaven on our own. He wanted to give us Heaven just because He wanted us to have what we would never deserve. This is what He would do for us. He did for us what we could not do for ourselves. And He took the treatment that we deserved, "THE CROSS." 

The Big Finish

2 Timothy 4:7
  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 
 What a great lesson we learn from the Apostle Paul about running the race well. He truly did fight the good fight. Thousands of miles traveled in missionary journeys, Thousands of people saved through those journeys, and millions more through his writings in the New Testament. Paul also mentored young pastors like Timothy and Titus. He made sure as he finished the race that there would be someone to take it up where he left off! Paul made sure the gap was filled between his ministry, and the next one. Too many times in ministry and churches today, this is not the case. There is a difference between just leaving or retiring from a ministry and leaving or retiring doing it well. Too many times I have seen people just drop out! No ownership and no worries about how things will get done, they just leave it! I understand when people get tired. I get tired. I take time off and rest. However I do not leave up to others to ensure that my responsibilities are handled. That wouldn't go over too well with my church. I can just picture it, "Sunday morning...... Time for the preaching, pastor is no where to be found!!!!! The phone rings...... " Pastor where are you?????" I answer," Well I decided to take a break today, you guys can handle it!" Needless to say, I would probably be looking for a place to preach the next Sunday. We should not only be responsible for short term absences but long term ones as well. Prepare people now to take your place later. This is what Paul did. This is what Jesus did. He prepared His disciples for three years. He taught them to pray, to teach,to love and to give of themselves. Then He ascended to Heaven gave them The Holy Spirit and sent them out. God has given us an example of how to finish the race. He showed it with Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, Jesus and His disciples, Paul and Timothy. We are His representatives and we need to ensure our ministry is fulfilled. Wether the ministry itself is ending or it is ongoing. It does happen! Ministries  come to an end when God is ready, and when this happens, take responsibility. He has left them in our care. We are to ensure that when God is finished working in a particular ministry that it is wrapped up and closed out in a proper manner. This is good stewardship and it brings Glory to God. He does not leave things open ended with no conclusion or closing. He lets us know what to anticipate will come next. He told His disciples in John 14:3, "And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself. They knew what to expect! This is how ministry is handed down. It's the right way to run the  race for God. What about an on going ministry? I.E. pastor  sunday school teacher, church musician, We should always be preparing someone to step up and fill our shoes if the ministry is to continue. As a pastor I am trying to prepare others who can take the lead in the church at any given time.We can never become complacent to whats going on in the moment. The moments are ticking away. Time marches on, God is at work and we have a great responsibility to be aware of this. Are we preparing the future Timothy or Titus of our ministry? Who will fill your place in God's plan of the Great Commission when you have finished the race. I think this may have been part of what Paul was talking about when he told Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:5,
"But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."  Let's make sure as we serve the Lord that we are watchful and enduring as we evangelize the world. We need to stay out of the trap of now and look ahead to, "what next?" We need to ensure that no matter what comes in the, "what next?" our ministry is fulfilled and complete

Existence or Life

Philippians 4:12-13
 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
 What or Who are you depending on today? So many times we go through life and we are just getting by, merely existing. Tired and weary or fat and happy, they all apply. We can have plenty and still be living in existence mode, breathing in and breathing out. We can have little and be in the same state of mind. Is this really life? Does the word, "numb" come to mind? God does not intend for us just to survive! He does not want us to be in existence mode. He wants us to live in Jesus mode. As the apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Paul lived! He lived in great conditions and he also lived in harsh conditions. He wrote these very words while he was in prison for preaching the gospel! And yet the book of Philippians is known as the book of JOY. Why?.......because Paul LIVED for Jesus. A life lived in this way is real life. Jesus Christ is the source of all of life, and therefore, the strength of all life. In Colossians 1:17 the Bible says, "He was before all things and in Him all things consist." In John 14:6 Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the LIFE." How can we possibly call it life without Jesus in the center of it? How could we ever expect to have fullness and be satisfied with life if the source of life is not our source of strength? All purpose and meaning are deep with in the One who created us and He has an eternal plan of which He has included us. This is not just existence! The greatest adventure of our life is waiting for us. God wants to show you! He wants to show you how He can fill you with strength, when you have no strength left. God wants to show you how He can fill you with His love when love seems to be in short supply. He wants to show you LIFE OVERFLOWING in a world where real life seems to be scarce. Jesus said in Luke 9:24' " For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it." What if we gave in? What if we were to pray and say to our God, "My life belongs to you.  I am Yours.  Please take my life and use it for Your glory." If this were to happen, how would you change? What would be different? There is a calling in every believer to serve the Lord with their life, (Ephesians 2:10).
If you were to pray and ask God to use your life, how would God use you? My friends, this is our ultimate goal and purpose. Life's fulfillment comes at life's surrender to Jesus, the author of life. Jesus told us in Matthew 6:33,"But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you." My prayer for us today is that we will seek GOD and find LIFE! "I can do all things through Christ Jesus who gives me strength." Praise God for His life and our opportunity for it. Seek Him today and find LIFE.

In His Hands

Psalms 29:10-11
 The LORD sat enthroned at the Flood, And the LORD sits as King forever.  The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace. 
  God is King and He will always be King. No one or no thing will ever change this fact. Circumstances can't change it, weather can't change it and government can't change it! He and He alone is in control. In Isaiah 48:13 God says, Indeed My hand has laid the foundation of the Earth, and My right hand has stretched out the heavens; When I call them They stand up together." With a word from God The stars are held in place, the sun and the moon give us light and the earth sits just exactly in the right place to sustain life. The majesty of our God is great! Everything, and I mean everything is governed by Him. In Isaiah 45:5 He says, "I am the Lord and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. Today we must come to a sobering perpetual fact. Humanity is not in control of anything! We may think so. We may have a high position in our community, our job or even in our government. We may even oversee, and be in charge of people. But the truth remains," God is overseeing us all." Nothing gets by Him! Our every action is either under His control or allowance! He is sovereign! The problem we have is relinquishing that control and allowance. I've heard people make the statement, "Put it in God's hands." This sounds great but it's really impossible. The truth is, everything is all ready in God's hands! Our part is to recognize that everything is in God's hands! The air we breath, the sunshine, the moonlight, the baby in the womb, the newly weds, the crime victim, the cancer patient, the burned out sunday school teacher, the atheist, the  pastor, the hurting marriage, The widow, the orphan, and everyone in between. In Matthew 10:29-30 Jesus said,"Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are numbered." God knows when the sparrow falls. Not even a little bird will die apart from His will! Nothing happens outside of the will of God. And it is in His sovereignty  that He is working out His eternal purposes. He sees eternity, He knows what is best. He is using situations and circumstances to draw us to Him and make us more like Him.(Romans 8:28-29) He is teaching us to know His sovereignty. Prayer is a prime example of this. Jeus told us in Matthew 7:7,"Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Our prayer moves the heart of God. He loves it when we pray to Him. He always has His ear bent toward us. I have personally seen God do incredible things for His children when they ask Him. Trust is another very good example of  how God is making us to be more like Him. Proverbs 3:5-6 says,"Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths." God may not change a situation when we pray! He may call upon us to trust Him through it, and acknowledge His sovereignty in it. It is in this trust that He directs our lives and works His purposes. Another way God shows us His sovereignty is through our obedience. God will never call us to do something, and then leave us on our own to accomplish it. Many times God will call us to do things that we feel are completely out of our ability. This can make us very uncomfortable. We need to remember that God did not call us to comfort but to obedience.Acts 5:29 says," But Peter and the other apostles answered and said:"We ought to obey God rather than men." Even when it makes no sense from humanities' point of  view, we should obey God. God in all of His sovereignty loves to make the impossible, possible. He loves to do things that only He can do, and He loves to use us to do them. Even though we maybe ill-equipped for the task. Our obedience will testify to  how God is truly in control of all things as He takes His ill-equipped servants and uses to accomplish His purposes. I will close with this statement,"God is in total control! Our thoughts on this, and our belief about this is truly irrelevant. We can either acknowledge this fact or we can go through life with the ridicules presumption that our own hand can save us.Psalms 103:19 "The LORD has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all."  

The Truth about Mercy

Proverbs 3:3-4
 Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, 
Write them on the tablet of your heart, And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man. 
  Mercy and Truth, two wonderful words! Two words that have potential to change the world. Well, maybe not the actual words but the One behind the words. "Our mighty Creator God." He tells us in His word to "bind Mercy and Truth around our neck and write them on the tablet of our hearts." This is first of all to know Mercy and Truth. God is Mercy and God is Truth! To know Him is to find yourself highly esteemed in His eyes. Our God is merciful to us. He will forgive us for our sins against Him if we ask Him. God will not keep a record of those sins. (Psalm 103:12) His mercy is everlasting, just like His love. God's mercy never ceases or fails. God never takes a break from being merciful. He does not change, God is always merciful to His children. Psalm 103:13-14 says,"As a Father pities His children so the Lord pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust." He has mercy on us because He knows we need Him. We are lost without Him, we are fragile and helpless. Destined for eternity separated from God. Torment and pain are in the eminent future of those outside of God's mercy Psalm 89:48 says," What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave?" Isn't it so good to know that God loves us so much that His mercy knows no limits." If I say,"My foot slips," Your mercy O Lord will hold me up."(Psalm 94:18) Our God is TRUTH! We are to bind Truth around our neck, write Truth on the tablet of our hearts. We live in a world filled with lies and lies are the opposite of Truth! The world says, Jesus was a just a good teacher. The Truth says, "Jesus was the son of God!" The  world says,"we have no need of God." The Truth says, "Isn't it obvious that we need God!" The world ask,"If God loves us so much how come there is so much evil?" The Truth answers,"I intervened in the evil. I took evil upon myself. I established My love for you in the midst of evil as I gave My life on the cross. "Every one who is of Truth hears My voice." Jesus spoke these words to pilate just before He was scourged and crucified for us. Mercy and Truth have entered our world and we can experience them first hand. Every thing changes when Mercy and Truth come into the picture! That's right, Factor in Mercy and Truth in any situation and the outcome will change. This change is an eternal change. Matthew and Zacchaeus were considered to be worthless tax collectors until Mercy and Truth showed up. They went from worthless tax collectors to esteemed followers of Jesus! Peter and John were just plane ole fishermen. Mercy and Truth walked up and said,"Come with Me and I will make you fishers of men." A few years later Peter preached his first sermon and saw three thousand people come to trust in Jesus in one day. Now that's a catch! The Lord took John on a trip to Heaven and he saw what Mercy and Truth has in store for us. John wrote five incredible books of the Bible. That's not too bad for a fisherman! Mercy and Truth saved a hopeless Samaritan woman and gave her hope. She went from "sinful adulterer" to "Child of the Most High God" in a matter of minutes! Mercy and Truth will never leave us. Hang on to them write them on the tablet of your heart. Bind them around your neck. Let's not forget what we have. Mercy and Truth have brought us into God's favor, changed us forever, and given us hope beyond hope of what great things God may accomplish through us.  

Honor

Proverbs 21:21
" He who follows righteousness and mercy 
Finds life, righteousness and honor."
 What ever happened to HONOR! The word HONOR means to have a high respect or to esteem. I don't like sounding negative, however in my observation of American society it seems that honor has somehow escaped our way of life! For example; I was in a department store yesterday and this young man walked past me with a "T" shirt on. There is nothing wrong with wearing a "T" shirt but the inscription on the "T" shirt presented a problem! I can't say what the shirt said because this is a "G" rated devotional. However, this offended me greatly! This was very dishonoring to God, himself and every one around him! My children were with me and I was afraid they might see it and read it! I also thought about all the people that would see him and be affected by the obscenity on his shirt. For a moment I was angry. My first thought was to go up to him and rip that shirt right off of him! Hey I'm not perfect, just a sinner saved by grace. Woe, wait a minute! Does this resinate with us? A sinner saved by grace! God loved me in my sin He gave His life for me. He gave His life for that young man in the "T" shirt! THis is the thing that God reminded me of in "mid thought!" While I contemplated literally committing the sin of disrespecting someone that God created. He reminded me that He loves that young man in the "T" shirt. We will never restore honor by committing acts of dishonor! We will only restore honor by introducing people to and living for the most honorable,"JESUS CHRIST" Proverbs 21:21 tells us if we follow righteousness and mercy we will find life, righteousness and honor. The reason our nation is losing its sense of honor is because we are rejecting and loosing our relationship to God.... We are rejecting and loosing His righteousness and His mercy. Honor follows these things. So what is the answer to restoring honor? Can this be fixed? Yes it can but we have to apply honor where honor is needed.
I have several thoughts on this. First, those who follow righteousness and mercy must be more bold. We need to let our passion and love drive us. We are representatives for Christ. We need to be bold enough to stand up for honor. Not in a violent way but in a loving way. I wonder how that young man in the store would have received it if I had told him how much Jesus loves him. In Romans 10 we read that they will not hear without a preacher! We need to be bold preachers of honor. Second believers need to live honorably! Our world needs desperately to see honor in the church. In 1Peter we are told to put away hypocrisy. To be real. We are to leave behind the dishonorable and to pursue the honorable. Why would we as a church expect people to believe God is honorable if we are not honorable. Third we need to honor others. We need to recognize every one around us as created by God. We need to know in our hearts that God's incredible love extends an eternity beyond our human circles of limitation. He loves and honors everyone! His love for us far exceeds the greatest earthly love we can ever imagine.(Isaiah 49:14-16) If God  thinks so highly of those He has created don't you think we should love and honor them also. We do not deserve to be held in honor. It is God who chooses to love and honor us. This honor is not earned. This honor is given! It's not about deserving honor, It's about giving and receiving honor. This is the way we should see those around us. I believe honor and respect are contagious. God honors us and this honor encourages us to begin to live up to the standard that we have been called to. In return our lives bring honor to God. So isn't it likely If we honor others, deserving or not, that they may gain some self respect. As they are honored they begin to practice honor. As they practice honor others are honored, gain self respect and respect for others. What a goal, what a dream! To restore honor. Can it happen? All I can say is this, it has to begin with someone. How about me and you.  

Oh, "HOW" I Love Jesus

1 Peter 2:7
"Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,"
 Is Jesus precious to those who believe? Is He held in high regard? Do we hang on His every word and live just to live for Him? We are told in 1 John 4:19 "We love Him because He first loved us." Our love for Jesus is a love in return. A love that is deposited at the moment of salvation! Who ever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives and remains  in that person. As a result that person will live and remain in God. When the great love God has for us enters our heart we become a channel for His great love. A sort of fountain that is overflowing. The direct and immediate affect of God saving a soul is a love relationship with the one who saved! We can not be touched by the grace and mercy of Jesus, and not be in love with HIM. If we love Him then our actions will flesh out our love for Him! The words "I love Jesus" can come pretty easy! I have heard them said many times. But I must be honest, I have not seen them lived in the same frequency. "I Love Jesus," is an action phrase. It demands that we live out that love as He did for us. In the opening verse we see that to those "who believe, He is Precious." He is adored ! How can you adore Jesus and not have a working love relationship with Him? It's like saying, "I love fishing", and yet never actually fish, or "I love cooking", and never stepping foot in a kitchen! If we say and we neglect to do, then it's only lip service. If you are reading this and your are feeling uneasy or your heart is convicted please don't shut me off. This is a good thing! The next part of our opening verse states," To the disobedient He is rejected. You may be asking, "How can this be good? Are you crazy? There is no way this can be good! My answer to you is this, It's good because you realize it. You know your not right with Jesus and He wants you to make it right! He loves you so much and He is literally inviting you to join Him in the greatest love relationship of your life. I'm not saying you have to live a perfect life for Jesus. I'm saying that if you claim Him as Savior and you are not absolutely in love with Him, Something is amiss! If you are not striving to live for Him every day of your life, something is wrong! If reading this is causing an argument within your very soul, then my friend you have stumbled upon a great opportunity.  You are tripping over a great stumbling stone that has been placed with loving care right in front of your feet. If you have fallen, then stay there. You are right where you need to be. You are on your face before a loving merciful God. Call out to Him that He may save you! Call out to Him that He may fill you with His great love! Call out to Him because He loved you first.   

What's love got to do with it?

1 Peter 4:8
 "And above all things have fervent love for one another, for"love will cover a multitude of sins."
 There are many times in my role as a leader and pastor of God's church that I lay awake at night and wonder about the application of this verse. It is in these times of solitude when Jesus and I have long talks about the words "love one another!" If we could just realize the simplicity of  applying love and yet the magnitude of the results. However, to love one another is to lay some things aside. It is hard to love someone else when self is demanding all of your attention. Love and selfishness clash! They are in opposition to one another! There inability to get along cries out now louder than ever before!  We live in the society of self service. We are the microwave generation of instant gratification. The I want it yesterday but now will have to do generation! Cost is not the issue as long as I serve me. Wow, the truth hurts but the accrued credit card debts, the high vehicle payments and the unpaid mortgages speak for us! How will we ever escape this whirlwind we have been caught up in? Could it be to have a FERVENT LOVE for others and not self? In 1Peter 4:8 the words "fervent love" mean with earnest intent, without ceasing, to stretch! Earnest intent means to love with a purpose. What is our greatest purpose for life? Is it to love self or to love others? Why should we show love to others? Jesus said that this how Christians are known,"that we have love for one another."(John 13:35) Our purpose for love is to point people to Jesus so that they may come to know Him. The greatest most precious gift a person could ever receive is the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ! Our love for one another introduces that gift. This is an earnest purpose, it's our focus. We are to make a conscience effort to love people to Jesus. Fervent love is also love without ceasing. As disciples of Christ we do not have the luxury of turning our love on and off when it is convenient for us. We have to learn to listen to God. Pay attention when He is speaking to us and be sensitive to the people He is ushering into our lives. I was literally in the middle of writing this devotional when a woman came into my office needing money for a bus ticket. As I talked with her I realized that God did not bring her to me for a bus ticket. He introduced her to me so I could introduce her to Him! She talked herself right out of needing a bus ticket as God revealed His truth to her through His word. She trusted Jesus to save her today. She came here needing Jesus and God allowed me to be a part of that! What if I would have been selfish and allowed my love for God's people to cease at that moment? What if I had told her to come back later because I was busy working on church stuff? She may still be lost without Him! I can testify to you today that I have a new sister in Christ because for once in my life I was paying attention to God's Holy Spirit urging me to love without ceasing. Having a fervent love also means to stretch yourself. To go above and beyond the norm or the expected. To lay aside selfish desires and put our love for God and His people first. This may mean doing something as simple as introducing yourself to someone and sharing Jesus with them. It could be as big as selling your possessions, home, cars, etc. and becoming a missionary. The truth is this. Fervent love is to love so much it hurts. To love so much that you are willing to hurt, to cry, to give and to expect nothing in return! To love fervently is to love so much that no one or no thing can keep you from sharing Jesus with everyone you meet! It is love like this that covers a multitude of sin. To love like this is to love like Jesus. This love overlooks the many faults and sin that is possessed by all of humanity. This love sees people redeemed, delivered and walking with Jesus! Fervent love will not result in earthly riches and the accomplishment of selfish goals. It is only for those who would risk it all to love like Jesus loves. After all, wasn't it Jesus who said, "No greater love has anyone than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."(John 15:13)