October 1
“For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!”” (Mark 14:21, NLT)
“No treachery is worse than betrayal by a family member or friend. Julius Caesar knew such treachery. Among the conspirators who assassinated the Roman leader on March 15, 44 was Marcus Junius Brutus. Caesar not only trusted Brutus, he had favored him as a son. According to Roman historians, Caesar first resisted the onslaught of the assassins. But when he saw Brutus among them with his dagger drawn, Caesar ceased to struggle and, pulling the top part of his robe over his face, asked the famous question, ‘You too, Brutus?’” (Today in the Word, August 13, 1992)
On the night Jesus was arrested, those who sought to capture our Savior used an old tactic. They found someone willing to betray Jesus. Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus’ disciples. He was trusted by Jesus. He even was responsible to watch over the money given to the disciples (John 12:6). The scriptures tell us that Satan entered into the heart of Judas, causing Judas to take money to betray Jesus (Luke 22:3). The trusted disciple turned against his master. He even betrayed Jesus to the soldiers by using a kiss (Luke 22:48).
Betrayal is a cruel thing. When someone close to you betrays you, it hurts much more than normal, because the cruelty is done by someone you trusted. The betrayer used your relationship to essentially “stab you in the back”. While your attention was turned, the person took advantage of your relationship to attack you. This cruelty can haunt you, making it hard to trust again.
I looked up the Greek word used for “betray” used in the Bible. This word means to “hand over the control of someone to a person who will take undue advantage of the victim”. When you betray a person, you are purposefully setting them up to suffer. You make them a victim. You can make any excuse you want, but your decision will cause undue harm to the person who is betrayed by you.
In the scripture for today, Jesus repeats an old prophesy in scripture: “the Son of Man must die”. It had been told for generations and was a clear topic of the prophet Daniel. However, Jesus added that it would be “terrible” for the Son of Man who was sent by God to be “betrayed” (Mark 14:21). For Jesus, this would be an ultimate cruelty. The betrayer would wish he “had not been born”. In fact, Judas was so traumatized by his betrayal of Jesus, that he committed suicide by hanging (Matthew 27:5). Judas’ terrible deed caused the death of both Jesus and Judas.
I thought it very appropriate that the phrase “a stab in the back” is commonly used to refer to a betrayal. Caesar was stabbed in the back both literally and figuratively on the ides of March. The cruelty of that day was made worse by the fact that Brutus, a trusted one to Caesar, was involved. Being stabbed in the back by someone you care about is horrible. It is bad enough if someone talks behind your back, but a stab in the back means more harm is to be done. Have you ever been stabbed in the back?
Before you think too much about anyone who stabbed you in the back, I want you to realize that sin can easily be a “stab in the back” to God. God loves you so much. Can imagine how God feels when you choose to hurt an innocent person? When you sin, do you not realize the pain it causes God?
I was once told of a priest who was kind to the poor and homeless. He spent many hours doing charity work, helping the hurting, meeting with the suffering. Then, one day while offering communion at the altar, he was shot and killed. They found out later that the ones involved in the murder were once helped by the priest. It is said that the priest’s last words were, “God forgive them, for they know not what they do.” These were also the words of Jesus when he was on the cross. Betrayers often don’t realize the heartbreak they cause. You may not realize the hurt you’ve caused God by a sin that you repeat over and over, figuratively “behind God’s back”. It’s a stab in the back to God.
Is there some way Satan is pressing you to do some kind of betrayal? Have you purposefully caused suffering to another or to God? Can others trust you when their back is turned? I pray you do not succumb to the same temptation as Judas. Don’t betray God or others. It will come back to haunt you.
On the night Jesus was arrested, those who sought to capture our Savior used an old tactic. They found someone willing to betray Jesus. Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus’ disciples. He was trusted by Jesus. He even was responsible to watch over the money given to the disciples (John 12:6). The scriptures tell us that Satan entered into the heart of Judas, causing Judas to take money to betray Jesus (Luke 22:3). The trusted disciple turned against his master. He even betrayed Jesus to the soldiers by using a kiss (Luke 22:48).
Betrayal is a cruel thing. When someone close to you betrays you, it hurts much more than normal, because the cruelty is done by someone you trusted. The betrayer used your relationship to essentially “stab you in the back”. While your attention was turned, the person took advantage of your relationship to attack you. This cruelty can haunt you, making it hard to trust again.
I looked up the Greek word used for “betray” used in the Bible. This word means to “hand over the control of someone to a person who will take undue advantage of the victim”. When you betray a person, you are purposefully setting them up to suffer. You make them a victim. You can make any excuse you want, but your decision will cause undue harm to the person who is betrayed by you.
In the scripture for today, Jesus repeats an old prophesy in scripture: “the Son of Man must die”. It had been told for generations and was a clear topic of the prophet Daniel. However, Jesus added that it would be “terrible” for the Son of Man who was sent by God to be “betrayed” (Mark 14:21). For Jesus, this would be an ultimate cruelty. The betrayer would wish he “had not been born”. In fact, Judas was so traumatized by his betrayal of Jesus, that he committed suicide by hanging (Matthew 27:5). Judas’ terrible deed caused the death of both Jesus and Judas.
I thought it very appropriate that the phrase “a stab in the back” is commonly used to refer to a betrayal. Caesar was stabbed in the back both literally and figuratively on the ides of March. The cruelty of that day was made worse by the fact that Brutus, a trusted one to Caesar, was involved. Being stabbed in the back by someone you care about is horrible. It is bad enough if someone talks behind your back, but a stab in the back means more harm is to be done. Have you ever been stabbed in the back?
Before you think too much about anyone who stabbed you in the back, I want you to realize that sin can easily be a “stab in the back” to God. God loves you so much. Can imagine how God feels when you choose to hurt an innocent person? When you sin, do you not realize the pain it causes God?
I was once told of a priest who was kind to the poor and homeless. He spent many hours doing charity work, helping the hurting, meeting with the suffering. Then, one day while offering communion at the altar, he was shot and killed. They found out later that the ones involved in the murder were once helped by the priest. It is said that the priest’s last words were, “God forgive them, for they know not what they do.” These were also the words of Jesus when he was on the cross. Betrayers often don’t realize the heartbreak they cause. You may not realize the hurt you’ve caused God by a sin that you repeat over and over, figuratively “behind God’s back”. It’s a stab in the back to God.
Is there some way Satan is pressing you to do some kind of betrayal? Have you purposefully caused suffering to another or to God? Can others trust you when their back is turned? I pray you do not succumb to the same temptation as Judas. Don’t betray God or others. It will come back to haunt you.
October 2
“Those with good sense are slow to anger, and it is their glory to overlook an offense.”
(Proverbs 19:11, NRSV)
(Proverbs 19:11, NRSV)
In 2015, fights broke out during October on the Yale College Campus. It seems that someone made the mistake of saying that Halloween costumes shouldn’t be banned based on the type or message or style. This caused a good number of students to take offense. They organized and paraded. They protested and asked for the ouster of several faculty members who dared to speak out on the subject. They wanted something done. They were offended that a certain stance was not taken on the matter and that their “cause” did not set the standard for what was allowed.
Blogger Matt Walsh spoke out recently about what he saw as “offensomania”. He saw people getting “offended” at the slightest perceived insult or stance. In reaction to the growing inflexibility of those who take offense at so many things, he wrote the hilarious satirical letter entitled, “Dear Walmart, Someone Insulted Me in One of Your Stores. Your CEO Must Resign”. I think you get the gist of his point. People get offended and want compensation; they want someone to pay; they want the laws to change; they want a movement in response to their anger. It is hypocritical how so many people who call themselves “tolerant” are some of the most inflexible, angry, vengeful of all. Usually, they are only tolerant of those who are like themselves.
Some today see it as a “human right” to be offended. They think they have the right to point out and judge others. They even have coined new terms to disguise their anger, blaming others for “microoffenses” and “microaggressions”. If something upsets a person, it is automatically wrong. If someone says something you don’t like, you are in the right to attack them, boycott them, cyberbully them, drag them through the mud on social media, and take them to court. I find it interesting that they think that their vindictive, vengeful attitude is “in the right”. They even see it as noble.
Scripture doesn’t see a quick anger and easy offense-taking as noble. The scripture for today urges those with “good sense” to be “slow to anger” (Proverbs 19:11). The wisdom of the Bible is not to get angry or offended at every little thing. The purpose of this scripture is for people to learn to get along, not point out offenses. The second half of the scripture makes crystal clear that people with good sense will often “overlook an offense”. People of God don’t go around pointing out offenses like “offense police”! They don’t look for offenses to set them off, begin their boycotts, start their protests. People of God learn to respect God enough to overlook it when another person offends. By doing so, it is hoped that one can find common ground, not split up into offended camps.
If you travel up to a National park in British Columbia, you might get to see something unusual in the Ranger’s office there. On the wall in the office are two huge sets of antlers. They are as wide as your arms spread wide apart. The antlers are locked in an embrace. That’s how the Ranger found them, forever locked. It seems two bull moose began fighting and could not stop. When their antlers locked, they could not get free, but each would not be the one to back down. They died of hunger. They died of anger. (See National Geographic, November 1985).
Don’t let anger and offenses set you off. Out of respect for God and those created in His image, learn to respect the differences in others. Be not quick to take offense. Do not be consumed by anger or vengeance. If you do, this scripture is a reminder that you lack “good sense”.
Anger and taking offense are listed in the New Testament as “deserving the wrath of God” (Colossians 3:8). Paul wrote Timothy that anger and quarreling do not belong in the church (1 Timothy 2:8). The apostle James demanded that followers of Christ be “slow to anger, for anger does not bring about a righteous life” (James 1:19,20). Anger and offenses may be common in the world right now. They may have taken over college campuses and political debates. That doesn’t mean they belong in your mind or heart our soul today.
Blogger Matt Walsh spoke out recently about what he saw as “offensomania”. He saw people getting “offended” at the slightest perceived insult or stance. In reaction to the growing inflexibility of those who take offense at so many things, he wrote the hilarious satirical letter entitled, “Dear Walmart, Someone Insulted Me in One of Your Stores. Your CEO Must Resign”. I think you get the gist of his point. People get offended and want compensation; they want someone to pay; they want the laws to change; they want a movement in response to their anger. It is hypocritical how so many people who call themselves “tolerant” are some of the most inflexible, angry, vengeful of all. Usually, they are only tolerant of those who are like themselves.
Some today see it as a “human right” to be offended. They think they have the right to point out and judge others. They even have coined new terms to disguise their anger, blaming others for “microoffenses” and “microaggressions”. If something upsets a person, it is automatically wrong. If someone says something you don’t like, you are in the right to attack them, boycott them, cyberbully them, drag them through the mud on social media, and take them to court. I find it interesting that they think that their vindictive, vengeful attitude is “in the right”. They even see it as noble.
Scripture doesn’t see a quick anger and easy offense-taking as noble. The scripture for today urges those with “good sense” to be “slow to anger” (Proverbs 19:11). The wisdom of the Bible is not to get angry or offended at every little thing. The purpose of this scripture is for people to learn to get along, not point out offenses. The second half of the scripture makes crystal clear that people with good sense will often “overlook an offense”. People of God don’t go around pointing out offenses like “offense police”! They don’t look for offenses to set them off, begin their boycotts, start their protests. People of God learn to respect God enough to overlook it when another person offends. By doing so, it is hoped that one can find common ground, not split up into offended camps.
If you travel up to a National park in British Columbia, you might get to see something unusual in the Ranger’s office there. On the wall in the office are two huge sets of antlers. They are as wide as your arms spread wide apart. The antlers are locked in an embrace. That’s how the Ranger found them, forever locked. It seems two bull moose began fighting and could not stop. When their antlers locked, they could not get free, but each would not be the one to back down. They died of hunger. They died of anger. (See National Geographic, November 1985).
Don’t let anger and offenses set you off. Out of respect for God and those created in His image, learn to respect the differences in others. Be not quick to take offense. Do not be consumed by anger or vengeance. If you do, this scripture is a reminder that you lack “good sense”.
Anger and taking offense are listed in the New Testament as “deserving the wrath of God” (Colossians 3:8). Paul wrote Timothy that anger and quarreling do not belong in the church (1 Timothy 2:8). The apostle James demanded that followers of Christ be “slow to anger, for anger does not bring about a righteous life” (James 1:19,20). Anger and offenses may be common in the world right now. They may have taken over college campuses and political debates. That doesn’t mean they belong in your mind or heart our soul today.
October 3
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:24, RSV)
Something happens to you when you finally, really, truly, absolutely, honestly, and truthfully begin to believe in Jesus. It changes you. Death doesn’t seem indomitable. Life seems precious and holy. Material possessions take a far back seat. You change. You feel real hope. You feel a deep connection to God. Your soul gets excited. You are bursting with God’s Spirit!
Colin Chapman, in The Case for Christianity, quotes Ugandan bishop Festo Kivengere's account of the 1973 execution by firing squad of three men from his diocese: “February 10 began as a sad day for us in Kabale. People were commanded to come to the stadium and witness the execution. Death permeated the atmosphere. A silent crowd of about three thousand was there to watch. I had permission from the authorities to speak to the men before they died, and two of my fellow ministers were with me. They brought the men in a truck and unloaded them. They were handcuffed, and their feet were chained. The firing squad stood at attention.
We approached them from behind, and as they turned to look at us, what a sight! Their faces were all alight with an unmistakable glow and radiance. Before we could say anything, one of them burst out: "Bishop, thank you for coming! I wanted to tell you. The day I was arrested, in my prison cell, I asked the Lord Jesus to come into my heart. He came in and forgave me all my sins! Heaven is now open, and there is nothing between me and my God! Please tell my wife and children that I am going to be with Jesus. Ask them to accept him into their lives as I did."
The three faced the firing squad standing close together. They looked toward the people and began to wave, handcuffs and all. The people waved back. Then shots were fired, and the three were with Jesus. Though dead, the men spoke loudly to all of Kigezi District and beyond, so that there was an upsurge of life in Christ, which challenges death and defeats it. The next Sunday, I was preaching to a huge crowd in the home town of one of the executed men. Again, the feel of death was over the congregation. But when I gave them the testimony of their man, and how he died, there erupted a great song of praise to Jesus! Many turned to the Lord there.” -Ray Stamps.
In our scripture chosen for this day, Jesus taught about eternal life. He told those gathered around that the person who “hears” and “believes”, “has eternal life” (John 5:24). That person’s life is redeemed from sin and judgement. Jesus pays the price. That person “has passed from death to life.” When you move from a person who just “hears” the Bible to one who “believes” in Jesus, it changes you. Jesus said in this verse that the person passes from death to life. The person is saved. The person is freed from damnation. The soul is unburdened.
When the men from Uganda were to face the firing squad, they relied on the only help they could find in that moment. They turned to Jesus. They asked for Jesus to be in their hearts. They desired their Lord to be with them in that terrible time. When they did, their Bishop described them as “alight with an unmistakable glow and radiance.” When Stephen was killed in the book of Acts, it is said that he saw heaven and was filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:55). God’s grace also glowed brightly in Stephen just before he was stoned to death. In that terrible moment, Stephen was not afraid of death. He felt God’s presence. He “passed from death to eternal life”. From Stephen to the men from Uganda, and so many more; God’s presence changes the meaning of life and death. True faith and God’s presence are awesome together!
I feel for all those who have never felt the powerful filling of God’s Spirit. I hurt for those who have not felt God’s overwhelming grace. I hope you feel the wonder and awe of God’s presence today. When was the last time you asked for Jesus to come into your heart anew or to visit with you during your prayers? When was the last time you asked for Jesus to be present in a moment of trial? It is a beautiful thing when God’s Spirit fills a person to overflowing. It warms the soul of all those close by.
Colin Chapman, in The Case for Christianity, quotes Ugandan bishop Festo Kivengere's account of the 1973 execution by firing squad of three men from his diocese: “February 10 began as a sad day for us in Kabale. People were commanded to come to the stadium and witness the execution. Death permeated the atmosphere. A silent crowd of about three thousand was there to watch. I had permission from the authorities to speak to the men before they died, and two of my fellow ministers were with me. They brought the men in a truck and unloaded them. They were handcuffed, and their feet were chained. The firing squad stood at attention.
We approached them from behind, and as they turned to look at us, what a sight! Their faces were all alight with an unmistakable glow and radiance. Before we could say anything, one of them burst out: "Bishop, thank you for coming! I wanted to tell you. The day I was arrested, in my prison cell, I asked the Lord Jesus to come into my heart. He came in and forgave me all my sins! Heaven is now open, and there is nothing between me and my God! Please tell my wife and children that I am going to be with Jesus. Ask them to accept him into their lives as I did."
The three faced the firing squad standing close together. They looked toward the people and began to wave, handcuffs and all. The people waved back. Then shots were fired, and the three were with Jesus. Though dead, the men spoke loudly to all of Kigezi District and beyond, so that there was an upsurge of life in Christ, which challenges death and defeats it. The next Sunday, I was preaching to a huge crowd in the home town of one of the executed men. Again, the feel of death was over the congregation. But when I gave them the testimony of their man, and how he died, there erupted a great song of praise to Jesus! Many turned to the Lord there.” -Ray Stamps.
In our scripture chosen for this day, Jesus taught about eternal life. He told those gathered around that the person who “hears” and “believes”, “has eternal life” (John 5:24). That person’s life is redeemed from sin and judgement. Jesus pays the price. That person “has passed from death to life.” When you move from a person who just “hears” the Bible to one who “believes” in Jesus, it changes you. Jesus said in this verse that the person passes from death to life. The person is saved. The person is freed from damnation. The soul is unburdened.
When the men from Uganda were to face the firing squad, they relied on the only help they could find in that moment. They turned to Jesus. They asked for Jesus to be in their hearts. They desired their Lord to be with them in that terrible time. When they did, their Bishop described them as “alight with an unmistakable glow and radiance.” When Stephen was killed in the book of Acts, it is said that he saw heaven and was filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:55). God’s grace also glowed brightly in Stephen just before he was stoned to death. In that terrible moment, Stephen was not afraid of death. He felt God’s presence. He “passed from death to eternal life”. From Stephen to the men from Uganda, and so many more; God’s presence changes the meaning of life and death. True faith and God’s presence are awesome together!
I feel for all those who have never felt the powerful filling of God’s Spirit. I hurt for those who have not felt God’s overwhelming grace. I hope you feel the wonder and awe of God’s presence today. When was the last time you asked for Jesus to come into your heart anew or to visit with you during your prayers? When was the last time you asked for Jesus to be present in a moment of trial? It is a beautiful thing when God’s Spirit fills a person to overflowing. It warms the soul of all those close by.
October 5
“If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:21, NLT)
George, a well-known carpenter, was getting ready for work. He poured his morning coffee and sat by his favorite chair. Next to him sat an end table on which he had his Bible and his reading glasses. His Bible was open to a passage that had intrigued him that day. As he thought about that passage, he absentmindedly put down the coffee on the end table and reached for the Bible. A little stiff that morning, he didn’t gauge the distance very well. He knocked into his cup, spilling the coffee on the table. He immediately cleaned the mess up, but he knew this would not be good. The Bible had several wet and damaged pages. Also, the coffee table, which had been worn, was damaged by the coffee.
Over the next few weeks, George noticed when he sat down to read his Bible in the evenings that there were a few pages in the Bible that were forever crinkled by the coffee spill. Also, the end table had a dark streak in a section of the worn wood. Over and over, he kept telling himself that he was going to do something about it. He didn’t want to give up his favorite Bible, so he just learned to live with the few crinkled pages. As for the damaged end table, it began to bother George. His wife needled him about being a master carpenter but having an end table with a damaged finish. When a friend from work came over during a get-together, he was teased for having a “stained old coffee table” next to his chair. Every day he looked at that stain, but he just didn’t have the time or energy it took to refinish the entire table. After a few months, he just covered over the top of the table with a cloth and left it at that. Nobody would know about the damaged finish underneath. What was regrettable was that the end table was made from beautiful hardwoods with an inlayed center section. The stain caused the beauty of the wood to be covered up with linen. What a waste, especially in the home of a master carpenter!
Just as that master carpenter covered up that stain, there are people who have covered up their sin and guilt. They have not dealt with past mistakes or asked for forgiveness for their wrongs. Heart and soul are not pure but tainted by the residue of the past. Because of past wrongs that were covered over or hidden away, these good people do not feel right before God. They are not ready to take on any special work for God, because their past is holding them back. It’s a shame. It’s a waste of a perfectly good soul.
George will have to spend hours stripping off the old shellac to begin to restore that end table. Then, he needs to sand it smooth, clean it, and reapply a new finish. With each coat of new finish, more sanding and buffing will be required. In the end, it will be worth it. That end table could easily be a family heirloom for generations! In like manner, it will take a good deal of soul-searching and prayer for you to work through issues when your life is stained with the past. Though God can forgive your soul in a moment, often the residue of past sins can be found all throughout your heart and soul and mind. To regain a pure heart, you will have to work through and cleanse yourself from what’s left of that past sin. Any guilt must be dealt with. Any consequences must be atoned for. In the end, it will be worth it. Generations will be affected by your faith or lack of it!
In our scripture for today listed above, Paul urged young pastor Timothy to keep himself “pure” before God. If Timothy would remain spiritually pure before God, he would be “ready for the Master to use for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21). Remaining spiritually pure before God is very important in your life. It means God can use you right now, at this moment. Sin stains you. It taints your whole relationship with God. It causes you to question God when you shouldn’t, to have regrets when you should be hopeful. That’s why it is so very important that you work through your sins and failures with God as they occur. Don’t wait to deal with them. Don’t hide them away in the dark recesses of your soul for them to haunt you later. Don’t cover them up or try to forget them. They keep you from being pure in heart and soul. They cause you to second-guess your calling.
Are there any spiritual “stains” that need refinishing in your life today? Are there past mistakes that form regrets in your mind? To be pure before God, you need to work through each one. I want you to be ready for God’s next mission. You can’t do this if your attention is rooted to a past that haunts you.
Over the next few weeks, George noticed when he sat down to read his Bible in the evenings that there were a few pages in the Bible that were forever crinkled by the coffee spill. Also, the end table had a dark streak in a section of the worn wood. Over and over, he kept telling himself that he was going to do something about it. He didn’t want to give up his favorite Bible, so he just learned to live with the few crinkled pages. As for the damaged end table, it began to bother George. His wife needled him about being a master carpenter but having an end table with a damaged finish. When a friend from work came over during a get-together, he was teased for having a “stained old coffee table” next to his chair. Every day he looked at that stain, but he just didn’t have the time or energy it took to refinish the entire table. After a few months, he just covered over the top of the table with a cloth and left it at that. Nobody would know about the damaged finish underneath. What was regrettable was that the end table was made from beautiful hardwoods with an inlayed center section. The stain caused the beauty of the wood to be covered up with linen. What a waste, especially in the home of a master carpenter!
Just as that master carpenter covered up that stain, there are people who have covered up their sin and guilt. They have not dealt with past mistakes or asked for forgiveness for their wrongs. Heart and soul are not pure but tainted by the residue of the past. Because of past wrongs that were covered over or hidden away, these good people do not feel right before God. They are not ready to take on any special work for God, because their past is holding them back. It’s a shame. It’s a waste of a perfectly good soul.
George will have to spend hours stripping off the old shellac to begin to restore that end table. Then, he needs to sand it smooth, clean it, and reapply a new finish. With each coat of new finish, more sanding and buffing will be required. In the end, it will be worth it. That end table could easily be a family heirloom for generations! In like manner, it will take a good deal of soul-searching and prayer for you to work through issues when your life is stained with the past. Though God can forgive your soul in a moment, often the residue of past sins can be found all throughout your heart and soul and mind. To regain a pure heart, you will have to work through and cleanse yourself from what’s left of that past sin. Any guilt must be dealt with. Any consequences must be atoned for. In the end, it will be worth it. Generations will be affected by your faith or lack of it!
In our scripture for today listed above, Paul urged young pastor Timothy to keep himself “pure” before God. If Timothy would remain spiritually pure before God, he would be “ready for the Master to use for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21). Remaining spiritually pure before God is very important in your life. It means God can use you right now, at this moment. Sin stains you. It taints your whole relationship with God. It causes you to question God when you shouldn’t, to have regrets when you should be hopeful. That’s why it is so very important that you work through your sins and failures with God as they occur. Don’t wait to deal with them. Don’t hide them away in the dark recesses of your soul for them to haunt you later. Don’t cover them up or try to forget them. They keep you from being pure in heart and soul. They cause you to second-guess your calling.
Are there any spiritual “stains” that need refinishing in your life today? Are there past mistakes that form regrets in your mind? To be pure before God, you need to work through each one. I want you to be ready for God’s next mission. You can’t do this if your attention is rooted to a past that haunts you.
October 7
“Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.” (Isaiah 49:13, NIV)
Are you one of God’s children? Would you consider yourself one of God’s “people” as quoted in the scripture above? When this scripture was written, God’s people were Jewish. Most were from the area in and around Judah and Israel. They had just been through a war caused by sinful leadership and evil practices in the land. Because of the terrible war, the people were hurting. In the midst of their suffering, they cried out to God. In response, God heard them. God began to comfort them. From far away places, the people began to return from the war. Refugees moved back to the land of their ancestors. People began to rebuild. The Temple was pieced back together. During this period of rebuilding, the people felt God’s “compassion” and “comfort” (Isaiah 49:13). It made them want to “burst into song” and “shout for joy”. Their mourning had been turned to hope.
There will probably be seasons in your life when you too will cry out to God in suffering. You might suffer illness or failure, loss or misfortune. An accident might befall your life, shaking up your world. When you are one of the “people” of God, you can call upon HIM. You can seek HIS comfort and compassion. God has a special place in HIS heart for HIS people. He especially cares for “His afflicted ones” (Isaiah 49:13).
Max Lucado wrote a book of inspirational thoughts for each day of the year. He entitled the book Grace for the Moment. In that book, Lucado was musing about what his readers might face during the upcoming year. Reflecting on the future and past gives one a unique understanding of the fragility of life. To that end, he wrote: “ If you’ll celebrate a marriage anniversary alone this year, [God] speaks to you. If your child made it to heaven before making it to kindergarten, He speaks to you.…If your dreams were buried as they lowered the casket, God speaks to you. He speaks to all of us who have stood or will stand in the soft dirt near an open grave. And to us He gives this confident word: ‘I want you to know what happens to a Christian when he dies so that when it happens, you will not be full of sorrow, as those are who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and then came back to life again, we can also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him all the Christians who have died’ (1 Thess. 4:13–14 TLB).” (p. 320, When Christ Comes).
God has a special place in His heart for the hurting and suffering and afflicted. When you are one of His chosen ones, when you have made promises to be faithful, God remembers you. You are not just another blob of flesh upon the earth. You are one of God’s children. God has a special relationship with you. Your pain or suffering bothers God. Like a parent who wants to ease the fever of a child with the flu, God wants to ease the suffering of His children. Out of love, God hurts for you.
“John Wesley was about 21 years of age when he went to Oxford University. He came from a Christian home, and he was gifted with a keen mind and good looks. Yet in those days he was a bit snobbish and sarcastic. One night, however, something happened that set in motion a change in Wesley's heart. While speaking with a porter, he discovered that the poor fellow had only one coat and lived in such impoverished conditions that he didn't even have a bed. Yet he was an unusually happy person, filled with gratitude to God. Wesley, being immature, thoughtlessly joked about the man's misfortunes. ‘And what else do you thank God for?’ he said with a touch of sarcasm.
The porter smiled, and in the spirit of meekness replied with joy, ‘I thank Him that He has given me my life and being, a heart to love Him, and above all a constant desire to serve Him!’ Deeply moved, Wesley recognized that this man knew the meaning of true thankfulness.
Many years later, in 1791, John Wesley lay on his deathbed at the age of 88. Those who gathered around him realized how well he had learned the lesson of praising God in every circumstance. Despite Wesley's extreme weakness, he began singing the hymn, ‘I'll Praise My Maker While I've Breath.’” (From Our Daily Bread)
Have you ever wanted to praise God so much you burst into song? Have you ever been so thankful it made your heart leap inside your chest? When God hears your praises, that brings joy not only to Him; all around you will be blessed by the uplifting melody in your heart. God continually seeks to comfort the afflictions of His people. How good are you at giving praise in return?
There will probably be seasons in your life when you too will cry out to God in suffering. You might suffer illness or failure, loss or misfortune. An accident might befall your life, shaking up your world. When you are one of the “people” of God, you can call upon HIM. You can seek HIS comfort and compassion. God has a special place in HIS heart for HIS people. He especially cares for “His afflicted ones” (Isaiah 49:13).
Max Lucado wrote a book of inspirational thoughts for each day of the year. He entitled the book Grace for the Moment. In that book, Lucado was musing about what his readers might face during the upcoming year. Reflecting on the future and past gives one a unique understanding of the fragility of life. To that end, he wrote: “ If you’ll celebrate a marriage anniversary alone this year, [God] speaks to you. If your child made it to heaven before making it to kindergarten, He speaks to you.…If your dreams were buried as they lowered the casket, God speaks to you. He speaks to all of us who have stood or will stand in the soft dirt near an open grave. And to us He gives this confident word: ‘I want you to know what happens to a Christian when he dies so that when it happens, you will not be full of sorrow, as those are who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and then came back to life again, we can also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him all the Christians who have died’ (1 Thess. 4:13–14 TLB).” (p. 320, When Christ Comes).
God has a special place in His heart for the hurting and suffering and afflicted. When you are one of His chosen ones, when you have made promises to be faithful, God remembers you. You are not just another blob of flesh upon the earth. You are one of God’s children. God has a special relationship with you. Your pain or suffering bothers God. Like a parent who wants to ease the fever of a child with the flu, God wants to ease the suffering of His children. Out of love, God hurts for you.
“John Wesley was about 21 years of age when he went to Oxford University. He came from a Christian home, and he was gifted with a keen mind and good looks. Yet in those days he was a bit snobbish and sarcastic. One night, however, something happened that set in motion a change in Wesley's heart. While speaking with a porter, he discovered that the poor fellow had only one coat and lived in such impoverished conditions that he didn't even have a bed. Yet he was an unusually happy person, filled with gratitude to God. Wesley, being immature, thoughtlessly joked about the man's misfortunes. ‘And what else do you thank God for?’ he said with a touch of sarcasm.
The porter smiled, and in the spirit of meekness replied with joy, ‘I thank Him that He has given me my life and being, a heart to love Him, and above all a constant desire to serve Him!’ Deeply moved, Wesley recognized that this man knew the meaning of true thankfulness.
Many years later, in 1791, John Wesley lay on his deathbed at the age of 88. Those who gathered around him realized how well he had learned the lesson of praising God in every circumstance. Despite Wesley's extreme weakness, he began singing the hymn, ‘I'll Praise My Maker While I've Breath.’” (From Our Daily Bread)
Have you ever wanted to praise God so much you burst into song? Have you ever been so thankful it made your heart leap inside your chest? When God hears your praises, that brings joy not only to Him; all around you will be blessed by the uplifting melody in your heart. God continually seeks to comfort the afflictions of His people. How good are you at giving praise in return?
October 9
“Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.”
(2 Corinthians 4:1, RSV)
(2 Corinthians 4:1, RSV)
In your daily Christian walk, do you fall down often? Do situations and turmoil overtake you? Do the events of the day overwhelm you? I’ve met people who were incredibly gifted individuals but with one spiritual flaw; they would lose heart at the first sign of trouble. They would give up at the first obstacle or challenge. Our scripture for today contains Paul’s words of encouragement for those of the Corinthian Church who felt this way. He didn’t want them to give up when troubling times were afoot. He wanted them to keep going “by the mercy of God” (2 Corinthians 4:1).
Daniel Boone was born of Quaker parents in Pennsylvania. He is known for his persevering spirit in settling Kentucky, for traveling hundreds of miles in uncharted territories, for overcoming difficult natural obstacles. Boone’s quiet determination is evident in this anecdote from artist Chester Harding. The artist was painting Boone's portrait when the old frontiersman was in his eighties. As he dipped his brush into the pallet, he asked. "Mr. Boone. have you ever been lost?"
Boone thought for a moment and then replied. "No. I can't say I was ever lost. but I was bewildered once for three days."
Many Christians are at a disadvantage when it comes to recovering from “bewilderment”. They can’t seem to get back up and back on task when things don’t go well. Churches are filled with Christians who will fight to get their way, push others to accomplish their own goals, and let their minds wander when in the presence of God’s Spirit. They don’t stay on task. They don’t complete their holy missions. Some have not figured out how God wants us to compromise without watering down the gospel. Others fail to show true love. Many lack deep spiritual commitment or an honest faith. Do you wish ill upon others in your church? Do you like to exert your authority among your Christian friends? Do you play the martyr to look humble or faithful? There are so many ways to “lose heart” in the church. Whenever you feel like giving up on your mission or falling back on human methods to get things done, take hold of these inspired words: "Therefore. since through God's mercy we have this ministry. we do not lose heart" (2 Cor. 4:1). (Adapted from Reflections).
It can be easy to forget that your job as a Christian is to let God be God. God is in charge. You are not. God is all-knowing. You are not. God can see far into the future. You cannot. God can see into the hearts of others. You cannot. With God’s Spirit, you may be able to have spiritual glimpses into holy things, but you will never know or see what God knows and sees. Therefore, when something doesn’t go your way or when life takes a turn for the worse, don’t let your heart falter or fail. God is still in control. God is still in Heaven. You may be in a spiritual valley at times, but that doesn’t mean that God isn’t on the mountaintop watching over your path. You need to trust that God knows where you are headed or how you need to get somewhere. You need to trust God enough to let God be God. Keep a strong faith in God’s ability to govern the universe. Do not lose heart.
According to the National Bureau of Standards, a dense fog covering seven city blocks to a depth of 100 feet is composed of something less than one glass of water. That is, all the fog covering seven city blocks 100 feet deep could be, if it were condensed, held in a single drinking glass. That fog would not even fill the glass full. A fog looks so dense and impenetrable, but it is composed of so little water. A fear can also seem so big and looming and all-encompassing when in reality it may be a small matter. It is so easy to lose heart in the face of something so unworthy. As the sun can burn away the fog in a matter of minutes, God’s power can dispel any fear you have. You need to truly believe in God’s mercy. You can’t lose heart.
Is there something in your ministry that is weakening your resolve? Do you find yourself faltering at something when God wants you to remain firm?
Daniel Boone was born of Quaker parents in Pennsylvania. He is known for his persevering spirit in settling Kentucky, for traveling hundreds of miles in uncharted territories, for overcoming difficult natural obstacles. Boone’s quiet determination is evident in this anecdote from artist Chester Harding. The artist was painting Boone's portrait when the old frontiersman was in his eighties. As he dipped his brush into the pallet, he asked. "Mr. Boone. have you ever been lost?"
Boone thought for a moment and then replied. "No. I can't say I was ever lost. but I was bewildered once for three days."
Many Christians are at a disadvantage when it comes to recovering from “bewilderment”. They can’t seem to get back up and back on task when things don’t go well. Churches are filled with Christians who will fight to get their way, push others to accomplish their own goals, and let their minds wander when in the presence of God’s Spirit. They don’t stay on task. They don’t complete their holy missions. Some have not figured out how God wants us to compromise without watering down the gospel. Others fail to show true love. Many lack deep spiritual commitment or an honest faith. Do you wish ill upon others in your church? Do you like to exert your authority among your Christian friends? Do you play the martyr to look humble or faithful? There are so many ways to “lose heart” in the church. Whenever you feel like giving up on your mission or falling back on human methods to get things done, take hold of these inspired words: "Therefore. since through God's mercy we have this ministry. we do not lose heart" (2 Cor. 4:1). (Adapted from Reflections).
It can be easy to forget that your job as a Christian is to let God be God. God is in charge. You are not. God is all-knowing. You are not. God can see far into the future. You cannot. God can see into the hearts of others. You cannot. With God’s Spirit, you may be able to have spiritual glimpses into holy things, but you will never know or see what God knows and sees. Therefore, when something doesn’t go your way or when life takes a turn for the worse, don’t let your heart falter or fail. God is still in control. God is still in Heaven. You may be in a spiritual valley at times, but that doesn’t mean that God isn’t on the mountaintop watching over your path. You need to trust that God knows where you are headed or how you need to get somewhere. You need to trust God enough to let God be God. Keep a strong faith in God’s ability to govern the universe. Do not lose heart.
According to the National Bureau of Standards, a dense fog covering seven city blocks to a depth of 100 feet is composed of something less than one glass of water. That is, all the fog covering seven city blocks 100 feet deep could be, if it were condensed, held in a single drinking glass. That fog would not even fill the glass full. A fog looks so dense and impenetrable, but it is composed of so little water. A fear can also seem so big and looming and all-encompassing when in reality it may be a small matter. It is so easy to lose heart in the face of something so unworthy. As the sun can burn away the fog in a matter of minutes, God’s power can dispel any fear you have. You need to truly believe in God’s mercy. You can’t lose heart.
Is there something in your ministry that is weakening your resolve? Do you find yourself faltering at something when God wants you to remain firm?
October 10
“In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the likeness of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4, RSV)
The wall looked normal, like any other wall in a kitchen. As Steve walked up to it, Charlie knew something was wrong, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was. Steve and Charlie were left alone by the company to begin the demolition of a kitchen. The company was in the process of renovating it. The cabinets were already removed, and the slat walls were to come down next. As the men worked around the room, they got to one wall when Charlie got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Steve started swinging the maul to demolish the wall as Charlie put up his hand to stop him for just a second so that he could think. Something wasn’t right. Did he miss something?
On the third swing of the maul, Steve hit an electric line that was not in the right place in the wall. Instead of it being attached deep in the wall cavity or running through the wood stud, the electric line was buried in the plaster. The guys had thought the power was off to the room, but the radio was playing. Later, that’s what Charlie realized was wrong. He should have recognized by the radio blaring that the power was still on in the walls. Many years previous, before modern electrical codes, they used to add wires to a circuit by burying them in the plaster and just covering them over. You always had to watch out for those obscure little details when doing demolition work. Steve ended up in the hospital that day because of two small pieces of copper buried in the wall for sixty years, covered over with three layers of paint, and all but forgotten. When his maul hit those wires, he gave himself and his heart the shock of his life. The electrical discharge knocked him across the room. It could have burned down the house.
Obscure details may be small, like those two small wires hidden for sixty years in the plaster of a kitchen wall, but they can sometimes knock you for a loop. Obscure details in a contract can come back to bite you with their fine print. Obscure details in the fog can make driving hazardous. Obscurities in life are a great challenge.
Spiritual obscurities can be just as dangerous. In the scripture above from 2 Corinthians, the apostle Paul taught that “the god of this world”, i.e. Satan, “has blinded the minds of unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 4:4). When I looked up the meaning of the word for blinded, the original Greek word means “to obscure”. Satan loves to make things unclear, to fill your spiritual life with obscurities. In this way, your spiritual path in life will not be crystal clear. You might have doubts, or “second-guess” yourself or your choices. This can cause your faith to waver. Then, like Peter walking on the water, you will begin to sink as your faith begins to weaken (Matthew 14:31).
Obscuring your spiritual sight, blinding your mind, is a common tactic of Satan. He loves to play games with people. He caused Eve to question God’s placement of the tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). He caused Job to have sickness in order to wreck his relationship with God (Job 2:6-7). Satan twisted Peter’s mind as he considered Jesus’ mission (Mark 8:33). It’s bad enough that lusts and passions and ego and anger and other emotions can blind you. Satan always enjoys adding his effort to keep you from seeing what really matters.
I met John during my college years. He had one goal in life: to be a missionary. He thought about going to the Asian-Pacific theater for missionary work. He considered Africa for a while. During his third year of college, he met Sarah and fell head over heals in love. I mean he was seriously smitten. When he finished college, he decided to delay his plans for missionary work one year after he got engaged with Sarah. He had hopes to take her with him to the mission field. Sarah did not want to be a missionary’s wife. She wasn’t even that religious. She dreamed of a husband with a nine-to-five job, 2.5 kids, and a house in the suburbs. She let John talk all he wanted about his missionary plans, while she made plans for their wedding. Then, after a disagreement about their wedding venue, they postponed the wedding another six months, then another year. Three years after college, Sarah dumped John. By then, all his plans for missionary work had fallen through and had to be re-initiated. He found a temporary job that became permanent. To this day, John has never entered the mission field. It makes me wonder, was Sarah part of Satan’s plan to derail God’s missionary plans for John? If so, it worked. If so, John had no clue the whole time he was taken for a spiritual ride by the evil one himself.
In our scripture for today, Paul taught the Corinthians that unbelievers are “kept from seeing the light of the gospel” by the god of this world, Satan. Satan is glad to alter the sight of believers as well. Watch out for his tactics. You might think you see clearly at crucial moments, but sometimes you will be deceived. You will have the wool pulled over your eyes. You will be hoodwinked. Satan has had centuries to hone his skill. He wants to obscure your way. He desires to make it unclear who are your real friends and enemies. The right path in a given situation might be made hazy through his efforts. That’s why it is so very important that you keep a clear and direct line open with God. Prayer is crucial. God’s Spirit can help direct your way. God’s Word can help guide your steps (Psalm 119:105).
Is there an area of your life in which you are blind? Is there something you aren’t seeing or don’t want to see? How might Satan use that against you?
On the third swing of the maul, Steve hit an electric line that was not in the right place in the wall. Instead of it being attached deep in the wall cavity or running through the wood stud, the electric line was buried in the plaster. The guys had thought the power was off to the room, but the radio was playing. Later, that’s what Charlie realized was wrong. He should have recognized by the radio blaring that the power was still on in the walls. Many years previous, before modern electrical codes, they used to add wires to a circuit by burying them in the plaster and just covering them over. You always had to watch out for those obscure little details when doing demolition work. Steve ended up in the hospital that day because of two small pieces of copper buried in the wall for sixty years, covered over with three layers of paint, and all but forgotten. When his maul hit those wires, he gave himself and his heart the shock of his life. The electrical discharge knocked him across the room. It could have burned down the house.
Obscure details may be small, like those two small wires hidden for sixty years in the plaster of a kitchen wall, but they can sometimes knock you for a loop. Obscure details in a contract can come back to bite you with their fine print. Obscure details in the fog can make driving hazardous. Obscurities in life are a great challenge.
Spiritual obscurities can be just as dangerous. In the scripture above from 2 Corinthians, the apostle Paul taught that “the god of this world”, i.e. Satan, “has blinded the minds of unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 4:4). When I looked up the meaning of the word for blinded, the original Greek word means “to obscure”. Satan loves to make things unclear, to fill your spiritual life with obscurities. In this way, your spiritual path in life will not be crystal clear. You might have doubts, or “second-guess” yourself or your choices. This can cause your faith to waver. Then, like Peter walking on the water, you will begin to sink as your faith begins to weaken (Matthew 14:31).
Obscuring your spiritual sight, blinding your mind, is a common tactic of Satan. He loves to play games with people. He caused Eve to question God’s placement of the tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). He caused Job to have sickness in order to wreck his relationship with God (Job 2:6-7). Satan twisted Peter’s mind as he considered Jesus’ mission (Mark 8:33). It’s bad enough that lusts and passions and ego and anger and other emotions can blind you. Satan always enjoys adding his effort to keep you from seeing what really matters.
I met John during my college years. He had one goal in life: to be a missionary. He thought about going to the Asian-Pacific theater for missionary work. He considered Africa for a while. During his third year of college, he met Sarah and fell head over heals in love. I mean he was seriously smitten. When he finished college, he decided to delay his plans for missionary work one year after he got engaged with Sarah. He had hopes to take her with him to the mission field. Sarah did not want to be a missionary’s wife. She wasn’t even that religious. She dreamed of a husband with a nine-to-five job, 2.5 kids, and a house in the suburbs. She let John talk all he wanted about his missionary plans, while she made plans for their wedding. Then, after a disagreement about their wedding venue, they postponed the wedding another six months, then another year. Three years after college, Sarah dumped John. By then, all his plans for missionary work had fallen through and had to be re-initiated. He found a temporary job that became permanent. To this day, John has never entered the mission field. It makes me wonder, was Sarah part of Satan’s plan to derail God’s missionary plans for John? If so, it worked. If so, John had no clue the whole time he was taken for a spiritual ride by the evil one himself.
In our scripture for today, Paul taught the Corinthians that unbelievers are “kept from seeing the light of the gospel” by the god of this world, Satan. Satan is glad to alter the sight of believers as well. Watch out for his tactics. You might think you see clearly at crucial moments, but sometimes you will be deceived. You will have the wool pulled over your eyes. You will be hoodwinked. Satan has had centuries to hone his skill. He wants to obscure your way. He desires to make it unclear who are your real friends and enemies. The right path in a given situation might be made hazy through his efforts. That’s why it is so very important that you keep a clear and direct line open with God. Prayer is crucial. God’s Spirit can help direct your way. God’s Word can help guide your steps (Psalm 119:105).
Is there an area of your life in which you are blind? Is there something you aren’t seeing or don’t want to see? How might Satan use that against you?
October 11
“And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him—speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction.” (2 Peter 3:15–16, NLT)
When Peter wrote the words above, he mentioned the apostle Paul to his readers. Peter wanted them to know that “beloved brother Paul” had written other letters which contained the “wisdom of God” (2 Peter 3:15). Then, Peter mentioned something interesting about what happened with Paul’s letters. Peter was convinced that there were “ignorant” and spiritually “unstable” people who “twisted” Paul’s letters “to mean something quite different”. Peter explained further that spiritually unstable people will do this to “other parts of scripture” (2 Peter 3:16). I want you to think about this for today. How do people “twist” the meaning of scripture? Do you?
Thirty years ago, I was at a worship service with relatives. It was at a church I had never visited before. At the service, the pastor quoted a passage from the Bible and then said, “This scripture means that if your town doesn’t have a Missouri Synod Lutheran Church in it, you should move to a different town.” I don’t remember that in any Bible I ever read! I think there was some scriptural manipulation going on there that day!
One common way that people twist a meaning of scripture is to pull a scripture out of context and twist it to conform to whatever is required. To do this negates the original meaning of God’s word, but some people just don’t care about being Biblically correct. They want to use the Bible to control others or to sound righteous or to act authoritarian.
A young man was doing work for his elitist boss. The twenty-year-old was afraid of his stern-faced employer. Being sent on an errand, he hit the bumper of the company truck on a parking lot post while backing the truck up to a ramp. When his mother questioned why he wasn’t more careful, the young man said he was in a hurry. She inquired as to why he was in such a rush. He responded, “My boss quoted Jesus. Jesus said in the Bible “What you must do, do quickly.” I wanted to go as quick as I could, Mama. I’m sorry about the accident.” The boss was quoting Jesus all right. He was quoting Jesus’ statement to sinful Judas (John 13:27)! It was a complete and utter misquoting of the Bible to force a young man to hurry in his work for the secular business. There was nothing biblical or even Christ-like about the quote used in that context, in all truth. The boss twisted the meaning of the biblical words for his own business pursuits.
In the scripture for today, Peter ended the verses with a warning. He explained that when people “twist” scripture, it “will result in their destruction” (2 Peter 3:16). Whenever scripture is taken out of context, manipulated, or misinterpreted with intention, there will be consequences. Somebody will pay the price. Twisting the meaning of scripture to suit the times or reinterpreting it to suit your own agenda, will end up causing sin of one form or another. It will also damage one’s relationship with God. When you teach others using a scripture taken out of context or water a scripture down for your own purposes, no good can come from it. You might ease your own mind or heart for a moment, but your soul will never find peace or true joy. People who have spent a lifetime twisting scripture to cover up their sins or to soothe their own souls will find no comfort whatsoever from God. Instead of repenting and making things right with God, they lied to themselves about the truth of God. In the end, it will be their destruction, according to this verse.
I met an older man who had molested a young girl and served a prison term for his actions. He told me that since the girl enjoyed it, it wasn’t really wrong. To soothe his own soul, he told me that in some countries, what he did was not even illegal. My response to him was that it was wrong in the eyes of God. He needs to repent. He disagreed. We have not talked since. I’m sure he hates me to this day. His father complained that I was a terrible pastor for his son. I was too harsh. He quoted the Bible to me saying, “Judge not, Pastor, lest ye be judged” (Luke 6:37). Is that what was going on here? I do believe we have another example of twisting the scripture (not on my part!), don’t you think?
It is very easy to twist scripture instead of dealing with what God intended for HIS word. Some scholars even twist scripture to fit with modern ideas and call it “good biblical interpretation for modern times”. Twisting of scripture has occurred since God’s word was first uttered. Just don’t you do it. Its end is “destruction” according to scripture today.
Is there a scripture that “bothers” you? Is there a scripture you’d wish didn’t hit so close to home? Is there a scripture you’d like to water down, because it applies to you in a negative way?
Thirty years ago, I was at a worship service with relatives. It was at a church I had never visited before. At the service, the pastor quoted a passage from the Bible and then said, “This scripture means that if your town doesn’t have a Missouri Synod Lutheran Church in it, you should move to a different town.” I don’t remember that in any Bible I ever read! I think there was some scriptural manipulation going on there that day!
One common way that people twist a meaning of scripture is to pull a scripture out of context and twist it to conform to whatever is required. To do this negates the original meaning of God’s word, but some people just don’t care about being Biblically correct. They want to use the Bible to control others or to sound righteous or to act authoritarian.
A young man was doing work for his elitist boss. The twenty-year-old was afraid of his stern-faced employer. Being sent on an errand, he hit the bumper of the company truck on a parking lot post while backing the truck up to a ramp. When his mother questioned why he wasn’t more careful, the young man said he was in a hurry. She inquired as to why he was in such a rush. He responded, “My boss quoted Jesus. Jesus said in the Bible “What you must do, do quickly.” I wanted to go as quick as I could, Mama. I’m sorry about the accident.” The boss was quoting Jesus all right. He was quoting Jesus’ statement to sinful Judas (John 13:27)! It was a complete and utter misquoting of the Bible to force a young man to hurry in his work for the secular business. There was nothing biblical or even Christ-like about the quote used in that context, in all truth. The boss twisted the meaning of the biblical words for his own business pursuits.
In the scripture for today, Peter ended the verses with a warning. He explained that when people “twist” scripture, it “will result in their destruction” (2 Peter 3:16). Whenever scripture is taken out of context, manipulated, or misinterpreted with intention, there will be consequences. Somebody will pay the price. Twisting the meaning of scripture to suit the times or reinterpreting it to suit your own agenda, will end up causing sin of one form or another. It will also damage one’s relationship with God. When you teach others using a scripture taken out of context or water a scripture down for your own purposes, no good can come from it. You might ease your own mind or heart for a moment, but your soul will never find peace or true joy. People who have spent a lifetime twisting scripture to cover up their sins or to soothe their own souls will find no comfort whatsoever from God. Instead of repenting and making things right with God, they lied to themselves about the truth of God. In the end, it will be their destruction, according to this verse.
I met an older man who had molested a young girl and served a prison term for his actions. He told me that since the girl enjoyed it, it wasn’t really wrong. To soothe his own soul, he told me that in some countries, what he did was not even illegal. My response to him was that it was wrong in the eyes of God. He needs to repent. He disagreed. We have not talked since. I’m sure he hates me to this day. His father complained that I was a terrible pastor for his son. I was too harsh. He quoted the Bible to me saying, “Judge not, Pastor, lest ye be judged” (Luke 6:37). Is that what was going on here? I do believe we have another example of twisting the scripture (not on my part!), don’t you think?
It is very easy to twist scripture instead of dealing with what God intended for HIS word. Some scholars even twist scripture to fit with modern ideas and call it “good biblical interpretation for modern times”. Twisting of scripture has occurred since God’s word was first uttered. Just don’t you do it. Its end is “destruction” according to scripture today.
Is there a scripture that “bothers” you? Is there a scripture you’d wish didn’t hit so close to home? Is there a scripture you’d like to water down, because it applies to you in a negative way?
October 13
“I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.” (Psalm 119:15, ESV)
The Bible you study, the interpretations of each verse, can influence how you come to understand God. That’s why it is very important that you study the Bible, not just read it. Through the years, people who have translated the Bible have taken liberties in explaining the Bible. Original language translation is not always easy. It is impossible to make a perfect translation of the Bible into English. However, by studying the Bible, reading how different Bible translations interpret God’s Word, you can see different nuances of the original written text. Let me show you.
In the New International Version of the Bible, Psalm 119:15 states: “I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.” The author of the psalm desired to learn from God’s word by not just reading but by “meditating” on God’s precepts. However, the second half of the New International Version translation of Psalm 119:15 is different from what is written above. In the NIV, it reads that the author will “consider” God’s ways. After studying the original Hebrew, I like the ESV translation better (though both are correct translations of the meaning of the original Hebrew word!). There it says that the author will “fix his eyes” upon God’s ways. Considering something is NOT the same as fixing your intention upon it. I like the idea of being totally focused on God’s ways, “fixing your eyes” upon God’s plans. It means more than just considering or pondering God’s guiding hand. Therefore, for me, the ESV translation of this verse speaks more to my heart today.
A few years back, I ended up in an airport sitting next to a marriage counselor. To pass the time, we talked about counseling successes over the years. As we shared stories, the marriage counselor declared that he was doing research for a book. When I asked about it, he mentioned that the book would be about warning signs that divorce was looming. He saw the book as a help for people to keep a marriage healthy and a guard against things that could damage it. I asked him what was the most common early sign of problems in a marriage. He responded promptly, “wandering eyes”.
When a pretty woman walks past a husband and wife in an airport, the man with wandering eyes will absent-mindedly look at the pretty woman for a fleeting moment. His attention will be diverted, even for just a split second, to the sexual object before him. An early sign of problems in a marriage is when a man looks at other women lustfully, or watches their bodily movements, or leers at them. It’s a huge red flag that problems loom on the horizon for any woman in a relationship with him.
However, wandering eyes are not only found in relationships. Your wandering eyes tell a whole lot about your heart and soul, your mind and emotions. If you look at a new truck for a little too long, it might be a sign that you lust for a new vehicle or are tired of fixing your old one. If your eyes linger on the advertisement for a lipstick, you might be unconsciously missing passion in your life. Your eyes wander all the time. What they wander to and what they focus on will tell a lot about you.
Twenty years ago, I was in a church hall conversing with a husband and wife. As we talked, a pretty woman walked into the hall and started across the open area toward a group of tables. At that precise moment, the wife with whom I was standing followed the woman with her eyes. The husband kept talking, not noticing his wife’s glances. In the back of my mind, I took note of the incident. A few minutes later when the husband was alone, I asked him about the woman was who had entered. He gave me the name and absent-mindedly stated, “We were engaged before I married Sue”.
Without hesitating a beat, I turned to him and said, “How does Sue feel about her attending your church?”
He responded, “She’s OK about it. Sue isn’t one to be jealous of any of my past girlfriends.”
Since the husband trusted me, I said, “Steve, do me a favor. Tell Sue you love her and make sure she doesn’t have a problem with that woman.”
Two weeks later, Steve came to me privately after worship and asked me if his wife had talked to me. I said she hadn’t. Steve looked puzzled. It seems that after he asked Sue about his ex- girlfriend attending their church, he was shocked at her response. Sue mentioned that some of the women in the congregation would needle her about Steve’s past relationships. That former girlfriend even made comments now and then that were highly suggestive and inappropriate. Steve and Sue ended up in counseling. However, it was Sue’s wandering eyes that told me something was wrong. As they lingered a little too long on the former girlfriend, her eyes betrayed her.
They say the eyes are a window to the soul. Well, what are your eyes betraying about you lately? What are they attracted to? What do they like? What do they linger on or desire? Do they show fear or worry, jealousy or envy? God wants your eyes fixed on His ways. That’s hard to do when your eyes are wandering to the eye candy of this world.
In the New International Version of the Bible, Psalm 119:15 states: “I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.” The author of the psalm desired to learn from God’s word by not just reading but by “meditating” on God’s precepts. However, the second half of the New International Version translation of Psalm 119:15 is different from what is written above. In the NIV, it reads that the author will “consider” God’s ways. After studying the original Hebrew, I like the ESV translation better (though both are correct translations of the meaning of the original Hebrew word!). There it says that the author will “fix his eyes” upon God’s ways. Considering something is NOT the same as fixing your intention upon it. I like the idea of being totally focused on God’s ways, “fixing your eyes” upon God’s plans. It means more than just considering or pondering God’s guiding hand. Therefore, for me, the ESV translation of this verse speaks more to my heart today.
A few years back, I ended up in an airport sitting next to a marriage counselor. To pass the time, we talked about counseling successes over the years. As we shared stories, the marriage counselor declared that he was doing research for a book. When I asked about it, he mentioned that the book would be about warning signs that divorce was looming. He saw the book as a help for people to keep a marriage healthy and a guard against things that could damage it. I asked him what was the most common early sign of problems in a marriage. He responded promptly, “wandering eyes”.
When a pretty woman walks past a husband and wife in an airport, the man with wandering eyes will absent-mindedly look at the pretty woman for a fleeting moment. His attention will be diverted, even for just a split second, to the sexual object before him. An early sign of problems in a marriage is when a man looks at other women lustfully, or watches their bodily movements, or leers at them. It’s a huge red flag that problems loom on the horizon for any woman in a relationship with him.
However, wandering eyes are not only found in relationships. Your wandering eyes tell a whole lot about your heart and soul, your mind and emotions. If you look at a new truck for a little too long, it might be a sign that you lust for a new vehicle or are tired of fixing your old one. If your eyes linger on the advertisement for a lipstick, you might be unconsciously missing passion in your life. Your eyes wander all the time. What they wander to and what they focus on will tell a lot about you.
Twenty years ago, I was in a church hall conversing with a husband and wife. As we talked, a pretty woman walked into the hall and started across the open area toward a group of tables. At that precise moment, the wife with whom I was standing followed the woman with her eyes. The husband kept talking, not noticing his wife’s glances. In the back of my mind, I took note of the incident. A few minutes later when the husband was alone, I asked him about the woman was who had entered. He gave me the name and absent-mindedly stated, “We were engaged before I married Sue”.
Without hesitating a beat, I turned to him and said, “How does Sue feel about her attending your church?”
He responded, “She’s OK about it. Sue isn’t one to be jealous of any of my past girlfriends.”
Since the husband trusted me, I said, “Steve, do me a favor. Tell Sue you love her and make sure she doesn’t have a problem with that woman.”
Two weeks later, Steve came to me privately after worship and asked me if his wife had talked to me. I said she hadn’t. Steve looked puzzled. It seems that after he asked Sue about his ex- girlfriend attending their church, he was shocked at her response. Sue mentioned that some of the women in the congregation would needle her about Steve’s past relationships. That former girlfriend even made comments now and then that were highly suggestive and inappropriate. Steve and Sue ended up in counseling. However, it was Sue’s wandering eyes that told me something was wrong. As they lingered a little too long on the former girlfriend, her eyes betrayed her.
They say the eyes are a window to the soul. Well, what are your eyes betraying about you lately? What are they attracted to? What do they like? What do they linger on or desire? Do they show fear or worry, jealousy or envy? God wants your eyes fixed on His ways. That’s hard to do when your eyes are wandering to the eye candy of this world.
October 14
““When you go forth to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. …..And the officers shall speak further to the people, and say, ‘What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go back to his house, lest the heart of his fellows melt as his heart.’” (Deuteronomy 20:1,8, RSV)
Your reactions to an event will affect others. Your reactions can affect your emotions and body, your soul and faith. Your reactions reflect how you will approach a situation and how others will perceive you. Reactions are very telling. Your reactions speak to your character, your state of mind, and your depth of faith. One of the best ways to tell how a man (or woman) feels in his true heart is to witness his reaction to a startling event, to striking news, to a challenging moment. His initial response and reaction speaks volumes.
C.S. Lewis once wrote: “Surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of man he is. If there are rats in a cellar, you are most likely to see them if you go in very suddenly. But the suddenness does not create the rats; it only prevents them from hiding. In the same way, the suddenness of the provocation does not make me ill-tempered; it only shows me what an ill-tempered man I am.” Lewis was convinced that when a man is taken off guard, he will respond more naturally, more truthfully. An angry man will respond with anger. A resentful man will respond with bitterness. Fearful people will respond with trepidation. Reactions are often very revealing.
In the scripture for today from the book of Deuteronomy, Moses is teaching the people about leadership and especially future military leadership. Moses knew that any large group of people who sought to live in the area around Canaan could expect resistance, armed conflict, and war. People didn’t just let you settle in that area. They would fight you for crops and acreage and cities and property, no matter what God said about a promised land. To prepare the people for those coming days, Moses mentioned about the fear of war in Deuteronomy 20:1. He mentioned that the men of war should not be afraid when they see larger armies, “for the Lord their God is with them”. God was to stand battle with them, to protect their flanks. Deuteronomy 20:8 adds to the discussion when speaking about officers going into battle. If officers are “fearful and fainthearted”, they should go home. Moses knew that in the midst of battle, reactions could prove fatal. If officers fled, the regular soldiers would sense their fear. If officers were frightened, the troops would not be up for the fight. “The heart” of the soldiers would “melt”.
Just as the reaction of the officers in Moses’ army would affect their soldiers in the day of battle, you affect others from day to day. Your reactions affect your friends and family, even all those around you. John W. Ritenbaugh wrote a book called Every Action Has a Reaction. In it, he wrote that “If one man breaks and runs because he is fearful, he is likely to set off a whole-scale retreat because everybody else will be frightened by the one who was fearful. So the army is routed and defeated, because the action of one affects the attitude of all. The opposite works, too—the bravery of one can also inspire all.” Your attitude and reactions will cause fear or bravery, worry or passion in all those around you.
Moses didn’t want officers and soldiers who were afraid and fearful to fight for Israel . He knew they would infect the entire army with their poor reactions. He knew they would weaken morale. God weeded them out. Moses ordered the fearful to stay home or stay away from the battle. When God has a fight or challenge in this world, God wants fighters. God wants those with faith in the battle. There is no room for doubt. The same God who parted the Red Sea is your God. What is there to fear?
God will notice your reactions, especially when you are surprised and taken off guard. God will watch for your reactions to both good and bad news. What kind of spiritual soldier are you? How do you tend to react to adversity, surprises, challenges or suffering? Your reactions tell a lot about what is in your soul.
C.S. Lewis once wrote: “Surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of man he is. If there are rats in a cellar, you are most likely to see them if you go in very suddenly. But the suddenness does not create the rats; it only prevents them from hiding. In the same way, the suddenness of the provocation does not make me ill-tempered; it only shows me what an ill-tempered man I am.” Lewis was convinced that when a man is taken off guard, he will respond more naturally, more truthfully. An angry man will respond with anger. A resentful man will respond with bitterness. Fearful people will respond with trepidation. Reactions are often very revealing.
In the scripture for today from the book of Deuteronomy, Moses is teaching the people about leadership and especially future military leadership. Moses knew that any large group of people who sought to live in the area around Canaan could expect resistance, armed conflict, and war. People didn’t just let you settle in that area. They would fight you for crops and acreage and cities and property, no matter what God said about a promised land. To prepare the people for those coming days, Moses mentioned about the fear of war in Deuteronomy 20:1. He mentioned that the men of war should not be afraid when they see larger armies, “for the Lord their God is with them”. God was to stand battle with them, to protect their flanks. Deuteronomy 20:8 adds to the discussion when speaking about officers going into battle. If officers are “fearful and fainthearted”, they should go home. Moses knew that in the midst of battle, reactions could prove fatal. If officers fled, the regular soldiers would sense their fear. If officers were frightened, the troops would not be up for the fight. “The heart” of the soldiers would “melt”.
Just as the reaction of the officers in Moses’ army would affect their soldiers in the day of battle, you affect others from day to day. Your reactions affect your friends and family, even all those around you. John W. Ritenbaugh wrote a book called Every Action Has a Reaction. In it, he wrote that “If one man breaks and runs because he is fearful, he is likely to set off a whole-scale retreat because everybody else will be frightened by the one who was fearful. So the army is routed and defeated, because the action of one affects the attitude of all. The opposite works, too—the bravery of one can also inspire all.” Your attitude and reactions will cause fear or bravery, worry or passion in all those around you.
Moses didn’t want officers and soldiers who were afraid and fearful to fight for Israel . He knew they would infect the entire army with their poor reactions. He knew they would weaken morale. God weeded them out. Moses ordered the fearful to stay home or stay away from the battle. When God has a fight or challenge in this world, God wants fighters. God wants those with faith in the battle. There is no room for doubt. The same God who parted the Red Sea is your God. What is there to fear?
God will notice your reactions, especially when you are surprised and taken off guard. God will watch for your reactions to both good and bad news. What kind of spiritual soldier are you? How do you tend to react to adversity, surprises, challenges or suffering? Your reactions tell a lot about what is in your soul.
October 16
“So I will laugh when you are in trouble! I will mock you when disaster overtakes you— when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster engulfs you like a cyclone, and anguish and distress overwhelm you. “When they cry for help, I will not answer. Though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me. For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the Lord. They rejected my advice and paid no attention when I corrected them.” (Proverbs 1:26–30, NLT)
Jay Kesler wrote: “Shortly after I got my driver's license, I was driving too close to the middle of a narrow road and I sideswiped another car. The crash tore the front fender, two doors, and the rear fender from my dad's car. After I found out everyone was okay, I stood in the ditch and prayed, "Dear God, I pray this didn't happen." I opened my eyes and saw that the car was still wrecked, so I closed my eyes, squinted really hard, and prayed again, "Dear God, it didn't happen." Then I opened my eyes, but it happened anyway.” (p. 75, Raising Responsible Kids)
You have probably been in Jay Kesler’s shoes. You may not have had a car accident, but I’m sure you’ve prayed that something in reality would go away. Reality can at times slap you in the face. It can hit you like jumping into cold water on an early spring day. Even when you are ready for something to happen, it can slam into your life like a hurricane, messing up your plans and maybe your dreams. When reality smacks you, some people can handle it. Most people are in denial, like Jay Kesler. They don’t want to face the situation they’ve gotten themselves into or the difficulties that have come upon them. How do you handle reality?
In the scripture for today, Wisdom is speaking. Yes, Wisdom. In this scripture, Wisdom is complaining that she has been ignored, refused, or outright rejected by many readers. In response, Wisdom is waiting for the day when reality strikes. “When you are in trouble”, “when disaster overtakes you”, “when disaster engulfs you like a cyclone,” “I will not answer” (Proverbs 1:26,27). In this passage of scripture, Wisdom is pictured as a person who was ignored. Wisdom was made fun of and shunned. She was ridiculed. Then, on the day of calamity when Wisdom would shine, Wisdom was nowhere to be found. The reason why is that she was rejected and tossed away without a thought. In the day of “anguish and distress”, she was absent. In difficult times, godly wisdom has a way of blessing and helping you. If you ignore godly wisdom throughout life, when reality strikes, you may not be able to handle it very well. You may falter and fail. You may struggle and fall apart.
When Hudson Taylor went to China, he made the voyage on a sailing vessel. As it neared the channel between the southern Malay Peninsula and the island of Sumatra, the missionary heard an urgent knock on his stateroom door. He opened it, and there stood the captain of the ship. "Mr. Taylor," he said, "we have no wind. We are drifting toward an island where the people are heathen, and I fear they are cannibals."
"What can I do?" asked Taylor.
"I understand that you believe in God. I want you to pray for wind."
"All right, Captain, I will, but you must set the sail."
"Why that's ridiculous! There's not even the slightest breeze. Besides, the sailors will think I'm crazy." But finally, because of Taylor's insistence, he agreed. Forty- five minutes later he returned and found the missionary still on his knees. "You can stop praying now," said the captain. "We've got more wind than we know what to do with!"
Most people in Hudson Taylor’s situation would have fallen apart, taken a few stiff drinks, written a will, or done who knows what. Facing shipwreck and possible cannibals is not a good picture of one’s future. Hudson Taylor, full of godly wisdom and faith, saw that situation as one in which to pray. The captain needed wind, God could supply it! Wisdom also said sails were needed in preparation, despite the captain’s human understanding! Wisdom taught Hudson Taylor the possibility that not only could God supply the needs of the faithful but do it in a way in which others might see God’s Almighty hand!
Throughout your life, cultivate godly wisdom so that in the day when reality knocks you senseless, God’s wisdom may prevail. God’s presence can then be made apparent. The fear of the Lord may then be respected (Proverbs 1:30). Do not reject godly wisdom! Learn to pay attention to the knowledge of God. In trying times, God will often use that wisdom and knowledge to break through to your situation.
Think back over your past month. Did you listen to God’s wisdom or ignore godly advice? Did you search God’s scriptures for direction or make all your decisions from only human wisdom? Your choices during bleak moments may rely on what you learn long before that day. Godly wisdom has a way of blessing you long after you follow it.
You have probably been in Jay Kesler’s shoes. You may not have had a car accident, but I’m sure you’ve prayed that something in reality would go away. Reality can at times slap you in the face. It can hit you like jumping into cold water on an early spring day. Even when you are ready for something to happen, it can slam into your life like a hurricane, messing up your plans and maybe your dreams. When reality smacks you, some people can handle it. Most people are in denial, like Jay Kesler. They don’t want to face the situation they’ve gotten themselves into or the difficulties that have come upon them. How do you handle reality?
In the scripture for today, Wisdom is speaking. Yes, Wisdom. In this scripture, Wisdom is complaining that she has been ignored, refused, or outright rejected by many readers. In response, Wisdom is waiting for the day when reality strikes. “When you are in trouble”, “when disaster overtakes you”, “when disaster engulfs you like a cyclone,” “I will not answer” (Proverbs 1:26,27). In this passage of scripture, Wisdom is pictured as a person who was ignored. Wisdom was made fun of and shunned. She was ridiculed. Then, on the day of calamity when Wisdom would shine, Wisdom was nowhere to be found. The reason why is that she was rejected and tossed away without a thought. In the day of “anguish and distress”, she was absent. In difficult times, godly wisdom has a way of blessing and helping you. If you ignore godly wisdom throughout life, when reality strikes, you may not be able to handle it very well. You may falter and fail. You may struggle and fall apart.
When Hudson Taylor went to China, he made the voyage on a sailing vessel. As it neared the channel between the southern Malay Peninsula and the island of Sumatra, the missionary heard an urgent knock on his stateroom door. He opened it, and there stood the captain of the ship. "Mr. Taylor," he said, "we have no wind. We are drifting toward an island where the people are heathen, and I fear they are cannibals."
"What can I do?" asked Taylor.
"I understand that you believe in God. I want you to pray for wind."
"All right, Captain, I will, but you must set the sail."
"Why that's ridiculous! There's not even the slightest breeze. Besides, the sailors will think I'm crazy." But finally, because of Taylor's insistence, he agreed. Forty- five minutes later he returned and found the missionary still on his knees. "You can stop praying now," said the captain. "We've got more wind than we know what to do with!"
Most people in Hudson Taylor’s situation would have fallen apart, taken a few stiff drinks, written a will, or done who knows what. Facing shipwreck and possible cannibals is not a good picture of one’s future. Hudson Taylor, full of godly wisdom and faith, saw that situation as one in which to pray. The captain needed wind, God could supply it! Wisdom also said sails were needed in preparation, despite the captain’s human understanding! Wisdom taught Hudson Taylor the possibility that not only could God supply the needs of the faithful but do it in a way in which others might see God’s Almighty hand!
Throughout your life, cultivate godly wisdom so that in the day when reality knocks you senseless, God’s wisdom may prevail. God’s presence can then be made apparent. The fear of the Lord may then be respected (Proverbs 1:30). Do not reject godly wisdom! Learn to pay attention to the knowledge of God. In trying times, God will often use that wisdom and knowledge to break through to your situation.
Think back over your past month. Did you listen to God’s wisdom or ignore godly advice? Did you search God’s scriptures for direction or make all your decisions from only human wisdom? Your choices during bleak moments may rely on what you learn long before that day. Godly wisdom has a way of blessing you long after you follow it.
October 18
““You are my portion, O Lord; I have promised to obey your words. I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise. I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes. I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands.” (Psalm 119:57–60, NIV84)
“The final draft of the Emancipation Proclamation was taken to Abraham Lincoln at noon on January 1, 1863. Twice the president picked up his pen to sign it, and twice he laid the pen down. Turning to Secretary of State William Seward, he said, 'I have been shaking hands since 9:00 this morning, and my right arm is almost paralyzed. If my name ever goes into history, it will be for this act, and my whole soul is in it. If my hand trembles when I sign the proclamation, all who examine the document hereafter will say, "He hesitated."' The president then took up the pen again and slowly but firmly wrote, "Abraham Lincoln." That historic act endeared Lincoln to the world as the Great Emancipator.” (adapted from Our Daily Bread)
Lincoln knew that any hesitation on his part meant that those who came after him might consider that he had doubts about the Emancipation Proclamation, about slavery, about the direction of the country, or about his leadership decisions. He wanted there to be no doubts. He showed no hesitation.
Sometimes, hesitations in your speech or manner or actions betray a doubt in your mind. They display lingering regrets or worries or fears at what you are about to do. Hesitations when you speak publicly may expose your fears of speaking in front of others. Hesitations when you talk to a girl might show you do have feelings for her. Hesitations during the performance of your job might display for others that you question your ability. Never in scripture do we see God hesitate to act based upon doubts or fears or inadequacies. God is patient and waits, but never hesitates.
Our scripture for today comes from Psalm 119. In the verses chosen, the author makes clear that he has made promises “to obey” God’s words (Psalm 119:57). The writer is determined to follow God’s statutes, God’s law (Psalm 119:59). He has sought God with “all his heart” (Psalm 119:58). Part of his proof that he has given God his whole heart is that he promises to “hasten” and never “delay to obey” God’s commands. Delaying to obey God involves hesitation. When you hesitate to follow through for God it shows that your whole heart is not in the endeavor. If you believe in God with all your heart, you will hasten to complete tasks for God. You will not hesitate or delay to follow God’s lead.
When Jesus chose his closest disciples, scripture says they “immediately left their nets” and followed him (Matthew 4:20). They showed no hesitation. Often when Jesus healed, the miracle came “immediately” due to God’s awesome power (Mark 1:42). After His resurrection, Jesus was critical of Thomas and other disciples who doubted that event (John 20:27). He wanted them to have no doubts as to God’s power over death, no hesitation when speaking of Jesus’ resurrection.
Sherri Dean was walking with her long-time boyfriend when they came to the Christmas tree at the center of the mall. That spot was where she and Stan first met two years before. Since it was December again, the tree was in its normal holiday placement. Stan slowed as they neared the tree. Then, they came to a stop next to the tree. What happened next would be talked about for years. Stan knelt down suddenly, took out a box from his coat pocket, and said, “Sherri, will you marry me?”
Sherri was so shocked, she didn’t know what to say. People gathered all around when they saw what was happening. In just a few seconds, fifty people were looking on. Sherri saw their smiles, their eyes widening. Everything seemed to stop. She couldn’t speak. She couldn’t talk.
Steve said, “Sherri, won’t you give me an answer?”
She stood there. Not making a noise. Her mouth was open. She was in shock. Finally, after a good thirty seconds, she said, “Absolutely!” The crowd went wild!
For years after, Stan recounted the story of being on his knees waiting for the longest thirty seconds of his life. He told his kids how Sherri hesitated, couldn’t speak. He teased her. Just after the event, he wondered if she only said “Absolutely!” for the crowd. Now, he knew she loved him with all her heart. Still, her hesitancy made him second-guess her love at first. It shouldn’t have, but it did.
When you hesitate or delay to follow through for God, it may show that you do not love God with all your heart. Hesitation on your part may display doubts or worries or fears. Can God trust you will follow through on your promises? Can God count on you not to hesitate to follow His lead?
"The Road of Life is filled with dead squirrels who couldn't make a decision."
Lincoln knew that any hesitation on his part meant that those who came after him might consider that he had doubts about the Emancipation Proclamation, about slavery, about the direction of the country, or about his leadership decisions. He wanted there to be no doubts. He showed no hesitation.
Sometimes, hesitations in your speech or manner or actions betray a doubt in your mind. They display lingering regrets or worries or fears at what you are about to do. Hesitations when you speak publicly may expose your fears of speaking in front of others. Hesitations when you talk to a girl might show you do have feelings for her. Hesitations during the performance of your job might display for others that you question your ability. Never in scripture do we see God hesitate to act based upon doubts or fears or inadequacies. God is patient and waits, but never hesitates.
Our scripture for today comes from Psalm 119. In the verses chosen, the author makes clear that he has made promises “to obey” God’s words (Psalm 119:57). The writer is determined to follow God’s statutes, God’s law (Psalm 119:59). He has sought God with “all his heart” (Psalm 119:58). Part of his proof that he has given God his whole heart is that he promises to “hasten” and never “delay to obey” God’s commands. Delaying to obey God involves hesitation. When you hesitate to follow through for God it shows that your whole heart is not in the endeavor. If you believe in God with all your heart, you will hasten to complete tasks for God. You will not hesitate or delay to follow God’s lead.
When Jesus chose his closest disciples, scripture says they “immediately left their nets” and followed him (Matthew 4:20). They showed no hesitation. Often when Jesus healed, the miracle came “immediately” due to God’s awesome power (Mark 1:42). After His resurrection, Jesus was critical of Thomas and other disciples who doubted that event (John 20:27). He wanted them to have no doubts as to God’s power over death, no hesitation when speaking of Jesus’ resurrection.
Sherri Dean was walking with her long-time boyfriend when they came to the Christmas tree at the center of the mall. That spot was where she and Stan first met two years before. Since it was December again, the tree was in its normal holiday placement. Stan slowed as they neared the tree. Then, they came to a stop next to the tree. What happened next would be talked about for years. Stan knelt down suddenly, took out a box from his coat pocket, and said, “Sherri, will you marry me?”
Sherri was so shocked, she didn’t know what to say. People gathered all around when they saw what was happening. In just a few seconds, fifty people were looking on. Sherri saw their smiles, their eyes widening. Everything seemed to stop. She couldn’t speak. She couldn’t talk.
Steve said, “Sherri, won’t you give me an answer?”
She stood there. Not making a noise. Her mouth was open. She was in shock. Finally, after a good thirty seconds, she said, “Absolutely!” The crowd went wild!
For years after, Stan recounted the story of being on his knees waiting for the longest thirty seconds of his life. He told his kids how Sherri hesitated, couldn’t speak. He teased her. Just after the event, he wondered if she only said “Absolutely!” for the crowd. Now, he knew she loved him with all her heart. Still, her hesitancy made him second-guess her love at first. It shouldn’t have, but it did.
When you hesitate or delay to follow through for God, it may show that you do not love God with all your heart. Hesitation on your part may display doubts or worries or fears. Can God trust you will follow through on your promises? Can God count on you not to hesitate to follow His lead?
"The Road of Life is filled with dead squirrels who couldn't make a decision."
October 20
“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)
“As the wealthy oil tycoon lay on his deathbed, his pastor talked of God's healing power. "Pastor," he gasped, "if God heals me, I'll give the church a million dollars."
Miraculously, the man revived and within a few short weeks was out of the hospital. One day, several months later, he and the pastor chatted on the sidewalk in front of a hardware store. "You know," the pastor said, "when you were in the hospital dying, you promised to give the church a million dollars if you got well. We haven't got it yet."
"Did I say that?" the tycoon asked. "I guess that goes to show how sick I really was!"” (p. 34, Today in the Word, July 1990)
Many people have a difficult time keeping promises, paying back their commitments, and following through on their vows. Bankruptcies are not uncommon. Divorce is rampant. No longer is a man’s word worth much. Loyalty is not expected nor often observed. We live in an era when promises and vows just don’t mean much.
In Heaven, however, vows and promises mean everything. God keeps promises and follows through on them, even if it takes many generations. Faithful people are expected to be true to their word. God’s people are blessed for keeping faith and respecting promises.
In the scripture for today taken from the book of Ecclesiastes, there is mention of promise-keeping. Ecclesiastes 5:4 teaches that “when you make a promise to God”, you should “follow through”. With commanding language, it urges you to “Keep all the promises you make to HIM.” In fact, it calls those who break promise with God “fools”. The very next verse in the Bible urges the faithful that it is better to not make a promise to God than break a promise to God (Ecclesiastes 5:5). God believes wholeheartedly in promise-keeping and promise-keepers. God has little respect for those who break promises or vows.
When Bea was in her sixties, she took a young girl from her church under her wing. Bea lived next door to Maurine, so it wasn't hard to keep an eye on the young one. Maurine came from a broken home, and Bea wanted to help the girl to grow up in a better way. Bea constantly helped Maurine with tasks, watched over her when her mother was working one of her three jobs, and helped her earn a few extra dollars with odd jobs. After a couple of years of help, Bea felt her heart going out to Maurine. Maurine began to help Bea with all kinds of tasks that became more difficult with age.
One Christmas, Bea saw Maurine in church and quietly said a prayer. She made a promise to God that she would look out for the young girl. For several years, Bea and Maurine grew closer. Then, one terrible night, Maurine knocked at Bea’s door. It was two in the morning. Maurine mentioned that her mother had not come home from work and she was afraid. Bea found out within hours that Maurine’s mother fell asleep at the wheel on the way home from work and died in the resulting car crash. In the months following, Bea took Maurine into her home and treated her like family. Maurine ended up living her last three years of high school with Bea before going off to college. For years later, Maurine called her adopted mother, Momma Bea. She was always there for Bea. She was by Bea’s bedside when she died.
Bea made a promise to God that she kept for the rest of her life. In response, Maurine made an unspoken promise to care for Bea. God watched over all of it. When promises are kept, people’s lives are blessed. Obstacles and terrible events can be overcome. Lives can be changed for the better. The world can be made into a better place. Promises made and kept to God are some of the best kind of promises. They often prove to be the ones that pass the tests of time and make the greatest of impacts for good in our world.
What kinds of promises have you kept? Have you broken any lately? Is there a promise to God you need to work on?
Miraculously, the man revived and within a few short weeks was out of the hospital. One day, several months later, he and the pastor chatted on the sidewalk in front of a hardware store. "You know," the pastor said, "when you were in the hospital dying, you promised to give the church a million dollars if you got well. We haven't got it yet."
"Did I say that?" the tycoon asked. "I guess that goes to show how sick I really was!"” (p. 34, Today in the Word, July 1990)
Many people have a difficult time keeping promises, paying back their commitments, and following through on their vows. Bankruptcies are not uncommon. Divorce is rampant. No longer is a man’s word worth much. Loyalty is not expected nor often observed. We live in an era when promises and vows just don’t mean much.
In Heaven, however, vows and promises mean everything. God keeps promises and follows through on them, even if it takes many generations. Faithful people are expected to be true to their word. God’s people are blessed for keeping faith and respecting promises.
In the scripture for today taken from the book of Ecclesiastes, there is mention of promise-keeping. Ecclesiastes 5:4 teaches that “when you make a promise to God”, you should “follow through”. With commanding language, it urges you to “Keep all the promises you make to HIM.” In fact, it calls those who break promise with God “fools”. The very next verse in the Bible urges the faithful that it is better to not make a promise to God than break a promise to God (Ecclesiastes 5:5). God believes wholeheartedly in promise-keeping and promise-keepers. God has little respect for those who break promises or vows.
When Bea was in her sixties, she took a young girl from her church under her wing. Bea lived next door to Maurine, so it wasn't hard to keep an eye on the young one. Maurine came from a broken home, and Bea wanted to help the girl to grow up in a better way. Bea constantly helped Maurine with tasks, watched over her when her mother was working one of her three jobs, and helped her earn a few extra dollars with odd jobs. After a couple of years of help, Bea felt her heart going out to Maurine. Maurine began to help Bea with all kinds of tasks that became more difficult with age.
One Christmas, Bea saw Maurine in church and quietly said a prayer. She made a promise to God that she would look out for the young girl. For several years, Bea and Maurine grew closer. Then, one terrible night, Maurine knocked at Bea’s door. It was two in the morning. Maurine mentioned that her mother had not come home from work and she was afraid. Bea found out within hours that Maurine’s mother fell asleep at the wheel on the way home from work and died in the resulting car crash. In the months following, Bea took Maurine into her home and treated her like family. Maurine ended up living her last three years of high school with Bea before going off to college. For years later, Maurine called her adopted mother, Momma Bea. She was always there for Bea. She was by Bea’s bedside when she died.
Bea made a promise to God that she kept for the rest of her life. In response, Maurine made an unspoken promise to care for Bea. God watched over all of it. When promises are kept, people’s lives are blessed. Obstacles and terrible events can be overcome. Lives can be changed for the better. The world can be made into a better place. Promises made and kept to God are some of the best kind of promises. They often prove to be the ones that pass the tests of time and make the greatest of impacts for good in our world.
What kinds of promises have you kept? Have you broken any lately? Is there a promise to God you need to work on?
October 23
“And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.”” (Mark 5:6–9, ESV)
“It happens every time the prof calls a group of students to the board to solve a physics problem. Someone holds the chalk wrong and sends chills up and down the spines of everyone in the class with that familiar classroom torture technique: "squeaky chalk." Why does a piece of chalk produce that hideous squeal? According to the book, The Flying Circus of Physics (With Answers), squealing chalk results from the phenomenon of "stick and slip." Incorrectly held chalk actually sticks to the blackboard. But when the writer bends the chalk enough, it suddenly slips and vibrates, sporadically striking the chalkboard and producing that squeal we hear. As the vibrations decrease, the friction between the chalk and the board increases until the chalk sticks again and the torture begins once more.” (Chalk Talk, Campus Life, December 1979)
I remember when squeaking chalk would fill the classroom in my elementary school. Because the classroom had hard wooden floors and plastered walls and ceilings, the sound of the squeaking chalk would echo throughout the room. Often, the students would cover their ears at that sound. We could hardly stand the noise it made. When a student used the chalk the wrong way, squeaky chalk would echo about the learning space. We feared the noise. If anyone but the teacher got up to the chalkboard to write with chalk, we could hardly concentrate on what they wrote. We just didn’t want the squeaky chalk to start up again. From a kid’s perspective it was torture! It made my teeth clench. It made me wince every time it occurred.
There are things in life that may drive you crazy, make you wince, make you shrink in fear. These little torments make you want to escape their presence. For some people, the sound of a dentist’s drill sends them into panic attacks. Others may feint at the sight of needles. I remember one child who grew up in an abusive home. Whenever she heard a loud noise from nowhere, she would cower and cover herself. I know soldiers with PTSD who will duck whenever a car backfires or a firecracker explodes. What interests me in the scripture today is that there is a sound that “torments” evil spirits. It is revealed in the story of Jesus with the Gerasene demoniac (Mark 5:1).
In our scripture for today, the man with a “legion” of demons inside him is confronted by Jesus near the Sea of Galilee in the area of the Gerasenes. The response of the demon-filled man is very interesting. The demons feel absolute fear of Jesus. Even from afar, they grow afraid (Mark 5:6). Mark 5:7 says that the man filled with evil spirits “adjured” Jesus not to “torment him”. Think about that for a moment. The demons are begging Jesus not to torture them. They know Jesus has the power to make them suffer. Jesus can control them with only a word. They grovel. They beg. Jesus is like squeaky chalk to the evil spirits. His words torture the evil spirits. His mere presence mortifies them. They can’t stand to be near our Lord. So afraid of Him are they, the evil spirits even know Jesus before HE is introduced!
Jesus and God’s presence are like Kryptonite to evil spirits. Evil can’t stand to be around God’s presence. It is important that you remember this lesson. If evil spirits are tormented by the presence of God and you want to do real damage to evil, make God present! Ask for God’s Holy Spirit to be in you! Pray in the presence of evil. Call upon the name of Jesus around demonic forces. Be the vessel that God uses to walk around and frighten away evil spirits!
The mere presence of Jesus is enough to get evil spirits to beg for their lives! The words of Jesus torture their ears! The presence of God in your life must bring much pain upon Satan. Good for you! There is too much evil in our world anyway! My hope is that you speak God’s word often, pray without ceasing, and enjoy the presence of God walking with you every day. These are wonderful ways to torture evil spirits in our world, keeping them far from you.
I remember when squeaking chalk would fill the classroom in my elementary school. Because the classroom had hard wooden floors and plastered walls and ceilings, the sound of the squeaking chalk would echo throughout the room. Often, the students would cover their ears at that sound. We could hardly stand the noise it made. When a student used the chalk the wrong way, squeaky chalk would echo about the learning space. We feared the noise. If anyone but the teacher got up to the chalkboard to write with chalk, we could hardly concentrate on what they wrote. We just didn’t want the squeaky chalk to start up again. From a kid’s perspective it was torture! It made my teeth clench. It made me wince every time it occurred.
There are things in life that may drive you crazy, make you wince, make you shrink in fear. These little torments make you want to escape their presence. For some people, the sound of a dentist’s drill sends them into panic attacks. Others may feint at the sight of needles. I remember one child who grew up in an abusive home. Whenever she heard a loud noise from nowhere, she would cower and cover herself. I know soldiers with PTSD who will duck whenever a car backfires or a firecracker explodes. What interests me in the scripture today is that there is a sound that “torments” evil spirits. It is revealed in the story of Jesus with the Gerasene demoniac (Mark 5:1).
In our scripture for today, the man with a “legion” of demons inside him is confronted by Jesus near the Sea of Galilee in the area of the Gerasenes. The response of the demon-filled man is very interesting. The demons feel absolute fear of Jesus. Even from afar, they grow afraid (Mark 5:6). Mark 5:7 says that the man filled with evil spirits “adjured” Jesus not to “torment him”. Think about that for a moment. The demons are begging Jesus not to torture them. They know Jesus has the power to make them suffer. Jesus can control them with only a word. They grovel. They beg. Jesus is like squeaky chalk to the evil spirits. His words torture the evil spirits. His mere presence mortifies them. They can’t stand to be near our Lord. So afraid of Him are they, the evil spirits even know Jesus before HE is introduced!
Jesus and God’s presence are like Kryptonite to evil spirits. Evil can’t stand to be around God’s presence. It is important that you remember this lesson. If evil spirits are tormented by the presence of God and you want to do real damage to evil, make God present! Ask for God’s Holy Spirit to be in you! Pray in the presence of evil. Call upon the name of Jesus around demonic forces. Be the vessel that God uses to walk around and frighten away evil spirits!
The mere presence of Jesus is enough to get evil spirits to beg for their lives! The words of Jesus torture their ears! The presence of God in your life must bring much pain upon Satan. Good for you! There is too much evil in our world anyway! My hope is that you speak God’s word often, pray without ceasing, and enjoy the presence of God walking with you every day. These are wonderful ways to torture evil spirits in our world, keeping them far from you.
October 27
“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?”” (Genesis 3:1, NRSV)
In the scripture above from Genesis 3, the serpent speaks to Eve. The serpent is the form that Satan took in the Garden of Eden. The serpent is described as “more crafty than any other wild animal” (Genesis 3:1). By using the serpent, Satan was willing to manipulate, twist, or bully Eve into making a mistake. The serpent was looking for a way in to Eve’s thoughts, a way to deceive her, a method in which to gain a foothold in her life. He began with a simple question. The question is designed to twist her relationship with God. It sounds like a simple question at first, but when Eve followed the serpent’s line of questioning, it brought her to question God and commit the first human sin. She didn’t see it coming. Satan often uses the same tactic to manipulate and wheedle his way into the minds and hearts of people. It starts off innocently enough, but later it captures the person’s soul and often leads to sins against others and God.
In your life, Satan will use hidden crafty forms to manipulate you, to get a toehold in your life, to get you to question God. In Genesis 3, he comes in the form of a serpent. At times, he may take any form you might be susceptible to receiving. He might use friends to deceive you. He might use a book or event in your life to help your mind make assumptions. He might twist the facts so to get a toehold in your mind or heart. Satan is very crafty. He is always looking for an angle. His goal is to get you to question God and he uses any means to accomplish that task.
Today, I received an email inviting me to watch a new series on Netflix. It began with the following words: “Dear David, Your presence is requested at the dark baptism of teenage witch Sabrina Spellman. Join us as we gather under the eclipsing blood moon on the stroke of midnight on her sixteenth birthday. Bear witness as Sabrina signs her name to the Book of the Beast and begins her journey on the path of night, just as the Dark Lord intended.” The invitation invited me to visit Netflix for the new series and gave the link to get there most expediently. What you may not realize about this invitation is that it sounds religious. It’s a baptism ritual. But it carries all the signs of dark witchcraft, demonic symbolism, and the worship of evil. The series was made to entice especially teenagers (with a teenage being the star of the show) to come view the series. The invitation will appeal to younger and less theological minds. It starts off as intriguing and makes you want to go visit the series and witness its otherworldly offerings. Is it any different from what Satan does in Genesis 3 to Eve?
People do not realize how crafty Satan is. He is absolutely willing to use modern social media, television, movies, and so much more in order to get a toehold into your mind. He will intrigue you, entice your senses, and manipulate your emotions to get you where you don’t want to go. The end result will always be sin, because just like in Genesis 3, Satan wants to get you to question God.
In 2009, an internet meme began circulating around a figure called the “Slender Man”. This evil figure was known to “stalk, abduct, or traumatize people”, especially children. But what started off as a story about an evil, dark figure took on its own life. Soon, teens began to share stories about him being real. Then, people began sharing sightings online. Some people got so enthralled with the concept of Slender Man that they began to act out his lifestyle. In Wisconsin, two young girls attempted to fatally stab another in homage to Slender Man. Other violent acts were reported. On teen social media sites, fear and worry began to creep in as more and more youth began to talk about the desire to appease the Slender Man, hurt others, capture young children, etc. The Slender Man meme may have started off innocently enough, but its results were sinful deadly.
Evil in your life often starts off as something entirely different. Sins often don’t begin with sinful intent. Often, something or someone preys on your emotions or desires or needs in order to get you to question the truth, your faith, or God. It can begin with a simple series on TV that peaks your interest. A late-night Halloween game with the Ouija Board can start you down the road. It might be a few bad thoughts or a traumatic event. Still, you must be constantly on watch for Satan’s craftiness. He can take use a simple innocuous question to begin the process of messing up your heart and soul.
Take some time this week to reexamine your relationship with God. Has something caused you to question God lately? Is Satan using a certain emotional trigger to play with your feelings? How might Satan use social media or other media to wrest the minds of the young to his bidding? How can you prevent it? How can you help cement the love of God in the hearts of others?
In your life, Satan will use hidden crafty forms to manipulate you, to get a toehold in your life, to get you to question God. In Genesis 3, he comes in the form of a serpent. At times, he may take any form you might be susceptible to receiving. He might use friends to deceive you. He might use a book or event in your life to help your mind make assumptions. He might twist the facts so to get a toehold in your mind or heart. Satan is very crafty. He is always looking for an angle. His goal is to get you to question God and he uses any means to accomplish that task.
Today, I received an email inviting me to watch a new series on Netflix. It began with the following words: “Dear David, Your presence is requested at the dark baptism of teenage witch Sabrina Spellman. Join us as we gather under the eclipsing blood moon on the stroke of midnight on her sixteenth birthday. Bear witness as Sabrina signs her name to the Book of the Beast and begins her journey on the path of night, just as the Dark Lord intended.” The invitation invited me to visit Netflix for the new series and gave the link to get there most expediently. What you may not realize about this invitation is that it sounds religious. It’s a baptism ritual. But it carries all the signs of dark witchcraft, demonic symbolism, and the worship of evil. The series was made to entice especially teenagers (with a teenage being the star of the show) to come view the series. The invitation will appeal to younger and less theological minds. It starts off as intriguing and makes you want to go visit the series and witness its otherworldly offerings. Is it any different from what Satan does in Genesis 3 to Eve?
People do not realize how crafty Satan is. He is absolutely willing to use modern social media, television, movies, and so much more in order to get a toehold into your mind. He will intrigue you, entice your senses, and manipulate your emotions to get you where you don’t want to go. The end result will always be sin, because just like in Genesis 3, Satan wants to get you to question God.
In 2009, an internet meme began circulating around a figure called the “Slender Man”. This evil figure was known to “stalk, abduct, or traumatize people”, especially children. But what started off as a story about an evil, dark figure took on its own life. Soon, teens began to share stories about him being real. Then, people began sharing sightings online. Some people got so enthralled with the concept of Slender Man that they began to act out his lifestyle. In Wisconsin, two young girls attempted to fatally stab another in homage to Slender Man. Other violent acts were reported. On teen social media sites, fear and worry began to creep in as more and more youth began to talk about the desire to appease the Slender Man, hurt others, capture young children, etc. The Slender Man meme may have started off innocently enough, but its results were sinful deadly.
Evil in your life often starts off as something entirely different. Sins often don’t begin with sinful intent. Often, something or someone preys on your emotions or desires or needs in order to get you to question the truth, your faith, or God. It can begin with a simple series on TV that peaks your interest. A late-night Halloween game with the Ouija Board can start you down the road. It might be a few bad thoughts or a traumatic event. Still, you must be constantly on watch for Satan’s craftiness. He can take use a simple innocuous question to begin the process of messing up your heart and soul.
Take some time this week to reexamine your relationship with God. Has something caused you to question God lately? Is Satan using a certain emotional trigger to play with your feelings? How might Satan use social media or other media to wrest the minds of the young to his bidding? How can you prevent it? How can you help cement the love of God in the hearts of others?
October 29
“Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom.”
(James 3:13, NRSV)
(James 3:13, NRSV)
Proverbs 4:7 says, “Acquire wisdom, and with all your acquiring, get understanding.” Many other scriptures would agree, including our scripture for today from the book of James. Shown above, this scripture urges you to exhibit “by your good life” the works done in your life that were “born of wisdom” (James 3:13). Having godly wisdom is a good thing. Applying it in your life is crucial to living a “good life” as it professes in this scripture.
It surprises me often how many people are wise in their own eyes. Most haven’t studied their topic, spent years learning from professionals, but yet feel they know so much. Recently on Youtube, a big promoter decided he wanted to make a DIY video about how to build your own computer. He wanted it to appear politically correct and informative, so he hired a young black man to build the computer and narrate it. The problem was that the young millennial didn’t know what in the world he was talking about. He installed the memory incorrectly. He mounted the power supply upside down. He didn’t follow the manufacturer’s directions in applying CPU paste. He made errors in explaining why certain rules apply to various computer parts. His wiring left much to be desired. If you followed his example, your motherboard might be damaged, your computer could easily overheat. Adhering to his example, your computer would probably die prematurely. Following the instructions on the video could end up with the computer never even booting up! Dozens of others wrote videos hoping viewers wouldn’t follow his example. The young man and the site appear to be knowledgeable and informative, but they were anything but. Many people claim to be wise. Many people declare themselves experts. Few are humble enough to admit when they don’t have enough wisdom to make a determination. Pride and self-centered arrogance rule over many lives.
God has the ultimate perspective on wisdom. Godly wisdom is the best kind of wisdom. The scripture for today emphasizes that wise and knowledgeable people of God need to apply godly wisdom to everyday life. The good works borne out of godly wisdom always stand the test of time. They last. The wisdom at their foundation keep the church growing and God’s people protected in countless ways. James was searching for the “wise and understanding” to help the church in his day. That search continues today.
A church friend had a terrible case of nausea and vomiting two winters ago. He went online and studied how to treat the flu. He walked into the pharmacy and talked to someone in the aisle about which flu medicine worked best. He followed all the instructions he could find. Friends checked in on him and weighed their opinions. The problem was, he didn’t have the flu. He had cancer. Because he was not a doctor, he didn’t recognize a few of his flu-like symptoms as possible cancer symptoms. He died two months after his diagnosis. This friend was convinced he had the flu, even though he didn’t have all the wisdom and knowledge required to make a good diagnosis. His lack of wisdom cost him dearly.
Many people in the church and in the world like to tell you what the Bible says. They will weigh in with their opinions on your issues of faith, forgiveness, sin, reconciliation, and more. They trust their knowledge of the Bible to Wikipedia. It is very important that you do not fall prey to earthly wisdom that looks like godly wisdom. I once heard a member of a church say that a man should “pull himself up by his bootstraps” like it says in the Bible. It doesn’t say that in the Bible. I’ve also read online where a Christian wrote that “all roads lead to heaven”. That also is completely untrue and thoroughly unbiblical. The opinions you hear in the church and online may or may not be faithful to God’s Word or even to God. It takes godly wisdom to figure out what is what.
God’s wisdom is crucial to living a good life. Without godly wisdom, you may be successful, but that doesn’t mean you are faithful or even right before God. Are you living life following the wisdom of God? If so, your life will manifest good behavior and a gentle spirit (James 3:13). Set your mind to live your life according to God’s wisdom, not the world’s opinions.
“You don't have to be listed in Who's Who to know what's what.”
It surprises me often how many people are wise in their own eyes. Most haven’t studied their topic, spent years learning from professionals, but yet feel they know so much. Recently on Youtube, a big promoter decided he wanted to make a DIY video about how to build your own computer. He wanted it to appear politically correct and informative, so he hired a young black man to build the computer and narrate it. The problem was that the young millennial didn’t know what in the world he was talking about. He installed the memory incorrectly. He mounted the power supply upside down. He didn’t follow the manufacturer’s directions in applying CPU paste. He made errors in explaining why certain rules apply to various computer parts. His wiring left much to be desired. If you followed his example, your motherboard might be damaged, your computer could easily overheat. Adhering to his example, your computer would probably die prematurely. Following the instructions on the video could end up with the computer never even booting up! Dozens of others wrote videos hoping viewers wouldn’t follow his example. The young man and the site appear to be knowledgeable and informative, but they were anything but. Many people claim to be wise. Many people declare themselves experts. Few are humble enough to admit when they don’t have enough wisdom to make a determination. Pride and self-centered arrogance rule over many lives.
God has the ultimate perspective on wisdom. Godly wisdom is the best kind of wisdom. The scripture for today emphasizes that wise and knowledgeable people of God need to apply godly wisdom to everyday life. The good works borne out of godly wisdom always stand the test of time. They last. The wisdom at their foundation keep the church growing and God’s people protected in countless ways. James was searching for the “wise and understanding” to help the church in his day. That search continues today.
A church friend had a terrible case of nausea and vomiting two winters ago. He went online and studied how to treat the flu. He walked into the pharmacy and talked to someone in the aisle about which flu medicine worked best. He followed all the instructions he could find. Friends checked in on him and weighed their opinions. The problem was, he didn’t have the flu. He had cancer. Because he was not a doctor, he didn’t recognize a few of his flu-like symptoms as possible cancer symptoms. He died two months after his diagnosis. This friend was convinced he had the flu, even though he didn’t have all the wisdom and knowledge required to make a good diagnosis. His lack of wisdom cost him dearly.
Many people in the church and in the world like to tell you what the Bible says. They will weigh in with their opinions on your issues of faith, forgiveness, sin, reconciliation, and more. They trust their knowledge of the Bible to Wikipedia. It is very important that you do not fall prey to earthly wisdom that looks like godly wisdom. I once heard a member of a church say that a man should “pull himself up by his bootstraps” like it says in the Bible. It doesn’t say that in the Bible. I’ve also read online where a Christian wrote that “all roads lead to heaven”. That also is completely untrue and thoroughly unbiblical. The opinions you hear in the church and online may or may not be faithful to God’s Word or even to God. It takes godly wisdom to figure out what is what.
God’s wisdom is crucial to living a good life. Without godly wisdom, you may be successful, but that doesn’t mean you are faithful or even right before God. Are you living life following the wisdom of God? If so, your life will manifest good behavior and a gentle spirit (James 3:13). Set your mind to live your life according to God’s wisdom, not the world’s opinions.
“You don't have to be listed in Who's Who to know what's what.”
October 30
“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood.” (1 Corinthians 13:12, RSV)
Sometimes, life can be hard to figure out, difficult to understand. Your path may be unclear. Your words may be misinterpreted. The meaning in a moment may seem blurry to say the least.
When studying at West Point, future General Douglas MacArthur was trying to figure out some of the new advancements in physics. Einstein’s Theory of Relativity was discussed. Space-time connections and relationships were explained. The textbook that MacArthur used gave a lot of technical terms and dizzying explanations. MacArthur later wrote: “The text was complex and, being unable to comprehend it, I committed the pages to memory. When I was called upon to recite, I solemnly reeled off almost word for word what the book said. Our instructor, Colonel Fieberger, looked at me somewhat quizzically and asked, "Do you understand this theory?"
It was a bad moment for me, but I did not hesitate in replying, "No, sir." You could have heard a pin drop. I braced myself and waited.
And then the slow words of the professor: "Neither do I, Mr. MacArthur. Section dismissed." (An excerpt from his book Reminiscences.)
Like MacArthur, you will at some moment realize that you are confused or at a loss for understanding. Words in a textbook might be over your head. An explanation of tax law used for filing your tax returns may seem incomprehensible. The words of a contract might seem like gibberish. There are many moments like this in life. You may not have all the tools of wisdom, understanding or knowledge to explain something. You may not have a spiritual depth to comprehend a verse in the Bible. Like it or not, your learning may not be enough. There will be gaps in your memory or understanding. Emotions may overwhelm your brain. Distractions can weaken your concentration. Life has a way of telling you over and over that you don’t know as much as you thought you knew.
How do you respond to those times when you can’t comprehend something? Do you throw yourself into studying every detail until you figure it out (as if you can actually know every detail!)? Do you act like you know what is going on (fake it!)? Do you just ignore anything over your head (Ignore it, and it will go away!)? It is important when you cannot understand something that you recognize your own limitations. You can’t know everything. Many things in life are shadowy at best.
Most people recognize 1 Corinthians 13 as the “love chapter of the Bible”. It is often read at weddings. It contains the famous words, “Faith, hope, and love abide, but the greatest of these is love.” However, 1 Corinthians 13 also contains the scripture for today. It doesn’t talk about love specifically. It does mention that your knowledge about life is never perfect. In the present, life can sometimes be like a dimly lit mirror. You can’t quite see the details in a dimly lit mirror. You can see shadows and faint lines, but the clarity is missing. Heaven will be different. There you will see God “face to face”. Though you know only part of the story now, in Heaven God will help you “understand fully” (1 Corinthians 13:12). You are going to have to live with the fact that you may not know enough to make all your decisions in life. You may have to act on faith, rely on hope, and trust in love. All of these are fallible.
Because life can be hazy and unpredictable, you will make mistakes. You will fail to see a looming problem. Your way might be unclear. During these times, it is important to trust in God. Have faith in God. Hope in God’s voice. Pray for God’s direction. Love God fully. Even though you may fail to see everything required to make a perfect decision, God can see just what you need. God knows which way to go. God’s Spirit can help you discern what to do. Will you trust enough in God to let Him influence your steps?
When was the last time you asked God for direction? How often do you let God open your eyes to see what you might be missing? How do you handle not knowing all the details? Can you trust God’s insight?
When studying at West Point, future General Douglas MacArthur was trying to figure out some of the new advancements in physics. Einstein’s Theory of Relativity was discussed. Space-time connections and relationships were explained. The textbook that MacArthur used gave a lot of technical terms and dizzying explanations. MacArthur later wrote: “The text was complex and, being unable to comprehend it, I committed the pages to memory. When I was called upon to recite, I solemnly reeled off almost word for word what the book said. Our instructor, Colonel Fieberger, looked at me somewhat quizzically and asked, "Do you understand this theory?"
It was a bad moment for me, but I did not hesitate in replying, "No, sir." You could have heard a pin drop. I braced myself and waited.
And then the slow words of the professor: "Neither do I, Mr. MacArthur. Section dismissed." (An excerpt from his book Reminiscences.)
Like MacArthur, you will at some moment realize that you are confused or at a loss for understanding. Words in a textbook might be over your head. An explanation of tax law used for filing your tax returns may seem incomprehensible. The words of a contract might seem like gibberish. There are many moments like this in life. You may not have all the tools of wisdom, understanding or knowledge to explain something. You may not have a spiritual depth to comprehend a verse in the Bible. Like it or not, your learning may not be enough. There will be gaps in your memory or understanding. Emotions may overwhelm your brain. Distractions can weaken your concentration. Life has a way of telling you over and over that you don’t know as much as you thought you knew.
How do you respond to those times when you can’t comprehend something? Do you throw yourself into studying every detail until you figure it out (as if you can actually know every detail!)? Do you act like you know what is going on (fake it!)? Do you just ignore anything over your head (Ignore it, and it will go away!)? It is important when you cannot understand something that you recognize your own limitations. You can’t know everything. Many things in life are shadowy at best.
Most people recognize 1 Corinthians 13 as the “love chapter of the Bible”. It is often read at weddings. It contains the famous words, “Faith, hope, and love abide, but the greatest of these is love.” However, 1 Corinthians 13 also contains the scripture for today. It doesn’t talk about love specifically. It does mention that your knowledge about life is never perfect. In the present, life can sometimes be like a dimly lit mirror. You can’t quite see the details in a dimly lit mirror. You can see shadows and faint lines, but the clarity is missing. Heaven will be different. There you will see God “face to face”. Though you know only part of the story now, in Heaven God will help you “understand fully” (1 Corinthians 13:12). You are going to have to live with the fact that you may not know enough to make all your decisions in life. You may have to act on faith, rely on hope, and trust in love. All of these are fallible.
Because life can be hazy and unpredictable, you will make mistakes. You will fail to see a looming problem. Your way might be unclear. During these times, it is important to trust in God. Have faith in God. Hope in God’s voice. Pray for God’s direction. Love God fully. Even though you may fail to see everything required to make a perfect decision, God can see just what you need. God knows which way to go. God’s Spirit can help you discern what to do. Will you trust enough in God to let Him influence your steps?
When was the last time you asked God for direction? How often do you let God open your eyes to see what you might be missing? How do you handle not knowing all the details? Can you trust God’s insight?
October 31
“Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.”
(1 John 4:1–3, NLT)
(1 John 4:1–3, NLT)
When you make a commitment to God through Jesus Christ, you become a Christian. As you live out the promises and obedience given that relationship, you become a faithful and true Christian. The basis for the word "Christian" is Christ, the Messiah. Thus, when you live for Jesus' sake, you become a "Christian" through that relationship with Jesus. An "Serbian" owes a commitment to Serbia. A "Mohammedan" is an ancient term for one who follows Mohammed. A "Christian" owes his or her life to Christ. That relationship should be the center of one's life and form the crux of who you are.
After becoming a true Christian with a deep relationship with Christ, it is important to follow the scripture above. 1 John 4:1 warns us "not to believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit". There are many spiritual and religious people in the world, but not all of them are of God. Not all of them have a true commitment to Christ. In the days in which this scripture was originally written, there were people who claimed to believe in Jesus as the Christ, but they did not believe he was "born of Mary". He did not suffer and die on a cross. He was a spiritual being, but not a physical one. These people were mostly Gnostics. They believed they knew Jesus, but they could not accept his real death on a cross. When John wrote the words above, he asked the real Christians to "test" others who spoke about our faith. John wanted them to make sure that the "spirit they have comes from God" (1 John 4:2). He even targets the Gnostics by writing: "if a person claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God" (1 John 4:2-3). In verse 2 above, the false prophets (Gnostics) denied Jesus had a "real body". Thus, they were not of God. They were from the "Antichrist" (1 John 4:3), sent to mess up the connection with the believer and the real Christ Jesus.
According to the scripture above, you can have a "Spirit of God" or you can have the "spirit of the Antichrist". Your job is to "test the spirits". An important aspect of being faithful to Jesus Christ involves checking to make sure that those you trust spiritually are those who have the Spirit of God. From priests to pastors to spiritual mentors and friends, you need to spiritually steer clear of those who do not have the "Spirit of God" in them. They can be friends, but not Christian friends. They can give advice, but not godly advice. God can work through them, but God is not in them.
Carolyn was always a spiritual person. She grew up attending worship in a Catholic Church. During her teens, she drifted away from the Catholic Church, remaining a Christian in name only. She was a wonderful person who was well liked by her friends. She had lots of friends. In her early twenties, Carolyn fell in love with a Peter, whom she met at a concert. The two hit it off and became inseparable. They married in 1969 and began a beautiful life together.
Seven years into the marriage, Carolyn and Peter began to have marriage problems. They fought the same old fights over and over. Wondering what to do, Carolyn expressed her frustration to her closest friend. This friend stated that men are born to cheat. They aren't wired like women. She talked about men being biologically antithetical to marriage. Can you tell her best friend was divorced? Carolyn began to drift away from her husband, spending more time with her best friend. After divorcing her husband, Carolyn began to get involved with an Eastern Meditation group. They taught that life was all spiritual and the purpose of life was to become one with "the spirit". The group met together regularly, some even moving in together in a large commune. Carolyn loved her new life, and highly respected the gurus who taught the group.
Ten years later, Carolyn's life was a mess. After her closest friend died, she began to question her life choices. She was poor and desperate. All her time and money was spent supporting the spiritual group she had migrated into. Desperately seeking some help, she visited a Catholic mission not far away. There, she met a priest who took her under his wing. He helped her find housing. A congregation helped her re-acclimate to her new life. A husband and wife stopped in often to check on her. For the first time in a long time, Carolyn felt spiritually connected again. To this day, she is very active in her parish in California.
There were many spiritual voices in Carolyn's life. Some weren't from God. Some were. Sadly, she wandered away from the people sent by God. She took spiritual advice and counseling from those who were not bearing the "Spirit of God". Many years of her life were wasted because of those who did not have a connection with Jesus Christ. Contrary to popular thinking, all religions and spiritual groups are NOT the same. True Christianity saves lives. I thank God for the priest who gave Carolyn a connection with God, for the people from her parish who took her in, for those who showed her love, and for Christ who redeemed her.
If you listen to spiritual advice from those who do not have the "Spirit of God", you will find yourself drifting away from God. Your life will suffer for the loss of a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. You were meant to be godly. You were meant to rely on the "Spirit of God". God ordained your life to have a relationship with Jesus. God sends HIS Spirit to comfort and direct you. Before you make your choices in life or listen to spiritual advice, you NEED to find those who have the "Spirit of God" in them. The person with the "spirit of the Antichrist" is always ready to give spiritual advice and lead you down the wrong paths in life. According to this scripture, you need to figure out which spiritual people are trustworthy in Christ Jesus.
I celebrate the Spirit of God that is in you and brought you to reading this. I'm excited about what wonderful additions you will bring to God's work and world. God will bless you and protect you as you walk this spiritual walk of life. Just be wise in taking advice. You want the advice to come from God, not from somewhere else!
After becoming a true Christian with a deep relationship with Christ, it is important to follow the scripture above. 1 John 4:1 warns us "not to believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit". There are many spiritual and religious people in the world, but not all of them are of God. Not all of them have a true commitment to Christ. In the days in which this scripture was originally written, there were people who claimed to believe in Jesus as the Christ, but they did not believe he was "born of Mary". He did not suffer and die on a cross. He was a spiritual being, but not a physical one. These people were mostly Gnostics. They believed they knew Jesus, but they could not accept his real death on a cross. When John wrote the words above, he asked the real Christians to "test" others who spoke about our faith. John wanted them to make sure that the "spirit they have comes from God" (1 John 4:2). He even targets the Gnostics by writing: "if a person claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God" (1 John 4:2-3). In verse 2 above, the false prophets (Gnostics) denied Jesus had a "real body". Thus, they were not of God. They were from the "Antichrist" (1 John 4:3), sent to mess up the connection with the believer and the real Christ Jesus.
According to the scripture above, you can have a "Spirit of God" or you can have the "spirit of the Antichrist". Your job is to "test the spirits". An important aspect of being faithful to Jesus Christ involves checking to make sure that those you trust spiritually are those who have the Spirit of God. From priests to pastors to spiritual mentors and friends, you need to spiritually steer clear of those who do not have the "Spirit of God" in them. They can be friends, but not Christian friends. They can give advice, but not godly advice. God can work through them, but God is not in them.
Carolyn was always a spiritual person. She grew up attending worship in a Catholic Church. During her teens, she drifted away from the Catholic Church, remaining a Christian in name only. She was a wonderful person who was well liked by her friends. She had lots of friends. In her early twenties, Carolyn fell in love with a Peter, whom she met at a concert. The two hit it off and became inseparable. They married in 1969 and began a beautiful life together.
Seven years into the marriage, Carolyn and Peter began to have marriage problems. They fought the same old fights over and over. Wondering what to do, Carolyn expressed her frustration to her closest friend. This friend stated that men are born to cheat. They aren't wired like women. She talked about men being biologically antithetical to marriage. Can you tell her best friend was divorced? Carolyn began to drift away from her husband, spending more time with her best friend. After divorcing her husband, Carolyn began to get involved with an Eastern Meditation group. They taught that life was all spiritual and the purpose of life was to become one with "the spirit". The group met together regularly, some even moving in together in a large commune. Carolyn loved her new life, and highly respected the gurus who taught the group.
Ten years later, Carolyn's life was a mess. After her closest friend died, she began to question her life choices. She was poor and desperate. All her time and money was spent supporting the spiritual group she had migrated into. Desperately seeking some help, she visited a Catholic mission not far away. There, she met a priest who took her under his wing. He helped her find housing. A congregation helped her re-acclimate to her new life. A husband and wife stopped in often to check on her. For the first time in a long time, Carolyn felt spiritually connected again. To this day, she is very active in her parish in California.
There were many spiritual voices in Carolyn's life. Some weren't from God. Some were. Sadly, she wandered away from the people sent by God. She took spiritual advice and counseling from those who were not bearing the "Spirit of God". Many years of her life were wasted because of those who did not have a connection with Jesus Christ. Contrary to popular thinking, all religions and spiritual groups are NOT the same. True Christianity saves lives. I thank God for the priest who gave Carolyn a connection with God, for the people from her parish who took her in, for those who showed her love, and for Christ who redeemed her.
If you listen to spiritual advice from those who do not have the "Spirit of God", you will find yourself drifting away from God. Your life will suffer for the loss of a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. You were meant to be godly. You were meant to rely on the "Spirit of God". God ordained your life to have a relationship with Jesus. God sends HIS Spirit to comfort and direct you. Before you make your choices in life or listen to spiritual advice, you NEED to find those who have the "Spirit of God" in them. The person with the "spirit of the Antichrist" is always ready to give spiritual advice and lead you down the wrong paths in life. According to this scripture, you need to figure out which spiritual people are trustworthy in Christ Jesus.
I celebrate the Spirit of God that is in you and brought you to reading this. I'm excited about what wonderful additions you will bring to God's work and world. God will bless you and protect you as you walk this spiritual walk of life. Just be wise in taking advice. You want the advice to come from God, not from somewhere else!