Scuba Diving

Micah 7:18-19

Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity,

and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage?

he retaineth not his anger for ever,

because he delighteth in mercy. 

He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us;

he will subdue our iniquities;

and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

One thing I've always wanted to do is to scuba dive. What an awesome adventure it would be. To be able and see those things that are hidden from view at the surface would be amazing. Fish, plants, etc... Seeing things that some have never seen before. I just think it would be an opportunity of a lifetime. 

You know I have often thought about my sins being forgiven and cast into the sea. I've heard people speak about this sea of forgetfulness that scripture refers to. Our God is so gracious to do this. Sometimes Satan puts his scuba gear on and attempts to dive into our past and see what he can discover. He searches through areas of our lives that no one could normally see with the natural eyes. He tries his best to explore our closets, so to say. One of his greatest joys is brining something up to the surface to reveal. 

Our scripture speaks of God forgiving the sins of Israel and casting them into the see. Every year something had to be done about their sins. There had to be a continual sacrifice for their sins. The sacrificing of certain animals shows the love of God covering the sins of those who confess them. How these people must have rejoiced in having their sins confessed and covered. Can't you see the joy and relief on their faces as they walked away from the tabernacle after offing their sacrifice and confessing their sins to God? 

Hebrews 10:4

For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

John 1:29

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

1 John 3:5

And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

I thank Him for the covering of sins. I'm even more thankful that through Jesus our sins are removed from us. He takes them away! What the blood of bulls and goats couldn't remove, but only cover, the blood of Jesus cleanses and removes our sins. Thank you Jesus for removing my sins! 

Satan will surely run out of air before he finds the sins that Jesus has removed. I'm sure that some of you could point out some of my past sins and failures, but then you would be scuba diving with Satan wouldn't you?

Can You Hear Me Now?

Psalms 81:11-16

But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels. Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries. The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever. He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.

One of the running commercials a few years ago was from Verizon Wireless.  Remember the man in the Verizon work uniform going from place to place saying, "Can you hear me now? Good." This was played so much on the television that people started saying it. Every time someone would have bad reception on their cell phone they would say, "Can you hear me now?"

This morning, as we read our scripture, did you think of that same line?  I imagine God asking us, "Can you hear me now?"  When I was young my parents would ask me if I was listening to them or not.  They knew the answer to the question but wanted to hear me say it.  I would hear them, but I really wasn't listening to them.  Seems like God is saying the exact same thing about Israel in this scripture.

His people just wouldn't hearken, or listen, to what He was trying to tell them.  It's almost like the reception was bad.  Reception problems don't come from the tower, especially the one God has. Reception problems come from the things that block us from the signal.  Things that block us from the view of the tower. God's signal is the strongest. His call is the loudest. It's us who have things in our lives that block the reception.

Read again our scripture.  If only they had listened!  Look at what they could have enjoyed.  If I had only listened to the wisdom of my parents, look at the misery I could have bypassed in my life. If I would listen to Christ and His guidance imagine the pain I could avoid. God is trying to speak to you today through His Son, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  Don't hear Him, listen to Him.  Can you hear Him now?

The Way of Peace

Romans 3:17

And the way of peace have they not known:

Peace means, "Freedom from disturbance". Freedom, freedom from a disturbance or interruption. Satan loves to interrupt and destroy the peace we have. He tries everyday in every way to cause us pain and heartache right?  So he comes in and pounces on us immediately with fangs out and claws digging in, right? No, really he comes at us in ways that are sneaky and subtle in order to destroy our walk with the Lord and steal our peace. He wants nothing more than for a child of God to be off his/her walk with the Lord. He loves for people to feel alone and isolated, without peace. He disrupts our walk. 

Peace also means, "Freedom from war". There is a battle today for your very soul. Satan and the demons of Hell are fighting against the grace of God. Trying daily to overcome you and steal your soul from God. But also there is a battle for the walk of the Christian. Remember he wants to disrupt your walk with sin. He also wants to destroy you through the results of sin. It's war to him. There are no rules, boundaries, limits. He comes full force!  But thanks be unto the Lord Jesus for His peace He gives. 

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Peace also means, "Unity between one another". You may love people very, very dearly, but only God can give the unity of peace between you both. God sees the disputes between one another. He sees the war between one another. But through His life, He can give peace that passes all understanding. Remember what He said?  It's not a worldly peace, but His peace. 

Lord please give unto me the peace I so desperately need today. 

Loaded Questions

Loaded Questions

Matthew 22:23-29

The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. And last of all the woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.

Do you find it strange that the atheist activist spend much of their lives fighting against a God they don't believe exists?  What about these Sadducees, who didn't believe in the resurrection, asking questions concerning the resurrection. Now I hope the atheist ask a question about God, just as much as I want the Sadducee to asks a question concerning the resurrection. But the problem with this question today is that it was loaded. 

You may wonder what a loaded question is. It is a question asked by someone who has their own preconceived idea. It could also be a question that is set with traps. So what is the best way to handle these questions?  Look at how Jesus answered. He tells them that they don't understand the scriptures. 

So many today, even in our churches, have a lack of knowledge when it comes to scripture. We get more concerned with an emotional service than a spiritually challenging service. Many want to feel good about themselves when they leave instead of being changed by the powerful Word of God. The problem with this is that we will fall into sin because of our lack of knowledge in God's Word. Jesus said, "Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures..." They change them to fit their lives, like clipping the edges of a puzzle piece in order to finish the puzzle. But the puzzle done this way, or life, will never be right. It will always be wrong. 

God, help us today to preach your Word! Help us to live your Word! Lord help us to share your Word! Keep us in the Word, so we won't be of the world. Oh, and the loaded questions.... If you're not in the Word, avoid them or the could blow up on you. 

Not Anymore!

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

I heard a man preaching in our church this past Sunday evening. He was talking about how he used to see me around town. He was sharing how I had seen him in the local grocery store. He was on the alcohol aisle and I was getting some milk. He took off running from me, but I made it a point to holler a hearty hello. His face turned red and he kinda ignored me. He took off toward the register and paid for his beer. He then took it out to the vehicle and came back inside. He found me down another aisle and shook my hand like he had not seen me before. 

It wasn't much after this that he surrendered his life to Jesus Christ. Wow what a difference Jesus has made in his life. It excites me because I see what Christ did for me years ago through him. I was exactly like this man. I was good, a good friend, a good person, and a real good sinner. (This was the way I viewed myself) But just like our scripture this morning, I would not have entered Heaven on my good thoughts or deeds. I was a drunkard, reviler, just a sinner. But look closely at the scripture and you will see some of the greatest words ever written. "...and such WERE some of you..." 

I used to run from the Christians. I didn't want to hear them. I especially ran from God because I didn't want to hear Him either. I was so lost in sin!  I love that I WAS lost. I am no longer lost. 

Just like when I hear this man speak, or many of the others that were lost speak, I get excited. I hear them talk about what they used to be. I hear them tell of things that they used to do. Not bragging about it but humble about it. And I want to shout, "NOT ANYMORE, NOT ANYMORE!"  

And such WERE some of you: BUT ye are washed, BUT ye are sanctified, BUT ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. See it? Say this morning, "NOT ANYMORE!"

I'm A Jesus Fan

John 6:66-68

From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

With football season underway everyone has washed the old flag of their favorite football team and hung them from the front porch. Friday after Friday they go to the local grocery store and stock up on the favorite tailgating foods. Some purchase tickets at a great expense, load up the RV and head out to the campus of their team. For weeks, some even months, have studied over the new recruits and who will be starting. To some I know, it's a passion and even sometimes a religion. 

The excitement begins to fill the air. People make preparations for the opening game parties. The band begins to play that old fight song. The cheerleaders are flipping across the field and yelling for their team. The team comes out on the field for warmup drills. People in the stands, and at home, point out to everyone who are the all-star players. They give statistics of the quarterbacks throwing arm, the running backs yardage per carry from their high school days and the defensive line and their bench press weight. People know it like the back of their hands. They passionately talk of how their team is going all the way this year. "We are gonna run-n-gun this year", they say. 

Then the kick is off...and the first play of scrimmage is about to take place. The huddle is broken and everyone is to the line. The quarterback snaps the ball and takes three steps back and fires one over the middle! The ball is perfect and tightly spiraled. The receiver comes across the center of the field...reaches for the ball...BOOM! He's hammered! The pass is incomplete. The crowd and fans everywhere begin to yell, "That's ok, that's ok, come on guys, you can do it!"  

Huddle is broken, line is set, ball is snapped and the quarterback hands it to the beast of a running back that we have this year...BOOM! He's dropped for a three yard loss. "What? Come on line...BLOCK SOMEBODY!" are the screams from the crowd now. After an hour or two of this the stadium begins to empty. On the way home from the campus the newly washed flag is now being torn to shreds or even burned. The team jerseys and team apparel that was pressed is by now hanging back in the closet. 

Some people love when the team is exciting and passing the ball and touchdown after touchdown is scored. But then when it gets tough in the trenches people want to walk away. Some want their team to always throw the ball and be fast paced, while others like the bulldozing of a running attack. If the team doesn't perform like they think they should, well they just walk away. If it gets too difficult, like it will sometimes, they just leave and hang the shirt back in the closet until the next season that rolls around. 

If Jesus were to ask you this morning, "Will you also go away?"  What would be your answer?  What would be your reason for staying?  Will you only serve and love Him while it's easy? Or will you stay with Him in the trenches?  My answer would be... Lord Jesus, I have nowhere else to go. You are my Savior! I'm on your team! 

Just An Old Washer

Revelation 1:5

And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

My prayer this morning is that you could endure one more devotion about running and finding things on the ground. Hahaha

Remember the last devotion about finding the three pennies and a dime?  Well while I was running that morning I also saw something huge and shiny. It was about as big as a half-dollar. Man I was so pumped up!  I could see this thing shining bright. I have never found something this big before. Closer and closer I got. When it finally came into my vision I was disheartened. "It's just a washer!" I said. It's an old scratched up washer. 

I was so excited about picking the half-dollar, only to find out it was a washer. So I laughed and ran past it. I kept thinking about it though. I thought, "A washer, who loses a washer in the middle of a parking lot?"  It was just an old stinking washer. Then God smote my heart! "The reason you think it is just an old washer is because you don't see it's service", He said to me. 

Washer - a thin, flat ring that is made of metal, plastic, or rubber and that is used to make something (such as a bolt) fit tightly, distribute pressure evenly or to prevent rubbing and corrosion by separating the materials. 

I went back and picked up that old washer and held it as I ran. I kept saying, "Just an old washer, just an old washer". You know what?  That old washer reminded me of Jesus. First of all He washed away my sins. But look deeper. I am tightly secure through Him. He distributes the pressures that I may endure evenly. Lastly, He separates me from the elements and things of this world. He doesn't want me to be corrupted by the things of this world, so He separates me from it. It is the washer in between. 

Some of you may think that Jesus is just an old story, or just an old washer. Can I tell you He is more than just an old washer. He is more than just an old story or Savior. He has the ability and capability to be so much more to you. I hope that you will look at old washers differently after this morning.  But more than that, my prayer is that you will see Jesus as so much more.