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December 10, 2020 · 5:30 AM

Christmas Cards

Just the other day my son was asking why no one mails him anything. Each day he sees us open the mail. Most of the time what we are opening is bills, but this time of year, there are lots of Christmas cards. Each year there seem to be fewer and fewer cards, and each year the cards are saying less. When I was younger, each card had a hand written note. As I grew up, people started putting family newsletters inside. Now, it’s just the name of the family.

Yes, I’m lamenting about the current status of Christmas cards. Since the invention of email, personal letters in Christmas cards, and otherwise, have almost become extinct. Very few people write personal letters anymore. There’s something encouraging about a personal letter that you don’t get from an email or a signed card. Personal letters often bring joy to the recipient. I imagine that’s where the tradition of sending Christmas cards came from.

Much of the New Testament is really just personal letters sent by the apostles to encourage others. In Acts 15, the apostles sent a joint letter answering questions about how believers should behave. Verse 31 tells us, “When the people read it, they were filled with joy by the message of encouragement” (GNT). That’s what letters do. They fill people with joy and encouragement. No wonder my son wishes for mail.

2 Corinthians 3:2 says, “You yourselves are the letter we have, written on our hearts for everyone to know and read.” Each of our lives should be a personal letter to the world written by God. It should encourage others and bring them joy. Jesus was God’s love letter to us. His birth announced that God heard our cry to be joined with Him. Now, His Spirit lives in us and we are His love letter to the world. Make your letter personal and let it bring joy to all who read it.

Photo by Micheile Henderson on Unsplash

Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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December 9, 2020 · 5:49 AM

Christian Teamwork

Have you heard these phrases? Teamwork makes the dream work? There’s no “I” in team. Team – Together Each Achieves More. If you ever played sports or worked in a corporate environment, you’ve probably heard these and more. They’re trite sayings to remind you that just about everything you do is for a team of people around you. Each one of us are individual contributors to the whole. Some teams have a lot of dysfunction. Some have superstars who do the bulk of the work. Others function very well together like a well oiled machine. Groups of people working towards the same goal with the same vision and core values can accomplish exponentially more than any individual ever could. Yet, somehow, we think the ministry of the Church should be done by a few while the rest of us sit back and watch.

Have you heard these phrases around church? That’s the pastor’s job. I’m not comfortable witnessing. I’m not a minister. I don’t work here. If you’ve ever asked people to do things around a church, you’ve probably heard these. Somewhere along the way, we lost sight that we are one body working together to achieve the Great Commission. We let pastors do the work of the ministry and the church by themselves “because it’s their job.” Nothing could be farther from the truth. Yes, pastors work for the church, and many even have staff who work there too, but they are not the only ones who are supposed to be doing the work of the Church. If you belong to the Body of Christ and are involved with a local church body, you are part of a team and have responsibilities in the work of the ministry.

Ephesians 4 is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. It’s so rich and full of things that jump off the page to me. If you’ve been in church long, you’ve heard of the five fold ministries listed in verse 11. God gave us apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, and that’s where we usually stop reading. However, verse 12 tell us why He gave them to us. It says, “And their calling is to nurture and prepare all the holy believers to do their own works of ministry, and as they do this they will enlarge and build up the body of Christ” (TPT). Their calling is to equip you, yes you, to do the works of ministry. You are a minister if you are a Christian. Read that again. We are all part of the ministry team and we each have a role to play in the enlargement of the Church. Sitting on a pew doing nothing and just attending church are not an option because you are part of the teamwork that makes the church work.

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December 8, 2020 · 5:53 AM

Being Truly Satisfied

One of the shows I love to watch on TV is “Alone”. It’s a true survival show unlike many other ones out there. They take 10 survival specialists, drop them off in late September somewhere where it’s going to have extensive time below zero and leave them with only ten items to survive on. They have to build a shelter, gather firewood, find food and fight the mental battle of loneliness knowing all they have to do is push a button and they can go home to warmth and family. Many contestants go weeks eating nothing or very little. When they do get food, it’s incredible to see how appreciative they are. It’s also heartbreaking at times watching them break down missing their loved ones. You’re rewarded at the end by having their spouse show up to tell them they’ve won and getting to see their joy.

I like to tell people that you can only experience as much joy as you have sorrow. You can only experience as much satisfaction as hunger you have known. Also you can only know as much healing as your brokenness. The greater your valley, the more wonderful your mountain top experience will be. Many of us spend a lot of time, effort, energy and prayers to get out of the valley, but I believe God uses them to show us greater depths of His grace and to bring us closer to Him on the mountain tops. When you’re so broken that you can only rely on Him to rescue you, you find complete dependence on Him. When you’re so hungry to hear from Him, you learn to block everything else out and listen. When He answers, it’s that much sweeter and your faith grows.

In Luke 6, Jesus was surrounded by people desperate for a word from God, for healing and for the Messiah. He began to speak to them about what really matters. In verse 21 He said, “How filled you become when you are consumed with hunger and desire, for you will be completely satisfied. How content you become when you weep with complete brokenness, for you will laugh with unrestrained joy” (TPT). Jesus reiterated our need to hunger after Him and His Word. He expressed the importance of our dependence on Him. Those words are in stark contrast with how we live today. We snack all day long so we won’t feel any hunger pains. We’ve been rewarded for being self reliant since we could first put food in our own mouth as a baby. To draw close to Christ and to really know Him requires that we unlearn those things, embrace our hunger for Him and our brokenness. He is our only satisfaction and our only true healing. When we get to the places of desperation, we need not despair. We need to trust in Him and we will learn the true meaning of joy and satisfaction.

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December 7, 2020 · 5:51 AM

Your Greater Purpose

In the early 2000’s, all the life groups in our church did the same curriculum for one semester. There was a brand new book out that everyone was talking about and reading, so our pastor decided to have the whole church go through it together. It was based on the book “The Purpose Driven Life”. Since it’s release in 2002, it has sold more than 50 million copies. Whether you like the author or not, that many copies sold of any book tells you that it struck a nerve with people worldwide. People want to know that their life has purpose and meaning and this book helped them find it. Many people in the Church have listed this book as the most influential in their life outside of the Bible.

One of the things I’ve learned is that God uses the pain of our past and the struggles that we’ve faced in life to prepare us for our purpose. There are many times I’ve prayed, “God, why do I have to go through this?” Years later, I will come a Ross someone who is struggling as they go through something very similar. I’m able to connect with their pain and help them through it. God doesn’t waste your pain. It has purpose in your mission. In fact, as you continue to go through difficulties, it means there’s still greater purpose for your future. The deeper the pain you go through, the greater grace you receive and are able to impart that grace to others.

In John 15, Jesus was talking to His disciples just before His crucifixion. What He told them applies to you and me. In verse 16 He said, “You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed and placed and purposefully planted you, so that you would go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit will remain and be lasting” (AMP). God has chosen you and put you right where you are for a reason. It’s not by accident that you’re reading this today and that you are going through whatever circumstances you’re facing right now. It’s part of God’s purpose for you. One of my daily prayers is, “God, help me to have the strength to endure today. Give me your all sufficient grace and help me to give your grace. Open my eyes to see those whom you’ve placed in my path that need to know and feel your love. Give me the courage to step out in faith where you lead as I fulfill your purpose for my life.” Your life has been purposefully created by God for such a time as this. Go make a difference today.

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December 4, 2020 · 5:46 AM

The Blessings Of Trust

I’ve learned that there are some people who give trust up front to everyone they meet and there are people who make everyone earn trust before they give it. Trust is something that can easily be lost and difficult to gain. Think of someone you don’t trust. What would they have to do to earn it from you? You probably just thought of a nearly impossible bar. When you do trust someone, like a doctor or other professional, you take their opinion seriously and follow it. They have a proven track record of being right and that’s why you trust them. That kind of trust is defined by Merriam Webster as, “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something.” I love that definition of trust, especially when we apply it to God.

Peter trusted Jesus enough to get out of the boat to walk on the water. Some other people trusted Him enough to tear open a roof and to lower their friend down for healing. Moses trusted God enough to go back to Egypt and set the Israelites free. How much do you trust Him? To answer that, look at how much and what parts of your life you’ve given to Him. There are parts we all hold back from Him implying we trust ourselves more than Him in those areas. We can rely on the character, ability, strength and truth of who God is. He’s proven it since the beginning of time, yet we each hold back. It’s time we let go and trust Him with each of the areas of our lives. The more we trust Him, the greater our life becomes.

Here are some Bible verses on trusting God.

1. He who leans on and trusts in and is confident in his riches will fall, But the righteous [who trust in God’s provision] will flourish like a green leaf.

Proverbs 11:28 AMP

2. You, Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you.

Isaiah 26:3 GNT

3. But blessed is the man who trusts me, GOD, the woman who sticks with GOD. They’re like trees replanted in Eden, putting down roots near the rivers— Never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf, Serene and calm through droughts, bearing fresh fruit every season.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 MSG

4. Give God the right to direct your life, and as you trust him along the way you’ll find he pulled it off perfectly!

Psalms 37:5 TPT

5. Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT

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December 2, 2020 · 5:56 AM

Applied Christianity

It’s starting to be that time of year with all the commercials for gyms and exercise equipment. Whether it’s the Bowflex, Mirror, Tonal or something else, they’re great at speaking to something deep within us that wants to improve. They show images of people who are very fit and strong using the equipment. They promise that we can look like that too if only we will commit to a few minutes a day. We identify with the end result of how the person on the screen looks, so we purchase them. We start out with great intentions of using it, but by a month or two in, it becomes a very expensive clothes hanger. We loved the end result, but struggle with the daily application.

One of the scariest Bible verses to me is Matthew 7:22-23. Jesus said, “On the day of judgment many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, don’t you remember us? Didn’t we prophesy in your name? Didn’t we cast out demons and do many miracles for the sake of your name?’ But I will have to say to them, ‘Go away from me, you lawless rebels! I’ve never been joined to you!’” (TPT) My immediate thought when I read that is, “Lord, I don’t want that to be me.” He describes someone who acts like a Christian and does things for Jesus, but in the end, they missed something. He then goes on to tell the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders to illustrate this point, and it all comes down to application.

Jesus said in verse 24, “Everyone who hears my teaching and applies it to his life can be compared to a wise man who built his house on an unshakable foundation.” just like the exercise equipment there’s a big difference between the person who identifying with the end result and the person who applies the exercise daily to their life. Those who identify with Christianity (the morals, good living, etc.) but never apply the Word of God to how they live are like the foolish builder and are the ones whom Jesus will tell that He never knew. The ones who don’t just have a form of Christianity, but have the relationship with Christ through prayer and spiritual disciplines will be like the wise builder with an unshakable foundation whom Jesus knows and recognizes. Each of us have the daily chose of identification or application. Choose wisely.

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December 1, 2020 · 5:57 AM

Loving Like Jesus

In Matthew 22, the Sadducees had tried to trap Jesus with a question and failed. The Pharisees then decided to give it a try. They asked Him which one out of all the commandments was the greatest. In verses 37-40, Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments” (NLT). They agreed with Him on that answer. If you love others the way you love yourself, you won’t break any of the other ones.

During the Last Supper, Jesus got up from the table, put on an apron and washed the disciples’ feet. Of course Peter objected and was then corrected. Afterwards, in John 13:34 Jesus said, “So I give you now a new commandment: Love each other just as much as I have loved you” (TPT). I find it interesting that He gave a new commandment that was slightly different than the first one. Instead of loving others the way we love ourselves, we should love others the way He loves us. Jesus was saying His love for us was greater than our own love for ourselves. He was also pointing out how He demonstrated that love. In all three commandments mentioned here, the love produces behaviors in the individual.

Think of His behavior that night. Knowing that Judas was about to betray Him, Peter was about to deny Him and the others were going to run away in His darkest hour, His love for them still reached for a towel. More than that, His love gave Him the strength to endure a night of torture and ultimately dying for each of their sins. Even after the resurrection, He went to all of them with the purpose of restoring the relationship. Loving others the way Jesus loved us is definitely more than we love ourselves. It’s a love that fulfills your end of the relationship, pushes through in even the hardest time and reaches out to restore others. It’s when we demonstrate this kind of love, the one greater than self love, that others will know that we are truly His disciples.

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November 30, 2020 · 6:04 AM

Sharing Our Faith

When I was a teenager in the late 80’s, our youth pastor showed us a movie called “Without Reservation”. It started with some high schoolers at a party, but then several of them left together. The ones who left had an accident and were killed. They woke up in the car with a large TV screen in front of them that revealed they had died, and then it began showing video of a line of people. Some were asked to go to the left if they didn’t have a reservation, and the ones who did were sent to the right. One kid in the car was a Christian and began explaining what was happening. One kid was in disbelief, another agreed with him because she had heard about it, but never accepted Jesus. A third looked at the Christian and asked, “If you knew about this, why didn’t you ever tell me?”

That movie made an impact on me as a teen, especially that question. Evangelism and sharing our faith is one of the hardest things to do for most Christians. We are afraid of rejection, afraid we don’t know what to say or afraid of what they’ll think of us. Sharing our faith isn’t easy, but in most cases, it isn’t going to cost you your life. We’ve grown comfortable with letting our fear dictate our actions as we prevent people from having the opportunity to accept Jesus. In essence, we’re keeping people out of Heaven by not asking them to make a decision. Can you imagine a friend or family member looking at you after you’ve passed away asking you why you never gave them the opportunity? “I was afraid of what you would think of me,” isn’t a great answer at that point.

Mark 10:13 says, “The parents kept bringing their little children to Jesus so that he would lay his hands on them and bless them. But the disciples kept rebuking and scolding the people for doing it” (TPT). The disciples were guilty of preventing people from coming to Jesus too. When Jesus saw that they were keeping these parents and children away from Him, He rebuked them. Each of us are keeping people from Jesus like the disciples did that day when we keep our faith private and don’t share it. We can’t afford to do that. I pray we all will receive boldness to push past our fear and be willing to share our faith to those around us. Paul’s prayer in Philemon 1:6 says, “I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective and powerful because of your accurate knowledge of every good thing which is ours in Christ” (AMP). Let’s be effective and powerful in the sharing of our faith rather than quietly keeping it to ourselves.

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November 26, 2020 · 5:30 AM

The Little Things

A while back, there was a concert my wife and I wanted to go to. On the day the tickets went on sale, I had two phones, an iPad and a laptop out trying to get tickets. After sitting in their digital waiting room for an hour, a message popped up saying they were sold out. As we got closer to the concert date I began looking at all the resale sites, but the ticket prices were outrageous. As we were driving down the road discussing it, my wife closed her eyes and said, “Lord, it would be awesome if you could give us free tickets to this concert. Amen.” I laughed internally and thought, “No one is going to give up their tickets, but ok God.” The day before the concert she got a message offering her free tickets to the concert. We were both blown away.

In 2 Kings 6, Elisha was the prophet of Israel, and the group of prophets who were with him decided the place where they were staying was too small. They wanted to build a bigger place, but Elisha didn’t think they needed to. After begging him to come, they went to the river to cut down trees to build a bigger place. Verse 5 says, “But as one of them was cutting a tree, his ax head fell into the river. ‘Oh, sir!’ he cried. ‘It was a borrowed ax!’” (NLT) Elisha had him point to the place where the ax head went into the water. He then threw in a stick and the ax head floated to the surface. The man grabbed it and went back to work.

Both stories remind me that God is concerned about the little things in our lives. Going to the concert didn’t change our lives, but God knew it was something we would appreciate. Sometimes we forget that like a parent, God just wants to bless His kids. We don’t need to feel like we’re bothering Him with the little things. He’s just as able to take care of the “little” requests in our lives as the “big” ones. God simply wants to be involved in our day to day lives instead of being our spiritual 9-1-1 call. He’s looking for relationship with us. If we’re going to have one with Him, then we need to let Him into all areas of our lives including the little ones.

Photo by Yassin Mohammadi on Unsplash

Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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November 25, 2020 · 6:00 AM

Mary, Martha And Judas

Recently we were driving somewhere and our son said he had a question for us. I turned down the radio and asked what it was. He asked, “Which are y’all: Mary or Martha?” I laughed that such a question would come from a 9 year old. His question is in reference to Luke 10 where Martha is busy serving Jesus while Mary just sits at His feet listening. My wife responded, “Sorry, son. You were born into a family of Martha’s!” He asked if that was a bad thing. I explained that it wasn’t because we need both Mary’s and Martha’s. The Martha’s of the world simply need to learn to not be so anxious when things don’t get done perfectly and they also need to take time to sit at the feet of Jesus and recharge. Both types are important to the Church.

We see Martha and Mary two more times in Scripture. The next time we see them is in John 11 after their brother Lazarus had died. When Jesus showed up four days later, it was Martha who ran out to meet Jesus while Mary stayed in the house. Martha expressed that if Jesus had been there, her brother wouldn’t have died. She also expressed that He was the Messiah and could raise him up. After their conversation she went to get Mary to take her to Jesus. Mary expressed the same things. It was the other people who doubted and accused when they implied that Jesus gave sight to the blind, but couldn’t keep Lazarus from dying. After that, we read that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.

The last time we meet them is in John 12, about two months later, just before Jesus is crucified. Martha was back to serving everyone while Lazarus ate. Verse 3 says, “Then Mary took a whole pint of a very expensive perfume made of pure nard, poured it on Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The sweet smell of the perfume filled the whole house” (GNT). Immediately Judas saw this as a waste of money and criticized her act of worship. In these stories, there are three types of people: one who worships with service, one who worships at His feet and those who criticize. I’ll ask my son’s question to you. Which are you? It’s all right to be a Martha as long as you’re not so busy you miss hearing Jesus. It’s all right being a Mary as long as you share what you learn at the feet of Jesus. It’s not ok to stand back from afar and criticize the way other people worship while never drawing near yourself. Each of us must worship in our own extravagant way and take time to hear what Jesus is saying to us.

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