On Your Mark... Get Set... Wait, What?

Ephesians 4:32

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Good morning!  I hope that today finds you doing great. As we search the scriptures together, I just felt like telling you that I love you. I pray for you while writing these words of hope everyday. You reading these devotions brings me so much joy. Not because I write them, but because of God showing me areas in my life where I need help and that it could possibly help someone else. 

See how simple and easy it is to write or talk to people that you love?  It's so easy to be kind, and tenderhearted to people that are the same back to you. It's a lot easier to forgive people that are forgiving also. Or look at it like this... It's easy to forgive people of a lie, a wrong, a sin. But what about when it's a few lies, many wrongs, or sins?  

I find it easy to be kind to one another. Even to people that I know don't like me and want no part of who I am or what I say. You may think I'm silly but I don't try and avoid those people in my life. I actually make it uncomfortable at times. When I see them, I make sure I try and wave. If we meet down the aisle of a store, I speak. Because kindness is easy. Number 1 is programmed!

Every since the day Jesus saved my life, I've had number 2 in my books. I thought I would never cry in front of people, much less for them. When God saved me, that's all I can do now. At times I'm so broken for people and their sin that I begin to question if I care about it more than they actually do... Hahaha. So me being tenderhearted, got it Lord! 

But then comes #3... Forgiving one another, even as Christ forgave you. Did you just hear the sound of brakes screeching across the pavement? Sounded like Bo and Luke Duke coming to a sideways, screeching halt in the General Lee. How simple are these other two things. Even the world (lost) can do these first two. But when it comes to number three, well even the best of Christians struggle. 

Think of an Olympic runner... You know, I could be a gold medal winner if it only depended on two things instead if three. What do they say? "On your mark!" (Kindness, Got it!), "Get set!" (Tenderhearted, that's me!), "GO!" (Forgiveness, HOLD UP!) When they say, "On your mark" I could take my position on the line... "Get set", I would pop up in running position with the best of them... "GO!" Hold the phone! You mean I've gotta run the race? It sure is easy to look like a follower of Jesus if it depended on the two. It's even simple to keep some of the things He teaches us at the front of our everyday routines. But when it comes to running...well that's a different story huh?

On your mark!   Get set!   GO!

Is This Yours?

Psalms 51:3
For I acknowledge my transgressions:
and my sin is ever before me.

This is the prayer that David said unto the Lord after his sin with Bathsheba. He said that his sin was "ever before me". When David woke up, there was his sin. When David walked through his day, his sin was there also. When he laid down to bed, there was his sin again. Always and everywhere his sin was there. He had to live with it every single day.

Do you notice something about what David said? He didn't do like the modern confessor. Most people's confessions today begin with their excuses of why they did what they did. Almost never do they begin by saying, "God it is my sin." It is mostly started with, "God you know me, you know I'm sinful and that sometimes I can't help it."

Some want to say that it's not their fault. They want to blame Adam and his sin in the garden. Let me tell you something! It's not Adam's fault, and it ain't your Daddy's fault, and it ain't your mom's fault, and it ain't your siblings fault, and it ain't your teachers fault, and it ain't your preachers fault, and it ain't the households fault, and it ain't the White Houses fault... It's YOUR SIN!

Until it becomes "YOUR sin", you will never find the forgiveness and victory over it. It's not others that cause you to sin, it's you. It's not the sin of others, it's yours. It's not their fault, it's yours. David said, my sin, is ever before me. What about you today? Is it your sin? Then confes it to Jesus and let Him work in you.

What if We Wept?

John 11:35
Jesus wept. 

Although this is one of the shortest verses of the Bible it has the deepest impact on me. It helps me to understand the heart of the God I serve everyday. Without this verse, we really couldn't see the brokenness of our Lord. You know what is amazing? Not a bone of the Lord Jesus was ever broken but His heart was. 

In this verse Jesus was broken over the condition of the people. Some would have you to believe that He was broken and weeping about the death of His friend but this isn't true. He had come to call him out of death and back into life. No the weeping was from the condition of the people. They didn't believe. If they didn't trust Jesus and believe upon Him then how were the wonderful works of Jesus going to be accomplished? 

With all of the recent stories, even from this week alone, my heart hurts. The disbelief and disdain of the people must surely break the heart of Jesus. My heart is broken for this world, and the Christians that are in this world. The evil that is faced on a daily basis is causing my heart to be concerned. To the point that I find myself crying often.

What great things could happen if God's people were to become broken? What if we wept over the condition of the people instead of seeking revenge upon them? What if we were to weep in our prayers for them? I wonder what could happen? You know something... tears have a way of breaking walls and barriers that words can't. So it's really not about all the words that we can come up with when sharing the Gospel, but about how many tears we've shed when preparing to share the Gospel. 

Jesus wept... doesn't seem like much but oh what an impact it has had upon this whole world! Thank you Jesus for teaching me a lesson in weeping and being the broken man I need to be. Keep my heart broken and my eyes watering. I love you Lord.

That's the Pride Talking

Hosea 5:5
And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them.

What is pride? Well one definition is having honor and self-respect. This is explaining having pride in your appearance, work ethic, or even your character. We really, really need this type of pride in our lives and society today. Another definition, which is the one in our scripture this morning, is arrogance, smugness, self-importance, conceit or vanity. This pride is described as not needing anyone, especially a God telling you what to do or how to live.

Pride is very destructive when not defined properly. You see we need to have pride defined the first way, but never do we need pride in the second. The honor and self-respect of ourselves unto God is a godly characteristic. The arrogance and self-dependence through pride is not of God. The scriptures tell us that this pride will lead to failure and destruction.

One of the things that I love about church is all the children. Before and after our services you can hear and see these children laughing and playing. When those little ones who have just begun to walk come into the church almost every adult wants to hold them. I love how parents will put them down to walk and immediately the game begins. You know the one... The adult holds there arms out like a monster while saying, "I'm gonna get you, you better run." Then the adult chases them down and grabs them up into their arms and hugs them.

Can't you picture pride being this same way with a different result at the end? We are walking and pride is constantly saying, "I'm gonna get you, I'm gonna get you..." It's so true! It is always there trying to get us and just like those little children that could never outrun the adult, we can't outrun pride. We must confess it! You may think today that you have your pride fooled. "It will never get me, I'm too fast, I'm too good", you may say. But can I point something out to you? That's your pride talking.

Yielded to the Potter

Jeremiah 18:3-4
Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Jeremiah had a great blessing to see this potter in action. God spoke to him through what he was seeing also. God says, "Do you see that potter? I want to do the same thing with you and the house of Israel." Around and around the potter's wheel would turn. The potter would pick up that clay and slam it down, pick it up and slam it down. We would think, "What are you doing? You keep picking me up and slamming me down onto this wheel!" While the whole time God is trying to get you into the center of the wheel, or better yet into the center of His will.

Then He takes His creation hands and applies pressure. If the clay could speak it would tell of the pain and pressure that is experienced. "It's for a purpose, it's for a purpose..." I can hear the potter say. I love how the scripture says that he wrought a work on the wheels. God is working in our lives. He truly is! We think because of the pressure that God is mean or even unloving at times but this is not true. He is working the work on the wheel. He is making you into a vessel.

Now here is the biggest key of all. The pottery doesn't tell the potter what to do or how to make it. It yields itself to the potter. Because the potter knows what kind of vessel He needs and He knows what kind of vessel to make. Did you read that earlier? "It was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it."

God is making you according to His plans and His design. Yield to the hands of the potter this morning. Tell Him to mold you and make you into what He desires you to be and for His use. You honestly couldn't pray any greater prayer than that.

God is Good

Nahum 1:7
The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

If you have the time this morning go back and read this whole chapter. You will understand that God is about to send judgment upon Ninevah. This message was not one of coming judgment to Ninevah, but it was a message of hope to Judah. Ninevah was evil and gruesome in their sins. They would impale people and leave them out in the sun to burn. Wickedness was very, very rampant in their city.

What is amazing about this scripture is that during this time Ninevah was at their peak. They were the strongest that they had ever been before. No one thought that this city would ever be overthrown. But when God's judgment fell upon them the ruins of this city weren't found until the 1800's. Their sins were no longer overlooked, but now God sought justice and destroyed the city and its wickedness.

Then all of the sudden, right in the middle of the scriptures, God gives us this verse... "The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him." When we as a nation have sinned and become sickened and twisted with our wickedness by the seconds always remember that the Lord is good. I know a friend of mine who used to stand in church and say, "God is Good." The crowd would always answer back with, "All the Time." In a situation much like Ninevah, we are strong and at the peak of our game as a nation. But just like Ninevah, we are riddled with sin. Not just sinful people but sinful people that are rejoicing in sin. Promoting and praising the acts of sin. You think as you read that I'm speaking of those who are lost alone, but no, no, no, it's very prevalent in the church as well. Some think that judgment will never come, but they are wrong. God will have justice.

But remember Christian's... God is good. He is a STRONG hold in the day of trouble. He knows who is trusting in Him. Hold on to the unchanging hand of Christ. Let the Lord judge you now in your sins that Jesus paid for on the cross. Don't wait until the final judgment day where you will die in your sins without Jesus.

Are You Shocked?

1 John 3:13
Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

Are you shocked that the world doesn't want the hear about Christ? One of the funniest things to me is when Christians get irritated because the world doesn't want to hear them. Are we really confused about this? Read this slowly... It's not you they don't like, it's your love for Jesus Christ. It's not your belief that is not accepted, it's the law of God. We, Christians, spend way too much time upset about people not liking us. We should understand that the world hated Christ and they will hate you.

I went to school at Mortimer Jordan High School. I'll never forget hearing all the war stories of the man who was the principal there. "Oh, he is so strict. You're not gonna like him at all. He runs a tight ship", they would say. I remember one parent telling me that it was where they sent the students for correction, kinda like a prison. So needless to say when I arrived I was dreading it.

I remember hearing his voice in the hallway for the first time. He called me out by "Little Nacho". He said, "Son, you need to tuck that shirt tail in." I'll have to admit that I really didn't like him very much in my first years of high school. I was in sin and lost. I was doing my own thing and didn't want anyone telling me what to do. Although I used to say, "I hate this school and can't wait to get out." It never bothered or swayed him. He knew that people didn't like him because of his ways, but he never let that bother him. He loved us. He truly loved us. I'll never ever forget the day I was saved and starting my Senior year as a brand new Child of God. My look toward him was so different. I began to realize that he loved me. That he always had loved me. I understood his love for me and the other students and in turn, showed my love toward him (and still do).

If he would have let my anger toward him lead him to be angry toward me, he would have never instructed me. But because he realized that everyone is not going to like him or his moral stands, he didn't let it stop him. Too many today have quit standing for holiness because people don't like it. Let me say it again... They are not ever going to like it because their deeds are evil and they are in darkness. Stop shaking your head and marveling that this world doesn't like you or even hates you. They hated Jesus and He is the only one that has ever truly and unconditionally loved them.