November 30 - 2 Corinthians 6:14-10:18

Good morning everyone,

Today’s reading began with, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.” Here Paul is not merely warning the Corinthians about a potential danger but instructing them to stop an action already in progress. If I had to pick one solid piece of wisdom, that is aside from the obvious “be in prayer and God’s Word every day,” to pass along to a young Christian, it would be; Do not surround yourself with, team up with, form a partnership with and especially do not marry an unbeliever. It would be a mismatch, that may weaken your Christian commitment causing you to compromise your integrity, your standards and even your morals. You would be unequally yoked.

A yoke is a wooden bar that joins two oxen to each other to share the weight of a particular task. Use your mind’s eye to see this. An “unequally yoked” team has one stronger ox and one weaker, or one taller and one shorter. The weaker or shorter ox would walk slower than the taller, stronger one, causing the load to go around in circles. If one is sickly and one healthy, it won’t work, if both are headstrong and want to go different directions it won’t work either. If one is mature and one is not grown yet, again, it won’t work. When oxen are unequally yoked, they cannot perform the task set before them. Instead of working together, they are at odds with one another inevitably dragging the stronger one down. 

To draw the parallel, when someone who is alive in Christ allows themselves to be yoked with someone who is dead in the world the relationship will at best go in circles but history has proven that more time than not the Christian, just plain and simple, gets worn down and ends up abandoning the narrow road which requires awareness, discipline and hard work for the easier wider road chosen by the world leading to certain death.

Do not misunderstand me. We are absolutely to be out mingling, so to speak, in the world spreading the Gospel, winning hearts for Jesus. We just should not ever, no matter how much we love or trust them, join together in any kind of a contract with a non-Christian. Also …. Hear me on this. Also, I am in no way saying end your marriage if, you while married, accept Jesus as your Savior and your spouse hasn’t yet. No! Stay married! In 1 Corinthians 7:13-15 the Bible is very clear on that. Continue to show your spouse the love of Christ and pray, pray, pray daily for your spouses’ salvation. Try not to get discouraged when your prayers seem to go unanswered. Just keep praying and watching. God is listening and will respond in His time. God’s plan is perfect, so let your prayer be, “I trusted in you, O Lord, You are my God,” and believe God’s got it handled. Amen?

Have a good day and to God be the glory.

God bless you all …..

November 29 - 2 Corinthians 2:5-6:13

Good morning everyone,

We begin our reading today with Paul explaining to the church it is time to forgive the man who had been punished by them and since repented. He needed their forgiveness and acceptance, the preverbal ball was in the church’s court, it was the right thing to do as individuals and also as the family in Christ to be able to grow together. As a Christian person, or even if one has not accepted the Lord into their hearts, when someone has confessed they were wrong, asked for forgiveness and changed their ways, we should forgive them and move forward. This is a hard pill for some to swallow, they will hang onto a grudge, shunning individuals for years and years. It creates division and an awkwardness in families and honestly to what end? 

As a church or parent or even a spouse we are called to confront and comfort. That would require two things, talking and hearing. Oh I am not talking about shouting and listening, I am talking about one person who loves another enough to lovingly point out how the other is getting off course and for the other to hear with an open mind and thankful heart. I am talking about when someone’ s feelings get hurt or they feel wronged by another for them to go to the offender with loving dialog lay it all out and for the other to hear the heart with out getting all defensive and barking back. Does this make sense? 

Friends, we are but mere humans and having said that it goes without saying we are going to make mistakes, poor judgement calls and bad choices but they do not have to end up with our being ostracized from society or even just our circle of friends or family. Paul says, “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?” Communicate, talk with one another, I know it sounds crazy and that most people are afraid to do it, but if we would constructively speak and hear, if we would eliminate “self” and “shackle pride”, friends life would be so much more pleasant and people would not feel like they have been sent to redemption island, forever branded, relationships scarred, for merely being young or making a poor choice.

In Hebrews 12 it says, “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.  See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.” Right? Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Amen?

Have a great day and to God be the glory.

God bless you all…..

November 28 - Romans 15:1-16:27, 2 Corinthians 1:1-2:4

Good morning everyone,

Today we read, “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.”

Accepting means taking people into our homes as well as our into hearts, sharing meals and activities, avoiding discrimination and not showing favoritism. Love each other as Christ loves us. Make sense? The more we spend time getting to know each other, the more we will get to know that we all just really want to be loved. Right?

Christian love looks like giving to others those things that you would want them to give you if you were in their situation and it's doing so even if they can't pay you back. In fact, it's doing so especially if they can't pay you back! Christian love is also accepting help from others when you are in need, allowing those with more to bless you. Christian love is respect for others. It's mercy. It's charity. It is what God has called us to do. Let us all practice looking at and accepting others just as Christ accepted us. Amen?

Have a great day and to God be the glory.

God bless you all

November 27 - Romans 11:1-14:23

Good morning everyone,

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

As Christians, we need to acknowledge that God is good. He created all things and He gives us all things. What’s more is, we should always be thankful for the things God gives to us, for the situations He allows us, good or challenging, because we are His creations. He love us and all He permits in our lives is to make us stronger, more prepared for the role He has planned for us. 

We all have a lot to be thankful for, but what we should be most grateful for, what should top the list, is the gift of life given to us by Christ Jesus who lived and died for no other reason than to spend eternity with us. He loves us that much. I am humbled. 

Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Amen?

Have a great day and to God be the glory.

God bless you all …..

November 26 - Romans 8:18-10:21

Good morning everyone,

Today we read some of my favorite verse in all of the Bible. Romans 8:35-39 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul says, “I am convinced” of this. He is certain, just as we should be certain. He had developed a personal relationship with Jesus. His hope and belief was in Him. It seems too good to be true, but the mind-boggling truth is that the awesome God of all creation, for whom nothing is impossible, is more passionately in love with you, and me than any human has ever felt for anyone. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The verse is repeated so much that it has almost become a cliche, but it’s when you think about the sacrifice God and Jesus both made on our behalf  is when you will begin to appreciate the depth of God’s love for us. Amen?

Have a great day and to God be the glory.

God bless you all ….

November 25 - Romans 5:1-8:17

Good morning everyone,

Am I the only one that has to take Romans slow and think, “What did he just say?” I’m telling you, this book being so rich and is very deep. There are, though, many verses in today’s reading that most of us are familiar with. One that caught my eye was, 5:19, “For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.”

Everyone of our genealogy’s would trace back to Adam, a family line leading to certain death. We have all inherited his guilt and sinful nature and the consequence that comes with that. But Jesus, oh how I love that phrase, “But Jesus”, because of his obedience we can trade a life apart from God for forgiveness which leads to eternal life. The choice is ours.

I was also warmed and encouraged by 8:1-2, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” I want to share a story, an analogy, that I heard several times over a decade while going to Calvary Chapel. It paints a beautifully accurate picture of Christ’s love for us and how our debt has been paid. It goes:

Satan is the great accuser of the saints. Jesus is the great defender of the saints. They are in heaven waging a relentless courtroom battle for our souls. On one side stands Satan as “the accuser” pointing a finger accusing the saints day and night before our God sitting at the great white throne. On the other side stands Jesus as “our esteemed high priest” who has passed through the heavens, who indeed is interceding for us”. Both are passionately arguing their case before God the judge.

Satan is unrolling his endless scroll of charges against us. Maybe he’s talking about you right now. Maybe he’s talking about me. He’s reminding God of our past sins. He’s highlighting our present sins. He’s questioning our motives. He’s suggesting and speculating and slandering and accusing.

We cannot defend ourselves. Mainly because Satan is right, we have broken God’s law excessively and we deserve severe punishment. Satan desperately rages against us and demands that God exercise justice and judgment. God says, “You’re right, the wages of sin is death.”

Then Jesus our defender steps up, visible the scars on his head and back from the crown of thorns and scourging, also the scars on his hands and feet where He hung on a cross until dead. Bearing these scars He stands before His Father, our Father. He shows them to Abba and says, “They’re debt is paid for, cancelled, let them live.” God nods His head, pounds His gavel while giving and order of acquittal.

Great analogy, right? Elvina M. Hall wrote a song called “Jesus Paid It All”. I am going to share the last two verses as they seem so appropriate this morning. They go:

When from my dying bed, My ransomed soul shall rise, Jesus died my soul to save, Shall rend the vaulted skies. I stand in Him complete, I’ll lay my trophies down, All down at Jesus’ feet.

Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.

And all God’s people said ….. Amen!

Have a great day and to God be the glory.

God bless you all….

November 24 - Romans 2:1-4:25

Good morning everyone, 

The church in Rome was not one Paul had established, it is thought to have been started by Jews who came to faith during the Pentecost. Paul had heard of them and from Corinth writes this letter to basically introduce himself, establish his doctrine and encourage them. Paul was crazy committed to the calling God had for him in his life and was hoping to team up with the Christian church in Rome to get the Good news out to Spain and other areas yet to hear the Gospel.

In chapter two, Paul calls the people of the church out. It begins, “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.” Paul was emphasizing that we have all sinned repeatedly, and apart from the blood of Christ there is no way we can be saved from the consequence of sin.

Now, I am just going to throw this out there, when you call yourself a Christian, you had better be acting like one. You are saying, “These are my standards, my guidelines for life,” and I am telling you Christian, everyone will be watching, waiting for you to fail so they can point a finger. We have all seen how the news media becomes piranhas when a "Christian" pastor commits some sort of sexual sin. Right? They shine the lights so bright on his error in judgement, then pull everyone who calls themselves a Christian under that umbrella. Everybody loves to hate a hypocrite. 

It is not surprising that there are hypocrites today, as there were in Jesus' day. The Old Testament prophet Daniel even predicted that there would be more hypocrites in the end times, as the cost of faith could well be your life. Jesus also predicted that many would fall away although they would claim to be His disciple at the judgment. In Matthew He said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ The Bible clearly indicates that those who practice hypocrisy really aren't Christians at all, but will be judged to be non-believers and sent to hell.

Please don’t misunderstand sinning with hypocrisy. I am not suggesting that we can all live “perfect” lives all of the time. It is actually impossible. There was only one perfect person to walk the face of this earth, his name is Jesus. Most people think a hypocrite is someone who preaches one thing and then does another. That is not a hypocrite; that is called a sinner, which we all are to some extent. The hypocrite is the person pointing the finger at others, perhaps even believing they do not sin. Make sense?

Everyone has a log in their eye ... EVERYONE!!! Jesus said in John 8:7, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” Also, “We are all guilty of sin. If you say that you are without sin, then you are unsaved and calling God a liar.” God calls all men sinners. Paul says, “I preach against sin, not people.” What I am suggesting is, check yourself. Philippians 1:27, “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel.” Friends, no one is any better than another. Don’t go there. You don’t want to be a “hypocrite” because they are not “hip with it!” (Oh forgive me for that last sentence, it was baa,baa, bad). Let’s love our brothers and sisters in Christ enough to recognize when something may be “off” in their lives. Then come alongside them, talk to them,council them before they make a life changing error in judgement. Amen?

Have a good day and to our loving Abba Father be all the glory, honor and praise.

God bless you all …..

November 23 - 1 Corinthians 14:1-15:58

Good morning everyone,

In finishing up 1 Corinthians, Paul tells them “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.”

Paul loved the church at Corinth and he wanted to be certain that these people understood and obeyed what he had written. He was concerned for the state of the church. I think I have mentioned before that when I leave to go anywhere, my husband, because he loves me so much, rattles off a list of reminders. Things he wants me to remember for my safety and well being. I love him for that. Here Paul gives these church of Corinth, because he loves them so much, short orders in rapid succession. He is confident that they are already living a godly manner, but he encourages the readers to persevere.

Paul command them to, "Be on the alert,” “Stand firm in the faith,” "Be men of courage."  "Be strong." and "Let everything you do be done with love.” Every single day we have important choices to make and we need to make the right choices. We need to be ever mindful that our God is a great God. He is Almighty. His power will prevail. His plans and purposes will stand, and nothing can thwart or defeat them. If we put our trust in God, and act in his mighty power and not just our own, we need not fear. Those who trust in God will not be disappointed

Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” I would encourage us all to do just that. Amen?

Have a great day and to God be the glory.

God bless you all …..

November 22 - 1 Corinthians 14:1-15:58

Good morning everyone,

Chapter 14 it titled, “Intelligibility in Worship.” The gift of prophecy and speaking tongues had become a concern for the church of Corinth because the use of the gift was causing disorder in worship. I’ll be honest, I am not exactly sure what that would look like then, a lot of different people  chanting or shouting or preaching from their seats all over the church. But I have seen and visited churches where it was common practice for someone, or maybe even more than one someones, at a time to stand (more like shoot) up and start rattling of some unknown words at the top of their lungs and honestly for me it was quite disturbing. I have never seen anyone stand up in a church service and start the reporting of a prophesy in a known language. This was apparently all going on at the same time, I can only imagine how confusing and bewildering it must have been for the people there to hear God’s Word, not real conducive to receiving the Holy Spirit and being fed the Truth.

Paul told them to take turns, don’t be rude, do not be speaking over anyone. Allow everyone to speak and prophecy in turn so that everyone could be instructed and encouraged. Spiritual gifts are beneficial only when used properly to help and encourage everyone in the church. I love verse 33, “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.” 

Now, I am going to briefly speak to verse 34, “Women should remain silent in the churches.” I am quite certain that this is not met real favorably in today’s society. But Paul is not telling women they should not speak, God gave women the gift of prayer and prophecy and encourages them to use them, and so they should. What Paul is saying is that women should not be teaching men in the church. Again, this is not going to be real popular idea in our world, some may even say it is chauvinistic, but it is what it is. 2 Timothy is scripture to validate it, “Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.” So ladies, let the men do the teaching, be the Spiritual leaders in your home and place of worship. Men, dudes, step up and learn God’s Word so that you can accurately present it to your families as their Spiritual leader. It is a job that should not be ignored or taken lightly.

The Bible has very defined roles for both men and women. It is a specific design and I can’t help but feel that if we would just follow the play book, the Bible, our lives would be so much happier and fruitful. Everything should be done in a fitting, orderly, Godly way. Amen?

Have a great day and to God be the glory.

God bless you all …..

November 21 - 1 Corinthians 11:2-13:13

Good morning everyone,

“Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.” Acts 21:1. So, you may be wondering how do we know we have a particular gift of the Spirit? Hmm, good question. Peter wrote, “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God”. No believer can say that they have no gift of the Spirit from God. God has given all believers gifts, some have several but everyone has these gifts. These gifts of the Spirit are given not for the believer but for the Body of Christ. That is important to remember, they are not intended to be self serving but to make the Body complete. Okay?

The gifts Paul talks about today are; 

1. Wisdom - someone who can understand and speak forth biblical truth in such a way as to skillfully apply it to life situations with all discernment.
2. Knowledge - Someone who understands truth with an insight that only comes by revelation from God.
3. Faith - Someone who has a strong and unshakeable confidence in God, His Word, His promises, and the power of prayer to effect miracles.
4. Healing - Someone who has the ability to heal another. 
5. Miraculous powers - Someone who could perform a supernatural event.
6. Prophecy - Someone who can interpret the purposes of God, or to make known in any way the truth of God which is designed to influence people.
7. Discerning of spirits - Someone who has the ability to determine the true message of God from that of the deceiver, Satan.
8. Speaking in tongues - Someone with the ability to speak in languages previously unknown to them.
9. Interpretation of tongues -  Someone with the gift of interpreting tongues could understand what a tongues-speaker was saying even though he did not know the language that was being spoken.

 Please note that the speaking of tongues is always followed by the interpretation of tongues because the speaker does not know what they are saying when prophesying in tongues. According to Paul, their words are useless without the interpreter. If you don’t speak tongues, that’s okay. Not everyone can. It’s a gift not a requirement.

Also, some would argue we no longer can heal or perform miracles, that that is something only the apostles could do. Hogwash I say! I strongly disagree. Matthew 17:20 says, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” We are so capable of doing anything that is the will of God. Too many times the problem is we don’t let go of anything long enough to let God work those miracles and healings through us. God absolutely loves when we exercise our faith and make ourselves available to be used as vessels for Him to show His mighty power. Are you available?

Other gifts would be; mercy, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, helping, but again, we need to know and remember that while we all have a gift of the Spirit, maybe even a few gifts, we as individuals do not possess every single gift. Right? That means we need each other. I love the analogy Paul uses.  We are the body of Christ and not everyone can be an eye or an arm or foot. We all have different talents, functions, gifts and we need to work together using them for the glory of God. It is a beautiful system our Abba has put into action. We just need to do what we have been called to do and watch it work. Make sense?

I know this is getting a bit long but I would be remiss if I did not mention chapter 13. Friends, friends, friends ….. we are called to love one another. To be selfless and to put everyone else before us. We are instructed, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” It begs the question, “Do you really show your love all of the time?” Honestly, I know I don’t. There are areas of trust that I am constantly having to work on. When I find that the enemy has subtly twisted this up in my head again I immediately go to this verse and force the father of lies to flee. I would encourage you to memorize this verse. Have it readily available in your arsenal for when the enemy puts someone in your path that is nothing less than a jerk. Someone who knows which buttons to push and does as often as they can. Or someone who flashes their bling when you barely have money for soup, or someone who has lied to you and is now asking for another chance. You know the people I am talking about, in fact, we all have been that person in one way or another ourselves. 

We need to be acting lovingly in our marriages, with our children, our friends, the people we work and associate with, but especially in our church family. We have got to be living 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 because love never fails. Right on? If you have trouble remembering scripture I would encourage you do try singing it. Everyone can remember a song. Sherri Youngward does a beautiful rendition of 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, I am including the page (I hope I don’t get in trouble). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okJzEMkV2R8  Check it out. Get to know these verses, call on them, sing them out when the enemy gets in your head and fills you with self and pride, then watch him flee. Because, 1 John 4:4, “You belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.” Amen?

Have a great day and to God be the glory.

God bless you all …..

November 20 - 1 Corinthians 8:1-11:1

Good morning everyone,

Today as we continue on with Paul’s first letter to the people of Corinth he is instructing the more mature believers in the church to not be haughty in their knowledge of Christ. He encourages them to love the new converts. Love is so much more important than knowledge. As Christians, the only way we can draw closer to God is by loving Him. We can have all kinds of head knowledge, but it is heart knowledge that endears us to Him. Paul tells us that, “Whoever loves God is known by God.” 

In 8:9 Paul says in his letter, “But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.” I want to camp here for a minute because too many people I meet just don’t get this. I hear them say words like, “It doesn’t say in the Bible I can’t smoke.” or “Jesus drank wine, why can’t I?” and many other likewise statements. And it’s true, Christians have a lot of freedom to enjoy different pleasures in life and I would encourage everyone to feel free to delight in whatever they do enjoy as long as scripture does not forbid it and, and ….. hear this, so long as you are not stumbling or crippling anyone else.

Be considerate of other’s weaknesses and beliefs. If you are having someone to dinner who has suffered with a drinking problem or perhaps they just feel strongly that alcohol has no place in a Christian’s life, please don’t tempt them or insult them by serving alcohol. The same would apply with smoking, or your choice of entertainment, and any other freedom we have, while there might not be anything scripturally wrong with it, restrain yourself. Love your brother or sister in Christ enough to honor their beliefs. Be sensitive and respectful to them. If a person thinks we’re wrong, so what? Our freedom must always be wrapped in concern and care for others. If our freedom actually leads someone else to violate their conscience then we have become a stumbling block and that is so uncool. Love for each other should trump all else. “Self” has no place in love. Does this make sense?

Paul says, “For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” We have only one life to live. Let’s us use that time loving and caring more about others than ourselves. The life that counts for eternity is the life that is centered in the will of God. Amen?

Have a good day and to God be the glory.

God bless you all …..

November 19 - 1 Corinthians 4:1-7:40

Good morning everyone,

As I mentioned yesterday, Corinth was a wild and wicked city. Up on the hill, above the town, was a temple to Aphrodite, the Greek female god of love, where thousands of prostitutes, women and men, lived and basically worked out of. In the evenings they would saunter down into the town to seduce anyone they came into contact with. Corinth became well-known for their drunkenness and lewd sexual behavior. As a matter of fact, in their theatre, the “Corinthian” was always the drunk, promiscuous one and, in their economy, when they got really angry with a person and wanted to insult them they would say, “You, you ….. you Corinthian.” It is easy to see how difficult it could be for a Christian to not be influenced by the ways of that world.

In chapter four, Paul tells the people that they should think of Paul, Peter and Apollos as  mere servants of Christ entrusted with the secrets God shows them. That they have proven themselves loyal and it really doesn’t matter what “man” thinks about them, only that they please God. 

I just have to take a moment here to say, I so get that. In my mind’s eye I have this block style arrow pointing up toward Jesus. When I keep my eyes fixed on that, when it is only God and what He wants that I stay focused on, all is well in my world. But I am going to tell you, when I take my eyes off of that arrow and start worrying about what others think of me, of fair vs unfair, of self, it does not take long at all, for the enemy to stick his vile talons in me filling my head with vicious lies that I am ready to believe. It is so quick I don’t even realize it’s happening. I will get all confused and desperately frightened, almost panicky not knowing which way to turn. But then God says, “Here I am dear daughter. Just look up.” And immediately a peaceful calm settles upon me, I see my arrow again and all is well in my world. Praise God. You would think that at some point in one’s life you’d be safe from satan, but we never are, we never will be, not this side of heaven. 

I like in the letter Paul points out that we are not to be eating with or hanging out with people who call themselves Christians but who are sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler, basically hypocrites. Paul says, What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.” We are called to recognize and help fellow Christians who have gotten off the straight and narrow, so to speak. Having said that, if they do not want to be helped, if they continue to act contrary to God’s will for our lives in Christ then it is our position, as a family of Christians, to judge them and act accordingly. Make sense? 

We also read today, if we have a problem with a fellow Christian, work it out. Don’t take them to court. It is not good to behave like heathens in front of unbelievers. Paul says, “Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?” Do we always have to win? Where is the humble in that? Paul also said, “Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” Amen to that! Right?

That is what some of us “were”, myself included. But we were washed by the blood of the Lamb. We can claim, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” We are changed because, “If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. The old has gone, the new is here!” Thank you, Jesus!

Much the same as the Christians of the early church, the world today is a tough place for a Christian to navigate. But it is not impossible. God would not ask us to do something unfeasible. I would encourage you to simply listen for the Spirit to guide you and keep your eyes on the prize. Amen?

Have a great day and to God be the glory.

God bless you all …..

November 18 - Acts 18:24-19:20, 1 Corinthians 1:1-3:23

Good morning everyone, 

Today we are told about an educated Jew named Apollos who knew the Scriptures well  and was teaching about Jesus. The thing is, his message was not complete. Apollos was teaching repentance of sin but he knew nothing of the crucifixion of Christ nor did he know of the Holy Spirit. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him teaching they lovingly said to Apollos, “Come to lunch friend, let’s have a chat,” and they explained to him that the Truth is more than just repenting. Salvation is turning to Jesus to be forgiven of one's sins, not turning from one's sins in order to be forgiven by Jesus. Romans 10;13 says,  "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Imagine the freedom Apollos then knew.

Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians while he was in Ephesus. Now, Corinth was on an isthmus, you remember that word from school, right? It’s a narrow strip of land with sea on either side, forming a link between two larger areas of land. Everyone going anywhere went through Corinth, as a matter of fact, some sailers would pull their ships up out of the water, put them on rollers and drag them across the four mile strip of and rather than go the two hundred plus miles of sea around the cape. Corinth was one of the largest import cities in Greece and with that came a whole lot of shady diverse life styles. It was a wicked city, a very difficult place for a Christian to live. 

Paul had received reports of problems including, jealousy, hostility, disagreements amongst the family of Christ, sexual immorality, and a failure to discipline church members. So Paul writes to them addressing their problems and answering their questions. He confronted them with their sin and their need to “get it together”. Reminding them them they must live Christ-centered lives.

I would suggest to you that Corinth is not all that different from the world we live in today. We face the very same confusion, temptations and frustrations and we too are called to live Christ-centered lives. Being Christlike is a lifelong process and comes verse by verse, precept by precept. In 2Peter he describes the process of building a Christ-centered life as one of accepting the great and precious promises of the Lord in order to become partakers of the divine nature.

That all sounds well and good, but how do we get there? Answer: It starts with understanding and acknowledging everything belongs to the Lord. Psalm 21 says, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” That includes our bodies, our minds, the money we have, the house we live in, even our very next breath. Everything belongs to the Lord. It is His to do with as He pleases. With that understanding, wouldn’t it then make sense to ask Him to not only be a part of what belongs to Him, but more importantly, what He would like us to do with all that His treasure He has allowed us? When we humble ourselves in this way, we begin to live the Christ-centered life. Make sense?

In Matthew we were told to pray, “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” And we are encouraged to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. When we, like the Corinthians, loose that focus, when our lives are less than Christ centered, we would be wise to look and take heed to the words Paul wrote in his letter to them. Amen?

Have a good day and to God be the glory.

God bless you all …..

November 17 - 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28, 2 Thessalonians 1:1-3:18, Acts 18:4-23

Good morning everyone,

Today we began our reading with (NLT) “Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.” To that I say, “Amen! Amen!”

I take this to mean respect, protect, guard and appreciate our senior pastors, assistant pastors, youth pastors, and even the worship team. Friends, every week, all week, they work so hard to prepare our hearts for and to present us with God’s Word. No one has a bigger target on their back or gets less thanks than these dedicated servants of God. In 1 Timothy it says, “ The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.” I would encourage you, the next time you have a chance, to take a moment to express your appreciation to your pastor, tell them how their heart for the Lord and obedience in His work has helped you. Find someone from the worship team and thank them for their dedication. None of them do it for your thanks, but it would be great for them to hear. Yes?

While Paul was still in Corinth, he had gotten word that some folks in Thessalonica had misunderstood his teaching about Christ’s return and apparently had quit their jobs and were just kickin’ it while waiting to hear the trumpets blow in the sky. Paul quickly sent  second letter to the Thessalonians to clear up any misunderstanding and to encourage them stand firm and hold fast to the teachings that were passed on to them.

It is so easy to slack off, to get lazy in our pursuit of God’s will for our lives, but an idle mind is the devil’s playground. It creeps up so subtly. We’ll reason with, “Ahhh, it’s just a movie” or “they’re just girls on a screen” or “it’s just one beer” or …. or, “it’s just one time.” But I promise you, there is so much danger in that. You’ve heard that saying, right? “Once is to many but ten is not enough.” It is a hard spiral to pull out of. It is all TNT to your mind and ultimately your walk with Christ. Philippians 4:8 warns us, “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

Sin begins in the mind. You don’t even have to do anything or act out in any way to sin. It comes so easily and naturally to us that we don’t even realize that it is happening most of the time. When we are not thinking on the list of Philippians 4:8, we will tend to let our minds wonder about, thinking about whatever it wishes. It is the perfect hiding place for all our indiscretions, and secret desires. A forest of wicked behaviors that the enemy loves to dace you through. Beware!! It is not just enough to control our actions, though, that in and of itself can be tough, the battle is for your mind, for my mind. If your mind is not right, all else will fail. 

Paul consistently taught, salvation begins and ends with God, saying in Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Did you get that? “By the renewing of your mind.” Christians protect your mind for “the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” Amen?

Have a great day and to God be the glory.

God bless you all ….

November 16 - Acts 17:16-18:3 | 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5:11

Good morning everyone,

Of all the people in the Bible, after Jesus, I honestly think Paul is my favorite and who I yearn to be most like. David and Peter, running a very close second, I can most identify with. They love, love, loved the Lord with all their hearts and wanted more than anything to do right and please Him but were always blowing it in one way or another, having to go back to the cross to ask for forgiveness. We know Paul too experienced that, to some extent, in Romans he said, “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” But I love how bold Paul was, how fearlessly, how matter-of-factly, he presented the Gospel to everyone from the small town farmer to the top authority in the land. 

Today we read that Paul is hanging out in Athens waiting for Timothy and Silas to join him and while walking the city he was “greatly distressed,” filled with anger and grief, to see the city was full of idols, particularly one whose alter read “to an unknown god.” Seriously? Use your mind’s eye to see Paul reading that inscription, then shaking his head at how lost the people of Athens were. Paul tried to reason in the synagogue with the Jews and believing Greeks, he also went to the market place to tell the people about Jesus. A group of philosophers, whose belief  was seeking happiness or pleasure was the primary goal of life (sound familiar), began a debate with him with some wondering, “What is this babbler trying to say?” We’re told others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.”

They took Paul to a council meeting where Paul told them,”You are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.” Then he laid it all out for them. He told them how God made the world and everything in it, that God doesn’t live in temples nor is He served by human hands but rather, He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. And as he continued on with the Truth some hearts remained hard but some believed and became followers. 

This whole scenario gave me pause to think of my friends in Kathmandu and how heart breaking it is has got to be for them to walk the streets of a pagan foreign land, witnessing the worship of foreign gods. How frustrating for them to share God’s truth only to have it bounce off closed ears and hard hearts. How frightening to have directed at them the anger and denial from many who think them to be mere babblers and how heavy and suffocating the darkness of spiritual warfare must get for them. Yet day after day they go out boldly speaking the Gospel and try to reach a people who are not that different from the fools of Athens in Paul’s day; in quest of and delighted, beyond words, when someone they are speaking with perks up, says, “Yeah, I get that. Tell me how to have your God in my heart.”

Our missionaries need our prayers. These people who have taken Mark 16:15 which says, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” literally. They fight battles we think we can imagine, but we can not, for we are safety tucked away here in the USA. I would encourage you to pray for doors to be opened for them, that God’s Word would fall on soft hearts, for their protection, for guidance and for refreshment. 

Paul knew prayer would bring results, in 2 Corinthians he said, “He will rescue us because you are helping by praying for us. As a result, many will give thanks to God because so many people’s prayers for our safety have been answered.” We are not all called to be missionaries like Paul or my friends, but we can all be praying. Amen?

Have a good day and to God be the glory.

God bless you all …

November 15 - Acts 15:22-17:15

Good morning everyone,

As we begin this morning we read that, the first church council meeting ever have agreed that, the Gentiles, while they would do well do abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality, circumcision would not be required.  A letter, written by James, summarizing what was decided in Jerusalem was delivered by Judas and Silas to Paul and Barnabas who were teaching and preaching the Word of the Lord, down in Antioch. 

Some time later, we’re told, Paul feels pressed upon his heart to go back and visit the believers in all the towns that they had previously been to. So he and Silas left Antioch traveling north, stopping at Derbe and then Lystra, Timothy hooked up with them. Then over the top of Asia stopping in Troas where it is reported Luke also joined them. 

Moving on, after a few small stops they found themselves in Philippi where Paul casts a demon out of a female slave who’d been doggin’ them. While that did not bode well for them, what did was, they were blessed to meet there another woman there named Lydia who heard Paul's preaching and she, along with her entire household would be baptized. Very cool right?

When they got to Thessalonica, after Paul had preached in the synagogue some of the  Jews got a little jealous and incited a mob that rushed to Jason’s house looking for Paul and Silas, but they had already left. But these guys couldn’t let it go and followed Paul to Berea where some fellow believers helped him escape to the coast. So much persecution and he is not even halfway through the journey.

Our lives can look like that, wouldn’t you agree? Psalm 104:8, “They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them.” We travel the journey from day to day and for a while life is good. There is income, health, everyone is happy, all seems to be falling right into place and the outlook is great from that mountain top. Then …. then there’s the valley where it is a little shadier. Maybe cutbacks at work, or a report from the doctor that is frightening, kids are being are challenging, any number of things. But Ecclesiastes tells us, “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other.” The hard times are to strengthen us, to ready us for a different, perhaps harder challenge a little farther down the road. He also uses the valleys to allow us experiences that we will be able to use to help someone else in life get through a hard time. Praise God for the challenges while you, like Paul, press on and fight the good fight. Amen?

Have a good day and to God be the glory.

God bless you all …..

November 14 - Galatians 3:24-6:18, Acts 15:1-21

Good morning everyone,

Today we continue our reading in Galatians, Paul is totally pouring himself out to these people. I can feel his frustration in some of the words that he writes, his desperate desire for them to to make good choices in Christ. In 3:24 he tells them that, “yeah, the law was our guardian until Christ came, now that faith is here we are no longer under the law.” Meaning, the law taught them, and us, a need for salvation. God’s grace gives us that salvation. Thank you Jesus! Right? But don’t get me wrong, it’s not like we can toss the Old Testament out the window. No …. we need it to show us God’s character, His will for humanity, His moral laws and guidelines for living. Make sense?

There are so many great reminders in this letter. In chapter 5, Paul warns them that those who continue to follow the acts of the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God. That we should live by the Spirit, bearing love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. People who love Jesus, who are really, really in love with Jesus, all those fine qualities just ooze from them. I love being around those kinds of people. Oh sure, we all have our moments, but people who let the love of Christ rule their lives are who we want to surround ourselves with, it helps us to be a better person.

One thing I particularly liked this morning was in chapter six where we are reminded that Christians should never think they are totally independent and don’t need help from others. In Hebrews we’re instructed, “not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” We need to be available to help those in need help and be willing to accept help when we ourselves are in a dire situation. We also sometimes need to lovingly correct or encourage a brother or sister in Christ, when we see they are traveling a crooked path. By the same token, we ourselves need checks and balances in how we are living our lives and should be willing to listen when a fellow believer points out we are acting contrary to God’s Word. The world will not do that for us, they are happy to see us stumble and join in the debauchery of their lives while the enemy sits back and smiles in delight. 

So what it boils down to is this, Christians associate with and are committed to each other because they love Christ and His people, their desire to be with other believers shows they are in the family of believers. Like any other family, we are not perfect, we will have our differences, disagreeing from time to time but you don’t, we don’t, get to just walk away. We need to work it out, stay committed to meeting with our family of believers because the committing of ourselves to regularly assembling with other believers is evidence of true love for Christ and His people. Amen?

Have a great day and to God be the glory.

God bless you all ….

November 13 - Acts 14:21-28 | Galatians 1:1-3:23

Good morning everyone,

As we begin this morning Paul and Barnabas are finishing up their first missions trip through Galatia. Believing it was important to encourage the new believers they are now revisiting cities where they had already been threatened and physically attacked. More than just following up on baby Christians, Paul and Barnabas were helping the new churches get organized with godly leaders who could help them grow. 

In Galatia Paul was seeing the Jewish Christians having trouble balancing their old religious beliefs with the gospel. They thought that the Gentiles should become Jewish in order to be fully part of the Christian faith. They even went so far as to send false teachers out to speak against Paul saying the gospel he was teaching was incomplete. Redunkulus, I say!

In Galatians we have a letter from Paul to the churches in Galatia addressing the controversy. Paul totally lays out his call from God and evidence that he is just as much an apostle as Peter or any of them. He stand firm with what he was teaching was the truth, anyone preaching something different was an impostor. Paul saying in 1:8, “If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!” Yeah, not someplace I would want to be. You?

There is quite a lot going on here but what struck me is how important it is for baby Christians to get grounded. Each year pastor Greg Laurie holds Harvest Crusades. The venues are typically a sports facility, originating at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. The crusade is basically a free Christian concert where at the end Pastor Greg will spend about a half hour presenting the Gospel to all in attendance and then give an invitation to all who would like to ask Jesus to be their Lord and Savior to come down to the floor and pray the sinners prayer. I have been to several of these witnessing several thousand people with tears in their eyes, making that walk down onto the baseball field in Anaheim, and the floor of Key Arena to give their hearts to Christ. It is quite moving. When unable to personally attend, I watch the live stream on my computer and have been equally moved by the movement of the Holy Spirit. 

Whether in person or via technology, always I am fervently praying for the people in attendance. For their hearts to be softened, for them to hear the truth and make that commitment to Christ. But it is for the minute they leave the stadium and for the rest of their lives that I pray the hardest for. The enemy preys on new believers, he does not want them, or any one to be Christians, but the new believers are so vulnerable, it is easy for them, without proper guidance, to just fall back into their old pattern of life. The enemy exploits this to its fullest as he maliciously sets out to cripple them. He will tell any and every lie to them to achieve his goal including sending false teachers. 2 Peter 2 speaks to this saying, “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.” 

Like Paul, if we know someone, or even if we don’t know them, who has just received the Lord into their heart, reach out to them. Hold their hand if that’s what’s needed to assure that false teachers don’t come and drag them away while filling their heads with words contrary to scripture. At the very least pray for these people asking for God’s strength to cover their’s and our lives. Exodus 15:2 says, “The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.” I speak as much to myself as to you when I say we can make a difference. Step in to guide when you can, but always be praying. Pray often and pray with confidence. Prayer can change lives and circumstances like nothing else can. Amen?

Have  great day and to God be the glory.

God bless you all …..