Tag Archives: christian living

August 28, 2023 · 5:51 AM

God Of The Impossible

Have you ever had a situation in your life where you thought that it was impossible even for God to do something about? You may not have put it in those exact words. You might think, “It’s too late to do anything about. No one Can help.” Or you could just decide not to pray and waste God’s time with it. I’ve done it myself. I have mentally put limits on a limitless God. It happens to us more often than we think because it’s usually every day situations where we limit God. Our thoughts and our words simply exclude Him from the equation. I’ve learned that I have to catch myself and say, “God this looks impossible to me, but I know it’s not impossible for you.” I’ve seen Him do the impossible many times and still my default is to dismiss His abilities until I stop and put it in His hands anyway.

In John 6 Jesus took the disciples across the lake and up a mountain to teach them. At one point Jesus looks up and sees a large crowd headed toward them. Jesus asked Philip where they could buy enough food to feed so many people. Philip saw the crowd and didn’t answer the question. Instead he told Jesus that it would take almost a year’s salary to feed them. Then Andrew spoke up in verse 9, “There is a boy here who has five loaves of barley bread and two fish. But they will certainly not be enough for all these people” (GNT). These men had seen a year’s worth of miracles from Jesus and both mentally limited His abilities without thinking about it. One didn’t tell Him where, but instead told Him what it would cost. The other saw how little they had and professed it wouldn’t be enough. Both found out that even a little in Jesus’ hand could do the impossible with leftovers too.

In Mark 10:27 Jesus was speaking about another situation, but had to remind them, “This is impossible for human beings but not for God; everything is possible for God.” There are so many things that we face that are impossible for us that we often dismiss them as even impossible for God. Remember that He spoke this universe into existence. There was nothing, and then there was everything. If He can do that, He can take care of whatever you’re facing no matter how impossible it seems. Philippians 4:19 says, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (NLT). Don’t limit our God. He is the God of the impossible.

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August 21, 2023 · 5:46 AM

Kingdom Work

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German pastor during the time of World War II. He opposed the Nazi regime and started a movement to protect the Jews from Hitler. There were some Christians who felt Hitler was the Antichrist and therefore Bonhoeffer’s opposition pointless. Some asked him, “Why do you expose yourself to all this danger? Jesus will return any day, and all your work and suffering will be for nothing.” Bonhoeffer replied, “If Jesus returns tomorrow, then tomorrow I’ll rest from my labor. But today I have work to do. I must continue the struggle until it’s finished.” He was later captured by the Nazi’s and executed in 1945 for doing the work of the Kingdom instead of doing what was convenient.

In Haggai 1, King Darius of Persia had allowed some Jews to return to Israel to rebuild their country including the Temple. After rebuilding their homes and planting their crops, they settled into a comfortable rhythm of life for about 16 years. The had faced opposition from the Samaritans when it came to rebuilding the Temple so they decided it wasn’t a convenient time to do it. That’s when the word of the Lord came to Haggai. God told them to consider their ways, to bring lumber and start working. In verse 9 He said, “You look for much [harvest], but it comes to little; and even when you bring that home, I blow it away. Why? Because of My house, which lies in ruins while each of you runs to his own house [eager to enjoy it]” (AMP). They were working hard on their own causes, but nit yielding much fruit because they were focused on the wrong things.

In Matthew 6:10 after honoring God’s name, Jesus started the Lord’s Prayer with, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Each one of us has a mission from God to be accomplished with our lives to bring about His Kingdom and will. If you feel like you’re spinning your wheels and going nowhere or if the fruit of your labor never seems to be enough, see if you’ve been trying to accomplish your will before His. We like to establish ourselves first so we can afford to do His will comfortably, but that’s backwards in God’s Kingdom. We must put His will and plans above our own. I can tell you it’s rarely convenient or will feel like you’re ready to do God’s will, but that is what He requires of us. When we do that, the next part of Jesus’ prayer takes place where He gives us our daily bread. Where has your focus been? We can’t make excuses anymore. We must focus on Kingdom work until it is finished.

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August 17, 2023 · 5:30 AM

Making Better Decisions

Decisions. Decisions. Decisions. If life is full of anything, it’s full of decisions we all have to make. Every decision we make has a consequence for good or for bad. If you’ve made some bad decisions in your life and have suffered the consequences, it can make it hard to make future decisions. There are tough questions we have to answer in life. Which college to attend, what to become in life, who to marry, whether or not to apply for a promotion, which church to attend, should we move, and so many more. Each has its own consequence and we want to make the right decision, but how can we know?

There are two things I do each time. The first is to pray for wisdom to know what to do. James 1:5 says, “But if any of you lack wisdom, you should pray to God, who will give it to you; because God gives generously and graciously to all” (GNT). Often, wisdom comes at the expense of failure and suffering consequences, but God can give it out when we ask for it. It may take some time in prayer, but in the right moment, God often speaks heavenly wisdom through someone or makes the best choice clear in our minds.

Another thing you can do is ask God to give you peace in helping to guide you into making the decision. Colossians 3:15 says, “The peace that Christ gives is to guide you in the decisions you make.” I often pray, “God, if this is what I’m to do, then give me peace. If not, bring unrest to my heart and mind.” God gives a peace that is beyond understanding especially when there are life altering decisions to be made. Praying for this and experiencing it will guide you through some of life’s toughest decisions. God has a plan and a purpose for each of us, and He’s given us tools to guide in our decisions us as we go. We just need to use them.

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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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August 16, 2023 · 5:37 AM

Opening The Door

I love stories where Jesus entered people’s homes. We get to see a different side of Jesus and how different people respond to it. In Luke 7 Jesus went into the home of a religious leader of the Pharisees named Simon. When Jesus sat down to eat, a woman from the neighborhood entered the home, anointed Jesus’ feet with perfume, wept tears on His feet and dried them with her hair. Simeon began to judge Jesus in his heart and doubt Him because a prophet should know this woman was a prostitute and not let her touch Him. Jesus responded that the man neglected Him by not extending normal customs to Jesus like greeting Him and anointing Him. This woman responded the way he should have and Jesus forgave her sins.

A few chapters later in Luke 19, Jesus entered Jericho with large crowds of people blocking the streets to see Him. That’s where we meet Zacchaeus who climbed up a tree to see Him. When Jesus saw him, He invited Himself over to his house. Zacchaeus was honored and the people were upset because of who Zacchaeus was. When Jesus entered his house Zacchaeus had a change of heart and offered to repay with interest the people he had stolen from. He also offered to give half of his wealth to the poor all because when he let Jesus come in, he let Him into his heart as well. In verse 9 Jesus responded, “Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham” (NLT). With that, Jesus restored Zacchaeus into the family.

In Revelation 3:20 Jesus says, “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” Do you hear Him knocking? Once He comes in, how will you respond? Many people like Jesus as a teacher, but never let Him in because that forces us to either judge Him or be changed by Him. We see what happens to people in these two stories. You can’t let Him in and be the same person. You will either dismiss Him or become like Him. He’s still standing outside your door knocking, waiting to be let into every area of your life. He wants to fellowship with you and bring about forgiveness, healing, restoration and life change to you. Will you let Him in or hold Him at a safe distance?

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August 15, 2023 · 5:42 AM

Building Your Life On Truth

Recently I shared with my son the importance of building his life, decisions and convictions on the truth of God’s Word. The world has always fought against God’s truth, but in recent history the strategy has changed. Culture has let truth become relative so that each person has their own truth. When everyone has their own truth, they can do what is right in their own eyes. The Bible has lots of stories of what happens during those periods. I explained to him that we can’t allow culture to define truth because it doesn’t know what truth is so theirs is always changing. I then told him that culture will always try to quiet the truth of God’s Word and that we must not be silent about it. If we don’t share what truth is, how will they ever know? If they never know, how will they be saved?

In Acts 4 Peter and John were in the Temple teaching people about the truth of Jesus after they healed a crippled man who had begged at the Temple gates for years. They were confronted by the priests, leaders and guards and told to keep quiet.when they didn’t, they were arrested. The next day they were brought before the council and asked who gave them authority to teach. They replied it came through Jesus. The council were stunned by their boldness, but also couldn’t deny the healed man standing in the room. They met privately and then came back to demand that they not tell others about Jesus. In verse 19 Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him?” (NLT). They were threatened again and then released.

2 Timothy 3:14 says, “But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you.” The same charge that Paul gave Timothy is given to us. We must remain faithful to what is true. We can’t live our lives by the changing tides of culture. There is only one truth and we must let it be what we build our lives on. When our lives are in contradiction to its teaching, it’s not wrong, we are. We must then come into alignment with its teaching. God does not change, nor does His Word. Everything in this world and it’s culture changes based on the opinions of people. What was true for them yesterday may not be true for them tomorrow. Don’t build your life on shifting sand but rather the rock solid truth of God’s Word.

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August 10, 2023 · 5:30 AM

Reality Check

All of my life I felt called into ministry, but I kept putting it off until later. I figured I’d do my own thing first and then follow my calling. That was working until I got a divorce. I was devastated because I grew up in a denomination that at the time would not allow divorced people to be in ministry. I was discussing my plight with a friend one day about how I had waited too long to fulfill my calling. He almost chuckled and then said, “Do you really think that man can revoke God’s calling on your life?” It was the slap I needed to bring me back into reality.

God has numbered each of our days before we were born. He knows our future and the choices we will make. So when He makes a promise to us, He does so with full knowledge of the mistakes we’re going to make. He created each of us with a purpose that only we can fulfill. He knows the bumps in the road we’re going to face, the sins we’re going to commit and the set backs we’re going to have when he gives purpose to our lives. Those things don’t revoke your purpose. They actually validate it and give your life the depth needed to reach people you otherwise couldn’t.

Psalm 138:8 says, “You keep every promise you’ve ever made to me! Since your love for me is constant and endless, I ask you, Lord, to finish every good thing that you’ve begun in me!” (TPT) God has not revoked your calling, nor will He walk away from the promises He made to you based on what you’ve done or been through. He will be faithful to complete it. He has not stopped loving you, and He still has a plan. Any mistake you’ve made has not nullified your calling or revoked any promises. Seek forgiveness if you haven’t already, and ask God to finish what He started in you.

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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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August 9, 2023 · 5:46 AM

Giving Comfort

Not long after I started writing devotions, I had an idea to start an online support group. The plan was to write six papers detailing the journey I went through from divorce to bankruptcy to making it through. I found about ten people who were going through similar struggles and were willing to join an online community. My plan was to help them through their darkest time. However, a few weeks in, one of the participants said, “I’m glad you made it through your situation, but I’m more interested in how you did it than the story of what you went through. I need to know how to get through this.” It was great feedback, but I really didn’t have an answer at the time. I became discouraged with the idea and never moved forward with it. When I finally thought of practical things I did, I began to help people individually through their pain.

In 2 Corinthians 1:8, Paul shared a story of intense attacks against his ministry and the work he was trying to do. He said he was crushed and overwhelmed beyond his ability to endure. In fact, he thought he was going to die. It was during that time that he learned to rely on God’s strength, protection and provision instead of his own. That’s when God rescued him and he got the faith to trust God in the most difficult of circumstances. He wanted the church in Corinth and us to know his story so that we would be encouraged and learn to rely on God during our toughest times. He went on to say that what he learned we should do is to quit relying on our own strength and to seek people who will pray over us in those times and God will rescue us to.

In verse 4, he tells us, “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us” (NLT). The pain and struggles you go through have a multifaceted purpose. They’re to get you to rely and trust in God and they’re to get you to help others in their time of trouble. Remember that we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and our testimony. Don’t keep your story to yourself. People need to know that you made it through and how you made it through. Your testimony will bring comfort in the middle of pain. It will bring hope in a hopeless situation. It will provide direction when they can’t see a way out. Don’t allow the enemy to keep you quiet. People need the comfort and hope of your story. Their story may not be exactly identical to yours, but the pain and process are. Start looking for someone to share your story with. God is ready to use you to bring comfort.

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August 8, 2023 · 5:49 AM

Remove Your Mask

When I teach the DISC personality assessment to a team, I help them understand how they are wired, how they communicate and why they behave certain ways in certain circumstances. One of the things we discuss in team dynamics is how over 70% of people feel they have to be someone they’re not at work. That same statistic holds true for being around other groups as well. The people in that category put on a mask in order to become that personality either because they feel the dynamics require it, because it’s expected of them or because they’re afraid of what people would think if they knew how they really are. We then discuss how tiring it is to try to be someone you aren’t. Sooner or later it gets exposed somewhere in your life, often in a blind spot.

On the night Judas betrayed Jesus, Peter followed behind the soldiers to see what would happen. As he stood in the courtyard of the High Priest watching them beat Jesus, a young girl walked up said she had seen him with Jesus. Peter immediately denied it and said he didn’t know what she was talking about. He moved to another part of the courtyard and another girl said the same thing. Peter denied it again swearing by an oath. Then the crowd noticed and also said his accent gave him away. He began to curse and swear to prove he didn’t know Jesus. That’s when the rooster crowed and Jesus looked at him. He mask had been exposed so he ran away and wept bitterly.

The first part of Romans 12;2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes]” (AMP). You and I no longer need to wear a mask that makes us look like the world. We have been transformed into a new creation. Our minds must be renewed by God’s Word that shows us how we are to live. This new life is who we truly are and it is not the way the world lives. There is a constant pressure to fit into a world where we don’t belong, and that pressure is not from God. As believers we can’t succumb to it or we will suffer the way Peter did that night. The good news is that also like Peter, we can become who God had created us to be and live with boldness the way he did after the resurrection. It’s time we took off the superficial mask and lived a transformed life.

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August 7, 2023 · 5:44 AM

Casting Your Burdens

Unfortunately one of the things that is part of our human nature is a desire to do things on your own. Don’t believe me? Try helping a two year old. They’ll snap back, “I can do it on my own!” They often refuse your help, sometimes to their detriment. That nature doesn’t really change. It lives in all of us. People offer us help all the time, but we refuse it under the guise of not wanting to be a burden to them. The truth is that we all need help from others, but we carry these burdens by ourselves and refuse help or to give them up. Some people like the pity and attention they receive. Some don’t know how to accept help. Some have too much pride to let anyone help. No matter why, you weren’t created to carry burdens by yourself.

The Pharisees in the New Testament were some of the most self righteous people you would meet, and Jesus called them out on it. He wasn’t mad at them for trying to follow the Law. He got upset at them for putting extra burdens on the people. He got upset when they added to His Law. He knew people had enough things they were carrying around and didn’t like people putting unnecessary burdens on people in His name. The Pharisees wore carrying burdens it as a badge of honor and holiness. They flaunted how big of burdens they carried and did it to get respect from people. Jesus constantly called them out for this because that’s not His plan for us.

1 Peter 5:6-7 says, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time, casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]” (AMP). God has called us to humility, not self righteousness. Carrying our own burdens is not a sign of strength. We need to set aside our self righteous pride and cast our cares and burdens on Him. Yes, you can do it on your own, but why live like that when you don’t have to? Be humble enough to give them to Him. Be humble enough to ask others for help. Freedom begins with humbling yourself and casting them at the feet of Jesus.

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August 3, 2023 · 5:30 AM

Spiritual Metamorphosis

When I was a kid, my favorite record was “Bullfrogs and Butterflies” sung by Barry McGuire. We played that record so many times that I’m sure we wore it out. The theme song lyrics said, “Bullfrogs and butterflies we’ve both been born again.” It’s a catchy tune that sticks in your head the rest of your life, but when I was a kid, I didn’t realize how profound that lyric was. When you think of a tadpole or a caterpillar, they undergo a complete change. Tadpoles not only go through a physical change, they go from only being able to breath under water to amphibians. Caterpillars change from having to inch everywhere they go to being able to fly. While their outside changes, their insides remain. I wonder how long it takes to mentally convince themselves they can leave the pond or fly away from the branch.

2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (NLT) When we give our life to Jesus, just like bullfrogs and butterflies, we undergo a change. It’s not physical like theirs, but rather it’s spiritual. This new creation is housed in the old body which creates some problems, but with this new life comes a change in how we think, live and act. We don’t do the things we used to do because they are no conducive to a healthy spiritual life. We were set free from having to remain in the pond of sin and selfishness and are free to breathe in God’s breath of life doing the things His Spirit leads us to do. We become free to live the life we were created to live, but many of us struggle to adapt to our new life.

It can be difficult to reconcile our faith with our public self that everyone knows. The metamorphosis that God does in our life starts on the inside and works it’s way to the outside by how we live. For some people they get an instant change, while most of us spend our lives growing and maturing in our faith step by step. As Jesus moves closer to the center of our life, we will become more like Him in how we think, live and act. Don’t compare your growth and spiritual metamorphosis to someone else’s. Let God do His work in your life as you continue to pray, read the Bible and live in your freedom. Remember that Romans 8:1 reminds us that there is no condemnation for those in Christ. Your new life will continue to be at odds with your old one. Don’t beat yourself up when the old life rears its head. Seek God’s forgiveness and ask Him to continue to help you to become more like Jesus.

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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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