Tag Archives: christian living

July 9, 2024 · 5:45 AM

Following Through

I’ve seen people go to social media to seek advice. They get a ton of comments and very few are the same. It’s one thing to go there for advice on what color to paint something and another thing to ask for life advice. I have a couple of people I’ll go to for that. These are people I trust to speak the truth and whose advice will line up with Scripture. Getting advice is only half of the solution. Following the advice and putting it into action is the other half. Sometimes it’s not easy to follow the advice of a trusted advisor. They can only advise. It’s up to me to enact. This is where a lot of people struggle. They’re good at getting advice, but putting it into action and following through when faced with consequences of change keep them where they are.

In the book of Esther, we find out that her parents died when she was young and she was raised by her cousin Mordecai. As she was going through the king’s beautification process, she kept seeking the advice of Mordecai who advised her not to reveal she was a Jew. Esther 2:20 says, “Esther had not revealed her family or her people [that is, her Jewish background], just as Mordecai had instructed her; for Esther did what Mordecai told her just as when she was under his care” (AMP) Later on she sought the advice of her handler on what she should take before the king when he selected her. Then when Haman threatened to kill the Jews, Esther took the advice of Mordecai again in order to save her people even though it could mean she would be put to death. She followed through with the advice of her trusted advisor and saved a nation.

Proverbs 20:18 says, “Get good advice and you will succeed; don’t go charging into battle without a plan” (GNT). Who are your trusted advisors? Who gives you godly advise that will help you succeed? Don’t fall in the trap of paralysis through analysis where you either get too much advice or you over analyze the advice you’ve been given. It wasn’t easy for Esther to take Mordecai’s advice to go before the king, but victory was won because she did. Your victory is on the other side of following God’s instructions for your life. It’s not always easy following His plan or even knowing it. That’s why you need someone who knows Him and His Word to be a trusted advisor in your life that will also hold you accountable to following through with the plan.

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July 3, 2024 · 5:36 AM

The Qualities Of Salt

Most of us only use salt for a couple of things like seasoning our food. Did you know it has over 14,000 uses? It’s used in the manufacturing of computers, shoes and clothes. In the time of Christ, it was used as currency for the Roman soldiers. The word soldier comes from the Latin “sal dare” which means “to give salt to”. Your salary is derived from it to. When Jesus talked about sitting at the head of the table, he was referring to your position at the table in relation to the salt. It’s important that we understand the importance of salt, because it’s referred to in many ways in Scripture, and we typically only apply one or two uses to it. We can miss a lot of context that way.

In Matthew 5, Jesus was giving what we refer to as the “Sermon on the Mount”. In verse 13 He said, “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless” (NLT). You are the salt of the earth. You are valuable and should add value to the conversations you’re having. You bring the flavors of God to the people around you. If you’re not, your salt doesn’t have flavor and loses its value. Salt was mined in those days instead of being manufactured. It could have other minerals or impurities that caused it to lose its flavor or not have any. The same can be true of sin and how we live out our faith. Does your life make people want to know Jesus?

In Mark 9:50 Jesus used salt in reference to us again. He said, “Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other.” You must have the qualities of salt in your life and in the right balance. When you do, there are thousands of ways God can use you. He wants this world to know Him, and we are the main conduit for that. He wants us to preserve the peace between ourselves. He wants to create things through us too, but we have to make sure the impurities in our lives aren’t preventing us from those uses. Let us lay aside those impurities that hold us back, as Hebrews 12 tell us, and live out the qualities God lays out for us in His Word.

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July 2, 2024 · 5:30 AM

A Holy Fire

There are some lyrics to a song we sing at church that keep burning inside me. They say, “Set a fire down in my soul that I can’t contain and I can’t control. I want more of you, God.” We had sang that song at church many times before, but on a balcony in Haiti, it became my prayer. As we were having a time of worship in Gonaives, we sang that song and I started listening to the words. I began to internalize what they meant. I began to sing the song with more of a passion than a compulsion.

What does that look like to have a fire set in your soul? What does that feel like to have it burn without bring able to control it? What would happen to me if I truly wanted more of God in my life? Do I really, truly want that and what is the cost? We sing songs and read scriptures a lot without giving much thought to the words we are saying or reading. We rarely dig down deep and plant those words in our heart and mind.

God gives Himself to us to the extent that we allow room for Him. Too many Christians are like the inn keeper in Bethlehem. They have no room for Him, but they want Him, so they put Him in the stable of their lives. He doesn’t just want to be in your stable. He wants the entire inn of your life. He wants to come into every room you have locked up. He wants to fill you up, but you have to make room which means you have to get rid of things.

For me, I want more of Him than I have today. I want to give Him the keys to my inn. I want to kick out the guests of sin, control, security, lack of faith and fear. I want to be like John The Baptist in John 3:30 and say, “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less” (NLT). The only way for that to happen is to set a Holy Fire within that gets rid of selfish desires so I can embrace all He has for me.

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I hope you enjoyed this devotional I wrote previously. I’ll have a new one for you tomorrow.

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July 1, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Life Transformed

In Luke 7 Jesus was having dinner with some Pharisees when a woman with a bad reputation came in. She wept at Jesus’ feet and washed them with her hair. She then poured perfume on them. The people there were in disbelief at Jesus for allowing it. He then told them a story about debts being forgiven and asked who loved more. They replied the one with the greatest debt forgiven. He then looked at the woman and made the comparison to them. These men did nothing to show their debt had been forgiven and yet she hadn’t stopped. He was showing them that our life should change when our debt has been paid.

In Mark 5 Jesus and the disciples went across the Sea of Galilee to Gadarene. They were approached by a man filled with demons. People had tried to restrain him, but failed. When Jesus cast out the legion of demons, people came running and found the man in his right mind and dressed. The town asked Jesus to leave. As He did, this man wanted to come with Him, but Jesus asked him to stay. He knew that a changed life would be a great testimony to God to draw others in. He was right. This man went throughout that region as a changed person and many listened to him because they knew the before and saw the after.

Ephesians 4:23-24 says, “Your hearts and minds must be made completely new, and you must put on the new self, which is created in God’s likeness and reveals itself in the true life that is upright and holy” (GNT). Salvation begins a transformation in our hearts and mind that results in a changed life. This process is called sanctification. When Jesus forgives us and sets us free, it should be noticeable. Our love for Him because of the debt that was paid and the freedom we experience should be reflected in a transformed life. How has your life changed since you accepted Jesus? Let your transformed life be the starting point for telling others about Jesus.

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June 27, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Transformed By The Bible

Have you ever boiled water? I know it’s a silly question, but if you have, you have added things to it. Think about what happens when you put a carrot in boiling water. What happens? After a little while, the carrot gets soft. What happens when you put an egg in boiling water? It becomes hard of course. Water has two different effects on those objects. Now, what happens when you add ground up coffee beans to boiling water? You get coffee. The difference here is that the water doesn’t change the coffee beans, the beans change the water into something different. There are many things in life that you have the power to change, but there are also things that you allow into your life that change you.

One of the things that changes us is the Bible. The more you read it and put it into your mind, the more it has the ability to change you. If you want it to get into your heart and permeate your entire being, then you need to go beyond reading it. You need to meditate on it. Meditating on God’s Word is simply taking a verse or passage and thinking, “What does this really mean? What is God wanting me to learn from this? Why did He include this in the Bible? How can I apply this to my life? How would things change if I lived this out? How can I help others understand this better and help them to apply it?” Asking these questions helps you break down powerful spiritual principles into bite sized chunks. It also allows God’s Word to get into every area of your being fundamentally changing who you are from the inside out.

Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the [spoken] word of Christ have its home within you [dwelling in your heart and mind—permeating every aspect of your being] as you teach [spiritual things] and admonish and train one another with all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (AMP). Reading the Bible should not be considered a box we need to check in order to be a better Christian. It should be part of your transformation into a new creature. It gives us wisdom in how to live our lives, love others and to build up other believers. It is the foundation for the life we’re called to live. When we let it have its home in us and in our minds, it will change us into overcomes.

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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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June 26, 2024 · 5:36 AM

Fighting Insecurity

A few years ago I was sitting at a round table discussion with several other ministers in the Houston area. As they began the introductions, a little voice in my head said, “You don’t belong here!” A few more people introduced themselves and the voice continued, “You aren’t even in the same league as these people.” I sent my wife a text telling her I shouldn’t have come. More introduced themselves and what they were doing and the voice got louder as it got closer to my turn. I’m not an insecure person, but as I sat there, I was as insecure as I’d ever been thinking of how I’m less than everyone else at the table. I began to think of all my disqualifications and my inabilities. Then the voice of the Lord spoke to me reminding me who I am in Him, and I introduced myself.

In Exodus 3-4 Moses was at the burning bush talking to God when God asked him to go back to Egypt and free His people. As the Lord spoke, Moses’ insecurities began to rise in his mind. In verse 10, he replied to God, “I’m a nobody” (GNT). God continued telling him to go, but that voice in Moses’ head got louder. In Genesis 4:1 he told God, “No one will listen to me.” God continued. In verse 10 he reminded God of his limitations and inadequacies, but God insisted. Moses finally listened to God, went to Pharaoh and got the Israelites to be set free from 400 years of slavery. I don’t think the voice ever went away in his head, but over time he learned that it was God at work in him doing the things he did. Success depended on God’s provision rather than his ability.

That voice still speaks to me, and I bet you’ve heard it too reminding you of why you’re incapable of being used by God or accomplishing anything good for Him. Hebrews 13:21 says, “May the God of peace provide you with every good thing you need in order to do his will, and may he, through Jesus Christ, do in us what pleases him. And to Christ be the glory forever and ever! Amen.” The great news is that God will provide you with everything you need to accomplish His will. You just have to let your faith and trust in Him be louder than that voice. He is the God of peace when insecurities rise. He’s the God who supplies you with resources when you have none. It’s a good thing He calls some of the most seemingly unqualified people to do His work because they will give Him the glory for accomplishing it through them despite their inabilities. The next time you feel insecure because of that voice, remember this verse and simply pray, “I’ll do whatever you ask, Lord.”

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June 24, 2024 · 5:42 AM

Becoming Grateful

McDonald’s exponentially increased their sales and revenues by teaching their employees to ask one simple question. Would you like fries with that? When combo meals became a thing, they then asked, “Would you like to supersize that?” These questions were so successful that companies across industries try to replicate it. Almost everyone said yes to them. It works so well because it preys on our inability to be satisfied or content. People didn’t question the cost of fries or however much a supersize was. They considered it insignificant in exchange for getting more. Learning to be content is something we each need to work on.

In his letter to the church in Philippi, Paul explained the value of knowing jesus and how important it is in comparison to the things the world values. In chapter 3, he then goes on to say that he’s a work in progress like we all are. In the next chapter he thanks them for their concern for him. Then in verse 11-12 he tells them to secret to life. He wrote, “Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little” (NLT). We too must learn to be content and to fight the constant need for more. When we learn to be content, gratitude begins to grow in our lives.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Paul wrote, “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” When we have an attitude of gratitude in ever circumstance we’re in, our perspective changes. Finding things to be grateful for in hard times and learning to be content whether we have a little or a lot reveal our level of trust in God. Do you really believe He is all you need? Do you believe He is your provider? We learn to be content and grateful when we learn to value what God offers is worth more than anything in this world. Not only are there spiritual benefits, but there are psychological benefits as well when we learn these two things. When we’re content and grateful, we’re saying that God has given us what we need and we aren’t lacking anything. Happiness isn’t found in having more things. It’s found in having an attitude of gratitude and contentment.

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June 20, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Faith In A Drought

The story of Joseph always intrigues me. God gave him a dream that one day his parents and his brothers would all bow down to him. His brothers became so jealous that they kidnapped him and sold him as a slave. From there he was sold to a man in Egypt. After working there for a while, he was falsely accused and sent to prison. He spent years in prison and was forgotten. Not once in this story do we hear him complaining to God, “What about the dream you gave me?” He went through a drought figuratively and literally. So how does one hold onto faith and trust in God when nothing seems to be moving or is going in the wrong direction?

Honestly, that’s a question I think about a lot because God’s plan will often lead us through a drought. We hear His voice, follow His path and then nothing happens. It can definitely get you to questioning if you’ve heard God, if you’re headed the right direction and if God is going to come through in time. I believe that great faith gets rewarded greatly, but I’ve also learned that great faith goes through droughts after you’ve acted. Just because you’ve taken the leap, it doesn’t mean that God makes everything happen right away. For your faith to be stretched, you’re going to go through some, “What have I done and where are you God” moments. So how do you hang on in those times?

Jeremiah 17:7-8 gives us the answer. It says, “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit” (NLT). You must stay planted in your faith with your roots down deep in God’s Word. When we do that, it doesn’t matter what our external circumstances look like. Our faith is being watered and we can hold onto our trust in God. It’s not easy by any means, but when we keep our spirit fed and watered, we will still produce no matter how long the drought is. Remember that droughts end and God’s faithfulness doesn’t.

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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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June 19, 2024 · 5:47 AM

Expressions Of Adoration

Adoration isn’t a word we commonly use anymore. While I know what it means, I still looked it up. Almost all definitions had something like having a strong love for something or someone to the point you worship it. Worship becomes an expression of our love and respect for Hod. My wife and I were both raised in homes where our parents were at church every time the doors were open. We were also both raised by parents who lived the same way at home and at church. We had no idea until we were adults that there were people who went to,church that put on a holy mask and then took it off once they left. We both know people we grew up with who said how confusing it was for them. Their parents acts of worship were a show to them and they never got to understand adoration of God until later in life whereas we got to experience it and see it demonstrated daily.

In John 12, Jesus stopped by the house of Martha, Mary and Lazarus again. Martha was still serving and Lazarus was reclining at the table it says when Mary came in with a very expensive perfume. Verse 3 says, “Then Mary took a pound of very expensive perfume of pure nard, and she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume” (AMP). I would say the house was filled with the fragrance of adoration. That’s when Judas, who was about to betray Jesus, put on his holy mask, spoke up and condemned the act saying it should have been sold and the money given to the poor. Adoration made him feel uncomfortable because he felt it exposed his hypocrisy. That’s when Jesus pushed back on his comments and accepted her act of worship.

Hebrews 12:28-29 says, “Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, and offer to God pleasing service and acceptable worship with reverence and awe; for our God is [indeed] a consuming fire.” How do you show gratitude to God through worship and adoration? Remember worship is an act of humility rather than singing a song. It’s an expression of our love for Him and what He’s done for us. Thats why Jesus said those of us who have been forgiven more tend to love more. No matter where you fall on that spectrum, our lives must become an expression of adoration rather than in words only the way Judas was. Take time today to reflect on all you’ve been forgiven of and all that God has done for you. Then express your gratitude to Him and adoration will flow from there.

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June 18, 2024 · 5:33 AM

Look Straight Ahead

I’ve always been a fast driver. When I was in my early twenties I got tickets for speeding a lot. I would always go to the judge and ask if I could take defensive driving to get it dropped from my record. I used the same instructor for my classes each time. After about my third time in, he began to recognize me. On one of my trips to his class he pulled me aside and asked if he could give me some advice. I nodded and he said, “Quit looking at the car immediately in front of you. Train your eyes to look 30-45 seconds ahead of you and you won’t have to visit me so often.” I found that when I looked straight ahead down the road I noticed more things and was less distracted by things around me. I’m pretty sure that was the last time I took his course.

In Judges 13 we’re introduced to Samson’s parents. An angel visited his mom and said, “You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and his hair must never be cut. For he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines” (NLT). Samson had a strict set of rules to live by and a purpose, but as he got older he began to take his eyes off of that purpose and dedication. He fell in love with a woman from the country he was supposed to liberate Israel from. He quit looking ahead, got distracted and was defeated by his enemy. However, on his last day he got his mindset right and killed more Philistines in one blow than all of them from the rest of his life combined.

Proverbs 4:25-27 says, “Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.” Where are you looking? Are you being distracted by things around you that are keeping you from your purpose? It’s never too late to refocus or to return to the path God has laid out for you. Our enemy places distractions all around us to keep us short sighted and to get us off God’s path for our life. We must retrain our eyes to look straight ahead so we can focus on God’s plan. When we do, we will find that we’re less susceptible to things that will keep us from our God given destiny.

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