Are You Serious?

Psalms 37:5
Commit thy way unto the Lord;
trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

Proverbs 16:3
Commit thy works unto the Lord,
and thy thoughts shall be established.

What is commitment? It is the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, someone, etc... This is a word that is rarely used today. The level of true commitment is drained under the disguise of pleasure. We are spoon fed a philosophy of "do what makes you happy" or "you need to make yourself happy first". I don't know about you, but I don't enjoy everything that I have to do, or should I say need to do. Let me show you some examples.

I hate, yes hate, having to eat right. I would love to drown a biscuit in some gravy. Wrap my hands around a double bacon cheeseburger. I hate having to eat salads and stay away from taters. I hate paying to have an oil change in our vehicles. Believe this or not, but some days I don't like to work. There it is, I said it! But do you know what I like? I love stepping on the scales and seeing my weight come down. I love getting in my vehicle and knowing that it will probably get me to my destination. I absolutely love getting a paycheck and purchasing things I need... and a few things I desire.

A coach once told me that sometimes you have to do the things you don't want to in order to be dedicated or committed. Are you spending your life as a Christian waiting on the Lord to take you home but yet your commitment to Him is no where to be found? Many want Heaven without repentance or a walk dedicated to Jesus. Are you serious? What if the Lord took the same interest in commitment toward you that you have toward Him? Where would that leave you?

Something to SERIOUSLY think about...

The Odds Are In Your Favor

Luke 23:34

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

While Jesus was pleading for their forgiveness, they were gambling. We see in this scripture that the article they were gambling for was his garment. But if will look deeper, we will see that it was much more than that. They were gambling with their lives. 

The Son of God was right above them. He was praying that his Father would forgive because they were ignorant of what they were doing. He was giving his life for theirs. He would have clothed them with righteousness instead of those old rags they cast lots for. If only they would have looked up. If only they would have thrown themselves upon Jesus. He would have given them the greatest riches that this world has ever known. 

Think with me of that scene... Pharisees crying out for the death of Jesus, some followers weeping about Jesus, Roman soldiers giving out commands and now find themselves sitting down at his feet gambling for his clothes. If only they knew. 

Are you gambling at his feet today?  So many come so close to God and then walk away with some type of garment, but never receive that righteous robe and glorious crown. Come to Jesus now!  Realize right now how close you are to the Savior. Let me finish by saying... "These odds are in your favor"

Walking On Crutches

John 15:4

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

Quick information, fast answers and Google are dangerous today. Not to mention Wikipedia and Snopes.com. Many of us today have become scholars because of our fast access to information through our smart phones. When someone asks a question an almost instant typing fest begins. People searching on Google or Internet search engines as fast as they can. Ready to give that answer, even if it's wrong. 

This attitude is bleeding into the Christian life also. Someone asks a question concerning the Bible and people reach for the phone. Or better yet, they reach for a study Bible instead of studying the Bible. They search commentaries instead of asking the Holy Spirit. Don't get me wrong, these resources are great and needed, but they should not be the crutches which we lean upon. They should be helps with our studies and not our source of studies. 

In this same manner, Christians have made church, music, styles, preachers, youth groups, events, etc...our source. When our source, and only source is Jesus!  These others are great resources for the life of a Christian. Music heals the soul, preaching feeds the soul, events excite the soul, but only Christ can satisfy the soul. He is our source!  

Let me show you something... Take Jesus (our source) from church, music, styles, preachers, youth groups, events, etc...(our resources) and what will you have?  Take scripture from your study Bible and what will you have? A book of mans thoughts concerning the Word of God. Remember, I'm not saying these things are wrong at all, they are just not the source. Take study notes from the study Bibles and what will you have? The Word of God. Don't get so engulfed by the resources. 

Our source is Jesus Christ. There is no other!

Just Like He Said

2 Thessalonians 2:5
Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

A few years ago, while traveling the same road  just about everyday, I told my wife about some huge rocks that we're going to fall from a cliff on this road. Every time we would travel this road I always glanced over and looked at those rocks. Every time I looked I would say to those in the car with me, "Those rocks are gonna come down someday soon."  It had gotten so routine for me that my wife and boys would say, "Yeah, yeah someday those rocks are going to fall." I would always respond with, "You better believe it! Mark my words."

As we were traveling home from church one Sunday morning, we suddenly came to a barricade. As soon as I saw this I started yelling, "I told you! I told you! That huge rock has finally come down." Sure enough, that's exactly what happened. So needless to say every time I tell them something now they take me a little more serious, maybe.

God has given us His word. He has warned us in places. He has assured us in places. There have been promises given unto us as well as scriptures of protection. God has spoken purpose as well as prophecy to us in His word. He told the disciples that no stone would be left upon another there in Jerusalem and you know what?  I've seen those stones lying on the ground myself. Just like He said!

Go and read John Chapter 14 before you start your day today. He has told us that He has gone to prepare a place for us and to not let our hearts be troubled. Mark His words... He has gone and it will happen. Just like He said!

Walk Heavy

2 Peter 1:15

Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.

What kind of mark will you leave behind? Did you know that everyday we are leaving footprints? Now I'm not talking about the carbon footprints that Al Gore speaks of. I'm talking about a path. A path that people will either follow or avoid. 

If you have children you know what I'm speaking about. Everyday and every moment those little ones are following our steps. They want to be like dad or just like mom. I remember when my boys used to put my shoes on and those shoes would swallow their little feet up. They would also put my suit coat on and wear it through the church as it would hang way past the knees. 

Not just our children are watching us. People all around us are observing us and watching the steps we make. So where are we leading them? Are we, as Christians, leading them to a life filled with grace or just one that takes advantage of grace and abuses it?

Peter said, before this scripture, that he wanted to stir up the gift that is within you. He wants so strongly to put us into remembrance of the things of God before he dies. 

Let me express my heart this morning. Before I receive eternity i want my wife to continue in the steps we have made together. I want my sons to know Christ even more. I want them to know the scriptures so well that it flows from them. I want them to sing so loudly the praises of Jesus. I want them to be ready for the trials that will come from serving Christ and to endure them with joy. 

God has blessed me by showing me something. Those boys who used to put my big shoes on that didn't fit, well let's just say they are only a few sizes away now. Heaven that once seemed so far away, well it's just a few steps from here. So let's walk heavy and leave some good steps for others to follow. 

Faith and the Magic 8 Ball?

Remember the "Magic 8 Ball"?  With its phrases like, "It is Certain", "You May Rely on It", "Outlook Good", "Ask Again Later", "Concentrate and Ask Again", and my all time favorite "Very Doubtful". Keep that in mind through our devotion this morning. 

Judges 6:36-40

And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said, Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said. And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water. And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew. And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.

This is an amazing story about a man who was facing something difficult in his life and asked God for a sign. God chose to answer him in the very way that he asked. God uses signs. Many times, especially in the Old Testament, God moved in this manner. God even sent the star as a sign over His Son. Not that the sign was the miracle, it only pointed to the miracle and confirmed it. 

We today act in the same way as Gideon. We feel God moving in our lives and then ask Him to send us a sign. Some have even asked God to move in their most darkest times by closing their eyes and pointing to a page of the Bible to read a powerful scripture. Please don't misunderstand me this morning. I do not doubt that God can move in that way, He has done great things for me in this manner. But there is a problem with this ALWAYS being the way we think. 

Look at this scripture and keep in mind that scripture will never argue against scripture. The people wanted a sign about the end times and listen to what Jesus said about always seeking signs. 

Luke 11:29

And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation:they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.

You see if we are always the kind of people that close our eyes and point, look into the sky for a certain shaped cloud or some other kind of signs, then where is our faith?  If we constantly seek signs in order to believe God then we will become as the Jewish nation did. They became guilty of placing their faith in the signs themselves instead of the God who sent the signs. Don't be guilty of placing your faith in signs but rather keep your faith in God who sent the sign for your direction.

The GREATEST sign you could ever receive has already been given. It is the awesome Word of God!  Why spend so much time seeking after more signs when God has already given us the signs in His Word?  

Thank you Lord for your Word. Thank you for allowing me to live in such a time that there is no confusion for my direction because it is all written in your Word. 

John 20:30-31

And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

Watch For Potholes!

Galatians 5:7
Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

I hear Christians almost every week say the phrase, "When I first got saved I was so on fire for the Lord." To which I always try to respond, "What happened?"

The sad truth is that we all could be closer to the Lord right now than we were yesterday. The reason for this is we tend to watch the flames or desire of our hearts burn instead of putting more wood on the fire. Our human nature is to glory in our victories. We live so much on the old glory days than we do looking at the days that could be before us.

A preacher friend of mine, Junior Hill, once told us at a Pastor's Conference that he was praying that his last days would be his best. This is someone who is asking God for strength, wisdom and most of all the Spirit to be with him in the last chapters of his life. Let me say that God has truly been answering his prayer.

But sometimes along the way we become hindered. Look at what Paul says about the church at Galatia. He says, "Ye did run well;... You were doing so good and then something has happened to you guys." What in the world happened to these followers? Who hindered them? An interesting things is the Greek word for hinder. It is "anakopto", which means to beat back, hinder by breaking up a road. It's like the waves that beat against the ship trying to maintain its course. It's like driving along and the potholes are so bad, or the road is so damaged, you can't get to your destination.

God's Word tells us that there are things and people that will hinder us. We must be careful of the potholes that try and wreck our lives. I sure don't want a preacher, or the Lord Himself, telling me that I did run well...but you became hindered. Do you always boast of what you used to be in the Lord? What hindered you?