Things Just Got Real

Acts 27:25

Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.

One night we were eating with some friends after church. Our children are ordering up the food with huge eyes of hunger. Then the time came...fooooood! It was suddenly on!  While my friends son was opening his sauce packet to put on his taco, he read the label aloud. He said, "Things Just Got Real". We all busted out laughing. He was on a mission to fill that void in the belly and when the food was placed in front of him there was nothing else to do but ask God to bless it and take it in.  Things got real for him, fast. 

Take the time this morning to read the whole chapter of Acts 27. You will read about a ship setting sail for Italy. On this ship were prisoners, including the Apostle Paul. Paul warned the men that there would be much loss of the ship and bodily harm, but the centurion soldier listened to the master of the ship more than Paul. 

They sailed slowly many days, but then the Bible says a Euroclydon (an eastern wind cyclone) came and threatened the men and the ship. I can hear the captain as he says, "Men, things just got real"! Can you imagine the wind and waves crashing against the boat so fiercely that the ship is falling apart?  The idea of being out there during this storm was enough, but the fact that one of the prisoners on the boat tried to tell you not to sail...well that had to be the icing on the cake. 

But read what happens.  Paul says, "Sirs, Be of good cheer". What if Paul's words would have stopped there?  Not only would that sound ridiculous, but it would also bring anger. When we are in a storm, or things just got real for us, it's hard to be cheerful. It's difficult not to let our emotions take control. But his words didn't stop there. He said, "Sirs, be of good cheer: FOR I BELIEVE GOD".  Two hundred and seventy-six men were saved from death because of the words of God. Don't miss it!  Paul's words saved no one. But Paul's belief in the words of God brought comfort, cheer and rest when things got real. 

When things get real in your life, where do you find peace, joy, cheer, comfort and rest?  You don't find them in the storm or the whirlwind. You find them in the words of God. I don't know about you...but I believe God. Things can't get more real than Him!

Still Holding on to Calvary!

Hebrews 10:23

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

I love the Andy Griffith show!  It seems like I can quote them word by word and it never gets old to me. One of my favorite episodes was when they were blasting in town to build the new road. The sound of an explosion goes off and then the telephone rings... "Sheriff's office...Yes Mrs. Vickers...No ma'am that's just blasting on the underpass...Yes ma'am we're still holding on to Richmond". (I also loved the part when the goat ate the dynamite, Otis shows up in the jail cell and Andy says, "Now we've got two loaded goats"). 

This morning it may seem like blast after blast is heard. The world will blast the accuracy of God's Word. They will blast the love of Christians. They will blast the love of God. They will blast the cross of Calvary. They blast at the preaching of sin. Blast, blast, blast.... You may even be shaken by some of these very blast and wonder to yourself if we are still holding on. Let me reassure you today and forever of something... We are holding on!  Battles may come and go, and many may even say we win some, we lose some. That is wrong. I hear so many Christians say, "My parent, spouse, child or friend lost their battle to life". Please don't misunderstand me when I say this but if we are in Christ Jesus, He has defeated death and the grave. Christians don't lose the battle of death because we didn't fight that battle, Jesus did. We don't win in the end, we win when we trust on Jesus Christ as our Savior. 

So today, and everyday, Hold the fort!  Hold fast the profession of your faith without wavering! How can we do that?  You may say, "It's not blasting at your house like it is mine", "My house is shaking!"  Hold Fast! Because HE IS FAITHFUL that Promised!  Tell someone today, "Yes ma'am, yes sir, we're still holding Calvary" (Hallelujah)

It's Not the Bucket

Luke 6:45

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Years ago in a revival meeting I heard a preacher say something crazy that didn't have much to do with his message.  He laughed and we laughed. But then he said something that made a lot of sense. He said, "What's in the well, the bucket brings up". I thought that was a very simple but so true statement. He didn't have any intentions of saying what he said, but it is what he had seen or heard and so it came out.  

How many times have you been ran off the road by a crazed driver and have the first word that comes to mind not be one that would make our Lord smile? How many times have you smashed your finger with a tool or something and the first word you speak is one that mom would have went and washed your mouth out with soap for?  Because you are a Christian, you feel so bad and convicted in your heart (as you should!). You go into this process of feeling down because you never want to speak those things. Then you drift into a series of questions... Why did I act like that?  Why did I say that? How come I can't seem to get control over that?  When there should only be one question that we ask ourselves...

What's in my well?  Remember when you were young? Mom and Dad would tell you that you couldn't watch that scary movie because it would give you nightmares?  They knew if you put that in your well that you would bring that up all night, all night. 

What kind of reading do you put in your well?  What kind of television shows do you put in your well?  What kind of music do you put in your well?  Maybe now you can see why our words are those words, why actions are those actions. Because, WHAT'S IN THE WELL, THE BUCKET BRINGS UP!  Stop blaming the bucket, it only pulls up what you're pouring into your well.  

Wow, I Was Way Off!

2 Corinthians 3:2-3

Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

Have you ever noticed that things are sometimes different than they appear?  The other day my wife and I were shopping for some furniture. We were making our rounds to the usual stores. Every place we went there were people with cardboard signs that read, "Girl Scout Cookies". I hung my head every time and passed by, because I don't need a cookie. After the first store we began to see a pattern. These girls were everywhere. Wow! Every store we pulled up at there they were. Waiting with their cute little faces. Trying to make me fatter. I said "No" so many times that I began to avoid going beside where they were. I didn't want a cookie and I didn't want to see another sign about do-si-do's! (which are out of this world good)

Finally, as I felt freedom from these small saleswomen guess what happened?  We pulled into the last shopping store parking lot and there... they... were. Four people with signs!  I looked at my wife, and she looked at me. We both, at the same time said, "Girl Scout Cookies!"  My eyes rolled, and my expression probably said it all. As we got closer to these folks the sign begins to get clearer. Believe it or not, it wasn't the scouts. I said, "What does that sign say?"  My wife replied, "It says Can We Pray For You?" I said, "NO WAY! REALLY?" Because of what I had seen all day long I jumped to a conclusion that it must be the same thing.  God really taught me a great lesson in that. I was way off. 

You see we are so very quick to categorize and classify people or things. When one preacher ruins it by their actions (or signs they hold up) all others are now judged by the signs they have already seen. Look at what we miss sometimes because we assume what people are. We guess at what they are selling. How can this be fixed?  Let's make sure of one thing! That our signs point to Jesus. Let's hold up the banner of our Lord!

Maybe this devotion has touched you in the area of how you view others, which is awesome. But maybe God is speaking to you about what you are trying to sell people. What would your sign say?  Either way, let Him speak to you. Love you all. 

Well, I Reckon

Romans 8:18

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

I just love the word of God. I love the language. Like our scripture this morning... "I reckon!"  The sufferings of this world are real and hurtful. Sometimes it may seem like we can't handle anything else. We suffer for being righteous. We suffer for being holy. We suffer for being a Christian. We also suffer in this world from just everyday struggles and heartaches. But when we count them all together, Paul says that he "reckons" it can't even compare to the glory of God. 

A few years ago my wife and I were going through a very tough time. Death had not knocked on our families door very much. Only my pawpaw had gone home to be with Jesus so far. But then out of the blue, death knocked. Not once, but twice. My wife's grandmother and my grandmother both went into the hospital about eight days apart. They stayed there for over one hundred and fifty days. Then crossed over the river of Jordan into the hands of God eleven days apart from each other. We were actually walking off of the fresh dirt of my wife's grandmothers funeral service when we got the call that my granny had another serious stroke. 

We were sitting in a revival meeting during this time period. I was not preaching but my family was singing. It was so difficult that night trying to sing. The sorrows seemed to be way too heavy. I didn't know how I was gonna make it, but then the preacher said something that got to me. He said, "When I'm down and out, I get down on my knees and pray". God begin to move in my heart and I wrote the words to this song...

When I get down, I just go down on my knees in prayer to Him

When I get low, I know I can go to the one who walked up Calvary's hill

When I am stressed, my heart is pressed inside that it seems there's no way out

I look all around and when I get down, I just go down

When I open the paper or turn on the news I can see this old world is dying fast

From murder to lying my souls starts crying Oh, God how long will this last?

I worry about loved ones and all of my friends, without faith they'll never win

But then I think of Jesus alone in the Garden, and I've learned this lesson from HIM!

You know what? I reckon that what happens here can't compare to what I have waiting there!  I reckon that it's gonna be worth it all. I reckon that God is working it for my good. You reckon?

Foundation Problems

Psalms 11:3

If the foundations be destroyed,

what can the righteous do?

Much damage and destruction can come from a foundation problem. Homes that have a foundation issue can cause problems within the whole structure. A poor foundation can cause the frame of the house to shift. Which then causes the sheathing and sheetrock to crack and buckle. The only way to fixed something like this is to fix the foundation. 

Cars or trucks that have damage to the frame, whether they are cracked or bent, can cause issues as well. You should not even drive a vehicle that has a bent and damaged frame. It would cause driving problems and could cause you to crash. 

In this same manner, when the spiritual foundations are crumbling we are in much danger. When dads are no longer spiritually stable in their walk, or moms are not spiritually sound in their labor our structure is in peril. 

God will you restore our trust in the one and only foundation that we are able to stand on, Jesus Christ? I pray this morning for my friends who are fathers. Help them Father to know that their standing is upon you. Remind them of their footing, their base, their structure in Christ. For the moms, please bind up the loose stones, quicken their mortar and hold up their pillars of faith. God bless and encourage those moms and help them to know their role and how important that they are. 

Finally, God, our marriages in America are falling and failing because of the foundation that people are building on. Satan has tried so hard, and still is at work today, to destroy our foundation. He doesn't attempt to destroy us above the foundation where we can obviously see him. No, he attacks us below the surface, at our foundation. Thank you that our foundation in Jesus is sure and secure. 

Pinch Me, I Must Be Dreaming

Psalms 126:1-3

When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion,

we were like them that dream.

Then was our mouth filled with laughter,

and our tongue with singing:

then said they among the heathen,

The Lord hath done great things for them.

The Lord hath done great things for us;

whereof we are glad.

Isn't it great to see God move in your life?  Take time for a moment this morning to look at where you were without Him and see where you are today. Think of where you've walked in the Christian life and how He has been there all the time. Think of the struggles that came and you couldn't hardly breathe, but now you are able to breathe freely. Think of the fiery trials that you walked through, but because He was with you, today you still stand. 

I love it when we can look back and see where He has moved or walked with us. It causes me to laugh at times. Other times a song comes to our minds and out of our mouths in praise to Him. A sense of joy and peace comes over you because you have seen Him move. At times it's almost like a dream. Where we want to ask someone to pinch us and see if it's real. I say, "If I am dreaming, then don't wake me up". 

God is so good, God is so good,

God is so good, He's so good to me.

He answers prayer, He answers prayer,

He answers prayer, He's so good to me. 

I love Him so, I love Him so, 

I Love Him so, He's so good to me.