Does perspective matter?

Perspective is more than just how you view the circumstances of your life, it is also acts like an inner compass that guides you as you make the choices that determine your life. The Apostle Paul ends his great epistle to the Galatians with the declaration that it is all about the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ! Paul's perspective, his guiding principle was that Christ died for him and therefore he died to the world.  That was Paul's boast! 

"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." Galatians 6:14 

What should our "boast" be? The same as Paul's. There will be all kinds of spiritual fads. There will be a plethora of teachers teaching things that people either want to hear or just like to hear, not necessarily what they need to hear. I recently joined Facebook. Because of the type of people I have friended I get a lot of little "inspirational" posting. It is not that I think these things are of the devil, I just do not see them as mature. "Liking" a post is not a spiritual act.

My question is whether I am dying to the world in a way that my wife and children can notice or be positively affected by or not. 

May you perspective be centered on the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. He died for you so you may live by faith in Him.

Father, may your Holy Spirit infuse us with the knowledge of the cross of Christ. Praise be to you in us today!

Do you believe you reap what you sow?

I used to take the Blue Line to work and walk about four blocks to the school I was teaching at. There was one "gentleman" who I passed every morning. He was out sweeping his walk way. As soon  as he saw me he would just start cussing me out and continue until I was out of earshot. I would just say, "Good morning!" One day I caught him just before he started cussing at me and said, "Good morning!" first. He said, "Good morning, sir." from that day on. It's funny because I could of said something mean back to him about his family, father, and mother (as he had said to me), but, God granted me grace and I just said, "Good morning!" After that I reaped a very pleasant, "Good morning, sir." every day. 

"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who saves to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good. For at the proper time we will reap a harvest of we do not give up." Galatians 6:7-9 

Isn't it amazing that Paul expresses this as an axiomatic truth and he only leaves two possible routes and outcomes? "God cannot be mocked." I have met a lot of people who think they are not bound by this principle. I worked under a Principal once who fired their whole counseling team (in truth because they refused to be bullied by her). The principal smugly felt she won. What she sowed was a beginning of a year without anyone to program the students. It was a serious mess. 

Paul tells us the reality, the truth, of how we reap what we sow. There is either destruction or eternal life as fruit to be harvested. If we sow to our sinful nature, even if we call ourselves Christians, we will reap death. Death to relationships, death to hope. Or, if we sow to the Spirit and do not become weary of doing good, we will reap eternal life. Eternal life breathed into our relationships and into our hope.

I encourage you to sow to the Spirit. What is one good thing you can do today? What can you do for your spouse? Your children? Your work partners? Sow today, the harvest will come. 

Father, forgive us for when we have sown to the sinful nature. Help us to sow to the Spirit and to not grow weary in doing good. Big or small, help us to do good to others today. Praise be to you in us today!

No Need to Jolt, Be Gentle

When I first became a Christian I was pretty zealous. I did not want to see anyone suffer the snares of sin. So, I often tried to "warn" people. I was nicknamed "the rebuke squad." Although I was sincere in my desire to keep people from sin I was not always gentle. At that time there was a pastor named Romaine who was known for being blunt and not pulling any punches. I had the pleasure of talking with him one time. One on one he was one of the most gentle people I have ever met. Not wishy-washy, just gentle. I learned through those experiences that although the truth can sometimes be a cold splash of truth in the face, I don't have to throw it in peoples faces. The Holy Spirit can speak to anyone He wishes. Paul told the Galatians,

"Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But, watch yourself, or you may be tempted." Galatians 6:1

What this means to us is that when we deal with each other, we are to be gentle and seek each others restoration. We are all going to sin. That is not an excuse, just a realization. The truth, no matter how gently delivered, can be quite a jolt. So, we need to be there ready to steady our brothers or sisters and help them to get their footing again. 

The other side of this is that when dealing with sin, it is like dealing with a sick person. You want to take care of them without catching what they had. Not everyone is as tempted in the same way. But, if you are dealing with someone who is struggling with a sin you struggle with, watch yourself. 

Father, forgive us our sins. Help us to encourage each other and to help each other to overcome sin and this world. Praise be to you in us today!

Come, Live by the Spirit!

I have been in education for a good while now and I noticed there are two basic groups in the lunch room. One group is positive and tries to find the good in there students and to be positive in their approach. This group is always sharing their successes and thinking of ways to improve. The other group is a bit jaded and complains a lot. The topic is always about how bad this class is, and how unhelpful the administration is and the useless attempts at dealing with some parents who defend their little devil even in the face of undeniable evidence. The funny thing is, I rarely see the complainers having much success, while I have always found the positive group to be much more proficient in helping their students learn. The fruit of their belief about their students produces much better results. In Christianity the Apostle Paul says this,

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live in the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." Galatians 5:22-25

We will either have the fruit of the Spirit or the fruit of the sinful nature, often referred to as "the flesh." Which direction am I looking? To live in the Spirit I need to passionately seek and desire to be loving, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled, not, controlled by my passions and desires.  If I may go back to my experience as an educator. The point of view that I had was a choice, to find the good happening in my classes and build upon that, or, to fixate on the negative and let that drag me down. The same goes as a Christian, I must choose to crucify the sinful nature by choosing to seek that which follows the way of love. 

Father, helps us to choose to live by faith in Christ Jesus. Give us strength to seek love, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Praise be to you in us today!

Who Do You Trust?

"Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed;
     he answers from his holy heaven 
     with the saving power of his right hand.
 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
     but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
 They are brought to their knees and fall,
     but we rise up and stand firm.
 O LORD, save the king!
     Answer us when we call!" Psalm 20: 6-9

Whatever battle you find yourself in, how ever long the siege is lasting, no matter how bad it looks, trust in the LORD! 

Father, we call upon you to fight our battles and bring us the victory. Some of us have been entrenched for quite a long time and we have begun to despair. Answer our call for help! Praise be to you in us today!

A Prayer for You...

"May the LORD answer you when you are in distress; 

     may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

 May he send you help from the sanctuary 

     and grant you support from Zion.

 May he remember all your sacrifices

     and accept your burnt offerings.

 May he give you the desire of your heart 

     and make all your plans succeed.

 We will shout for joy when you are victorious

     and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. 

 May the LORD grant all your requests."

     Psalm 20:1-5

Legalism vs. Love

I am blessed in that one of the schools I attended was a great little Bible College in the South. It is know for training missionaries. They also had something called "Total Life Training." Everything from waking up each day at 6:15 AM for devotions to regulations on clothing was part of the "training." Levies were not allowed for classes and young ladies were not to wear tight fitting or revealing clothing. 

One Saturday I went to the local mall to pick up a few things and I noticed two groups of guys. One from the local University and the other from my school. A few attractive girls walked by wearing tight fitting pants. The group from the University hardly noticed while the group from my school all nearly got whip lash from turning their heads so fast. 

Legalism, the law, does not teach you how to handle your sinful desires, or any desires at all. You can make all kinds of rules and do all types of "spiritual" activities and yet have no clue how to handle you desires. Especially since we live in a world that simply says the desire to procreate is an animal instinct so base that any attempt to deal with it is futile. The Bible declares,

"So, I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law." Galatians 5:16-18

Do you know that there is a real "conflict" for your very soul? We each have two natures, one of the flesh and the other of the Spirit. It's funny when cartoons, TV shows and movies picture an angel and a little devil on someones shoulders battling it out for control of someones mind and decisions. The world wants to make light of it because they want to deny that God has given us each a conscience and that we CAN choose. But, the truth is that when we live by the Spirit we can choose to do the right thing, to love others as we love ourselves. God will provide the strength when you need it and the way when you struggle to find it. 

Father, help me to live by the Spirit and not gratify those sinful desires. Help me to gratify the Spirit by serving others. Praise be to you in us today!

You Are Free To Forgive

So often when kids go off to college it is their first real taste of freedom. What usually happens is they go hog wild and party, max out the credit card they were given for necessities and emergencies and then find themselves facing bad grades and a phone call home trying to explain why they maxed out the card on "necessities and emergencies." A little time eating Top Ramen and desperation studying can teach the lesson that responsibility is the mature and wise application of freedom.

"You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Galatians 5:13-14

How often are we like the kid away from home for the first time indulging in "freedom" and finding out doing whatever you want is not always that freeing? Paul reminded the Galatians that if you want to truly enjoy freedom you need to realize that you are free to  serve and love others. That is opposite of what the world believes. The way of the world is to get what is yours. You are free to "do it your way." 

The law was not written to restrict us but to free us. "Love you neighbor as yourself." When there is an issue between "my neighbor" and myself what do I do? Well, the Bible says to treat them as yourself. How would you like to be informed that you did something wrong? How would you like to be dealt with under less than perfect circumstances? And beyond that, how did Christ treat you, sins and all? He forgave you. Get it? You are free to forgive others...

Father, thank you for our freedom in Christ. Help us to use our freedom to serve others. Praise be to you in us today!

Don't miss the most important...

Sometimes we get caught up in the peripheral distractions of life and miss the real value. 

"But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only that counts is faith expressing itself through love." Galatians 5:5-6

There are a lot of things that go on and in and around our lives. As a parent I want to be involved in my children's lives as much as possible, so, I try to volunteer with most of the activities they participate in. I coach, manager, den lead and whatever else I can. Well, I remember one time my youngest son was acting a little down at a soccer game. I went over to him and he kicked me the ball. I kicked it back and after a few minutes I encouraged him to get ready to get back in the game and he said, "I just want to kick the ball with you." That was a big reminder that what is important is my relationship with my son. If I do everything else yet don't kick the ball with my son, I missed the point.

As a Christian, there are a lot of things that I try to do. Read the Bible, pray, go to church and try to be involved. But, if I don't show love by what I do, I missed the point.

Father, help us to express our faith by acts of love. Praise be to you in us!

Enjoy Your Freedom

Last year I managed my sons baseball team. We had a problem with the boys all trying to get walked but getting called out on strike three without even taking a swing. I had to constantly remind them to be a hitter, not a walker. They were forgetting their purpose and that was to learn how to hit the ball. As a Christian, we are called to learn how to live by faith in Christ. Many false teachers were trying to lure the Galatians away from dependence  on the work of Christ. Paul was adamantly reminding the Galatians that Christianity was about faith in Christ, not obedience to the law.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1

Christ did not die to give us a second chance at being good enough. We will never be good enough. Our best is like smelly old trash. We are saved from sin, to live by faith in Christ. The answers to our prayers, the working of God in our lives is not in counter-balance to our good works. It is true that our sins can keep us from receiving all that God has for us, but, if Christ died for you while you were totally against him, what is stopping him from blessing you now that you know him and are seeking to live by faith? Living by faith is about his grace, not your goodness.

Father, thank you for the freedom in Christ to live. Thank you that although I stumble, you are able to and will keep me holy until that day you come again! Praise be to you in us, today!

Your an Heir, Act Like One

Being a Christian is more than being a member of some sect or special club. Christ did not die for our sins to just wipe out our sins. God, had much more in mind because he did not create us to just see if we could be obedient little creations. 

"But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son, God has made you also an heir." Galatians 4:4-7

I am the blessed father of four. I have four children who call me dad. Yesterday my daughter and I were at  the store and she picked up some pens and said she needed them for school. I told her to put them in the basket and them I asked her if there was something else she needed while we were there. I'm her father. I take care of her. I am also and educator and about once a week a students will ask me for a dollar. I always tell them, "Ask your dad." 

You see, a father provides for his children and they can ask him for anything. Of course if I don't think something is good for her I will say no, even if she "really wants" it. The point is that as Gods' children we the privilege of acting like it.

Father, thank you that you sent your Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem us and make us your children, your heirs. Praise  be to you in us today!

Take Refuge in God! He is Your shield!

What I love about the Psalms is that they are full of the attributes of God. Knowing the Truth and living in the Truth brings peace.

"As for God, his way is perfect;     the word of the LORD is flawless.  He is a shield for all who take refuge in him."              Psalm 18:30

Know that you can trust God because his way is perfect and his every word in flawless! Are you going through a time of confusion or upheaval? Remember that God's way is perfect and he is you shield during this time of testing.

Father, thank you that your way is perfect and your word is flawless. Be our shield as we take refuge by faith in you.

Get the Good News!

Good news! 

"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, in it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit." Galatians 3:13-14

Whether people know it or believe it or not, we are all living in a world under the curse of sin. The good news is that in Christ, through faith in him, we receive redemption and the Spirit.  

I Am the Worst

Attitude is everything. When the apostle Paul was encouraging his protege Timothy he gave him this bit of advice about how he should see himself.

"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners -  of whom I am the worst." I Timothy 1:15

I work in education and there is nothing worse than some young kid with about 5 years (at best) experience acting like they know everything about teaching. Zeal without the knowledge of experience incarnate. But, when someone speaks with humility,  a funny thing happens. I tend to listen. When it comes to dealing with my daily walk with God,  I don't care to hear someone who thinks they have spiritually arrived. Why? Because I know that not only is perfection only found in Christ, it is not what I am expected to attain. (If you believe in sinless perfection read I John 1 & 2.) I am called to live by faith. I do seek to be holy. I, like everyone else, fail. I am then reminded of the unfailing love of God in Christ Jesus for me. 


Christ Jesus, thank you that you came into this world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.

You Are Good Enough

One of the really fun things about being a father is coaching your child's sports team. Last season I managed my sons' baseball team. What was funny was kids coming up during the middle of a playoff game asking if they could pitch. One boy asked who couldn't even throw it all the way to home plate. He meant well. He wanted to be able to throw that ball and strike out the side. He just could not do it. One boy was a great catcher. He wanted to pitch too. When he pitched it was not good. When he was a catcher, he did very well. Well, trying to walk by faith is sort of like kids playing baseball. Sometimes we try to throw the ball all the way to home plate and it dies about half way there. When we try to be good enough, when we rely on our own righteousness, we just are not good enough, never will be. Paul said,

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20

When we learn to live by faith, we learn to die to ourselves. We realize it is not about being good enough, it is about realizing that in Christ God made us good enough already. Now, just live in that truth. 

Father, thank You for making us righteous in Christ. Thank You for Your mercy and grace. Bring Your mercy and grace through us to the world around us. Praise be to You in us today!

Are you trying to be good enough?

My Grandma used to say, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." One of the most common balancing acts sincere Christians must pull off is the battle between acting in faith and legalism.  We always want to sort of "fool proof" things we do, even in our walks with God. So, it is easy to put an "if-then" clause in our belief system. You know, "If I pray, read the Bible, go to church and witness X times then, God will bless my life." Although there is a measure of truth to that, it is not an absolutely foolproof method of obtaining blessings and prosperity in your life. 

I believe that the desire to know God in any way is good and proof of His Spirit in ones life. Yet, we always try to impose rules so that no one gets hurt. That is legalism.

Paul had to battle people who offered Christians a different gospel, one that was all about the law.  Paul even rebuked the apostle Peter about falling into legalism and leading others to do the same.

"We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified." Galatians 2:15-16

Paul, who was a Pharisee knew what it was like to try to be good enough under the law. He realize he would never, in his own righteousness be good enough. The good news is that our righteousness is not about our good works (which I believe are a fruit of faith) but about Christ's righteousness on our behalf. 

The life of faith can never be understood and enjoyed by legalism. Legalism will always try to squeeze in and steal your joy. Your mission is to always live by faith in grace.

Father, help us to enjoy our lives with You. May we live in faith, in the realization that You are God and that You are Sovereign and that You do have unfailing love for us. Praise be to You in us today! 

But God...

I have been deeply concerned about several parts of my life. While I was wrestling with my thoughts Psalm 46:10 came to mind. 

"Be still and know that I am God;     I will be exalted among the nations,     I will be exalted in the earth."

But God, what about my marriage? Be still and know that I am God.
But God, what about my finances? Be still and know that I am God.
But God, what about my job situation? Be still and know that I am God.
But God, what about my children? Be still and know that I am God.
But God, what about.....? Be still and know that I am God.

Whatever the issue is our the circumstances might be...Be still and know that I am God.

Are You Kidding Me?!ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

Lately some people have been knocking on doors, claiming that they worked with the city, or asking if you wanted to sell your car, then they ask to use the bathroom. The purpose is just to gain entrance to the  house. Then they either rummage through things while one distracts the occupants or they just case the house for valuables to be stolen at a later time. It's a con game. It's deception. It's evil. 

In Galatians chapter one Paul expresses his astonishment that the Galatians were very easily deserting the pure gospel of Christ and turning to a different one. A gospel that is really just legalism with slightly different packaging. 

"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel -  which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ." Galatians 1:6-7

I like a few things like watches and pens. I have seen a lot of very close copies and some that are not so close. A while ago I bought a fake Rolex for like $20.00. Now it did look like a Rolex, but it had a quartz movement not the mechanical one that a real Rolex uses and it also lacked a bit of weight and real gold. Shortly after that someone broke into my house and one of the items that was stolen was that watch. I really would have loved to have been at the pawn shop when the thief discovered it was worth maybe $2.00. The point is that even though it said Rolex and at first look appeared to be a Rolex, it was not. 

Just like the people who use deception to gain entrance to homes, only to steal from them, and the look alike watches that give an appearance of authenticity, any gospel that does not hold to the saving grace of Jesus Christ, that he "gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age" (Galatians 1:4) is NOT a gospel at all. Actually, their only purpose is to deceive people and turn them from faith in Christ to anything else. 

I encourage you to remember that your righteousness is found only, and this is the good news, in faith in "the Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." 

Father, thank You for the Lord Jesus Christ and his death on our behalf. Forgive us for trusting in ourselves or anything else. Thank You Lord Jesus Christ for being my righteousness!!! 

Do You Past the Test?

Do you know yourself? Are you honest with yourself? Those are pretty simple, straightforward questions. Honest self-assessment, not morbid narcissism, is an important and valuable discipline.  The apostle Paul exhorted the Corinthians to, 

"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus in in you -  unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test."            (II Corinthians 13:5-6)

I was at the driving range the other day and I noticed a golf instructor with a student. He had a video camera and was going over the students swing, showing the student what he was doing while attempting to hit that little round white thing. I am not sure the student liked what he saw because it sounded like there was a lot to work on (I think Jack Nicholas said there are 187 things you can do wrong during your swing).  I once went to one instructor and he messed me up so bad I could barely swing. I went to a different instructor who after watching me about two minutes said, "Wait, wait, stop! You're thinking about too much! Just concentrate on rolling your wrists." Wow, I started hitting it much more consistently! 

There is so much we can think about when it comes to evaluating our faith. So much is flung out at us with good intentions yet yielding guilt and spiritual stagnation. What did Paul ask the Corinthians? All he asked was if they realized that Christ Jesus was in them. That's all. Do you realize that Christ Jesus is in you?

Father, Spirit of the Living God, may we realize that Christ Jesus is in us. Praise be to You in us today!

What You Need.

There is a story of a very wealthy person who wanted to purchase a Rolls-Royce and he wanted to know the horsepower of the engine. When he asked he was told, "Adequate." The wealthy man pressed and asked again. He asked several times and was told that for all the circumstances and uses he would have for the car its' horsepower was adequate. 

The apostle Paul was given a thorn in his flesh to keep him humble and he pleaded with God three times to take it away and he was told, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (II Corinthians 12:9) What was Paul's response? He declared, "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (II Corinthians 12:9-10) 

You see, when I realize that it is not about me, it is about Christ's power in me, I in that sense can get out of the way of God in my life. When I realize I can not do something, then I can see that it is God at work in my life.

What is going on in your life? What hardships, insults and difficulties are you going through? The good news: God's grace is sufficient for you and me. 

Father, as we live and move and have our being, we trust in You, that Your grace would be sufficient. Pour out Your grace upon us. Praise be to You in us today!

Don't Be Deceived

Have you ever opened your e-mail only to find some message that reads, "Congratulations! You won! Open to claim your prize." Then you open it and it says, "Click to see if you qualify..." Yes, one of the wonders of the information age. Deception delivered to your personal e-mail. Deception is one of the enemies favorite tools. From Eve to you and me, we are always being confronted with information meant to lead us away from our sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 

"But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ." II Corinthians 11:3

There are a couple things we need to be reminded of in these verses. One is that there is an enemy of our souls that is actively seeking to deceive us about God, His Truth and Reality. The second is that we need to remember our devotion to Christ and keep in sincere and pure. 

Think of devotion to your favorite sports team. I am a Laker fan, born and bred. I went to college in South Carolina and at that time the Lakers and Celtics seemed to always be battling in the for the championship. There was one other Laker fan, my friend Phil, all the rest seemed to either be Celtic fans or just bitter Laker haters. Win or lose, the Lakers are my team. 

Now, our devotion to Christ must be just to Christ. Remember when you first came to know Christ. You knew it was all His righteousness because sin had devastated your life. Christ is still your righteousness...

Father, thank you for sending your Son to save us from sin and death. Thank you that you knew not only the sin we did commit but also those we would commit. Give us thankful hearts, changed by you. 

(Please feel free to leave an insight/comment below.)

Who Get's the Glory?

If your like me, you have been following the Olympics. Last night the 100 meter dash was playing. My oldest son, who ran track in High School and College said, "The shorter the race, the bigger the ego." Usain Bolt was dominant. The news today said he was not to happy about standing in line to enter the stadium to run and being asked to line up straight. Yes, you are the fastest sprinter, but, in England you must queue up like everyone else.   Before God, it doesn't matter who you are. We still all are the same before the throne of grace. 

"But, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends." II Corinthians 10:17-18

Paul was dealing with glory hogs. You know the kind, people who love the limelight, always take the credit for everything. Remember Moe from the Three Stooges, "Great idea, glad I thought of it." There seems to be at least one in every work place and in every group. When that little personal pronoun, "I", starts showing up too much, it is time to refocus on Christ. Paul's point was that God's commendation is what we are to seek, not man's. That is why in II Corinthians 11:30-31 he says, "If I must boast, I will boast of things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying." Paul said that it was God who is to be praised forever, not man. What is the point? Seek to be commended by God. The goal is that one day we will hear, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

Father, we look to You and Your approval. Use us today to glorify You. Praise be to You in us today!

The Way To Enter

You know there is only one way to enter the presence of God. David, the man after God's own heart said, 

"But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house;

  in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple."

It is by the great mercy of God that I can enter God's house, and I can never forget that. It's not me, it is all about Him. That is why I come with reverence and bow down. God wants us in His Presence. Think about that, God created you to know Him. So come. Come into the Presence of God. In reverence bow down toward His holy temple.

Father, by Your great mercy we come into Your Presence. Thank You.

How We Do Things

My first real job was at a super market and to this day I remember many of the things said to my by my manager. He was called "Red", because of his hair or maybe his fiery insistence on good customer service. Many times he would say, "That's not how we do things here. The customer is always right." When we consider our lives in this world as Christians and how we interact with those who are actually at war with us, we may need to become a bit warlike. Paul tells us that, 

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we  fight with aren't the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." II Corinthians 10:3-5

The reality is that we as Christians too often fight our spiritual battles on the enemies terms. When I was in High School I wrestled. One opponent I wrestled was about 6" taller than me. I wrestled him twice. He one the first time, I won the second. The difference was that the first time I tried to use leverage and that was in his favor. The second match I took away his leverage and won quiet easily despite the fact I was weakened by the flu. The point is spiritually speaking we need to battle by faith in Christ's power and trust in God's Sovereignty. If doing the right thing will put me at odds with others, so be it. I will graciously do what God says is right. 

Father, help us to trust in You and demolish the enemies strongholds in our minds, lives, families and work places. Help us to live by faith, in love. Praise be to You in us today!

Supply and increase in the Kingdom of God

Godly giving is really all about trusting God and stewardship. When I act on the truth, that God is all in all and that all things belong to Him, I must view my paycheck differently. Now, of course God wants me to provide for and bless my family but, He also wants to use me advance His kingdom. That is the sowing of Godly seeds. The encouraging word... 

"Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God." II Corinthians 9:10 - 11.

God supplies the seed to sow, the increase of the harvest and why? So that we can be generous on every occasion. Now, I am going to stop and step into the reality of many of our lives. Financially, times are tough. Debt is strangling many of us. Some are struggling to find work. Some of our financial troubles are due to our own foolish choices. God knows. The parable of the widows offering in Luke 21:1-4 reminds us that it is not the amount of the offering but the heart (in a real way the relative yet actual sacrifice) that matters in our giving. The end goal is that the harvest of our righteousness increases. Our generosity is the fruit of our faith shown in action. 

Father, help us to give what we can with thankful hearts. Enlarge our harvests so that we may be generous on all occasions. For many, help us get out of debt and to live by faith as good stewards of what You have entrusted us with. Praise be to You in us today!

Give what you have and receive all that God has.

As a parent it is very rewarding to hear your children tell you they love you and especially cool when they sincerely thank you for something you did for them. That, is reaping and sowing. Our verse for the day, II Corinthians 9:6, expresses it this way, 

"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously."

There several ways I can sow with my life. I can sow my time, my energy, and as this passage deals with, my money. In verse 7 Paul reminds us to give cheerfully. Remember to live by faith in His grace, not under the law. I am going to ask myself and you these questions: 

1. What can I give and do with my time for the kingdom of God?
2. What can I give my energy to for the kingdom of God?
3. What can I give financially to and for the kingdom of God?

Verse 8 encourages to act in faith by saying, "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." I heard someone say that prosperity is having a little more than you need. Think about that and may God prosper you. 

Father, help us to cast our bread, our time, energy and money upon the waters of Your kingdom as we seek to know You and make You known. Praise be to You in us today!