Are You a Know-It-All?

As thou knowest not what is the way of the Spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all (Ecc. 11:5). 

Often times, man believes he has a complete understanding of God. Some will even try to explain the nature of God to others. While it is not wrong to seek to know God, it is wrong to believe we have God all figured out. Why? Because the Scripture says that we don’t have God figured out. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD (Isa. 55:8). 

Ecclesiastes speaks on vanity. One definition of vanity is to have inflated pride in yourself. That could describe a person who might perceive that they have all the knowledge about God they need. 

The problem itself is in that phrasing. Many might know a little “about” God. The desire of our heart should be to “know” God. And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God (Eph. 3:19).  

Many might be able to tell you facts about God. There are others who might know many biblical facts. They can tell of places where things happened. They can tell you when they happened and who was involved. They may even know why that thing transpired. These are excellent skills to have and, in the game of Bible trivia, will always get you picked first.

Are Bible facts all we need to build a relationship with Jesus? No! Knowledge of the Word of God is an awesome thing to have. We are all called to study the Bible. However, we are not called just to study, but to live as the Word directs our lives. 

The Bible is the written account of God’s interaction with mankind in times past, present and future. The Old Testament was directing us towards Jesus Christ. The New Testament reveals Jesus to the world. The redemptive plan of God is manifest in the life of Christ. Therefore, God reveals a portion of Himself in the identity of Jesus. All things are delivered unto Me of My Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him (Matt. 11:27).

What part of God is revealed to mankind through Christ? The answer is, the part we needed the most. The part that tells us God had love for mankind. He had so much love for mankind that He sent His Son Jesus to die for man. 

The plan of God was for man to spend all eternity with Him. When sin came into the world, that could no longer happen because sin could not be allowed to exist eternally. This is why Adam and Eve were removed from the Garden and the Tree of Life. Man needed the righteousness that only God could provide. This was done through the life of Christ.

Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference (Rom. 3:22).

-sbc.net devotion

Thought for Today:

Lasting satisfaction comes not from earthly works but from doing the will of God.

Crazy Gene

 Psalm 16:8-10 

I keep my eyes always on the LORD.

With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;

my body also will rest secure,

because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,

nor will you let your faithful one see decay. 

During the past 25 years as a pastor, I have met some unique people. This past week I received a Facebook friendship request from an old friend.

This man was a church member at a former church where I served as pastor for eight years. I never called him by his name Gene; I called him, “Crazy Gene.” From the first time my secretary introduced him to me, I realized he was different.

He came into my office, introduced himself and began talking. He stated that he had visited our church a couple of times and he would like to join. However he felt compelled to tell me his life story first.

I settled in my chair and began to listen. Crazy Gene began by telling me that he was widowed three times. As I sat across from him looking at this 40-year-old man, I thought about all the heartbreak he had faced. He told me that he was 21 when he and his first wife married and she passed away while on their honeymoon. They were on a Caribbean cruise and she contracted food poisoning. Before they could port she died.

Tears began to roll down his cheek as he continued with the story. It was plain to see the emotional scars that were left from this tragedy. He told me that he felt like he would never marry again.

However, six years later he walked the aisle again. He and his new bride were married for two years. They were celebrating their second year anniversary at a restaurant in downtown Atlanta, when she suddenly began to choke. They attempted to perform the Heimlich maneuver on her to no avail, and she died.

As he finished talking about her, large tears rolled down his cheeks. I began to weep as well, as my heart broke over the disasters that had taken place. He then proceeded to tell me of the third wife that he married five years later.

He said we were married six months and she died. He then began to weep even more and he said, “That’s my story, I just wanted you to know about me before I joined the church.”

I said hold on a minute, what happened to your third wife. He said, “She died of malnutrition, she was afraid to eat anything after hearing about the first two.”

I could not believe it, I had sat there crying with my heart breaking for this man as he told the story, and now I find out it was a joke.

This was the first of many encounters with Crazy Gene. He became a member of Calvary Church. We always looked forward to seeing him and hearing his latest tales. I was determined that I would never be tricked by his shenanigans again.

One time he expressed he was upset with me because I didn’t check on him after he had major surgery. I told him I didn’t know anything about him having surgery. He said, “I didn’t just have surgery, I had major surgery. They did an autopsy on me.”

I was blessed to call Crazy Gene my friend. I could always count on him bringing laughter to me even in stressful times. Don’t forget to laugh, after all it is good medicine.

-Pastor Danny

Psalm 16:11 

You make known to me the path of life;

you will fill me with joy in your presence,

with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Healthy Relationships

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Two are better than one,

because they have a good return for their labor:

If either of them falls down,

one can help the other up.

But pity anyone who falls

and has no one to help them up.

Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.

But how can one keep warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered,

two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. 

The significance of this verse really showed itself to be true for me today.  For the last couple of months, I’ve been teaching the Jr. High Girl REACH class since Ms. Betty was leaving.  Right now, I do not have a partner to help teach these girls and minister to them on a personal level.  Therefore, right now I have “no one to help” me when I fall.

I’ve been looking forward to today’s lesson in John 5 for a couple of weeks because the message is so strong…I pray that I can say with confidence that I trust only in Jesus as my hope and salvation.  When I woke up this morning though, I felt really sick with a bad stomach ache.  As I was getting ready for church, I was walking around moaning and groaning (even more so than usual).

I was able to go to Sunday School and have the lesson…even though it was not a good day to be messing with rotten eggs!  After REACH, my husband and I were scheduled to watch the toddlers today.  Fortunately, Jennifer and Aubrey volunteered to help us out and watch the children for us.  For this, I am extremely grateful (especially now since I feel pretty confident that I have a stomach virus).

The Southern Baptist Convention wrote about these scriptures today saying:

“Scripture gives advice on how we should conduct ourselves when we are involved in friendships and partnerships. Since the Bible gives us instructions on these matters, it should be concluded that God sees us in these relationships even in ministry. From Elijah and Elisha to Paul and Silas, God has been using great men and women working together all throughout history. The Lord Jesus Christ even paired the disciples off for service. And He called unto Him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits (Mark 6:7).

The Lord intends for us to have relationships. God wants us to interact with other believers. Through these interactions, we bring more strength, fellowship and love into our lives and the lives of others. This is not just about going to church, though that is important. It is about being a part of the body of Christ.”

My prayer this evening is that God will build up unity and relationships within the church.  If a cord of “three strands is not quickly broken”, oh the power of tens or hundreds.

-RB

Romans 15:5-7

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

Put Away Lying

Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.  (Ephesians 4:25)

Because you are a Christian, your life ought to be permeated with truth. When you were born again, God put the Spirit of truth in you (John 16:13). The Spirit’s role is to guide you into all truth. The Spirit wants to fill your mind with whatever is true (Phil. 4:8). If you allow the Spirit to fill you with God’s truth, you will be truthful in your actions and in your relationships. According to Jesus, this means that your yes will always be yes, and your no will always mean no (Matt. 5:33–37).

The world considers truth optional. Deception permeates every corner of society because the prince of this world is the author and father of lies (John 8:44). From his first contact with people, Satan has been lying to them and persuading them to live in falsehood rather than in truth.

The world will tempt you to compromise the truth. You may be fooled into thinking that you can accomplish greater good by withholding the truth. That is a demonic deception. You cannot use deception to build the kingdom of God! God refuses to use sinful means to accomplish His holy purposes. You may be tempted to live a lie by projecting a false image of yourself. Jesus condemned this as hypocrisy (Luke 12:56). When you sin, you will be tempted to conceal the truth; yet only as you confess the truth will you be forgiven and set free (James 5:16).

What you say reflects what is in your heart (Matt. 12:34). If your heart is filled with deception, your mouth will speak falsehood. Ask God to permeate you with His truth so that you find falsehood, in any form, abhorrent.

-BMI devotion

COLD, Hard Facts

John 6:28-29

 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

 Let me tell you about two facts that became really evident to me today.  Fact #1—My parking spot at work is slightly on an incline.  Fact #2—Rain water is really cold.

You may be thinking…“ok”.  These facts have nothing to do with each other as they are completely unrelated.  Well let me explain how these two statements do go together and are significant to me at certain times.

It poured down rain this afternoon right before I left work.  When I got into my car to leave and began driving, cold water poured down on my head and down my back.  I got soaked!  I screamed out and stopped driving.  A little frustrated, not able to do anything about being wet, I continued to drive with periodic bursts of water pouring out on me for a few minutes.

You see, what happened is that today at work, I didn’t pull all the way up in my parking spot, thus my car was on more of an incline than usual.  When it rained really hard, the water went into the sun roof without draining out properly.  Therefore, when I started driving and my car leveled out, the raging water moved towards the front of the car and thus resulted in the waterfall on my head and thus why more water would come as I drove down hills.

As I’ve been reading through the book of John for Sunday School, I come across two facts in chapter 6 that are very significant for everyone.  Fact #1—God draws people to Himself and Fact #2—Man must accept Jesus as Lord and believe in order to have eternal life.

You may ask me, “How do these two facts in the Bible correlate to each other?”  Unlike understanding how my car poured cold water on myself, I would say to this question, “I don’t know.”  I can’t explain how God does the drawing and chooses, yet, we have free will.  All I can do is read what the Bible says and praise God that I serve such a powerful and just God.

Vs:  39-40—“And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

Here we see that God has given and chosen men; however, everyone who looks to the Son and believes shall have eternal life.  It is further clarified with vs 44, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

Just because it is hard to comprehend and beyond our understanding, let’s not question or debate it, but accept the truth of God’s Word with faith.

-RB

John 6:64-65 

Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.  He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”

 

Are You Ready?

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.”

~ 1 Peter 3:15

Do you remember the old Monday night football musical introduction?  We would hear Hank Williams, Jr. sing “Are you ready for some football?”  Well, I would like to ask you another question: are you ready to give a defense of your faith?  This week a co-worker of mine began to ask questions and somewhat ridicule me about my belief in the Bible.  I explained to him that the Bible was the Word of God and that He had preserved it for us.  But my co-worker argued that it was simply just the words of man and that it was not truth.  I did my best to defend my faith and I stood my ground.

Sadly, I began to think about the many times I failed to defend my faith.  I thought about all the times I didn’t take a stand for the Lord and gave in to my flesh.  I thought about all the times I tried to dodge questions about my faith because I was afraid to give the wrong answer.  Peter tells us to ALWAYS be ready to give a defense.  The word “always” in the Greek is aei and it means “continued duration.”  Peter didn’t tell us to only answer the easy questions about our faith but to be ready to defend every question about our faith.

You see, the only way we can have a good defense for the world’s questions is to have a good offense.  And the only way we can have a good offense is to have a good understanding of what we believe and why we believe.  If we answer a question about our faith but we can’t explain why we believe it then we have failed to defend our faith.  We can’t tell the world that we believe the Bible is the Word of God because our pastor says it is.  That won’t fly.  We have to be able to earnestly contend for the faith (Jude 3).  We must have some CONVICTION behind our CONTENDING in order to win the lost to Jesus Christ.

So what do we need to do?  We need to “desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2).  The word “desire” in the Greek is epipotheo and it means “to dote upon or intensely crave possession.”  We can’t contend for the faith if we don’t intensely crave after the knowledge contained in the Word of God.  We need to do what Paul told Timothy to do: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).  We must have a clear understanding of the Word in order to present a clear case for Christ.  So, let me ask you one more time: Are you Ready?

-DA

 “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:  Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”

~ 2 Timothy 4:1-2

The Difference Your Life Can Make

James 5:19-20

Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

One of the Christian’s greatest deterrents from sin is the life of another Christian. Some Christians maintain that it is none of their business if another chooses to sin. They are convinced that they are being judgmental if they respond to someone in sin. The world persuades them not to get involved, but this inaction prevents them from being an effective intercessor.

As Christians we are aware that sin brings death_(Rom. 6:23). Sin kills relationships, dismantles marriages, stifles joy, and destroys peace. When we see someone wander from the truth into error, how should we respond? When Jesus saw sin it broke His heart. He wept over entire cities as He saw them rejecting the truth (Matt. 23:37–39). He prayed fervently for His disciples to be strong when they were tempted (John 17). He warned those who were heading toward spiritual failure (Matt. 26:20–25, 34). Jesus was even willing to die to save people from their sins because He knew the devastation that sin causes. Jesus never stood idle as those around Him were led astray by their sin. He always took an active role in turning them back to God.

“Minding your own business” will save you some discomfort, but it will not help a brother or sister who needs to return to the Lord. If you are truly aware of the grave consequences for those who continue in sin, you will be moved to weep even as Jesus wept. Pray fervently for your friend. That will safeguard your motives and prepare you to minister to him. Be alert, in the event that God asks you to confront your friend. If you do so, be loving and gentle lest you, too, be tempted.

-BMI devotion

Galatians 6:1-2

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.  Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Do Not Spare the Rod

He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes (Prov. 13:24).

This Scripture is often used as means to defend corporal punishment or, as some might call it, spanking. Many times the Word of God can become thought of in certain ways, and then there is no examination of the Scripture to see all the other ways it can be applicable in our life. There are definitely things to be learned here.

It is true that this Scripture is about punishment. However, it really has more to say about parenting than punishing. These words can help us considerably with the process of child rearing.

In society today, we see a growing problem. Violent crime is escalating among minors. A multitude of things, from fighting, to gangs, to drugs, to school shootings are plaguing the youth of America. Why is this happening? What are the answers?

This is happening because the enemy is attacking the family unit with all his power. God established the family unit as a building block to His Kingdom on earth. The devil believes that by infiltrating and taking control of the next generation he can erode the progressive construction of God’s work. He seeks to rob God’s people of their children. Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death (Mark 13:12).

The solution to this problem is simple. The Lord should have full rule over our lives and the lives of our children. The question is, how is this accomplished?

First, we set the example by walking in the ways of the Lord. There will be times when we stray, and God will have to be a good Father and correct us. We need to accept His correction and not reject it. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him (Heb. 12:5).

We follow this by raising our children to live out what we learn from the Word of God. From a young age, we should be reading and teaching the Bible to our children. Don’t leave it to the Pastor, the Sunday School teachers or the VBS workers. As parents, it is our responsibility to teach our children the statutes and laws of God. If they learn and live these Scriptures, they will not be easy prey for the enemy. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates (Deut. 6:6 – 9). This is not to say that a child might not still stray. It is true they may. But at least they will know what God desires from their lives. If we are true men and women of God, we can raise our children to be true men and women of God.

For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light (Eph. 5:8).

-sbc.net devotion

Thought for Today:

As parents we need to train our children to respect those in authority.

Anticipation

We all experience the act of great anticipations in our life from time to time.  Webster’s dictionary defines anticipation as “the act of looking forward; especially: pleasurable expectation.”  We anticipate a great Christmas, birthday, or a reunion with friends or loved ones.  Sometimes those moments are what we expected and sometimes even more. However, sometimes they fail to live up to what we thought. I am Anticipating a great event to occur at any time.  There is no doubt that it will be the greatest event of all times.  It is spoken of several different times in scripture.

John 14:3 Jesus said, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

Acts 1:10-11 (KJV)
¹⁰ And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
¹¹ Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (KJV)
¹⁶ For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
¹⁷ Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

 Revelation 3:11 (KJV)
¹¹ Behold, I come quickly………….. 

 
As Christians we should anticipate Jesus’ return at any time.  Because of this anticipation, we should strive to:

1. Draw closer to him day to day
2. Seek to share the Gospel with everyone possible
3. Live each day as if this were the day of His return

As a Christian, you know how the events of that day will affect you.  You have friends and loved ones who do not know Christ as Savior, and they will be left behind.  If you study Revelations, you know the horrific events they will face.  Therefore, it is so important we share with them the anticipation of that great day!

Prayer:  Lord I know you’re coming soon, please help me to draw closer to you day by day until that time comes.  Help me to be alert to the opportunities to share the Gospel with those whom I come in contact with.

-Pastor Danny

Deep Water Fishing

The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water,

but a man of understanding will draw it out.

Prov. 20:5

Did you know that when God created you He created you with a purpose in mind? What a Great tragedy when men and women live their lives and never identify or fulfill their God given purpose.  How terrible for a new car to sit on the car lot for 50 years while the body rusts and the engine seizes. How foolish for a man to buy a new lawn mower and then cut the grass with a pair of scissors?

Deep in the heart of every man and woman God has wired in His purposes for our lives. I’ve always wanted to preach this text because it communicates a very important principle: Our God ordained purpose will not come to fruition by mere happenstance. You won’t do what God created you to do by simply going with the flow. You have to be intentional like trying to fish a lost item off the bottom of the lake. It requires becoming a man or woman of understanding. How do you do this? Check this out:

 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

all those who practice it have a good understanding.

His praise endures forever!

Ps. 111:10 (emphasis added)

You see, becoming a man or woman of understanding only happens when you live a life that fears the Lord in practice. In other words, fearing the Lord requires following the Lord. It requires living a life of faith that honors God through obedience, action, and putting Him first in all things. Notice how Ps. 111:10 ends…with His praise! God’s purpose behind His purposes will always be for His honor and glory!

While it is sometimes scary and risky and requires a ton of hard work, drawing out the purposes of God from within our heart is well worth it! Don’t coast, don’t go with the flow! Remember, even a dead fish can float downstream! Get busy honoring, serving, and following the Lord…draw out His purpose for your life! Let some line out and fish deep! -BP