Letter of Recomendation

Philippians 2:20-22
For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's. But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.

Paul is giving a recommendation or reference letter to the church of Philippi about a young man of the Gospel called Timothy. Look closely at what Paul says about him...

"I have no man who is likeminded (shares the same goal and doctrine)"

"This man will naturally care for your state (because of Christ that dwells within, it will seem natural for him to be concerned about you and your family)"

"For all seek their own, not things which are Jesus Christ's (everyone is selfish and have their own agenda, but not Timothy)"

"as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the Gospel (I will vouch for him, a man of God)"

Did Timothy have such a great recommendation from Paul because he did everything Paul asked? Did Paul only love him because he did everything for Paul? No! It says it right there in the scriptures. Timothy didn't seek his own things, nor did he seek the things of Paul. Timothy sought after the things of Jesus Christ. His goal was to please Jesus. To serve, honor and worship Jesus Christ. To share the Gospel of Jesus.

Look at what happens when you aim to serve Jesus and look after the things which are Jesus Christ's. You become a servant in ministry with others. You join yourself to the mission of the church, pastor, deacons, membership and most importantly the ministry of the Gospel. You become likeminded or one with the body of Christ. You naturally care for the state of others and not just your own things. You become burdened for those in the body and those that are not a part of the body of Christ. You seek the agenda of God.

If you had to ask for references, what do you think they would say of you? What would your letter of recommendation say about your service for Jesus?

Are You Thirsty Yet?

Revelation 21:6
And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

This is the story of the woman at the well. So much can be learned from this chapter of scripture. We can see how Christ comes to us. We can see how He meets us where we are. We see how Jesus addresses sin with truth and love, not overlooking it. We see how He took a direct interest in speaking to this woman. We see how He can change a life through His salvation and forever change a woman and city. Like I said, we can learn so much from this chapter.

I want to look at the situation of his woman and what Jesus was offering to her. Her situation is simple. She had looked and looked because she was thirsty. She drank from the fountain of the world and came up thirsty every time. I wonder how many times she thought, "This is the one, this is the man I have waited for!  He is the one that will satisfy my every need"? Only to have the relationship to end in disaster. This scripture tells us that she was married five times and living with a man now. I don't believe that God gives us this scripture to condemn the life of this woman but rather show her life and heart condition.

Her condition was one of thirst. Some would say that she lusted over men, and you could be right because I'm not old enough to know this woman to have asked her. Some would say that she just had bad luck with men. Maybe that old country song was written about her... "Looking for love in all the wrong places..."  We don't know. But what we do know is that Jesus didn't spend much time on what she was doing, but on why she was doing it. She's thirsty! And this worldly water, or worldly love was not going to satisfy it.

This woman searched for her thirst to be satisfied in the men she marrying and it could only be found in Jesus. While she was drawing water for her thirst, she was given the water of life! Our devotion scripture says that He will give this water to anyone who is thirsty. So I ask you today, are you thirsty yet?

Day Shift

John 9:4
I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

Almost every morning my dad would come into my bedroom to wake me up. During my teenage years I struggled at getting up. He would be happy and loud. Did I mention that he would be loud? For as long as I have been on this earth my dad has been a morning person. Sunday's were the worst. That's when he had been up for a while reading his Bible and listening to gospel music. It was time to worship! He'd bust through my door and say, "Get up, get up. Oh, what a morning!"

I can understand his excitement on Sunday's, but he continued this routine every single day. One thing he changed though, he would say, "Get up, it's time to work. We must work while it is day for night cometh when no man can work." I hated when he would throw scripture on me. I would always come back with, "Jesus wasn't talking about cutting grass." He would come back with, "Oh yes He was."

As I look back this morning at those times I believe more and more that I was wrong and he was right. Jesus was talking about doing the will of the Father while it was day. Accomplishing the will of His Father while He could. Dad wanted me to cut the grass and as much as I would like to argue about it, I couldn't do that at night. (Push mowers didn't have headlights)

Today is the day the Lord has made right? So, get up and get busy! Work today in His field because night cometh when no man can work. Up, up, up! It's time to get up.

A Door of Hope

Hosea 2:15
And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

If you've never read the book of Hosea I suggest that you do. This book is a story of love, true love. Not the soap opera or storybook love, but absolute true, forgiving love. God uses the story of Hosea and Gomer, no laughing... I wouldn't have married a woman named Gomer either, to set up an illustration of what happened between God and Israel. Gomer had left Hosea to live an adulterous lifestyle with men and money. She left her children and husband to pursue the selfish sins of her desire. But Hosea wasn't satisfied with letting her go. He redeemed her. He actually sent out the children to find her and plead with her. After she was found, he bought her out of her sinful lifestyle. What love! What forgiveness! What a Pursuer!

God stated that He wanted to do the exact same thing with Israel. He wanted them to return. He made this statement about the "door of hope" we see in our scripture. You may think that this is small or meaningless but you're missing it. God said He would give a door of hope in the valley of Achor. This valley was not known for hope. No, it was known for sin, death and judgment. It was in this valley that Joshua was commanded by God to take Achan and his family there for stoning. It was a valley of judgment, but God says I will give it to you for a "door of HOPE".

Praise God for the door of hope! God is extending His grace unto us this morning. There is a door before you. Today it is the door of hope, but if He comes and puts an end to this time and place then it will be a door of judgment. Open the door, He is standing at it knocking. (Revelation 3:20)

The Crosshairs of Death

2 Corinthians 9:15

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

Let me share a story of a Medal of Honor recipient by the name of Sgt. John Hawk. He was an Army soldier during WW2. He was stationed in France and his mission was to guard the Falaise pocket. When enemy tanks approached, the American tank destroyers couldn't target them because of the elevation problem. They tank destroyers couldn't see over the ridge. Hawk used his body to line up the crosshairs and targets. Through shots and shrapnel, he told the tank men to place the crosshairs upon him. He used his body to identify the enemies position and destroy the tanks. He received the "Medal of Honor" for this. He also earned 4 Purple Hearts while serving. This man allowed the crosshairs to be aligned on his body!

Just as this man, and so much the more, Jesus Christ allowed his life to be placed into the crosshairs of sin for us. You see, sin would have been dealt with. You would have died because the crosshairs of sin were placed upon you!  Satan had you in his sights, but Jesus stepped in and placed them upon himself. 

What a glorious crown of glory he will receive when we gather into His gates. I just want to say thank you today. Thank you to all who set the mark of freedom upon their lives!  Thank you most of all to Jesus for your unspeakable gift!

I Was Thinking The Same Thing

Philippians 2:5

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

One of the greatest things that I love about being married is the similarities in our thoughts. Someone could be speaking and my wife and I can look at each other with the same facial expressions and know what the other is thinking. It could be a raised eyebrow or a smirky smile and we know exactly what the other one would say. At times we could be driving down the road and begin to speak the exact same words. Some of you would call this a coincident but it happens all to frequent. 

This has not always been the case. But the more time we spend together, the more often we think alike. We have been married now for eighteen years. We have two children that are teenagers. We've spent a lot of time together! Whether it be fishing, church, playing ball, coaching our children or singing together, we've been together a lot. I can only imagine what our thought process and similarities will be like when we've gotten thirty to forty years into our marriage. 

Over and over in scripture our relationship with Christ is presented as a marriage. The more time we spend with Jesus, the more we should think and sound alike. Our hearts and minds should be connected. The only way this could happen is to spend more time with Jesus. When we go fishing, take Jesus with us. When we play ball, take Jesus with us. When we sing, invite Jesus into the worship. Before long, you'll be sounding just like your other half. Your judgment of things will be similar. Your love for people will be the same. Your walk will be in the same steps as His. 

Let His mind be yours today and everyday. Wouldn't it be great if someone approached you today and said, "You remind me so much of Jesus". WOW! 

Sing It With Me!

James 5:13

Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.

When our boys were very young I can remember them being in their rooms all alone and playing. My wife and I would be sitting in the living room reading or relaxing and we could hear them playing in their rooms with their toys. Some of my greatest memories is of them being alone and no one paying attention to their playing. They would sing so loud and would just be having the time of their lives. We would sneak in the hallway and listen. I even remember them doing this when they couldn't even talk right and the words of their made up songs would be so crazy. But yet they just kept on singing. Still today we will sit and listen to them as they play throughout the house. Whistling seems to be the number one thing to do around here!  

I love how God's word shows us that things can change so quickly. One moment we could be singing and the next we could be praying over our sickness. Or one moment we could be sick and the next we could be singing. So if life is moment to moment and filled with ups and downs, then we must sing while we can. 

Remember the old song... If you're happy and you know it...clap your hands!  See, if we are happy (merry) then we should show it. If you're excited about Jesus and what He has done for you then show it.  If your happy with what The Lord has blessed you with then show it. Sing, sing, sing!