God's Gym

1 Tim 4:7-8 “On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

America, through fast food and fast living, has become the “fattest” country in the world. As a result, numerous diets have gained the attention and application of millions of Americans because they claim fast weight loss. I also, in the past 5 months, have lost almost 50 pounds through changing my diet, and staying disciplined in the area of food and exercise. It works, but it takes discipline and consistency!!

Also, from the time that we learned how to read, our parents and teachers have told us that in order to be successful in life we must get an education. We start out in kindergarten and our goal is to make it through college. But in order to make it all the way through college we must discipline ourselves with good study habits. If you have poor discipline in the area study, then it is unlikely that you will make it through college.

From an early age, we are taught to take care of the mind and body in order to be successful, but few seem to care about the Spirit. In the same way that discipline in exercise and nutrition is beneficial to the body and education is beneficial to the mind; the word of God is beneficial to the Spirit. Paul tells us that “bodily discipline has some value, but godliness is valuable for all things.” The Greek word that Paul uses for discipline is gumnasia. This is where we get the English word gymnasium. We have to “work out” in the gymnasium of God everyday in order to profit Spiritually. Consistency is the key. You can’t be inconsistent on a diet and expect to see results. You can’t be inconsistent in a weight-training program and expect to gain muscle. And you can’t be inconsistent in the daily study of God’s word and expect to reach Spiritual maturity. It takes discipline. It takes consistency. Become disciplined in your study and application of God’s word and I promise that you will see results. Step into God’s gym, (His word) and work out (live God’s word) every day. The word of God is “profitable for all things” and can transform your Spiritual weakness in to Spiritual power through Spiritual discipline. Discipline, training, and consistency are the only way to profit from exercise, diet, or education, and they are the only way to profit from the word of God. Start a “work out” regimen in the Word today, stay disciplined, train consistently, and watch God increase your Spiritual strength.

Ultimate Sacrifice

"I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins." --- Isaiah 43:25

In my own spiritual walk I often come across people who are militant towards God. Their line of argument is they are blinded to God's love by the evil that is so prevalent in our world. If you are openly seeking the Lord in your life, you probably have crossed paths with these type of people also. We know that "the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing," so it should come as no surprise to us when we encounter them, but at the same time it troubles me when I do. After you hear all of their arguments, at the end of the day, when you get all the way down to the real issue, the b.l.t. (bottom line theology) is these people simply DO NOT WANT to submit to the authority of a sovereign God. In their way of thinking (their world view), the "risk versus reward" of submitting their lives to God is not worth losing their love of self. The "evil in the world" is only a result of the rejection of God and the insistence on loving self.

Today's scripture reference is a very special verse to me. This verse not only declares that God wipes out our transgressions as a result of Christ's work on the cross, but it also tells us that He did it FOR HIS OWN SAKE. Because of God's love for us, he made the decision to make the ultimate sacrifice in order that we would have the opportunity to spend eternity with Him. He did not do it based on anything we are, in fact He could not have done it based on who we are. The only way for God's plan of salvation for man to be perfect was for Him to base it solely on who He is. God deals with the salvation of man in absolute terms, entirely dependent upon His grace, and we can do one of two things with it; accept it or reject it.

Now I am more of a "Spaceballs" guy than I am "Star Wars," but I went to see the new "Star Wars" movie last night with some friends from CrossWord and I told them I would work the movie into today's devotion. I don't know if George Lucas intended to write it this way, but there are hundreds of spiritual comparisons that can be drawn from the movie. Young Anakin is a great example of what we are talking about today. He is the chosen one and the prophecy gives him guaranteed victory in life. Yet because of his love of self, his attachment to worldy things that feed his self gratification, his fear of not being able to control all circumstances relating to self, he blinds himself to the truth and makes the decision to join "the dark side" of the force. The only problem is after joining the dark side, things don't work out the way he thought they would have, and he grows increasingly bitter. The exact same thing that happens to those who subscribe to the "evil in the world" theory. They do everything they can to satisfy self, and it is never actually as satisfying as they thought it would be. Then they blame God and follow that line of reasoning all the way until they get to the point of an "unloving God" who "allows evil to exist." Its a vicious cycle.

Really the only thing we can do when we encounter these type of people is to represent Christ to them pray for them. Chances are you will not be able to debate them because they are so caught up in the cycle. They can't understand that only a loving God would present an avenue for us to be saved, and that he does it BECAUSE HE IS LOVE (1 Jn. 4:8). Because God is love, He had to present us with a way of salvation. Evil is only a product of the rejection of God's love.

Daily Bread

Matt 22:29 “But Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God.”

God dedicated the longest chapter in the Bible to the importance of the Word, Psalms 119. There are 176 verses of Scripture in Psalms 119. Of the 176 verses, 169 of them are dedicated to expressing the absolute necessity of the Word of God in the life of a believer. The psalmist uses at least one, and sometimes more than one, synonym for the Word in all but 7 verses. When you read the words law, testimonies, ways, precepts, statutes, commandments, judgments, word, ordinances, or righteousness, the psalmist is speaking of the Word of God. The psalmist drives home the fact that the Word of God blesses, purifies, restrains the sin nature, teaches, encourages, counsels, revives, strengthens, comforts, directs, establishes, produces reverence for God, grants salvation, builds faith, gives freedom, produces love, protects, enlightens, promotes compassion, humbles, shelters, is the source of wisdom, sustains, redeems, and is absolute truth.

If some pharmaceutical company developed a pill that guaranteed all of those things to anyone who took it, everyone on the planet would take it everyday. Why then is it such a struggle to make a daily commitment to make the Word of God a priority for your life? In Matthew 4:4 Jesus said, “It is written, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every Word the proceeds from the mouth of God!” This means that the Word of God is as important to sustaining life as food. How many times a day do you eat? How many times a day do you read, meditate, and talk about the Word of God? How many days have you gone without food? How many days have you gone without reading the Word? Do you ever crave your favorite food? Do you ever crave the Word of God? The Bible is a key that opens the door to eternal life in Heaven and Spiritual life on earth. Psalms 119 is devoted to the instruction, benefit, reliability, and absolute dependence on God’s Word.

MTV Cribs

Philippians 1:21 “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain”

Unless you have lived under rock for your entire life, then there is a good chance that you have heard or said at least one of these statements: “My job is my life”, “I live for the weekends”, “My kids are my life”, or “My life would be complete if I won the lottery”. We even watch television shows like “MTV Cribs” to catch a glimpse of the so-called “abundant life” and wonder what it would be like if we lived in such abundance. For some reason our society believes that the “abundant life” is attained through high paying jobs, vacations, nice homes, nice cars, 2.5 kids and a pet. We can either buy into society’s false view of the abundant life, never truly attaining it, or we can listen to words of Paul in Philippians, apply them to our life, and live in the abundance of Christ.

What does the statement “For me to live is Christ” mean to you? It is a very easy verse to remember and quote, but how easy is it to live? The word “live” is translated from the Greek word “zao”. Zao means to abundantly live life. The same word is used in John 10:10 were Christ says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” The only way to live an abundant life is to live a life for Jesus Christ. Abundance of life is not measured by how much you HAVE in your life, but by how much of your life that you GIVE to Christ. If we are to apply this verse to our lives then we must allow Christ access and rule over every aspect of our lives without restriction or hesitation. “For me to live is Christ” means placing Christ on the throne of your life, which is exactly were He belongs. But Christ can’t sit on the throne of your life if you are already sitting in that place of authority. We need to get out of His seat, let Him be the ruler, and take our rightful place as servants. An easy way to determine if you are living a life for Christ or living a life for self, is to honestly answer these questions: Is my life productive for Jesus Christ? How effective have I been in, not only proclaiming, but also living the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Am I living the purpose that God has for my life? Is my life producing fruit for Christ? Am I satisfied with my service to Christ? Can I honestly say, “For me to live is Christ”? For Paul, loving Christ and living for Christ were the only reasons worth living. What gives worth to your life? Is it Jesus Christ? We can live an “abundant life” if we live a life that serves Christ and not self. Allow Christ to take his rightful place on the throne of your life and experience the only true “abundant life”. The “abundant life” of a servant of Christ is clearly expressed by the words of Paul in Ephesians 3:14-21. This is the life in which you and I are to aspire.

Ephesians 3:14-21 “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”

Abundance is not gained through the authority, power, riches, or glory that we seek in this world. Abundance is only gained through the bowed knees of a humble servant by faith in the riches of His glory, the power of His Spirit, the limitlessness boundaries of His love, and the sufficiency of His grace. Live the "abundant life"; Submit your life Christ, living to serve Him.

Straddling the Fence

Ephesians 4:17 “So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind" Vs. 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; Vs. 19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

Have you heard the terms “straddling the fence” or “walking a thin line”? For the most part this term is used for describing someone that is “border line”, i.e., not on one side or the other… or having a little of both!

In these verses, Paul lays out the dangers of “straddling the fence” to the church in Ephesus. Possibly to a mass of converted believers (Gentiles) from paganism, who might be straddling the fence or walking a thin line between their old and new ways of life. A line that on one side is intimacy with the peace and grace of God that brings joy, and the other side which is an empty, darkened, and decremented life of separation and misery. Paul knows the vulnerability and temptation for a believer to blend in with the world of unbelievers and warns them “that you walk no longer” (stop walking) in the “futility of their mind”. (In other words, with empty minds.) The picture of being empty minded can be better understood as sucking up all the immoral views of worldly thinking with the vacuum of the mind.

As believers, they are doing a balancing act or “straddling the fence”. On this fence, you are able to see both sides. Just a little lean to one side and over you go. By sucking up dirt and filth like a vacuum, they become heavy on one side “being darkened in their understanding”. Romans 1:21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Even though Romans 1:21 is speaking of the unbeliever, it can be applied to the believer who falls off the fence. The believer knows what God has to offer in the light of Jesus Christ for their life, but when they choose to turn away from the light, their understanding becomes darkened.

Paul continues to expound on what happens to the believer who is living life on the other side of the fence. Because of the willful “ignorance that is in them”, they sit in darkness and come to love the darkness more than the light. This “excluded (Alienated) them from the life of God”. They alienate themselves from the purpose and plan that God has for their life (“life of God”). This is a personal and volitional choice. The choice, however, to continue to suppress the truth that is evident to them, is selfish. James 3:14-16 “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. (15) This wisdom is not that which comes from above, but is earthly, natural, and demonic. (16) For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing”. When the choice is made to suppress the TRUTH, the understanding is darkened, and the believer excludes himself from the plan of God. This eventually develops into the condition of “hardness of their heart” which results in becoming “callus” (meaning cease to feel pain). Summed up this is Spiritual Leprosy... a Spiritual hardening of the heart that results in the feeling of no pain. Pain urges the sick to seek a remedy, where there is no pain, little is thought of seeking. At this point the Word of God no longer makes even the smallest of pinpricks to their conscience. The conviction is not there and the Spirit of God can no longer give the convicting feelings needed for Spiritual life.

Sadly, they “have given themselves over” (meaning give up or deliver up to treachery). The word “given” also used in the same manner for the betrayal Jesus Christ. God gave them up to the desires of their heart by withdrawing His preventing grace; their sin thus was made their punishment. Romans 1:24 Therefore God delivered them over in the cravings of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. They gave themselves up on their own to “sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness”. They had no sense of the misery and dangers of the sins they where commonly practicing. When believer reaches this place there are no boundaries for what they will do to gratify the desires of their flesh.

If you are a believer who is "straddling the fence" by having one foot in world and one foot in the Word, then Paul’s warning is for you. Eventually you will be drawn into the system of the world and suck up all of its filth. This is not a good place to be. This place leads to darkness, futility, separation, and hardness of the heart. In this is a place there is no peace, only misery. Therefore, follow the truth that you have in God’s Word instead of the lies of the world. The truth leads to light, the fullness of Christ, the plan of God, and heart that longs for truth. This is where true peace can be found. This warning from Paul is real! Don’t take it for granted! The WORD of GOD is the only stable ground on which to stand. Get off of the fence and jump into the WORD.

Packrat

Romams 12:1 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship."

My wife and daughter used to watch this television show called “Clean Sweep”. The premise of the show is that a “packrat” calls in “experts” to clean out, organize, and rearrange one of the rooms in her house. The “experts” drag everything out into the yard for the purpose of a yard sale, and everthing not sold is given to a charitable organization. But, on every episode the same thing happens. While everything is tagged and ready to be sold, the owner walks around, pulls stuff out of the sale, and puts it back in the house because she just can’t stand to part with it. Isn’t that funny? The person who asked for help to “clean out” her house is now refusing to part with the things that caused the clutter.

Are we so different? When we receive by faith that Christ died for sin, was buried, and resurrected three days later; we become children of God. From the moment of Salvation, God starts a cleaning process in our lives and we welcome it with open arms. That is until He tries to rid us of something that we aren’t ready to "give up". We ask God to clean out, rearrange, and organize our lives, but then we start dragging back the very things that caused the clutter.

In this verse Paul is begging us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. Paul is making it clear that we are to offer "all of ourselves" to God. When we become children of God, we no longer “own” ourselves, but every part of our being belongs to God. The struggle then becomes a struggle over will. Is it my will or God’s will to be done? We must surrender all of ourselves (our entire being, our entire mind, our entire person) to God for His purpose and His plan. We must release all rights and all claim that we have on our lives and turn it over to God, but just like the show clean sweep, we have a hard time parting with “our stuff”.

Let God clean out, organize, and rearrange your life. Live a life for His will and not your own. When God wants to get rid of something, don’t fight Him for it, just let go and trust that He knows what He is doing. Our goal as Christians is to finally, honestly, and humbly be able to say with conviction, “Not my will, but Thy will be done!!!!” We have already called in the "EXPERT" to remove the cluttter. All we have to do now is get out of the way, and let HIM do HIS job.

Did God Really Say?

2 Corinthians 11:3 “But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.”

My irresponsibility started at a very young age. I can remember, while in 3rd grade, I left my math book at school and was unable to do my homework. When my mother picked me up from daycare that evening, I asked her if we could drive by the school and try to get my book. She told me that there was probably no one there, but that we would stop by and see. It was about 6:00 pm and my teacher Mrs. Underwood was still in the classroom. When I walked into the classroom I saw something that I didn’t quite understand. Mrs. Underwood was teaching a grown man how to read. After teaching kids all day, instead of going home, she stayed late to tutor an illiterate father.

Now that I am an adult and father of three, I see a different kind of illiteracy plaguing our nation. The greatest area of illiteracy in our nation today is Biblical illiteracy. The same way that Eve was deceived in the garden is the same way people are deceived today; People don’t know and don’t care “what God says”!! People watch television everyday, read the newspapers or books everyday, but for some reason people have no desire to read the word of God everyday. In this verse, Paul says that he is afraid that we will be led astray in the same way as Eve. He had good reason to be afraid because we ARE being led astray in the EXACT same way; WE DON'T KNOW WHAT GOD HAS SAID!

Gen 3:1 “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"

Eve failed in the garden the same way we fail in our Spiritual lives. She wasn’t clear on what “God had really said”, and the majority of Christians in the world today aren’t either. Eve made the mistake of assuming what God said instead of absolutely knowing what God said. She failed and Satan succeeded because of her ignorance to the word of God. The omnipotence of God lies within every word of the book we call the Bible. When we place our faith in God’s word, that power is transferred into our life. The same power that resurrected Jesus Christ from the dead is available to anyone who places their faith in the word of God, but to place your faith in something that God did not say is powerless and foolish. That is why it is of the utmost importance to “know the Scriptures.”

Please understand that we are engaged in a Spiritual battle against the demonic forces of Satan everyday that we breathe air on this earth. To go into battle without a weapon is certain death, yet as Biblically illiterate Christians, we do it daily. The word of God (which is the sword of the Spirit) is our only weapon in this unseen warfare, and to not “know It” is to be defenseless. If we don’t take this battle serious by studying and applying God’s word, then we, like Eve, will be deceived and fall.

We need to be less like the Sadducees in Matthew 22:29, where Jesus tells them; “You are deceived because you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God”, and become more like the Bereans in Acts 17:11; “But the people of Berea were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” The only way to know what “God has really said” is to search the Scriptures and find out. We need to cease being Biblically illiterate, ignorant, and ineffective, and become Christians who absolutely, without a doubt, “KNOW WHAT GOD HAS SAID”. Is Paul talking to you in this passage? Are you being led astray like Eve? Do you know “WHAT GOD HAS SAID”? Don’t be deceived like Eve!! Make it a point to know and understand the inerrant, infallible word of God. You never know when someone might ask you, “DID GOD REALLY SAY?”

Without Faith

"And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." — Heb. 11:6 (NAS)

We apply faith in our everyday lives without thinking about it. We want to get from point A to point B (this is not always literally a physical point A & B), and the only way to get there is to place our faith in something. I drive from my apartment to work every morning in faith that my vehicle will get me there. I have faith that when I finish typing this lesson, www.blogger.com will allow me to upload it from my laptop to the CrossWord blog. There are too many situations which require the application of faith throughout our day to list in this lesson. The entire CWL (Christian Way of Life) is no different in the actual application of faith. We are at point A and want to get to point B, and the only way to get there is through faith. The difference is when we place our faith in the promises made to us in the Word of God, it is a done deal. There have been instances when I attempted to post a message on www.blogger.com, only to find that blogger was not cooperating, and the message remained on my laptop. It is the object that receives the action of our faith where the difference is found. This verse shows us how to approach the CWL in faith:

1. We must believe that God exists. This is step one. If we do not believe that God is who He says he is, we cannot even begin. Step number two is completely dependent upon step number one . And;

2. We must also believe that "He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." What does it mean to seek Him? What does He reward us with if we do seek him? Let’s break this part of the verse down a little more.

The Greek word the writer of Hebrews uses here for "seek" is ekzeteo, which means to "investigate, to crave, to demand." The New King James Translation more accurately reads "He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." The only way to "diligently" seek Him is to spend time everyday investigating the method God has chosen to reveal himself to us...His Word. This is not the same type of "seeking" like when I was a teenager and my mother had me doing yardwork and I sought for and "couldn't find any string for the weadeater". No, this is more like when I am getting ready for work in the morning and realize there are no more clean dress socks in my drawer. I start overturning furniture. I have "diligently investigated" (from the Greek) some unlikely places in the mornings in hopes of finding a pair of clean socks.

What is the reward? This verse does not mean if you spend 21 straight mornings reading one chapter of the Gospel of John, God will "reward" you with material items. He rewards those who diligently seek Him with victory in the CWL. If your intentions for seeking God are anything other than wanting to truly know who He is, and how His Word can be applied to your life resulting in victory in the CWL, then you are wasting your time. You would be better suited to go to work an hour early, get home at 4 o'clock instead of 5, and watch Dr. Phil. We have positional victory at the moment we place our faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Only when we truly learn to rest in who God is and allow His promises to invade every aspect of our life will we be able to claim experiential victory in the CWL. The entire 11th Chapter of Hebrews is a reflection of how the "Heroes of the Faith" faithfully heeded God's promises to achieve victory in their individual walk. Which of God’s promises are you failing to heed?

Circumstances

Philippians 1:12 “Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel”

I don’t know about other families, but my family absolutely loves to eat breakfast for dinner. Tonight, while driving home from a softball game, my son asked if we could cook breakfast when we got home. Cooking breakfast at my house is a family affair; everyone plays a part. Haley cooks the eggs, Shelby makes the waffles, Drew sets the table, I cook the sausage, and Heather controls the madness. Tonight, while in the process of cooking, stirring, buttering, and flipping, a deterring circumstance reared its ugly head. The range hood (fan/light) came crashing down on the stove, which sent sausage, grease, eggs, pots, pans, and utensils flying all over the kitchen. It was a huge mess. Because of this unforeseen circumstance, our goal of cooking breakfast seemed to be in jeopardy. We could have called it quits and settled for sandwiches, but instead we cleaned up, stayed focused on the goal, resumed cooking, and had breakfast for dinner. We did not let circumstances deter us from our goal.

The letter written to the Philippians is one of Paul’s prison epistles. It was written around 61 AD from a Roman prison, where Paul was literally chained at the wrist to a Praetorian guard during his entire imprisonment. When we think of spending time in prison, nothing positive comes to mind. To the normal person, prison is thought of as a horrible place to spend any portion of life, whether one day or four years. Prison life is regarded as a helpless and hopeless circumstance that most people would rather avoid. NOT PAUL!!! Paul was proud to be a prisoner and turned what we would call a horrible circumstance into a reason for joy. HOW? He never took his eyes off of the goal, which was the furtherance of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He turned circumstance into opportunity by not allowing his situation to deter him from his purpose. The issue is never circumstance!! The issue has always been and will always be Jesus Christ. By placing Christ in every circumstance, we develop confidence and contentment with our condition, no matter how small (cooking breakfast) or large (imprisonment) the problem. Paul says, “My circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel”. Paul stayed focused on the mission; Paul stayed focused on Christ. Every believer in Jesus Christ will either be “all controlled by circumstances”, or “controlled by the word of God in all circumstances”. If we allow the word of God to dictate our response to circumstance, then we can share the same attitude of joy that Paul had while in prison. But if we allow ourselves to be controlled by circumstances, then we live a life of disappointment, disillusionment, and discouragement. In this verse, “My circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel”, Paul uses the Greek word, “prokope”, which is translated “progress” in the English. “Prokope” actually means to cut ahead. To better understand this word, think of a “guide” who leads others through a densely thick jungle by cutting a path with a machete. (A trailblazer or path clearer.) Paul is saying that his imprisonment is not to be looked at in a negative way, but as blazing a trail for the furtherance of the gospel. When we appropriate the word of God to any circumstance that others see as bleak, we blaze a trail for them to follow, a trail that leads to Jesus Christ. When a friend of mine, Pete Sanders, was in need of a liver, I saw it as a bleak circumstance. One day Pete came to church and the whites of his eyes were yellow. His rapidly deteriorating liver had caused him to develop jaundice. Even though I prayed for Pete to be called in for a transplant, I honestly thought that he was going to die. Time was ticking and there seemed to be no transplant in sight. Pete, on the other hand, had the same attitude as Paul. He stayed firm in his faith and kept his focus on the Word. I focused on the problem and the circumstance and Pete focused on Christ. By resting in God’s word and ignoring the circumstance, Pete blazed a trail of faith for me to follow. When I think of modern day heroes of faith in my life, I think of Pete Sanders, a true trailblazer. The same principle that Pete taught me, Paul is trying to teach to the Philippians, and I am trying to teach you. We must trust the Lord in every circumstance, because Jesus Christ is always the issue. We only have one hope in every circumstance, and that hope is Jesus Christ. The source of Paul’s joy in “dire straits” was Christ. The source of Pete’s joy in “dire straits” was Christ. The source of our joy in every circumstance should always be Jesus Christ. Circumstances always change, but Jesus Christ stays the same. He was the same yesterday as he is today, and will be forever. Just remember, as a Christian, you are never a bond-servant (slave) of circumstance, if you are always a bond-servant (slave) of Jesus Christ. When times get tough, don’t focus on the tough, or the time, focus on Christ and His purpose for the times of toughness. This is where true joy is found in bad circumstance.

Lion Hunt

“Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” 1 Pet. 5:8 b

One of my lifelong dreams has been to go on an African Safari. There is something about lions that fascinates me, and every time I’m flipping through the channels and see something on the Discovery Channel about lions I cannot help but stop and watch. These magnificent animals are without a doubt the most dominating, ferocious mammals in the world. They have the ability to take down their prey in the blink of an eye. The moniker “King of the Jungle” is appropriate only for the lion. In this verse, Peter directly compares our adversary, the devil, to a lion…and not only that, but this lion is hungry and prowling around “seeking someone to devour.” As we are going through our daily walk, exactly as if we were on a lion safari, we have to know how to react in the event of a confrontation with a lion. Don’t you think it would be a good idea to know how to react if you were confronted by a lion on the Serengeti in Tanzania? Well, the same applies to your everyday life. Satan will come for you, and when he does you better know how to react, or you will be devoured. Thankfully, Peter gives us the blueprint for success in the next verse.


“But resist him, firm in your faith..."1 Pet. 5:9

Peter tells us we must resist, standing firm in faith. The Greek word for “resist” is anthistēmi which simply means to withstand. We must withstand him by being "firm in our faith." The Greek word for “firm” is stereos , which means to be solid or immovable. We are to stand firm, not able to be moved, in our faith in our Shepherd to deliver us. A sheep is either the weakest animal in the world, or the strongest...it all depends on whether or not he uses his shepherd. We as sheep MUST depend on our shepherd. There is no such thing as a sheep away from the shepherd, there are only dead sheep away from the shepherd. We cannot defeat Satan alone; we must rely fully on God’s grace to sustain us. James gives us the same instructions in Chapter 4, verse 7, when he says "Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." It is exactly this necessity of total unwavering faith in our Shepherd that draws us closer to Him. James tells us to "consider it all joy" when we encounter trials because "testing of your faith produces endurance." (Read James Ch. 1) We have the option of CERTAIN victory in every confrontation we have with Satan (1 Cor. 10:13), the only question is will you submit completely to God's grace? God will not waiver during your trials, will you? Just as a young shepherd named David was able to protect his sheep from the attacking lion, how much more able is our Shepherd to protect us?

Thanks for your continued prayers and support. Buck's daily posts will continue tomorrow morning.

Combat Life Saver

Gal 6:1-2 “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.”

Soldiers in the military are in constant training to go to war, and all have some formal training in lifesaving. It is necessary in any branch of military service for soldiers to receive training in combat life saving techniques. When soldiers become wounded and injured on the battlefield, it becomes the responsibility of other soldiers to assess the wound, treat it as best as they can, and get the soldier to safety until professional help can be accessed. The training in first aid techniques can make the difference between life and death on the battlefield.

I see a different agenda on the Spiritual battlefield. When a Christian soldier becomes wounded or injured in the heat of battle we tend to write them off as dead. A Christian soldier becomes wounded in battle by some trespass or sin. Some sin in their life has taken them off of the battlefield and has made them an ineffective soldier. But instead of assessing, treating, moving to safety, and calling for help, we gossip, malign, point fingers, and ostracize. We tend to kill our own wounded soldiers instead of treating, healing, and loving them to get back in the fight.

When a Christian soldier goes down on the Spiritual battlefield, we are to restore them with a Spirit of gentleness, according to Paul. Gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit. When a fellow Christian has fallen in some sin, is your attitude toward them from the Spirit? Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Or is your attitude toward a fellow believer who has fallen in some sin produced from the flesh? Gal 5:19-20 “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions”

As Christians we need to train to be “Combat Life Savers”, and not “Combat Life Enders”. When a fellow Christian is wounded on the battlefield, we need to “restore them with the fruit of the Spirit” and not kill them with the “works of the flesh”. There is a story that I once read about a well-known Christian leader whom had been found passed out drunk at a certain place in town. One of his “Christian brethren” received a phone call from someone in the Church who was gossiping and maligning the well known, drunk, passed out Christian. Immediately the “brethren” sent a chauffeured limousine to pick up the drunken man, while his wife prepared the best guest room. Their son watched as his mother prepared the four poster bed with monogrammed sheets. The son said to his mother, “What are you doing mom, he is drunk and might get sick.” His mother said, “ I know, but this man has slipped and fallen. When he sobers up, he will be so ashamed. He will need all the loving encouragement that we can give him.”

This story reflects the attitude of “restoring with gentleness”. When a fellow Christian slips and falls in some sin, it is our responsibility to restore him with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Leave the strife, envy, jealousy, gossip, outbursts of anger, and disputes to the enemy. Restore fallen comrades by patching them up and getting them back in the battle. We take enough fire from the enemy. We don’t need to fire on our own.

Dog Fight

Gal 5:17 "For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please."

"An Eskimo fisherman came to town every Saturday afternoon. He always brought his two dogs with him. One dog was white and the other dog was black. The fisherman had taught the dogs how to fight on command. Every Saturday afternoon in the town square, the people would gather to watch the two dogs fight and the fisherman would take bets. One Saturday the black dog would win; another Saturday, the white dog would win-but the fisherman always won! His friends began to ask him how he did it. He said, "I starve one and feed the other. The one I feed always wins because he is stronger." (paraphrased from the book, "The Holy Spirit" by Billy Graham)

When we place our faith in the person of Jesus Christ, His sacrificial death on the cross for sin, and His resurrection after three days in the grave, the Holy Spirit comes to reside in our body. (1 John 4:13) This causes conflict within us because from the time that we were conceived, we also have a sin nature. (Psalm 51:5) The two natures that dwell within us are in a constant battle for supremacy over all aspects of our lives. Just like the story of the two dogs, every day that we live, there is a struggle within us between the Holy Spirit and the sin nature to dominate and control our thoughts, actions, and attitudes. One of the two will always win! The question then becomes, "How do I win the daily battle over the sin nature?" The answer to that question is determined by the one in which you "feed" and the one in which you "starve". In Galatians 5:17 Paul tells us, "For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another,". Here we have a picture of a Spiritual tug-of-war. The sinful nature tries to pull you away from the control of the Spirit and the Spirit tries to pull you away from control of the flesh. One of them will always win!!! During every moment of your life, you are under the direct control of one of these two natures that dwell inside of you. If we continually yield to the power of the flesh and feed it by sinning, then the flesh will be the predominant power in our lives. But if we continually yield to the Holy Spirit and feed it by a daily renewal in the word of God, then the Spirit will be the predominant power in our lives. Psalms 119:103-104 says, "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! I gain understanding from your precepts;therefore I hate every wrong path." Feeding the Spirit from the Word of God will keep you from following the sin nature down "every wrong path". Daily study and application of the Word of God has to be made a priority in the life of a believer in order to win the daily tug-of-war between the Spirit and the flesh. Which nature is winning the battle for supremacy in your life? Which one are you feeding? Galatians 5:16 "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh." Make it a priority to "feed" the Spirit daily by yielding control of your life to the Spirit and applying the truth from God's powerful Word, and you will be victorious in the "dogfight" over your life. "Feed the Spirit!!!!" "Starve the flesh!!!!" Be victorious!!!