Check-Up Time

2 Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Years and years of my life I dreaded going to the doctor. Every time I had to go for a checkup, or because I was sick, I knew what they would say... "Mr. Abney, son, you could stand to lose a few pounds." Over and over those words would be spoken to me. They would say, "Your blood pressure is high, Your BMI is high, Your sinus infection is bad, Your diabetes is high..." Telling me this as if I didn't already know. Then the only thing that they would lower would be my checking account after paying for copays and medication.

Well listen to God's word this morning. It tells us that we need to examine ourselves. We should test and see if we are truly in the faith. We should prove or try ourselves. Do you know where my desire to care for my body came from? A self examination! I was displeased with myself and the destruction of my body. God convicted me time and time again, but on one particular day I looked myself over. I tested and tried myself and saw that it wasn't any one's fault but my own. So I asked for help and Christ helped me.

Let me ask you something this morning... Where are you in your walk with Christ? How is your faith in Jesus right now? Will you do something? Will you take the time to examine yourself this morning? Before you do anything else, take a few minutes to see where your relationship is with Christ. If we are honest with Him in prayer today, He has probably said, "You could stand to lose a few habits, You're low on desire, You're low on studying the scriptures, You're low on your prayer life." Ask the real doctor to help you spiritually to become better.

Is There Any Wonder?

Matthew 15:8
This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

It is with a broken heart that I write you this devotion today. As I have tried to wrap my head and heart around the situation of our churches and society I have come to this conclusion... Is it any wonder? We seem to blame the children and teenagers of our day for the sinful society in which we live. But I must tell you that I have seen the root of it all.

We complain about the sexual promiscuity of young teenagers but yet tell them to overlook the adultery involved in an affair. We hear the tragic stories of young men and women hooked on meth while parents pop Loritabs and other prescription drugs as if they are candy with no reason. We send our children to school for learning in a safe environment while the wolf behind the desk is luring them into their bedroom for after school sex. We tell them to not drink and then have a "dad" or "mom" night out drinking with the friends. We stand before the ministers of the Gospel and promise to love, honor and cherish one another until death do we part and then go to the lawyer to get our divorces. We make our vows at church and cut the ties at the courthouse!

Is there any wonder why children don't listen? Is there any wonder why our generation of youth and young adults don't understand the truth? Why they don't understand the words...commitment, security, peace, honor, truth and holiness? It's because of those around them that honor, or say, one thing but live another. With their lips they say one thing, but with their hearts they live another.

In my adult years, I have heard preachers declare themselves one thing while sleeping with multiple women. I have witnessed presidents who have declared, and took what used to be the position of the most honorable man in the United States of America, only to defile it by fornication and lies. Is there any wonder that people don't know what to think?

God raise up some men like Daniel! Raise up some women like Mary, the mother of Jesus, who was blessed among women. God raise up some Elijah's who will build your altar! Send leaders who will seek you, and if they fall to sins deception help them to be honest and seek you in forgiveness. In Jesus' name and for His Glory I pray this - Amen

Fixing Our Woes

Isaiah 5:20
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

What is "Woe"? It is anguish, grief, affliction, sadness, misery, calamity or trouble. God says that all these things are upon those that call evil good, and good evil. I know that it is hard to believe, but we have some that are attempting this very thing today among us. I can remember back in the eighties, when I was growing up, we would say, "Man, that is bad!" But what we meant was that whatever we were talking about was really good or awesome. Parents would make fun of us because they knew we had our words backwards.

But this morning, it takes on a whole different meaning. We have taken evil things that are really bad and have called them good. We have taken sports players that have raped, beaten and lived such a drug and alcohol abused lives and called them heroes. We have promoted people who have once been portrayed as a man and now as a woman. We call them brave and heroic. We take the unnatural lifestyle and call it an alternative lifestyle. We have taken the sanctity of marriage and reduced it to just a common agreement. We have committed the sin of adultery and call it an affair. Is there any wonder why we have such anguish, grief, affliction, sadness and misery in our society today?

Society is passing out light bulbs with no filament to produce light. We've traded our sweet Spirit for sour sins. We have to stop calling evil good and good evil. Lord please help us by shining your light upon us. Help us to allow your sweet Holy Spirit to guide us.

You Ain't Shoutin' Yet?

Nehemiah 9:16-17
But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments, And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.

As I read the scripture today I want to shout! First, go back and read what God had done for the children of Israel. He chose them and brought them out of bondage. He lead them to a land that flowed with milk and honey. He removed those that were in it and gave the land unto them. He blessed and blessed them more than they could have ever imagined. Oh what a God we serve! He has done this very thing for us as well. He redeemed us from the death and slavery of sin. He leads us into a better life through walking with Him. So amazing is our God.

But look at what these scriptures tell us. After every thing that God had done for them, they dealt proudly with God. They walked away from His commandments. They didn't even care about the wonders and creation of God. Even in their rebellion, they appointed a captain who brought them back into bondage. Doesn't this want to make you shout, "What are you thinking!?"

But my reason for shouting comes next in the scriptures... "But thou art a God ready to pardon , gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not" Come on now! That ought to make even the deadiest person shout! Although they rebelled, He was ready!  Although they sinned, He pardoned.  Although they were unmerciful, He was merciful. Although they hardened their necks, He reached down His hand. Although they forsook Him, He didn't forsake them.

You ain't shoutin' yet? Oh, what a God we serve! He's ready to pardon! He's gracious and merciful! He's slow to anger and of great kindness! He has never left you or forsaken you! What about now? Shoutin' yet? You should be!

What's In Your Mouth?

1 Kings 17:24

And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth.

Don't you love how parents of small children are always on their toes?  They walk around with this look of awareness. They are always watching, eyes scanning, and radar antenna up at it's highest point. Ready to ask those questions... Where are they? What are they doing? What are you eating? What is in your mouth?  I know it's not funny, but it does bring a smile to my face at times. 

Look at what this woman said about the prophet Elijah. She said, "The word of The Lord in thy mouth is truth". She not only believed that this man's words were the very words of God, but she believed that the words were true. True because he believed them and obeyed them. Today there is a problem with many who claim the word of The Lord out of their mouth but don't believe it or live it. When we do this we make the Word of God seem false (although it never will be false because of our actions). We will be false prophets of his word. When we proclaim something, and live in a totally different way, we are false and the Bible calls us liars. 

So I ask you this morning... What's in your mouth?  What you speak should be what you are. If we say we are of Christ, then we should follow after the ways of Christ. If we say it, we should live it!  What's in your mouth?  Is it God's words? Is it true?  

Lord let the words of my mouth be honest, true and simply about you!

Chewing on the Fat

2 Timothy 2:15

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

My wife loves to eat a steak that I have cooked for her, but she will not eat the fat around it. She will get nauseated just thinking about it. Since I know this weakness of hers I will cut my fat off and tease her with it. She will not even look at it. Sometimes we will eat with people that love to eat the fat on their steak. I make it a point to show her (hahaha). There they are, chewing and chewing on the fat. They say, "This is what makes it taste better". 

In our Bible teaching today, some have adopted this way of cooking. They think if we add our thoughts (the, "I think it means this" attitude) that it will taste better. And evidently it does because so many are eating it up...chew after chew. A theory of adding flavor or searching the scriptures with a preconception of what it should tell us instead of what it does tell us is prevalent among many, many people today. 

But the Word of God needs no flavoring!  It needs no additive!  It needs no fat added to the edges!  It is told to us this morning that we should pray for the right dividing of the scriptures. Many Christians never open their Bibles until a question about how they are living is asked of them. Then they read through God's Word in order to try and prove their point. Adding flavor and fat along the way. Many people are chewing on the fat today because it tastes good, or sounds good. Many Christians are even serving people their own portion (theories) to people as if it were God's Word. 

If you hear nothing else this morning please hear this. The meat of God's Word is enough!  It's our nourishment. 

Psalms 119:140

Thy word is very pure:

therefore thy servant loveth it.

Psalms 119:89

For ever, O Lord,

thy word is settled in heaven.

Thank you God for your Word. I love it!

Wait for it... Wait for it...

James 5:8

Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

Don't you love waiting in line?  I'm going to be honest with you, I hate it!  Especially when those you are with just love to see you squirm. They stand there in line watching you. They say things like, "Patience is a virtue... Good things come to those who wait..." Don't misunderstand me, it's not that I will not wait, it's that I just don't like waiting. 

Now before you get that holy look in your eye I'm pretty sure that just about everyone of us is this way at sometime or another. You see I might not like waiting outside a stadium to get into a football game but you don't mind. But you may not like waiting in a doctors office for them to see you, but it doesn't bother me. We all at times are impatient in waiting for things or something to happen.

I remember one time meeting a older man that thought my patience was silly. I was cutting grass for the place I worked and he approached me. He was bringing me a cold drink. I thought he was awesome!  As we began to talk he asked me where I was from and what else did I do besides cutting grass. I told him that I was a preacher of the Gospel. Then he replied with, "I've heard that Jesus was coming back all my life an He hasn't come yet". To which I replied, "That doesn't mean He is not coming". 

Let me remind you this morning that the coming of our Lord is sure. He will come again. He told us that He would and He even added that if it wasn't the truth that He would have never told us in the first place. The word of God tells us to wait for Him. Although I don't like waiting sometimes, I'll gladly wait for Jesus. Maybe you think He should come now or should have already come. Be patient, He will come when the Father tells Him.

Remember, just because he hasn't come yet doesn't mean He's not coming at all. Look up, it could be today!