Monthly Archives: March 2015

March 17, 2015 · 7:19 AM

Free From Condemnation



If you’ve ever watched “Duck Dynasty”, you know who Uncle Si is. If you don’t, he’s the crazy uncle we all have, but would never put on TV! Uncle Si was asked by someone once what his favorite Bible verse was. He told them John 3:17. He then said, “Most people can tell you what 16 says, OK. ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son.’ But they don’t know nothin’ about 17. It says Jesus didn’t come to condemn us. If anybody had a right to condemn someone, it would be the son of God. If he didn’t do it, then hey, we definitely are not qualified to do it. (1)”

As crazy as he can be on that show, there’s a lot of wisdom in what he said there. As Christians, we have to be careful because it’s easy to forget where we’ve come from. When that happens, we think of ourselves as more righteous than others and begin to look down on the lost or unsaved. The problem with that is that the One who is the very embodiment of righteousness did not come to the world to condemn it, but to seek and to save those who are lost. If He didn’t come to condemn the world, what makes us think it’s our job? We should have the same mission as Christ: to help the list find salvation instead of condemnation.

Another thing for believers to be careful about is condemning each other. People who consider themselves more righteous (religious) than others have a tendency to bring condemnation on others who do not believe the way they do. The problem with that is that Paul wrote in Romans 8:1, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. (NLT)” If someone has accepted Christ as their savior, then we have no right to bring condemnation on them because their sins have been forgiven.

If you’ve been living under condemnation either self imposed or given by someone else, let me encourage you to read Romans 7 and 8. In chapter 7, Paul was very frank about his shortcomings as a believer. We all fall short. We all still sin. We all struggle to do what the Bible tells us even after we become believers. After Paul admits that he’s one of us, he flips in chapter 8 to remind us that there is no condemnation for being human. He reminds us that God does what we cannot do and that is salvation. It’s His work, not ours.

If you’ve been the type who condemns others, think back to the words Jesus spoke to the adulterous woman in John 8:10-11. “Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, ‘Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?’ ‘No, Lord,’ she said. And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I.'” (NLT) If you’re a Christian and you’ve been living under condemnation, then set yourself free based on Romans 8:1. If you are not a Christian and want to live free of condemnation, go back to John 3:16-17. God sent His Son to die for your sins. He took your condemnation for you so that you could be free and go to Heaven. He didn’t come to bring condemnation. He came to set you free from it.

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

March 16, 2015 · 4:29 AM

Playing Chase With God (Video)

Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?
to be out of your sight?
If I climb to the sky, you’re there!
If I go underground, you’re there!
If I flew on morning’s wings
to the far western horizon,
You’d find me in a minute—
you’re already there waiting!

Psalm 139:7-10

If you are having trouble viewing the video, click here.

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,

March 13, 2015 · 5:30 AM

10 Scriptures On Preparing



1.   Do your best, prepare for the worst— then trust GOD to bring victory. (Proverbs 21:31 MSG)

2.   In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places (homes). If it were not so, I would have told you; for I am going away to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2 AMP)

3.   All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT)

4.   It was he who “gave gifts to people”; he appointed some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, others to be pastors and teachers. He did this to prepare all God’s people for the work of Christian service, in order to build up the body of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-12 GNT)

5.   I’ve told you these things to prepare you for rough times ahead. They are going to throw you out of the meeting places. There will even come a time when anyone who kills you will think he’s doing God a favor. They will do these things because they never really understood the Father. I’ve told you these things so that when the time comes and they start in on you, you’ll be well-warned and ready for them. “I didn’t tell you this earlier because I was with you every day. But now I am on my way to the One who sent me. Not one of you has asked, ‘Where are you going?’ Instead, the longer I’ve talked, the sadder you’ve become. So let me say it again, this truth: It’s better for you that I leave. If I don’t leave, the Friend won’t come. But if I go, I’ll send him to you. (John 16:1-4 MSG)

6.   If only you would prepare your heart and lift up your hands to him in prayer! Get rid of your sins, and leave all iniquity behind you. Then your face will brighten with innocence. You will be strong and free of fear. (Job 11:13-15 NLT)

7.   In the morning You hear my voice, O Lord; in the morning I prepare [a prayer, a sacrifice] for You and watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart]. (Psalm 5:3 AMP)

8.   Thunder in the desert! “Prepare for GOD ’s arrival! Make the road straight and smooth, a highway fit for our God. Fill in the valleys, level off the hills, Smooth out the ruts, clear out the rocks. Then GOD ’s bright glory will shine and everyone will see it. Yes. Just as GOD has said.” (Isaiah 40:3-5 MSG)

9.   Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. (Ephesians 6:13-15 NLT)

10.   Resolve and settle it in your minds not to meditate and prepare beforehand how you are to make your defense and how you will answer. For I [Myself] will give you a mouth and such utterance and wisdom that all of your foes combined will be unable to stand against or refute. (Luke 21:14-15 AMP)

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

March 12, 2015 · 7:35 AM

Debt Free

A while back, I used to have the opportunity to listen to the radio during the day. On a few occasions I tuned into the Dave Ramsey show. If you’re unfamiliar with him, he helps people get out of debt using Biblical principles. Every so often he would have people call in who had gotten rid of their debt. They would say how much they paid off, how long it took them and then scream, “I’m debt free!” You could hear the excitement in each of their voices as they declared their freedom from the slavery of debt. 

It reminds me of how we should live as Christians: free from the debt of sin. When you accept Jesus as your savior, you automatically become debt free. You become set free from the chains that held you down. Romans 6:22 says, “But now you have been set free from sin… Your gain is a life fully dedicated to Him, and the result is eternal life.”  If you’ve been set free, quit living like you are still enslaved to your old life. God has set you free, so you should set yourself free too.

Imagine if a person was in prison and then were found innocent of the charges. The warden comes, walks them to the gates of the prison, opens the doors and says, “You’re free to go.” What would you think of that person said, “Thanks, but I’ve done wrong things in my life and I’m going to stay here”? We would think there’s something wrong with them. They have their freedom yet they choose to stay bound up. Yet, so many of us do the same thing. Jesus set us free, declared us innocent of our past and we stay in a self imposed prison of guilt.

If you’ve been forgiven by God, walk in your freedom. Don’t stay in that cell. Bust through those gates and declare to the world, “I’m debt free!” We should each have that excitement in our voices when we talk of what God has done for us. There isn’t a person alive who hasn’t been bound in a prison of sin. Many choose not to accept Jesus paying the price for them and they stay there. But for those who have been set free by His blood, it’s time we started living like it.

Ephesians 1:7-8 says, “For by the blood of Christ we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven. How great is the grace of God, which He gave us in large measure.” If God has given you grace, then give yourself some too. Accept the freedom He gives you and don’t hold yourself down. You are debt free, it’s time to live like it.  Let go of the thoughts that hold you captive to your past. Let go of the guilt that keeps you from being happy. Trust the freedom God has given you and live debt free.

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

March 11, 2015 · 7:21 AM

Know God, No Worry

I find myself thinking about the future a lot. I can easily get lost going down the rabbit hole of what could happen. Sometimes I get there from trying to figure out my future and all God has planned for me. Sometimes I get there by trying to figure out how everything in the news lines up with the Bible so I can figure out where we are in the end times. Then there are times when I’m pressed with life choices and decisions and I worry so much about making the right decision. I find that those thoughts take up a lot of time and energy.

When that happens, I remind myself of a few things. The first thing comes from holocaust survivor Corrie Ten Boom. She said, “Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength – carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” Profound words like that help put me back into place. They remind me that God has given me the strength to handle today’s problems. They also remind me that when I start to worry over things that haven’t happened, I’m not really trusting God with my future.

That thought leads me to something else she said, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” If we know God, we don’t have to know the future because He already does. The more we worry about what may or may not come, the less faith we have in the One who, we have given our lives to. Essentially we are telling God either that we know better than He does or that we don’t trust Him to take care of us. Either way, we are wrong. God is not going to be surprised by what happens tomorrow because it’s already history to Him. He has been preparing you each step of the way to give you the strength you need to face whatever comes your way.

That then reminds me of what Jesus said in Matthew 6:34, “So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings.(GNT)” When we worry, we are directly disobeying Jesus. In the verses before, He reiterates how much each of us are worth to God. He tells us that the Father knows everything we need and that we should trust Him. Worry isn’t what moves God, faith is! Quit trusting in your own wisdom or thought process and trust in the One who knows your future and provides for your every need. When you do, you’ll find the peace your mind needs and the strength your body craves.

5 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

March 10, 2015 · 7:18 AM

Renovating Your Life



Ever since we moved into our house, my wife wanted to renovate the living room. She hated it because it was dark and out dated. I fought her on the renovations because I liked the room and also because I knew what renovations would entail. I knew that once we started, it wouldn’t end with a simple paint job and floor change. Once we began, it would set off a chain of change for the foreseeable future and I wasn’t ready to do that. With the help of friends, she finally convinced me to let go of my fear and embrace the renovation. I saw in the process how God wants to renovate our lives.

God desires for each of us to undergo the process of renovation in our lives. He wants to take out old ways of thinking and replace them with the mind of Christ. He wants to remove the hard parts of our hearts and put in a heart of flesh. He wants to give us fresh insight into His Word, but we have to be willing to submit to the renovations. We have to quit fighting God on the changes He wants to make and allow Him to do His work. Psalm 51 is all about renovating David’s life. In verse 10, he surrendered and prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.” The first step of renovating your life is submission to God’s will and design.

The next part is counting the cost. In my living room, I allowed the cost to keep us from renovating. It was more than I was willing to pay because the outcome was unsure. Once I let go of the purse strings, the work began. The same is true in our personal renovation. We have to understand that there is a price to pay in renovating and we have to let go of the fear that keeps us from releasing God to do in our lives what He wants to do. It may cost us time, relationships, location or money, but in the end, we will receive more than we lost. Renovations in our lives increase our ability and usability. 

The last thing I learned is that you have to be patient in the process. It wasn’t long into ours that my wife said, “We’ve made a mistake. We shouldn’t do any more. What if we keep going and lose a lot more money?” She was right. In the middle of the process, we lost sight of the vision. We questioned the renovation and almost gave up. We decided to see it through and love the outcome. In the Message, Philippians 1:6 says, “there is no doubt in my mind that God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish.” It might get messy and you might lose sight of what God is doing in your life, but be patient. God will complete the work in you and it will be more amazing than you can imagine and worth the cost.

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

March 9, 2015 · 5:30 AM

Loving Others (Video)

7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

I John 4:7-12

If you have trouble viewing this video, click here.

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,

March 6, 2015 · 5:30 AM

10 Scriptures On Practice



1.   You must faithfully keep all my commands by putting them into practice, for I am the LORD. (Leviticus 22:31 NLT)

2.   LET LOVE for your fellow believers continue and be a fixed practice with you [never let it fail]. (Hebrews 13:1 AMP)

3.   Practice God’s law—get a reputation for wisdom; hang out with a loose crowd—embarrass your family. (Proverbs 28:7 MSG)

4.   Do not deceive yourselves by just listening to his word; instead, put it into practice. (James 1:22 GNT)

5.   Little children, let us not love [merely] in theory or in speech but in deed and in truth (in practice and in sincerity). (1 John 3:18 AMP)

6.   Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. (Romans 12:9-10 MSG)

7.   Put into practice what you learned and received from me, both from my words and from my actions. And the God who gives us peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:9 GNT)

8.   When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. (Romans 12:13 NLT)

9.   Till I come, devote yourself to [public and private] reading, to exhortation (preaching and personal appeals), and to teaching and instilling doctrine…Practice and cultivate and meditate upon these duties; throw yourself wholly into them [as your ministry], so that your progress may be evident to everybody. (1 Timothy 4:13, 15 AMP)

10.   Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. (Philippians 4:8-9 MSG)

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,

March 5, 2015 · 7:21 AM

Encouragement For The Discouraged

Getting discouraged is something we all face in life over and over again. It can come from not getting the job we wanted, being rejected by someone, unanswered prayers or unmet expectations. It’s a mind game really. Our thoughts after a disappointment determine how we feel and how we feel determines how we behave. The more we behave in a disappointed manor, the more our thoughts takes us down the hole towards depression. Those thoughts lead to worse feelings which translate into worse behavior. It’s a downward spiral that’s hard to get out of. I’ve been caught in it before and here’s how I found my way out.

The first thing is to recognize the negative thoughts when they come in and to stop them. II Corinthians 10:5 tell us to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. The Message says, “Fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the life shaped by Christ.” We can’t let destructive thinking roam free in our minds. We have to capture those thoughts, emotions and impulses that affect how we feel and bring them into captivity. To overcome discouragement, we have to quit dwelling on those thoughts and replace them with the promises of God.

The next thing we need to do is refocus our attention on God. David felt very discouraged after having been anointed king of Israel because instead of taking the throne, he was hiding in caves being pursued by the man he was replacing. He spent a lot of lonely nights wondering where God was and why He wasn’t fulfilling His promise. David called out to his inner man and challenged himself. In Psalm 43:5 he said, “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him again!” You choose where to put your hope. If it’s in yourself or someone else, you’ll be disappointed. If it’s in God, you will not be.

Finally, surround yourself with people who will lift your spirits and stay away from those who will take you further down the hole. In II Corinthians 7, Paul was being persecuted and was feeling discouraged. He was going down the depression hole when God sent him Titus. In verse 7 he wrote, “But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus.” To me, nothing helps pull me out of the darkness of discouragement that fellow believers bearing light. We are meant to help each other by bearing each other’s burdens. If you can’t find someone in your circle who can bring that light, pray that the God who encourages the discouraged would send someone your way to encourage you.

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

March 4, 2015 · 6:50 AM

Run Your Race



I enjoy watching sports of all kinds. I love watching them because of the struggle, the competition, the will to be the best and to see the sacrifices people make to push themselves to the limits. One of the sports I love to watch is running. Part of it is because I used to be a runner and the other part is that it is as much mental ability as it is physical ability. There are also many correlations between running and our spiritual life. Paul knew this and drew several of those in his letters to the early church. He knew that our Christian lives demand the same type of discipline.

One of the first things you learn in running is form. Yes, there is a proper way to run and an improper way. You can reduce wind resistance and drag by how you shape your body and move your arms. When you don’t have proper form, you create resistance that slows you down and wears you out. It’s the same when it comes to running our faith race. There is a proper way to do it and a way that slows you down. The New Testament spends a lot of time describing how we should live as believers. The writers knew that it wasn’t the great sins that defeat us, it’s the little ones over time. That’s why Hebrews 12:1 says, “Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. (NLT)” 

Another thing you learn in racing is to keep your head and eyes forward. So many races are lost because the runners are looking side to side to see where everyone else is. That’s a major no no for runners. It slows you down, distracts you from your goal and creates resistance. You have to keep your focus on your breathing and your eyes on the finish line. Solomon wrote in Proverbs 4:25, “Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. (NLT)” We need to lose the distractions in our lives that keep our eyes off of Heaven. Keep your focus on the One who is faithful and true so you can finish your course.

The last thing I’d like to mention is that you have to run your own race. God has a specific course for you. Your race isn’t the same as everyone else’s. Keep your focus on what and how God called you to live not on how He’s called others to live. Don’t compare yourself, your race or how you run to others. You have a different race, but the same goal. Paul knew Timothy was facing this distraction so he wrote to him in I Timothy 6:12, “Run your best in the race of faith, and win eternal life for yourself; for it was to this life that God called you… (GNT)” You run your best race by focusing on what God called you to, not what He called someone else to. So get rid of the weights that hold you down, fix your eyes on the prize and run your race.

4 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , ,