From Bunny To Lion

On the night Jesus was arrested by Roman soldiers, His once-devoted, brave disciples split and ran in all directions. Even Peter, whom Jesus called the Rock because of his solid faith, denied he even knew Jesus. For days after the Crucifixion, they hid-out in a secret room, afraid of the angry mobs and Jewish leaders. Would they be killed next? How could they have followed and believed in this man Jesus when He couldn't even save Himself from humiliation and death? How could He have been the long-awaited Messiah, but leave them to fend for themselves? Could their life get any worse?

Over the next 50 days, an absolutely amazing transformation occurred. Not only did Jesus come back to them, but He also sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within them. The disciples grew in spirit, bravery, and stamina. They slowly changed from trembling, weak bunnies to confident, strong lions. They became so brave in fact, that every single one of them boldly preached about Jesus, even when their lives were threatened because of it. Are we that confident today about Jesus? Are we ashamed or embarrassed to tell our co-workers, our friends, or even complete strangers that we gladly serve Jesus Christ? Are we trembling bunnies or are we confident lions?

Jeremiah 1:8 says, "Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord."

Father, teach us how to be brave for You. Help us to boldly tell everyone the Good News about Your Son Jesus. In Jesus name, Amen.

Summer Vacation!

Oh, the excitement, the thrill, the laughter, the anticipation! They are running up and down the halls, hugging everyone in sight! They are about to bubble-over with happiness! And that is just the teachers...imagine how excited the students are! Summer vacation is just 2 days away. Do you remember the excitement you used to feel when you were in school? This is my 16th year as a teacher, and I am just as excited about summer vacation right now as I was when I was a student. Knowing that vacation is close-by gives everyone a boost of adrenaline. We are friendlier to each other. We smile more. It is an awesome feeling!

Why can't we all feel this excited everyday, knowing that Heaven is awaiting each one of us? Why can't we run around hugging everyone and bragging about what all our Jesus has done for us? He has truly blessed every single one of us, and He is preparing a perfect place for us to spend Eternity. The Bible tells us that there are no words available to describe how wonderful heaven will be. There could only be a few more days left here before He calls us to our perfect home. I am so ready to leave this world behind and be with my Jesus! That will be the best "Summer Vacation" ever!

Jesus said in revelation 22:7, "Look, I am coming soon!"

Father, we long to be with You in heaven. Help us to spread the Good News about Your coming. In Jesus name, Amen.

Sweet Jesus

I am proud to say that I serve an all-powerful, all-loving God. Not only did He love me enough to send His Son Jesus to save me, but God even loves me enough to take care of me every single minute, even when I don't deserve it. I am proud that God understands me, even if I don't understand myself. I'm proud that God will never abandon me, even when everybody else has. I love God with all my heart. And through my most difficult trials and circumstances, He loves me too. I will never, ever give up striving to please Him, even when I can please nobody else. We are all born to make mistakes, to do incredibly dumb things, and to make a mess of our lives. But God loves us anyway! I completely dedicate my life to Him, even though I make mistakes and will continue to make them. There is no circumstance too big for My God!!! Before you judge others, consider your own faults. God is also there for you, too.

Psalm 119:169 says, "Let my cry come near before thee, O Lord, give me understanding according to thy word."

Father, thank you for loving me. I pray for everyone who is troubled at this hour. Teach us that the only true peace is the peace we find in You. In Jesus name, Amen.

Here Today, Gone Today

Two fatal car-crashes in our area yesterday have saddened this town. One involved a grandmother who was killed when her car was struck by a train. The other fatality was the mom of an 8-year old child. These families badly need our prayers. I can't even imagine the heartache and loss that they must be feeling at this hour. Oh Lord, why does this have to happen? I know He knows best and that He has a plan for everything that happens to us while here on earth. But it still hurts so much. God, please be with those that are crushed in heart and spirit today. Your perfect Word promises that You will never leave us to deal with tragedy alone. We are counting on you so much right now, Lord.

I don't know about you, but I have had about enough of this sin-filled, tragedy-laced world and all its heartbreaks. I am so ready for heaven! The Bible tells us that we need to treat this world as a temporary place. It is not our home, for Jesus Himself is preparing that place for us. And I feel strongly that it is just about time to go Home. I am not saying that we need to be unhappy and mope around while we are here on earth. On the contrary, we should be filled with Joy knowing that we are heading for a much better place, and that God has given each one of us a job to do while we are here. I think our job at this moment is to stop what we are doing and say a little prayer for the families that were devastated yesterday. It is very sad. And the scary thing is that the exact same thing could happen to us next.

Psalm 34:17 says, "The Lord hears those whom call out to Him, and He delivers them from all their troubles."

Father, please be close to those who experienced tragedy yesterday. Although we may never understand the reason why, please help us to all use this tragedy to grow closer to You. In Jesus name, Amen.

Touched By An Angel

I have always loved the TV show Touched By An Angel, starring Roma Downey. It still comes on the Hallmark channel, and I set my DVR to record it everyday so I can watch it at night. Most episodes touch my heart and actually bring me to tears. But I recently noticed something peculiar about it. I have never, ever seen an episode where they talk about Jesus. They always talk about God and the Father, but they never say anything about the Son, Jesus. Don't get me wrong, the show is awesome, and I will continue to watch it. But the fact that Jesus is not mentioned really bothers me. I guess the writers of the show are trying to be politically correct since not all people who believe in God actually believe in His Son, Jesus. Is that really such a big deal? Oh yes, it most certainly is!

According to the Bible, not accepting God's Son Jesus is just as bad as being an atheist. Wow! I know that is a very strong statement, and it is sure to ruffle a few feathers. But these are not my words. I get this straight from the Bible, I John to be exact. In verse 23 of the second chapter, it says, "Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either, he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also." There are many religions around the world, and our own nation for that matter, that believe in God but not in the Son. Then according to the Bible, the people of those religions don't really have the Father like they think they do. Christ in the main theme throughout the entire Bible. I am not knocking or judging anybody's beliefs. But according to Scripture, Jesus is the only way. He said boldly, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Nobody comes to the Father accept by me." Have you accepted Jesus today?

Father, thank you for Your Son and for loving us enough to send Him to us. I pray for all those who have yet to accept Him. Teach us how to lead them to Christ. In Jesus name, Amen.

I Can See

I had a real scare this weekend. On Friday, I started feeling sick. I had congestion, watery, itchy eyes, and a low-grade fever. By Saturday, my eyes were so swollen that I could barely see. I could not focus on anything. I had to cancel my radio show because I could not see well enough to drive. My eyes were as red as fire. I don't suffer from allergies, but it seemed like I had gotten into something that had caused an allergic reaction. I nearly panicked because I have an ultimate fear of going blind. Well, my eyes were better yesterday, and today, they are fine. The swelling and redness are both gone. Thank God I am all better; That truly scared me!

It made me think about the phrase I once was blind, but now I see. This phrase can be taken literally, but can also be taken as a metaphor for Salvation. When we are lost and without Christ, it is like we are blind. But once we accept Jesus, our eyes and our lives are opened. I want to take a moment to thank my mother, daddy, and grand-parents for teaching me about Jesus. They made sure I attended church regularly when I was younger, and they always talked with me about Salvation. When I was 12, God saved my soul. Looking back over all the things I have endured since then, I can't even imagine how rough it would have been if it hadn't been for Jesus. Thank God I didn't have to go through those times as a "blind" man. When I was having trouble seeing this weekend, God reminded me of what else I was not "seeing". Have we truly thanked God for our blessings?

I Thessalonians 5:18 says, "In everything, give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

Father, thank-you for reminding me of just how good you have been to me over the years. Thank-you for Your Son Jesus and for opening my eyes to Him. In Jesus name, Amen.

Nice Hair

I found this on the Internet and wanted to share it. What a great devotion about attitude!

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and saw that she had only three hairs on her head. “Great,” she said, “I think I’ll braid my hair today.”
So she did, and had a wonderful day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head. “Hmm,” she said, “I guess I’ll part my hair down the middle.” So she did, and had a wonderful day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only one hair left on her head. “Wow,” she said, “today I get to wear my hair in a pony tail.” So she did, and had a wonderful, wonderful day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that there wasn’t a single hair on her head. “Thank God!” she exclaimed. “I was running out of things to do with my hair!” ATTITUDE is everything! Let’s be grateful for the things God has given us and have a wonderful day!

Father, thank-you for life. remind us to be thankful for what we have, and not sad for what we don't. In Jesus name, Amen.

The Good Shepherd

I like the analogy that Jesus uses of comparing himself to a good shepherd. In Bible times, sheep were kept in a sheepfold at night. This was an area in a field that was boxed-in on three sides to help protect the flock from robbers and wild animals. The shepherd guarded this opening, known as the gate. Like a dog to its owner, the sheep would learn to recognize the shepherd's voice, and respond only to him. A hired hand was seldom a good protector, because he was only there for the money. When a wild animal came along and threatened the sheep, the hired hand would run away in fear. But not the shepherd. He protected his flock with his very life.

Jesus protects us with His very life. Like a shepherd knows his sheep, Jesus knows each one of us. He is totally aware of our flaws, weaknesses, fears, and needs...and He loves us anyway! He calls out to us and leads us on the path that is best. In Christ, we can find not only Salvation, but friendship, protection, and serenity. When we lie down at night, we can rest peacefully knowing that the Good Shepherd is guarding the gate. To me, that sounds safer than Fort Knox. I am proud to call Jesus my great Shepherd. I am so thankful that He guides and protects me every day. If you don't know Jesus in this way, I invite you to ask Him to become your great Shepherd. Why live another minute without His incredible Peace?

John 10:11 says, "I am the good shepherd; The shepherd sacrifices His life for the sheep."

Father, thank-you for leading me with Your voice. I pray for anyone who is not Your sheep today. Lord, lead them according to You will. In Jesus name, Amen.

From Faith To Fish

It was sometime around dawn on the sea of Galilee. Some of the disciples had been fishing all night but had caught nothing. As they were about to row back to shore, they saw Jesus standing on the bank. He asked them if they had caught anything, but they told him no. So Jesus suggested that they cast their nets on the right-side of the boat and they would catch some. They did what He said, and the nets were barely able to hold the multitude of fish! How do you think they felt? These guys were professional fisherman, and they must have thought this man on the shore was crazy. You see, according to the Book of John, the disciples did not know that the man on the shore was Jesus...not until they had caught all the fish. They could not recognize him from their boat. What does this suggest?

If they had known it was Jesus from the start and followed His advice, then it would show that faith in Jesus is a very powerful thing. But how could it be considered faith in Jesus if they did not even know it was Jesus? This is the way I like to interpret it: Many times, Jesus leads us through someone else. When we ask Jesus for help, we shouldn't expect that help to come to us with ringing bells and flashing lights. Sometimes Jesus helps us in more simple, quiet ways...like a stranger on a shore. I think the key is that we need to remain full of faith and hope and stay open to the various ways Jesus may chose to reach us. God has used some pretty unique ways in the past to help His people. Maybe He is trying to help you today in an equally unusual way. Look around and see if you can spot Him.

2 Corinthians 5:7 says, "For we walk by faith, not by sight."

Father, please help us to remember that You answer all our prayers. Sometimes it is not in a loud way. Help us to remember that sometimes You simply whisper. In Jesus name, Amen.

Peer Pressure

In the Gospels, we learn a little about Pilate, the Roman leader who sentenced Jesus Christ to death. Why did he do it when three times he proclaimed Jesus not guilty of any crime? He told the Jewish mob, which insisted that Christ should be crucified, that he could find no fault in the man. But they persisted. In fact, they persisted so much that Pilate finally gave in to their demands. I don't think Pilate believed that Jesus was the Son of God, but he did believe in Jesus' innocence, yet he ordered His death. Instead of doing the right thing, Pilate chose to appease the people. He even went so far as to blame them for the death of Christ when he told them that he was washing his hands of the matter. What a weak and flawed character! He allowed peer pressure to guide him into a decision he knew was wrong. As a teacher, I try so hard to encourage my students to always do the right thing, even if it is the unpopular thing. I used to see a poster around school that read, "Stand-up for what is right, even if you are standing alone." Pilate is a perfect example that peer pressure doesn't just affect teenagers; We adults are just as prone to it as well. Today, let's all pray for God to give us the strength to do what is right...even if everybody else disagrees.

James 1:12 says, "Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life."

Dear Lord, please forgive me for all the times I allowed peer pressure to steer me in the wrong direction. Please give me the strength the stand-up and do the right thing. In Jesus name, Amen.

Assumption

In mathematics, one way to prove that something is true is to assume that it is not true, and then show how that assumption would create a contradiction. A simple example would be to assume that the world is flat. If that assumption is true, then nobody could have ever sailed "around" the world without "falling off". Since we know Magellan sailed around the world and didn't "fall off", then the world must not be flat, which contradicts our assumption that it is flat. I know there is no way to really "prove" that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and that we must accept it by faith, but consider this argument: Let's assume that Jesus was not the Son of God.

Then how could He have been born to a virgin? How could He have turned water into wine? How could He have healed a blind man? How could He have healed a cripple? How could He have casted out demons? How could He have walked on water? How could He have calmed a storm? How could He have raised Lazarus from the dead? How could He have endured so much pain and humiliation on the Cross? How could He have been raised from the grave? How could He have appeared to so many people after He was dead? How could His disciples be willing to die for Him (especially if they knew He was a fake)? We can continue this argument, but the point is very clear: Jesus MUST have been the Son of God. I believe it. Do you?

Luke 4:14 says, "And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, 'Thou art Christ, the Son of God'"

Father, I accept Your Son Jesus as my Savior. Thank you for choosing me to be one of His Followers. In Jesus name, Amen.

It's Official

It's official; My class won the pizza party! My students ended up raising over $700 for the Child Advocacy Center. The combined total for our school was $2200. That is simply amazing! These students need to be commended for doing such an outstanding job. I hope they will always remember what they accomplished as a group. We are waiting to hear from the media, as my class will be in the Newspaper and on TV. I think they are more excited about that than they are the pizza party. Yesterday, when they announced the winning class, my kids starting hollering and clapping...we all exchanged a few high-fives! If you know any students from Dothan High, please give them a big pat on the back. Like I said before, we hear a lot of negatives about schools and students today. But not all is bad. In fact, there is still a whole lot more that is good than bad. I am so very proud to be a teacher at Dothan High School. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to know these fine students!

Deuteronomy 16:17 says, "Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which He hath given thee."

Oh Lord, thank-you for allowing me to teach. I ask you to use this money raised to help abused children. In Jesus name, Amen.

Forgiveness

The question on my Devotions this week is, "Personally, do you find it harder to forgive today?" I think we can all agree that crime is at a higher rate than before, especially violent crime. When I read about the evil things that people do, I am horrified. How can people be so hateful? When it strikes close to home, the level of frustration hits at a much higher level. I know forgiveness is a process; It can take some time. I have been thinking about things, especially the mugging of my friend. I refuse to let a few thugs steal my joy! I may not forgive them today, but with God's help, I sure hope I am able to. As long as I refuse to forgive them, the Bible says God will not forgive me. And, as hard as it is to comprehend, my sins against Him is just as bad as their sins against my friend. She told me she will bounce back from this. She said she refuses to hide under her covers and allow them to take away her happiness. Good for her! By all means, if she is strong enough to do that, then I should be strong enough to forgive. After all, I have suffered nothing compared to her. God bless you, Karen!

Romans 12:4 says, "Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not."

Father, please help me to forgive every single person that has wronged me. I pray for Karen. She is a strong woman, but really needs your help right now. I know You are with her, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

Need Your Prayers

My faith continues to be shaken in a big way. Over the weekend, a friend of mine was mugged and beaten-up as she was going into her apartment. She is left with scrapes and bruises, which will heal, but mental scars which may never. God only knows why such as this continues to plague our fallen world. I know we are supposed to forgive and forget, but those little thugs...I guess I should stop there! She needs our prayers, and so do her kids. Understandably, She is having a hard time coping with what has happened. To say she feels violated is an under-statement. Her faith in her fellow-man and in God is on shaky ground right now. She is scared to go anywhere, even to her job in the middle of the day. I am frustrated and very sad for her! Please send up a special prayer today asking God to wrap His loving arms around her and hold her close. She needs God and our prayers right now more than ever.

Romans 12:21 says, "Be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good."

Father, why does this happen? I don't mean to question you, for I don't have that right. But how can we continue to cope with such Evil? In Jesus name, Amen,