April 2
“And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment…” (Hebrews 9:27, NLT)
Josh was arrested for selling prescription drugs to classmates in his dorm. While he was selling the drugs, he had lots of money. People he didn’t know sought him out. He was riding high. With ample money, he purchased a new car with cash! When, he was arrested, the police impounded his vehicle and prepared the charges. Because Josh could afford an expensive attorney, he thought he was safe. Then, he read the charges drawn up by the Assistant District Attorney. If he was found guilty of a couple of the crimes, Josh would go to prison for at least a year. If he was found guilty of all his crimes, he would serve more than five years. The closer Josh got to his court date, the more he could not sleep. He would nervously pace for hours. He lost more than twenty pounds, because he just couldn’t eat without nausea. The court dates were looming like a death sentence over his future.
When you live your life without any concern for what is right and wrong, when you ignore the consequences of your actions, you may think you are above reproach. You might feel invulnerable. However, when you are arrested or exposed or your cheating ways are discovered, life can become very difficult. When you dread the judgment of the courts or your peers or your spouse or friends or family, the looming pain of that verdict can shake you to the core. It can leave you with all kinds of regrets and pain at the judgment you will soon face.
If there were no consequences to doing anything right or wrong, can you imagine how people would live? Many would break laws right and left. Some would go through life blindly, not noticing the pain they cause or the repercussions of their poor choices. However, life does not work that way. There will always be consequences for your actions. A good diet will bring you better health. A bad diet will, sooner or later, come back to damage your body. Good choices will benefit you. Bad choices will bring pain at some point. You can’t escape consequences. You can’t escape all judgment. Even those who get by with sins and law-breaking will have to live with the pain they cause others. There are good results to faithful actions. There are bad consequences to malicious acts or sinful attitudes.
Just as Josh dreaded his day in court, there are people who dread dying. They know that after death, heaven or hell will await them. Even unrighteous people have this feeling that after death, they will have to face their deeds. Hindus have the concept of Karma. The wrong you do in life comes back to bless you. The evil you do in life will ALWAYS come back to haunt you. Jews, Christians, and Muslims all believe in God’s judgment when you die. Even Aztecs, Mayans, Vikings, and other civilizations had concepts of judgment after death. All these religions and groups knew that judgment would come because of the actions of a person, sooner or later.
The scripture for today from Hebrews 9 reiterates this concept of judgment. It teaches that each person, after death, will experience judgment. According to this verse, judgement is a sure thing following the end of your life. You may escape judgment in this life; you might be able to hide from your sins or mistakes or failures while living in the present. But, following your death, you will have to face God’s judgment in the future. You can’t escape being judged based on your actions, decisions, choices, sins, forgiveness, grace, mercy and love.
Josh, in the opening story, broke the law. He was going to have to face his judgment in court. Now, with the right combination of money and lawyers and connections, he may be able to get out of paying for his crimes. That, however, will NOT stop him from facing God on Judgment Day. Josh will not be able to wheedle his way out of paying for his guilt and sin and failures. He will not be able to talk his way out of his sinful past. God knows his thoughts, his motivations, his heart. In some ways, God is a much harsher judge than anyone or anything you will find in this life.
According to Hebrews 9, you can’t escape judgment. It will come one day. God will judge you for your sins and faith. God will determine your worth based on the decisions and character of your heart and soul. You can’t get around it. You can’t negotiate your way out of judgment. You will be judged fairly, but you will not be able to hide anything from God.
If you knew you were going to die today, how would you feel? Really think about it. Would you dread your upcoming judgment by God or look forward to Eternal Life? Would you be hopeful in God’s grace or dreading that you rejected Jesus’ call upon something in your life? Would a sin or regret loom large, or would you look forward to an eternity surrounded by the faithful? Would hell be a possibility? Would heaven be assured?
I feel for those who go through life with no thought of the consequences of their actions. I hurt for those who lack faith in Jesus and will have no access to God’s grace given on the cross. Judgement Day will be a terrible, awful day for some people. It will be a time of fear for all those who have not made things right with God and others in life. I hope you live your life thinking about tomorrow. I hope you have made things right in preparation for your Judgment Day. I would love for you to live for an eternity surrounded by the light and love of God. That depends on what you do today, this week, this year. How will you prepare for your judgment? How are you getting ready to face God after your death?
When you live your life without any concern for what is right and wrong, when you ignore the consequences of your actions, you may think you are above reproach. You might feel invulnerable. However, when you are arrested or exposed or your cheating ways are discovered, life can become very difficult. When you dread the judgment of the courts or your peers or your spouse or friends or family, the looming pain of that verdict can shake you to the core. It can leave you with all kinds of regrets and pain at the judgment you will soon face.
If there were no consequences to doing anything right or wrong, can you imagine how people would live? Many would break laws right and left. Some would go through life blindly, not noticing the pain they cause or the repercussions of their poor choices. However, life does not work that way. There will always be consequences for your actions. A good diet will bring you better health. A bad diet will, sooner or later, come back to damage your body. Good choices will benefit you. Bad choices will bring pain at some point. You can’t escape consequences. You can’t escape all judgment. Even those who get by with sins and law-breaking will have to live with the pain they cause others. There are good results to faithful actions. There are bad consequences to malicious acts or sinful attitudes.
Just as Josh dreaded his day in court, there are people who dread dying. They know that after death, heaven or hell will await them. Even unrighteous people have this feeling that after death, they will have to face their deeds. Hindus have the concept of Karma. The wrong you do in life comes back to bless you. The evil you do in life will ALWAYS come back to haunt you. Jews, Christians, and Muslims all believe in God’s judgment when you die. Even Aztecs, Mayans, Vikings, and other civilizations had concepts of judgment after death. All these religions and groups knew that judgment would come because of the actions of a person, sooner or later.
The scripture for today from Hebrews 9 reiterates this concept of judgment. It teaches that each person, after death, will experience judgment. According to this verse, judgement is a sure thing following the end of your life. You may escape judgment in this life; you might be able to hide from your sins or mistakes or failures while living in the present. But, following your death, you will have to face God’s judgment in the future. You can’t escape being judged based on your actions, decisions, choices, sins, forgiveness, grace, mercy and love.
Josh, in the opening story, broke the law. He was going to have to face his judgment in court. Now, with the right combination of money and lawyers and connections, he may be able to get out of paying for his crimes. That, however, will NOT stop him from facing God on Judgment Day. Josh will not be able to wheedle his way out of paying for his guilt and sin and failures. He will not be able to talk his way out of his sinful past. God knows his thoughts, his motivations, his heart. In some ways, God is a much harsher judge than anyone or anything you will find in this life.
According to Hebrews 9, you can’t escape judgment. It will come one day. God will judge you for your sins and faith. God will determine your worth based on the decisions and character of your heart and soul. You can’t get around it. You can’t negotiate your way out of judgment. You will be judged fairly, but you will not be able to hide anything from God.
If you knew you were going to die today, how would you feel? Really think about it. Would you dread your upcoming judgment by God or look forward to Eternal Life? Would you be hopeful in God’s grace or dreading that you rejected Jesus’ call upon something in your life? Would a sin or regret loom large, or would you look forward to an eternity surrounded by the faithful? Would hell be a possibility? Would heaven be assured?
I feel for those who go through life with no thought of the consequences of their actions. I hurt for those who lack faith in Jesus and will have no access to God’s grace given on the cross. Judgement Day will be a terrible, awful day for some people. It will be a time of fear for all those who have not made things right with God and others in life. I hope you live your life thinking about tomorrow. I hope you have made things right in preparation for your Judgment Day. I would love for you to live for an eternity surrounded by the light and love of God. That depends on what you do today, this week, this year. How will you prepare for your judgment? How are you getting ready to face God after your death?
April 4
“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
(Hebrews 4:16, ESV)
(Hebrews 4:16, ESV)
A father sat at the kitchen table on a Saturday morning. He was reading the newspaper on his iPad, pondering the jobs needing to be done around the house, and enjoying a breakfast of eggs and toast. Coming down the steps from his bedroom, his fifteen-year-old son ambled into the kitchen and sat next to him. After a few moments and yawns, the boy said, “Dad, I need $40 to fix my bike.”
The father replied, “Do you think money just grows on trees? I’ve set aside money for my own projects today. Go mow Aunt Amber’s lawn and do some other work to get the money you need.”
The son replied, “I don’t have time to earn the money. I need the parts for my bike now.”
The father ended the discussion by saying, “You should have thought about this two weeks ago when all you did during spring break was play video games, lay on the couch, sleep in, and complain about the slow internet speed.”
After speaking to many fathers over the years, this type of discussion goes on in every family to some degree. Like the son in the exchange above, there are many people who are lazy. They expect others to supply their needs. They sit around and hope money falls into their laps. They don’t plan for tomorrow. They don’t maintain what they have but instead only think about the care of their possessions when something breaks down. When something goes wrong, they expect others to just step in and fix their own problem.
I have seen many fights break out in families, on the job site, and in school by people who wanted to skate through life and have others fix their problems. I remember a counseling session where a wife was upset that her husband didn’t make more money so that whenever she had any want or need, she could just use a credit card to fix it. At a construction site, a woman complained to friend of mine that he was not doing his job. When he asked what she was complaining about, she mentioned that if anything weighed more than twenty pounds, he was supposed to lift it for her without her having to ask! Both received the same salary. Both were hired for the same work. She just had this notion that her co-workers were obligated to do part of her job, so she didn’t strain herself.
Sadly, these same wrong attitudes also occur in the spiritual realm. Many Christians go through life expecting grace to just fall from the sky. Many “prosperity gospel” believers of the 1970’s and 1980’s had the notion that when you make a promise to believe in Jesus, you will inevitably get wealthy, be permanently happy, and nothing will ever really go wrong in your life. There will be smooth sailing all your days, God fixing every problem before you even have to ask. What a bunch of lies! Another example of this can be found in the writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer from the 1930’s. It concerns the topic of “Cheap Grace”. Cheap grace occurs when people believe that all their sins will be fixed by God without any delay or atonement or repentance or any effort on their part. Bonhoeffer wrote that this type of spiritual attitude is not only detrimental but unbiblical.
Yes, grace is a free gift from God. Yes, grace will grant you forgiveness and mercy and restore your relationship with God. But grace is not cheap nor lazy. Grace from God requires your willingness to take part. You must reject your sin. You have to change your ways. You need to ask God for forgiveness and do any required atonement to make things right in response to God’s grace. Grace from God is free. It is not cheap or easy and does not ever “fall from trees”. It requires changes in your attitude, actions to make things right, and promises to do your part.
Look at the scripture for today. In seeking forgiveness and grace, the author of Hebrews 4:16 urges all the faithful to “confidently draw near the throne of God”. There, through prayer and an attitude of repentance, the person should “find grace in a time of need”. If you read this verse carefully, you will notice that God offers grace to the believer openly. However, the believer must do his or her part. Anyone needing grace must “draw near” to God. That person needs to seek out God’s grace to “receive mercy”.
I was in a counseling session many years ago. There, a woman was complaining that her husband was the cause of her biggest problems. As she went on and on complaining about his lack of care, I finally had to ask an important question, “Have you ever specifically asked your husband to help you, forgive you, or do some of these things you want him to do?”
“Of course not!” she replied. “He should know what I want and need! If he loved me, he shouldn’t have to be told, right?”
After her last few sentences, we had a long talk about the fact that people can’t read minds and sometimes do not know what someone else wants or needs. We also talked a good deal about making assumptions about what another person is thinking and expecting a spouse to fix things without even asking for help.
God expects you to be open and honest and to “draw near” to His throne of grace. He desires that you ask for mercy when you are in need. However, God will not just “fix things” when you mess up, overlook your failings and sin, and grant you grace “just because”. You need to do your part. You need to confess your sin. You need to actively pursue repentance. You must be willing to come to God’s throne and ask for mercy when you mess up. Don’t expect God to shower you with grace and mercy and forgiveness just because you were baptized years ago. When you mess up, go to God. Offer up your confession. Ask for forgiveness and mercy. Then, do what you can to show your thankfulness when God grants you grace.
Grace is a free gift from God. Grace can impart forgiveness and mercy from God. Grace can free you from the heavy burden of sin. It can make your heart light and your hopes soar! But grace is not without cost. It should not be taken for granted. To receive grace, you need to do what it takes to draw near to God. You need to come to God. You may need to come back to God. If you want to feel the awesome effects of grace, it will take your willingness to be humble, an admission of your sin, a desire to make things right, and a conviction to change your ways. Grace is wonderful. It is life-changing. It is beautiful. Grace is free, but grace is never cheap. Jesus died on a cross to bring grace to you.
The father replied, “Do you think money just grows on trees? I’ve set aside money for my own projects today. Go mow Aunt Amber’s lawn and do some other work to get the money you need.”
The son replied, “I don’t have time to earn the money. I need the parts for my bike now.”
The father ended the discussion by saying, “You should have thought about this two weeks ago when all you did during spring break was play video games, lay on the couch, sleep in, and complain about the slow internet speed.”
After speaking to many fathers over the years, this type of discussion goes on in every family to some degree. Like the son in the exchange above, there are many people who are lazy. They expect others to supply their needs. They sit around and hope money falls into their laps. They don’t plan for tomorrow. They don’t maintain what they have but instead only think about the care of their possessions when something breaks down. When something goes wrong, they expect others to just step in and fix their own problem.
I have seen many fights break out in families, on the job site, and in school by people who wanted to skate through life and have others fix their problems. I remember a counseling session where a wife was upset that her husband didn’t make more money so that whenever she had any want or need, she could just use a credit card to fix it. At a construction site, a woman complained to friend of mine that he was not doing his job. When he asked what she was complaining about, she mentioned that if anything weighed more than twenty pounds, he was supposed to lift it for her without her having to ask! Both received the same salary. Both were hired for the same work. She just had this notion that her co-workers were obligated to do part of her job, so she didn’t strain herself.
Sadly, these same wrong attitudes also occur in the spiritual realm. Many Christians go through life expecting grace to just fall from the sky. Many “prosperity gospel” believers of the 1970’s and 1980’s had the notion that when you make a promise to believe in Jesus, you will inevitably get wealthy, be permanently happy, and nothing will ever really go wrong in your life. There will be smooth sailing all your days, God fixing every problem before you even have to ask. What a bunch of lies! Another example of this can be found in the writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer from the 1930’s. It concerns the topic of “Cheap Grace”. Cheap grace occurs when people believe that all their sins will be fixed by God without any delay or atonement or repentance or any effort on their part. Bonhoeffer wrote that this type of spiritual attitude is not only detrimental but unbiblical.
Yes, grace is a free gift from God. Yes, grace will grant you forgiveness and mercy and restore your relationship with God. But grace is not cheap nor lazy. Grace from God requires your willingness to take part. You must reject your sin. You have to change your ways. You need to ask God for forgiveness and do any required atonement to make things right in response to God’s grace. Grace from God is free. It is not cheap or easy and does not ever “fall from trees”. It requires changes in your attitude, actions to make things right, and promises to do your part.
Look at the scripture for today. In seeking forgiveness and grace, the author of Hebrews 4:16 urges all the faithful to “confidently draw near the throne of God”. There, through prayer and an attitude of repentance, the person should “find grace in a time of need”. If you read this verse carefully, you will notice that God offers grace to the believer openly. However, the believer must do his or her part. Anyone needing grace must “draw near” to God. That person needs to seek out God’s grace to “receive mercy”.
I was in a counseling session many years ago. There, a woman was complaining that her husband was the cause of her biggest problems. As she went on and on complaining about his lack of care, I finally had to ask an important question, “Have you ever specifically asked your husband to help you, forgive you, or do some of these things you want him to do?”
“Of course not!” she replied. “He should know what I want and need! If he loved me, he shouldn’t have to be told, right?”
After her last few sentences, we had a long talk about the fact that people can’t read minds and sometimes do not know what someone else wants or needs. We also talked a good deal about making assumptions about what another person is thinking and expecting a spouse to fix things without even asking for help.
God expects you to be open and honest and to “draw near” to His throne of grace. He desires that you ask for mercy when you are in need. However, God will not just “fix things” when you mess up, overlook your failings and sin, and grant you grace “just because”. You need to do your part. You need to confess your sin. You need to actively pursue repentance. You must be willing to come to God’s throne and ask for mercy when you mess up. Don’t expect God to shower you with grace and mercy and forgiveness just because you were baptized years ago. When you mess up, go to God. Offer up your confession. Ask for forgiveness and mercy. Then, do what you can to show your thankfulness when God grants you grace.
Grace is a free gift from God. Grace can impart forgiveness and mercy from God. Grace can free you from the heavy burden of sin. It can make your heart light and your hopes soar! But grace is not without cost. It should not be taken for granted. To receive grace, you need to do what it takes to draw near to God. You need to come to God. You may need to come back to God. If you want to feel the awesome effects of grace, it will take your willingness to be humble, an admission of your sin, a desire to make things right, and a conviction to change your ways. Grace is wonderful. It is life-changing. It is beautiful. Grace is free, but grace is never cheap. Jesus died on a cross to bring grace to you.
April 6
“When you make a promise to God, don’t delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him.” (Ecclesiastes 5:4, NLT)
Psalm 40:1, Hebrews 6:15, James 5:7, and many other scripture verses tout the value of waiting upon the Lord or waiting patiently for the Lord to work. Patiently waiting for the Lord’s time is an important spiritual trait. If you act impulsively, before the Lord has everything ready in your situation, the blessing will often be lost.
However, there are also times when you should not wait to do something. Many things in life require quick action in order to preserve, help, save, or protect someone or something. If a child is about to tumble backward off a chair, you don’t want to hold back in your rush to protect her. When a safety mechanism on a machine on the assembly line is failing, management must fix the problem or risk injuries or death on the job site. When a man has a fever of 106, you need to get that fever down immediately or risk damage to his brain. There are times when a delay can be detrimental, ruinous, and even fatal.
In the latter 1800’s the Minneapolis Tribune became a thriving business. Its newspaper was widely read. News from its offices went around the world. On November 30, 1889, the Minneapolis Tribune building, a magnificent piece of architecture some seven stories tall, caught fire. Sadly, the fire began in the lower elevator shaft, and filled the adjacent stairway with deadly fumes. It was almost impossible to negotiate in the dark smoke. Several brave people endeavored to get people out through the smoke-filled building. Some were able to escape via the fire-escape. However, the longer people were stuck on the upper floors, the more difficult it became to reach them. Also, the fire-escape became damaged by flames.
Up on the sixth story, there was a dispatcher for the Associated Press. He was urged to escape before the fire engulfed the building. He even had a chance to escape with two groups but declined. Unable to resist the power of this breaking story, he stayed on the sixth floor sending out sensational reports. These reports went out by his telegraph all over the world describing the fire and his desperate situation. People gathered to watch the fire in the streets below. Firemen fought the blaze. Throughout it all, the dispatcher continued to send out his headlines. “I am in the Tribune building,” he telegraphed, “in the sixth story, and the building is on fire. The fire has now reached the second story; I am in the sixth.” In a little while he sent another message: “The fire has now reached the third story; I am in the sixth.” Soon he telegraphed: “The fire has reached the fourth story; I am in the sixth.” Soon again the message came over the wires: “The fire has reached the fifth story; I am in the sixth.” Thousands of people heard about the man sending out telegraphs who was stranded on the sixth floor. More and more people gathered at the building, hoping for the best.
Finally, when the fire and smoke were about to overtake him, the dispatcher ran across to another room and reached the fire-escape. He found, to his dismay, that the fire-escape was engulfed in flames. With the stairway, elevator, and fire-escape all blocked, he pondered what to do. Opening a window, he looked up to see a long guy-wire attached from the Tribune Building to the building next door. Knowing it was his only hope, he grabbed the wire and began to make his way to the next building. People watched from the streets below. Everyone grew quiet, in breathless suspense. He didn’t make it far, tumbling down to his death six stories below.
After telling a version of this story, R.A. Torrey said the following words at a revival that were later written down for posterity: “Men and women, you are in a burning building to-night, you are in a doomed world; but thank God, there is a way of escape, but only one, Christ Jesus. That way is open tonight, but no one knows how long that way will be left open. I beg of you, do not neglect it, and then when it is too late lay hold on some poor guy-rope of human philosophy, and go a little way, and then let go, and plunge, not six stories down, but on and on and on through the awful, unfathomable depths of the gulf of eternal despair. Men and women, turn to Christ tonight! “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” (Anecdotes and Illustrations, p. 144)
When R.A. Torrey spoke to his audience about the burning Tribune building, he wanted them to understand that their salvation couldn’t wait. God wanted them to commit their souls that very night. Yes, there are times to wait patiently upon the Lord. There are also times when waiting could cost you everything.
The scripture for today from the pages of Ecclesiastes bears witness to the fact that some things in life should not be delayed. God expects you to do them right away. Ecclesiastes 5:4 teaches that “when you make a promise to God, don’t delay in following through”. Don’t make God wait for your vow to be completed. If God wants you to do something NOW, to wait is to fail God. If the time is right for God’s work to be accomplished, who are you to put it off?
When I am summoned to the bedside of someone who is dying, I never know what will happen. Some people just want to say a prayer. Some want the company. Some, when alone with me, will open up and bear a burden that has been haunting them for some time. As I walked into the hospital room of a man in his eighties named Clarence, I was met with a smile. Doctors gave the man 24 hours to live. He had an aneurism too large to be repaired with an emergency operation. It could burst at any moment.
I pulled up a chair and sat facing Clarence in the bed. We chatted for a bit. Then, he went quiet. After a few moments, he told me a sad story about one of his greatest regrets in life.
After the untimely death of his parents, Clarence was raised by his grandparents. He loved growing up on their farm out in the country. He cherished the many memories of that place, even though his parents were absent. Clarence so loved his grandparents that he asked his grandfather to be the best man at his wedding. When his wife became pregnant with their first child, Clarence told his grandparents before telling another soul. He adored his grandparents.
At that moment in the retelling of his story, Clarence swallowed hard. Then, tears filled his eyes. Slowly, he got the words out. When his grandfather lay dying, Clarence was notified by family. Instead of leaving right away to drive the two hours to get there, Clarence finished his meeting at work and took time to arrange for his secretary to make some calls. He even answered several emails. Finally, Clarence hopped in his car for the drive, but it was too late. His beloved grandfather died fifteen minutes before Clarence arrived. The family told him that his grandfather’s last words were, “How long until Clarence gets here?” To this day, Clarence is ashamed of his delay that day. He regrets terribly that he dawdled instead of being there at the bedside of the grandfather he cherished.
Some things in life can’t wait. Some of the most important moments of your life will require your immediate action or attention. The scripture for today urges you to not delay in fulfilling a promise to God. Ecclesiastes 3 teaches that there is a “time and season for everything under the sun”. Some things in life take patience. Some things in life need to be done when the timing is right. God may light a fire under you when there is an immediate need. Don’t delay when God is wanting your immediate action or attention or response.
Is there something God needs you to change right now? Is there something you have been putting off that needs your attention? Don’t ignore it when God wants you to follow through immediately. God can see many things you cannot.
However, there are also times when you should not wait to do something. Many things in life require quick action in order to preserve, help, save, or protect someone or something. If a child is about to tumble backward off a chair, you don’t want to hold back in your rush to protect her. When a safety mechanism on a machine on the assembly line is failing, management must fix the problem or risk injuries or death on the job site. When a man has a fever of 106, you need to get that fever down immediately or risk damage to his brain. There are times when a delay can be detrimental, ruinous, and even fatal.
In the latter 1800’s the Minneapolis Tribune became a thriving business. Its newspaper was widely read. News from its offices went around the world. On November 30, 1889, the Minneapolis Tribune building, a magnificent piece of architecture some seven stories tall, caught fire. Sadly, the fire began in the lower elevator shaft, and filled the adjacent stairway with deadly fumes. It was almost impossible to negotiate in the dark smoke. Several brave people endeavored to get people out through the smoke-filled building. Some were able to escape via the fire-escape. However, the longer people were stuck on the upper floors, the more difficult it became to reach them. Also, the fire-escape became damaged by flames.
Up on the sixth story, there was a dispatcher for the Associated Press. He was urged to escape before the fire engulfed the building. He even had a chance to escape with two groups but declined. Unable to resist the power of this breaking story, he stayed on the sixth floor sending out sensational reports. These reports went out by his telegraph all over the world describing the fire and his desperate situation. People gathered to watch the fire in the streets below. Firemen fought the blaze. Throughout it all, the dispatcher continued to send out his headlines. “I am in the Tribune building,” he telegraphed, “in the sixth story, and the building is on fire. The fire has now reached the second story; I am in the sixth.” In a little while he sent another message: “The fire has now reached the third story; I am in the sixth.” Soon he telegraphed: “The fire has reached the fourth story; I am in the sixth.” Soon again the message came over the wires: “The fire has reached the fifth story; I am in the sixth.” Thousands of people heard about the man sending out telegraphs who was stranded on the sixth floor. More and more people gathered at the building, hoping for the best.
Finally, when the fire and smoke were about to overtake him, the dispatcher ran across to another room and reached the fire-escape. He found, to his dismay, that the fire-escape was engulfed in flames. With the stairway, elevator, and fire-escape all blocked, he pondered what to do. Opening a window, he looked up to see a long guy-wire attached from the Tribune Building to the building next door. Knowing it was his only hope, he grabbed the wire and began to make his way to the next building. People watched from the streets below. Everyone grew quiet, in breathless suspense. He didn’t make it far, tumbling down to his death six stories below.
After telling a version of this story, R.A. Torrey said the following words at a revival that were later written down for posterity: “Men and women, you are in a burning building to-night, you are in a doomed world; but thank God, there is a way of escape, but only one, Christ Jesus. That way is open tonight, but no one knows how long that way will be left open. I beg of you, do not neglect it, and then when it is too late lay hold on some poor guy-rope of human philosophy, and go a little way, and then let go, and plunge, not six stories down, but on and on and on through the awful, unfathomable depths of the gulf of eternal despair. Men and women, turn to Christ tonight! “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” (Anecdotes and Illustrations, p. 144)
When R.A. Torrey spoke to his audience about the burning Tribune building, he wanted them to understand that their salvation couldn’t wait. God wanted them to commit their souls that very night. Yes, there are times to wait patiently upon the Lord. There are also times when waiting could cost you everything.
The scripture for today from the pages of Ecclesiastes bears witness to the fact that some things in life should not be delayed. God expects you to do them right away. Ecclesiastes 5:4 teaches that “when you make a promise to God, don’t delay in following through”. Don’t make God wait for your vow to be completed. If God wants you to do something NOW, to wait is to fail God. If the time is right for God’s work to be accomplished, who are you to put it off?
When I am summoned to the bedside of someone who is dying, I never know what will happen. Some people just want to say a prayer. Some want the company. Some, when alone with me, will open up and bear a burden that has been haunting them for some time. As I walked into the hospital room of a man in his eighties named Clarence, I was met with a smile. Doctors gave the man 24 hours to live. He had an aneurism too large to be repaired with an emergency operation. It could burst at any moment.
I pulled up a chair and sat facing Clarence in the bed. We chatted for a bit. Then, he went quiet. After a few moments, he told me a sad story about one of his greatest regrets in life.
After the untimely death of his parents, Clarence was raised by his grandparents. He loved growing up on their farm out in the country. He cherished the many memories of that place, even though his parents were absent. Clarence so loved his grandparents that he asked his grandfather to be the best man at his wedding. When his wife became pregnant with their first child, Clarence told his grandparents before telling another soul. He adored his grandparents.
At that moment in the retelling of his story, Clarence swallowed hard. Then, tears filled his eyes. Slowly, he got the words out. When his grandfather lay dying, Clarence was notified by family. Instead of leaving right away to drive the two hours to get there, Clarence finished his meeting at work and took time to arrange for his secretary to make some calls. He even answered several emails. Finally, Clarence hopped in his car for the drive, but it was too late. His beloved grandfather died fifteen minutes before Clarence arrived. The family told him that his grandfather’s last words were, “How long until Clarence gets here?” To this day, Clarence is ashamed of his delay that day. He regrets terribly that he dawdled instead of being there at the bedside of the grandfather he cherished.
Some things in life can’t wait. Some of the most important moments of your life will require your immediate action or attention. The scripture for today urges you to not delay in fulfilling a promise to God. Ecclesiastes 3 teaches that there is a “time and season for everything under the sun”. Some things in life take patience. Some things in life need to be done when the timing is right. God may light a fire under you when there is an immediate need. Don’t delay when God is wanting your immediate action or attention or response.
Is there something God needs you to change right now? Is there something you have been putting off that needs your attention? Don’t ignore it when God wants you to follow through immediately. God can see many things you cannot.
April 8
“There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.” (Job 1:1, ESV)
A young man named Justin went to stay with his grandparents for the summer. Justin’s parents, being college professors, often took tour groups to Europe during the summer months when they weren’t teaching. Justin didn’t like traveling with the groups. He didn’t like the long hours and all the interruptions, so it was his choice to stay with his grandparents. He didn’t like it, but it was better than being stuck with a “bunch of touristy folks”.
During the second week of summer vacation at his grandparents, Justin visited the local youth center. There, he was introduced to a good number of people. He found two guys that he “clicked” with right off. They spent the afternoon discussing Warhammer 40K miniatures and board gaming. They even had the chance to play a few games together. Justin loved his new friends. At least three or four days a week, Justin went down to the youth center to meet with them. They had a blast.
In mid-July, Justin found out the city was sponsoring a festival. He asked his friends about it. They were excited about going. The two friends did warn Justin that some people often showed up drunk or on drugs and ruined the festival, with fights breaking out almost every year. The police were often called late in the evenings and even had foot patrols at the park where the festival was held. When Justin told his grandfather he was going to the festival, his grandfather pulled him aside, pointed right to his face, and said, “Promise me, Justin. Promise me, now. If you see anything wrong or illegal or someone gets rowdy, I want you to leave and come home immediately. You have to promise me!”
Justin was surprised at his grandfather’s insistence. He promised to come home right away if something “went down”. Later that night at the festival, a fight did break out. Justin and one of his friends left for home right away. Justin’s other friend wanted to stay and “watch what happened.” A block away, Justin heard gunshots. He quickened his pace. The next morning, Justin found out that during the melee that occurred at the festival, several people were injured. One person was in critical condition at a local hospital. The one who was in critical condition was Justin’s good friend. A stray gunshot pierced his leg. It was a hard thing for Justin to take. For days after, Justin woke up at night in a sweat thinking of how close he came to being there when the gunshots rang out. He was so glad he listened to his grandfather.
Justin’s grandfather knew well enough that when something evil is about to happen, it is best you are not there. The scripture for today reaffirms this understanding. In the very first sentence of the book of Job, it teaches that the prophet Job was “blameless and upright”. We are also told that Job “feared God”. Job was a faithful man, very close to God in heart and soul and mind. At the end of the verse, we are told one other characteristic of Job. He “turned away from evil” (Job 1:1). Job knew about good and evil enough to realize that when evil is present, the best thing you can do is shun it, walk away from it, leave, or resist it. There may come a day when you will have to stand up against evil. However, most of the time, the best thing you can do is stay away from evil. A wise man knows to keep himself from evil places and people, or simply to refuse to participate in evil practices.
The story about Justin is a true one. This next story is true as well. In a small town in Pennsylvania, a group of teenagers got together at a Stephanie's house for a sleepover. Around midnight, they looked for something to do. For Christmas, Stephanie had received a Ouija Board. She suggested the friends turn out the lights, light a few candles, and see if they could talk to some spirits using the board. The five girls did just that. In the darkness of the flickering candlelight, Stephanie asked that some of the spirits come to answer their questions. She invited the spirits to guide their hands on the Ouija Board. The girls were surprised when the pointer on the board started moving and answering their queries. After an hour or so of “fun”, the girls decided to go to bed.
During the night, several of the girls had nightmares of a dark shape wanting to hurt them. Over the next days, one of the girls became physically ill and had to be taken to the hospital. No discernable illness was found. All the girls felt “watched”, “frightened to be alone”, or “uneasy in the dark”. Two weeks later, several of the girls’ parents got together when it was revealed what the girls had done with the Ouija Board. The board was burned, but several of the girls continued to have nightmares for months. One of the parents asked her daughter, “Why did you participate in a séance-kind-of-thing? We didn’t raise you to do stuff like that!” The girl replied, “I didn’t want to be the only one to say “no””. So, she just went along with it.
In a desire to fit in or belong to a group, people just “go along with things”, even when it will lead to evil. It takes a faithful person to refuse to participate in evil. Few, like Job, have the guts to turn away when evil comes calling. Often, they will just go with the flow and regret it later.
When interviewed after World War 2, a good number of concentration camp guards and staff were asked how they could ever participate in the murder of Jews, gypsies, poles, Russians, POWs, and others who were incarcerated there. Excuses like “it was my job”, “I didn’t want to be singled out for going against the Nazi party”, or “I didn’t think they would actually murder these people!” were often brought forth. The simple fact is that because these people didn’t walk away, they were partially responsible for the evil done to these prisoners. They lived with that guilt and shame. Some were executed for their part in the suffering.
If you do not “turn away from evil” like Job, you may find yourself participating in the Devil’s works. You might find yourself going down paths straight to hell. It is so easy to fall in with the wrong crowd, be talked into something unsavory, or cajoled into participating in an evil plan. Why chance it? When something in your soul tells you to walk away, you need to do it. If the Holy Spirit is screaming at you that something bad is about to happen, it is best to get out of that situation as soon as possible. Otherwise, you too may find yourself participating in evil.
Have you ever been “talked into” doing something wrong? Did you ever rightfully walk away from an unholy situation? Being faithful to God requires the ability to discern right from wrong, good from evil. Loving God requires you turn away from doing wrong. Don’t go along with the crowd, even the church crowd. Do what God tells you to do. Don’t ignore it when the Holy Spirit is urging you to change directions. It might be what saves your soul from torment.
During the second week of summer vacation at his grandparents, Justin visited the local youth center. There, he was introduced to a good number of people. He found two guys that he “clicked” with right off. They spent the afternoon discussing Warhammer 40K miniatures and board gaming. They even had the chance to play a few games together. Justin loved his new friends. At least three or four days a week, Justin went down to the youth center to meet with them. They had a blast.
In mid-July, Justin found out the city was sponsoring a festival. He asked his friends about it. They were excited about going. The two friends did warn Justin that some people often showed up drunk or on drugs and ruined the festival, with fights breaking out almost every year. The police were often called late in the evenings and even had foot patrols at the park where the festival was held. When Justin told his grandfather he was going to the festival, his grandfather pulled him aside, pointed right to his face, and said, “Promise me, Justin. Promise me, now. If you see anything wrong or illegal or someone gets rowdy, I want you to leave and come home immediately. You have to promise me!”
Justin was surprised at his grandfather’s insistence. He promised to come home right away if something “went down”. Later that night at the festival, a fight did break out. Justin and one of his friends left for home right away. Justin’s other friend wanted to stay and “watch what happened.” A block away, Justin heard gunshots. He quickened his pace. The next morning, Justin found out that during the melee that occurred at the festival, several people were injured. One person was in critical condition at a local hospital. The one who was in critical condition was Justin’s good friend. A stray gunshot pierced his leg. It was a hard thing for Justin to take. For days after, Justin woke up at night in a sweat thinking of how close he came to being there when the gunshots rang out. He was so glad he listened to his grandfather.
Justin’s grandfather knew well enough that when something evil is about to happen, it is best you are not there. The scripture for today reaffirms this understanding. In the very first sentence of the book of Job, it teaches that the prophet Job was “blameless and upright”. We are also told that Job “feared God”. Job was a faithful man, very close to God in heart and soul and mind. At the end of the verse, we are told one other characteristic of Job. He “turned away from evil” (Job 1:1). Job knew about good and evil enough to realize that when evil is present, the best thing you can do is shun it, walk away from it, leave, or resist it. There may come a day when you will have to stand up against evil. However, most of the time, the best thing you can do is stay away from evil. A wise man knows to keep himself from evil places and people, or simply to refuse to participate in evil practices.
The story about Justin is a true one. This next story is true as well. In a small town in Pennsylvania, a group of teenagers got together at a Stephanie's house for a sleepover. Around midnight, they looked for something to do. For Christmas, Stephanie had received a Ouija Board. She suggested the friends turn out the lights, light a few candles, and see if they could talk to some spirits using the board. The five girls did just that. In the darkness of the flickering candlelight, Stephanie asked that some of the spirits come to answer their questions. She invited the spirits to guide their hands on the Ouija Board. The girls were surprised when the pointer on the board started moving and answering their queries. After an hour or so of “fun”, the girls decided to go to bed.
During the night, several of the girls had nightmares of a dark shape wanting to hurt them. Over the next days, one of the girls became physically ill and had to be taken to the hospital. No discernable illness was found. All the girls felt “watched”, “frightened to be alone”, or “uneasy in the dark”. Two weeks later, several of the girls’ parents got together when it was revealed what the girls had done with the Ouija Board. The board was burned, but several of the girls continued to have nightmares for months. One of the parents asked her daughter, “Why did you participate in a séance-kind-of-thing? We didn’t raise you to do stuff like that!” The girl replied, “I didn’t want to be the only one to say “no””. So, she just went along with it.
In a desire to fit in or belong to a group, people just “go along with things”, even when it will lead to evil. It takes a faithful person to refuse to participate in evil. Few, like Job, have the guts to turn away when evil comes calling. Often, they will just go with the flow and regret it later.
When interviewed after World War 2, a good number of concentration camp guards and staff were asked how they could ever participate in the murder of Jews, gypsies, poles, Russians, POWs, and others who were incarcerated there. Excuses like “it was my job”, “I didn’t want to be singled out for going against the Nazi party”, or “I didn’t think they would actually murder these people!” were often brought forth. The simple fact is that because these people didn’t walk away, they were partially responsible for the evil done to these prisoners. They lived with that guilt and shame. Some were executed for their part in the suffering.
If you do not “turn away from evil” like Job, you may find yourself participating in the Devil’s works. You might find yourself going down paths straight to hell. It is so easy to fall in with the wrong crowd, be talked into something unsavory, or cajoled into participating in an evil plan. Why chance it? When something in your soul tells you to walk away, you need to do it. If the Holy Spirit is screaming at you that something bad is about to happen, it is best to get out of that situation as soon as possible. Otherwise, you too may find yourself participating in evil.
Have you ever been “talked into” doing something wrong? Did you ever rightfully walk away from an unholy situation? Being faithful to God requires the ability to discern right from wrong, good from evil. Loving God requires you turn away from doing wrong. Don’t go along with the crowd, even the church crowd. Do what God tells you to do. Don’t ignore it when the Holy Spirit is urging you to change directions. It might be what saves your soul from torment.
April 12
“Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”” (Isaiah 35:4, ESV)
“A freshman at Eagle Rock Junior High won first prize at the greater Idaho Falls Science Fair, April 26, 1997. He was attempting to show how conditioned we have become to alarmists practicing junk science and spreading fear of everything in our environment. In his project he urged people to sign a petition demanding strict control or total elimination of the chemical “dihydrogen monoxide.”
And for plenty of good reasons, since it:
1. Can cause excessive sweating and vomiting.
2. It is a major component in acid rain.
3. It can cause severe burns in its gaseous state.
4. Accidental inhalation can kill you.
5. It decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes.
6. It has been found in tumors of terminal cancer patients.
He asked 50 people if they supported a ban of the chemical. Forty-three said yes, six were undecided, and only one knew that the chemical was H20 (water).
The title of his prize-winning project was, “How Gullible Are We?” He feels the conclusion is obvious.”
(10,000 Sermon Illustrations)
That science fair project explained in wonderful terms how people can take something good and turn it bad. They can manipulate facts to manipulate minds. Groups, political parties, social media, news organizations, and even religious orders have used fear to control people for centuries. It is even worse today. A lie can be spread to billions through the internet to get people to think the wrong way. Rumors salted with fear can be disseminated far and wide to alter reality. Don’t believe me? Recently, the FEC fined the Clinton campaign and the Democratic Party for using a fake Russian dossier to manipulate people in the 2016 and 2020 elections. The dossier claimed that Donald Trump was being influenced by the Russian Government. The democrats used the dossier as proof of his collusion with evil powers. It was all a sham bought into by millions. It took the FEC six years to study and investigate what had happened. By now, it’s too late to change the election results but at least we know the truth. Fear from that dossier led to widespread lies being shared. The CIA officer that helped spread the disinformation claimed proudly that he was almost solely responsible for the loss of Donald Trump in the 2020 election. It’s just another example where fear overpowered the truth.
Fear can cause people to do many irrational things. A woman was so afraid of falling and breaking her hip that for the last three years of her life she never left her house! For fear of losing her hair during chemotherapy, a woman in St. Louis chose not to receive treatment for her cancer. She died eight months later of a cancer that her doctors said was 95% curable. Recently, a Hollywood starlet was so afraid that an unflattering picture taken of her when drunk would go public that she paid $25,000 to the man who took the picture so that she could stop the story. She lives in constant fear that another picture of her from that “bad day” exists somewhere. She is so fearful of another picture going public that she has offered another $25,000 to anybody who has a picture of her from that day!
Fear has a way of controlling you. It can occupy your thoughts and bleed into your dreams, causing nightmares. Fear can cause you to say things you wouldn’t normally say and do things you shouldn’t do. Every person will face fear. Some will succumb to it. Others will be controlled by it. In many cases, fear can be used as a weapon to hurt, manipulate, and destroy. Satan is great at using fear to do just that.
The Bible is full of scriptures where God, angels, and those of the faith encouraged people not to fear. In the days of the prophet Zechariah, the people of Judah were told of God’s protection. Though war had caused much suffering, Zechariah told the people not to fear, because God was their protector (Zechariah 8:15). The angel Gabriel cautioned Jesus’ mother Mary not to fear when news of her pregnancy came to light (Luke 1:30). The shepherds near Bethlehem were told not to fear when they saw angels gathered over their fields with the news of Jesus’ birth (Luke 2). When Christians in Smyrna were warned of impending imprisonments, they were told by an angel not to fear what was soon to befall them (Revelation 2). God would be watching over them.
Hundreds of times in scripture, the faithful were encouraged not to fear their situation. Today’s scripture is among them. In Isaiah 35, the prophet Isaiah gave news of God’s protection to the people of Judah. In that time when war had taken its toll and even Jerusalem was to suffer, the prophet Isaiah wrote “Fear not!” (Isaiah 35:4). God would redeem the faithful! God would “come with a vengeance” to “save them”. Isaiah wanted the people to know that while their future seemed in jeopardy, God was going to see them through. He would not let them fall apart with fear. His strong arm would prevail!
The story is told of passengers gathered in a gangway on a steamship that was caught in a storm during an Atlantic Ocean crossing. One by one, the people huddled together, wondering what would happen. One asked how long the storm was to rage. Another was worried by the creak of the ship when it road a particularly bad series of waves. Seeing their fear, one passenger commented to the others: “I know there is no cause for us to fear. I saw the captain earlier, and he was whistling!” Surely, if the captain felt at ease, the passengers had nothing to fear!
In the same way that the passengers on that steamship were calmed by the captain’s demeanor, the faithful throughout the centuries have been calmed by God’s enduring strength. We know God has the power to alter our situation. We know God can protect us. The gospels mention that Jesus could calm the sea with just a word. Even when Jonah was thrown into a raging sea, God protected him by being swallowed by a great fish! God’s protection is legendary! Why live in fear, dear friend in Christ?
While Satan is known for causing fear and havoc to befall all those who are ensnared by his lies, those who trust in God know that God will save us. Jesus is known as the “Savior” for good reason.
When your world goes crazy and clouds of dark seem threatening, go to your God in prayer. Find comfort in God’s strength. Feel the power of HIS almighty hand. Since you have made a commitment to God, God will keep His promises to you. God will watch over you. God knows where you are right now. Lean upon the Lord! Call upon His might! Trust in His saving grace! Fear NOT!
And for plenty of good reasons, since it:
1. Can cause excessive sweating and vomiting.
2. It is a major component in acid rain.
3. It can cause severe burns in its gaseous state.
4. Accidental inhalation can kill you.
5. It decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes.
6. It has been found in tumors of terminal cancer patients.
He asked 50 people if they supported a ban of the chemical. Forty-three said yes, six were undecided, and only one knew that the chemical was H20 (water).
The title of his prize-winning project was, “How Gullible Are We?” He feels the conclusion is obvious.”
(10,000 Sermon Illustrations)
That science fair project explained in wonderful terms how people can take something good and turn it bad. They can manipulate facts to manipulate minds. Groups, political parties, social media, news organizations, and even religious orders have used fear to control people for centuries. It is even worse today. A lie can be spread to billions through the internet to get people to think the wrong way. Rumors salted with fear can be disseminated far and wide to alter reality. Don’t believe me? Recently, the FEC fined the Clinton campaign and the Democratic Party for using a fake Russian dossier to manipulate people in the 2016 and 2020 elections. The dossier claimed that Donald Trump was being influenced by the Russian Government. The democrats used the dossier as proof of his collusion with evil powers. It was all a sham bought into by millions. It took the FEC six years to study and investigate what had happened. By now, it’s too late to change the election results but at least we know the truth. Fear from that dossier led to widespread lies being shared. The CIA officer that helped spread the disinformation claimed proudly that he was almost solely responsible for the loss of Donald Trump in the 2020 election. It’s just another example where fear overpowered the truth.
Fear can cause people to do many irrational things. A woman was so afraid of falling and breaking her hip that for the last three years of her life she never left her house! For fear of losing her hair during chemotherapy, a woman in St. Louis chose not to receive treatment for her cancer. She died eight months later of a cancer that her doctors said was 95% curable. Recently, a Hollywood starlet was so afraid that an unflattering picture taken of her when drunk would go public that she paid $25,000 to the man who took the picture so that she could stop the story. She lives in constant fear that another picture of her from that “bad day” exists somewhere. She is so fearful of another picture going public that she has offered another $25,000 to anybody who has a picture of her from that day!
Fear has a way of controlling you. It can occupy your thoughts and bleed into your dreams, causing nightmares. Fear can cause you to say things you wouldn’t normally say and do things you shouldn’t do. Every person will face fear. Some will succumb to it. Others will be controlled by it. In many cases, fear can be used as a weapon to hurt, manipulate, and destroy. Satan is great at using fear to do just that.
The Bible is full of scriptures where God, angels, and those of the faith encouraged people not to fear. In the days of the prophet Zechariah, the people of Judah were told of God’s protection. Though war had caused much suffering, Zechariah told the people not to fear, because God was their protector (Zechariah 8:15). The angel Gabriel cautioned Jesus’ mother Mary not to fear when news of her pregnancy came to light (Luke 1:30). The shepherds near Bethlehem were told not to fear when they saw angels gathered over their fields with the news of Jesus’ birth (Luke 2). When Christians in Smyrna were warned of impending imprisonments, they were told by an angel not to fear what was soon to befall them (Revelation 2). God would be watching over them.
Hundreds of times in scripture, the faithful were encouraged not to fear their situation. Today’s scripture is among them. In Isaiah 35, the prophet Isaiah gave news of God’s protection to the people of Judah. In that time when war had taken its toll and even Jerusalem was to suffer, the prophet Isaiah wrote “Fear not!” (Isaiah 35:4). God would redeem the faithful! God would “come with a vengeance” to “save them”. Isaiah wanted the people to know that while their future seemed in jeopardy, God was going to see them through. He would not let them fall apart with fear. His strong arm would prevail!
The story is told of passengers gathered in a gangway on a steamship that was caught in a storm during an Atlantic Ocean crossing. One by one, the people huddled together, wondering what would happen. One asked how long the storm was to rage. Another was worried by the creak of the ship when it road a particularly bad series of waves. Seeing their fear, one passenger commented to the others: “I know there is no cause for us to fear. I saw the captain earlier, and he was whistling!” Surely, if the captain felt at ease, the passengers had nothing to fear!
In the same way that the passengers on that steamship were calmed by the captain’s demeanor, the faithful throughout the centuries have been calmed by God’s enduring strength. We know God has the power to alter our situation. We know God can protect us. The gospels mention that Jesus could calm the sea with just a word. Even when Jonah was thrown into a raging sea, God protected him by being swallowed by a great fish! God’s protection is legendary! Why live in fear, dear friend in Christ?
While Satan is known for causing fear and havoc to befall all those who are ensnared by his lies, those who trust in God know that God will save us. Jesus is known as the “Savior” for good reason.
When your world goes crazy and clouds of dark seem threatening, go to your God in prayer. Find comfort in God’s strength. Feel the power of HIS almighty hand. Since you have made a commitment to God, God will keep His promises to you. God will watch over you. God knows where you are right now. Lean upon the Lord! Call upon His might! Trust in His saving grace! Fear NOT!
April 14
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 6:33, NLT)
For centuries, many humans believed that the sun revolved around the earth. They believed that, in essence, the earth was the center of the universe. It wasn’t until the time of Galileo that the Western World began to question this belief. A study of the night sky and probes into outer space proved we are not even close to the center of the Milky Way, let alone the entire known stellar sky. This belief that everything revolves around the earth is called “earth-centrism”.
Closely aligned with earth-centrism is ego-centrism. This is where a human being believes that everything in his or her existence revolves around his or her own experience. Those who are ego-centric hold out that their own decisions affect not only their situation but also the entire universe. However, ego-centric people so inflate their own opinions that they project this view upon the rest of the world. They usually view their own ideals at the center of everything in life. It is a very selfish way of living. People who are ego-centric tend to be the most spoiled, egotistical, wasteful, and defensive of all others. Ego-centrists believe everything should come second to their own needs.
Religiously, humans have gone through stages where they put themselves at the center of everything. In ancient Egypt, for example, many pharaohs saw themselves as divine and demanded to be worshipped. While you might think the worship of a human figure is rather foolish, there is a common belief among “modern” people that combines ego-centrism with the worship of the self. This is called humanism. Humanism promotes the view that everything should be done to benefit the human species, first and foremost. Humanistic philosophy revolves around the idea that human achievement and thought and ideals and reason are so remarkable that they deserve to be placed above all other beliefs. In its religious form, humanism promotes the worship of human reason and human existence. Humanism puts human beings at the center of the universe, where all life needs to revolve around human reason (as if human reason can’t be irrational and emotional and detrimental to life!).
To shed some light on this humanistic form of religion, Robert Bellah wrote a book called Habits of the Heart. In that book, Bellah examined through sociological eyes how society views religion. His research found that 81 percent of American people believe that “an individual should arrive at his or her own religious belief independent of any church or synagogue” (or God!). These humanistic Christians and religious people may claim to believe in God, but their humanistic behavior tells another story. They believe and worship what they understand. Their reason determines what they believe, who they believe, which stories of the Bible are true, and what is right and wrong. By way of example, Bellah included in his book a remark by a woman named, Sheila. When interviewed, Sheila explained “I believe in God. I just can’t remember the last time I went to church. But my faith has carried me a long way. It’s ‘Sheila-ism’. Just my own little voice.”
Many modern religious people are under the same delusion as Sheila. They believe their own humanistic forms of religion are worthy of worship. Rather than worshipping God, they worship their own reason, their own ideals of right and wrong. They have placed themselves in the center of their own religious universe.
True godly faith requires that you never place yourself at the center of your beliefs. Instead, true Christianity places Jesus at the center of one’s faith. God is first. Pleasing God is most important. Worshipping God is central to being faithful. You are not the center of your religious life. God is. You are not to determine what is right and wrong. God has already done that. You don’t go to worship “to get something out of it” or “to become a better person”. You go to worship to give praise and adoration to God. You worship out of commitment to God. You live to please God. God in Jesus Christ is the center of your universe.
The scripture for today gives Jesus’ take on God-centered living. In these verses from the gospel of Matthew chosen for today, Jesus explained that faithful people need to “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else” (Matthew 6:33a). Other versions of the Bible state that you should “Seek first the Kingdom of God”. Everything else is secondary. When God is at the forefront of your world, everything else will fall into place; “he [God] will give you everything you need…” (Matthew 6:33b).
As people remove God from the center of life, all kinds of problems erupt. Then, all kinds of basic human needs go unfulfilled. Sin always follows. Selfish thoughts creep in. Humanism takes hold. Life becomes tenuous. Satan’s temptations sound more believable. When society pushes God out of the center of life, all kinds of sufferings soon abound. Politicians become power-hungry. Priests and pastors set up little fiefdoms in their parishes. Schools become breeding grounds for immorality. Sinfulness becomes rampant. People become greedy, impatient, selfish, arrogant, and rude. The world becomes much more dangerous. Life becomes “dog-eat-dog”. Humans devolve into animals. War becomes the norm.
If anything ever takes the place of God at the center of your universe, look for bad times to follow. You may even think yourself religious or holy, but you are neither. True faith involves holding fast to God. For Christians, Jesus must be at the core of your everyday decisions, and the Holy Spirit needs to be your constant Advisor (see John 14:16!)
When push comes to shove, who or what is at the center of your universe? Is Jesus your Savior or just a religious figure? True faith means submitting yourself to God, obeying God’s way of life, and following where God leads. Does God come first or second or third in your decisions, actions, and worship?
Closely aligned with earth-centrism is ego-centrism. This is where a human being believes that everything in his or her existence revolves around his or her own experience. Those who are ego-centric hold out that their own decisions affect not only their situation but also the entire universe. However, ego-centric people so inflate their own opinions that they project this view upon the rest of the world. They usually view their own ideals at the center of everything in life. It is a very selfish way of living. People who are ego-centric tend to be the most spoiled, egotistical, wasteful, and defensive of all others. Ego-centrists believe everything should come second to their own needs.
Religiously, humans have gone through stages where they put themselves at the center of everything. In ancient Egypt, for example, many pharaohs saw themselves as divine and demanded to be worshipped. While you might think the worship of a human figure is rather foolish, there is a common belief among “modern” people that combines ego-centrism with the worship of the self. This is called humanism. Humanism promotes the view that everything should be done to benefit the human species, first and foremost. Humanistic philosophy revolves around the idea that human achievement and thought and ideals and reason are so remarkable that they deserve to be placed above all other beliefs. In its religious form, humanism promotes the worship of human reason and human existence. Humanism puts human beings at the center of the universe, where all life needs to revolve around human reason (as if human reason can’t be irrational and emotional and detrimental to life!).
To shed some light on this humanistic form of religion, Robert Bellah wrote a book called Habits of the Heart. In that book, Bellah examined through sociological eyes how society views religion. His research found that 81 percent of American people believe that “an individual should arrive at his or her own religious belief independent of any church or synagogue” (or God!). These humanistic Christians and religious people may claim to believe in God, but their humanistic behavior tells another story. They believe and worship what they understand. Their reason determines what they believe, who they believe, which stories of the Bible are true, and what is right and wrong. By way of example, Bellah included in his book a remark by a woman named, Sheila. When interviewed, Sheila explained “I believe in God. I just can’t remember the last time I went to church. But my faith has carried me a long way. It’s ‘Sheila-ism’. Just my own little voice.”
Many modern religious people are under the same delusion as Sheila. They believe their own humanistic forms of religion are worthy of worship. Rather than worshipping God, they worship their own reason, their own ideals of right and wrong. They have placed themselves in the center of their own religious universe.
True godly faith requires that you never place yourself at the center of your beliefs. Instead, true Christianity places Jesus at the center of one’s faith. God is first. Pleasing God is most important. Worshipping God is central to being faithful. You are not the center of your religious life. God is. You are not to determine what is right and wrong. God has already done that. You don’t go to worship “to get something out of it” or “to become a better person”. You go to worship to give praise and adoration to God. You worship out of commitment to God. You live to please God. God in Jesus Christ is the center of your universe.
The scripture for today gives Jesus’ take on God-centered living. In these verses from the gospel of Matthew chosen for today, Jesus explained that faithful people need to “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else” (Matthew 6:33a). Other versions of the Bible state that you should “Seek first the Kingdom of God”. Everything else is secondary. When God is at the forefront of your world, everything else will fall into place; “he [God] will give you everything you need…” (Matthew 6:33b).
As people remove God from the center of life, all kinds of problems erupt. Then, all kinds of basic human needs go unfulfilled. Sin always follows. Selfish thoughts creep in. Humanism takes hold. Life becomes tenuous. Satan’s temptations sound more believable. When society pushes God out of the center of life, all kinds of sufferings soon abound. Politicians become power-hungry. Priests and pastors set up little fiefdoms in their parishes. Schools become breeding grounds for immorality. Sinfulness becomes rampant. People become greedy, impatient, selfish, arrogant, and rude. The world becomes much more dangerous. Life becomes “dog-eat-dog”. Humans devolve into animals. War becomes the norm.
If anything ever takes the place of God at the center of your universe, look for bad times to follow. You may even think yourself religious or holy, but you are neither. True faith involves holding fast to God. For Christians, Jesus must be at the core of your everyday decisions, and the Holy Spirit needs to be your constant Advisor (see John 14:16!)
When push comes to shove, who or what is at the center of your universe? Is Jesus your Savior or just a religious figure? True faith means submitting yourself to God, obeying God’s way of life, and following where God leads. Does God come first or second or third in your decisions, actions, and worship?
April 16
“Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!” (Romans 11:33, NLT)
Many people make the mistake of thinking that God is like us. Just because God walked in the Garden of Eden, spoke to people in their own language, and sent Jesus into this world as a man does not mean that God is wise like us. God is way beyond our reckoning. God’s knowledge is awesome! God’s judgements are wise and righteous. God does not think like a human. God is omniscient. His “thinking abilities” far exceed anything we can fathom.
Elizabeth Elliot, in her book Let Me Be a Woman, records the story of Gladys Aylward who was unable to accept the looks God had given her. Ms. Aylward told how when she was a child, she had two great sorrows. One, that while all her friends had beautiful golden hair, hers was black. The other, that while her friends were still growing, she had stopped. She was about four feet ten inches tall. But when at last she reached the country to which God had called her to be a missionary, she stood on the wharf in Shanghai and looked around at the people to whom He had called her. “Every single one of them” she said, “had black hair. And every one of them had stopped growing when I did.” She was able to look to God and exclaim, “Lord God, You know what You’re doing!”
That’s the thing with the Almighty; God always knows what HE is doing. God is always aware of the ramifications of HIS actions. Where human reason may grow to a certain level, God’s wisdom and reasoning and knowledge knows no bounds. God is way more than humans will ever be.
Since God is so wise, why do human beings constantly question HIS judgments? Why do people mock HIS wisdom? In many social circles, if you bring up what the Bible says in a discussion about morality, some people will view you as socially backward. Should you argue for the existence of God with scientists, they often will look down upon your knowledge, seeing you as intellectually deficient. I have met many human beings who thought themselves much more adept than a colloquial God. I’ve even met Christians who questioned God’s choice of principles and ethics and morals and commandments, choosing which parts of the Bible to respect and which to ignore. I am reminded of the wealthy American man who was quoted as saying that God’s words to Moses should be labelled the “Ten Suggestions” not the “Ten Commandments”! This man viewed God’s law as worthy only to be questioned and subject to ridicule. I thought God was all-knowing and perfectly wise!
The scripture for today reiterates that God’s wisdom is far above human understanding. In Romans 11:33, the Apostle Paul exclaimed, “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge!” In awe of God’s amazing depth of understanding, Paul added, “How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!” Throughout his life, Paul made some big mistakes. Paul was very well learned. He was a Roman and Jewish. He was taught in some of the best Roman schools and the best Jewish schools. He studied under the great Rabbi Gamaliel, who was hailed as one of the wisest teachers of his day (Acts 22:3)! Paul could speak in several languages. He could write in at least three that we know of, possibly as many as four. He was one of the brightest men of his age. And yet, Paul made some bonehead mistakes. He attacked Christians, doubting Jesus as the Savior. When Paul learned how stupid he had been to disrespect God in his actions, he revealed how little was his wisdom in relation to God’s greatness! Paul learned better than to doubt where God was sending him and what God was doing.
Many people, even very faithful Christians, doubted God at times. Just think of it. Peter questioned Jesus’ vision of the cross as a saving grace (Mark 8:33). Judas doubted Jesus’ leadership. Both men were later ashamed for their actions. I have learned in life not to doubt God’s wisdom and knowledge. When God causes me to go through some hardship, I know there is a reason for it. Throughout life’s twists and turns, I know God has a plan. I have learned that God’s wisdom and knowledge will always trump anything human beings can dream up. God’s ways are righteous. Human reasoning can be faulty, indeed! I have learned to put my full trust in my God. Will you?
When Jesus was nailed to a cross, many thought it was a shameful place for a Savior to find himself. They were wrong. The cross was the perfect place for Jesus to make HIS sacrifice for my sin. When Jesus was raised from the dead, it was God’s perfect way to teach us about the coming resurrection. Over and over, God’s wisdom proves to be right. Human doubts and faulty reasoning are constantly shown to be mistaken. God’s way never fails.
In today’s news, we were told about all the mistakes that were made by the governments of the world and the Centers for Disease Control concerning COVID-19 and the pandemic. Over and over, it has been proven that HUGE mistakes were made concerning the vaccines used in the pandemic. People put their total faith in science during the pandemic. As we are finding out now, that was a mistake. Our great scientists failed to protect us! Their decisions failed miserably! Leaders made huge mistakes like thinking the vaccine would cover COVID variants. The New York governor placed people with COVID in nursing homes for safe-keeping only to murder thousands of elderly residents there when the illness spread among that vulnerable population. Hundreds of thousands of people lost their jobs in needless government mandates. The masks that they said would protect us were not adequate protection whatsoever! I could go on and on with the mistakes and errors in judgments that were made by the brightest minds of our time. Thankfully, I relied on God’s wisdom. When the scientists said something contrary to what God was telling me, I did not believe it. My faith was not disappointed. God’s way was far superior to human knowledge.
As we celebrate Holy Week in 2022, remember how great is God’s wisdom. Put your future in the hands of a God who is all-knowing. Obey God’s Word. Heed the direction of God’s Holy Spirit. Learn to trust God’s voice. Find grace in the love of Jesus Christ, who saves you! You won’t be disappointed.
Elizabeth Elliot, in her book Let Me Be a Woman, records the story of Gladys Aylward who was unable to accept the looks God had given her. Ms. Aylward told how when she was a child, she had two great sorrows. One, that while all her friends had beautiful golden hair, hers was black. The other, that while her friends were still growing, she had stopped. She was about four feet ten inches tall. But when at last she reached the country to which God had called her to be a missionary, she stood on the wharf in Shanghai and looked around at the people to whom He had called her. “Every single one of them” she said, “had black hair. And every one of them had stopped growing when I did.” She was able to look to God and exclaim, “Lord God, You know what You’re doing!”
That’s the thing with the Almighty; God always knows what HE is doing. God is always aware of the ramifications of HIS actions. Where human reason may grow to a certain level, God’s wisdom and reasoning and knowledge knows no bounds. God is way more than humans will ever be.
Since God is so wise, why do human beings constantly question HIS judgments? Why do people mock HIS wisdom? In many social circles, if you bring up what the Bible says in a discussion about morality, some people will view you as socially backward. Should you argue for the existence of God with scientists, they often will look down upon your knowledge, seeing you as intellectually deficient. I have met many human beings who thought themselves much more adept than a colloquial God. I’ve even met Christians who questioned God’s choice of principles and ethics and morals and commandments, choosing which parts of the Bible to respect and which to ignore. I am reminded of the wealthy American man who was quoted as saying that God’s words to Moses should be labelled the “Ten Suggestions” not the “Ten Commandments”! This man viewed God’s law as worthy only to be questioned and subject to ridicule. I thought God was all-knowing and perfectly wise!
The scripture for today reiterates that God’s wisdom is far above human understanding. In Romans 11:33, the Apostle Paul exclaimed, “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge!” In awe of God’s amazing depth of understanding, Paul added, “How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!” Throughout his life, Paul made some big mistakes. Paul was very well learned. He was a Roman and Jewish. He was taught in some of the best Roman schools and the best Jewish schools. He studied under the great Rabbi Gamaliel, who was hailed as one of the wisest teachers of his day (Acts 22:3)! Paul could speak in several languages. He could write in at least three that we know of, possibly as many as four. He was one of the brightest men of his age. And yet, Paul made some bonehead mistakes. He attacked Christians, doubting Jesus as the Savior. When Paul learned how stupid he had been to disrespect God in his actions, he revealed how little was his wisdom in relation to God’s greatness! Paul learned better than to doubt where God was sending him and what God was doing.
Many people, even very faithful Christians, doubted God at times. Just think of it. Peter questioned Jesus’ vision of the cross as a saving grace (Mark 8:33). Judas doubted Jesus’ leadership. Both men were later ashamed for their actions. I have learned in life not to doubt God’s wisdom and knowledge. When God causes me to go through some hardship, I know there is a reason for it. Throughout life’s twists and turns, I know God has a plan. I have learned that God’s wisdom and knowledge will always trump anything human beings can dream up. God’s ways are righteous. Human reasoning can be faulty, indeed! I have learned to put my full trust in my God. Will you?
When Jesus was nailed to a cross, many thought it was a shameful place for a Savior to find himself. They were wrong. The cross was the perfect place for Jesus to make HIS sacrifice for my sin. When Jesus was raised from the dead, it was God’s perfect way to teach us about the coming resurrection. Over and over, God’s wisdom proves to be right. Human doubts and faulty reasoning are constantly shown to be mistaken. God’s way never fails.
In today’s news, we were told about all the mistakes that were made by the governments of the world and the Centers for Disease Control concerning COVID-19 and the pandemic. Over and over, it has been proven that HUGE mistakes were made concerning the vaccines used in the pandemic. People put their total faith in science during the pandemic. As we are finding out now, that was a mistake. Our great scientists failed to protect us! Their decisions failed miserably! Leaders made huge mistakes like thinking the vaccine would cover COVID variants. The New York governor placed people with COVID in nursing homes for safe-keeping only to murder thousands of elderly residents there when the illness spread among that vulnerable population. Hundreds of thousands of people lost their jobs in needless government mandates. The masks that they said would protect us were not adequate protection whatsoever! I could go on and on with the mistakes and errors in judgments that were made by the brightest minds of our time. Thankfully, I relied on God’s wisdom. When the scientists said something contrary to what God was telling me, I did not believe it. My faith was not disappointed. God’s way was far superior to human knowledge.
As we celebrate Holy Week in 2022, remember how great is God’s wisdom. Put your future in the hands of a God who is all-knowing. Obey God’s Word. Heed the direction of God’s Holy Spirit. Learn to trust God’s voice. Find grace in the love of Jesus Christ, who saves you! You won’t be disappointed.
April 18
“But I know that you do not have the love of God within you.” (John 5:42, ESV)
There came a day when Jesus came against some Jewish authorities. They saw Jesus heal a man who could not walk. Jesus healed the man on the Sabbath Day (John 5:8). The Jewish authorities immediately took offense at Jesus for what they determined was a breach of God’s law. Despite the fact that Jesus had healed a needy man, despite the fact that God’s law allowed for such an act, they took offense. Jesus didn’t fit their mold. Jesus dared to challenge their self-righteous attitude.
There are many people who take offense at those who do not fit into their norms. These people determine who is good or bad or right or wrong according to their own feelings or beliefs or understandings or reasoning. A person can be innocent but be condemned as guilty simply for doing what these people reject. Different ways of thinking are deemed inappropriate or unwelcome or dangerous.
Recently, when truckers in Canada dared to say that mandates were damaging families and hurting children, Prime Minister Trudeau said that the truckers had “unacceptable views” and sent the police of Ottawa to harass, fine, imprison, and hurt them. Police confiscated the gasoline that was keeping protesters warm in the 10 degree Fahrenheit temperatures. Police ticketed them for gathering to peacefully protest what was wrong. When Jesus was among the Pharisees and Sadducees, they also attacked those who held unacceptable views. They rejected Jesus’ words. They took offense at the scriptural understanding of Jesus that was not aligned with their own. To these leaders, you either agreed with their views or you were sinful, wrong, evil, or bad.
Many Jewish authorities of Jesus’ day and authoritarian leaders like Justin Trudeau of Canada have something in common. According to Jesus’ words from the gospel of John chosen for today, they do not “have the love of God within” (John 5:42). The Jewish authorities who attacked Jesus for healing a man on the Sabbath Day did not care that a man was made whole, and a miracle of God had taken place. This act went against their own religious understanding, so to them it was wrong. For authoritarian rulers today, like Trudeau; if something goes against their political understanding and sensibilities, it is wrong and should be punished. In essence, it boils down to this. For many people, if you love them, they love you. If you disagree with them, you are the enemy. The Jewish authorities made Jesus an enemy. Ultimately, they were implicated in Jesus’ crucifixion. Justin Trudeau made the truckers into an enemy. Some of them are still in prison for their “unacceptable views”.
These Jewish authorities and Justin Trudeau made people choose. You either choose to love them or you choose to love God. They are right or God is right. Their way is best, or God’s way is best. From their point of view, its one or the other.
Now, before you are quick to condemn the Jewish authorities who despised Jesus or Justin Trudeau, realize that you may be making the same mistake as they did. You may be caught in the same sin. You may believe in the same lies that disagreeing with you makes a person wrong or evil or bad. In the end, you have to decide if everything revolves around your opinions or God’s truth. Is it all about you or is it all about God? Do you love those who love you or love God?
“Renaissance Entertainment Inc. of Orlando is marketing “Ego Trip: A Ride About You.” The ride, which Renaissance hopes to sell to a theme park or to operate at fairs, will use riders’ names, photos and voices to create a totally personalized experience.
As paparazzi snap away and adoring fans call their names, riders will attend their own movie premieres. They’ll visit an art museum where they’ll view paintings of themselves as done by Picasso, Warhol and van Gogh.
They’ll attend a political rally where they’ll be urged to run for president and a sporting event where they’ll be praised for their athletic prowess. Finally, they’ll enjoy a ticker-tape parade in their honor.
Afterward, ego-stroked riders will proceed to the gift shop—where they can buy all sorts of stuff emblazoned with their images.
“What’s everyone’s favorite subject? Themselves,” Renaissance President Jon Binkowski said, “This is taking that to the nth degree.”” (“Spokesman Review”, November 30, 1997, p. A19).
The Jewish authorities were so full of themselves that when Jesus came along and dared heal a person on the Sabbath Day, they were offended. It went against their sensibilities. They made Jesus an enemy. Human beings, even religious ones, can become very self-centered. Then, it becomes one big ego trip. Everything can become all about them. Why isn’t everything all about the love of God?
Jesus’ death boiled down to the fact that he stepped over a boundary set in place by Jewish authorities. When Jesus wouldn’t side with them, he was deemed a threat. When Jesus didn’t love their authority, he was attacked. When Jesus didn’t fit their mold, he was silenced. But God the Father would not allow this sinfulness to stand. On Easter morning, God the Father raised Jesus from the dead. It was God’s way of saying that the love of God should always trump the love of human traditions and beliefs and sensibilities and power.
How much do you love God? Are you willing to humble yourself before the Lord? Are you willing to make it not all about you but all about the Lord? Do you still have the “love of God within”, or is there someone or something you love more? Your decisions, your actions, your choices will make the level of your love for God abundantly clear.
This Easter, be one of those who stand for the “love of God”. May others see the love of God within you. Though you may be hated for it, let the love of God shine brightly all around you. Others may reject you for it, but Jesus will bless you for it.
There are many people who take offense at those who do not fit into their norms. These people determine who is good or bad or right or wrong according to their own feelings or beliefs or understandings or reasoning. A person can be innocent but be condemned as guilty simply for doing what these people reject. Different ways of thinking are deemed inappropriate or unwelcome or dangerous.
Recently, when truckers in Canada dared to say that mandates were damaging families and hurting children, Prime Minister Trudeau said that the truckers had “unacceptable views” and sent the police of Ottawa to harass, fine, imprison, and hurt them. Police confiscated the gasoline that was keeping protesters warm in the 10 degree Fahrenheit temperatures. Police ticketed them for gathering to peacefully protest what was wrong. When Jesus was among the Pharisees and Sadducees, they also attacked those who held unacceptable views. They rejected Jesus’ words. They took offense at the scriptural understanding of Jesus that was not aligned with their own. To these leaders, you either agreed with their views or you were sinful, wrong, evil, or bad.
Many Jewish authorities of Jesus’ day and authoritarian leaders like Justin Trudeau of Canada have something in common. According to Jesus’ words from the gospel of John chosen for today, they do not “have the love of God within” (John 5:42). The Jewish authorities who attacked Jesus for healing a man on the Sabbath Day did not care that a man was made whole, and a miracle of God had taken place. This act went against their own religious understanding, so to them it was wrong. For authoritarian rulers today, like Trudeau; if something goes against their political understanding and sensibilities, it is wrong and should be punished. In essence, it boils down to this. For many people, if you love them, they love you. If you disagree with them, you are the enemy. The Jewish authorities made Jesus an enemy. Ultimately, they were implicated in Jesus’ crucifixion. Justin Trudeau made the truckers into an enemy. Some of them are still in prison for their “unacceptable views”.
These Jewish authorities and Justin Trudeau made people choose. You either choose to love them or you choose to love God. They are right or God is right. Their way is best, or God’s way is best. From their point of view, its one or the other.
Now, before you are quick to condemn the Jewish authorities who despised Jesus or Justin Trudeau, realize that you may be making the same mistake as they did. You may be caught in the same sin. You may believe in the same lies that disagreeing with you makes a person wrong or evil or bad. In the end, you have to decide if everything revolves around your opinions or God’s truth. Is it all about you or is it all about God? Do you love those who love you or love God?
“Renaissance Entertainment Inc. of Orlando is marketing “Ego Trip: A Ride About You.” The ride, which Renaissance hopes to sell to a theme park or to operate at fairs, will use riders’ names, photos and voices to create a totally personalized experience.
As paparazzi snap away and adoring fans call their names, riders will attend their own movie premieres. They’ll visit an art museum where they’ll view paintings of themselves as done by Picasso, Warhol and van Gogh.
They’ll attend a political rally where they’ll be urged to run for president and a sporting event where they’ll be praised for their athletic prowess. Finally, they’ll enjoy a ticker-tape parade in their honor.
Afterward, ego-stroked riders will proceed to the gift shop—where they can buy all sorts of stuff emblazoned with their images.
“What’s everyone’s favorite subject? Themselves,” Renaissance President Jon Binkowski said, “This is taking that to the nth degree.”” (“Spokesman Review”, November 30, 1997, p. A19).
The Jewish authorities were so full of themselves that when Jesus came along and dared heal a person on the Sabbath Day, they were offended. It went against their sensibilities. They made Jesus an enemy. Human beings, even religious ones, can become very self-centered. Then, it becomes one big ego trip. Everything can become all about them. Why isn’t everything all about the love of God?
Jesus’ death boiled down to the fact that he stepped over a boundary set in place by Jewish authorities. When Jesus wouldn’t side with them, he was deemed a threat. When Jesus didn’t love their authority, he was attacked. When Jesus didn’t fit their mold, he was silenced. But God the Father would not allow this sinfulness to stand. On Easter morning, God the Father raised Jesus from the dead. It was God’s way of saying that the love of God should always trump the love of human traditions and beliefs and sensibilities and power.
How much do you love God? Are you willing to humble yourself before the Lord? Are you willing to make it not all about you but all about the Lord? Do you still have the “love of God within”, or is there someone or something you love more? Your decisions, your actions, your choices will make the level of your love for God abundantly clear.
This Easter, be one of those who stand for the “love of God”. May others see the love of God within you. Though you may be hated for it, let the love of God shine brightly all around you. Others may reject you for it, but Jesus will bless you for it.
April 20
“I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Psalm 34:1, ESV)
Karen’s world was shaken. She lost her job and her apartment in the same week two months ago. Everything seemed to be going wrong. As she thought about going to church this Easter week, she realized that she had no money to put in the collection plate. Not having even a dollar to spare, she considered not going to worship. Then, she decided that she was going to praise God no matter what her situation. As the sun began to rise on that bright Easter Sunday morning, Karen dressed in her favorite outfit. Just before leaving for church, Karen felt something crinkly in her purse pocket. Reaching into the pocket, she pulled out a twenty-dollar bill. Only then did she realize that she had forgotten it was there. She said a quick prayer of thanks to God, and off she went to enjoy Resurrection Day!
Rick prayed over and over for his best friend, Jerry, who had a severe reaction following an exposure to the Covid-19 virus. Jerry was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where they found his blood oxygen level to be 79. Not one day went by that Rick didn’t pray for his friend. After a week of difficulty breathing, Jerry began to recover. The family notified Rick immediately. Excited at the hearing the news, Rick stopped what he was doing and said a quick prayer praising God and giving thanks for Jerry’s well-being.
Sitting in the church pew, Teesha watched her pastor stand and then walk to the lectern. Pausing, the pastor announced, “This past week, I received a call. A generous donor has decided to support our building fund with a large donation. Within a month, construction will commence on the new addition to our church!” Upon hearing the news, Teesha smiled. She knew her husband was going to be on the crew working at the church. Previously, his construction company was considering layoffs. Now, they would have months of work at the church. Breathing deeply, Teesha closed her eyes and said a silent but thankful word of praise to Almighty God.
Each of these three Christians was filled with praise at the blessings that came their way. Their hearts overflowed with joy at the blessings they received. Each took a moment out of their day to immediately praise God.
While it is beneficial and wonderful to praise God for the blessings one receives in life, it is just as important to praise God when things don’t go your way. God deserves more than to be praised only when things go right! What about praising God when things go wrong? Will you praise God even when things look bleak, times are tough, or your situation is dire? When do you praise God?
“Scottish preacher George Matheson realized that he was not as ready to praise God when things went wrong as he was when they went right. However, after he began to lose his eyesight, he changed his thinking. He struggled for some months with this weary burden until he reached the point where he could pray, “My God, I have never thanked You for my thorn. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but not once for my thorn. I have been looking forward to a world where I shall get compensated for my cross, but I have never thought of my cross as itself a present glory. Teach me the value of my thorn.”
When we count our blessings, we should include the weaknesses, the hardships, the burdens, and the trials we face. If we do, we might find that God has used our difficulties more than the “good” things to help us grow spiritually. Why is that? Because it is in those difficult places that we discover the sufficiency of His grace. In our trials, we turn to God. As we depend on Him, we find that His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). Take a moment and think about the way God has led you. When you praise God for your blessings, do you remember to thank Him for the thorns?” (P.R.V., “Our Daily Bread”, Thursday, April 14, 1999).
In Psalm 34:1, David wrote that he was determined to “praise God at all times”. David did not believe in praising God only when things went right. He wanted to praise God “continually”. When tidings were good, he wanted to praise God. When everything went wrong, he endeavored to continue to praise God. No matter what befell him, David deemed every moment “praise-worthy”. God deserves to be extolled on every occasion.
Many Christians fail to heed David’s words. Those who call themselves children of God often forget to praise Jesus in dark times or when things aren’t going well. They reserve their praise for happy days or blessed times. To do so is to cheapen the love of God. Is it only during good times that praise should come from your lips?
In the Christian hymn, “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”, four verses laud the work of God. The hymn encourages Christians to praise God “for health and salvation”, for “sheltering you under HIS wings”, and for “prospering your work and defending you”. This hymn of praise ends with the lyrics, “Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore HIM! All that has life and breath, come now with praises before HIM. Let the “AMEN!” sound from HIS people again. Gladly, forever adore HIM!”
May God’s praises forever come from your lips. In good days and bad, moments of blessing and moments of pain, let your praise of God never cease. God watches out for you all the moments of your life. God hears your prayers. God showers you with love. God’s Spirit is a continual companion. Can’t you find something to praise God for in this very moment? If not, you aren’t looking hard enough!
Rick prayed over and over for his best friend, Jerry, who had a severe reaction following an exposure to the Covid-19 virus. Jerry was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where they found his blood oxygen level to be 79. Not one day went by that Rick didn’t pray for his friend. After a week of difficulty breathing, Jerry began to recover. The family notified Rick immediately. Excited at the hearing the news, Rick stopped what he was doing and said a quick prayer praising God and giving thanks for Jerry’s well-being.
Sitting in the church pew, Teesha watched her pastor stand and then walk to the lectern. Pausing, the pastor announced, “This past week, I received a call. A generous donor has decided to support our building fund with a large donation. Within a month, construction will commence on the new addition to our church!” Upon hearing the news, Teesha smiled. She knew her husband was going to be on the crew working at the church. Previously, his construction company was considering layoffs. Now, they would have months of work at the church. Breathing deeply, Teesha closed her eyes and said a silent but thankful word of praise to Almighty God.
Each of these three Christians was filled with praise at the blessings that came their way. Their hearts overflowed with joy at the blessings they received. Each took a moment out of their day to immediately praise God.
While it is beneficial and wonderful to praise God for the blessings one receives in life, it is just as important to praise God when things don’t go your way. God deserves more than to be praised only when things go right! What about praising God when things go wrong? Will you praise God even when things look bleak, times are tough, or your situation is dire? When do you praise God?
“Scottish preacher George Matheson realized that he was not as ready to praise God when things went wrong as he was when they went right. However, after he began to lose his eyesight, he changed his thinking. He struggled for some months with this weary burden until he reached the point where he could pray, “My God, I have never thanked You for my thorn. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but not once for my thorn. I have been looking forward to a world where I shall get compensated for my cross, but I have never thought of my cross as itself a present glory. Teach me the value of my thorn.”
When we count our blessings, we should include the weaknesses, the hardships, the burdens, and the trials we face. If we do, we might find that God has used our difficulties more than the “good” things to help us grow spiritually. Why is that? Because it is in those difficult places that we discover the sufficiency of His grace. In our trials, we turn to God. As we depend on Him, we find that His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). Take a moment and think about the way God has led you. When you praise God for your blessings, do you remember to thank Him for the thorns?” (P.R.V., “Our Daily Bread”, Thursday, April 14, 1999).
In Psalm 34:1, David wrote that he was determined to “praise God at all times”. David did not believe in praising God only when things went right. He wanted to praise God “continually”. When tidings were good, he wanted to praise God. When everything went wrong, he endeavored to continue to praise God. No matter what befell him, David deemed every moment “praise-worthy”. God deserves to be extolled on every occasion.
Many Christians fail to heed David’s words. Those who call themselves children of God often forget to praise Jesus in dark times or when things aren’t going well. They reserve their praise for happy days or blessed times. To do so is to cheapen the love of God. Is it only during good times that praise should come from your lips?
In the Christian hymn, “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”, four verses laud the work of God. The hymn encourages Christians to praise God “for health and salvation”, for “sheltering you under HIS wings”, and for “prospering your work and defending you”. This hymn of praise ends with the lyrics, “Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore HIM! All that has life and breath, come now with praises before HIM. Let the “AMEN!” sound from HIS people again. Gladly, forever adore HIM!”
May God’s praises forever come from your lips. In good days and bad, moments of blessing and moments of pain, let your praise of God never cease. God watches out for you all the moments of your life. God hears your prayers. God showers you with love. God’s Spirit is a continual companion. Can’t you find something to praise God for in this very moment? If not, you aren’t looking hard enough!
April 22
“Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17, NLT)
Ephesians 6 lays out very succinctly the spiritual “armor” you need to fight Satan’s “strategies” to wreck your life (Ephesians 6:10). As a soldier would not think of heading out to battle without some kind of battle outfitting, you too need your spiritual outfitting. Why would any soldier go to battle without defensive and offensive weapons? Why would you go into spiritual battle without spiritual defensive and offensive capabilities?
Let’s be honest, a spiritual war has been fought since the beginning of time. From the moment Adam and Eve were brought by God into the Garden of Eden, the fallen angel (Satan) has endeavored to wreck the relationship between humankind and God. Satan, in the form of a serpent, wheedled his way into the minds of Adam and Eve, caused the fall of man, and forced death and suffering to enter the world. This desire to wreck the human-God relationship has been the primary goal of Satan from the beginning. Only at the end of time will Satan be defeated and banished to hell.
In the meantime, you need to outfit yourself for spiritual battle. Yes, it will be a battle. Yes, Satan will not fight fair. Satan is known biblically as the “Father of lies”, the “Tempter, and the “Deceiver”. He is not willing to play fair to get your soul. He will use all manner of ill-will to deceive you, to get you to turn away from God, to manipulate your outcome. God has not left you without spiritual protection. Ephesians 6 lists your forms of protection. You need to “gird yourself with the truth” (Ephesians 6:14). “Righteousness” needs to be your breastplate (Ephesians 6:15). Peace, faith, and salvation are all listed as further “armor” to fight off evil (Ephesians 6:15-17). All these pieces of armor are defensive in nature. All help to protect you. But, what can you use as an offensive weapon? What can actually hurt evil forces? The answer to this question is given in the scripture for today from Ephesians 6:17. You need to “take the sword of the Spirit”, an offensive weapon. What is that spiritual sword? It is “the word of God”! It is scripture, which contains the promises and plan and purpose of God.
If you want to really fight spiritual battles, God’s Word is your greatest offensive weapon. Knowing what God says, understanding God’s plan, and obeying God’s law will hurt evil to its core. Even modern-day exorcists know that reciting scripture drives demonic spirits crazy. They can’t stand to hear God’s Word. A common tactic for those fighting a demon is to read scripture out loud! It drives evil forces into a tizzy.
Many people, even Roman Catholics, don’t know that exorcisms by priests are on the rise in the modern world. Following four months of riots in Portland, Oregon, Archbishop Alexander Sample walked through the city streets to a neighborhood park. There on October 17, 2020, he said a prayer and then went through a Rite of Exorcism, intended to drive out evil spirits from the city. San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone performed a rite of exorcism in his own city, where protestors had toppled a statue to Father Junipero Serra. In that rite, Archbishop Cordileone included the following words, ““We pray that God might purify this place of evil spirits, that he might purify the hearts of those who perpetrated this blasphemy…” (https://apnews.com/article/portland-san-francisco-oregon-cff13a56cd41997553ea3e9a8fc21384). In addition to prayers, both archbishops recited scriptures in their services.
Though the Roman Catholic Church has used prayers and scripture in exorcisms for centuries, many Protestant churches fail to utilize exorcism as a way to cleanse those filled with evil. Some Protestants even doubt the presence of evil spirits in this world! Though Jesus obviously used exorcism and dealt with demonic spirits, many modern-day Protestants continue to underplay the need for exorcism and spiritual warfare. Thankfully, there have been recent changes in Christian understanding. Some wise biblically astute Protestants and Catholics have not only learned to recognize demonic forces but have fortified themselves with God’s Word to use as a weapon in spiritual battles with evil.
Bill Bright, an evangelist best known for founding the group “Campus Crusade for Christ”, thought it extremely important that anyone accepting Christ immediately learn to study God’s Word. I will end this meditation today with some words he used to teach new Christians. I hope these words not only bless your day but show you new ways to study God’s Word and fortify your spiritual life!
“In my own life, as I have come to know God better and to live more fully in the power and control of the Holy Spirit, my daily devotional Bible reading and study is not a duty or a chore, but a blessing; not an imposition on my time, but an invitation to fellowship in the closest of all ways with our holy, heavenly Father and our wonderful Savior and Lord.
Remember, God delights to have fellowship with us. The success of our studying God’s Word and of prayer is not to be determined by some emotional experience which we may have (though this frequently will be our experience), but by the realization that God is pleased that we want to know Him enough to spend time with Him in Bible study and prayer.
Here are some important, practical suggestions for your individual devotional reading and study of the Bible:
1. Begin with a prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you an understanding of God’s Word.
2. Keep a Bible study notebook.
3. Read the text slowly and carefully; then reread and take notes.
4. Find out the true meaning of the text. Ask yourself: (a) Who or what is the main subject? (b) Of whom or what is the writer speaking? (c) What is the key verse? (d) What does the passage teach you about Jesus Christ? (e) Does it bring to light personal sin that you need to confess and forsake? (f) Does it contain a command for your to obey? (g) Does it give a promise you can claim?
5. List practical applications, commands, and promises.
6. Memorize the Scriptures—particularly key verses.
7. Obey the commands and follow the instructions you learn in God’s Word.”
(from Bill Bright, Promises: A Daily Guide to Supernatural Living, 1993)
Let’s be honest, a spiritual war has been fought since the beginning of time. From the moment Adam and Eve were brought by God into the Garden of Eden, the fallen angel (Satan) has endeavored to wreck the relationship between humankind and God. Satan, in the form of a serpent, wheedled his way into the minds of Adam and Eve, caused the fall of man, and forced death and suffering to enter the world. This desire to wreck the human-God relationship has been the primary goal of Satan from the beginning. Only at the end of time will Satan be defeated and banished to hell.
In the meantime, you need to outfit yourself for spiritual battle. Yes, it will be a battle. Yes, Satan will not fight fair. Satan is known biblically as the “Father of lies”, the “Tempter, and the “Deceiver”. He is not willing to play fair to get your soul. He will use all manner of ill-will to deceive you, to get you to turn away from God, to manipulate your outcome. God has not left you without spiritual protection. Ephesians 6 lists your forms of protection. You need to “gird yourself with the truth” (Ephesians 6:14). “Righteousness” needs to be your breastplate (Ephesians 6:15). Peace, faith, and salvation are all listed as further “armor” to fight off evil (Ephesians 6:15-17). All these pieces of armor are defensive in nature. All help to protect you. But, what can you use as an offensive weapon? What can actually hurt evil forces? The answer to this question is given in the scripture for today from Ephesians 6:17. You need to “take the sword of the Spirit”, an offensive weapon. What is that spiritual sword? It is “the word of God”! It is scripture, which contains the promises and plan and purpose of God.
If you want to really fight spiritual battles, God’s Word is your greatest offensive weapon. Knowing what God says, understanding God’s plan, and obeying God’s law will hurt evil to its core. Even modern-day exorcists know that reciting scripture drives demonic spirits crazy. They can’t stand to hear God’s Word. A common tactic for those fighting a demon is to read scripture out loud! It drives evil forces into a tizzy.
Many people, even Roman Catholics, don’t know that exorcisms by priests are on the rise in the modern world. Following four months of riots in Portland, Oregon, Archbishop Alexander Sample walked through the city streets to a neighborhood park. There on October 17, 2020, he said a prayer and then went through a Rite of Exorcism, intended to drive out evil spirits from the city. San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone performed a rite of exorcism in his own city, where protestors had toppled a statue to Father Junipero Serra. In that rite, Archbishop Cordileone included the following words, ““We pray that God might purify this place of evil spirits, that he might purify the hearts of those who perpetrated this blasphemy…” (https://apnews.com/article/portland-san-francisco-oregon-cff13a56cd41997553ea3e9a8fc21384). In addition to prayers, both archbishops recited scriptures in their services.
Though the Roman Catholic Church has used prayers and scripture in exorcisms for centuries, many Protestant churches fail to utilize exorcism as a way to cleanse those filled with evil. Some Protestants even doubt the presence of evil spirits in this world! Though Jesus obviously used exorcism and dealt with demonic spirits, many modern-day Protestants continue to underplay the need for exorcism and spiritual warfare. Thankfully, there have been recent changes in Christian understanding. Some wise biblically astute Protestants and Catholics have not only learned to recognize demonic forces but have fortified themselves with God’s Word to use as a weapon in spiritual battles with evil.
Bill Bright, an evangelist best known for founding the group “Campus Crusade for Christ”, thought it extremely important that anyone accepting Christ immediately learn to study God’s Word. I will end this meditation today with some words he used to teach new Christians. I hope these words not only bless your day but show you new ways to study God’s Word and fortify your spiritual life!
“In my own life, as I have come to know God better and to live more fully in the power and control of the Holy Spirit, my daily devotional Bible reading and study is not a duty or a chore, but a blessing; not an imposition on my time, but an invitation to fellowship in the closest of all ways with our holy, heavenly Father and our wonderful Savior and Lord.
Remember, God delights to have fellowship with us. The success of our studying God’s Word and of prayer is not to be determined by some emotional experience which we may have (though this frequently will be our experience), but by the realization that God is pleased that we want to know Him enough to spend time with Him in Bible study and prayer.
Here are some important, practical suggestions for your individual devotional reading and study of the Bible:
1. Begin with a prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you an understanding of God’s Word.
2. Keep a Bible study notebook.
3. Read the text slowly and carefully; then reread and take notes.
4. Find out the true meaning of the text. Ask yourself: (a) Who or what is the main subject? (b) Of whom or what is the writer speaking? (c) What is the key verse? (d) What does the passage teach you about Jesus Christ? (e) Does it bring to light personal sin that you need to confess and forsake? (f) Does it contain a command for your to obey? (g) Does it give a promise you can claim?
5. List practical applications, commands, and promises.
6. Memorize the Scriptures—particularly key verses.
7. Obey the commands and follow the instructions you learn in God’s Word.”
(from Bill Bright, Promises: A Daily Guide to Supernatural Living, 1993)
April 24
“And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the LORD your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. And you must always obey the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.” (Deuteronomy 10:12–13, NLT)
So many people do not realize that God’s Word is not meant to be an overbearing piece of literature that is full of laws to control one’s life! It is meant to be a writing of sacred grace about God’s intent to save humanity from sin and destruction. When God’s Word is heeded and followed, good things tend to happen. When God’s Word is distorted or neglected, often people suffer. Where God’s Word is unknown, all manner of ills present themselves. One might even say that without God’s Word, the world would be a much more dangerous and darker place for humans to live.
“The English ship, Bounty, commanded by Lieutenant William Bligh, journeyed to the South Pacific in 1787 to collect plants of the breadfruit tree. Sailors signed on gladly, considering the voyage a trip to paradise. Having no second-in-command, Captain Bligh appointed his young friend Fletcher Christian to the post. The Bounty stayed in Tahiti six months, and the sailors, led by happy-go-lucky Fletcher Christian, enjoyed paradise to the full. When time came for departure, some of the men wanted to stay behind with their island girls. Three men, trying to desert, were flogged. The mood on ship darkened, and on April 28, 1789 Fletcher Christian staged the most famous mutiny in history. Bligh and his supporters were set adrift in an overloaded lifeboat (which they miraculously navigated 3,700 miles to Timor).
The mutineers aboard the Bounty began quarreling about what to do next. Christian returned to Tahiti where he left some of the mutineers, kidnapped some women, took some slaves, and traveled 1,000 miles to uninhabited Pitcairn Island. There, the little group quickly unraveled. They distilled whiskey from a native plant. Drunkenness and fighting marked their colony. Disease and murder eventually took the lives of all the men except for one, Alexander Smith, who found himself the only man on the island, surrounded by an assortment of women and children.
Then an amazing change occurred. Smith found the Bounty’s neglected Bible. As he read it, he took its message to heart, then began instructing the little community. He taught the colonists the Scriptures and helped them obey its instructions. The message of Christ so transformed their lives that 20 years later, in 1808, when the Topaz landed on the island, it found a happy society of Christians, living in prosperity and peace, free from crime, disease, murder—and mutiny. Later, the Bible fell into the hands of a visiting whaler who brought it to America. In 1950 it was returned to the island. It now resides on display in the church in Pitcairn as a monument to its transforming message.” (Robert J. Morgan, On This Day, April 23).
When Spencer Christian and his group of mutineers lived lives of debauchery in a society devoid of God’s law, they suffered one disaster after another. They suffered from infighting. They dealt with drunkenness. Men fought over women. Children were neglected. Slavery was introduced. Disease and murder came soon after. Only when Alexander Smith found the Bounty’s neglected Bible and began to teach everyone on Pitcairn Island about the gospel did things change for the better. By the time the next ship, Topaz, visited the island, it was the paradise that Spencer Christian always hoped for but never found. When neglecting God’s Word, there was much suffering. Living out God’s Word changed their society for the better and brought happiness and peace and security to the island.
There is a belief among many educated elites today that human beings are reasonable and don’t require any God to flourish. They believe that humans, when given full reign, will develop advanced and successful societies without any need for God. Not only was this disproved in the story of Spencer Christian and the Bounty’s Bible, but it has also been disproven over and over in history. You might hear the lies being told on college campuses that religion has caused more wars and death than any other thing in history. The facts say otherwise. Communism, Socialism, Totalitarianism, and Dictatorships have killed more people in history than any other form of social construction. Where religious leadership helped the world move beyond the Dark Ages and into the Renaissance, for example, political revolutions in Russia and Germany during the early Twentieth Century led to more than one hundred million deaths and the largest war in the history of humankind. It is also a fact that more Christians died as martyrs in the twentieth century than all previous centuries since Christ COMBINED! When people choose to neglect, ignore, abuse, or get rid of the gospel, there will always be suffering as a consequence. Following God makes people more humane, more grace-full, more merciful, more honest, more trusted, and more faithful. It always transforms societies for the good.
I recently had a conversation with a friend who is involved in prison ministry. His group worked with a chaplain to lead Bible Studies and prayer meetings in a local prison. The result? The warden personally recommended the group be given recognition. Almost all the guards spoke highly of the effects on the prison population. And hundreds of people in prison lived changed lives. The recidivism rate of the prisoners (the rate to which they returned to crime after their prison term) dropped significantly. This has been further seen as the norm by groups such as Prison Fellowship and Kairos Prison Ministry. When groups turn their lives over to Christ and follow God’s law, good things tend to follow!
The scripture for today from Deuteronomy 10 cautioned the people of Israel to “fear the Lord”, “love”, “please”, and “serve HIM” with “all heart, soul, and mind” (Deuteronomy 10:12). They were not called to do this just because God willed it. On the contrary, the scripture reveals in the end that turning their lives over to God and following God’s law would end up being the best thing they could do for their future. It would be “for their own good” (Deuteronomy 10:13). Their lives would be blessed. If they did not, their lives would eventually spiral into suffering and degradation, just like occurred with the crew from the Bounty.
Many people, even Christians, look at the gospel as “a bunch of laws and commands of God” that are required, like a hurdle, for eternal life. They mistake the purpose of the gospel. Jesus brough God’s Word into this world to save it, to preserve life, to protect love. God’s law doesn’t make earthly living worse. It blesses human endeavors. It safeguards and preserves human life. When followed faithfully, it protects the planet. When obeyed, it brings life and hope and peace and prosperity.
How has following God been a blessing to you and your family? Do you see the gospel as a blessing or as a habit? Is following Jesus a duty or a joy? How might you share the blessings of following Jesus with others?
“The English ship, Bounty, commanded by Lieutenant William Bligh, journeyed to the South Pacific in 1787 to collect plants of the breadfruit tree. Sailors signed on gladly, considering the voyage a trip to paradise. Having no second-in-command, Captain Bligh appointed his young friend Fletcher Christian to the post. The Bounty stayed in Tahiti six months, and the sailors, led by happy-go-lucky Fletcher Christian, enjoyed paradise to the full. When time came for departure, some of the men wanted to stay behind with their island girls. Three men, trying to desert, were flogged. The mood on ship darkened, and on April 28, 1789 Fletcher Christian staged the most famous mutiny in history. Bligh and his supporters were set adrift in an overloaded lifeboat (which they miraculously navigated 3,700 miles to Timor).
The mutineers aboard the Bounty began quarreling about what to do next. Christian returned to Tahiti where he left some of the mutineers, kidnapped some women, took some slaves, and traveled 1,000 miles to uninhabited Pitcairn Island. There, the little group quickly unraveled. They distilled whiskey from a native plant. Drunkenness and fighting marked their colony. Disease and murder eventually took the lives of all the men except for one, Alexander Smith, who found himself the only man on the island, surrounded by an assortment of women and children.
Then an amazing change occurred. Smith found the Bounty’s neglected Bible. As he read it, he took its message to heart, then began instructing the little community. He taught the colonists the Scriptures and helped them obey its instructions. The message of Christ so transformed their lives that 20 years later, in 1808, when the Topaz landed on the island, it found a happy society of Christians, living in prosperity and peace, free from crime, disease, murder—and mutiny. Later, the Bible fell into the hands of a visiting whaler who brought it to America. In 1950 it was returned to the island. It now resides on display in the church in Pitcairn as a monument to its transforming message.” (Robert J. Morgan, On This Day, April 23).
When Spencer Christian and his group of mutineers lived lives of debauchery in a society devoid of God’s law, they suffered one disaster after another. They suffered from infighting. They dealt with drunkenness. Men fought over women. Children were neglected. Slavery was introduced. Disease and murder came soon after. Only when Alexander Smith found the Bounty’s neglected Bible and began to teach everyone on Pitcairn Island about the gospel did things change for the better. By the time the next ship, Topaz, visited the island, it was the paradise that Spencer Christian always hoped for but never found. When neglecting God’s Word, there was much suffering. Living out God’s Word changed their society for the better and brought happiness and peace and security to the island.
There is a belief among many educated elites today that human beings are reasonable and don’t require any God to flourish. They believe that humans, when given full reign, will develop advanced and successful societies without any need for God. Not only was this disproved in the story of Spencer Christian and the Bounty’s Bible, but it has also been disproven over and over in history. You might hear the lies being told on college campuses that religion has caused more wars and death than any other thing in history. The facts say otherwise. Communism, Socialism, Totalitarianism, and Dictatorships have killed more people in history than any other form of social construction. Where religious leadership helped the world move beyond the Dark Ages and into the Renaissance, for example, political revolutions in Russia and Germany during the early Twentieth Century led to more than one hundred million deaths and the largest war in the history of humankind. It is also a fact that more Christians died as martyrs in the twentieth century than all previous centuries since Christ COMBINED! When people choose to neglect, ignore, abuse, or get rid of the gospel, there will always be suffering as a consequence. Following God makes people more humane, more grace-full, more merciful, more honest, more trusted, and more faithful. It always transforms societies for the good.
I recently had a conversation with a friend who is involved in prison ministry. His group worked with a chaplain to lead Bible Studies and prayer meetings in a local prison. The result? The warden personally recommended the group be given recognition. Almost all the guards spoke highly of the effects on the prison population. And hundreds of people in prison lived changed lives. The recidivism rate of the prisoners (the rate to which they returned to crime after their prison term) dropped significantly. This has been further seen as the norm by groups such as Prison Fellowship and Kairos Prison Ministry. When groups turn their lives over to Christ and follow God’s law, good things tend to follow!
The scripture for today from Deuteronomy 10 cautioned the people of Israel to “fear the Lord”, “love”, “please”, and “serve HIM” with “all heart, soul, and mind” (Deuteronomy 10:12). They were not called to do this just because God willed it. On the contrary, the scripture reveals in the end that turning their lives over to God and following God’s law would end up being the best thing they could do for their future. It would be “for their own good” (Deuteronomy 10:13). Their lives would be blessed. If they did not, their lives would eventually spiral into suffering and degradation, just like occurred with the crew from the Bounty.
Many people, even Christians, look at the gospel as “a bunch of laws and commands of God” that are required, like a hurdle, for eternal life. They mistake the purpose of the gospel. Jesus brough God’s Word into this world to save it, to preserve life, to protect love. God’s law doesn’t make earthly living worse. It blesses human endeavors. It safeguards and preserves human life. When followed faithfully, it protects the planet. When obeyed, it brings life and hope and peace and prosperity.
How has following God been a blessing to you and your family? Do you see the gospel as a blessing or as a habit? Is following Jesus a duty or a joy? How might you share the blessings of following Jesus with others?
April 26
“Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”” (John 7:24, ESV)
Jill was excited about having Trevor in her life. The two met in college. At a party for people interested in Shakespeare, the two happened to sit next to each other. When the instructor asked people to pair off with the person next to them to discuss aspects of Romeo and Juliet, the two began to discuss the issues and ideas at work in Shakespeare’s play. Both were surprised at how easily they communicated their ideas and how aligned were their judgments of the concepts used in the play. Not long after, the two went out for coffee, then their first real date.
After several months of dating, Jill brought Trevor home for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Spending time off with Trevor was a joy. Having the weekend together at her home was icing on the cake. That is, until Jill’s father got involved. Right off, Jill’s father, Donny, spoke gruffly to Trevor. Instead of his usual smiling self, Donny seemed sullen and ill-tempered. Nothing seemed to go right on that weekend. It very much bothered Jill.
In mid-December, Jill decided to talk to her father about Trevor. The coolness between Trevor and her father bothered Jill greatly. When she came home to visit the week before finals to have a weekend of rest, she asked her father, “Why did you act so poorly around Trevor? What did he do to you?”
Donny’s response was simply, “From the moment we met, I just didn’t like him. My first impression was that he felt entitled. I thought you deserved better than a prissy, self-centered, self-interested college boy”.
Jill’s retort was scathing, “You only knew him for a few minutes and already judged him unworthy! Thanks, Dad! Thanks so much! I thought you loved me?”
You might view Donny’s actions as severe. You might look at Donny’s quick judgment and consider him biased, unfair, or harsh. These may all be true. But are there times you judge a person based on first impressions? Do you look at a person and judge their worthiness based on initial appearances?
I’ve met people who judged a woman as trash based on her dress. There are those who write off a job applicant because of the label on his clothes. I’ve seen youth reject the friendship of a person who did not fit certain criteria or have certain attributes. Even among Christians there are distinctions made because of first impressions. At a church meeting, a woman approached me asking that I personally invite a new family in the neighborhood to worship. She had never done this before, so I asked her why this specific family. She told me without reservation that they were wealthy, and the church needed good givers! So, if the family wasn’t wealthy, would she have said nothing about a visit?
It is all too easy to bias yourself for or against someone from a first impression, an initial meeting, a word of gossip, or a personal interest. Thankfully, God doesn’t judge you and me using the same criteria! God doesn’t look at initial appearances in judging one’s heart. God doesn’t measure a person’s character by the clothes one wears or the family in which one was born! God takes the time to look deeply into a person’s heart and soul and mind to determine their true character.
When Jesus healed a man on the sabbath as written in John chapter 7, some religious leaders became upset. They deemed Jesus as a lawbreaker who dared to violate the commandment not to work on the Sabbath Day. Though Jesus did a wonderful thing by healing the man, though Jesus’ act was a work of God, they only took offense. From their first moments, they deemed Jesus unlawful and unfaithful and deserving of harsh criticism. Jesus’ response to these religious people was “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment” (John 7:24). Jesus saw their obvious bias. They had judged Jesus unworthy employing shallow standards. They wrote off Jesus’ miracle because of their own simplistic first impressions.
When the New Living Translation of this verse of John was included in the NLT Bible, they worded it slightly differently. The words they chose conveyed a more modern use of language to get Jesus’ point across. In John 7:24 of the New Living Translation of the Bible, Jesus tells the religious people who took offense at Him, “Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.” (John 7:24, NLT). That’s precisely the problem with these people who criticized Jesus. They didn’t take the time to “look beneath the surface”. They were quick to condemn. Their first impressions were flawed.
Your first impressions can get you in a lot of hot water. Upon initial observation, your understanding of a situation may be flawed. Upon entering a room, you may initially mistake the conversation that went on before you got there. When meeting a person for the first time, you won’t know that person’s character or deeply held beliefs. Don’t ever be so prideful as to judge a person by first impression alone!
Some issues of the faith and some people aren’t as easy to interpret from quick first impressions. It’s hard to understand a person’s motivations or limitations or thoughts or ideals based on a few quick bits of conversation. In the same way, a scripture may appear upon first inspection to say one thing when in fact it is saying something much deeper, much more profound. If you approach your reading of scripture relying only on a quick read, realize that you might be missing very important aspects of faith!
A perfect example of this is when Jesus spoke in parables. When Jesus taught about the sower who went out to sow seed, farmers who heard his words might have assumed Jesus was speaking about growing food. Jesus was not! He was actually speaking about the spiritual growth of faithful and faithless people! Even Nicodemus, a learned Jewish authority figure, misunderstood Jesus’ words upon first hearing them. When Jesus talked about being “born again”, Nicodemus asked Jesus how he could ever “go back into his mother’s womb” (John 3:2-4)! Jesus wasn’t talking about physical rebirth but spiritual rebirth. Nicodemus had to dig deeper to spiritually unpack the meaning of Jesus’ words.
If you want to be truly faithful, you will often have to dig deeper to your understanding of life from God's point of view! You can’t just read scripture; you have to study it! You shouldn’t just listen to scripture stories but meditate on them! Even when you pray, you will need to look more deeply at your conversations with God. A prayer full of a long list of wants and desires may not be what God wants to hear from you. Shallow recitations of prayers might not cut it! God doesn’t want you to be a shallow believer! That will only cause you to miss so much of the depth of understanding that comes with a deeper faith! To have a great relationship with God, you need to take the time to get to know God and put forth the effort to move past first impressions in life.
Have there been times when your first impressions were wrong? Are there moments when your faith is a little too shallow? You can’t have wisdom without taking the time to plumb the depths of God’s understanding. You will never grow in faith without looking past “appearances”, “beneath the surface” to God’s perspective!
After several months of dating, Jill brought Trevor home for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Spending time off with Trevor was a joy. Having the weekend together at her home was icing on the cake. That is, until Jill’s father got involved. Right off, Jill’s father, Donny, spoke gruffly to Trevor. Instead of his usual smiling self, Donny seemed sullen and ill-tempered. Nothing seemed to go right on that weekend. It very much bothered Jill.
In mid-December, Jill decided to talk to her father about Trevor. The coolness between Trevor and her father bothered Jill greatly. When she came home to visit the week before finals to have a weekend of rest, she asked her father, “Why did you act so poorly around Trevor? What did he do to you?”
Donny’s response was simply, “From the moment we met, I just didn’t like him. My first impression was that he felt entitled. I thought you deserved better than a prissy, self-centered, self-interested college boy”.
Jill’s retort was scathing, “You only knew him for a few minutes and already judged him unworthy! Thanks, Dad! Thanks so much! I thought you loved me?”
You might view Donny’s actions as severe. You might look at Donny’s quick judgment and consider him biased, unfair, or harsh. These may all be true. But are there times you judge a person based on first impressions? Do you look at a person and judge their worthiness based on initial appearances?
I’ve met people who judged a woman as trash based on her dress. There are those who write off a job applicant because of the label on his clothes. I’ve seen youth reject the friendship of a person who did not fit certain criteria or have certain attributes. Even among Christians there are distinctions made because of first impressions. At a church meeting, a woman approached me asking that I personally invite a new family in the neighborhood to worship. She had never done this before, so I asked her why this specific family. She told me without reservation that they were wealthy, and the church needed good givers! So, if the family wasn’t wealthy, would she have said nothing about a visit?
It is all too easy to bias yourself for or against someone from a first impression, an initial meeting, a word of gossip, or a personal interest. Thankfully, God doesn’t judge you and me using the same criteria! God doesn’t look at initial appearances in judging one’s heart. God doesn’t measure a person’s character by the clothes one wears or the family in which one was born! God takes the time to look deeply into a person’s heart and soul and mind to determine their true character.
When Jesus healed a man on the sabbath as written in John chapter 7, some religious leaders became upset. They deemed Jesus as a lawbreaker who dared to violate the commandment not to work on the Sabbath Day. Though Jesus did a wonderful thing by healing the man, though Jesus’ act was a work of God, they only took offense. From their first moments, they deemed Jesus unlawful and unfaithful and deserving of harsh criticism. Jesus’ response to these religious people was “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment” (John 7:24). Jesus saw their obvious bias. They had judged Jesus unworthy employing shallow standards. They wrote off Jesus’ miracle because of their own simplistic first impressions.
When the New Living Translation of this verse of John was included in the NLT Bible, they worded it slightly differently. The words they chose conveyed a more modern use of language to get Jesus’ point across. In John 7:24 of the New Living Translation of the Bible, Jesus tells the religious people who took offense at Him, “Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.” (John 7:24, NLT). That’s precisely the problem with these people who criticized Jesus. They didn’t take the time to “look beneath the surface”. They were quick to condemn. Their first impressions were flawed.
Your first impressions can get you in a lot of hot water. Upon initial observation, your understanding of a situation may be flawed. Upon entering a room, you may initially mistake the conversation that went on before you got there. When meeting a person for the first time, you won’t know that person’s character or deeply held beliefs. Don’t ever be so prideful as to judge a person by first impression alone!
Some issues of the faith and some people aren’t as easy to interpret from quick first impressions. It’s hard to understand a person’s motivations or limitations or thoughts or ideals based on a few quick bits of conversation. In the same way, a scripture may appear upon first inspection to say one thing when in fact it is saying something much deeper, much more profound. If you approach your reading of scripture relying only on a quick read, realize that you might be missing very important aspects of faith!
A perfect example of this is when Jesus spoke in parables. When Jesus taught about the sower who went out to sow seed, farmers who heard his words might have assumed Jesus was speaking about growing food. Jesus was not! He was actually speaking about the spiritual growth of faithful and faithless people! Even Nicodemus, a learned Jewish authority figure, misunderstood Jesus’ words upon first hearing them. When Jesus talked about being “born again”, Nicodemus asked Jesus how he could ever “go back into his mother’s womb” (John 3:2-4)! Jesus wasn’t talking about physical rebirth but spiritual rebirth. Nicodemus had to dig deeper to spiritually unpack the meaning of Jesus’ words.
If you want to be truly faithful, you will often have to dig deeper to your understanding of life from God's point of view! You can’t just read scripture; you have to study it! You shouldn’t just listen to scripture stories but meditate on them! Even when you pray, you will need to look more deeply at your conversations with God. A prayer full of a long list of wants and desires may not be what God wants to hear from you. Shallow recitations of prayers might not cut it! God doesn’t want you to be a shallow believer! That will only cause you to miss so much of the depth of understanding that comes with a deeper faith! To have a great relationship with God, you need to take the time to get to know God and put forth the effort to move past first impressions in life.
Have there been times when your first impressions were wrong? Are there moments when your faith is a little too shallow? You can’t have wisdom without taking the time to plumb the depths of God’s understanding. You will never grow in faith without looking past “appearances”, “beneath the surface” to God’s perspective!
April 28
“About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: “This is what the LORD says: ‘Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness.’ ”” (Isaiah 38:1, NLT)
I saw Earl the day he came home from the hospital. He had been sick for weeks. His stomach had bothered him for months. Now and again, he would get very nauseous after a meal. Earl wasn’t well. I was hoping that he had a severe case of the flu or a faulty gall bladder, but a part of me had this dreadful feeling that Earl was seriously ill. As Earl sat down across from me at his kitchen table, I could see the tiredness in his eyes. Then, he said to me, “Well, that’s it. I have Pancreatic Cancer. I’ve been given six months to live.”
Earl reached over and held his wife’s hand. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Then, Earl told me something I’ll never forget. He said, “Two years ago, I knew this day was coming. I just knew. I wasn’t sick or anything. I just had this feeling that death was coming for me. In the past two years, I’ve prepared, Pastor Dave. I prepared a lot. I went back to church. I patched things up with my brother. I remodeled the house, updating the furnace and replacing the siding. I’ve put every extra penny we had into savings. I want to make it easier for the family for when I’m gone. Promise me, you’ll help take care of my family.” I promised to do my best, and I did. I watched over his wife during his illness. I was there for the family when he died. I checked in on the family every chance I could. I helped them often.
Some people have this feeling when they are to die. They just know their time is short in this life. Every person who had a premonition or some knowledge that their time in this life was coming to a close told me that they were sure of their impending death. None could explain how they came to such a conviction other than saying “it was a “God thing”, or “I had a gut feeling”, or “it just came to me”. Even non-believers have had this preternatural knowledge of coming death. Though some were staunch believers in rationalism, what they experienced could easily be seen as a sign of a metaphysical or spiritual reality far beyond human understanding.
In the scripture above from the book of Isaiah, King Hezekiah was visited by the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah visited the king to deliver a message from God. It wasn’t a good message. God had informed Isaiah that King Hezekiah was to “set his affairs in order” (Isaiah 38:1). It was Hezekiah’s time to die. Hezekiah had been sick for a while. I’m sure physicians or healers were called to aid the king. It didn’t matter. God had set the time for Hezekiah to die.
What occurs after today’s verse in the Bible is particularly fascinating to read. King Hezekiah prayed to God with a genuine heart. After living a long and faithful life, Hezekiah leaned on God for comfort and assurance. Hezekiah did not pray for more time. He did not beg God for a few more years. Instead, with many tears, he readied himself for impending death. Then, God did something wonderful. God told Isaiah to visit King Hezekiah again. Isaiah delivered God’s new message: Hezekiah was given fifteen more years of life (Isaiah 38:5). God was also going to use Hezekiah’s faithful leadership to protect the people of Judah and Jerusalem during dangerous times, avoiding a war with the Assyrians (Isaiah 38:6).
If you read Isaiah 38 carefully, one fact should not escape your study. These scriptures prove again what is known about God. God is in charge of your life and death. God knew when you were to be born. God sees the future. God knows that your days are numbered. God is fully aware of when you will die. God can alter the time of your death according to HIS plans, because it is fully within God’s power to set the time of your death.
I am constantly surprised by the people who do not plan for death. When Earl felt death was coming for him, he went back to church, patched up things with his brother, and planned for his short future. However, so many people go through life making no arrangements for death. They act as if they will live forever. They ignore the fact that their days are numbered. They reject the notion that God has set their time to die. You’d think Christians would know better. Jesus also knew his death was coming. On several occasions, He informed His disciples of his impending death (as in John 12:33). And yet, even with Jesus’ example, some Christians go through life without any thought of making things right before they die. They act as if death will never come for them. How utterly ridiculous! If anything is sure in life, it is death! Death comes for all of us.
How you live is crucially important. The actions you take; the decisions you make; everything you do matters greatly. But how you die is also important. Planning for the day of your death is critical. Not only will this bless those who take care of your estate, but it will also prepare the souls of those around you for your eventual loss. How you deal with death shows what you value in life. How you deal with your impending death displays your faith or lack thereof.
What kinds of preparations have you made for death? Are you one of those who knows death is close? Have you kept your soul prepared for the day you die? Have you repented of past sin? Have you continually sought to make things right along the way? If you were to die today, would you be ready to meet your Maker? Would your family be spiritually ready to go on without you? How strong is your faith in God?
Long before Jesus died on the cross, He prepared his disciples for the day He would leave them. Following Jesus’ example, shouldn’t you make some preparations as well?
Earl reached over and held his wife’s hand. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Then, Earl told me something I’ll never forget. He said, “Two years ago, I knew this day was coming. I just knew. I wasn’t sick or anything. I just had this feeling that death was coming for me. In the past two years, I’ve prepared, Pastor Dave. I prepared a lot. I went back to church. I patched things up with my brother. I remodeled the house, updating the furnace and replacing the siding. I’ve put every extra penny we had into savings. I want to make it easier for the family for when I’m gone. Promise me, you’ll help take care of my family.” I promised to do my best, and I did. I watched over his wife during his illness. I was there for the family when he died. I checked in on the family every chance I could. I helped them often.
Some people have this feeling when they are to die. They just know their time is short in this life. Every person who had a premonition or some knowledge that their time in this life was coming to a close told me that they were sure of their impending death. None could explain how they came to such a conviction other than saying “it was a “God thing”, or “I had a gut feeling”, or “it just came to me”. Even non-believers have had this preternatural knowledge of coming death. Though some were staunch believers in rationalism, what they experienced could easily be seen as a sign of a metaphysical or spiritual reality far beyond human understanding.
In the scripture above from the book of Isaiah, King Hezekiah was visited by the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah visited the king to deliver a message from God. It wasn’t a good message. God had informed Isaiah that King Hezekiah was to “set his affairs in order” (Isaiah 38:1). It was Hezekiah’s time to die. Hezekiah had been sick for a while. I’m sure physicians or healers were called to aid the king. It didn’t matter. God had set the time for Hezekiah to die.
What occurs after today’s verse in the Bible is particularly fascinating to read. King Hezekiah prayed to God with a genuine heart. After living a long and faithful life, Hezekiah leaned on God for comfort and assurance. Hezekiah did not pray for more time. He did not beg God for a few more years. Instead, with many tears, he readied himself for impending death. Then, God did something wonderful. God told Isaiah to visit King Hezekiah again. Isaiah delivered God’s new message: Hezekiah was given fifteen more years of life (Isaiah 38:5). God was also going to use Hezekiah’s faithful leadership to protect the people of Judah and Jerusalem during dangerous times, avoiding a war with the Assyrians (Isaiah 38:6).
If you read Isaiah 38 carefully, one fact should not escape your study. These scriptures prove again what is known about God. God is in charge of your life and death. God knew when you were to be born. God sees the future. God knows that your days are numbered. God is fully aware of when you will die. God can alter the time of your death according to HIS plans, because it is fully within God’s power to set the time of your death.
I am constantly surprised by the people who do not plan for death. When Earl felt death was coming for him, he went back to church, patched up things with his brother, and planned for his short future. However, so many people go through life making no arrangements for death. They act as if they will live forever. They ignore the fact that their days are numbered. They reject the notion that God has set their time to die. You’d think Christians would know better. Jesus also knew his death was coming. On several occasions, He informed His disciples of his impending death (as in John 12:33). And yet, even with Jesus’ example, some Christians go through life without any thought of making things right before they die. They act as if death will never come for them. How utterly ridiculous! If anything is sure in life, it is death! Death comes for all of us.
How you live is crucially important. The actions you take; the decisions you make; everything you do matters greatly. But how you die is also important. Planning for the day of your death is critical. Not only will this bless those who take care of your estate, but it will also prepare the souls of those around you for your eventual loss. How you deal with death shows what you value in life. How you deal with your impending death displays your faith or lack thereof.
What kinds of preparations have you made for death? Are you one of those who knows death is close? Have you kept your soul prepared for the day you die? Have you repented of past sin? Have you continually sought to make things right along the way? If you were to die today, would you be ready to meet your Maker? Would your family be spiritually ready to go on without you? How strong is your faith in God?
Long before Jesus died on the cross, He prepared his disciples for the day He would leave them. Following Jesus’ example, shouldn’t you make some preparations as well?
April 30
“The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.” (Proverbs 15:28, ESV)
When growing up, I remember my grandmother giving me a bit of wisdom with the phrase, “Think before you speak!” Her intent was to remind me that my words have the power to help or to hurt. Her statement was a constant reminder that ill-conceived words said at the wrong moment can bring forth much suffering, discouragement, and evil. Have you ever said something in the spur of the moment only to regret it later?
Daniel and Sherry had been seeing each other for six months. With each passing day, Daniel began to think more seriously about marriage. He stopped in a jewelry store to look at the cost of wedding rings. Twice he talked to his best friend about the joys and disappointments of marriage. After much consideration, Daniel decided to ask Sherry for her hand in marriage.
Daniel planned everything in advance. He bought two tickets to a Broadway Show, made reservations at a nice restaurant in Manhattan, bought a ring, and arranged with Sherry for a memorable night on the town. Being nervous about the date, Daniel had a couple of drinks before leaving his apartment. An hour later, just before entering the theater for the show, Daniel took some anxiety medication. He was shaking with anticipation as they took their seats at the show.
After the show, Daniel checked his pocket for the ring as they rode in the cab to the restaurant. Then, at the restaurant, Daniel and Sherry ordered their meal. To complement the meal, Daniel ordered champaign. While waiting for their food to arrive, Daniel grew nervous about Sherry’s response to his question about marriage. Would she say, “Yes”? Would she be excited? When would they get married? A thousand questions ran through Daniel’s mind. To cover up his anxiety, Daniel had a few glasses of champaign. This seemed to do the trick. It calmed his nerves. Then, the waiter brought their first course of food.
As Daniel ate, he suddenly began sweating. He chalked it up to nervousness but then realized that the combination of four or six drinks (he never counted them!) and his anxiety medicine were affecting his reactions. He began to laugh at everything. When Sherry asked if he was OK, he defensively responded, “Don’t pressure me!” Sherry pulled back, not understanding why Daniel was upset. Finally, as Daniel’s laughs became more and more loud and obnoxious, Sherry asked to leave the restaurant even before their entrée arrived. Daniel yelled at her for “wrecking their perfect night out”. On the way to her apartment, they fought. As Daniel left her that night, he said, “I should never have bought a ring for tonight.”
The next day, Sherry told Daniel she was very upset about their date and wanted to take some time off. Suffering with a bad hangover and embarrassment from the night before, Daniel responded sarcastically, “Whatever! Why don’t you just start seeing other people while you are at it!” Daniel didn’t mean that at all! He couldn’t believe he said that! It damaged their relationship. A week later, the two broke up. To this day, Daniel regrets what transpired that night.
Have you ever said something you wish you could take back? In a moment of fiery emotion, have you blurted out something you later regretted deeply? Daniel’s wonderful relationship with Sherry was destroyed by words he never would have spoken if not for the influence of his medicine and the alcohol. When your guard is down, its all too easy to say something stupid, cruel, or damaging. It’s very important to “think before you speak”!
Today’s piece of wisdom from the book of Proverbs reaffirms the need to “think before you speak”. Proverbs 15:28 teaches that the heart of the righteous person “ponders how to answer”. The faithful are careful to consider the impact of their words. The second half of the scripture for today also adds that the wicked are adept at “pouring out evil” words. They do not hold back. Sometimes, they even enjoy the pain and anguish their ill-conceived words accomplish.
I would like to think that godly people are good at thinking before they speak. I have seen Christians use loving words to heal a broken heart or soothe a suffering soul. However, I’ve also witnessed Christians say some of the harshest, most vile, evil, and damaging things. Some of those words have been scornful. Some have been hateful. Some were intended to cause deep wounds. To be faithful to God, you need to consider your words. “Ponder” them as this scripture teaches. Take the time to weigh your words carefully before you utter them. Remember, you can never truly take back your words once they leave your mouth.
Never once in scripture do we see Jesus saying, “I said that, but I didn’t mean it!” Not once did Jesus attempt to take back his words. Jesus’ words were incredibly important, every one of them! For that reason, Jesus consistently weighed his words before speaking. He had no regrets after he spoke. He never once had to beg forgiveness for mistaken words uttered out of frustration, fear, weariness, or worry.
How well do you measure your words before speaking? Are you too quick to say something you later will regret? Being faithful to Jesus doesn’t just require godly actions. It requires thoughtful restraint! Out of a love of Christ, you need to carefully measure your words. With grace, you need to choose your words wisely. Otherwise, you will not only have regrets for what you said wrongly, you may poison how another person views the gospel!
Daniel and Sherry had been seeing each other for six months. With each passing day, Daniel began to think more seriously about marriage. He stopped in a jewelry store to look at the cost of wedding rings. Twice he talked to his best friend about the joys and disappointments of marriage. After much consideration, Daniel decided to ask Sherry for her hand in marriage.
Daniel planned everything in advance. He bought two tickets to a Broadway Show, made reservations at a nice restaurant in Manhattan, bought a ring, and arranged with Sherry for a memorable night on the town. Being nervous about the date, Daniel had a couple of drinks before leaving his apartment. An hour later, just before entering the theater for the show, Daniel took some anxiety medication. He was shaking with anticipation as they took their seats at the show.
After the show, Daniel checked his pocket for the ring as they rode in the cab to the restaurant. Then, at the restaurant, Daniel and Sherry ordered their meal. To complement the meal, Daniel ordered champaign. While waiting for their food to arrive, Daniel grew nervous about Sherry’s response to his question about marriage. Would she say, “Yes”? Would she be excited? When would they get married? A thousand questions ran through Daniel’s mind. To cover up his anxiety, Daniel had a few glasses of champaign. This seemed to do the trick. It calmed his nerves. Then, the waiter brought their first course of food.
As Daniel ate, he suddenly began sweating. He chalked it up to nervousness but then realized that the combination of four or six drinks (he never counted them!) and his anxiety medicine were affecting his reactions. He began to laugh at everything. When Sherry asked if he was OK, he defensively responded, “Don’t pressure me!” Sherry pulled back, not understanding why Daniel was upset. Finally, as Daniel’s laughs became more and more loud and obnoxious, Sherry asked to leave the restaurant even before their entrée arrived. Daniel yelled at her for “wrecking their perfect night out”. On the way to her apartment, they fought. As Daniel left her that night, he said, “I should never have bought a ring for tonight.”
The next day, Sherry told Daniel she was very upset about their date and wanted to take some time off. Suffering with a bad hangover and embarrassment from the night before, Daniel responded sarcastically, “Whatever! Why don’t you just start seeing other people while you are at it!” Daniel didn’t mean that at all! He couldn’t believe he said that! It damaged their relationship. A week later, the two broke up. To this day, Daniel regrets what transpired that night.
Have you ever said something you wish you could take back? In a moment of fiery emotion, have you blurted out something you later regretted deeply? Daniel’s wonderful relationship with Sherry was destroyed by words he never would have spoken if not for the influence of his medicine and the alcohol. When your guard is down, its all too easy to say something stupid, cruel, or damaging. It’s very important to “think before you speak”!
Today’s piece of wisdom from the book of Proverbs reaffirms the need to “think before you speak”. Proverbs 15:28 teaches that the heart of the righteous person “ponders how to answer”. The faithful are careful to consider the impact of their words. The second half of the scripture for today also adds that the wicked are adept at “pouring out evil” words. They do not hold back. Sometimes, they even enjoy the pain and anguish their ill-conceived words accomplish.
I would like to think that godly people are good at thinking before they speak. I have seen Christians use loving words to heal a broken heart or soothe a suffering soul. However, I’ve also witnessed Christians say some of the harshest, most vile, evil, and damaging things. Some of those words have been scornful. Some have been hateful. Some were intended to cause deep wounds. To be faithful to God, you need to consider your words. “Ponder” them as this scripture teaches. Take the time to weigh your words carefully before you utter them. Remember, you can never truly take back your words once they leave your mouth.
Never once in scripture do we see Jesus saying, “I said that, but I didn’t mean it!” Not once did Jesus attempt to take back his words. Jesus’ words were incredibly important, every one of them! For that reason, Jesus consistently weighed his words before speaking. He had no regrets after he spoke. He never once had to beg forgiveness for mistaken words uttered out of frustration, fear, weariness, or worry.
How well do you measure your words before speaking? Are you too quick to say something you later will regret? Being faithful to Jesus doesn’t just require godly actions. It requires thoughtful restraint! Out of a love of Christ, you need to carefully measure your words. With grace, you need to choose your words wisely. Otherwise, you will not only have regrets for what you said wrongly, you may poison how another person views the gospel!