★ Thought for the Day – Overcoming Adversity Through Service – Part 6A ★

If you can believe it, I started this right before Memorial Day, (May 31, 2021) and for some reason never finished it.  I had planned to tie this post into the day that we honor those men and women who have given their lives in service to our country.  With the recent events at the Kabul Airport, where a suicide bomber killed 13 U.S. Service Members (8/26/21) it seemed appropriate to return to the post.  Even though it is is three months later, I still want to thank those who given the ultimate sacrifice as Jesus said in John 15:13 (NIV):

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

It got me thinking about our series about the men and women in scripture who consistently chased after God, and how two men who Overcame Adversity Through Service and Sacrifice came to mind…

Phillip and Stephen may not be on the top of your list, or perhaps you may not even know who they are, but that is precisely the point.  People whose sole desire is to serve do not look for glory or to make a name for themselves as is the case with our overcomers today.  Phillip and Stephen faithfully worked in the background building the Kingdom of God.  By the way, since it has been a while since I have posted about the series, here is a quick rundown what we have covered so far:

• ★ Thought for the Day – Overcoming Adversity Through Character ★
• ★ Thought for the Day – Overcoming Adversity through Faith – Part 2 ★
• ★ Thought for the Day – Overcoming Adversity Through Perseverance – Part 3 ★
  
• ★ Thought for the Day – Overcoming Adversity Through Loyalty – Part 4 ★
• ★ Thought for the Day – Overcoming Adversity Through Courage – Part 5 ★

Our anchor verse for the series is from Joshua 1:8 (NLT):

“Study this Book of Instruction continually.  Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it.  Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.”

This passage has certainly been applicable to our previous Overcomers, but I think you will see it especially describes Phillip and Stephen as well.  We first meet them in Acts Chapter 6 as a solution to a food distribution problem that arose in the early church between the Hebrew-speaking widows and the Greek-speaking widows (or Hellenists), see Acts 6:1.  Earlier this year, my wife and I visited the church that my daughter is attending near her college, and the Pastor explained the context of the discord and that when the church prospers, there will inherently be some growing pains, as was the case when we meet our two overcomers.  The Greek widows were complaining that they were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food.  This revealed a need in the community.  So, the position of Deacons was created so that the Apostles could focus on teaching the Word of God.  Acts 6:3,5 (NLT) records,

“And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility.”

“Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith).”

My daughter’s pastor, Ross Appleton, made the point that this was a joint coalition to take care of the Hellenist widows.  These (7) deacons served humbly, not as Apostles in the spotlight but rather as part of the church’s food bank which shows us that:

“Serving enables the Word of God to move forward.”  Ross Appleton

That is a word that I think many people including myself need to take to heart.  In the post ★ Thought for the Day – Audience of One ★, I shared how I struggled for years wanting to be in the spotlight, believing that if I was upfront, I could have the greatest impact for the Kingdom of God, but God spoke to me at a men’s conference back in 2014 that I needed to repent as my motives were off.  You see what started off as me wanting to serve, was really motivated unbeknownst to me by a thirst for the approval of others rather than the approval of the One.  Now I am not saying that if you are the Lead Pastor or Ministry Leader that your motivations are wrong, that is just what happened to me.  I am merely making the point that people who are serving in the background are just as important to “moving the Word of God forward” as anyone else.  In fact, I remember Jimmy Evans making the point that small group leaders will have a bigger impact on the people in that circle than he could ever have preaching in front of thousands of people.  The key is whether you are operating in the power of the Holy Spirit or not.  I was reading a commentary on Acts 6:3 and I thought this was quite powerful:

“The idea behind full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom is that these men were to be both SPIRITUALLY MINDED and PRACTICALLY MINDED. This can be a hard combination to find.”  David Guzik

I will say that I learned a lot from the commentary and have used it in this post for context. Also, I did want to say, because there is so much to unpack, you may have noticed that this is “Part 6A” to our series.  That is because we will start off with Phillip in this post and then in “Part 6B” we will put our lens on the life and sacrifice of Stephen.

So, let’s focus now on Phillip, who we can deduce was full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom since he was selected.  He is not the same Phillip mentioned in John 1:43-44 who becomes a Disciple of Jesus but the “other Philip,” who I just discovered is distinguished with the name “Philip the evangelist” or “Philip the deacon.”  The amazing thing about Philip is that though he was one of the original seven deacons selected, he must have had a heart for evangelism because when the “great persecution” arose in Acts 8:1, Philip left Jerusalem to become an evangelist in Samaria (Acts 8:4-13).  This is significant because Jews typically stayed away from Samaria because they generally hated them because they were half-breeds.  If you recall your history 600 years earlier when the Assyrians conquered Israel, they scattered all the wealthy, and middle-class Jews from Israel, and then proceeded to move into the area and intermarry with the lowest classes of the remaining Jews from Northmen Israel (see 2 Kings 17).  So not only was Phillip humble, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom but he was also not a racist, following the example of Jesus who ministered to the Samaritan Woman at the Well (see John 4) and told the Parable of the Good Samaritan (see Luke 10:25-37) as a lesson about how we ought to treat others.  The Apostle Paul instructed in Galatians 3:28 (NLT) that…

“There is no longer Jew or GenJtile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

And that is something that Phillip took to heart because he saw no separation from the Samaritans and extended the hope of Jesus to them.  At that time the Samaritans used to listen to a Sorcerer named Simon, but his influence was waning because of all God was doing though Phillip.  In Acts 8:12-13 says:

“But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized. Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the signs and great miracles Philip performed.”

Phillip went from the bread line to the front line, being God’s messenger to the long hated and ostracized Samaritans.  It is interesting to note that later on in 1 Timothy 3:8-13, Paul’s mentee Timothy gives clarity on what the qualifications for a Deacon are.  You could extrapolate that the list came from these first (7) men who served in this role.  My daughter’s Pastor also made this point that is apropos to Phillip:

“People don’t accidentally love people; we must be intentional.”  Ross Appleton

I love that!  If we want to make a difference in this world, we must be intentional.  It will take time, effort, potentially even money.  But as believers in Christ, we have a clear mandate from Jesus.  In Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT), Jesus gave His last command before ascending to heaven.

“Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.””

This instruction is commonly referred to as “The Great Commission” that Jesus charged His disciples to go out to make disciples throughout the earth so that the Kingdom of God can be expanded.  Phillip, a humble servant to everyone understood this well as he had a profound effect in expanding the church. 2,000 years later, that is still relevant for us today.  If we want to Overcome Adversity, perhaps it is through service.  When we take time to meet people’s physical needs like Phillip did, they will be more apt to listen to the truth about Jesus, who is the only One who can meet their spiritual needs.

Click here for the next post in our series that covers Stephen, called:

★ Thought for the Day – Overcoming Adversity Through Service – Part 6B ★

★ ★ ★ DIG DEEPER ★ ★ ★

 ★ Thought for the Day – What is the X-Factor of Leadership? ★

★ Thought for the Day – Back Into the Fire ★ 

★ Thought for the Day – Interruption or Opportunity? ★

★ Back to the Basics – GOD IS…A DADDY ★

In yesterday’s post ★ Back to the Basics – GOD IS…PROVIDER ★, we talked about how God is is a provider and that it okay to put Him to the test.  If we will be faithful to bring the tithe  He throw open the “floodgates of heaven” and pour out so much blessings we wouldn’t know what to do with it!  Today it seems appropriate to tie together that God is a provider and that…

There is nothing greater in the world then to hear my daughters still call me “Daddy,” even now in their teenage years.  It is such an endearing name of affection that invokes a sense of connection and deep love.  Jimmy Evans said

“Our God is the greatest Daddy in the World!”  

He showed that love for His children by sending Jesus to bridge the gap that sin created so that we could be reconnected to Him.  Through Jesus we have that connection and can call upon God not just as the Father in Heaven but as our Daddy!  And our heavenly Daddy gave us an amazing gift by giving us the Holy Spirit.  I love this quote from Robert Morris:

“The Holy Spirit wants to pull the curtain back so that you can begin to see God more clearly.”  From the YouVersion reading plan ‘The God I Never Knew.’ (https://www.bible.com/en/reading-plans/15944)

I think that many people are missing a clear understanding of who God is!  My wife and I did a bible reading plan called “Lent: Remembering the Life of Jesus.”  Each day they challenged the reader to write down an attribute of God.  I highly recommend the reading plan to discover who God is!  And if you have not figured it out already, we are in a series that is the fruit of my efforts called “GOD IS” Once I wrote down the obvious 20 attributes, I found that I had to dig down a little harder and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal so of the more subtle attributes that may not be so readily apparent without His revelation and without reading the Bible… For instance, Romans ‭8:15-16 ‭(NLT)‬‬ shows us that we can call God “Daddy”….

“So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.”

“Abba,” which in Aramaic is a word derived from baby-language and is translated to mean “Daddy.”  So the Apostle Paul is making the connection that through our relationship with Jesus we can call God our Daddy!  This is really a beautiful reality that unfortunately many people do not see God as,  whether that is because their earthly father was far from a good daddy or maybe because they have been hurt by a pastor or a church. The key is that you should never allow a bad experience here on earth to change our view of God!

This is also very special to me because of a song called “Abba” by Jonathan David Helser which was repeatedly in my playlist at the time my Mom passed away.  My Mom had her first stroke back in 2010 (which completely changed her life).  Since 1,500 miles separated us, we would have weekly phone calls in which I would often share things with with her from what I was reading in the Bible or what I learned from the sermon on the previous Sunday.  After the stroke, the Holy Spirit gave me many opportunities to sow into her spirit the love that God had for her.  In fact, the weekend before she passed away from a second stroke, I “just so happened” to be in NJ visiting her and had a very special moment with her in the courtyard of her nursing home.  I say “just so happened” because God was so kind to arrange it that I be there in NJ just days before it was “her time” to go home to be with Him.  As we sat in that courtyard and the sun warmed our faces, there was a gentle breeze and this lyric from “Abba” played over my Ipod…

          “Abba, I belong to you.” 

Or another way to say it, “Daddy, I belong to you.”  My Mom was close to the end, but our heavenly Daddy allowed me through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to use this song and “to pull the curtain back so that she could see God more clearly” to remind her that He loved her and was with her through this weakened state.  I will never forget that moment and I will always be thankful for the gift that my Daddy gave me to be there because just 2 days later my Mom was reunited with her Heavenly Daddy!

Just know regardless of what anyone here on earth has done to you, all you have the  do is look to God who is “greatest Daddy in the World!”  

★★ Dig Deeper ★★

★ Thought for the Day – Fully Known ★ 

★ Thought for the Day – What Difference Does a Daddy Make? ★

Here is the post that I did in memory of my Mom that talks more about that day in the courtyard called:

★ Thought for the Day – Tribute to My Mom ★

 

 

 

★ Thought for the Day – True Shalom ★

This week is quite significant for many reasons.  Yesterday was Palm Sunday that is the official kick-off to “Holy Week.”  Which you may recall was when Jesus made His triumphant entry into Jerusalem.  Growing up I always liked this weekend because Palm branches would be handed out at church which we then made a cross with it to keep around the house.  At the time I did not understand the significance of the tradition nor how important Holy Week is.  Friday is of course the day when we remember the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus paid for our sins when He was nailed to the cross.  And smack dab in the middle of the week between Jesus entering Jerusalem and subsequent death on a Roman cross, is the Jewish celebration of Passover is on Wednesday which is the remembrance of when the Israelite people were spared when the angel of death “passed over” their homes in Egypt because they put the blood of a scarified lamb over the doorway.  Besides the religious significance, this week according to the Surgeon General “is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment.”  As I turned on the TV this morning, news report after news report warns that the USA is facing the worst week of the Covid-19 outbreak.  As we have been “social distancing,” (which I have to say I cannot stand hearing that phrase, I prefer “physical distancing” but I digress), the most repeated thing that I have asked, or have been asked, is “how are doing in quarantine?”  So, I will tell you, I am doing good.  Like so many, it has been (3) weeks now that we have self-quarantined.  In these difficult and confusing times, it’s been comforting to be with my wife and (2) daughters, facing this together.  Each of us have been “finding our new normal.”  I have commandeered the dining room as my work space, while our daughters have each found their own place to attend classes online.  One blessing of being quarantined with my family is enjoying having lunch together and then 3 pm coffee time with my wife.  I think the most interesting change is that I am now the one hitting Costco, Kroger or Walmart just trying to find the essentials.  As I got ready yesterday and folded up my bandanna with some of my wife’s hair ties to create a makeshift mask, I felt a little like this guy…

Hahaha!  And I am happy to report that yesterday I hit “pay dirt!”

The media has created such a frenzy with non-stop coverage of empty shelves, the number of infected and sadly the death toll.  There is without a doubt a reason to be concerned and take precautions, but we need to not allow our lives to be driven by fear!  I was reading this YouVersion Easter reading plan called ‘Risen’ by Ray Johnston, and he had this great insight:

“Fear is the darkroom where negatives develop.”

Fear will cause us to act irrationally like hording toilet paper and can open the door to the enemy’s attack.  After I came home yesterday from Winco with my precious paper products, mind you I have not had paper towels in 3 weeks…talk about first world problems…I then gathered with my family to stream the church service.  And the ironic part, the sermon was called “Overcoming Fear” by Jimmy Evans.  This timely message was all about God wanting us to have peace, not fear!  He shared that:

“Fear is a prophet spirit from hell, sent to give us a negative report about the future that will upset us and cause us to make a fear-based decision that God will not honor.” 

That is so, so powerful!  How many fear-based decisions are being made right now?  The enemy loves to use fear as a weapon against us but 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT) tells us:

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”

Jimmy Evans also said that:

“God never uses fear!  He uses peace!” 

That got me thinking about the Jewish celebration of Passover this week and the word that they use for peace… “Shalom,” which as you may have guessed, is the inspiration of this post.  I asked a friend of mine who has a lot of knowledge about Judaism what is a trusted definition of the word Shalom and he said:

“The basic definition is peace for sure.  But that peace, is a peace that goes beyond just peace with others, but peace with self, circumstances, emotions, etc.  More like the peace of a new born babe in his/her mother’s arms.  Like that.  Where things may be happening but finding that security in God.” 

What a powerful image right?  We can find peace in God like a baby has in its mother’s arms.

This past February, my wife and I went to the XO Marriage Conference and heard Dave and Ashley Willis talk about “Finding Peace in Marriage Conflicts.”  They shared this great definition for Shalom:

“Breaking the authority established by chaos.” 

That is what I believe many of us need to do!  We need to break the authority that we have allowed chaos to have over our lives.  Satan is the author of confusion and it is only when we take captive our thoughts that we can have True Shalom.  1 Corinthians 14:33a (NLT) reminds us…

“For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” (“of Shalom” – see the Tree of Life Translation).

I just reading John chapter 14 in which Jesus comforted His Disciples about the end times.  He book-ended the chapter with an offer of peace.  John 14:1 (NLT) start off:

““Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.”” 

I love the comfort found in John 14:1.  This image reminded me of my many times in detention back in High School where the Dean had me write over and over “I will not _____ .” (Fill in the blank with whatever my offense was that day).  Hahaha!  I hated this punishment, but you know there is something about repetition that helps us learn the lesson.  The same is true for our Life…Jesus gave us the key to ANY situation…“Trust in God, and trust also in [Him].”  There is no better cure for anxiety than praying to the ONE who can comfort, heal and provide for us!

He meant this so much that at the end of the chapter, Jesus made this statement:

“I am leaving you with a gift — peace of mind and heart.  And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.  So don’t be troubled or afraid.”  John 14:27

So the question is, do you want to trust in the nightly news or the ONE who created you?  The ONE who is your true provider!  Jesus will provide much more than what your physical needs are, He with give you “peace of mind and heart!”  All you need to do is ask Him for it today.

Pray…Stay Safe in Quarantine…and of course wash your hands!

 

★★ Want to dig deeper? ★★ 

Here are a couple of articles about the Meaning of Shalom:

• https://firm.org.il/learn/the-meaning-of-shalom/
• https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.myjewishlearning.com/article/shalom/amp/

Check out this sermon called “I’m Still Scared” by Steven Furtick.

Here are additional posts on fear, doubt, and anxiety that I wrote over the past (6) years if you are interested in reading more on this topic…

1. ★ Thought for the Day – Mastering Fear ★
   
   
2. ★ Thought for the Day – Crippled By Doubt ★

3. ★ Thought for the Day – got fear? ★

4. ★ Thought for the Day – Who’s Chasing You? ★

5. ★ Thought for the Day – Annihilating Anxiety ★

6. ★ Thought for the Day – Fair-Weather Faith ★

 

 

★ Thought for the Day – What’s Your Blanket? ★

Yesterday we had a strong thunderstorm roll through our area that brought lighting and hail which got me thinking about this this Thought for the Day.  What comes to mind when you read the title of this post?  If you were like me, and grew up with the classic TV show “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” an image of Linus with his security blanket may come to mind.  Or maybe you may be thinking about the Downy Infusions Calm TV Commercial that shows a cute little boy who is awakened by a thunder and lightning storm outside.  As he runs down the hall scared to Mommy and climbs onto her bed, he smells a fragrance coming from one of the blankets that immediately calms him by the lavender scent. Instead of staying in bed with his Mommy, he grabs the blanket and goes back to his bed smelling it all the way.  While I could write about either one of these, the inspiration came from my “four-legged son” Jake, who like the frightened young boy, is also terrified by thunderstorms and goes running to his “Mommy.”  We always know when a storm is coming because Jake starts shaking like a leaf and incessantly panting.  And last night was no different, he was a mess and would not calm down.  I remember one day, my wife sent me these photos because Jake was freaking out so bad that he pushed his way into the shower and then tried climbing onto the bed.

Now as you may be chuckling, it’s actually really sad to see him suffering so bad from the anxiety of the impending storm.  No amount of petting or hugging or soothing words could settle Jake down.  Only one thing helps him…

His ThunderShirt.  Forgive me if this seems like a promotion, but it really works (and I receive no kickbacks for saying so, hahaha!)  The website says that it…

“Applies gentle, constant pressure, similar to swaddling an infant.”

In the post ★ Thought for the Day – Annihilating Anxiety ★, I shared Philippians 4:6-7 (NASB) which says:

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

In the post, we talked about how if we go to God with our anxieties, He WILL be help us through anything!!  A common misconception of Christianity is that once you give your life over to God, and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, everything in your life should be sunshine and roses!  BUT THAT SIMPLY IS NOT TRUE!  We live in a fallen, broken world in which God-fearing, Jesus believing, Holy Spirit filled Christians lose their jobs, contract cancer, or experience the death of a loved one.  However, the Bible offers encouragement throughout the pages which can help us to deal with our worry and fear, which is of course is completely normal to experience as we go through the storms of life.  In the post ★ Thought for the Day – Be Strong and Courageous ★, I shared about our daughter heading to Atlanta for a three-day training camp before heading to Eswatini (formally known as Swaziland) and South Africa for a two-month Missions Trip, and the anxiety we were feeling having our first-born child on the other side of the world over 9,000 miles away from us!  God spoke to me through Joshua 1:6-9 to “Be strong and courageous” and trust that she would be alright.  Well the 2 months came and went, and she arrived safely home from Africa with incredible stories of how God worked in and through her.

Today I would like to unpack the context of the anchor passage of Philippians 4:6-7 because as you have heard me say in the past, context is everything.  Like anything, it always come down to a choice.

• Will you CHOOSE to WORRY or TRUST God?
• Will you CHOOSE to TRY TO CONTROL EVERYTHING or LET GO and LET GOD HANDLE IT?
• Will you CHOOSE to LISTEN TO THE LIES OF DEVIL that God is not good, or WILL YOU REMEMBER how He took care of you in the past and BELIEVE that God is faithful?

So, let’s look at the verses that bookend our anchor passage that can help us find where true comfort can be found.  Philippians 4:4-5 (NLT) says:

“Always be full of joy in the Lord.  I say it again—rejoice!  Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do.  Remember, the Lord is coming soon.”

That is a tough one, right?  To “always be full of joy,” easier said than done, but the way we gain victory is “in the Lord,” not through “white-knuckle” effort on our part.  The only think we must do is choose to believe that the Lord is good, that He is for us and not against us, and that He is able to do more than we can ever expect!  As we do this, then the need of a “security blanket” to comfort us through the “storms” will not be necessary.  Comfort which typically is not a blanket or ThunderShirt but rather something that comes from a bottle, prescription or something altogether illegal.  Comfort items that before I came to Christ, I tried to fill the void in my heart but to no avail!  Depression, fear, anxiety WILL NEVER BE CURED with another drink, pill or _______ (fill in the blank.)  If only I knew the truth of Philippians 4 back then!

Let’s look at the other book end which is Philippians 4:8-9 (NLT) which is the application portion…

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing.  Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.  Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me — everything you heard from me and saw me doing.  Then the God of peace will be with you.”

What we focus on is what we will experience.  We need to “keep putting into practice” and as we do our faith will be built up and our worry will wither away!  It is all about discipline and training ourselves to look to God instead of whatever “blanket” we got to which only covers the problem, it will never fix the root issue!  I will close with this truth from Jimmy Evans,

“Fear is expecting the Devil to move.  Faith is expecting God to move.” 

And in John 16:33 (The Passion Translation) Jesus made this promise…

“And everything I’ve taught you is so that the peace which is in me will be in you and will give you great confidence as you rest in me. For in this unbelieving world you will experience trouble and sorrows, but you must be courageous, for I have conquered the world!””

Through a relationship with Jesus, you can conquer the world!

If you want to develop that relationship, check out these posts:

★ Thought for the Day – I Hate Religion and I’m a Christian… ★

★ Thought for the Day – I Hate Religion and I’m a Christian…Part 2 ★ 

“The Power of Peace” by Jimmy Evans. He shares a message about the gift and power of God’s peace and how to fight for it in our lives.

 

 

★ Thought for the Day – Avoiding the Consequences of Compromise (Part 5) ★

Our Temptation Series continues today with us unpacking how to avoid the Consequences of Compromise.  If you have missed the previous posts we first introduced the series using Abraham’s Nephew “Lot” as a case study (click here).  We then studied about alcohol and drugs (click here), pornography and promiscuity (click here), adultery (click here), and most recently gluttony (click here).

Last Sunday the pastor at my church said that Satan wants us to bail out or compromise which got me thinking about this Thought for the Day because you can see this happening constantly in our culture.  Today we will delve into the pitfall of compromise.  If you have been following our blog, you know that this is a topic that we have explored quite a bit in the past; and that is because if this area is out of line, then every other part of your life will be affected.  If we say we are a Christian then we must be very careful not to allow things “to slip” in this department.  Now I am not living in a fantasy-land, I would love to say that all temptations goes away once you accept Christ as your savior but that would be denying what 1 Corinthians 10:12 (ESV) warns.

“Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.”

Temptation is real and will never go away while we are on this side of heaven. And compromise is a slow fade…What we say, the jokes we laugh at, how act should align with the faith we profess.  I truly feel that how we handle ourselves should be the same regardless of who we are with.  What do you think about that?  Is that possible?  I can honestly say that I try to be the same person whether it is with my daughters, my wife, a co-worker, my pastor or a stranger.  Something that I have always tried to keep in mind is what I once heard motivational speaker, author and former pastor John Maxwell say:

“I am always one step away from stupid.”

What a humble statement and great wisdom too!  No matter how far along you are in your journey, you are always one bad decision away from blowing it!  In an instant we could ruin our legacy and reputation that we have built over a lifetime of good choices.  Peer pressure from friends, or demands from employers/clients, or one’s own ambition to climb the corporate ladder can exert a huge gravitational pull towards compromising our moral or ethical beliefs.  That is why we must heed the warning of 1 Corinthians and be mindful not to give into the enticements that satan dangles in front of us, whether it be cheating on an exam or our spouse, turning a blind eye to corruption or willingly partaking in it.  This may be cliché but you will never regret doing the right thing and not going along with what people are doing.  2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (NLT) instructs…

“Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers.  How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness?  How can light live with darkness?  What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil?  How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?  And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols?  For we are the temple of the living God.  As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them.  I will be their God, and they will be my people.  Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.  Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.  And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.””

When we allow ourselves to be influenced by how we will be perceived or to make choices that we know are not God honoring, we open ourselves to some devastating consequences.

Today’s case study fell victim to the trap of yielding to the court of public opinion.  Saul was the first king of the Israelites and was anointed by the prophet Samuel to lead.  On the outside, he appeared to be quite “kingly,” but on the inside he desired only to garner the people’s approval and would do anything for that affirmation.  For those not familiar with King Saul here’s the cliff notes version about this man.

We are first introduced to the man in 1 Samuel 9:1-2:

“There was a wealthy, influential man named Kish from the tribe of Benjamin.  He was the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, of the tribe of Benjamin.  His son Saul was the most handsome man in Israel—head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land.”

So Saul came from a wealthy family and looked the part as well.  In verse 17, he received a great endorsement from the prophet Samuel…

“When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said, ‘That’s the man I told you about!  He will rule my people.’”

So he came from the right family, he looked the part and had the right supports.  Saul had everyone hoodwinked including the prophet of God.  It’s interesting though, when it came time to appoint Saul as King of Israel, he was nowhere to be found.  1 Samuel 10:21b-24 says:

“And finally Saul son of Kish was chosen from among them.  But when they looked for him, he had disappeared!  So they asked the Lord, “Where is he?”

And the Lord replied, “He is hiding among the baggage.”  So they found him and brought him out, and he stood head and shoulders above anyone else.

Then Samuel said to all the people, “This is the man the Lord has chosen as your king. No one in all Israel is like him!”

And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”

“Long live the king!?”  The people cheered to receive a king that was “hiding among the baggage” at the time of appointment!  From the onset, Saul proved he did not have what it takes; you can read all about his reign in 1 Samuel 11-13.  As war continued with the Philistines, and hopelessness was spreading amongst the ranks, Saul’s true colors came out as he waited for Samuel.  1 Samuel 13:8-14 (NLT) recalls:

“Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn’t come.  Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away.  So he demanded, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!”  And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself.

Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived.  Saul went out to meet and welcome him, but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?”

Saul replied, “I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn’t arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle.  So I said, ‘The Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal, and I haven’t even asked for the Lord’s help!’  So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came.”

“How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you.  Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.  But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after His own heart.  The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”

As a result of not trusting in God and his desire to keep his men in line, Saul violated God’s command that only his prophet could present the offering so he lost the kingdom as a result of giving into compromise!  The same can happen to us in our jobs, our marriages or our friendships if we too follow in the way of Saul.  I got this fortune cookie once that I thought was priceless…

“Do not mistake temptation for opportunity.”

We need to practice discernment and realize that it is our choice as to what we give into.  Now I don’t subscribe to fortune cookie wisdom, so let’s see what the Bible says…

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.  God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”  1 Corinthians 10:13

Satan doesn’t make us do anything; we make the decision whether or not to compromise.  This is something that I am hoping has come through loud and clear that yielding to temptation is on us but if we trust God He will help us through it!  Living a life of truth is everything!  In the post ★ “Back to the Basics” – Pursuit #2 – What Are You Feeding On? ★, we discussed all about the attacks of satan, spiritual warfare and the importance of putting on the Armor of God.  In Ephesians 6:14 (NLT) it says:

“Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.”

The Belt of Truth is intended to hold everything together.  The Apostle Paul gave this advice because without living a life of integrity everything will fall apart.  Proverbs 21:21 (ESV) has this promise for everyone who will choose a different path:

“Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor.”

But will we choose to pursue the tough road, the road to righteousness?  Or will go the much simpler, more traveled road of compromise?  I will close this with this thought from Jimmy Evans:

“There’s a difference between committing a sin and practicing a sin.”  

We all make mistakes; the key is what you do once you have made it.  Will you continue in that compromise or sin, or will you come clean with God and set things straight.  The starting point goes back to trusting God.  We need to daily renew our mind and our relationship with our heavenly Father in order to serve God in our school, friendships, vocations and our families!  That is why this site is called “Daily Dependence,” because we all need to keep Christ at the center of our lives!  What will you choose to do?

 

If you’re interested in digging deeper, check out:

★ Thought for the Day – Got Values? ★

★ Thought for the Day – How Important is Integrity? ★

★ Thought for the Day – Stay the Course…Part 2 ★

★ Thought for the Day – Talent vs. Integrity ★  

★ Thought for the Day – Avoiding the Consequences of Lust (Part 3b) ★

In yesterday’s post (Part 3a) we introduced the dangers of pornography and promiscuity and how important it was to avoid yielding to these Temptations because they can escalate into more devastating sins.  We also discussed that sexual integrity is possible IF we will follow what the Word of God has to say.  If you haven’t read Part 3a I highly recommend that you do, because it sets the foundation for today’s Thought for the Day which we will see what happens when we don’t shut down the carnal desires inside of us and ignore the warnings signs.  Our case study is someone who probably thought he was too powerful to ever fall, but fall did he ever.  I am speaking of King David, a man after God’s own heart, (see 1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22).

David was a complex man.  For those not familiar with him, he was youngest of (8) children who tended his father’s sheep and played the harp.  But before you think that he was soft or weak, we find out in 1 Samuel 17:34-36 that David would chase after lions and bears with nothing but a club after a lamb was stolen from the flock and killed them.  David is also known for slaying Goliath the Giant, the Philistine’s prized warrior who had come to wage war on the nation of Israel.  Eventually David became king over Israel and was referred to by God as a “Man of War” in 1 Chronicles 28:2-3!  By all accounts David was a mighty strong man, but though the King was able to overcome every nation that came against him, his undoing was his flesh!  Lust was his Achilles’ heel, his kryptonite, the one vulnerable chink in his armor that brought David to his knees, literally!  But I am getting ahead of myself; let’s continue to understand the man a little more.  In 1 Samuel 18:17-30, 25:39-42 and, 2 Samuel 3:2–5, 11:26-27, 5:13 the names of David’s (8) wives are listed.  And the in 2 Samuel 5:13 (NLT) it says:

“After moving from Hebron to Jerusalem, David married more concubines and wives, and they had more sons and daughters.”

David clearly had an overactive libido and his failure to master the temptation of lust caused him to go down a path I bet he never dreamed possible.  Whether you know the Bible well or not, you have probably heard something about David and Bathsheba, a story that reads much like a Shakespearean tragedy.  

You can read the whole story about David and Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11:1-12:25 but here’s the Cliff Notes version of the sordid affair.  The chronicle of David and Bathsheba is a cautionary tale about adultery and how we must watch out for guideposts along the path of life alerting us to danger.  There were many warning signs and opportunities for David to “course correct” but he ignored each and every one of them.  I pray that this powerful King’s “fall from grace” will resonate with us that we can avoid the pitfall of lust.  Now we will be primarily speaking of a man’s failure to overcome lust but this is something that women need to be wary of the Satan’s traps like connecting with an old boyfriend on Facebook, sharing intimate details with a male friend / co-worker, or losing oneself in romance novels that could be considered a form of pornography in itself.  In response to a question about whether it is okay to watch the new 50 Shades of Grey movie, Mark Driscoll made this point about how to make good decisions…

“Whether it’s what movies to watch, what songs to listen to, or any other number of choices, determining the godliness of a decision depends on one simple question…Does this glorify Christ, or does it gratify my sinful desires?  Source: “Is It Ok To Watch 50 Shades Darker?” video 

Does this ___________ (fill in the blank) glorify Christ, or does it gratify my sinful desires?  That is a decision even man and woman needs to make for themselves.

Okay tangent is over; now back to David and his poor decisions.  It all started quite innocently.  David took a day off, or rather a season off.  Let me explain…unlike today, it was customary at that time for the King to go to battle with his troops.  David however stayed behind and one day after waking up from a nap he saw a beautiful woman bathing from the roof of his palace.  Red flag #1.  No problem, he saw something he shouldn’t so all he needs to do is just look away right?  Unfortunately he didn’t.  Instead, David inquired about who she was and the flame of flirtation was fanned.  But there’s no problem with flirting right?  It’s okay if he looks as long as he doesn’t touch right?  Maybe you are thinking that right now but that’s not what the Word of God instructs.  In Job 31:1 (NLT) it says:

“I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman.”

This would be a passage of scripture David would have known about and yet he dismissed it clearly.  Jesus elevated the requirement when He said in Matthew 5:27-28 (NLT):

“You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’  But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

I like how The Message translates verse 28

“But don’t think you’ve preserved your virtue simply by staying out of bed.  Your heart can be corrupted by lust even quicker than your body.  Those leering looks you think nobody notices—they also corrupt.”

Looking is not any better than touching and we need to realize that it will corrupt our heart.  So back to the story…David is told that Bathsheba is married and one would think that being “a man after God’s own heart” he will let it go right?  Nope.  Warning sign #2 ignored.  David sent messengers to bring Bathsheba to the palace and in 1 Samuel 11:4 it records that he slept with her.  We are not given any details about if it was coerced or consensual, but the sin of adultery was committed nonetheless.  Remember the verse we read in the last post from James 1:15?  When sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death, and such is the case with David because Bathsheba conceived after their affair!  I am reminded of Proverbs 6:26b-29 (NLT) which warns that:

“…sleeping with another man’s wife will cost you your life.  Can a man scoop a flame into his lap and not have his clothes catch on fire?  Can he walk on hot coals and not blister his feet?  So it is with the man who sleeps with another man’s wife.  He who embraces her will not go unpunished.”

Here’s guidepost #3 that the King would have been wise enough that he could have changed the downward spiral but instead of coming clean about the affair, David sends for her husband Uriah the Hittite to return back from the battle lines in order to try to cover up the illegitimate pregnancy.  But it turns out that Uriah was far more honorable than the King he served.  David tried to get him to sleep with Bathsheba twice, but her husband would not.  2 Samuel 11:11 says:

“Uriah replied, ‘The Ark and the armies of Israel and Judah are living in tents, and Joab and my master’s men are camping in the open fields.  How could I go home to wine and dine and sleep with my wife?  I swear that I would never do such a thing.’”

So here we land at the proverbial fork in the road with Signpost #4 in which David is out of options, it’s time to confess right?  Once again, the King ignores the peril and in 1 Samuel 11:14-15 we see how David arranged for Uriah’s Death:

“So the next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and gave it to Uriah to deliver.  The letter instructed Joab, ‘Station Uriah on the front lines where the battle is fiercest. Then pull back so that he will be killed.’”

Wow!  This passage has always been hard for me to understand because not only did David arrange for Uriah’s death, but he sent him to deliver his own death sentence all because of David’s adulterous lust and inability to take responsibility for his actions.  What’s even more shocking to me was the fact that Joab actually participated in the murder!  You know that the Bible is true by the fact that the dirty laundry is aired out for all to see.  God does not allow skeletons to be kept locked away in the closet.  Jesus said in Luke 8:17 (NLT),

“For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all.”

Another warning from scripture is from Proverbs 6:32-34 (NLT) which says:

“But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool, for he destroys himself.  He will be wounded and disgraced.  His shame will never be erased.  For the woman’s jealous husband will be furious, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.”

Now in the case of Uriah, he never knew the betrayal of his King, but the truth remains, what is done in the dark will be exposed eventually and when it does, wrath will result from the spouse who was cheated on.  I have a friend who is walking through the healing process from committing adultery on his wife and I remember so clearly when he told me that the woman’s husband contacted him at work and the viciousness that was unleashed on him.  Lust led David to progressively escalate his sin to cover the previous one.  Temptation works much like boiling a frog in water; the heat slowly builds until it is too late and then it is boiled alive.  The eventual consummation of sin is just the final nail in the coffin.  Conceding to temptation is a slow fade of the man or woman who fails to recognize the guideposts.  Here’s the sad fact about giving into temptation…

“You don’t realize all that you are giving up in the moment of temptation.”  Unknown

But Romans 13:14 (ESV) gives us the remedy!

“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”

There needs to be a zero tolerance approach to lust.  We read 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 in the last post that gives a very clear command!

“Flee from sexual immorality!”  And if we fail to, we need to repent and ask God to forgive us.  That is eventually what David did after God sent his prophet Nathan to confront him.  David confessed his guilt and had to face some pretty tough consequences.  2 Samuel 12:13-18a says:

“Then David confessed to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’

Nathan replied, ‘Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin.  Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the word of the Lord by doing this, your child will die.’

After Nathan returned to his home, the Lord sent a deadly illness to the child of David and Uriah’s wife.  David begged God to spare the child.  He went without food and lay all night on the bare ground.  The elders of his household pleaded with him to get up and eat with them, but he refused.

Then on the seventh day the child died.”

Ouch!  David went from being referred to as a “Man after God’s own heart,” to becoming an adulterer, liar, conspirator and murderer.  And in the end he lost the child that was conceived as a consequence of his sin.

David cried out to God in Psalms 51:7-12 (NLT)

“Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me — now let me rejoice.  Don’t keep looking at my sins.  Remove the stain of my guilt.  Create in me a clean heart, O God.  Renew a loyal spirit within me.  Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.”

Yes David was “a man after God’s own heart,” but a man still the same who was susceptible to the same temptations we all face. The trouble is he that he let his guard down and failed to overcome the lust within himself!  In our introductory post ★ Thought for the Day – Avoiding a Whole “LOT” of Trouble ★, we read the warning of 1 Corinthians 6:9-10  but today I want to look at the hope that the Apostle Paul gives in verses 11-13 (ESV)

“And such were some of you.  But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.  All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful.  ‘All things are lawful for me,’ but I will not be dominated by anything.  ‘Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food’ — and God will destroy both one and the other.  The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.”

Verse 12 is so powerful…“I will not be dominated by anything.”  When we give into temptation we are no longer in control of our lives, making us vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks and a slave!

I will close with this council from my friend had when I asked him what he would share with someone who is trying to heal from the affair.  This is based on a male perspective but it certainly applies for a woman who may have committed adultery as well:

• Boundaries, accountability, transparency, and honesty with God, your wife, and another man of God are fundamental to overcoming temptations regarding infidelity.
• Healthy boundaries with the opposite sex are your first line of defense against this type of temptation, e.g. no personal friendships, no personal conversations, no private interactions.
• Accountability partners that are not afraid to search your heart and ask the hard questions helps cover the areas that go beyond boundaries, e.g. thoughts and feelings.
• Full transparency into every aspect of your life with God, your wife, and another man of God provides the best line of defense by shedding light on everything you do and removes the ability to hide anything.
• Complete honesty, good, bad, or ugly, is necessary for any of this to work, whether trying to prevent infidelity from happening or healing afterwards.

Romans 12:1 (NLT) which says:

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you.  Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable.  This is truly the way to worship him.”

Don’t allow lust to enslave you, instead let your life and body be holy and pleasing to God!

Here is the next installment of the Temptation Series called:

★ Thought for the Day – Avoiding the Consequences of Gluttony (Part 4) ★

 

If you’re interested in digging deeper, check out:

★ Thought for the Day – Stay the Course ★

★ Act Like Men – “Before the Fall” ★

Resources for those struggling with Sexual Integrity

• Covenant Eyes – Internet Accountability and Filtering Service
• Every Woman’s Battle by Shannon Ethridge – Book
• Every Men’s Battle by Steve Arterburn & Fred Stoeker – Book
• Is It Ok To Watch 50 Shades Darker? – Movie Review from Mark Driscoll
• For Marriages, Check out this video called “Lifelong Passion and Intimacy” from Marriage Today with Jimmy and Karen Evans:

★ Thought for the Day – Avoiding the Consequences of Lust (Part 3a) ★

Our Temptation Series continues today with us unpacking how to avoid the Consequences of Lust.  If you have missed the previous posts, we first introduced the series using Abraham’s Nephew “Lot” as a case study (you can click here to catch up).  We then studied Noah and the trap of alcohol and drugs (click here.)  This Thought will delve into an equally harmful pitfall which you may initially think is harmless but can easily go terribly wrong.  Initially I thought we would be able to cover the temptation of Lust in this post but since it is such a broad topic, we will split this one in to a Part A and B.  We will touch upon (3) areas which are interconnected as each enticement results in a subsequent escalating behavior that can destroy lives whether it is one’s reputation, relationships, and even employment.  Three outlets of Lust that can result are…Pornography, Promiscuity and Adultery.  There definitely are many other deviant behaviors that can be unleashed if Lust is unfettered but we will not venture into that darkness.

The Barna Research Group published an article called “New Research Explores the Changing Shape of Temptation” on January 25, 2013 and here is some of their findings from a study they conducted:

“Though sexual sins are nothing new, viewing pornography online continues to escalate and take on new forms as the Internet and social media evolve.  Nearly one in five Americans (18%) say they are tempted to view pornography or sexually inappropriate content online.”

Now before we get started, I just want to make sure we are all on the same page…Pornography can be movies, pictures, magazines, books, etc. that show or describe naked people or sex for arousal.  It used to be that you had to go to newsstand to buy a pornographic magazine or go into a seedy X-rated store to purchase videos but the dawn of the internet changed everything.  Now pornographic content is available to anyone who has access to a computer, tablet or cell phone.  My prayer for today is that if the area of Sexual Integrity has been compromised in your life, that God would open your eyes to the dangers of giving into lustful or fleshly desires.  I pray that because you may be reading this post and not even think that Lust or viewing pornography as something to be avoided.  Here are two shocking statistics from another article published from the Barna Research study called the “The Porn Phenomenon”:

Source: “Teens & Young Adults Use Porn More Than Anyone Else,” January 28, 2016

Not recycling is more immoral than viewing porn!!!!  How far down has our world degraded too??!!  But even though the culture may view it as not a big deal, the Word of God has a much different viewpoint… 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 (ESV) commands:

In our last post ★ Thought for the Day – The End is Near…? ★, we discussed that in the End Times there will be Godlessness and rampant immorality, but that God sent Jesus to rescue us from Satan’s stranglehold in every area of life including Lust.  We are to glorify God with our body and when we go down the dark road of pornography, promiscuity is a natural result.  A simple way of defining promiscuity is having sex before marriage and potentially with multiple partners.  Maybe you’re reading this and thinking: “What’s wrong with that?  Shouldn’t we experiment before marriage to know what we like?”  I know that is how I felt and that is exactly the trap that Satan sets through pornography and he will use any medium available.  I read this quote from Jimmy Evans who nailed it when he said:

“Movies, television, magazines, and the Internet all display glamorized views of sexual immorality.  They don’t show the disease.  They don’t show the heartache that always results.  They just show the fun—and it makes us feel like we’re missing out.”  Source: “The Secrets of Lifelong Passion and Intimacy”

Everywhere we look sexual immorality is celebrated with no consequences or repercussions.  “If it makes you feel good, go ahead and try it,” or “click here to see what everyone’s talking about…”  FOMO reigns supreme!  “Fear Of Missing Out” is not a new idea, it started back in Garden of Eden when Satan first planted the seed of doubt (see Genesis 3:1,) and it is alive and well today!  The antidote to Satan’s venom is the truth that is found in the Word of God.  Romans 13:13-14 (NLT) offers this for those who believe in Jesus:

“Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see.  Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy.  Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.  And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.”

It always comes back to a choice.  We have to choose not to place ourselves in a vulnerable position by engaging in wild parties with alcohol and drugs because our inhibitions are greatly diminished.  Many use Satan as a scapegoat, saying “The Devil made me do it.”  And while it is true that he uses pornography to entrap people, James 1:14-15 (NLT) clearly shows that:

“Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.  These desires give birth to sinful actions.  And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.”

James was Jesus’ little brother so who better to instruct us right?  It is our decision to whether we yield to what the Devil puts in front of us and when we do the consequences can be life changing.  That is why understanding the destructive nature of pornography is key to have victory in the area of sexual integrity.  But that will never happen if we don’t at first understand that pornography is just a worthless counterfeit of what God’s plan for Marriage which inevitably will lead to promiscuity.  Sex is intended to be the glue to unite a man and woman in a covenantal relationship.  Unfortunately long before they say “I do,” pornography distorts and pollutes the intimacy that was to be enjoyed between a husband and wife.  When we give into the temptation of lust, we are trading beauty for filth which I know all too well.  Like that statistic above, I was exposed to pornography around 12 years old and I was hooked.  Long before I accepted Jesus and way too young to really process just what I was seeing, Satan was like a boa constrictor that just squeezing and squeezing the life from me.  It repulses me to think of all garbage I allowed before my eyes and I wish I had never seen it.  But there is hope!  Regardless of what culture may say, people can and do change if they are willing to put the work.

Psalms 119:9-11 (NLT) says:

“How can a young person stay pure?  By obeying your word.  I have tried hard to find you — don’t let me wander from your commands.  I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

Too easy?  Perhaps but I truly believe that reading God’s Word, the Bible is the way to overcome Satan’s plans of corruption. You cannot just right over and over “I will not sin” on a chalkboard like in school or “will yourself” not to give into temptation thinking that your strong enough to resist.  I cannot tell you how many times I thought that but ended up failing.  1 Corinthians 10:12-13 (NLT) warns…

“If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.  The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience.  And God is faithful.  He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand.  When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

And Proverbs 16:18 (ESV) says:

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

The first step is recognizing that there is a problem and then establishing the proper boundaries.  Tomorrow we will look into the “man after God’s own heart” who allowed the lust in his heart to go unabated.  I will close with this advice from Woodrow Kroll of how to gain victory in life…

“Like our cell phone, Satan has an app for everything. He specializes in getting us off focus.  Now the way to refocus is to set everything else aside, shut everything else out of our life.  Sit done, sit still, open our Bible, and begin to absorb what God has for us.  This doesn’t have to take hours but the more we focus on God and His Word the more we lose focus on the things that Satan tempts us with.”  

Here is part B of this post which is the next installment of the Temptation Series called:

★ Thought for the Day – Avoiding the Consequences of Lust (Part 3b) ★

 

If you’re interested in digging deeper, check out:

★ Thought for the Day – Stay the Course ★

★ Act Like Men – “Before the Fall” ★

Resources for those struggling with Sexual Integrity

• Covenant Eyes – Internet Accountability and Filtering Service
• Every Woman’s Battle by Shannon Ethridge – Book
• Every Men’s Battle by Steve Arterburn & Fred Stoeker – Book
• Is It Ok To Watch 50 Shades Darker? – Movie Review from Mark Driscoll
• For Marriages, Check out this video called “Lifelong Passion and Intimacy” from Marriage Today with Jimmy and Karen Evans:

★ Thought for the Day – The End is Near…? ★

Today we are going to off ramp from our Temptation Series and take a look at what the Bible has to say about “The End Times.”  For those who may not know what I am referring when I say “The End Times,” let me give you the Cliff Notes overview from a Christian perspective or worldview.  You may have also heard of it referred to as the end of time, end of days, last days, final days, or Armageddon.  It is a future time-period described in the last book of the Bible called Revelation.  John, the last surviving disciple of Jesus Christ was visited on the Island of Patmos by Jesus Himself.  He was given a unique glimpse of what future events will come to pass.  Within the 22 chapters of this book of prophecy, John is shown some terrifying judgments for the people left behind after the Jesus “raptures” or takes up His Church.  People who do not believe in Jesus at the time He returns will go through what is called the Tribulation, a 7 year period of judgement and great suffering.  This will precede the second coming of Christ which is spoken about in Chapter 19 of Revelation.  In the final battle between good and evil, Jesus will throw down the Antichrist along with his power structure and usher in the Kingdom of God with His Millennial reign (a thousand years of peace.)  This doctrine is called “Premillennialism.”  Here is a chart I found that is a great visual to help understand the timeline.

Even though we are pausing from the Pitfalls of Temptation, one could say that many of the signs that we are living in the End Times is indicative of the rampant immorality and yielding to carnal desires.  So do you think we are living in the End Times?  I saw this comic which made me chuckle…

In my teenage years and early 20’s, I was in NYC often whether for recreation or attending college.  I have seen people on the street corner and subway station with a sandwich board or sign proclaiming loudly this message that “The end is near!”  Many passerby’s, inducing myself avoided eye contact but you have to admit when you turn on the nightly news or check your twitter feed, the similarities are undeniable.  Jesus said in Luke 21:8-11  (NLT) in response to His disciples of what will be the signs that the “End Times” are near:

“He replied, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and saying, ‘The time has come!’  But don’t believe them.  And when you hear of wars and insurrections, don’t panic.  Yes, these things must take place first, but the end won’t follow immediately.”  

Then He added, “Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven.”

Sound familiar?  Sounds a lot like that “crazy guy with the sandwich board,” but more importantly it is what CNN is reporting daily.  Before you start to think that I have gone off the deep end, I want to assure you that if you call yourself a Christian or Christ follower there is nothing to fear because Jesus will come back and Rapture [or take up] His Church to Heaven before all the terrifying events occur that the Book of Revelation tells of, (see Luke 17:26-35.)

Typically there are two positions that people take towards “End Times” prophecy and reading the Book of Revelation…either they will avoid it at all costs because of fear or because of the complexity.  Or they will embrace it and try to learn and understand this elusive book.  I fall in the discovery category myself and recently I have been spending a lot of time studying the subject.  In full disclosure, I am far from an expert on the subject matter but I have in the course of my walk with God I have listened to great teachings from:

• Kevin Brennan, (my Pastor from our old church in NJ who led me to Christ in 1998.)
• Woodrow Kroll, (the former radio host of “Back to the Bible” and a spiritual giant in my development as a Christian after I was saved.)
• And most recently Jimmy Evans (who you may know from Marriage Today.)

My resurgence in to studying the Book of Revelation was actually fueled by my 13-year-old daughter who asked to read it with her.  When I asked her out all the books to read, why Revelation?  She responded:

“Because it is a complicated book and I want to understand it!”       

At first I was hesitant because I felt unqualified to lead her in the readings but in the end we read it together along with the Charles Stanley Life Principles Study Bible and it was incredible!  I am also a firm believer of what Revelation 1:3 (ESV) says:

“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.”

So if you are fearful or reluctant to read this mysterious book of prophecy, I want to encourage you to start reading it for yourself along with a good study Bible from with a respected teacher.  As I have been taking in as much End Times teaching as I can to share with my daughter, I listened to an incredible series from Jimmy Evans who preached from 5 different vantage points that demonstrate how we could very well be living in the End Times.  (I have copied the links below if you want to check out for yourself.)  As I was listening to one of the messages, Jimmy Evans shared 2 Timothy 3:1-8 (ESV) which talks about the “Godlessness in the Last Days”…

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.  For people will be

1.    lovers of self,
2.    lovers of money,
3.    proud,
4.    arrogant,
5.    abusive,
6.    disobedient to their parents,
7.    ungrateful,
8.    unholy,
9.    heartless,
10.  unappeasable,
11.  slanderous,
12.  without self-control,
13.  brutal,
14.  not loving good,
15.  treacherous,
16.  reckless,
17.  swollen with conceit,
18.  lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
19.  having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. 

Avoid such people.  For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.  Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.”

I “bulletized” or restructured this passage to go along with the observation Jimmy Evans made about how the Apostle Paul uses (19) different measures of the immorality in the End Times.  Jimmy Evans said:

“Why does he use 19?  It explains the full spectrum of immorality.  Immorality isn’t just about sexuality.  Immorality is about our character.  And when a person becomes immoral, it affects every fiber of their character.  It’s like cancer.  Once you become immoral it just goes into every area of your being…Immorality destroys people’s lives.”

2 Timothy was written circa A.D. 66-67, so when you read this list it is quite interesting to see how much our culture, almost 2,000 years after these words were penned, perfectly reflects this passage!  Immorality is all about our character and we must be very careful about the compromise we allow into our lives.  I wholeheartedly agree that immortality is like a cancer that will eat us away if we do not keep up our defenses.  Jimmy Evans broke down these (19) measures into (4) categories:

1.  Exultation of Self and Narcissism
2.  Rejection of Authority
3.  Rejection of Moral Standards
4.  Disloyal, Unloving and Verbally Viscous  

Before Jesus Christ intersected my life in August 1998, I must confess that many of these categories were true in my life.  As I shared with you in the last post ★ Thought for the Day – Avoiding the Consequences of Alcohol and Drugs (Part 2) ★, my life was full of unrighteous behaviors and as we unpack all the pitfalls or traps we can find ourselves from the various temptations that Satan lays out in front of us, every one of them can fall into one of these (4) categories.  Psalm 14:1 (ESV) says:

“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”  They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.”

BUT for those who know they are a sinner and believe in God’s plan of salvation through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus, you will see that there is hope though the restorative work of Jesus in us!  This week on the Church calendar is called “Holy Week,” which is the remembrance of all the events that led up to Jesus’ betrayal, suffering, death, burial and resurrection.

It started on:

• Palm Sunday which marked Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem (see Luke 19:28-48.)
• Then (4) days of teachings by Jesus (see Luke Chapters 20-21.)
• The Last Supper on Thursday night (see Luke 22:1-65.)
• The Trial and Crucifixion of Jesus on Friday (see Luke 22:66 – 23:54.)
• The Sabbath on Saturday (see Luke 23:55-56.)
• And Jesus glorious resurrection from the dead on Sunday (see Luke 24:1-12.)

For the believer this is a special week as we remember the brutal sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross as part of God’s rescue plan for humanity.  John 3:16 says:

Praise God that He made a way for us to have eternal life!  I love this graphic that illustrates our need perfectly…

The matter is black and white.  SIN is the PROBLEM and JESUS is the ANSWER!  Our choices, the temptations we decide to indulge in will lead to sin, which then in turn separates us from God.  We can try all kinds of things to bridge the gap from doing “good deeds” or trying to be “religious” or deceiving ourselves that we are moral because we haven’t done ______ (fill in the blank) like he/she has.  BUT hear me in this; NOTHING can help us cross the divide except faith in Jesus!  2 Corinthians 5:21 (NLT) says:

“For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” 

All past, present, and future sins that anyone will ever make was paid once one and for all on the cross when Jesus took our place.  Every person that will ever call on Jesus is covered by His redemptive blood and is available to anyone who asks (see Ephesians 2:8-9.)

If you are reading this and have never made the choice to follow Jesus, I want to encourage you accept God’s salvation plan through the death and resurrection of His Son.  All you need to do is pray to God to receive eternal life.  Below is a simple prayer you can pray to start your relationship, the words you say really don’t matter, there is nothing special about them, but the emotion and belief in your heart does.

God take this broken, sinful person and forgive my sins.  I want a relationship with you I am in need of a Savior.  I believe that Jesus came to die for my sins and that He is the bridge that brings me to eternal life with you forever.  Please forgive all my sins.  I accept the free gift of eternal life and know that I can never do enough good deeds to earn that salvation.  In Jesus Name I pray!  Amen!

If you earnestly prayed that prayer, you are a new creation (see Romans 10:9-10 and 2 Corinthians 5:17!)  You can contact me at DailyDependence@gmail.com if you have any questions about your new life in Jesus Christ; I would love to discuss your decision more.

Now for those who are believers in Christ and you have the truth in you so the second coming of Jesus should not be something to worry about, nor should reading the book of Revelation be something to fear or dread.  As believers in Christ, (including those of you who may have just prayed that prayer to receive Christ…) we will not experience any of the frightening imaginary that John speaks of.  I believe it is important to study Bible prophecy because though the cross and resurrection is critical to remember and be thankful for, even more importantly is the fact that Jesus is now on His throne in Heaven making intersection between us and God the Father (see Romans 8:32-34.)

The cross is the emblem for the Christian faith but He’s not on it anymore and ultimately unless we study prophecy we will not know the signs and the times of His Second coming.  We must not be ignorant of the future.  Revelation 16:15 (NLT) says:

“Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief!  Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed.”

Jesus used similar language in Luke 12:37-40 when He warned everyone to be ready for His Second Coming.  The Apostle Paul also described the second coming of Christ as “a thief in night” 1 Thessalonians 5:2.  And in 2 Peter 3:10, the Apostle Peter also said the same thing “the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief.”  The enemy wants you scared but the only people who need to be afraid are those who are not following Jesus.  Read the verse again “Blessed are all who are watching for me.”  We should all be eager for His return. 

Many people question “why do bad things happen to good people” and “why do good things happen to bad people.”  The answer…Sin.  We live in a broken and fallen world and just like those (19) measures of Godlessness that we read earlier in 2 Timothy, there is without a doubt evil in this world but take heart, judgement is coming for all those who commit unspeakable acts and refusing to repent and turn to God.  Revelation 19:11-16 (NKJV) gives a vivid picture of Christ’s return on a White Horse:

“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.  His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.  He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.  And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.  Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations.  And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:  KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

This imaginary could be disturbing but if you are a believer in Jesus, there is nothing to worry about.  I love what Woodrow Kroll said:

“The book of Revelation is a great book of encouragement if you are on the right side.  You have to be on the victory side.”

And if you haven’t figured it out yet, the victory side is with Jesus!  Revelation 11:15 (ESV) says:

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”

Jesus is coming back for all His followers and then will judge the world after the 7 year tribulation has ended.  I want to ask one more question for those who still are undecided on whether to accept Jesus as your savior or not…

If you were to die today, would you be ready to meet Jesus?  Are you right now ready to stand before Jesus? 

I urge you not to wait until it is too late.  Like Jimmy Evans, I too believe we are living in the End Times and the last thing you want to do is to delay the decision to follow Christ and be left behind when Jesus returns for His Church! 

The Choice is yours, what will you do with this truth you received today?

 

Today’s post covered a lot of ground so to help you in your development; here are several different resources…

If you would like to read more about God’s restorative power check out:

★ Thought for the Day – But God… ★

Though we are halfway through I made a Holy Week Reading Plan to read in my own devotion time if you would like to follow along with the last week of Jesus’ last week on Earth.

• Sunday – Luke 19:28-48
• Monday – Luke 20:1-19
• Tuesday – Luke 20:20 – 21:4
• Wednesday – Luke 21:5-38
• Thursday – Luke 22:1-65
• Friday – Luke 22:66 – 23:54
• Saturday – Luke 23:55-56
• Sunday – Luke 24:1-12

If you want to catch up on our Temptation Series you can check out these

★ Thought for the Day – Avoiding a Whole “LOT” of Trouble ★

★ Thought for the Day – Avoiding the Consequences of Alcohol and Drugs (Part 2) ★

If you would like to study more on the End Times here are the resources that I mentioned earlier:

• Back to the Bible broadcasts from Woodrow Kroll called:

Journey through Revelation

• Sermon series from Jimmy Evans on the End Times called:

 Israel at a Tipping Point

 Truth at a Tipping Point

Technology at a Tipping Point

Time at a Tipping Point

Morality at a Tipping Point

 

★ Day 22 – Reason for the Season – Part of the Stable Few? ★

I love quirky humor like this!  Much has been said on the Wise Men over the years.  The Bible however only records 12 verses about these significant pieces of the Christmas Story.  We covered 10 verses yesterday, and today we will read the last 2.  Our story picks up after the events of yesterday ★ Day 21 – Reason for the Season – Neighborly Competition ★ post, where we were first introduced to the Wise Men who followed the star from the East, and their interaction with Herod about where the baby that was born King of the Jews was.  As a refresher from yesterday, Matthew 2:7-8 (NASB) says,

“Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.”

In Charles Stanley’s “Life Principles Bible,” he had this commentary on Matthew 2:8 on the cunning nature of Herod…

“Anyone can pretend to love God – but the proof is in a person’s character, and Herod’s was sinfully flawed.  Thankfully, the men were not deceived.  The Lord warned them about Herod, and they returned to their own country without telling him that they had seen Christ.”

That is so true.  Character is everything.  I am reminded of the quote from Abraham Lincoln,

“You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”

A person’s true self will come out in the light eventually which was the case for Herod and for the Wise Men.  Today’s “Reason for the Season” will focus on the latter.  I love this play on words…“Are you part of the inn crowd or the stable few?”  Obviously this is muse for today’s title, but it opens the discussion, which are you?  Are you on the periphery of the Christmas story, in a comfortable “Inn,” keeping Jesus at a distance and not allowing the truth of this season to penetrate your heart?  Or are you part of the “Stable Few” that your you are “all in,” that regardless of the adversity, Jesus is the center of your life; and that Christmas is the fulfillment of God’s plan for salvation?

Our passage is from Matthew 2:9-11 (NASB) which says,

“After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was.  When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.  After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him.  Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”  (Emphasis added.)

Charles Stanley’s had this insightful commentary on Matthew 2:11 about the truth of when the Wise Men came to see Jesus contrary what many depictions show…

“The Wise Men probably visited Jesus when he was about two years old.  They came to a house instead of a stable and saw the Child rather than an infant.  Regardless of His age, however, they worshipped Him and acknowledged Him as the Messiah.”

The Wise Men “fell to the ground and worshiped Him,” and then “presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”  Incredible!

If it is okay, I have one more comic to share…What a great modern adaptation!!  But it raises the issue about these three gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  I did a little research on what they were and the representation of each of the gifts.  The gold is obvious, it was for its worth but also to acknowledge the divinity of Jesus.  Everyone is quite familiar with Gold, but what about Frankincense and Myrrh…not as much I suspect…Did you know that both are dried tree saps, or resins.  Frankincense is highly fragrant when burned and often used in worship.  When it was burned, it was done so as a pleasant offering to God, (see Exodus 30:34).  Frankincense is a symbol of Jesus’ holiness and righteousness.  And finally Myrrh has a medicinal, kind of bitter smell and was often used to dress wounds.  Today, it’s still used to prevent and treat gum disease and sometimes shows up in toothpastes and mouthwashes.

The Magi as they were also called were a caste of a wise man specializing in astronomy, astrology, and natural science that came from the East to worship Jesus who was prophesied about over 700 years earlier.  We can learn a lot from them, a couple of adjectives come to mind…steadfastness, driven and passionate.  And at the core the Wise Men were extreme worshipers!  Jimmy Evans made this great point,

“The wise men traveled hundreds of miles and spent an enormous amount of time and money seeking Jesus.  That is the spirit of Christmas.”   

We talked about this on the ★ Day 10 – Reason for the Season – What is the Spirit of Christmas? ★ post, that the Spirit of Christmas is all about giving of yourself in service to God and others, and I can think of no other example in the Christmas narrative than Wise Men whose sole purpose was to worship the Messiah, which gives us a great model for how our faith should be.  They were resolute and unwavering in their mission, regardless of whatever stood in their way…whether it was the cost of the trip, the dangers along the way, or an envious King who wanted to stop the fulfillment of the prophecy of the coming Messiah, their belief in the prophecy was so strong that the Wise Men overcame any adversity in order to worship the Savior of the World!  Wow!  The question I have for us…Do we have that kind of faith?  Day 4 of the 121 Advent Bible Reading Plan said,

“Most often our hope wavers because it is rooted in an act of will and therefore lacks a stable foundation…Where is your hope rooted?  What characteristics of God can you rest your hope in today?”

Great questions…Today my prayer is that a stable foundation of faith in the Jesus would be built and that if He is not the center of your life that you would make the decision to follow the Magi’s example!  Hebrews 10:23  (NLT) says,

“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.”

I will close with this last thought…

And it is so true!  When I take my focus off the problem, and place it in the capable hands of the problem solver, EVERYTHING CHANGES!  I am thankful for the model that these “Stable Few” Wise Men have given us to follow.  They journeyed for hundreds of miles through peril and struggle all to worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  May this be the posture of our hearts today!

We received a Christmas card this year from good friends of ours with this saying on it…

“The star that led the Wise Men then….Still shines to guide the hearts of men today.” 

To assist in that, here is Elevation Church’s beautiful song “Let Us Adore” from their new album called “Wake Up The Wonder.”

As an additional supplement to today’s “Reason for the Season”…I highly recommend you listen to “The Twelve Voices of Christmas” audio dramatization from Back to the Bible of “Wise Men – The Voice of Adoration.”  This dramatization is designed to help the listener experience the story of Christ’s coming in a fresh way from the Wise Men’s perspective.

If you would like to see the next installment of our “25 Days of Thankfulness” series go here…★ Day 23 – Reason for the Season – Can Christians Condone Claus? ★

Or you can start from the beginning by ★ Clicking Here ★

★ Thought for the Day – God Wants You! ★

Happy 4th of July!!  Today is a day we remember the creation of our great nation back in 1776.  The day when The Declaration of Independence was signed and America was set free from the tyranny of an English king.  As we enjoy our fireworks and barbecues today, it is important that we not lose sight of the fact that many lives were lost for the freedom we enjoy, because freedom is not free!

Uncle Sam Wants You

I started to think about the efforts that are expended in order to enlist soldiers to fight for the rights we enjoy of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  We have all seen some version of J. M. Flagg’s 1917 poster used to recruit soldiers for both World War I and II, which has become and iconic representation for our country.  Just as our country desires to have soldiers to fight in the war for freedom, God also wants to have you and I fight in the war for the salvation of His people.  My cousin used to call it the “God Squad” which always cracked me up…

But the truth is, when you serve God in ministry, you are going into battle!  And God wants us to enlist and join the fight against the eternal enemy!

A common question people have is…”Can God really use me?”  Many people struggle with feelings of inadequacy when an opportunity avails itself.  The first thought that comes to mind when asked to become a part of a ministry is…”I am not equipped/capable to do that” or “I have never done that before, how could I possibly be of any use?”  Let me tell you from experience, that is the furthest thing from the truth…and a lie from the enemy!  God can use anyone…and I mean anyone!  Within the pages of the Bible, there is story after story of ordinary men and women that were used to do the extraordinary!  I was at a conference once when Jimmy Evans made this profound statement,

“God will turn your mess into a ministry!!!

And boy is that true for me!  All my struggles and past failures have been used by God in so many different ways throughout the years to help people avoid making the same mistakes.  I accepted Jesus as my savior in 1998, and if you told me then, all the things God was going to use me in, I would have just laughed uncontrollably in disbelief…but that solidifies the truth behind what Robert Morris once said,

“You don’t have to have great ability to serve God.  He has all the ability and is simply looking for people of availability.”

If he God could use me, He can use ANYONE.  All you need is a heart to serve!  The next time you feel like GOD can’t use YOU, just remember this list of Biblical Heroes and what God did with them in spite of their inadequacies!

Noah was a drunk.
Abraham was too old.
Isaac was a daydreamer,
Jacob was a liar,
Leah was ugly.
Joseph was abused,
Moses had a stuttering problem.
Gideon was afraid.
Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer,
Rahab was a prostitute.
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young.
David had an affair and was a murderer.
Elijah was suicidal,
Isaiah preached naked,
Jonah ran from God.
Naomi was a widow.
Job went bankrupt.
Peter denied Christ,
The Disciples fell asleep while praying,
Martha worried about everything,
The Samaritan woman was divorced more than once,
Zaccheus as too small,
Paul was too religious,
Timothy had an ulcer
… AND Lazarus was dead!

After reading that, you really have no excuse!!  Besides you aren’t the message, you are just the messenger.  1 Corinthians 1:26-29 (NLT) says…

“Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.”

I promise you, serving God will bless you MORE than those you are serving!!  Think of yourself as a mentor, which is simply…

“Mentor: Someone whose hindsight can become your foresight.”  – Unknown

I love this definition because it is so true…your hindsight is what helps provide guidance for others.  If you feel unequipped, that’s normal, you just need a heart to serve others and a willingness to share your heart.  I will close by repeating 1 Corinthians 1:28-29 (NLT) once more because it is just that important!

“God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.  As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.”

 

If you would like to read more on the topic check out:

★ Thought for the Day – Are You Qualified? ★