Good Credit, Bad Credit, No Credit

I teach a section on home mortgages, credit card interest, and personal loans at the college here in town.  It is a real eye-opener to some students who never stop to think how expensive it can be to borrow money.  And although the cost of borrowing money is based on various conditions, one's credit rating is perhaps the most important.  It is simple:  The better your credit rating, the cheaper the loan.  When one has less-than-perfect credit, it can begin an endless cycle of high debt.  Sometimes a person's credit can be so bad that they are not even able to get a loan at all, no matter how badly they may need one.  Let's face it, we all have to borrow money sometimes.  But we also have to be very careful and responsible with that loan, or it can lead to big problems down the line.

Aren't you glad that Jesus doesn't look at our past in order to predict our future?  Being saved by Christ has nothing to do with how much sin is in our past.  Jesus promises to save the very worse of the worst.  There is absolutely nothing you have ever done in your past, nor future, that will keep God from saving you.  We all come to Him in the same shape: pitiful, pathetic, and infested with sin.  But He is so merciful and Gracious that He will wipe our past history completely clean.  All we have to do is ask Him.  The Bible is full of passages that promise us that He is willing to save you and even me.  Jesus is loaning "everlasting money", no matter what our credit rating.  Praise God!

Do You Feel Saved?

Thank God we don't have to "feel" like we are saved to actually be saved.  Some days I am so ashamed of my sins that I feel like I have lost my salvation.  Have you ever felt like that before?  And when I have those days, I then feel like I have to be "super Christian" just to make-up for those sins.  I am so thankful that the Bible doesn't teach that nonsense.  When I have those kinds of days, I like to re-read parts of His holy Word.

Romans 8:38-39 teaches us that "nothing can separate a Christian from God's love".  John 10:28-29 teaches us "that nothing can remove a Christian from God's hand" 2Corinthians 5:17 promises us "that once we are in Christ, we are a new creature; the old has gone, the new has come".  And my favorite of all, John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."  For a Christian to lose salvation, eternal life would have to be taken away.  If a Christian is promised to live forever, how then can God break His promise by taking away eternal life?  Have you ever known God to go back on His Word?  Yes, we all sin, and yes, we will all continue to sin.  But for us Christians that truly put our trust in Jesus Christ, that sin is already washed away by His precious blood.  And how we "feel" doesn't even come close to playing into that equation. 

Oh God, please forgive me for being so hard-headed sometimes.  Thank-you for giving me eternal life through your Son Jesus.  Help us all to know we are saved, and not  worry about how we sometimes feel.  In Jesus awesome name, amen!

Free Ride

In the early 80's, Dan Hartman recorded a hit called I Can Dream About You.  Hartman was a long-time singer/songwriter who once played in the band The Edgar Winter Group, a hard-rock band formed by Edgar Winter of Beaumont Texas.  In fact, Hartman wrote one of their most memorable hits, Free Ride, in 1973.  It is a very catchy, up-tempo song that is now famous for a couple of very hot guitar licks.  I have always liked the song, but recently I really started focusing on the lyrics.  They are powerful, and although I know Hartman probably didn't have this in mind when he wrote the song, they almost sound like lyrics about Jesus Christ and His plan of Salvation.  Check this out:

 The mountain is high, the valley is low
And you're confused 'bout which way to go
So I flew here to give you a hand
And lead you into the promised land

So, come on and take a free ride (free ride)
Come on and take it by my side
Come on and take a free ride

Jesus does in fact offer us a free ride to heaven.  He booked our trip and paid for our tickets when He gave His life on Calvary.  All we have to do now is accept His gift.  Like the lyrics in the song say, there is no reason for us to be confused about which way to go, nor is there any reason we should wait any longer to accept His "once-in-a-lifetime" offer.  I can still remember before I became a Christian, that I would feel an almost unexplainable tugging sensation deep inside whenever I would contemplate God.  Of course now I know that that was the calling of the Holy Spirit.  I am so glad I finally answered His call.  I just wish I would have done it sooner.  The last verse of Free Ride is:

We got to do better
It's time to begin.
You know all the answers,
are a stones-throw within.

Father, thank-you for offering me a Free Ride to the Promised Land.  I pray for all those who are not Christians and who may be struggling with this decision.  In Jesus name, Amen.  

 

Are You Ready?

I am absolutely sick! It just ran right out in front of me. All I can think about now is some little boy or girl crying over their puppy. Gosh, what an awful feeling! But it did get me to thinking:

We don't know when our time will come, but we all must be ready for it. I don't really know how one plans for such a thing physically, but I certainly know how the Bible says we should plan for it spiritually: We must accept Christ and make Him Lord! Do you have life insurance? Do you have everlasting life insurance?

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, forgive me. In Jesus name, Amen.

I'm Proud Of You

I think it is fairly apparent from my previous two devotions that I am a firm believer in Salvation by faith alone. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes it very clear that our good works have nothing to do with our Salvation. So are good works even important? Oh yes, definitely. I grew up without my dad due to divorce, but I was very fortunate to get to know him in my adult life. He was a good man! I can remember how anxious he was to see me when I would make plans to visit him. He always made me feel welcomed in his home, which also included his wife and my three half-sisters. It brought me great joy to learn that my visits brought him great joy. My daddy was proud of me and the things that I had accomplished. I guess everyone wants their dad to be proud of them, even in their adult life. I loved doing things that made him proud of me even though I knew he would have loved me the same if I didn't do those things. I realized that even more when I became a daddy. I love my daughter Bailey more than anything in this world. There is nothing she could ever do, good or bad, that would make me love her any more or any less.

I think that is the way it is with God and His children. We could never do anything that would diminish the degree of love that He has for each one of us. But just as I tried to please my earthly father, I find myself striving even harder to please my Heavenly Father. I want to do great works that reflect my true dedication and love for Jesus. I'm not really sure if God looks at it in that same way, but I still find myself trying to please Him. There is no doubt that He can be pleased, for He announced at least twice how pleased He was with Jesus. I know I can never even come close to the Goodness of Jesus, but that doesn't make me want to try any less. When Jesus Saved me, He also empowered me with the Holy Spirit. It is this Holy Spirit who motivates me to do good works, and who convicts me when I don't. I don't want to simply be an "arm-chair" Christian. I always want my external evidence to reflect my internal conviction, even when it doesn't really matter.

James 2:14 says, "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith, but does not have works?"

Father, teach me to do the things that please You. I know I can do nothing that is good without Your help. In Jesus name, Amen.

No Place For Guilt

If you worry about your Salvation or know somebody who does, please read today's devotion with an open mind and heart. I am not a preacher nor am I a Bible scholar. I have not been to theology school, nor do I attend church as often as I should. I don't read or speak a lick of Hebrew nor Greek, and even though my Bible is written in perfect English, I still find much of it over my head. But I am absolutely, positively convinced about one thing: If you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died on a cross and was resurrected, and you have asked Him to wash away all your sins, then you are Saved and have Eternal Life...Period! Please don't even give it a second thought. John 3:16 and at least 17 other Bible verses teach this simple but most critical Truth.

The reason I chose to write this devotion today is because I keep running into people who are afraid they have messed up too much for God to accept them or that they are afraid they don't do enough good deeds to keep their Salvation. First of all, the Bible tells us that God will never, ever abandon His children. If you accepted Him, you are "stuck" with Him...praise God! There is absolutely nothing you can do, now or later, that will ever sever the love that Jesus has for you. So shake off any worries that you are too "bad" for Him. There is nothing so bad that His blood and Goodness can't cover. Thank God for that, or I would be heading to hell on a sliding board. And also don't worry that you don't do enough good things to keep your salvation. Whether you do 1 million good deeds or no good deeds, you are still saved and on your way to heaven. Those who think good works are necessary for Salvation, I ask you two questions: 1. Which good works? and 2. How many good works? No, Salvation is based totally on our faith in Jesus Christ, and that is a gift which can never be earned. Please don't get me wrong. Good works are a regular part of our Christian life. But we do Good works BECAUSE we are saved and not IN ORDER to be saved. Have you accepted God's free and powerful gift?

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast."

Father, thank-you for your Son Jesus. I have accepted your gift of Salvation, and I pray for all those who have not. In Jesus name, Amen.

Good Friday

I have often wondered why it is called "Good" Friday if it is the day our Lord and Savior was flogged, tortured, humiliated, and Crucified on a Cross. The Bible is silent on the subject of "Good Friday". I checked on the Internet and found a few "possible" reasons why it is called "Good". The reason I say "possible" is because there are so many explanations that it is hard to know which one is the truth, if any of them. The explanation that I saw the most is that it has to do with the interpretation of the word "Good". Apparently, it is only here that we call it Good Friday. Most likely, the word "Good" meant "Holy". Most Christians around the world refer to the Friday of Jesus' death as Holy Friday. But there was one explanation that I came across that I liked the most.

It was all part of God's plan that Jesus would be born of a Virgin, be Crucified, and be Raised from the grave. The whole process is what separates Christians from all others in the world. We accept that Christ was the Messiah and that His sacrifice was sufficient to save us from the death of Sin. The fact that Jesus suffered and died on this day in His Story (history) was not a good thing in of itself. But we know that not all things in the world are good, however, God promises that all things will work together for good. Perhaps we can look at it like this: Had Jesus not been killed, He could not have been Resurrected. And if He had not been resurrected, we could not have been Saved. So in the grand scheme of things, His death was a good thing, that is, a good thing for us! It is hard to think about just how much Jesus had to endure for us. But He did it all for just one thing: To save me and to save you. And that makes for a GREAT Friday!

Isaiah 25:8 says, "He will swallow up death in victory..."

Father, thank-you for this Good Friday. Please help us to never forget the incredible Sacrifice You made on our behalf. Remind us that You didn't just die for Americans, but You died for every single person in the entire world! In Jesus name, Amen.

Strange Coincidence

I know it was only a coincidence, but it still feels very strange. Last night as I was falling asleep, I was listening to a CD of Doo Wop music. I must have fallen asleep to a song by one of my all-time favorite singers, Johnny Maestro, because I dreamed about being at one of his concerts. Well this morning, I learned that he died late last night in Florida. I am in shock! You might remember him as the lead singer of the Crests and Brooklyn Bridge. He was the singer on the hit songs 16 candles and The Worst That Could Happen. What an awesome voice he had. The good Lord definitely blessed him with talent! And today, he is singing with the angels in heaven.

Although he had been battling cancer for the past few years, we all know that we could be promoted to Glory at any moment. Are we ready? Let me ask you a very serious question: If you died right now, would you go to heaven? I know I would because I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Have you also accepted Him? As confusing as the Bible can be, this is one point that is crystal clear. Look at it like this: We all carry life insurance "just in case". So how much more important is Eternal Life insurance? If you have not made Jesus Master of your life, please do so right away. And if you have made Him Master of your life, please share Him with as many people as you can today. Because today may be all the time they have left.

Jesus said in John 6:47, "Truly I say unto you, he that believes in Me has Everlasting Life."

Father, please help us to share the Good News about Christ. Thank you for offering us Eternal Life. In Jesus name, Amen.

Last Kiss

In 1964, a one-hit wonder group, J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers, had a huge hit with the song Last Kiss. The song was based on a very sad , but true story. Just two years earlier, Jeanette Cook and J. L. Hancock, both 16 years-old, were out on a date only a few days from Christmas in 1962. Their car was struck by a tractor-trailer on a road in rural Barnsville, Georgia. A local gas station attendant helping with the recovery of the bodies didn't even recognize his own daughter. In the song, the girl dies in her boyfriend's arms. The lyrics are as follows: Where, oh where, can my baby be? The Lord took her away from me. She's gone to heaven so I have to be good, so I can see my baby when I leave this world.

One of the hardest things for us to comprehend about Salvation is that it has nothing to do with how good we are. Salvation is a gift from God, not something we can earn. In our society, many things we do are judged based on comparisons to other people. But no matter how "good" we are, we will simply never measure-up to the Goodness of Christ. Further, no matter how much "better" we are than other people, in God's eyes, we fail just as miserably as they do. When I took calculus in college, my professor gave the class a diagnostic test to ascertain our strengths and weaknesses. I found out later that I did better than anyone else in the class-I got two correct out of 20 while everyone else only got one correct. I may have done better than they did, but I still failed just as badly as everyone else in the class. We can't earn heaven no matter how well we do. Today, let's thank God for His incredible gift of Jesus Christ and for eternal life that comes only through Him.

Titus 3:5 says, "God our Savior saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy."

Father, thank-you so much for Your only Son Jesus. Help us to remember that it is through Him only that we are given eternal life. In Jesus name, Amen.

Mention My Name

Recently, a friend of mine went to a job interview at a local company. I personally know many of the "top dogs" at that company, and I told my friend that when she got in the interview, to mention my name. She got the job! I am not sure if she ever mentioned my name in the interview or not, and even if she did, I doubt that had any bearing on their decision. My guess is that it probably didn't because she was very qualified for the job. And for all I know, maybe she did mention my name but got the job in spite of that. I encouraged her to mention my name, not because I think I am such a good person or because I have so much pull at that company. I wanted her to mention my name so in case they wanted to call me and get the "scoop" on her, I could brag about what a great person she is and how she would be such an incredible asset for their company.

I think that is what will happen to us on Judgement Day in heaven. First of all, we are all full of sin. The Bible teaches us that no human is immune from it. Further, God is a perfectly Holy God, therefore He can not even look upon sin. But when we stand before God on that day, we have a "friend" whom God loves very much. If we have accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, all we have to do is mention His sweet name in the "interview". By doing this, God then sees us as sin-free. Wow, what a powerful name! The blood that Christ shed on the Cross was accepted by God as a ransom for our sins. My friend who got the job got it because she was qualified for it, not because she mentioned my name. But when we stand before God, we will not be "qualified", but the name of Jesus will have the Power to give us Eternal Life anyway. God is so awesome! His grace is sufficient for all of us, even for me!

Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Father, I am in complete awe when I think about how much You love me. You sent Your only Son to die in my place. I know I can never repay You for what You have done for me. But I do accept Your gift of Jesus Christ. Thank-you, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

That's One Tough Germ!

I shared this devotion awhile back and was asked to re-print it. I am very happy to do s0. The devotion is based on the product Lysol and other cleaning agents like it. On the commercial and on the bottle, it says it "kills 99.9% of household germs." What I don't get is why it is strong enough to kill all the germs EXCEPT that .1%? That must be one tough germ! Couldn't the makers put just a tiny bit more chemical in the Lysol to kill all of the germs?

Jesus died at Calvary for our sins. His blood was sufficient to wipe away 100% of our sins, not just most of them. His blood didn't leave .1%, it got it all! There is no sin that God has not or will not forgive you for. I know the Bible says that blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is the only unpardonable sin. But if you are reading this devotion, and obviously you are, you are not guilty of that sin. As long as there is still a breath in your body, Christ stands ready at this very minute to wash all, and I mean ALL your sins away. Have you asked Him to wipe away your sins? As car dealers say, now is the perfect time to ask Him. Just stop what you are doing and ask Him to save you from your sins. If you are already saved, don't let Satan lay a guilt trip on you when you sin in the future. Just confess those sins to Jesus, and He will wipe 'em clean again. Jesus' bottle of "Lysol" never runs out!

I John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness."

Father, thank-you for wiping away our sins. I pray for those who may be reading this and don't know You as their Savior. Stir their hearts Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

Wash Me

Have you ever seen those dusty cars in which some joker writes "wash me" on on the side of it? Well somebody did that to my truck today. I have to admit my truck is quite dusty, and with it being black in color, it really shows. So I guess I need to wash it, and a good wax job wouldn't hurt either. Reading that "wash me" on the side of my truck today reminded me of when Jesus washed His disciples' feet. Washing others feet in those days was reserved for the lowliest servants, so they were shocked when Jesus wanted to wash theirs. Peter even spoke up and told Jesus that he would never allow Him to wash his feet. In Peter's eyes, Jesus was "too good" to ever stoop to such a lowly thing. But Jesus responded, "If I do not wash you, then you have no part with me."

Obviously Jesus was setting a good example that we can follow today. We are to serve each other. None of us are any better than anyone else, and nothing should be "beneath" us when it comes to doing or caring for others. But Jesus' words also go much deeper. If Jesus does not wash us (cleanse us from sins), then we can't have any part with Him (be saved and receive eternal life). It is only through the washing of Jesus' blood that we can truly be cleansed from all sin and receive eternal life! Our response to that should be exactly as Peter's response was to Jesus: "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!"

Ephesians 1:7 says, "In Jesus, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's Grace."

Father, wash all of me! Help me to serve others and to tell them about Your free gift of Salvation. In Jesus name, Amen.

Fads

Do you remember the Pet Rock, Rubik's Cube, Hula Hoop, Cabbage Patch Doll, Silly Putty, and Erector sets? How far does that take you back? I can still remember when everybody in the world wanted a Cabbage Patch Doll. The local K-Mart announced that they were getting 10 of the dolls in on Monday. By Sunday Night, there was a line of over 50 people waiting for the doors to open. There were reports in various parts of the country of grown men and women fighting in the stores over these items. But then just 2 short years later, you couldn't give those things away. Some of those items have made somewhat of a comeback, but not to the same degree as when they first hit the shelves. Why are we so captivated by material things?

I recently heard an interview with John Travolta. You might remember his son dying recently. Travolta said he has managed through the pain with help from his religion Scientology. Scientology? What is that? I decided to do a little research to find out. Wow! In looking up Scientology, I also came across over 20 other "religions". Why do so many people flock to these things? I am not judging anyone for believing differently than I do. As a Christian, my Bible tells me I still must love and respect them. I believe what the Bible says, and I whole-heartily believe it is the true, inspired Word of God. In the Book of Galatians, the people were forced to believe in the Gospel being preached by Paul or in the many false gospels of his opponents. We also have that same choice to make today. It is my belief that if your religion is not the Religion of Christ, yours is false! Again, I am not judging others, I am simply quoting God's Holy Bible. Some of these religious "fads" today look shinny and and new, filled with hopes and promises of a happy life. But they will ultimately fail and not stand the test of time. My decision to follow Christ also gives my Promises and a happy life. But there is one major difference in Christianity and these other false fads: I have Eternal Life, they don't! Praise God! If you have not accepted Christ as your personal Savior, then what you have accepted is worthless. If you haven't accepted Christ, you might as well accept Tickle-Me Elmo....

Jesus Christ said in John 14:6 says, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man commeth unto the father but by Me."

Father, how can we thank-you enough for sending Your only Son Jesus to die for our sins? Lord, our world is filled with Your miracles, but none of those even come close in comparison to Jesus. For it is in His name we pray, Amen.

Feel Free To Disagree

Today's devotion was sparked by a comment that one of my students said yesterday in class, and I eluded to it in yesterday's devotion. I am not a Bible scholar, and I admit that I may be wrong about how I feel. But this is exactly how I feel about this subject. I look forward to your comments on this devotion. If you agree or disagree, please give me your two-cents worth. The subject is perhaps the most important subject in all of Christianity. It is the subject of Salvation. I am told that the Bible does not contradict itself, and I believe that is true. But some verses do seem to contradict others. Maybe the perceived contradictions have to do with the translations from the original Hebrew and Greek languages to English. If any part of the Bible contradicts any other part, then we could be all believing in a false god. I mean, if some things are true in the bible while other things are not, which ones do we believe? No, there has to be a way to resolve the perceived contradictions and to blend the subject verses together in perfect harmony.

One of my students told another student that God was going to send him to hell for cussing. That got me to thinking deeply about what she said. It is my belief, my conviction, that God will never send us to hell for any sin we commit. The ONLY way we will go to hell is if we NEVER accept His Son Jesus Christ. In more than one verse, the Bible backs up this claim. I know it is dangerous to consider only a single verse or two and to take those verses out of context. But I have found no less than 40 verses that say the exact same thing. Once we accept Christ, He cleanses us from all sins...those we already committed and those that we will commit. Sound too good to be true? Yes, I have to admit that it does. But if there are any "loop-holes" to this idea, then we are in trouble. In tomorrow's devotion, I will dig into those "loop-holes" that some people believe. Now I am not saying I am right and anybody who believes differently is wrong. But it is my true, genuine conviction that the ONLY way to hell is by refusing Jesus forever. I would like to incorporate some of your comments on this subject in tomorrow's devotion. So if you get a chance, please tell me how you feel about Salvation.

Father, please help us as we struggle with some of the deep issues of Salvation. I ask You to guide my devotion tomorrow so that I can write the exact truth about Salvation as You intend it to be. Please convict those reading this devotion today, and please encourage them to make a comment about their belief. In Jesus name, Amen.

He gave Me A "D"

It is always funny when students get their report cards and start comparing their grades to others in the class. I always hear things like, "I can't believe Mr. Skipper gave you a B and me a D. I guess he likes you more than he likes me." Some students just don't get it. Some never make the connection between their study ethic and their grades. I truly never give them their grades; They earn those grades, either good or bad. All I can do as a teacher is help them as much as possible, encourage them to study diligently at home, and pray they do the right thing. I can't think of much that would be worse than arbitrarily assigning a student a grade that they didn't earn. I would not be able to look myself in the mirror.

Thank God He does not give us what we deserve! If He did, heaven would be about as empty as my bank account on the last day of the month. In a sense, we adults are like those students of mine. We don't always do our best either. We fail, and sometimes miserably. But luckily, instead of God giving us a "bad grade", He gives us an A every time we ask Him to forgive us. He gives us an unlimited amount of "retakes and "do-overs"" on our "tests". What patience! The only way my students can pass my class is by their hard work. In contrast, the only way I can get to heaven is by God's sweet Grace. How do we initiate God's Grace? We Ask Him! It is just that simple!

John 6:47 says, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life."

Father, thank you for saving us. Remind us that we do works for You not TO be saved, but BECAUSE we are saved. In Jesus name, Amen.

God Is Too Mad At Me

I had a nice conversation with one of my students yesterday. She had some Bible questions that had been weighing heavily on her mind. It makes me feel so great that my students trust me enough to help them with their Christian concerns. I am more than happy to do it, because in the long run, it really helps me too. This student was so worried that she had all but given up praying. She said she was embarrassed to keep asking God for forgiveness, and then once she was cleaned by Him, she would end up repeating her sin or commit a totally different one. She is worried that God is so angry with her, that He may decide not to forgive her this time. She may only be a young teenager, but she has an adult-sized delima on her brain. How many of us have ever worried about this same thing?

First of all, the Bible clearly tells us that we ALL sin. No matter how hard we try not to, we will mess up every single day. Many times we have a tendency to commit the same sins over and over again. Yes, it can be very frustrating. But the Bible is also Crystal clear that God will forgive us every single time! Look at this logically: If God didn't forgive us every single time, and since the Bible says we all sin everyday, then nobody would ever get to heaven. It is true that we can't enter into heaven with any sins on our "records". That's where Christ comes in. God loved us so much and realized we could not exist without sin. So He sent His Son Jesus to take our sins upon Himself. Once we have accepted what Christ did on the Cross, we have a true friend in Jesus who will go to the Father on our behalf. You see, once we accept Christ, we are forgiven for every sin we ever, or will ever, commit. The Bible is full of verses that back up this claim. I told my student that the guilt that she was feeling when praying was proof she loved Jesus and had accepted Him. I reminded her that she should use that guilt to motivate her, but don't let it cripple her to the point of thinking God is too mad to forgive. God absolutely loves every one of us, and I guess we will never truly understand the scope and enormity of His love for us.

Isaiah 1:18 says, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

Father, thank you for saving our souls through Jesus. Help us to remember that, although we need to strive to be our best, we will fail often. But as long as we depend on You for forgiveness, we will be cleansed every single time. In Jesus name, Amen.

A Mighty Flowing Fountain

If you're like me, your Email Inbox gets filled daily with "facts". I tend to wonder how many of the things I receive are real. But one day, a fact was Emailed to me and really caught my attention. So I did a little research on the fact and it was indeed true. It was concerning the Amazon River. Did you know that the Amazon rushes over 45,000 gallons of fresh water into the Atlantic Ocean every second! This rush of fresh water is so powerful that it washes away all the salt water for 200 miles. In other words, from the mouth of the Amazon to 200 miles out into the Atlantic, the water is so fresh that you can dip a cup in it and drink it. That's actually how the Amazon was discovered. A sailor was about 200 miles off the coast when he noticed he was sailing in fresh water. He turned his ship toward the coast and discovered the mighty Amazon.

Wouldn't it be great if Christians were like the Amazon. Just think, we could all go to Church on Sunday and get totally charged up and rejuvenated and then rush out into the work place the next week like a huge fresh wave for Christ. Just imagine how much salt we could chase away from work, school, grocery store, everywhere...just by allowing the freshness of Jesus to flood through us. Christ has yet to come back as He promised, maybe because there is still someone you or I know that is not saved. Maybe God is waiting on us to personally share His Good News with them. We would not hesitate to go into a burning building to save them, or at least scream and yell to warn them there was a fire. So why would we not warn them of the huge "Fire" that is coming there way? Let's all rush out and flood them with the freshness of Jesus.

Isaiah 62:5 says, "As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you."

Father please help us rush out and share Your Great news with the world. In Jesus name, Amen.

One For All

Last night while waiting for "Santa", I was watching a documentary about killer bees. These Africanized bees are much more aggressive than the European bees. When they attack, it is relentlessly. I learned that 500 stings from these bees inject as much venom as a single rattle snake bite! Some hives can contain tens of thousands of these killer bees. From the moment danger is detected until the bees have completely engulfed their target, as little as 10 seconds could have passed. Each bee stings only once and then dies. Like little soldiers guarding their home, these guys don't hesitate on embarking on what boils down to a suicide mission-all for the protection and betterment of the entire group. In other words, these bees are willing to die to save the others.

Jesus was like that. He was a King in heaven. But He was willing to humble himself and trade in His Kingship for slave ship. He was willing to die in order to save the rest of us. The difference between Jesus and those bees is that the bees are reacting to a natural instinct. But Jesus made a conscious decision to die for us. He did not have to do it, but He loved us so much, He did. He was more than willing to sacrifice His life to save ours. We always hear people say things like, "I would die for my child" or "I would die for my friend" or whatever. But how many of us would die, not just for those we love, but also for a stranger, EVERY stranger? Jesus did. You know, it's kind of funny: When it is our birthday, people bring us gifts. But on Jesus' birthday, He brought the gift...the Ultimate Gift! Praise God!

Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Father, thank you for loving us so much to send Jesus. I hope You had a very nice "Birthday", Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

Last Kiss

In 1964, a one-hit wonder group, known as J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers, had a major hit with the song Last Kiss. The song was based on a true story. Just two years earlier, Jeanette Clark and J.L. Hancock, both 16 years old, were out on a date just a few days before Christmas in 1962. Their car was struck by a tractor-trailer on a road in rural Barnsville, Georgia. A local gas station attendant helping with the recovery of the bodies did not even recognize his own daughter. In the song, the girl dies in her boyfriend's arms. The lyrics are as follows: Where oh where can my baby be. The Lord took her away from me. She's gone to heaven so I have to be good, so I can see my baby when I leave this world.

One of the hardest things to comprehend about Salvation is that it has nothing to do with how good we are. Salvation is a gift from God, not something we can earn. In our society, many things we do are judged based on comparisons to other people. No matter how "good" we are, we will never even come close to the Goodness of Christ. And regardless of how much "better" we are than other people, in God's eyes, we fail just as miserably as they do. When I took Calculus in college, my professor gave the class a diagnostic test the first day to ascertain our strengths and weaknesses. I called him a few hours after the test to see how well I did. He told me I did better than everybody else in the class; I got 2 problems right out of 20 while everybody else only got one right. I might have done better than they did, but I still failed just as badly as the other students in the class. We can't earn heaven no matter how well we do. As Christmas draws closer, let's truly thank God for His incredible "Christmas gift" of Jesus Christ.

Titus 3:5 says, "God our Savior saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy."

Father, thank you so much for Your precious Son Jesus. Help us to remember that He is the true meaning of Christmas. In Jesus name, Amen.

Wrong Tool

Somebody sent a funny picture to me today, and so I decided to use it on my devotion. As you can see, it is a picture of a huge, 6-foot mouse trap trying to lure a deer. The joke is that if Obama takes away our guns, we can always deer hunt with this trap. How many times do we try to do a job with the wrong tool? I am very inefficient when it comes to using tools. I may need a wrench, but if a pair of scissors are handy and will turn the bolt, I'm using it. I can't tell you how many times I have taken a hot dish out of the stove with my baseball mitt because I didn't have any pot holders close by. And don't even get me started about hammering in a nail with a big rock. Tools are just not my thing.

How many people are trying to get to heaven today by using the wrong "tools"? Some think that reading the Bible or going to church every Sunday will earn them a trip to Glory land. Some think that rushing down to "confession" or being baptized will save them. Fact is, there is nothing we can do that we save us...absolutely nothing! The Bible clearly teaches us that Salvation is never earned; It is a gift from God! All we have to do is believe that Jesus was God's Son, and that He is the only true way to heaven. And before we try to boast about believing in Jesus, we must remember that the Bible also teaches that God is the One that actually leads us to believe in Him. But the good part is although there is nothing we can do to earn heaven, there is also nothing we can do to lose it! Once we are saved by the Power of Jesus, no sin can ever separate us from Him again. Are you truly saved today? Have you been using the right tool?

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace we are saved through faith: and not that of ourselves: it is a gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast."

Father, thank you for leading our hearts to the Truth that is Jesus Christ. In His name we pray, amen.