Psalms 37:27
Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
Is there a problem in the translation of this scripture? It plainly tell us that we should depart from evil. In other scriptures it tells us to run from evil or to eschew evil. To get as far away as possible from evil. Some people say that we should get away from the very presence of evil but that is impossible. Paul said that when he would want to do good that he always found that evil was present. This means there is always a choice to do evil. So how can we depart from evil?
When evil presents itself we should chose to say no. Simple right? Well not so simple. See we are tempted to do evil. It's by the devil right? No. Scripture says that we are tempted or lured by our own lusts. We see people enjoying sin and fall right into the same things because it is desirous. People see the fun on the alcohol commercials of swimming pools, swimsuits and hot dogs on the grill and think that looks fun. The commercials never show you the drunk man beating his friend or wife half-to-death. They never show you the woman on the side of the road being cuffed and placed into a police car because she has just ran over a child with her car. They never show you the coffin of the spouse who is in disaster because cirrhosis of the liver has taken their love.
God has been so clear to us. He is never gray on issues like this. He says to depart from evil. Get away from it by making the right choice. Those who are of the world don't know any better. Yes it's common for them to drink with one another, sleep with one another, kill one another. But NOT YOU saved, child of God. Depart from evil! Stop justifying your sin and lusts and say it... Lord forgive me. Lord I choose you today! When you resist the devil and evil he will flee from you.
If you are thinking about doing evil then please depart from it right now. If you have chosen to do evil then please repent of it right now. Do the righteous works of Christ and live in Him evermore. It is never what you do that allows you to live forever with Christ, it's what He's done. If we trust in what He's done for us to deliver us from evil, then we should depart always from any and every evil. Lord help the Christians reading this today LIVE what they say.
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Thursday, May 25, 2017
I'm Staaaavin'
Matthew 4:2-4
And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
When our youngest boy Jacob was little he would never come to us and say that he would like something to eat. His words were always, "I'm Staaaavin'." It never failed and was always hilarious. He would walk through the house hollering for his mom and yelling, "Mom, I staaaaavin'!"
Think about Jesus in his time of fasting and prayer. The scripture says that afterward He was hungry. Satan comes to Him and tells Him to command the stones to be turned to bread. Why? Because He is hungry. Could Jesus have done this? Sure! But what Satan didn't understand was that Jesus wasn't just physically hungry, but He was starving for the will of His Father to be done.
How hungry are you today? Right now? I love to watch the FoodTV channel. My favorite show is Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. But when I watch these shows I am always hungry afterward. To see those burgers, steaks, specialties made by the people and zoomed in by the cameraman, oooooh I could devour them. Do you know that when I study God's Word it has the same effect? When I pray and fast, God gives me a hunger that can only be satisfied by more and more of His Spirit. Sometimes my prayers are, "Lord, I'm Staaaaarvin'."
This physical food can only satisfy the flesh but the hunger for God and every Word that comes it of His mouth is what satisfies my hungry soul. So let me ask you again... How hungry are you? Tell the Lord the morning, I'm Staaaaavin'!"
And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
When our youngest boy Jacob was little he would never come to us and say that he would like something to eat. His words were always, "I'm Staaaavin'." It never failed and was always hilarious. He would walk through the house hollering for his mom and yelling, "Mom, I staaaaavin'!"
Think about Jesus in his time of fasting and prayer. The scripture says that afterward He was hungry. Satan comes to Him and tells Him to command the stones to be turned to bread. Why? Because He is hungry. Could Jesus have done this? Sure! But what Satan didn't understand was that Jesus wasn't just physically hungry, but He was starving for the will of His Father to be done.
How hungry are you today? Right now? I love to watch the FoodTV channel. My favorite show is Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. But when I watch these shows I am always hungry afterward. To see those burgers, steaks, specialties made by the people and zoomed in by the cameraman, oooooh I could devour them. Do you know that when I study God's Word it has the same effect? When I pray and fast, God gives me a hunger that can only be satisfied by more and more of His Spirit. Sometimes my prayers are, "Lord, I'm Staaaaarvin'."
This physical food can only satisfy the flesh but the hunger for God and every Word that comes it of His mouth is what satisfies my hungry soul. So let me ask you again... How hungry are you? Tell the Lord the morning, I'm Staaaaavin'!"
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Lord Teach Us To Pray
Luke 11:1
And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
When our boys were young we would help them learn how to ask the prayer over the food. We started with... "God is great, God is good" prayer. Then we moved up to leading them in a prayer. Eventually they took over the position of praying over the food we would eat totally. What was so funny about it is they would pray, almost to the word, the very same prayer we would pray.
So many times I would talk to them after the prayer and say, "You know guys, you don't have to say the same thing that we did". I always thought they needed to make the prayers their own personal prayer. I spent much time in correcting them about it. Not getting on them about it, but trying to make them understand that they needed to talk to the Lord with their own words. Then it hit me one day... They learned to pray by listening to our prayers. I learned that they would talk to Him in their own way when the time was right. Now I listen to them bring up things in prayer that I haven't even thought of.
These disciples asked the Lord Jesus to teach them how to pray. I wonder how many times that they stuck to the model in this prayer because they learned it from Jesus? But then slowly, and steadfast, they began to use this for what it was and is, a model and not a formula.
This morning...break out of the routine model of habitual prayer and TALK to Him! Take the model and use it, but not as a formula. Take a timeout to tell Him something not found in the model prayer. Be real with Him! Confess your sin, declare your trust, and express your love to Him in prayer this morning. Lord, thank you for teaching us to pray.
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Strawberry Jelly and Mustard
Psalms 34:8
O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
Have you ever said or done something that was done in poor taste? I certainly have. A few days ago someone showed me a picture of a shirt from a well know company. In the attempts to possibly honor the military as well as offer a basketball shirt, this company produced a shirt that had a few basketball players raising the goal up as if it was similar to those men who raised the American flag over Iwo Jima. Now I understand that some people became irate about this shirt and demanded that it be taken off of the shelves, which is what I believe should have happened. But also many, many people went to the point of saying that they would never buy anything from this company again.
If this company would have made a statement of "we know what the shirt implies and we are against war and America" then yes they should be boycotted. But what if this truly was a matter of poor taste? What if it is a matter of pushing the envelope on something that Americans have held greatly because of what it represents?
You see, you and I can have poor taste at times also. Our decision making is altered sometimes by the flesh instead of the Spirit. We often say things that we should keep in, and hold in things that we should say. Some of us wear clothing that should never be worn hahaha. It's poor taste at times. All because we are actually eating from the wrong table. What if, because of your poor taste or decision, that people said, "I will never have anything to do with that person again!" There would be no communication on earth because we are ALL guilty.
Let me wrap up with this... I used to eat a Jack's steak biscuit for breakfast. I loved them. The way I liked them was with strawberry jelly and mustard on it. Some of you just said, "Eeeewwwww, Nasty!" But it was so good to me that I wanted my friends to enjoy it. I even once bought my friend a new biscuit because he tried it and hated it. I'll never forget the facial expression from him that morning. In the same manner, the joke that should be held it because it is poorly flavored by the flesh is poor taste. It puts a sour taste into the mouths of others. Listen, we ALL are guilty of doing this but that doesn't give us an excuse. We need to be as this clothing company and remove those things that are poor taste to others in our Christian lives.
Lord Help Me! You know the things on my shelf that I need to throw away. I love you Jesus for showing me this today.
O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
Have you ever said or done something that was done in poor taste? I certainly have. A few days ago someone showed me a picture of a shirt from a well know company. In the attempts to possibly honor the military as well as offer a basketball shirt, this company produced a shirt that had a few basketball players raising the goal up as if it was similar to those men who raised the American flag over Iwo Jima. Now I understand that some people became irate about this shirt and demanded that it be taken off of the shelves, which is what I believe should have happened. But also many, many people went to the point of saying that they would never buy anything from this company again.
If this company would have made a statement of "we know what the shirt implies and we are against war and America" then yes they should be boycotted. But what if this truly was a matter of poor taste? What if it is a matter of pushing the envelope on something that Americans have held greatly because of what it represents?
You see, you and I can have poor taste at times also. Our decision making is altered sometimes by the flesh instead of the Spirit. We often say things that we should keep in, and hold in things that we should say. Some of us wear clothing that should never be worn hahaha. It's poor taste at times. All because we are actually eating from the wrong table. What if, because of your poor taste or decision, that people said, "I will never have anything to do with that person again!" There would be no communication on earth because we are ALL guilty.
Let me wrap up with this... I used to eat a Jack's steak biscuit for breakfast. I loved them. The way I liked them was with strawberry jelly and mustard on it. Some of you just said, "Eeeewwwww, Nasty!" But it was so good to me that I wanted my friends to enjoy it. I even once bought my friend a new biscuit because he tried it and hated it. I'll never forget the facial expression from him that morning. In the same manner, the joke that should be held it because it is poorly flavored by the flesh is poor taste. It puts a sour taste into the mouths of others. Listen, we ALL are guilty of doing this but that doesn't give us an excuse. We need to be as this clothing company and remove those things that are poor taste to others in our Christian lives.
Lord Help Me! You know the things on my shelf that I need to throw away. I love you Jesus for showing me this today.
Monday, May 22, 2017
Iron and Shine the Front
John 21:24
This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true.
Oh, what a testimony that our Savior Jesus has! The Son of God who humbled himself to become sin for us that we might have the forgiveness of sin. He who lived, died, rose and lives again! What if His testimony wasn't true? What hope would we have if we found out that the testimony of the only one who ever truly loved us enough to die for us was false or tainted? It would have a devastating effect on our whole world. It seems to me that a man's testimony must be pretty important. Our testimony as a Christian should testify of Jesus and not ourselves. It should bring glory and honor to the very one who saved us.
A few years ago I met a man who was a fantastic preacher. His preaching of the Gospel of Jesus and what Christ had done in his life was beyond amazing. I loved to hear him every opportunity I had. Once in a message I heard him say that he and his wife were arguing about his clothing and laziness. As she watched him get prepared for a meeting one time, she noticed that he only ironed the front of his shirt. She said, "Ain't you gonna iron the back of that shirt?" "No ma'am, people only see the front. I'll never take my jacket off." was his reply. Then she noticed that he only shined the front portion of his dress shoes. "You ain't gonna shine the whole shoe?" she asked. "No, what's the big deal?" he said. Then he told us this next phrase and I'll never forget it. "People will only see me coming at them and not walking away, so what is the sense in shinning the back? No one will notice... I only want to shine coming at them."
What if we treated our testimony this way? Half-hearted and lazy! We live only to impress those listening to us and not give our best unto the Holy Lamb of God? We want only a microphone to be heard and not a life that will be an example. Needless to say, this very well-known preacher and leader of seminary finally reaped what he had sown. I'm sad to say that because of his half-committed ironing and shinning some people researched his testimony because stories in his messages started crossing each other. He came forward and confessed that he dressed up his testimony in a time period so that it brought him more preaching engagements. Ironed and shined the front and thought no one would care, or that no one would notice. People did and now his ministry suffers from it. His testimony is tainted because it had things in it that weren't true but exaggerated and fabricated. Not only his testimony but now his preaching of the Gospel is listened to with questioning ears. (He is forgiven and can still be used by God, but now it is with difficulties)
What more could you add to your testimony of Jesus and the Gospel that could enhance its story? Isn't the fact that Jesus died for a sinner such as yourself sufficient? My testimony would be that Christ saved me from my lost and hell-bound condition! He took an old torn and battered shirt, cleaned it and ironed the whole thing. He took the old beat up version of dress shoes that I had played in the miry pits of sin with and washed them clean and gave them the best shine in the world! The whole shoe too! PEOPLE ARE WATCHING YOU, MAKE SURE YOUR TESTIMONY IS TRUE!
This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true.
Oh, what a testimony that our Savior Jesus has! The Son of God who humbled himself to become sin for us that we might have the forgiveness of sin. He who lived, died, rose and lives again! What if His testimony wasn't true? What hope would we have if we found out that the testimony of the only one who ever truly loved us enough to die for us was false or tainted? It would have a devastating effect on our whole world. It seems to me that a man's testimony must be pretty important. Our testimony as a Christian should testify of Jesus and not ourselves. It should bring glory and honor to the very one who saved us.
A few years ago I met a man who was a fantastic preacher. His preaching of the Gospel of Jesus and what Christ had done in his life was beyond amazing. I loved to hear him every opportunity I had. Once in a message I heard him say that he and his wife were arguing about his clothing and laziness. As she watched him get prepared for a meeting one time, she noticed that he only ironed the front of his shirt. She said, "Ain't you gonna iron the back of that shirt?" "No ma'am, people only see the front. I'll never take my jacket off." was his reply. Then she noticed that he only shined the front portion of his dress shoes. "You ain't gonna shine the whole shoe?" she asked. "No, what's the big deal?" he said. Then he told us this next phrase and I'll never forget it. "People will only see me coming at them and not walking away, so what is the sense in shinning the back? No one will notice... I only want to shine coming at them."
What if we treated our testimony this way? Half-hearted and lazy! We live only to impress those listening to us and not give our best unto the Holy Lamb of God? We want only a microphone to be heard and not a life that will be an example. Needless to say, this very well-known preacher and leader of seminary finally reaped what he had sown. I'm sad to say that because of his half-committed ironing and shinning some people researched his testimony because stories in his messages started crossing each other. He came forward and confessed that he dressed up his testimony in a time period so that it brought him more preaching engagements. Ironed and shined the front and thought no one would care, or that no one would notice. People did and now his ministry suffers from it. His testimony is tainted because it had things in it that weren't true but exaggerated and fabricated. Not only his testimony but now his preaching of the Gospel is listened to with questioning ears. (He is forgiven and can still be used by God, but now it is with difficulties)
What more could you add to your testimony of Jesus and the Gospel that could enhance its story? Isn't the fact that Jesus died for a sinner such as yourself sufficient? My testimony would be that Christ saved me from my lost and hell-bound condition! He took an old torn and battered shirt, cleaned it and ironed the whole thing. He took the old beat up version of dress shoes that I had played in the miry pits of sin with and washed them clean and gave them the best shine in the world! The whole shoe too! PEOPLE ARE WATCHING YOU, MAKE SURE YOUR TESTIMONY IS TRUE!
Friday, May 19, 2017
The Cost of Living is Going Up
1 Thessalonians 4:17
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
From gas prices to the price of a cantaloupe, it's getting harder and harder to pay for it all. Our cost of living has skyrocketed over the years. Don't you just love listening to people talk about when gas was .15 a gallon? It makes me think of Gomer standing at the gas station telling them that its a nickel for every ding. "We sell gas for a nickel a ding, but water and air are free" he would say. Well if he were working today he would have to tell you a different cost. Gas is definitely not a nickel and air is $1.00 at some gas stations. Let's not even talk about bottling water and selling it at a higher cost than soda or tea.
It's undeniably true that the cost of living is going up, up, up. But let me share something great with you this morning. The cost of living is going up, but some day so am I! If you as a Christian can't get excited about that then maybe you truly haven't been saved. Yes this old world will grow more sinful and grotesque by the minutes, but we are headed to a land that is better.
I love the lyrics to this old song...
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
From gas prices to the price of a cantaloupe, it's getting harder and harder to pay for it all. Our cost of living has skyrocketed over the years. Don't you just love listening to people talk about when gas was .15 a gallon? It makes me think of Gomer standing at the gas station telling them that its a nickel for every ding. "We sell gas for a nickel a ding, but water and air are free" he would say. Well if he were working today he would have to tell you a different cost. Gas is definitely not a nickel and air is $1.00 at some gas stations. Let's not even talk about bottling water and selling it at a higher cost than soda or tea.
It's undeniably true that the cost of living is going up, up, up. But let me share something great with you this morning. The cost of living is going up, but some day so am I! If you as a Christian can't get excited about that then maybe you truly haven't been saved. Yes this old world will grow more sinful and grotesque by the minutes, but we are headed to a land that is better.
I love the lyrics to this old song...
- There’s a land beyond the river,
That we call the sweet forever,
And we only reach that shore by faith’s decree;
One by one we’ll gain the portals,
There to dwell with the immortals,
When they ring the golden bells for you and me. - Don’t you hear the bells now ringing?
- Don’t you hear the angels singing?
- ’Tis the glory hallelujah Jubilee.
- In that far-off sweet forever,
- Just beyond the shining river,
- When they ring the golden bells for you and me.
As the Cost of Living continues to rise always remember Christian, someday we will rise far above it all!
Thursday, May 18, 2017
Did You Lose Your Wallet?
2 Thessalonians 2:15
Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
I can remember getting my driver's licence when I turned sixteen. I had never carried a wallet around very much until this day. Oh, I had wallets in my time, but I always lost them. I could never seem to keep up with them because I was not used to having a wallet in my pocket. Most of the time I would put my money and licence in my front pocket because I knew that there was a potential losing my wallet.
You know it could have been because I never really had anything in those wallets as a kid. Mom would always put a dollar in there, but if there was ever any money in my wallet it didn't take me long to spend it. (right now my wife and parents are somewhere reading this shaking their heads yes) But when I received my driver's licence things seemed to change. Then as I grew older I got a checking account and a debit card was inserted into my wallet. More reason to not lose it. After I graduated high school I began to carry around my social security card. These were all valuable things placed in my wallet, but the ones that took priority in those days to be most prized possessions was my fishing licence and a picture of my girlfriend. If I lost my wallet I would lose all the valuable things that was inside. I had slowly placed things of importance into this wallet to where it became a valued possession to me.
God tells us this morning to "stand fast, and hold" onto the truths that we have been taught. When so many today are turning back on what the truth is, or what they have held so long as the truth, it's almost like we have lost or wallets with all of its contents. We can't drive because we have no licence. We can't vote because we have no identification. One of the biggest problems, we can't fish because we lost our licence in our wallets. Another great tragedy is that we can't prove that we have a girlfriend because we lost the picture of her and the love comments that were written on the back.
Can I encourage you today to stand fast! Hold on the the Word of God that you have been taught. Slowly over the years God has placed important doctrine and foundational truths into you through the Bible. No matter if anyone wants to hear it, believe it, or people decide not to stand fast in it... You hold on to your Bible as if it was your wallet because the truths in it are much more valuable than any old fishing licence.
Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
I can remember getting my driver's licence when I turned sixteen. I had never carried a wallet around very much until this day. Oh, I had wallets in my time, but I always lost them. I could never seem to keep up with them because I was not used to having a wallet in my pocket. Most of the time I would put my money and licence in my front pocket because I knew that there was a potential losing my wallet.
You know it could have been because I never really had anything in those wallets as a kid. Mom would always put a dollar in there, but if there was ever any money in my wallet it didn't take me long to spend it. (right now my wife and parents are somewhere reading this shaking their heads yes) But when I received my driver's licence things seemed to change. Then as I grew older I got a checking account and a debit card was inserted into my wallet. More reason to not lose it. After I graduated high school I began to carry around my social security card. These were all valuable things placed in my wallet, but the ones that took priority in those days to be most prized possessions was my fishing licence and a picture of my girlfriend. If I lost my wallet I would lose all the valuable things that was inside. I had slowly placed things of importance into this wallet to where it became a valued possession to me.
God tells us this morning to "stand fast, and hold" onto the truths that we have been taught. When so many today are turning back on what the truth is, or what they have held so long as the truth, it's almost like we have lost or wallets with all of its contents. We can't drive because we have no licence. We can't vote because we have no identification. One of the biggest problems, we can't fish because we lost our licence in our wallets. Another great tragedy is that we can't prove that we have a girlfriend because we lost the picture of her and the love comments that were written on the back.
Can I encourage you today to stand fast! Hold on the the Word of God that you have been taught. Slowly over the years God has placed important doctrine and foundational truths into you through the Bible. No matter if anyone wants to hear it, believe it, or people decide not to stand fast in it... You hold on to your Bible as if it was your wallet because the truths in it are much more valuable than any old fishing licence.
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