Not By Bread Alone

"For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin."
--- Heb 4:15

The Word of God is full of comparisons and contrasts. One of my favorites is Genesis 3 vs. Matthew 4. In Genesis, the first book of the Old Testament we are given an example of what happens when we have no knowledge of the Word of God. In Matthew, the first book of the New Testament, we are given an example of what happens when we do have knowledge of the Word of God. God puts these comparisons and contrasts in His Word as real world examples for us to see the difference in the right and wrong way to approach situations.

Throughout human history, God has always revealed Himself to us in some form. In Genesis they obviously did not have the written Word as we have it today, but God literally spoke to Adam and Eve in the garden. Different form of revelation, but the same principle. The Word of God is always the same. Back in chapter 2 of Genesis, God gave Adam specific instructions, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you do eat of it you shall surely die" (Gen. 2:16-17 NKJ). Though Adam did not have this command from God in written form, it was still just as valid as the commands we have today in the complete canon of scripture. Now Eve was not created until after God gave Adam this command, but there is no question that she was taught it.

We all know the story. When Satan comes to tempt Eve in chapter 3, he asks Eve if God really said they could not eat from any of the trees in the garden. In verse 2-3, Eve answers with "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'you shall not eat it, nor touch it, lest you die." Go back and read what God said. See the difference? At this point Eve is in serious trouble. Satan knows he has her because he can see that Eve does not take the Word of God seriously. Though she has not yet eaten of the fruit, the battle is already over. Any good lawyer knows how to examine a witness for weaknesses, and if that weakness is uncovered the witness is finished. From then on it's just a matter of time and torture for the witness. If the witness has no weaknesses, there is nothing the lawyer can do about it. Once Satan found Eve's weakness (ie. her lack of knowledge of God's Word), she was finished. Satan had her on cross-exam and the jury was snickering at her. Genesis 3 is Exhibit A of "how to fail in the Christian Way of Life."

Now look at Matthew 4. Jesus is led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by Satan. When Satan comes, he tempts Jesus 3 times. Each time Jesus responds by quoting scripture from the book of Deuteronomy. Unlike Eve, Jesus is on top of His game. He is ready for the toughest cross-exam the world has ever seen. Satan comes at him with all he's got, but Jesus never breaks a sweat and calmly rebuts everything Satan throws at Him. There is nothing Satan can do because Jesus has the Word of God mastered. Jesus never allows Satan any room to work with because He is prepared. Jesus knows the only way He can resist Satan is by clinging to the Word of God that He had memorized. Matthew 4 is Exhibit A of "how to succeed in the Christian Way of Life."

When Jesus made the choice to leave heaven and "tabernacle" among us, He also chose to abide by the limitations of the human realm. Jesus had to study and learn scripture just as we do. He spent 30 years of his life preparing for 3 years of ministry. What was He doing all this time? Luke 1:52 tell us that He "increased in wisdom." He was studying God's Word. Why do we think we can withstand the assaults from Satan without having adequate knowledge of God's Word? The bottom line is we can't and we won't. Jesus has 1934 verses of statements attributed to Him in the New Testament. Of these 1934, 159 of them are direct quotes from the Old Testament. That's a little over 8%. Now that may not sound like a lot, but think about how many times during the day you quote scripture. Think about all communication you have at home, at work, at the grocery store, etc. Now how much of that is scripture? I don't mean how many times do you bring up a doctrinal point or a principle relating to the Word of God. I mean how many times do you actually quote, verbatim, a verse of scripture? Could you defend your faith by quoting from the book of Deuteronomy? How about Leviticus or Hosea? Jesus could and did. He lived by it. There is no substitute for an extensive knowledge of God's Word. Just as a witness must spend days preparing for an hour of testimony in a court of law, we must spend time studying the Word to prepare for our testimony in this spiritual conflict.

Reaching Potential

"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few." --- Matt. 9:37

I am proudly from South Georgia. My father's family is from Lee County and my mother's family is from Mitchell County, both of which are historically rural farming counties. If you have ever been to South Georgia you know that agriculture is and always has been the lifeline of the economy.

"Back in the good ole days," (or so my grandfathers told me) when harvest time came, everything else in the family's life was put on hold. Kids did not go to school during the harvest because their labor was of such importance to the family's survival. For some families, like my grandfather's on my mother's side, it was a very tough time to live. Survival literally depended upon what they were able to provide for themselves. Whether the crop was sold or actually consumed by the family, everything hinged on the outcome of the harvest. The importance of the harvest was understood by everyone in the family, and sacrifices were made accordingly.

How much more important is the spiritual harvest we are called to work in? I know in theory everyone reading this will agree that it is very important, but in practice only a "FEW" of us (out of all Christians) truly believe it is so important. Or we might believe it is that important, but we are not disciplined enough to actually go and do the work it takes to make a difference in the harvest. Don't get mad at me, I'm just repeating what Jesus said over 2000 years ago.

"Workers" here is ergates, which refers to a "hired worker" or "a labourer." Someone who is paid to actually get down and "get a little dirt on their hands" (bonus points to anyone who can tell me who sings this song) and get the job done. Jesus means there is only a small number of believers who are going to "present their bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is (their) spiritual service of worship." (Rom. 12:1). The number of Christians who are going to press on is very minute. Only a small percentage will take this invisible warfare seriously. Only a "few" of us will accept and run with the responsibility of honorably representing Jesus Christ to the rest of the world. We are called to make a difference for Jesus Christ, but most of us will never answer the call.

The Christian Way of Life is similiar to a basketball team. As believers, we are all like lottery picks (very high 1st round draft picks for those of you who don't watch sports). God has invested a lot in us. Being an ambassador for Jesus Christ means we inherit a lot of responsibility. Lottery picks are drafted for one reason...to make a difference on the court in games. They are not intended to serve as dummies in practice. Nothing is more dissapointing and damaging to a team than to waste a lottery pick on a player that does not make a difference for the team in the games.

So far in his young career, Kwame Brown is an example of a wasted lottery pick. This guy is a 7 footer who can handle the ball, rebound, and play defense. He has all the physical tools, he has the ability to do it all. He was drafted #1 overall straight out of high school by the Washington Wizards, and unfortunately he has never lived up to his potential. This year he was so useless to his team that he did not even travel to Chicago for a crucial deciding playoff game. There is no doubt that he has the potential, he is simply not willing to put forth the effort to effectively participate in the Wizards system of basketball. Eddie Jordan (the Wizards coach) has no power over Kwame's willingness to apply all the tools he has. Kwame still gets a paycheck, but he is in no way helping the franchise.

In the same way, we all have potential to effectively participate in the spiritual harvest. We already have all the tools we need. Philippians 4:19 tells us "God will supply (us) with all (our)needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." The only question is will we put forth the effort to make a difference? If you read on to Matthew chapter 10, you will see that after Jesus declares there are only a "few" workers, he sends out 12 who are willilng to be part of the "few." With these 12 the world was changed forever. God will use those of us who will choose to make ourselves available to Him, but it's a choice we have to make. Do you want to participate in the harvest or do you want to sit on the bench? The choice is yours!

Mind Bending

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.

Psychological Operations is defined as influencing or an intent to influence the mind or emotions. The most dangerous course of action that Satan can implement is the influence of your mind. Because according to Proverbs 23:7, “As a man thinks within his heart, so is he.” Satan understands this and has developed a system of thought that we have been buying into since the Garden. Satan uses this system of thought (worldly thinking) to influence our mind, because as the mind goes, so goes the person. Satan employs this system of thought through (to the naked eye) accepted, organized, popular thinking such as religion, science, politics, philosophy, psychiatry, media, education, etc., etc.

“ Government, morals, education, art, commercialism, vast enterprises, organizations, and religious activity are included in Satan’s plan to deceive the human race.” L.S. Chafer

The battle is won or lost in your mind. If you are not committed to a daily renewing of your mind in the word of God, then your thoughts will be taken captive to worldly thinking. Romans 12:2 “ And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Everyday we choose to think thoughts that are influenced by Satan’s system of thought, which is in opposition to the Word of God. In order to combat this, we must become disciplined to diligently study the Word on a daily basis. It is an either or!! We are either studying the Word of God and being continually renewed in our minds or we are not studying the Word of God and becoming continually conformed to the world. There is no middle ground.

Matt 18:7a “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come;”

The stumbling block of this world is religion. The stumbling block of this world is success. The stumbling block of this world is happiness. The stumbling block of this world is philosophy. The stumbling block of this world is science. But you are probably saying, “All of those things are good!” That is the psychological warfare of the angelic conflict: Getting you to believe that the “good things” of this world are more important than the plan that God has for you.

We need to realize that Satan is vying for control over every thought that we choose to think. Our attitude should be that of Paul in 2 Corinthians 10:5 “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” We can either take every though captive to the obedience of Christ or be taken captive to Satan’s system of thought. The choice is up to you; be renewed in the Word or conformed to the World.

"It's hard to fight an enemy who has outposts in your head!" Sally Kempton

The Place of Trust

"It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man." --- Psalms 118:8


In the Bible, there are 594 chapters before Psalms 118 and 594 after Psalms 118. Psalms 117 is the shortest chapter in the Bible, and Psalms 119 is the longest. 594 plus 594 equals 1188. The exact middle point in the Bible is today's subject verse, Psalms 118:8. Of the ten essences of God, "Coincidentiality" is NOT one of them (I doubt that's even a word, but you get my point). However, "Sovereignty," "Veracity," and "Omnipotence" are. In the complete canon of scripture there are no coincidences. The character of God demanded that every "jot" and "tittle"of His Word be Divinely revealed to us, and in 96 AD this revelation was complete.

I worked for an architect my first year in college (we built a Jewish temple of all things!!!!). I can tell you from experience that no part of that building, down to the smallest detail, was constructed unless it got the approval of the architect. God is the master architect and His Word is His greatest Work. It should come as no suprise that the middle verse, the exact middle point in the Bible is a crucial concept that we must remember. It's a reminder put there by God for us so that we cannot miss it. It reads "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man."

There is nothing more dangerous than to place all your faith in a human being. I have to remind myself of this all the time. I have met some absolutely amazing people in my 13 years as a Christian. Men and women whom God uses to mentor and pray for me to become the man God wants me to be. I communicate with these people on a daily basis. Thankfully, they understand this verse and have taught it to me so that I would know it is not them that I should place my faith in. I understand the truth of God's Word is not dependent upon the lives of fallen people.

Anytime free will is placed in the arena of spiritual warfare, the possiblity of disaster is always present. The reason God put this verse in the middle of His Word is because He knows we have a tendency to place "impressive" and influential people on a high pedestal. We hold them to a higher standard than other people because they are such an integral part of our lives. They are the last people we expect to take a hard fall. When these people don't live up to the standard that we set for them, our natural reaction is to view their shortcomings as evidence of the ineffectiveness of God's Word. This is completely wrong and very dangerous, and it happens everyday. I don't expect any of my mentors to fall and I don't expect to fall, but if they do or if I do it is only because we are not living what we are teaching. It will be a result of our lack of application of God's Word, not the ineffectiveness of God's Word.

Each of us has our own race to run. The only one worthy of our complete faith is Jesus Christ, and He is perfect so we do not have to worry about being let down by Him. We can use others to help us along the way, but we cannot allow them to trip us up and cause us to fall short of the finish line. As long as we keep our focus on Christ and Christ alone, we will finish. The reason why blinders are put on horses is because it forces them to focus on their individual route. In the same way, we need to put on our blinders everyday and not allow anyone to keep us from getting where we need to be.

The All-Sufficiency of Grace

2Corinthians 12:9 a “And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness."

Is the Grace of God sufficient for you? Are you content with the provision that God extends to you in your life? Do you trust God and His innerrant Word? Do you try to fill your life with the things that your eyes desire? Why is it that we look for contentment and provision from the things of this world when God’s marvelous Grace is sufficient? One of the “schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11) is to deceive man into believing that God’s grace is not sufficient. Therefore, man abandons the perfect grace provision of God in order to seek contentment for his desires from an imperfect world. This is not a new concept. In fact, we can trace it all the way back to the Garden of Eden with the first man and woman that God created, Adam and Eve. Just like the cliché, “History repeats itself”, we have repeatedly abandoned the Grace provision of God in the same way as Adam and Eve. We need to learn from history and not repeat it.

Dr. W.H. Griffith makes this statement regarding Genesis Chapter 3: “It is hardly too much to say that this chapter is the pivot of the Bible, for if we take it away, the rest of Scripture becomes meaningless. With the exception of the fact of Creation, we have the record of the most important and far-reaching event in the world’s history – the entrance of sin.”

In Genesis Chapter 3, man sins against God and falls from the Age of Innocence. God had placed man in the garden and gave him the freedom to eat from any tree, except one. God’s Grace Provision for man in the garden was sufficient. There was not one need for man that God did not provide in the Garden. Everywhere that Adam and Eve looked, they saw the perfect, sufficient Grace of God. Yet their eyes were drawn to the only thing that God had said they didn’t need. Why? (Learning Point: You may be completely dependent on the Grace provision of God, but never underestimate the “schemes of the devil”. He is diligently working to draw your focus away from God to the desire of things in life that you don’t need.) What we have to do is learn from history and not repeat it. Satan will tempt us into questioning God in the exact same manner that he deceived Eve into questioning God. We must learn from Eve’s mistakes or we too will be deceived by the “schemes of the devil.”

Satan deceived Eve by getting her to question God in three distinct areas: (1) Is God’s Grace sufficient? (2) Is God’s word true? (3)Is God the sovereign ruler of my life, or am I?

(1) Is God’s Grace sufficient?
In Genesis 3:1-3, Satan cast doubt on the sufficiency of the Grace of God by asking “Did God really say…?” By placing Eve’s focus on the prohibition, Satan was able to make the her forget about all the blessings, privilege, and provision that she enjoyed in the Garden. What distractions in your life are causing you to forget all of the blessing, privilege, and provision that God has for you? Don’t focus on what you don’t have, focus on what God has and will always provide for you by his all-sufficient Grace.

(2) Is God’s word true?
In Genesis 3:4, Satan called God a liar by saying “You surely will not die!" Being completely opposed to God, Satan is determined to keep man from obeying God's word. He does this by casting doubt on TRUTH. Satan has always and will always call God a liar, believing that he is right and God is wrong. Do you completely trust the Word of God as inerrant, infallible truth? Don’t let the world’s standards and norms allow you to question the reliability and absolute truth of God’s Word. In order to defend the Truth, you must know the Truth. Knowing God’s Word will allow you to expose the lies and “schemes of the devil”.

(3)Is God the sovereign ruler of my life, or am I?
In Genesis 3:5, Satan now calls into question the absolute controlling sovereignty of Almighty God. He tries to convince Eve that the reason God forbids her to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is that “you shall be like God”. The ruse is that Eve will have just as much control of her life as God does. Who is in control of your life? Do you live in complete submission to the sovereignty of God, or do you think that you are the ruler of your life? God is the sovereign ruler of the universe, and you are man. Don’t deceive yourself into thinking that this life is all about you. This life has always been and always will be about Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the One who controls history, not Eve, and definitely not you.

These “schemes” have been perpetuated throughout history. Today, Satan is no different in his methods and motives than he was in the Garden. He tries to take our focus of the Grace of God and place our focus on the “wants” of man. Study the Word, become wise to his schemes, and learn from the mistakes of our forefathers (and mothers) in history; Don’t repeat them!

A Gift to Give

2 Timothy 4:5 “But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."

In most churches there is only a hand full of people that perform all the ministries. Why is that? I mean with the millions of copies of “Purpose Driven Life” sold around the country in Christian bookstores, it would seem like every person in the body of Christ would see their calling for ministry.

People go to church in order to get something, not to give something. We go to church for the lesson, for the fellowship, for the entertainment, for the food, for the kids, for self-help, for counseling, etc. There is ususally an agenda attached to our attendance. We should go to church not for what we can get, but for what we can give. Your church needs you! Your church needs your Spiritual gift!

You have to understand that God the Holy Spirit gave you a Spiritual gift at the moment of salvation. That gift is for three distinct purposes: Glorifying Christ, Unifying the church, and Edifying other believers. The gift inside of you calls out for ministry; Its sole purpose is ministry. If you are one of those who has always gone to church to get something, try going this week to give something. Find out about the ministries in your church and see where they can use you. Even if you are not sure about your Spiritual gift, get involved. God will use you to fulfill the ministry that He designed for you in His soveriegn plan. All you have to do is make yourself available and He will do the rest. Get involved by giving yourself to ministry. Stop going to church to get something and start going to give something and you too can “fulfill your ministry.”

Mind Field

2 Corinthians 10:3-4 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.”

Gettysburg is by far the most recognized battleground in the United States. Although the battle of Gettysburg did not end the Civil War, it remains the greatest battle in the war between the North and the South. During the three-day battle at Gettysburg, more men fought and died than any other battle fought on American soil. On the third day alone, July 3, 1863, during the infamous Pickett’s charge, 10,000 Confederate soldiers became casualties of war in the span of 50 minutes. The actual numbers are staggering for both the Union and the Confederacy. The Union had 3,155 dead, 14,529 wounded, 5,365 missing, with total losses amounting to 23, 049 men. The Confederacy had 3,903 dead, 18,735 wounded, 5,425 missing, and 28,063 in total losses. Those numbers sound as if they came from a ten-year war between nations, rather than a three-day battle between brothers. It is no wonder that the battleground at Gettysburg is studied, talked about, and remembered more than any other battleground in the great history of The United States of America.

Gettysburg was a battleground fought upon in a physical war. Where is the battleground upon which Spiritual warfare is fought? In 2 Corinthians 10:3, we learn that we are combatants in warfare. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.” And from Ephesians 6:12, we learn that we war against a highly-organized enemy force. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” But where is the battleground in which this unseen warfare takes place? The battleground for Spiritual warfare is in the mind. Rom 7:23 “but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.” Satan and his forces, through his system of evil and sin, are desperately trying to re-claim control of the strategic piece of land that was once their stronghold, your mind. Before you became a believer, Satan had control of your mind through his organized system of thought. (worldly belief system) 2 Corinthians 4:4 “In whose case the god of this world (Satan) has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” Now that we are believers, Jesus Christ has enlightened our minds, but the battle still continues for supremacy and control of every thought. Our minds need to be guarded and fortified in order to counter any and every enemy attack. Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Sally Kempton writes “It is hard to fight an enemy who has outposts in your head.” Satan has outposts or fortresses (2 Cor 10:3-4) already built inside our minds. Those fortresses are fortified with the desires of our Old Man. (The sin nature) The only way to thwart the assault on the battleground of the mind is to “destroy all speculation and every lofty thing (fortresses) raised up against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Cor 10:5) How do we go about taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ? In order to make the Spiritual battlefield of the mind a stronghold for Jesus Christ, we must analyze, memorize, and exercise truth from the word of God.

(1) Analyze Truth
It is imperative for Christians to study the word of God on a daily basis. We have no problem putting fiction, news, sitcoms, and conversational rumors in our head, so why is it such a struggle to study the Word every day? Because the war is over your mind and the Word is the only thing that can win the daily battles in the struggle for superiority over your thoughts. Proverbs 23:7 “For as a man thinks within himself, so is he.” The more we analyze Scripture, the more we “think” from the mind of Christ. (1 Cor 2:16)

(2) Memorize Truth
There will be times (probably more than less) when you will be without your Bible. Memorization of Scripture is important because it helps us to meditate on the Word throughout our day. (Psalms 119:15) When we have commands, principles, and promises memorized, we stand ready to defend against a small skirmish or a great battle. The enemy is poised and always ready. Prepare yourself for battle daily by memorizing and meditating on Truth from the Word of God.

(3) Exercise Truth
Exercising in the Truth is to apply Scripture to experience. To be ignorant to Truth is to go into war without a weapon, but to know Truth and not apply it is to have a weapon with no bullets. Applied truth is your loaded gun in Spiritual warfare. Every time we apply truth to experience, we press the attack on the enemy. Stand your ground (Ephesians 6:11) and take the enemy’s ground by exercising in the Word daily. Proverbs 22:17-19 “Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, and apply your mind to my knowledge. For it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, that they may be ready on your lips. So that your trust may be in the LORD,”

There are more casualties in Spiritual Warfare every minute of the day than there were in 3 days on the battlefield of Gettysburg. Form a perimeter around the battlefield your mind with the Word of God, and be victorious in the daily battle for superiority of your thoughts. “Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” Don’t surrender one thought to the enemy. One thought can turn into an outpost. One outpost can turn into a stronghold. “Guard your mind in Christ Jesus” and become continually victorious on the battlefield of the mind. (Philippains 4:7)

"You may be physically exhausted; you may be completely defeated, as far as the odds are concerned; you may be deprived of your liberty; but no one can stop you from THINKING those things which eventually will overcome the pressures and adversity of your situation." R.B. Thieme Jr.(Mental Attitude Dynamics)

Day Planner

Jeremiah 29:11 “’For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, "plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”

We spend our whole life making plans. We plan for college, plan for careers, plan for weddings, plan for families, and plan for retirement. We not only plan our lives, but we also plan our years, months, weeks, and days down to the minute. We buy calendars, day planners, and palm pilots to keep track of all the plans that we have. But how many of us are willing to accept the plans that the Lord has for us? Do the plans that we establish for our lives correspond with the plans that the Lord has for our lives? We can either be a positive part of the fulfillment of His plan (Saul of Tarsus) or a negative part of the fulfillment of His plan (King Saul of Israel), but we will be a part of His plan, and His plan will come to pass. Isaiah 46:10 “"…My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure';” Isaiah 46:11 “…I have planned it, surely I will do it.”

How is it that we determine if our plans are the same as the Lord’s plans for our lives? The answer to that question lies within the Word of God. Romans 12:1-2 tells us that if we continually offer our lives to God as a living sacrifice and renew our minds with the mind of Christ, then we will “PROVE WHAT THE WILL OF GOD IS, THAT WHICH IS GOOD AND ACCEPTABLE AND PERFECT.” God's will is in His Word, the mind of Christ. If we line-up our plans for life in accordance with His Word, then we will live in His will according to His purpose.

Do you consult with the Word before making life’s plans? Are the plans for your life made only after careful and prayerful consideration? Proverbs 16:9 “The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:3 “Commit your works to the LORD and your plans will be established.”

We tend to trudge through a life filled with circumstances that define who we are and dictate what we do. We can view these circumstances as coincidental or we can see them as intricate parts of God’s plan to mold us into the men and women that He desires us to become. From who’s eyes are you viewing life? To look at life from God’s eyes is to realize that God is in control, His plan is perfect, and He makes no mistakes. Therefore, every event in our short lives is meant to bring us closer to God in order to fulfill His plan and glorify His name. Isaiah 25:1 “O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.”

Sometimes the Lord uses the circumstances of life to peel our eyes off of the temporal and fix them on the eternal, or in other words, shift our focus from the world to Word. Sometimes we pay attention and other times we don’t, but God will always fulfill His plan whether we are willing or unwilling participants.

What is God doing in your life to fulfill His plan? Seek the plan of God for your life and He will reveal it to you. Make your plans God’s plans and He will complete His plan in, through, and by you. You are being molded for a mission from God.

Emmaus...Walk the Talk

Luke 24:25 And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!”

Luke 24:13-35 is the account of the post-resurrection appearance of our Lord to two disciples as they walked from Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus. This event takes place on resurrection Sunday, after the women had gone to the tomb and found it empty. These two disciples were talking with each other about the things that had happened over the past three days. The arrest, scourging, crucifixion, death, and burial of the man they called Messiah. To these disciples on the road to Emmaus, this was a very sad day (Luke 24:17b “…and they stood still looking sad.”)

While these two disciples were walking, talking, and mourning over the events of the past three days, Jesus Christ approached them and started walking with them, but they didn’t recognize Him (Luke 24:15-16). Jesus gives these two disciples an opportunity to proclaim the "good news" to a stranger. He swings the door wide open for them to share with someone the HOPE that they have in Christ when He asks them in verse 17 “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” but they miss the opportunity. They miss the opportunity because they leave out the resurrection, and without the resurrection there is no HOPE and there is no joy, because there is only death…no life. These disciples, who know that the tomb is empty, don’t believe that He has risen (Luke 24:21). This is why they mourn instead of rejoicing.

Jesus sees and corrects the problem in verses 25-27. Their problem is that they don’t know the Scriptures (specifically the Scriptures that deal with Messiah). Their problem is with faith, and faith only comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). So Jesus gives them joy by teaching them TRUTH. The TRUTH is that Christ has risen from the dead, and it is HE that is going to redeem Israel, and that Christ is Jesus of Nazareth. When they finally get the whole truth, they rush back to Jerusalem and share the "good news" with the rest of the disciples (Luke 24:33-25).

As believers, we can learn a lot from the experiences of these two disciples on the road to Emmaus, because we make the same mistakes when God swings the door wide open for us to share the HOPE that we have in Christ. For some reason we too leave out the resurrection, but make no mistake, without the resurrection, there is no HOPE.

What can we learn from the Emmaus walk of these two disciples:

1. God opens the door for us to share the gospel when we least expect it. We must be prepared at all times. Are you prepared to share the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ at this very moment? Proper preparation will give you complete confidence in what you are saying. If we are timid when it comes to giving the Gospel, it is probably because we are ill prepared. We must be ready! 2 Timothy 4:8 “preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season.”

2. The gospel without the resurrection is not GOOD NEWS. We must be clear when we proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. We must never leave out the fact that Christ not only conquered sin at the Cross, but also conquered death when He walked out of the grave. Our HOPE is in HIS life. 1 Corinthians 15:17 “and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.” We must never proclaim the gospel without the resurrection! The good news of Christ, the power of the gospel, is that Christ died for sin that He was buried, and rose from the grave three days later (1 Cor 15:1-4). This is the message of power that leads to salvation (Romans 1:16). The resurrection is important!

3. Faith is from the Word of God, not the words of men. Only when we search the Scriptures is our faith strengthened. Cleopas and the other unnamed disciple believed logic, not Scripture. They believed that the body was not in the tomb, but not resurrected. They believed that someone took Jesus’ body, not that God raised Him from the dead. They believed the women and not the Word. Jesus dealt with their unbelief by teaching them the Scriptures. He will deal with your doubt in the same way. It is the Word that is powerful (Hebrews 4:12), not the opinions of man. The Word of God can transform your foolishness into faith, your doubt into confidence, and your questions into answers. How well do you know the WORD? Search the Scriptures and gain confidence with your presentation of the GOOD NEWS of CHRIST.

God could give you an opportunity to share your faith today. Are you ready? Are you confident? Learn from the experience of theses disciples on the road to Emmaus and gain the confidence you need to proclaim our “so great salvation” in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is our hope! That is our joy! That is our confidence! That is our Life!

Not An Island

Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpens iron; so one man sharpens another.”

After joining the Army, I quickly learned the meaning of the term “battle buddy”. A “battle buddy” is someone who is always with you. Wherever you go and whatever you do, your “battle buddy” is right beside you. If you need to go and relieve yourself, then your “battle buddy” goes with you. When digging a foxhole, you dig for two. Two men share one foxhole, so that one “buddy” is always watching the other “buddy’s” back. As a soldier I am accountable for the safety and well being of my “battle buddy”, as he is also accountable for mine. If he becomes wounded, I am there to give “first aid”. If he can’t walk on his own, I am there to carry him. If he becomes fearful, I am there to encourage him. Battle buddies keep each other accountable, awake, alert, and alive in the heat of battle.

It’s hard to believe, but a lot of Christians have a negative viewpoint of the word accountability. Why is that? In the secular world, the word accountability seems to have a positive connotation. Everyone should agree that to be a person who is accountable is to be a person who is responsible. In fact, accountability and responsibility are synonymous. So why is it that most Christians misunderstand and even cringe when hearing the term “accountability partner”? It is because most Christians think that accountability is synonymous with criticism and in no way relate it to responsibility. They think that an accountability partner is going to probe into their life with legalistic zeal, pointing fingers and spreading gossip. This is not the Biblical M.O. of an accountability partner. An accountability partner watches my back in Spiritual warfare. An accountability partner renders “first aid”, when I am wounded. An accountability partner picks me up, when my walk turns into a crawl. An accountability partner adjusts my line of sight, when my vision is clouded with emotion and circumstance. An accountability partner is a trusted friend who earnestly cares for my best interests and offers wise, Christ centered, Bible based counseling, encouragement, and advice.

Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpens iron; so one man sharpens another.”
Just as a dull blade is useless for cutting and in need of sharpening, so we too become dull and useless within our Spiritual walk when we refuse to be honed. This verse says one man sharpens another or in other words, “accountability partners keep one another mentally sharp, focused, and alert in Spiritual warfare.” Do not forget that the war is fought in your mind and accountability partners help to keep one sharp for battle.
1 Sam 13:20-21 “So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plowshares, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened.” In this verse, Israel is preparing for battle with the Philistines raiders who were carrying out punitive expeditions against them. All of Israel went together to sharpen their weapons in order to prepare for battle. A dull weapon is of no use in combat. Without accountability partners, we walk into the combat zone alone, unprepared, and dull because, “Iron sharpens iron; so one man sharpens another.”

Eccl 4:9-12 “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Here we have several Biblical analogies for accountability partners. We cannot survive in the devil’s world in isolation. We need someone to come along beside and pick us up when we fall down, or let us know when we are walking on unstable ground. We need someone to keep us warm when the Spiritual fire starts flickering during the blizzards of life. We need someone who will stand firm with us in battle as to not become overpowered. (Ephesians 6:11-12) And just as a rope with only one strand is weak and a rope with many strands is strong, we need to be interwoven with other believers in order to multiply strength. (Strength in numbers!)

Biblical examples of failure due to lack of accountability:

God placed Abraham and Lot together and Lot was accountable to Abraham. When Abraham and Lot separated (Genesis 13), Lot was no longer accountable and was lured in by the lifestyle of Sodom and Gomorrah. The lack of accountability cost Lot dearly, in which he lost credibility with his own family (Genesis 19:14), lost his wife (Genesis 19:26), and perverted the morals of his daughters (Genesis 19:31-38).

Aaron was accountable to Moses during the Hebrews exodus from Egypt. But when Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain Aaron became swayed by public opinion and made an idol cast in the form of a calf. (Exodus 32:1-6)
When we become independent of accountability it is more likely that we will lose our focus of the person of Christ and the plan of God, resulting in a major fall.


Jesus Christ understood the importance of accountability when sending out the disciples in pairs. Mark 6:7 “And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits;”
The Holy Spirit understood the importance of accountability when He chose Paul and Barnabas to go on the first missionary journey. Acts 13:2 “While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

Hebrews 10 and Proverbs 27 makes a clear case for an accountability partner!

Heb 10:24-25 “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Proverbs 27:9 “Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel.”
We need someone to spur us toward love and good deeds while keeping an eye out for stumbling blocks. We need someone who will offer wise counsel when we seem to be making all the wrong decisions.

I will close with a quote from Chuck Swindoll on accountability. “Today, we too, need others to hold us accountable. Sometimes an objective opinion will reveal a blind spot. Sometimes a straight-from-the-shoulder piece of advice will preserve a friend from a fall. Other times a strong reproof will get the wayward back on track. On another occasion, we may simply need a sounding board to help keep us on target. Are you accountable to someone outside your family? Someone who can ask you straight questions, hard questions, and make honest observations? Do you spend time with this person on a regular basis, looking at each other’s life? Are you committed to mutual encouragement? Do you think together? Pray together? Play together? I hope so.”
Don’t try to go it alone, isolated and independent. Choose an accountability partner that you can trust, and I promise you that it will pay dividends, resulting in the endurance that leads to Spiritual growth maturity. James 1:4 “And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Victory!

John 20:15 “Jesus said to her, “Woman why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”

The Battle of Waterloo was fought between the French, under the command of Napoleon and the British, under the command of Wellington. In the month of June in the year 1815, news of the Battle was relayed across land to the English Channel. When the ships in the English Channel received word of the outcome, they in turn relayed the news to England. On that day a heavy fog was rolling in and hindering communications. The message went out, “Wellington defeated…” but the fog closed in and the rest of the message was not received . The news quickly spread all over England, “Wellington defeated!!!” Needless to say despair fell on the people , thinking that Napoleon and the French had taken Waterloo. There were probably thoughts of hopelessness, fear, sadness, worry, and panic as the news spread like wildfire throughout the land. The next morning when the fog lifted, the rest of the message was received, “Wellington defeated the enemy!!!” Hopelessness, fear, sadness, worry, and panic turned into joy, jubilance, satisfaction, elation, and rejoicing as the British celebrated victory.

Just like the British, the disciples also felt the uncertainty and hopelessness in the days following the Crucifixion. When Jesus Christ died it seemed to spell defeat for a few short days. John 20:9 “For as of yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.” They thought their Savior was dead. They lost hope!! Mary is weeping in this verse because she not only believes that Jesus is dead, but that some one had also taken His body from the tomb. Jesus speaks to her in verse 15, but she assumes that He's the gardener and has carried the body of Jesus away. When Jesus calls her name, “Mary”, she becomes elated and spreads the word of His resurrection. The news of the resurrection burst on the scene and rejoicing, jubilation, and joy followed.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ assures us that our hope for eternal life is not in vain, but an absolute reality . Therefore, we no longer fear death because there is life through the victory of the resurrection. As Christ now lives in the presence of the Father, so shall we. This is our confidence, our hope, and our faith!! While Paul was awaiting execution, he wrote these words to Timothy, “but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.” (2 Tim 1:10) Faith in the person of Jesus Christ will bring, to all who believe, life and immortality. Have you placed your faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ? Do you fear the sting of death? Do you want to experience the joy and jubilance of victory? The resurrection of Jesus Christ gives us a solid reason to believe that death is not the end, but actually a new beginning. By looking to His resurrection, we can find reason to hope that just as Jesus died but lived again, so can all who believe in Him. Eternal life is a reality for all who believe in the indisputable fact that Christ died for sin, was buried, and resurrected three days later. (1 Cor 15:3-4) Do you believe? Place your faith in person and work of Jesus Christ and taste the victory of the Resurrection!!!!

The Object of Faith

1 John 5:4 “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world---our faith.”

This promise ("For whatever is born of God overcomes the world.") exudes confidence. Why is it then that so many Christians are being overcome by the world instead of overcoming? The key to becoming victorious over the world system is faith. Have you ever heard someone say that they have lost their faith? Do you understand where faith comes from? Romans 10:17 says that “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” From this passage of Scripture it is clear that faith comes by HEARING the Word. Hearing is definitely the first step to faith, but in my opinion the writer is conveying much more. I know a lot of Christians who are attending church on a weekly basis and HEARING the Word of God, but being overcome by the world system. Hearing is an action word in the same way that faith is an action word. Take for example this verse from the Psalms: “Blessed be the LORD, Because He has heard the voice of my supplication (Psalms 28:6).” When the psalmist writes that God HEARD his voice, he is saying that God not only heard his prayer, but also answered it. For God to HEAR the prayer of one of his children means that He took action. In the same way, for us to HEAR the Word of God is not enough; we must take action! “Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, and apply your mind to my knowledge;” (Proverbs 22:17) In order to have the faith that overcomes the world we have to hear the word and apply our minds to that knowledge. Every Christian, without exception, whether spiritual or carnal, mature or immature can have the faith it takes to gain victory if they take action. “…but the people who know their God will display strength and take action.” (Daniel 11:32)

Faith is simply taking God at His Word. Faith in an adequate object will always produce a good outcome. (Romans 8:28) Before I made my first jump from an airplane I didn't have faith that the parachute on my back would work. I hoped that it would work, but the fear of falling to my immanent death was stronger than the faith I had in my equipment. I didn’t believe that my equipment was adequate. However, now that I have jumped over thirty times, I have complete confidence (faith Hebrews 11:1) in my parachute. What used to be fear has become faith. Without the experience of jumping I would never had attained faith in the adequacy of my equipment. You will never understand the adequacy of God’s Word until you apply it by faith over and over again. (Hearing and hearing Romans 10:17) We gain victory over the world by placing faith in God’s Word. Victory does not come by placing faith in ourselves. The adequate object of our faith is the promises of God. When we put God’s principles to practice by faith every day, we press on to victory. Are you victorious over the world? Take action and apply God’s Word by faith.

Endure

2Timothy 4:5 "But you be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."

The second command of Paul in this verse dealing with "The Charge to a Christian Soldier" is ENDURE HARDSHIP. American Christians, for the most part, don't truly understand what it's like to endure hardship as a soldier for Christ. (Don't go crazy over that statement if you have suffered for Christ and start sending me emails telling me to where I can put this devotion.) Hardship to the average American is the cable going out, the battery on the remote control dying, gas prices going up, getting passed up for a raise or promotion, or just struggling to pay bills we can't afford as a result of our desires to have what we don't need. We will beg, borrrow, and steal to avoid hardship instead of actually enduring it. There is also what some call "The Prosperity Gospel" being preached today and people are buying into it. The whole idea that God doesn't want you to be sick, poor, hurt, or uncomfortable is "tickeling the ears" of the mulititude. They, in turn, try to barter with God in order to avoid suffering. The whole concept of giving in order to receive has spread like wild-fire because of the greed mentality of our society today.

Paul commands us to "endure hardship" not "avoid hardship." Not only is this a command to endure, but it is also a promise that you will, without a doubt, as a Christian experience hardship in your lifetime. Hardship is inevitable, so when you experience it, ENDURE! The only way to endure hardship is to consistenly, completely, and faithfully rely on the promises of God. There is no way to endure hardship apart from the truth of God's word. Just like diamonds are formed in extreme pressure and gold is refined by passing through fire; Spiritual maturity comes through suffering! Spiritual maturity is refined by enduring hardship! Enduring hardship is God's refining furnace for Spiritual growth. This is why James tells us to consider the trials of life a joy. Persevering through trails produces endurance and the perfect result of endurance is Spiritual maturity. The path to Spiritual maturity passes through many levels of hardship and the only way to "endure" through the process is to rest in the promises of God. God in His marvelous grace has supplied you with everything that you need to endure hardship in your lifetime, all you have to do is trust. Can you trust God? If the answer is yes, then stop trying to avoid hardship and endure it. God is trying to refine you. Let Him!!!!

First Love

Rev 2:4 “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”

I know all of you have heard the saying “distance makes the heart grow fonder. Our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan understand it completely. Whether you are a soldier in a foreign land, a businessman on an extended business trip, or a father of three on a two-week vacation; at some point during the trip, vacation, or deployment, you begin to anticipate, look forward to, and long for HOME. How many of us have said, “I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed!” “I can’t wait to get home!” When we leave the place that we call “home” it is exciting, new, and adventurous at first, but after a while, when the unknown becomes known, we long for the familiar, we long from HOME. As Christians, our Home is in Jesus Christ, our first “true love”. So why is it that Christians leave that “first love” and venture off into the world looking for something new, exciting, and adventurous? It is because they have forgotten what it was like to be at home in the love of Christ. There are many terms for leaving the love of Christ. Backsliding, falling away, fallen from grace, prodigal, etc., but they all carry the same meaning. All of them mean that the place of importance that Christ once had in our lives has been replaced by something apart from Christ. Revelation 2:5 "Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first;” Jesus Christ tells us how to come back to our “first love” in this verse. We must remember, repent, and resume.

The first thing that we have to do is remember what it was like when we lived a life for Him. We must remember the inner peace, the joy, and the hope that we had when we submitted our life to Christ. Comparing that with the chaos, hopelessness, and disappointment that we have received from the world, it becomes easier to apply the next step.

Next we must repent. A lot of people are confused on what it means to repent. Some falsely associated repentance with regret or penance and don’t truly understand how to repent. The word “repent” is translated from the Greek word “metanoeo” with literally means to change your mind. We must change our mind with regard to what we truly love. Our thinking must turn 180 degrees from the belief that happiness is gained from the things of this world, which are apart from Christ; to the belief that true joy; peace, contentment, and hope can only be found by diligently seeking Christ.

The last thing Jesus tells us in this verse is that we must resume the deeds that we did at first. This has to do with obedience to the word. When we truly love Christ, we search the scriptures and obey them. This is the “walk” of a Christian who is absolutely loves the Lord. We must apply truth to experience in order to understand the love that Christ has for us. When we understand His love, then our love for Him grows and His love is perfected in us. If you have left your first love for Christ, apply the principles that he explains to us in this passage. Remember, repent, and resume. Come back home!

Contender

Jude 3 "Beloved, although I was making every effort to write to you about our common salvation, I felt I had to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all entrusted to the saints."

While studying this passage of Scripture this morning two main ideas jumped off of the page. The first thing that really stood out to me was 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and the Doctrine of Inspiration. 2 Tim 3:16-17 “(16) All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; (17) so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. You, on the other hand, may not see this principle at work here, so allow me to explain. Jude is writing this letter to believers (possibly to the church at Ephesus) with one primary thought in mind: “our common (shared) salvation”. The fact that he uses the words, “I was making every effort to write”, shows that he had thought long and hard about this letter and had come to the conclusion that he was going to write about the salvation which they all shared. God, however, had a different letter in mind. The message that God wanted to get to church at Ephesus was not a “shared salvation”, but an appeal to fight for their faith. God knows exactly what people need to hear and when they need to hear it. God knew that the believers in Ephesus would struggle with the false teaching that had crept into the church. Under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit, Jude’s message changed from encouraging words of affirmation into a battle cry to take a stand and fight for the faith, to contend for the truth.

What is the application for us? What can we learn from Jude 3 on the Doctrine of Inspiration?

1. The word of man may be uplifting and encouraging, but the Word of God is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in order to equip you for battle (2 Tim 3:16-17). Psalm 144:1-2a“Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle. (2) My loving kindness and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer. My shield and He in whom I take refuge,”

2. When we are walking by the filling ministry of the Holy Spirit, God will lead us in exactly what to say and when to say it. God will use us, if we are available and Spirit led. God intimately knows His people. He knows what they need to hear.

3. Man may have penned the Word of God, but God authored it. These men of faith who wrote the book that we call the Bible were open to God’s leading; are we?

The second thing that jumped off of the page this morning was that the life of faith is a struggle. Jude writes an appeal to “contend earnestly” for FAITH. The Greek word translated- contend- is a boxing term. To contend means to fight. Our entire life is a fight for faith. Some “rounds” in this “faith fight” are won and some “rounds” are lost, but we are to never stop fighting. In the boxing world a contender is someone who is moving up the rankings toward a championship fight. During his rise, he has lost rounds, been knocked down, and perhaps suffered injury, but a contender never gives up. A contender trains with one purpose in mind…to win. Paul says in 1 Cor 9:26b-27, “I box in such a way, as not beating the air; (27) but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. Paul was a contender. Paul was disciplined in training. Paul understood that he was in the fight of his life and trained for victory. Jude sounds the battle cry to “fight for Faith”. Are you prepared to fight? Have you become disciplined in your training to contend for victory? Are you a contender or a pretender?

What is the application for us as contenders in the arena of faith?

1. Contenders may get knocked down, but always get back up.
2. Contenders may lose rounds, but always win the fight.
3. Contenders train for victory.
4. Contenders are disciplined.

God’s Word is inspired to train contenders for victory. Every word is profitable to equip you for this fight. Jude’s charge to the church at Ephesus, God’s charge to me, and my charge to you is to become a contender for faith. You are already standing in the arena, you better be ready to fight! BE A CONTENDER! TAKE A STAND AND FIGHT FOR YOUR FAITH! BECOME VICTORIOUS!

Home Coming

John 14:33 "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also."

Has there ever been something you have been waiting for, that felt like an eternity to finally receive? Maybe you saved up for a particular item and those last few weeks, days, or hours felt like they crawled by. Maybe it was not even something that you were going to buy. I remember in the last day of school before summer, it was game on! That last day of the school year seemed to be the longest day of the year.

Whatever it is that we are waiting for, we know it is coming so we take the necessary steps of preparation to be ready for the anticipated event. My younger brother is a Cavalry Scout in the US Army. He has been in Iraq for the past twelve months, but it has felt like years since he left. Time seemed to crawl while waiting for his return. The last few days have been days full of preparation. My sister-in-law got an apartment, moved stuff out of storage, and decorated the house. The day of his arrival was approaching and I thought the preparations were done. Nope! We made signs, bought flowers, bought an outfit for his 9-month-old son that he had only seen once. There was a lot of preparing to do; even down to the request he made about Taco Bell being the first thing he would eat when landing on US soil. We prepare ourselves when there is something in store we look forward to. What if I wasn’t sure when my brother was to come home? What if I didn’t have time to “cram” for his arrival? It would make it a lot harder to be completely prepared.

John 14:3 "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

How are we to be prepared for Christ’s return for us, His church, and His bride? We will not get a five-minute, one hour, or twelve-month notice as to when the Lord shall return for us. So how do we prepare for the arrival? There are two different answers here. For the non-Christian, the only way to prepare for the return of Jesus Christ when He comes for His bride is to become the bride. The only way to become the bride is by grace through faith in person and work of Jesus Christ (Rom 1:16, 1 Cor 15:1-4). To become the bride you have to believe that Jesus Christ is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world, that He paid the debt of sin for you with His life on Roman Cross when He died for sin, that God the Holy Spirit raised Him from the dead three days after His burial, and that He has ascended to Heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the father. If you believe this, then you are prepared; you are ready for His arrival.

What about the believer, how is the believer to be prepared for the return of our Lord? The believer is prepared if he/she is saved, period! No believer will miss the Lord’s return through lack of preparation. However, do you really want to meet someone that you don’t know much about? We seem to know more about Jennifer Anniston and Brad Pitt than we do about the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ. Don’t you want to know Jesus; I mean really know Him, before you meet Him face to face? 1 John 2:25 “This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.” If you are a believer then you always have the promise of eternal life, but how well do you (the bride), know your groom (Jesus Christ)? 1 John 2:28 “Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. 1 John 2:28 is a promise of the believer seeing Jesus Christ at his coming for the church, but notice the two attitudes of the believer: confidence or shame. The believer who “abides” in Him (the Living WORD) has confidence at His coming. That is preparation! The believer that does not “abide” in Him (the Living WORD) is shamed. Why? Because although he is saved, he has failed to know Jesus Christ intimately through a consistent study of the Word.

An unbeliever is prepared for the return of our Lord simply by faith in Him and His work. The believer is prepared for His return because he has believed in Him, and has grown in the grace and KNOWLEDGE of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). Christ is coming for His church. Are you prepared?

Unrecognizable

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"


In this passage of Scripture, Paul explains the dangers and consequences of living like unbelievers as a believer. As Christians, we have been set apart from the rest of the world, but for some reason we don’t always live as new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Even though the inner man has been regenerated, the outward man is still conforming to system and standards of the world. In this devotion, we will take a closer look at Ephesians 4:17 and let the Word of God speak to our hearts and allow us to ask ourselves these questions; Are we being conformed to the world? Or are we being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ?

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,”

The “you” that Paul is speaking about in verse 17 are Christians. If you are a Christian then Paul is speaking to “You”. When Paul says, “you walk no longer” he is actually saying, STOP WALKING”! If we are told to stop doing something, then we are obviously already doing it and need to cease. Paul is affirming together with the Lord that Christians need to stop walking a walk of conformity. But what are they (or we) conforming to? We are conforming to the walk (lifestyle) of the Gentiles. When Paul uses the word Gentiles he is talking about the unbelieving Gentile nations, people without God. Paul is telling Christians to stop living life as the unbelievers live. As Christians, our lifestyle should not be the same as the lifestyle of someone without Christ. Yet sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between the two.

An unbeliever lives a life of unbelief. They are enslaved to the sin nature and choose to be conformed to this world by living to satisfy the desires of the flesh. If the world says success leads to happiness, then I need to be successful in order to be happy. If the world says that prosperity is having the best house, cars, and clothes, then I need have to have those things, because I want to be prosperous. The question is, do we believe what the world tells us and begin to “walk” as world “walks”? If we do then we are walking a walk of conformity and Paul says, “STOP”!! Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

So why does the Gentile (unbeliever) walk like this, and why do we follow along? Paul says that it is because of the “futility of their mind”. Translated literally “futility” means an empty mind. What should be in there, the mind of Christ, is not. An empty mind is like a vacuum. What does a vacuum do? It sucks up dirt or filth. So the mind of the unbeliever sucks up everything false. False ideology, philosophy, and perspectives appear to be right to them. They live in the darkness of falsehood and not in the light of truth.

A believer that does not have his mind full of the truth of God’s Word will also suck up the lies from the world and in turn walk in the same way as unbelievers. As believers we have to be transformed by the (continual) renewing of our mind or else we too will conform to the false standards of the world. Are you walking as the unbelieving world walks? Do you blend in with world through conformity? Or are you walking like someone who “IS” set apart? If your mind is “empty” then it will suck up the lies of the world, but if your mind is full of the truth of God’s Word then you can be transformed rather than conformed. Hopefully we can heed the warnings of Paul and STOP “walking just as the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their minds”. We are Christians! We are different! We need to walk (live) like it! Renew your mind and become transformed into the likeness of Christ.

A Wise Investment

2 Timothy 2:22 “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, ENTRUST these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

We all know the importance of saving money. In fact, just about everyone in the United States has a checking or savings account with some form of bank or financial institution. It is also wise to begin investing towards retirement, whether through IRA’s, 401k’s, annuity shelters, or mutual funds. We “deposit” money into bank accounts or investment plans in order to see a return on our investment. If there were no opportunity for our money to grow, then there would be no reason to “deposit” or “invest”.

The verse above is from the second letter of Paul written to Timothy. Paul recruited Timothy on his second missionary journey. From the things that Paul had seen and heard about Timothy (Acts 16:2-3), Paul decided to take Timothy under his wing and make a Spiritual "investment" in him. During his journeys with Paul and Silas, Timothy learned sound doctrine from, in my opinion, the best teacher of the word of God since the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. Paul is now telling Timothy to make the same “investment” in other men, because he understands the eternal return on Spiritual investment. Paul uses the Greek word paratithemi, which is translated in this passage of Scripture, “entrust”. It means to place a “deposit” for safekeeping, a "deposit" that returns a profit. Paul uses the same word in 2 Timothy 1:12 to explain that he had placed his soul in safekeeping with the Lord. He used it again in 2 Timothy 1:14 when he told Timothy to “guard, through the Holy Spirit, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.” Paul “deposited” the treasure of the Word into Timothy not only for safekeeping, but also for profit. The profit gained off of Paul’s Spiritual investment was Spiritual growth and maturity in the life of Timothy. Now, Paul is making it clear that Timothy is to make the same investment in other men.

The question for you and me is, “How do we, as believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ, apply this passage of Scripture to our Spiritual walk?” The only way to keep truth safe for future generations is to deposit or make an investment of “sound doctrine” in the lives of others. A serious student of the word of God will progress into Spiritual maturity and should become a teacher. (Hebrews 5:12) It is our responsibility to teach other students to become teachers in order for them to teach others to also become teachers. The reason that you and I are able to study the word of God today is because faithful believers made Spiritual investments in the lives of others. It is our responsibility to keep this cycle going for another 2000 years. Paul and Timothy stepped up to the plate and accepted the challenge. Can you? We need to take our Spiritual walk seriously, so that we can deposit “sound doctrine” into the lives of others. Spiritual investments of the word of God into the lives of others will always return a profit. The investments that we make into our banks and retirement plans only have a temporal return, but the investments that we make in people with the word of God have eternal returns in this life and the next. "Study to show yourself approved", and then make a Spiritual investment by teaching others what you have learned . The return is Spiritual growth maturity for you and the ones in which you invest.

Conflict Resolution

James 1:19b-20 “... But everyone must be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger; (20) for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.”


In a controversy, the instant we feel anger; we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves. -- Thomas Carlyle.

James tells us in verse 19 that “everyone” should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. James gives us the best advice in the world for conflict; “Be quick to listen”. Often times in personal conflict, when people are saying things that we would rather not hear, we refuse to listen and begin to think of what to say in rebuttal. That is the very beginning of an argument that leads to anger. When we are conteplating a rebuttal then we're NOT LISTENING, just justifying an argument.

Next James tells us to be "slow to speak". Arguments usually come to a point where both parties are talking at the same time. In order for our voices to be heard we begin to raise them. When we raise our voice, they raise theirs and anger starts to multiply. Why is it that what we have to say seems to be more important that what they are saying? Is it because we believe that we are more important than they are? When two parties are SLOW to hear and QUICK to speak this almost always leads to anger. If the first two are ignored the last will result.

James goes on to say in verse 20 that “the anger of a man does not achieve the righteousness of God”. What does that mean? The word translated achieve in the English is actually “ergazomai” in the Greek. Ergazomai means to “work out”, “exercise”, or “perform”. When we allow anger to be expressed through emotions, words, attitudes, and expressions, then we are not “exercising” the character of Christ.

When you find yourself in a situation that could become an argument and lead to anger, STOP, THINK, and APPLY TRUTH. Be quick to LISTEN; Be SLOW to speak; and you will be SLOW to anger. By doing this, you will be “performing” the righteousness of God which is the attitude of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 2:5 “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,.”

Soul Hole

"The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person." Ecc. 12:13

The Book of Ecclesiastes is essentially an autobiography of the third king of Israel, King Solomon. In the second verse of Chapter one, Solomon sets forth his theme for the entire book, which is also the theme for his entire life. " 'Vanity of vanities,' says the Preacher, 'Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.' "

I was brought up in the "Bobby Joiner School of South Georgia Theology." The way Coach Joiner would explain this proclamation by Solomon is that we are all born with a hole in our soul. This hole is a vacuum that causes a void in our life. We will try anything we can to fill that hole. The only problem is that hole is in the shape of a cross, and the only thing that will adequately fill it is Jesus Christ. Some things will temporarily plug the hole, but anyone who has taken Economics 101 is familiar with the "Law of Diminishing Return." For example, your first ice cream cone is great. Your second one is not bad, however your tenth one is terrible. The more you get of it the less satisfying it becomes, and what once was fulfilling is no longer, and you move on to something else. If it were possible to fill that hole outside of Jesus Christ, Solomon would have found the secret. Literally, anything that Solomon desired, he had at his disposal. Let's examine only a few things that Solomon tried to fill that hole with:

1) He had wealth like no other in the history of the world (1 Kings 10:23) He controlled all trade and commerce of the entire land, and kings and rulers from all over the world sent him tribute. He had the largest construction company the world has ever seen. (Not to mention he built the temple) He had a massive ship building business. He made Donald Trump look like Fred Sanford.

2) He had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3). STOP...go back and read that last sentence again. It's hard to even fathom this. I have a difficult time finding a date and this guy had 1000 women at his beck and call!!! Surely if this void could be filled with physical pleasures, 1000 women would have been sufficient.

3) Could it be wisdom? Early in Solomon's reign as king he prayed that God would give him wisdom to effectively govern God's people (1 Kings 3:9). God answered his prayer and Solomon was the wisest man to ever live. He spoke 3000 proverbs and wrote over 1000 songs.

4) How about popularity? Kings from all nations who heard about Solomon sent men to listen to him. "The whole world saught audience" with him (1 Kings 10:24). People heard stories about him that were so unbelievable, they had to go see for themselves. Everyone knew of Solomon.

The Bible only records a portion of Solomon's "accomplishments." So why in the world did he claim all this was vanity? The answer is Solomon tried to fill the void in his soul with the wrong things. His father, King David, gave Solomon one final command just before his death. He told Solomon to "observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his law and requirements..." (1 Kings 2:3). This is why Solomon calls all his lifes work "vanity." He was not focused on the right things. He still would have had all the riches and wisdom, God promised him that when He answered his prayer, but Solomon, through lack of faith in the Plan of God, made his wisdom and riches his lifes focus. God took a backseat to them. It was not until his last years of life that he realized he had been focusing on the wrong things for the last 40 years, which is why he wrote Ecclesiastes.

In order to avoid coming to the same conclusion about your life as Solomon, it is necessary that you apply the "South Georgia Doctrine of Deudis & Deudat." This simply means, if God says to "do this" then do this, if God says to "do that" then do that. Let's stay focused on the Plan of God for our lives.

If you have never come to a point in your life where you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ's complete work on the cross for your eternal salvation, then you won't understand what Solomon is trying to tell us in the conclusion of Ecclesiastes. Don't go another minute without making a decision about what you will do with Jesus Christ.