Come Back Around Rejoicing

Luke 15:9

And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.

I was running this morning, and at a mile in and I saw a penny on the ground. I told myself I would pick it up on the return (even though it was not on the return). But when I came back through that way I couldn't find it. My eyes were scanning every area I thought I was at when I saw it. But I had to keep running, I couldn't stop. So in my mind I was thinking, "I should have picked it up when I first saw it, I will probably never find it now". 

By this time, my heart rate was up even greater because God started teaching me a lesson. I found myself thinking about that penny the whole time I was trying to finish my run. I was second guessing myself if I had actually seen it there in that particular spot or not.  It was almost a worry if I would find it or not. (I know that you must think that I'm crazy)  

Scanning, scanning and more scanning. I would look at my watch and think, "I can run pass there one more time before I finish". So I told myself that I would look harder this time. So as I approached the area where I thought it was the search began again. My heart pounding because of the run and anxiety of the search. Then it caught my eye... I FOUND IT!  Immediately I looked at my running watch. As I approached the penny, my watch turned over and the run was now completed. I stooped down an picked it up, relieved that I found it and excited that my run was finished. 

What if the penny had no value? In a previous devotion, God dealt with me about the value of a penny.  (Many people think they don't have any value)  But in this devotion God dealt with me about the search and rejoicing. What if I had decided not to come searching again? How many times do we pass a life everyday and not see its value? Are you willing to come back around?  

  - Pray today that God first moves on your heart and causes you to be 

    concerned and broken about the value of a soul. 

  - Pray that God gives you the eyes to see them in their condition. 

  - Pray that as you run your race in life, you don't forget to pick up that soul 

    and bring them to Jesus. 

If you live this way, will you rejoice with me today?  Hallelujah!

Clearly Visible

Romans 12:9

Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

There are three clear and visible things found in this scripture...

First of all it tells us that love should be without concealment. It should be visible and evident in the life of a Christian. Love is how we are known for being a follower of Jesus. He told us that they would know you by the love you have for one another. We should show the Love of God to all we come in contact with. 

Second, we should abhor that which is evil. The word abhor means, to regard with disgust and hatred. A child of God should hate sin and it's destruction it could do in our lives. Too many Christians today are playing with sin as someone who plays with a snake. Any snake handler (which to me must be crazy) will tell you that when you lose the fear and awareness of what the snake is capable of doing, then you shouldn't be around them anymore. Christians have lost sight of the damaging effects of sin and its destruction it can do. We are told to stay away from evil, to abhor it!

Third, we should cleave to that which is good. Good in this scripture means that which is holy and right in God's sight. We should hold onto that which is good, knowing it is from God.  Knowing that it is for our benefit and growth. 

God tells us these simple truths and maybe we should write them down today on a small piece of paper. Place it in our pockets and study it throughout the day. 

  - Show the Love of God Clearly

  - Hate Sin (not sinner) and its Destructing Power

  - Hold on to the Good Things that God Sends Our Way

Pep Rally

Mark 9:38-39

And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.

At the microphone our beloved student leader would stand and point to the seventh graders and make his way across the whole assembly doing the Roll, Jordan, Roll wave. The band would be playing and the cheerleaders would be chanting their cheers. "2 bits, 4 bits, 6 bits, a dollar, all for Jordan, stand up and holler..."  Then as the band played we would sing Roll Jordan Roll... 

Then the greatest time of the pep rally came when we would compete with the the "other side". As a seventh grader it was us junior high students against the varsity students. We would scream at the top of our lungs... "We've got spirit yes we do, we've got spirit how bout' you?"  The scene didn't change as we grew older. I can still remember being in the tenth, eleventh and twelfth grade scream at the junior high students. 

You know many people do that today in Christianity. They stand on their side of the guitar and shout that their worship is the best. While the others stand on their side of the piano and declare theirs is the way. We are so quick to pick and choose. So quick to forbid people, when Jesus says let them alone. Let every man's work be tried by Christ. 

So stop trying to keep tabs. Stop trying to compete or forbid. Follow Jesus. Serve Jesus. Preach Jesus. And realize that if someone else has Jesus there is no possible way you could have more of Him. He's the same forever and for every one.  

God Fixed Him

Psalms 147:3

He healeth the broken in heart,

and bindeth up their wounds.

Remember this?... 

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

All the kings horses and all the kings men, 

couldn't put Humpty together again.

My Dad said, "If we could have gotten Humpty to Jesus, he could have fixed him. This has to be the most profound and simplest statement of who Christ is and his power he has. Of all the wisdom I have searched for in the last twenty years if my Christian life, I have not heard a statement so true. I have not heard a summation of who Jesus is than this one. If only the kings horsemen and the kings men could have brought him to Jesus he could have been healed like the woman with the issue of blood for twelve years. He could have been saved just like the young boy we he raised from the dead and gave back to his widowed mother. He could have been fixed like Mary Magdalene's heart. 

Jesus, He is the only one who can heal the broken heart. 

I can't take a heart that's broken, make it over again

But I know a man who can

I can't take a soul that's sin sick, make it white as the snow

But I know a man who can

Some call him Savior the redeemer of all men,

I call him Jesus for He's my dearest friend 

If you feel that no one loves you and your life is out of hand

Well, I know a man who can

My "Good Thang"

Proverbs 18:22

Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing,

and obtaineth favour of the Lord.

When God created all f creation he said everyday that it was good. But when he created man, He said, "It is not good that man should be alone". So then God created woman out of man to be his helper. To be his "good thang". 

I ain't bragging, but praising God this morning. Praising Him for my marriage and my "good thang". I have been blessed by our God with a beautiful, talented, softball playing, Glory to God singing, making me fat cooking, absolute awesome woman of God. There is absolutely no way I could have found this on my own, believe me I tried! This is a blessing from God. 

How many times do we get bogged down in this life and let things, or people, take a back seat to our burdens?  We can be so distracted by the bad things in life that we lose sight of our good things. I only wish people could hear the testimonies of spouses who are hear on earth while their "good thing" is in Heaven awaiting their arrival. It's sorta like the old preacher always said, "We sometimes don't miss our water till our well has run dry". 

How do you treat your "good thang"?  How do you talk to your "good thang"? 

Disclaimer:  I am not in any doghouse or trouble with my wife. This is straight from our Lord and my heart. I have in no way been influenced to with the above words because of my failure as a husband. It is simply because I love my "good thang"!  Hahahaha

The I's Have It

Luke 18:10-12

Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

When we were kids, other children would call the children with glasses "four eyes". They would say, "Here comes ol' four eyes". Children can sometimes be a little mean with their sayings. Well in looking at this scripture today, Here comes ol' five eyes...  

It says two men went to pray; and the one a "only can see himself" Pharisee. Look at what he says... "I" thank thee that "I" am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. "I" fast twice in the week, "I" give tithes of all that "I" possess. 

There is not much that gets to me more than that kind of attitude. It's the spirit of "ol' five eyes". We should never point to us in every sentence. You can see that this man never went home justified when he prayed because he bragged on every work he could think of. He was the type of man who would never let you speak and if you did something great, he would have done it twice. If you would have given $100 in the plate because God placed that on your heart to give, she would give $200 just in order to give more than you.  Our lives as Christians shouldn't point to the things we do. Let me say it like this... Many people often tell me things like, "I loved the message this morning, you are great". Although I know what they're intentions are, I always point up and say, "It's all Him". 

We should thank God that we are not as other men (because He has made us different). We should thank God that we aren't waking in sin (like we used too). We should thank God for His closeness when we fast (and not brag or blab about it). We should praise God that we have an opportunity to tithe of the blessings He has given us (because they are not our possessions but His)

Sometimes when ol' five eyes shows up I quietly lean over to my wife and say... "Well, the I's have it".   

The Proof is in the Pudding

John 5:39

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

After researching this phrase I have found that the original is... "The proof of the pudding is in the eating". Which means if you desire the flavor of the pudding and it's deliciousness, then you must eat it to find the proof. 

Many are looking for truth today but come short in finding it. It is because of the source they are trying to find it in. Even in our churches many turn to books about the Bible instead of the Bible. Sacrificing our Bible reading time for commentaries, men's Bible studies, and lessons about the Bible. None of these things are bad or wrong, but they can become hindrances from your alone time with God's source (The Bible). We've reverted to watching the Christian television shows instead of reading God's Word. We've retreated to the books about Christian experiences rather than the Word of God. Please don't misunderstand me. I read commentaries, study lessons, and books of Christian topics often. But when I desire the truth of it all...the proof of the pudding...I don't want a theory, topic, or thought of what some man or woman has about Christ, I want the words of Christ. I want the proof in the pudding!

Are you searching for truth?  You can hear it through Steve, you can hear it through Christians, you can hear it through church, you can hear it through books, commentaries and such, but you CAN FIND IT in the proof of the pudding... His Precious Holy Word.

I know you may say that scripture is difficult to understand at times and hard to read.  That's because it is spiritually understood. This means apart from the revelation of God's Spirit we can't understand it. Before you open His Word ask the Holy Spirit of God to show you what is being said to your heart. Pray for guidance in the Word. I have no doubt that He will show you the proof in the pudding. Remember now..."It's in the eating".  He actually says, "Taste and see..." Psalms 34:8

Happy, Happy, Happy

Acts 26:2

I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:

Think of brother Paul... He always wanted to preach the gospel in Rome so that all the world would know of God's salvation. He knew that "all roads lead to Rome" and that if he could carry the message there, it could spread to all the world. One thing Paul didn't account for was HOW he would go to Rome or who would be his audience. He was not on a cruise ship with room service, but was on a board after the ship was broken to pieces. He wasn't with his crew of preacher friends, but with guards and chains. He wasn't set up in the 4 or 5 star hotel, but was in the prison. But notice what Paul says when he stands before the King. They tell him, after much hardship and wait, that he has the freedom to speak for himself. Paul then shocks the world, as well as me, by saying these next words...

"I think myself happy" said Paul... Wow! How many of us would be happy about the situation he was in?  Too many think today that they deserve the best of things. Like a hotel, cruise ship, friends who wait on them hand and foot. The truth of it all is that people think this way because they don't have their eyes on Jesus and the full blessing of sharing the gospel. 

Paul was happy because he was finally at the place where God wanted him to be. He wanted to share his testimony and now he is about to share it to the King. All the trials of how he had gotten there faded into the background when he was finally able to the share the gospel. 

Why do you spend your time whining about what materialistic things you're missing out on when you could be sharing the gospel? Maybe the trial you've gone through to get to the place you are is for a greater reason. 

Are you happy? How happy?  Not the happiness that the world offers, but the joy that Jesus offers. You see Paul wasn't happy about the shipwrecks, inprisonments, beatings, or chains... He was happy about sharing the Gospel!