Tag Archives: Christianity

April 22, 2024 · 5:52 AM

True Worship

A pastor and I were recently discussing the changes in church throughout our life time. One of the things we discussed was singing at church. When I was a kid, we had a song leader at church that led us in the singing of hymns and then Scripture songs. As we transitioned into singing contemporary, presence style singing, we changed their title to worship leader. A few years later, their title changed to worship pastor. Now, over time, we have begun to think of worship only as singing. As we were discussing what worship is, he told me how he had read that someone wrote about worship and said that we worship God any time we choose His will over ours, and His thoughts over ours. That really got my mind going.

I first thought of Job 1. After all his loss, the Bible says he fell down and worshiped. He cried out that the Lord gives and the Lord takes, and then he blessed the Lord. In his time of distress and grief, he chose to change his thoughts to God’s thoughts and worshipped. After thinking about him, my mind turned to Luke 22 with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was in anguish over giving up His life on the cross and the torture He was about to endure. In verse 42 He prayed, “Father, if you will, take this cup of suffering away from me. Not my will, however, but your will be done” (GNT). In a moment of pain, Jesus decided to worship as He chose the Father’s will over the will of His flesh. Worship isn’t an easy thing to do sometimes.

Romans 12:1 says, “So then, my friends, because of God’s great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer.” My flesh wants to crawl off that altar constantly. However, true worship is choosing God’s way over my own. What areas of your life have you been struggling to worship God in this way? It’s natural to have this struggle. Just read Romans 7 and 8. There’s a battle going on in every one of us between our flesh and the Spirit over who we will worship – ourselves or God. We all face this constant choice throughout our day. Choose to worship today by being led by God’s Spirit and choosing His will over your own. Also go back and read Romans 7 and 8 today with this in mind. It will change how you see it and how you worship.

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April 18, 2024 · 5:30 AM

The Right Hands

My son tries to be fiercely independent. He wants to do things himself without my help. I can see him sometimes working on something he can’t quite figure out. I watch his frustration begin to rise, and I say, “Bring it here. Let me try.” Of course he keeps trying getting more upset. I make my offer again. Nope, he wants to keep trying. That’s usually when frustration starts turning into anger. He then has the choice to make – he can walk away from it or he can bring it to me. Once he puts it in my hands, I’m able to do with it what he cannot. Many times I’ll set it up so that he can participate in finishing it. When that happens, both of us smile and are happy.

In Matthew 14, King Herod has John the Baptist beheaded at the request of his step daughter. Jesus was sad over the loss of his cousin and went into a remote area to mourn. While he was there, someone spotted him and started telling people where He was. Soon thousands of people made their way to Him for healing. As it was getting dark, the disciples asked Him to send the crowds away so they could get dinner in nearby villages. In verse 16, Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary – you feed them” (NLT). I’m sure the disciples panicked and got frustrated trying to figure out how they could do it. They found five loaves and two fish and told Jesus that was all they had and they couldn’t do it. That’s when Jesus said, “Bring them here.”

The difference in both of these stories is whose hands things were in. How long do we try to do things while Jesus is telling us, “Bring them here”? You can keep trying to do the impossible on your own or you can trust Jesus with it. You can get frustrated trying over and over or you can put it in His hands. The feeding of the 5,000 was a miracle because the disciples were able to say, “We can’t do it,” and then handed over what they had to Jesus. One of the most difficult things about faith is letting go. We are fiercely independent people who want to do things ourselves. At the end of the day we have to choose whether we allow that frustration to turn to anger or put action to our faith and trust God with it. He is able to do above and beyond what we are able to. If we will trust Him, He will often allow us to participate in the miracle.

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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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April 17, 2024 · 5:31 AM

The Fruit Of Patience

One of the Fruits of the Spirit that we don’t like to talk about is patience. We like to talk about love, joy, peace and kindness, but we tend to forget about patience being one. Have you ever thought about the fruit that patience and impatience yield in our life? When we’re impatient things escalate and complications arise. Our vision of the future gets clouded and we make dumb decisions. Impatience also comes with negative feelings that create negative behaviors for which we have to apologize. However, patience yields a different crop in our life. By being patient, we develop endurance and resilience. We Also build up future success because we learn to have delayed gratification. Finally patience creates better relationships. Would you rather be around an impulsive and impatient person or a calm patient one?

There were plenty of people in the Bible who were impatient. Think,of King Saul who couldn’t wait for Samuel to do the sacrifice. His impatience cost him the kingdom. Abraham and Sarah grew impatient waiting on God’s promise of a son and created a work around. That decision is still causing wars to this day. Also the Israelites got tired of waiting for Moses to come down the mountain and created a golden calf causing God’s anger to fall on them. Even though we have these examples, we also have examples of patience. Look at Job. He was patient through his trials and God restored everything he lost and then some. David patiently waited to be king even while running for his life. He became the most famous king of Israel. There was also Hannah who was barren. She continued to pray year after year and God answer with a son named Samuel.

Psalm 40:1 says, “I waited and waited and waited some more, patiently, knowing God would come through for me. Then, at last, he bent down and listened to my cry” (TPT). What crop do you want to grow in your life? Both patience and impatience create long lasting results. A moment of impatience can cause a lifetime of sorrow. If God hasn’t answered yet, keep praying and believing. If you’re waiting on God to fulfill His promise, don’t jump the gun. He will do it in His time, not yours. I know the clock may be ticking, but switch your focus from the humdrum of the ticks and tocks to His Word. Watching the time yields the fruits of impatience, while His Word reminds us of His character. Let the fruit of patience grow in your life as you wait for God to come through.

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April 16, 2024 · 5:39 AM

Giving Good Words

I’ve had some interactions with famous people before. On one such occasion I met a famous christian singer who wrote and sang one of the anthems everyone would know. After the concert I waited in line to share a special memory one of their songs held for me and how it helped me in my time of need. When I told them, they had a blank stare back at me and said, “Yeah I get that all the time.” It made me feel very small honestly. Contrast that with a famous author I wrote to. One of their stories had me laughing and in tears on a plane ride and challenged me. I couldn’t wait to land to reach out. Within ten minutes, they emailed me back thanking me for sharing. They said, “There are millions of words you could have chosen to share this story with me. It looks like you found the right ones. Thank you for sharing.” I did a screenshot and sent to all my friends when I got that.

We sometimes forget how powerful our words are and their ability to make or break someone’s day. In the New Testament we read Paul’s letters to churches and to individuals like Timothy. In 2 Timothy 1:6-7, he encouraged Timothy to fan into flames his gifts and to remember that God doesn’t give us a spirit of fear. In Deuteronomy 31:7-8, Moses encouraged Joshua who was taking over the daunting task as leader of Israel. He told him to be strong and courageous, and reminded him that is the Lord who will go before him and give victory in the battles ahead. Another example is when Jesus was talking to the disciples giving them comfort on the night He would be betrayed. John 16:33 records Him saying, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (ESV). John remembered those words in his sorrow.

Proverbs 12:25 says, “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” You never truly know what someone is going through or the encouragement they need to get through the day. Speak encouragement to someone today. Give a good word to all you meet. Your words carry life or death in them the Bible says. We are life givers as Christians. Ask God to speak through you today to someone to say what they need to hear so they have fuel to keep fighting or to find peace in troubled times. You don’t have to know what they’re going through to speak a word in season as Isaiah says. You just need to be led by the Spirit and hear who needs encouragement and to hear the words He wants you to say. I’m sure you can think of times when someone’s words either crushed you or built you up. Give good words today and make someone’s day.

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April 12, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Continually Mindful

Have you ever had something on your mind that you were thinking about all day? Even though you went about your business, it was there. When the Bible tells us to continually do something, like to pray without ceasing, this is what it means. You don’t have to stay on your knees all day every day, but you make a conscious effort to keep God’s presence in mind. You make a point to continue the conversation throughout the day even though you said, “Amen.” We do so many things unconsciously, and we live such busy lives that we tend to focus on those things once our day gets started rather than on God. If we were to make the switch to be able to do these things continually throughout our day, our life and spiritual life will change.

Here are some Bible verses on things we are to do continually.

1. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

Joshua 1:8 NLT

2. Continually pursue peace with everyone, and the sanctification without which no one will [ever] see the Lord.

Hebrews 12:14 AMP

3. I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Psalms 34:1 AMP

4. Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!

1 Chronicles 16:11 ESV

5. And don’t get drunk with wine, which is rebellion; instead be filled continually with the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 5:18 TPT

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April 11, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Finding Grace

When I was around seven or eight, I did something that upset my mom. She told me that when my dad came home from work he was going to punish me. She then sent me to my room to wait. After I got in there, I began to think of the punishment I was going to get. I thought about hiding. It seemed like the best plan until I thought about escaping through the window. I then realized that would make it worse. Finally, I decided to put on every pair of underwear I had and some baggy pants. As I waited, all I could think about was the punishment. To be honest, I don’t remember the punishment that day. I just remember the build up and fear.

When you and I sin, we often act like that. It’s the Adam and Eve approach to sin. We feel bad for what we’ve done, and more than anything, we’re embarrassed. It’s obvious God knows about it, but for whatever reason, going to Him seems like a far fetched idea. To be forgiven freely doesn’t feel right, so we wallow in our shame for a bit. It’s like we feel the need to punish ourselves over our sins. The truth is that God doesn’t want us to hide from Him in those moments. He wants us to come to Him right away for the grace He gives.

Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us have confidence, then, and approach God’s throne, where there is grace. There we will receive mercy and find grace to help us just when we need it” (GNT). The verse before says that Jesus understands our weaknesses and sympathizes with us. He didn’t come into the world to condemn us, but that through Him we would find grace when we need it most. He is merciful, and too often we forget that. There’s no reason to hide from Him because of what you’ve done. He knows about it and loves you still. Approach His throne today, get the grace you need and lose your shame.

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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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April 10, 2024 · 5:46 AM

Running To God’s Name

Shakespeare once asked, “What’s in a name?” It turns out a lot. In the 1940’s, Harvard started studying the effects a person’s name had on their grades and the predictability of them graduating. Recent studies show that a person’s name can influence Our choice of profession, whom we marry, whether we get accepted into a school, whether we get hired at a job and even the stocks we buy. A name is powerful, but we don’t often sit and think about how our life is influenced by our name. You may have a family name, a trendy name, one your parents made up or one they liked. No matter what, your name has influenced your personality and sometimes even the friends you keep.

In ancient times, a person’s name was often synonymous with their character. Think of Naomi in the book of Ruth. Her name meant “sweet”, but when she lived through a famine, moved from her home and her husband and sons died, she wanted her name to be Mara (bitterness). Jacob was a heel or supplanted who tricked people until he encountered God one night. His name was changed to Israel which means “one who wrestles with God”. There was also the disciple named Simon. His name meant “one who hears,” but Jesus wanted him to put what he heard into action and changed his name to Peter (rock). Jesus told him that He would build his church on this rock knowing at that moment that Peter was anything but a rock steady person. His name was who he became.

Proverbs 18:10 says, ”The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe“ (NLT). The Passion Translation says, “The character of God” being synonymous with His name. He is the God who sees you (El Roi), the one who gives you victory (Jehovah Nissi), the one who provides in your moment of need (Jehovah Jireh), the one who heals (Jehovah Rapha), your peace (Jehovah Shalom) and your righteousness (Jehovah Tsidkenu). You can run to His character, revealed by His name, in whatever you’re facing in this moment. He is your strong tower when life seems to be crumbling all around you. We must trust in His name and His character more than the situation in front of us. He is there ready to provide what we need in each moment of our life, but it’s up to us to run to Him in those moments. Who do you need Him to be for you today? Call on His name and character without delay.

Photo credit: Bernardo Lorena Ponte

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April 2, 2024 · 5:42 AM

Defining Qualities

In the last month, I’ve been to two funerals for men I’ve known, both of whom lived to 88. At each funeral, family got up to speak and share stories. Some stories made you laugh and others were very sentimental. In each case, people shared about what mattered to these men. They told of their defining characteristics and values that they lived by. They then shared how these defining characteristics shaped their own lives. I began to think how each of these men influenced my life. I also began to think of my core values and my defining characteristics. What would people say mine are? Are mine influencing others to live out godly characteristics? We all have defining characteristics that we live by and are known by. Are we intentional about those?

I love the story of Ruth in the Bible. We learn very quickly that her husband, brother in law and father in law all died leaving three women behind. Her mother in law, Naomi, decided to leave the country they had moved to and return home. Since her daughters in law were from the foreign country, she asked them to stay. This is where we begin to see what Ruth was made of. Her loyalty to her mother in law kept her by Naomi’s side. Her kindness showed through when she began to glean the fields for food for them. She showed how courageous she was by leaving her culture behind and adopting a new one. Her defining characteristics attracted a man of character himself. Boaz was an influential person because of his character and honesty. They could have bypassed their values several times, but their character wouldn’t let them do it. Because of that, not only are they mentioned in the Bible, they are in the family tree of Jesus.

Their great, great grandson Solomon wrote in Proverbs 3:3, “Do not let mercy and kindness and truth leave you [instead let these qualities define you]; Bind them [securely] around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart” (AMP). The defining qualities they lived by were passed down generationally. As you think about your own defining qualities and characteristics, are mercy, kindness and truth part of them? If not, it’s not too late to make them part of your life. Old qualities and characteristics are hard to break, but not impossible. That’s why Solomon tells us to tie them around our neck and write them on our heart. We can change what defines us and how we live through the power of the Holy Spirit. We no longer have to be defined by our past. God has given you new life and new characteristics to live by. Ask Him to help you live in such a way that these define you instead of your old life.

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April 1, 2024 · 5:43 AM

Overcoming Discouragement

Has anyone ever tried to discourage you from doing something before? It makes it worse when it’s an authority figure and it is something you feel God has put on your heart to do. I’ve had that happen. I allowed those words of discouragement to hold me back for years. I’ve ignored the discouragement from others. I went with the conviction in my gut to not allow anyone to stand in my way when I’ve felt called to do something. In both cases I had to manufacture the encouragement I needed to move forward or receive encouragement from another person. It’s crazy how words can stop all of our momentum or push us full speed ahead. It’s also important to think about how we respond to others when they’re trying to move forward with something they feel called to do. Are our words encouraging or discouraging?

In Mark 10 Jesus went to Jericho. On His way out of the city, a large crowd was following Him. There was a blind man who had begged there for years who heard the commotion. When he asked what was going on, they told him Jesus was passing by. He began to call out and try to get Jesus’ attention, but the people around him began to discourage him. They told him to be quiet. Maybe they told him Jesus didn’t have time for him or didn’t care about him. Either way, he yelled louder until Jesus heard him and called for him. The people told him to take courage. He threw off his beggars coat and made his way to Jesus who healed him by giving him his sight back. If he had let the crowd discourage him, he may have missed his opportunity for healing.

Psalm 43:5 says, “Then I will say to my soul, ‘Don’t be discouraged; don’t be disturbed, for I fully expect my Savior-God to break through for me. Then I’ll have plenty of reasons to praise him all over again’” (TPT). Sometimes you have to speak to your own soul above the discouragement from others. Sometimes you have to remind yourself to keep the faith when all other reports and words are discouraging. Discouragement is one of the enemy’s greatest tools to keep us inactive, to prevent us from praying or from seeking a breakthrough. He also knows that the power of life and death are in the tongue. We must combat discouragement with the encouraging truth from God’s Word. We must combat it with words of life. If you don’t have the strength or are too beat down by discouragement, then find someone who will speak life and encouragement to you until you can. I believe your breakthrough is coming.

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March 20, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Inwardly Strengthened

When I was around six years old, my parents put me in sports at the YMCA. Even though I had been raised in church, that is the first place I remember seeing or hearing the phrase, “spirit, mind and body”. We either used to recite their mission statement at practice or I saw it often. I had to look it up now, but it says, “To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.” That’s still a pretty good thing that each of us need to work on. Sometimes we’re concerned about our physical health, but we starve our spiritual health. Other times we focus on our mental health while we neglect our physical health. To be whole and healthy though, we really need to make sure we’re keeping all three healthy and strong.

In Ephesians 3, Paul writes an incredible prayer for the believers in Ephesus, but I believe it’s for us too as he expected his letters to be passed between the churches. In verse 16, he starts this prayer saying, “I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit” (NLT). Here he’s praying for spiritual and mental strength for us. According to the next couple of verses, it’s so that Christ will dwell in our hearts as we trust in Him, our roots will grow down into God’s love to keep us strong and that we will be able to understand how wide, long and high God’s love is. Receiving those things begins with us being empowered in our spirit and mind through the Holy Spirit. No wonder he told Timothy that physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise has so much more (1 Timothy 4:8).

A healthier, stronger, more whole you begins with being empowered inwardly by God’s Spirit. We need to pray this prayer over our own lives often, and also make sure that we’re doing things that will strengthen our inner being. We spend a lot of time and money making sure our physical body is in shape, but we can’t do that at the cost of neglecting our spirit and mind. It’s our spirit that will live forever, not our physical body. As Paul said, both are important and have value, but one is more valuable. Bible studies, devotionals, prayer groups, church services all contribute to being inwardly strengthened, but if you only do it once a week, it will have the same value as going to the gym once a week. It’s time that each of us are empowered inwardly by the Holy Spirit. Once we understand God’s love in a greater way through that empowerment, we can make God’s love known and love others better.

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I’m traveling today and am posting a previously written devotion that I hope speaks to you.

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