Tag Archives: what does the bible say about

April 3, 2024 · 5:44 AM

Removing The Mask

There’s a study that shows over 70% of people feel like they can’t be themselves at work. I wonder what that percentage is for people around their spouse or friends. My guess is it’s pretty high too. We wear these masks because we’re afraid to be vulnerable for fear that if they knew the real me, they wouldn’t like me. The problem is the less vulnerable we are with people, the more shallow the relationship. My closest friends pretty much know everything about me. They’ve seen my ugly side, they know my past and I’ve seen theirs as well. We’ve given each other space to be each other’s authentic self. We’ve given each other permission to be human and to remove the masks. Because we’ve done that, we are able to help each other with the burdens we typically try to hide. Those tend to be the heaviest.

I saw a video ad this week talking about the Apostle Paul. It talked about taking a tour of going where he lived and walked. It also promised to reveal the authentic Paul. It then ended with, “No one liked Paul.” I couldn’t help but think that wasn’t true. Paul was definitely his authentic self in front of people, but I know Barnabas and Timothy liked him. They had mutual respect for each other. Even though they disagreed, Paul and Barnabas patched things up. We know Timothy was vulnerable with Paul because paul encouraged him to not let anyone look down on him because of his youth. In 1 Timothy 1:6-7, Paul encouraged Timothy when Timothy didn’t feel like he was enough for the ministry. Paul reminded him of his calling. They helped each other with the burdens of ministry because they were real with each other.

Paul wrote in Galatians 6:2, “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ” (NLT). The word “bear” meant to carry away, while the word “burdens” means weights. We can only carry the burdens of people who are able to take their masks off and share them with us. It’s also a command to us to do the same with others. It doesn’t just mean we carry theirs. It implies we must be willing to take our mask off and share what is weighing us down as well. When we are able to be this vulnerable and open we can truly love each other the way Christ commanded us to. Think about the masks you put on to keep people away from knowing the real you. That’s a burden all by itself. It’s time to find a true friend you can take the mask off with and let them share your weights. It’s also time you gave them permission to take their mask off too. Only then can we truly share each other’s burdens.

Photo by Pavel Danilyuk.

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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.

Photo by Aravind Vijayan on Unsplash

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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 29, 2024 · 5:25 AM

Debt Free

If you’ve ever listened to the Dave Ramsey Show, you know he helps people get out of debt. One of the best parts is when people call in and tell him how much they’ve paid off. After that, he lets them give a victory yell on air. They scream out, “We’re debt free!” I bring that up today because it’s Good Friday, the day we remember Jesus dying on the cross. His last words before voluntarily giving up His life were, “It is finished!” The Greek word used in the original writing of His crucifixion is “tetelestai” which is an accounting term for “paid in full!” Jesus paid off our debt that was insurmountable to us through the cross. As you celebrate His resurrection giving us new life this Sunday, don’t miss the importance of today. Take a moment to think about the debt you once owed and shout out, “I’m debt free!”

Here are some Bible verses on the freedom He gives us.

1. Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life—no longer captive to sin’s demands! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ’s sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection.

Romans 6:6 MSG

2. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

Romans 8:2 NLT

3. But now you have been set free from sin and are the slaves of God. Your gain is a life fully dedicated to him, and the result is eternal life.

Romans 6:22 GNT

4. So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.

Galatians 5:1 NLT

5. And you will know the truth [regarding salvation], and the truth will set you free [from the penalty of sin].

John 8:32 AMP

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March 28, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Maundy Thursday

John 13 – 18 tells us what all happened on Thursday during Jesus’ final week before the crucifixion. It starts at the Last Supper. I think we forget sometimes that this was the Passover Meal. Many Christians don’t understand what all this meal entails because we don’t celebrate it like a Jew would. It is a meal that is eaten in order telling a story taking you from slavery to freedom. I find that interesting since that is what Jesus was doing for us during that particular Passover. He was taking us, who were slaves to sin, to a life of freedom in Him. Because of what He was about to endure, you and I could be set free spiritually.

That night Jesus instituted what we call the Lord’s Supper, communion or the sacraments depending on how you refer to it. Matthew 26:26-28 tells us that He took bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to His disciples. He said, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body which is given for you.” Then He took a cup of wine and gave thanks for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and His people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many” (NLT). Each time you and I partake in this, we are to remember what He did for us on the cross. The price He paid for our freedom was His life. You are worth more than you can imagine.

Also Jesus was not content to leave us bound in our sin and separated from Him. He loves us too much to do that. He was willing to sacrifice Himself in order that you and I could be made right with Him. He not only wanted to bring us out of sin, free us from its bondage, pay for our sins and make us His children; He wanted to enter into a new relationship where we didn’t need a mediator anymore. His last act before being betrayed that Thursday was to give us this reminder so each time we took it we would think about that.

Photo by Geda Žyvatkauskaitė 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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March 27, 2024 · 5:43 AM

Perception Isn’t Reality

I love rollercoasters, but I don’t like the 3D / 4D rides. After waiting in line for Avatar at Disney World, they handed us 3D glasses before going on the ride. I straddled a motorcycle type seat and looked at the IMAX style screen. When the ride started, it showed that we were flying on a banshee. The seat between my legs inflated and deflated to make me feel like the banshee was breathing. The ride tilted and moved along with the flight video to give the sensation of flying. When we flew by the ocean, we could feel a mist on our faces. Then we flew into a cave and you could smell the dampness. As the banshee returned to flight and dove down behind a pack of water buffaloes, my stomach felt like it was in my throat. Then a water buffalo jumped back and we all flinched. While my mind and body were fooled into believing all these things, we never left the area we started in. It fooled our perception of reality.

On Wednesday of Holy Week, the Bible doesn’t say what happened. Some people refer to it as Silent Wednesday. However, God is never silent. We only perceive Him to be at times. Those times often come when it feels like we need Him most. We cry out, but hear a deafening silence back. Oswald Chambers wrote, “When you cannot hear God, you will find that He has trusted you in the most intimate way possible – with absolute silence, not a silence of despair, but one of pleasure, because He saw you could withstand an even bigger revelation.” It takes a lot of faith to keep walking in the silence. In those moments, we have to trust the promises more than our perception. We must lean into His all sufficient grace for strength because the silence can be overwhelming.

Proverbs 3:5 reminds us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know” (GNT). Remember that perception is not always reality. We are easily fooled and our feelings like to manipulate our emotions and what we think we know. Yet perception can fool us. That’s why we can’t lean on, rely on or always believe what our perception is telling us. We can however, trust in the Lord with all of our heart. We can trust in His character over the silence we experience. He has never left us or abandoned us, nor will He ever. In the silence we experience a greater grace and revelation from God than is ever possible when we feel and experience His presence. Will you keep walking and trusting in the silence or will you give in to the perception that God has left you alone? Trust in Him with all your heart. You will hear His voice again. You will experience His presence again. He has not left you alone. He is still standing in the struggle with you.

Photo by Štefan Štefančík on Unsplash

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March 26, 2024 · 5:32 AM

Undistracted Worship

If you’ve ever been to Rome, you have no doubt been to a piazza. If you haven’t been, there are the open spaces between buildings in an area where there are fountains, restaurants and usually a church. It’s a communal space where everyone tends to hang out. It would be very relaxing except that Rome is full of tourists and tourists bring sales people. As we tried to enjoy a stroll through one we were greeted by people launching little lighted up things in the sky. Others are walking by you with something in their mouth that squeaks. Others are approaching you with their wares calling out to you. Everyone and everything seems to be vying for your attention keeping you from the one reason the piazza is there for.

During Holy Week Jesus spent a lot of time in the Temple trying to teach and to worship. Because there were a lot of tourists in town for the festival, there were tons of vendors trying to sell things vying for each person’s attention. They were distracting people from the reason they were all in town in the place where everyone was supposed to be worshiping God. Jesus had enough of it and started flipping tables and whipping people throwing them out of the place of worship. In Matthew 21:13, He chastised them saying, “My dwelling place will be known as a house of prayer, but you have made it into a hangout for thieves!” (TPT) He removed the distractions and the clutter to redirect the people’s attention back to God and to the purpose of the House of Worship.

In like 10, Jesus was teaching in the home of Martha and Mary. Martha was distracted by everything that needed to be done to accommodate the group while May sat in worship listening to Jesus. When Martha complained, Jesus said, “Martha, my beloved Martha. Why are you upset and troubled, pulled away by all these many distractions? Mary has discovered the one thing most important by choosing to sit at my feet. She is undistracted, and I won’t take this privilege from her.” Jesus wants you and I to be undistracted as we worship Him. What are the things you’ve allowed in your life that have cluttered it up and are distracting you from giving Him your full attention and worship? What tables need to be flipped so you can sit at His feet? Make this Easter a time where you get back to your purpose of worshipping Him undistracted and uncluttered.

Photo by Caleb Frith on Unsplash

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March 25, 2024 · 5:28 AM

Mission Minded

Are you the type of person that is easily distracted or are you so focused you can tune the world out? Sometimes I feel like the dog Doug in Disney’s “Up” movie who is constantly distracted by squirrels. Other times I feel like Kevin Costner’s character in “For Love of The Game”. He was a pitcher in a game of baseball inside a noisy stadium. He would say, “Clear the mechanism,” and he would be able to tune everything out to focus on the pitch. As what we now refer to as Holy Week was about to begin, Jesus was headed for Jerusalem knowing what was waiting for Him there. He was focused and ready.

Luke 9:51 says, ”Now when the time was approaching for Him to be taken up [to heaven], He was determined to go to Jerusalem [to fulfill His purpose]“ (AMP). The King James Version tells us His face was set like a flint. He was so focused on His mission that He wasn’t being distracted. The people in the village wouldn’t let them stay there that night. They had no idea that they were denying rest to God’s son who had come to save them from their sins. They only saw a Jew who was dead set on getting to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. A couple of disciples wanted to call fire down from Heaven but Jesus rebuked them saying, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”]

Hebrews 12:2 tells us to run our race with endurance ”[looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work.“ Jesus’ mission was the cross. His whole life was pointing to that moment so He could bear the sins of the world and bring salvation. Before He left, He gave us our mission to go into all the world, preach the Gospel and to make disciples. Like Jesus, we need to be mission minded blocking out the things that would distract us from what He’s called us to do.

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March 22, 2024 · 5:36 AM

Being Assured

Doubt is one of our enemy’s greatest weapons. Since the Garden of Eden he has tried to plant doubt in our minds. Doubt that what God said is true. Doubt that you are really saved. Doubt that God hears you when you pray. The list goes on. Doubt is not from God. He wants us to be assured that His Word is true, that our salvation is sure and that He hears us when we pray. He gives us assurances all throughout the Bible so that we may know these things and be fully convinced. When doubt arises, as it does with all of us at times, combat it with the Word of God. Faith and assurance come from God. Take those thoughts of doubt captive and bring them into submission to the Word of God.

Here are some Bible verses on our assurances.

1. Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace].

James 1:3 AMP

2. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Hebrews 10:19-22 ESV

3. Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].

Hebrews 11:1 AMP

4. I’ve written this letter to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you will be assured and know without a doubt that you have eternal life.

1 John 5:13 TPT

5. But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.

Colossians 1:23 NLT

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March 21, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Keeping A Clear Mind

I’m bad about losing my cool when things don’t go the way I planned. I like to look at a goal, see the steps that need to take place and then take those steps. When something unplanned happens along that journey, I start to stress out, think of the worst case scenario and complain. On the other side of the coin, when I come to my senses and have a clear mind, I have a great ability to improvise. I can make connections where there don’t seem to be any and get things back on track no matter how far off they are. It’s really a matter of self control in those times when my plans go awry. My wife usually has to be reminded that it’s not the end of the world and to step back, clear my mind and reassess.

Joseph, who was Jacob’s son, had a dream that went awry too. After expressing his dream that one day his mom, dad and brothers would all bow to him, he was sold as a slave where no one would bow to him. Instead of panicking, he held onto the dream. When he was accused of trying to rape his master’s wife, he was thrown in prison, even farther away from the realization of his dream. We never read where Joseph panicked or complained. We simply read of a person who did what was required of him in whatever situation he was in. He kept a clear mind no matter how crazy life got, and God’s plan still prevailed no matter what his circumstances were telling him.

In 2 Timothy 4, Paul reminded Timothy that no matter what, he should go,d true to his calling to preach the Word. Then he gave him insight that things will get messy and people won’t listen to his message. In verse 5, he wrote, “But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you” (NLT). He was reminding him and us to do the work we were called to do no matter what things look like or how bad they get. Each of us have a ministry that God has given us. If we get distracted by the things going on around us, we will fail to do it. However, if we keep a clear mind, stay the course and continue working, we will carry out all God has created us to do.

Photo by Caleb Frith 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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