Ready Or Not, Here They Come

I have just started my 18th year of teaching in public education.  I am just as excited and nervous today as I was the very first year.  In three days, those kids are going to come rushing into this school eager to learn, willing to absorb, and itching to please their teachers...or not.  One thing is for sure though: ready or not, here they come.  The beginning of a new year is not only exciting, but it is also extremely important because it sets routines that will be followed all year.  Some teachers say the first 5 minutes of a new year is the most critical time.  Although I don't think it is the most critical time, I do agree it is very imporatant.  Most kids try to put what happend last year behind them and try to make better grades and have better discipline.  Teachers also self-evaluate and correct errors from last year.  No matter how bad last year may have been, it's over now, and we must move on to hopefully better things.  Isn't that the same with our Lord?


Why don't we treat this school year like a new beginning, even if we are not a student or teacher.  Why don't we just turn everything over from our past to God and make a fresh start. That is the way He works.  We may not have had good credit finacially last year and may have a hard time obtaining a loan this year.  But our credit with God is always perfect once we ask for forgiveness and accept His Son as our Savior.  He does not hold anything against us.  He is like that teacher that tells His students, "Welcome to my class.  I am so glad you are here.  Let's see what all we can learn this year."  Are you ready to start a new school year with Jesus?  Set your alarm clock for 6 and don't miss the bus!  We got to go to school.


2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person.  The past is forgotten, and everything is new."


Father, thank-you for giving us a new beginning full of hope.  Help us to transform our lives into what you would have us to be.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Over and Over and Over...

I have learned something very valuable from a young man I am talking to about Jesus.  He has a certain sin that he continues to commit over and over and over.  After we talk and he asks God for forgiveness, he seems to feel much better and stronger.  But within a day or two, he "relapses" and commits the same sin over again.  This has been going on for the entire summer.  It seems like every time I check my Email, I am going to have one from him saying, "I did it again.  What should I do now?"  I am not a counselor and have suggested that he may want to seek a professional.  But he insists on continuing to ask me for help.  What should I tell him?  All I know to do is to keep encouraging him to pray and ask God to forgive him and to give him strength to continue his personal battle.  To be honest, I am getting a little tired of trying to help him because it just doesn't seem to be working.  Then it hit me!


God might be using me to help my friend, but I now realize that he is definitely using my friend to help me.  You see, I also have an habitual sin; perhaps we all do. What should we do about it?  The same thing I suggested that he do about it:  don't ever give-up asking for God's help.  When we continue to pray for help, we demonstrate that we still have faith in God to actually help us.  But if we give-up and stop asking God for help, what does that say about our faith?  There is no guarantee that our family, best friend, or even pastor will never give-up on us when we continue to commit the same sin over and over.  They may get tired of trying to help us, but God won't!  God loves us so much that no matter how many times we sin, even if it is the same sin, He will never give-up on us.  We should always trust in the Lord.  And what better advice is there to give to others?


Romans 8:38-39 says, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 




Father, thank-you for reminding me that you are still in charge and for never giving up on us.  Teach us to also never give-up on others.  In Jesus name, Amen.
 

Why Me?

I sometimes ask myself why I write devotions.  Is it to help me or is it to help others?  Who says I am even qualified to write devotions about God?  I sin.  I ask for forgiveness.  I sin even more.  Why would anybody want to read my devotions, especially the people who know me and know how broken I am?  I can't tell you how many times someone will respond to me after I do something stupid with, "and you write Christian devotions?"  How can I even gaze upon this computer screen and hope the words come to my typing fingers?  You know what?  It helps me to combat these obstacle questions with a clear and simple, "why not me?"

If we broken sinners didn't write about Jesus, then who will?  Who amoung us is qualified?  When I read through the characters in the Bible, I realize, although different in many ways, there is one thing that most have in common:  They were broken sinners.  I can honestly say that I write devotions to help me stay focused on Jesus.  If what I write is also helping somebody else, that is great!  But it is totally God's business and for me not to worry about.  I can't worry about how it is affecting others, nor can I let others derail me from writing simply because I may feel that it is not effective.  My only true enemy is me; my only true friend is Jesus.  So, broken or not, I will continue to write about God.  Have you thought about maybe writing some kind of devotions for God?  You may come-up with a thousand excuses not to, but never feel like you are not qualified or that you sin "too much"  Don't we all sin too much?  Let's stand-up convincingly for Jesus, not because we are perfect, but because we are broken sinners.

Romans 3:23 says, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"  

Father, please forgive me of my sins.  Help us to remember that you can use us to help others no matter how broken we may be.  In Jesus name, Amen.

As a teacher, I have to be very careful that I don't use questions on a test that can be considered as "bad". A "bad" question is a question that can have more than one correct answer or be interpreted in more than one way. For example, answer these 3 simple questions:

1. Who discovered America? 2. What was the President's name in 1982? 3. How many months have 28 days?

Typical answers are Columbus, Reagan, and February. Those are considered correct answers. However, depending on how you look at the questions, the answer to the first one could be Native Americans since they were here long before Columbus. For the second question, another correct answer is Obama, since that has been his name all his life, including in 1982. And the third question, yep, you guessed it, all the months have 28 days. What would be your answer to this simple yes/no question? Did Christ's death on the Cross give us Eternal Life?

It is true that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, did die on the Cross for our sins and to give us Eternal Life. But we are not automatically saved because of His death and Resurrection. What Christ did was only an offer for forgiveness and Eternal Life. When people say that Christ died on the Cross to save us, we must remember that we are not truly saved until we receive His offer. We MUST accept Him as our Personal Savior in order to be forgiven for our sins and to receive Eternal Life. So, did Christ's death on the Cross give us Eternal Life? Only if we accept it and choose to believe in Him. Have you received Christ into your heart? If so, you are promised Eternal Life from a God who never lies! But if you have not accepted Christ as your Personal Savior, the Bible explains that you are not saved. What Christ did on the Cross was an amazing gift and offer of true love for each one of us. But we must believe in order to receive.

Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." 

Father, thank you for sending Your precious Son Jesus to die for me. Also, thank you for stirring my heart at age 13, and helping me to accept Him. I pray for all those who have not accepted Christ. Stir their hearts, too, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

Desires of our Hearts

I love Psalm 37, in particular, verse 4.  It says, "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart"  I guess what I like about it is that it gives me a feeling of hope, especially when things are not going my way.  We all want the desires of our hearts.  But will God really give us those things that we desire?  What if I desire a million dollars?  Will God give this to me?  No, I don't really think He will do that, so what does His promise really mean? 

When I was in my 30's, I loved to play church-league softball.  I mean, I really, really loved to play; I could hardly wait for Tuesday and Thursday nights to arrive.  But I also worked 2 nights a week and had a baby to take care of.  My wife would really fuss and make me feel guilty, like I was being a bad Daddy or something because I was gone 4 nights a week.  Granted, the job was needed, but did I really have to play softball?  I finally "agreed" with her one day that I would not play anymore, but after seeing me mope around for a couple weeks like a little kid, she gave-in.  I knew I had too much on my plate, but my desire to play softball was almost over-whelming.  So I began to pray and ask God to take away my desire to play.  I don't really remember how long it was after that, but I do remember how all of a sudden, I didn't desire to play anymore. 

When we decide to delight in God and really put Him first in our lives, the desires of our hearts become more aligned with His.  Instead of us wanting things for ourselves, we begin to want things for God.  Our hearts undergo an amazing transformation! It is at this point when He keeps His promise and gives us the new desires of our hearts.  All we have to do is put Him first in our lives and completely trust in His will.  All we have to do is completely immerse ourselves in Him.  Are we truly delighting ourselves in the Lord? A quick search of our hearts' desires will help us to answer that question. 

Graduation

As we approach another graduation at Dothan High School, I can't help but to feel blessed that I get to be a part of kid's lives.  It's such an amazing feeling to see these kids grow-up and mature right before my eyes between the 9th-grade and the 12th-grade. Once they walk across the stage and are awarded their diplomas, their world completely changes as they know it.  Some are scared but most are excited.  With the world at their feet, they literally can do whatever they want to do; the choices are endless.

Over the past couple years, it has really begun sinking-in how quickly timing is flying by. I have to admit that this aging process is for the birds.  Oh, what I would give to be walking across that stage again today with my entire future ahead of me. Ah...to be young again. But you know what?  When I think deeper on this subject, I realize that with each passing year, I am one step closer to graduating from this world and stepping into my eternal world. When we are called to heaven by Jesus, it will be like walking across the stage of life and receiving something much greater than a diploma.  As good as God has been to us, it's nothing like how good He is going to be when we get to heaven. With Him, our possibilities will be endless.  So will our lives.  No more growing old.  No more sickness.  No more death.  No more sorrow.  What a promotion that will be!!  Christians, our "graduation" is almost at hand. 

Philippians 3:14 says, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus"

Father, thank-you for being so good to us.  We long to be with you at this very hour.  Please guide our seniors as they continue their life's journey.  In Jesus name, Amen.    

Quiz Time

Ok, here's a little quiz. Which of the following statements is/are true?

1. TV's Mr. Ed was a horse.

2. Kentucky Fried Chicken changed its name to KFC to eliminate "fried" from its title.

3. Tapping the side of a soda can will prevent it from spewing when opened.

4. Swimming less than 30 minutes after eating will cause cramps.

5. Poinsettia plants are poisonous to humans.

6. The plane in which Buddy Holly died was named American Pie.

7. Elephants are afraid of mice.

8. The Great Wall of China is the only man-made structure visible from the moon.

9. German chocolate cake comes from Germany.

10. Eating turkey will make one sleepy.

So which statements are true? Actually, NONE of them are true; Each one is just an urban legend (Mr. Ed was in fact a zebra). These myths are spread around so much that after a while, we all start believing them. There is no telling how many "facts" we have heard over the years that we believe to be true, but actually are just myths. The only way to know if something is true or not is to investigate or research it ourselves. I used to believe some things from the Bible, not because I had read it, but because I had always heard it. But since I have started studying God's Word, I have realized that some things I have always believed were in the Bible are actually not there. To find out what is actually in the Bible, we need to spend time reading it. A friend of mine likes to say that Bible stands for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. God's Word is our instruction manual while we are here. In order to follow what His Word says, we must read what it says. Have you read your Bible lately? It will sure help guide your steps. And that, my friend, is no myth!

Romans 10 :17 says, "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."

Father, thank-you for Your Holy Word. Help us to discern what is really in it. In Jesus name, Amen.

Duck!

I love the 70's sitcom All In The Family. I recently bought a few DVD's of the 2nd and 3rd seasons. Archie and Edith Bunker crack me up! They play their parts so well, they almost seem married in real-life. Archie, the always-mad-at-the-world bigot, and Edith, the always-happy "Dingbat" make the show all by themselves. I was watching an episode last night in which Edith got an idea and shared it with Archie. As usual, the idea was a little lame, so Archie popped off at her. He said, "Edith, the next time a thought comes your way, DUCK!"

That could be good advice for all of us. I pray and ask God to lead my steps and thoughts everyday. But how can one tell when a coming-thought is from God or from some place else? We all get thoughts that we think came from God, but then later, we realize it was only our thought, and it was a bad one. I guess it takes lots of practice and lots of praying to get it right all the time. But until then, we really need to size-up our thoughts and decide if they are truly from God or not. Until we learn the difference, maybe we should take Archie's advice. Maybe we should "DUCK" from some of our thoughts.

James 1:5 says, "If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you."

Father, please help us discern those thoughts You give us from other thoughts that come from somewhere else. The Bible teaches us that You will give wisdom to all whom ask. Lord, please give me the wisdom to do Your will. 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 6 days away. Do you remember the excitement you used to feel when you were in school? This is my 18th 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 in our future? 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.

Funny How...

Funny how we set our clocks for 6am to rise for work or school but can't seem to get up by 10am Sunday morning for church.

Funny how we call God our father and Jesus our Brother but find it hard to introduce them to our family.

Funny how small "our" sins seem and how big "their" sins are.

Funny how we demand justice for others but Mercy for ourselves.

Funny how we can't think of anything to say when we pray but how easily we can spread the latest gossip.

Funny how we are so quick to take directions from a total stranger but hesitate to take God's directions for our lives.

Funny how churchgoers sing Standing On The Promises but all they do is sit on the premises.

Funny how we want God to answer our prayers, but we refuse to listen to His counsel.

Funny how it is alright to blame God for evil and suffering in the world but it is not necessary to thank Him for what is good and pleasant.

Funny how we believe what the newspaper says but question what the Bible says.

Funny how lewd, crude, and obscene pass so freely through Cyberspace but God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Funny how we can send a thousand jokes through Email but think twice about sending good things about Jesus.

(Author unknown)

Church Signs

I think the best devotion can sometimes be a single line. Have you noticed the increase in Christian messages on church signs? I've decided to share a few that I have seen around town. Feel free to Email me some that you have seen. I hope you enjoy!

When the water gets deep, trust in the One who walked on it.

The tomb is empty so you don't have to be.

Stop, drop, and roll will not work in Hell.

Don't fear tomorrow. God is already there.

God expects spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.

Make your eternal reservations now: Smoking or Non-Smoking

It's hard to stumble when you are on your knees.

Caution: Exposure to the SON may prevent burning.

What is missing from ch ch? u r.

Wal Mart is not the only Saving place.

Don't be so open-minded that your brains fall out.

Read Revelations. It will scare the HELL out of you.

The Rapture: Separation of Church and State.

God answers knee-mail.

The best vitamin for a Christian is B1.

Sign broken. Message inside.

God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the Called.

Again, I hope you enjoyed these. If you have some good ones you would like to share, please Email me.

Don't Let It Grow

I once heard a story about an old tutor and his young student. They were walking in the woods when suddenly the old tutor stopped. He pointed out four plants to his student. The first one was barely visible above the ground, the second one was about 2 inches tall, the third one was a medium-sized bush, and the fourth one was a tall tree. The tutor told his student to pull each one out of the ground. The first two plants were easy for the student to pull out of the ground, but the third one, the bush, was very difficult. After some fighting with it, he finally managed to pull it out of the ground as well. But then he attempted to pull up the full-grown tree. He wrapped his arms around the tree but with all his strength, he was unable to even shake its leaves.

This lesson is simple. Bad habits are easy to uproot from our lives when they are new. But the longer they take root, the harder they are to destroy. I have learned that either you can destroy the bad habit, or it can destroy you. I had to deal with a couple bad habits this past summer, and with God's help, I was able to defeat and destroy them. So I am now a witness to God's enormous strength. Maybe you are fighting some "large trees" in your life. No matter how hard you try, you can simply not defeat them on your own. But God sure can! Further, He wants to help you. Consider doing what I did..I let go, and let God! It made all the difference in the world. With God's help, you can even uproot a giant Redwood!

Psalm 72:12 says, "God will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help."

Father, thank-you for all You have done for me, and for what You continue to do.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Pencil Erasers

If you have ever taken a math class, you know why there are erasers on pencils. The people who make pencils sure do put a lot of confidence in us. They give us a long piece of lead with a little, tiny eraser. Now that is positive thinking!  But erasers are not just for correcting mistakes; they can also be used for changing plans. How many times have we heard the phrase, "pencil me in for this week?" We use this phrase because we have learned just how quickly our best-made plans can cave-in.  Let's face it:  plans change all the time.

Everyday, I am making my schedule in pencil instead of pen because I know things can change in a fraction of a second. As a teacher, I make plans every week but seldom am I able to stick to those plans to the letter. Something always seems to crop up and derail them. So I have learned to be flexible. I've decided to start making all my plans in pencil instead of pen but giving God control of the eraser.  He knows what is best for me.  If one of my plans gets changed, I will just assume that the Lord used the eraser because He had a better plan. I am putting forth more effort in seeking His will for my life. I don't always know where His will take me from day to day, but I do know it will take me to places that I otherwise couldn't go.  God's will is perfect!  That is why I am letting Him control the eraser.

Proverbs 16: 9 says, "A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps."


Father, thank you for Your perfect erasers. I am willing to alter all my plans based on Your perfect will. In You, I have placed my total trust. In Jesus name, Amen.

Faith and 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 choose 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.

Two Judgments

One of the questions that was presented to me this weekend from www.gotquestions.org was about the interpretation of 1Corinthians 3:12-15. After researching it a great deal, this was my response.  I thought it would also make a good devotion too,  Let me know if you like it. 

There will be two main judgments that God will pass on every human being:  The Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:12-15) and The Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10).  These are two very different judgments, as the first one listed will be for nonbelievers and the second one listed will be for Christians.  We who have accepted Christ will not go through a judgment based on sin, but instead, based on reward.  Jesus already paid the price for our sin at Calvary.  That debt was “paid in full” and will never be placed back onto our “accounts” again.  As Christians, we don’t have to worry about working to make it to heaven because Christ already did all the work necessary for us to go.   There is nothing we can do to add to His amazing and complete work (Galatians 3:1-5).  Instead, we should use all our time and energy trying to further God’s Kingdom and trying to earn heavenly rewards (Matthew 6:19-34).   This is the kind of judgment Paul is talking about in the verses you asked about.  He describes God as using a fire-test of discernment (also see 1 Peter 1:17-18 and Revelations 3:18).  Paul contrasts gold, silver, and precious stones with wood, hay, and straw.  Those quality materials represent Christians who have given dedicated spiritual service to the church while the inferior materials imply shallow activity with no eternal value.

Put another way, once we have accepted Christ, we are promised eternal life (John 10:28).  Depending on how well we used the talents God gave us here on earth though will dictate our levels of reward in heaven.  I may see Billy Graham in heaven driving a Cadillac, but I’m sure in comparison to my Christian work, I will be on a skateboard.  Skateboard or Cadillac, we will both be there.  Again, it is very important to remember that this is not a judgment of sin.  Those who have not accepted Christ will be judged for sin in the Great White Throne Judgment.  I am so thankful God led me to Christ, and I will not have to be judged for sin.  I pray that through His Power, I can use the talents he gave me to His satisfaction.  Notice that verse 15 says that if we have been saved by Christ, even if our works don’t stand up to his test, we will still make it to heaven, “yet so as through fire”

In conclusion, Christians will never, ever be judged for their sins.  Instead, our works will be judged for degrees of reward.  Nonbelievers will be judged for sin, and the only thing they will receive from God is eternal punishment.  One of my favorite bible verses is Romans 6:23.  It puts the two topics in perspective: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  I pray that you have accepted Christ.  If you have, then “endure” with the talents He has given you, and tell as many people as you can about 1Corinthians 3:12-15.

Take My Daughter

As I was praying last night, thanking God for sending His only Son to die in my place, it hit home just how incredible of an act of love He showed me. My mind shifted to my daughter, Bailey Boo. Think about your child as you read this devotion today. I know we are not supposed to hate anybody, but think of a person you dislike a lot. Imagine that dirty, filthy person bringing unspeakable harm to say, your Mom and Dad. As hard as it is, try to imagine that person actually torturing your parents over and over again, while all you can do is helplessly watch. Now imagine that awful criminal is finally caught by the police and sentenced to death. But then, you become filled with tons of compassion for this evil person that just ruined your life. You decide to do something that nobody in the world would ever consider doing. You decide to ask the police to execute your innocent child in the place of this "evil slime".

As you stand by, watching your very own baby being beaten, and having to listen to her cries of sheer pain and agony, you notice that the person you just pardoned is standing around laughing and mocking your child. As your baby hangs there on a cross, bleeding from head to toe, that evil person does not even want your pardon! Your act of sympathy towards his crime is neither deserved nor appreciated. But instead of getting angry at the person, you choose to forgive him. Wow! There is NO way I could ever love another person that much. I know that may be a sin to feel that way, but I just don't see how I could do it. But God did it! When we sin against Him, it is even more painful to Him than it would be for us to watch the torture of someone very close to us. We may think of ourselves as being a good person, but in God's eyes, we are far worse than the worst criminal. But God loves us anyway. He chose to send His only Son Jesus to die in our place. Isn't that absolutely incredible? Have you truly thanked Him for that act of love? I mean, have you truly thanked Him?

Romans 5:8 says, "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

Father, how do I thank you for what You have done for me? I promise to always keep You first in my life. In Jesus name, Amen.

Lord, Help me Make An "A"

My students crack me up sometimes. As some of them walk up to me to turn in a test, I will hear them say, "God, please help me to make an A". I want to ask them if they also prayed before they took the test. Although I know God can do anything He wants to do, changing the answers on a test is probably not one of them. Now He could help them during the test. He could divinely lead them to the right answer. But after the test is turned in, I believe that is that. Sometimes I will ask them if they studied for the test. Surprisingly, some say no. And those are the very ones who prayed for God's help.

I think there is a lesson here for all of us. We should pray before things happen and not just after they happen. Prayer should be the very first thing we do when we wake...before the day even gets started. Again, I know God can fix many things after they are seemingly broken. But heading off disaster before it even happens is wise. And just praying for things to happen may not always be enough. We also need to prepare for those things to happen. Praying for an A on a test is a good idea. But unless we study for the test, I doubt the Good Lord is going to simply give us an A. He did give us a brain, and He expects us to use it. Depending on God does not just mean blindly praying to Him for things to happen. God gave all of us smarts, talents, and creativity. By using what He gave us, that is also a way to depend on Him.

Psalm 16:2 says, "You are my Lord. Apart from You, I have no good thing."

Father, thank you for wanting to help us everyday. Teach us to depend on You and everything You have given us. In Jesus name, Amen.

Bank Account

Suppose I deposited 1440 dollars into your bank account every single day with only one requirement: You are free to spend every penny of it, but whatever you don't spend today can't be carried over to tomorrow; You would just lose it. What would you do? Well I am pretty sure you would spend every bit of it and not waste a single cent. Well God gives each of us 1440 minutes in every single day. We can choose to "spend" those minutes wisely or we can choose to waste them. Whatever is wasted, though, is gone forever. The definition of "wasting" time varies from person to person. But I would think anything that we do that doesn't glorify God would be wasting time. That does not mean that we need to spend all our time only praying, going to church, or reading the Bible. We can Glorify God with everything we do. We can Glorify Him while we are doing our jobs, while we are driving in traffic, and even while we are shopping at the grocery store. Today, let's ask God to help us find some additional ways we can Glorify Him. After all, our 1440 minutes are ticking away.

Colossians 3:23 says, "Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people."




Father, please help us to not waste anytime and to learn how to spend every minute Glorifying You. In Jesus name, Amen.

Philly Firsts

Philadelphia. It is an amazing city with an unparalleled history, richer than any other American city. Philly is a city of firsts. It served as our nation's first capital. It opened the first public school. It bought the first fire engine. It erected the first brick house, printed the first almanac, created the first botanical garden, opened the first zoo, started the first newspaper, opened the first hospital, and at least 100 other firsts. It was also the home of Charles Vansant, the first documented shark victim on American record. It happened along the Jersey Shore in the summer of 1916, and was the real-life inspiration for the 1975 movie Jaws by Steven Spielberg. In a span of less than two weeks, a rogue shark attacked 5 victims in New Jersey, four of which died from their injuries. What makes that year so unique is that only one person since then has died from a shark attack on the Jersey coast. Up until that summer, "experts" never even suspected that a shark could kill a man. Today, it seems nothing unusual to hear about a shark attack, although the chances of one dying from an attack is less than one's chance of being killed by a falling coconut! The summer of 1916 brought a strong heat wave to the N.E., and that also resulted in many more people venturing out into the water. Where is God at times like these?

That is a very hard question of which I feel nobody has an adequate answer. It is true that God performs miracles everyday. But most of the time, He chooses not to violate the very Laws of nature that He created. He put sharks in the water, and apparently, made them the kings of the water. They are perfect killing machines. Despite this fact, thousands and thousands of swimmers hit the beaches everyday, never to even be threatened by a shark. But we know it happens. And we know it can happen at any time man and shark mix in the shark's very habitat. Atheists use these incidences of shark attacks and other tragedies to argue that there is no God. How could a loving God allow such awful things to happen? I, just as you, have probably wondered that same thing many times. Why doesn't God help us in those times? My mentor explained to me that if God helped us all the time, so we could avoid danger, then we would expect Him to help us no matter what situation we got ourselves into. I have faith in God, but if I walk out in front of a car, I still expect to be seriously injured, if not even killed. We should have faith in God. But God also gave us a brain. Many tragedies could probably be avoided if people used the brain He gave them. Yes, it is very good to depend on Him completely for every single need that we have. But we should never expect Him to help us all the time, especially when we do foolish things that may increase our chances of being in a tragedy. We should use our faith. But we also must use our brains and the good sense God gave all of us.

Proverbs 15:33 says, "The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor."

Father, please help us to not only have faith in You, but also help us to make the right choices in life. In Jesus name, Amen.

Peter or Judas?

We all make mistakes. We go through stages of strengths and weaknesses. I guess that is what it means to be human. Like a football or baseball team that plays in a game, there will be some winning and some losing. The key is not if you win or lose, it is what you do after the game that matters. When you lose a game, it most definitely hurts. I have played sports my whole life and have been on more losing teams than winning ones. I know the feeling of getting beaten badly. But each time I had to make a choice. I could either give up, or I could move on to the next game. It is impossible to do both. One must make a decision, and then put their whole heart and soul into that decision.

In the New Testament, we learn a little about Judas and Peter. Both were disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. Both were eager to learn all about Jesus. But both also made a terrible mistake. Judas betrayed the Lord, and Peter denied Him, even after he said he would never deny Him. The difference, though, was in what they did after their mistake. After both men realized they failed the Lord miserably, they took different paths. Judas gave up and committed suicide. But Peter decided to learn from his mistake, and as a result, he became an even stronger follower of Jesus. We, too, are faced with two options when we fail miserably. We can either learn from the experience like Peter, or we can wallow in our sin and never grow spiritually like Judas. Which one will you choose?

Revelation 21:7 says, "He that overcometh shall inherit all things."

Father, teach us to be like Peter. We can't avoid mistakes. But through Your perfect Power, we can overcome our mistakes. In Jesus name, Amen.