Calling Myself

Today's devotion is taken from the Feb 7th entry of Our Daily Bread.

As I was moving my cell phone, laptop, and assorted books and papers from one room to another, the "regular" phone rang. I hurriedly set down my stuff and rushed to answer the call before the answering machine kicked in. "Hello", I said. No reply. I said hello again when I heard rustling, but still no response. So I hung up and went back to my stuff on the floor. When I picked up my cell phone, I realized that I had accidentally speed-dialed my home phone number. I laughed at myself, but then wondered: How often are my prayers more like calling myself than calling God?

Are your prayers a checklist of things that you want? Do you get frustrated when God does not answer those prayers the way you want? Or maybe He answers those prayers but not as quickly as you had hoped. When we call on God, He will help us. But He will only help us in His perfect way and time. He knows so much better what we need than we do. So why get frustrated? Just let go, and let God.

Lamentations 3:25 says, "The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him."

Lord, forgive me for calling on myself instead of calling on You. Teach me to depend on You 100%. In Jesus name, Amen.

Suicide

We can all read the Bible and still get confused about what it actually says. Let's face it, the Bible can be very confusing in parts. And we have been warned by bible scholars to not take verses out of context; we must read several verses and put them all together to get the true meaning. The issue I want to look at today is what sins will send a Believer to hell. Suicide? Murder? Rape? Some believe that the murder and rape can be forgiven because the sinner has a chance to repent, but the suicide is final since one can't repent from that. I am not a preacher or scholar. But my conviction is even suicide can be forgiven. The Bible says that only Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is unforgivable. Since the bible doesn't say suicide is unforgivable, I have to believe that Jesus' death on the Cross was even sufficient for that.

In my classroom, we were talking about how long it takes an object to free-fall from various heights. There is a formula that can be used to determine the answers. We found that the objects that fell from the top of the World Trade Center on 9-11 took roughly 10 seconds to fall to earth. One of my students said, "You mean the person I saw jump from the top of the building hit the ground in less than 10 seconds?". Then the conversation shifted to the fact that that person committed suicide since they jumped to their death. So I asked what the alternative to jumping would have been. So the choice was for the person to just stand there and be burned alive, or jump and make the inevitable instantaneous and painless. Then one of my students said that jumping would not have been suicide since the person would not have been in their right mind. My argument then is what about the person that puts a gun to their head and pulls the trigger. Are they in their right mind? My deepest conviction is that Jesus died for ALL our sins...including suicide.

Romans 6:14 says, "For sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are NOT under the law, but under GRACE." (emphasis added)

Father, thank you for sending Your only Son Jesus to die for ALL our sins. Help us to find comfort when we experience a friend who has committed suicide. In Jesus name, Amen.

Weird Encounter

I felt led to stop by a local church yesterday to talk with a minister. It was a church that I have never attended. I have a home church with a great minister, but he wasn't available to talk to me at the moment, so I just drove to this other church. You know how it is sometimes when you just have to talk to someone at that very moment. Anyway, what a strange incident! Although the church had regular business hours, I found the door locked and had to hit a buzzer on a speaker and tell them why I was there just to get in. Even my bank doesn't have such "security". An elderly gentleman finally came to the door. By this time, I was practically in tears needing some Godly guidance from a pastor or minister. I asked him if I could see a minister and he told me that they were all gone. At lunch? Running errands? No. He said they were gone-all 4 walked out! I was completely and totally in shock!

The man was very helpful, however, and he did call a minister that met me in one hour. We had a very nice talk. I didn't ask for too many details about what happened with the four ministers, but was told that they left because they were being told what to preach and how to minister to the church members. Apparently, the pastor's preaching, which was completely Bible-based, stepped on a few toes, and the people just didn't want to hear the Truth. I don't know, that is just what I was told. How often does this happen today in churches? How often are preachers told to "tone down" the message as not to offend anyone, or offend the least possible amount of people? When I read in the Gospels, Jesus never "toned down" His messages. He was constantly stepping on the toes of those around Him. But Jesus told the absolute Truth! Would we want anything less from our ministers whom Jesus has called? Sometimes I don't like what I read in the Bible because it completely convicts my heart and soul. But that is exactly what I need! It sometimes hurts, but the Truth is what is important.

Jesus said in John 8:31-32, "If you hold to my teaching, then you are really my disciples. Then you will know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free."

Lord, please help us to accept the things in Your Word that are hard to swallow. As hard as it can be for us to hear the Truth, please help us to absorb it and apply it to every aspect of our lives. In Jesus name, Amen.

A Serious Cleansing

I have read many times how Jesus got angry at least once while He was here on earth. All four Gospels relate the story of how Jesus entered the temple one day in Jerusalem and all but went berserk! You know the story of how He drove away all the sellers and money changers with a whip. He was outraged because the people had turned God's House into a marketplace. Jesus quoted Isaiah 56:7 when He yelled, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it a den of thieves'". Of course this angered the Jewish religious establishment because they were making a nice profit in the Temple. How can we use this dramatic incident in our lives today?

We all make mistakes, do bad things, sin against God, and really make a mess of situations. But from time to time, we need to come to a serious cleansing of our hearts and souls. Like Jesus did, we too need to get angry with stuff in our lives and "whip" them out. Of course we can only truly do this with God's help. We need to ask God to remove all our personal defects and character flaws so we can truly live for Him. I guess it is like cleaning the house. We can pick up and do a little each day, but sooner or later, we need a serious "spring cleaning". I don't know about you, but for me, that time has come! In the name of Jesus, I command all evil, sickness, and wrongdoing to leave my body! I only have room for one God...and that is Jesus Christ!

Psalm 138:8 says, "The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your love, O Lord endures forever-do not abandon the works of Your hands."

Father, I ask You to give me strength to do the things I know You want me to do. I have made a mess of things, as usual, but I truly have faith and accept that You have forgiven me and will lead me on my way. In Jesus name, Amen.

Just When I Need You Most

I'm sure the main reason is because we are only human, but why else is it that we only call on God when we need Him most? When things are caving in around us, we panic and call on God to deliver us. I know the Bible tells us that He loves to deliver us in our greatest hour of need. But do you feel guilty about it like I do? I tell you the truth, it just about kills me that I keep doing the same things over and over. I ask God to forgive me, and I know He does. But I can't help but to feel like I let Him down, especially when He has blessed me so much. Why do we suffer from this paradox of continuing to do what we know we shouldn't?

For me, it is not so much doing things that I shouldn't do as it is not doing the things that I should. How many times have I passed by someone who may have been lost, but I chose not to share Jesus with them? How many times have I passed someone who may have just needed a kind word, but I chose not to give them one. How many times have I thought of myself before I thought of someone else? Oh Lord, please forgive me. I would ask You for another chance, but I wonder if I would just mess up that opportunity as well. Although I might mess it up again and again, I will not give up asking for Your Perfect help. I know the Bible says I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Well Lord, here I am asking for Your strength. I ask You to help me make a difference in the lives of others. I ask You to help me win souls for Your Son Jesus. I ask You to help me further Your Heavenly Kingdom.

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

Lord, thank you for my life. Please help me to do a much better job with it. In Jesus name, Amen.

They Are Lined Up

As I sit at my computer watching the curtains sway back and forth and feeling the cool air flow through my open window, I hear the sounds of shrill screams from across the street. My neighbors are hosting their annual Halloween Haunted Forest, and people are lined up down the street to walk through it. I can hear the hypnotic Theme of the 1978 John Carpenter thriller Halloween playing over the loud speakers. I can hear the terrorizing buzz of the chainsaw as Leather Face (from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) rushes the guests down the path. It is all in fun of course, and from the looks of the long line, many people are having some serious fun. I can just see my once step-son Jordan running as fast as he can to get away from Michael Myers. Gosh, I miss him and Abbey sooo much! Could you imagine just how scary that forest would be if it was all real? Do you think that forest will be like hell? From the descriptions in the Bible, I bet hell is even worse!

Those people who are standing in line to go through the forest across the street are doing it just for fun. But sadly, many people today are also standing in line waiting to go to hell. And what is so amazing is that they don't even seem to care! I just can't believe that people would take such a huge risk with their Salvation! The Bible is crystal clear that without Jesus, hell will be our final destination. The Bible tells us that in hell, you won't have the luxury of death. You will have to endure endless torture forever more. I just can't imagine that. I know I will NOT be going there because I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. If you have also accepted Him, you, too will avoid that horrible, terrifying hell. But if you have not accepted Jesus, you are just standing in line waiting to go through a real haunted forest. And in that forest, those chainsaws have real chains on them!

Revelation 14:11 says, "The smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever and they have no rest day and night."

Father, thank you for saving me from Hell. I pray for those who are standing in hell's line. I ask you to save them with the blood of Your Son Jesus Christ. In Jesus name, Amen.

We Forgive Because We Are Forgiven

An incident that happened at the Penn State/Minnesota game this past weekend has caused somewhat of a stir in the Media. Before the game, a Penn State player knelt down in the End Zone and said a little prayer. While he was doing that, the Minnesota team mascot also knelt down in front of him and mocked his praying. The Minnesota officials have already apologized for the incident, but as usual, the Media wont let it die. Even worse, many Christians have also been outraged and have even demanded that the mascot lose his job. What do you think?

As a Christian, I am always offended when somebody mocks prayer. It hurts to hear people say that there is no God or that Jesus was not really the Son of God. But what can I do about it? Argue with them? Curse at them? Hope they die and have to "pay" for their unbelief? No, of course not. The greatest power that we have as Christians is our ability to forgive and let it go. All we can do is pray and ask God to help them truly see the "Light" that is His Son Jesus Christ. Yes it hurts, and it is ok to let them know that they offended us. But we must immediately forgive them and pray for their Salvation. Isn't that what Jesus would do? Isn't that what Jesus DID do when He was here?

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

Father, please help us to remember that we must forgive others for anything that they may do to offend us. You set the perfect example by forgiving us. Teach us to follow Your example. In Jesus name, Amen.

Better Or Bitter

It is true that we must first suffer before we can truly experience joy. Think about this for a minute: How can we know how bright the light can be until we experience how black the dark can be? How can we know what warmth feels like unless we feel the bitterness of cold? How can we know the amazing feeling of victory without experiencing the agony of defeat?

The four Gospels give vivid details of how our Lord Jesus Christ suffered before He was called to Glory. He wears a Crown that represents Heavenly joy, but He also carries deep scars that represent His sufferings. If you are going through a suffering season, trust in Him, and joy is sure to follow. You can get bitter or you can get better. By trusting in Jesus, you will get MUCH better!

2 Timothy 2:3 says, "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."

Father, suffering is so hard. You know that fact better than all of us. Help us to rely on Your perfect strength to make it through our worst times. In Jesus name, Amen.

Haunting Season

I used to absolutely love Halloween! Even though I am a Christian, I have never seen the harm in having fun during this fall festival. Those Christians who believe that it is a "sin" to celebrate Halloween have their opinions. But if you look up the origins of Halloween, it was started by Christians. Anyway, this devotion is not a debate for or against Halloween. Like I said, I used to love this time of year. But sadly, Halloween stirs up extremely hurtful memories from last year. It's been almost a year now since then, but admittedly, I am no closer to healing than I was last year. Now, I truly feel haunted by all the Halloween decor that is all over town. Just the sound of the word 'Halloween' brings chills down my spine. Across the street from my house, my neighbors have built a "haunted forest". They do it every year, and there will literally be 100 people to go through it every night. Because the air so nice outside, I like to leave the door in my bedroom open. But all I hear are screams, chainsaws, and the Halloween theme playing over my neighbor's loud speakers. I feel like I am losing it; I feel like I am truly being haunted!

I have prayed and prayed and prayed about this. I have asked God to get me over the hurt. I have asked God to get me over the loneliness and despair. Some days are better than others, but overall, I am still bogged down in my own grief. But I will NEVER give-up on God. There is a reason why I am still suffering. I don't know why, and I sometimes get upset with God, but I do trust Him. Something has got to give, one way or the other! This is probably not a good devotion, but as you know, I always write what's on my heart. If there is anything one can get from this devotion is that God does not always helps us on our time. We have to be patient and wait for His perfect time. I can tell you I have shed over a million tears over this tragedy. I'm sure there will be a million more. But God promises to wipe every one of them from my face. Oh, how I need my Jesus right now!

Jesus boldly told us to "ask anything in my name, and I will do it."

Father, you know very well my heart's desires. I continue to ask for those things because I continue to have faith in You. In Jesus name, Amen.

I Found A New Place

I think I have found a new place to share Jesus Christ. Recently, I have been blogging on a college football message board. This is where college football fans from all around the country can debate and "argue" about whose team is better. I have found it to be a lot of fun. I have chatted with some pretty knowledgeable people who really support their favorite teams. But like always, there are some who are not Christians, and who love to poke fun at my picture I use on the message boards. The picture I use is of me wearing a blue "Jesus" shirt. Some of the bloggers love to attack me verbally for believing in "a fairy tale". But for every one of those kinds of people, at least 3 or 4 others will "come to my rescue" and applaud me for having such a strong faith. There is one guy on there that loves his favorite QB so much, that he even calls him Jesus Christ. He claims that Jesus never walked the earth until he started playing for his team. In a few conversations with him, he has flat-out told me that God is just a fairy tale. I try to reason with him that although he thinks God is just a fairy tale, he must believe Jesus is pretty awesome to give his favorite player that name. It goes right over his head!

I am proud to be a follower of Christ, and I am not in the least bit ashamed of it! It is an amazing feeling to be verbally attacked for being a Christian, but to respond to that attack with, "I still love you, and so does God." Not only do those attackers not know how to respond to that, but the other 1000 people reading it gets to see Christ in action through me. By only responding to those attacks in a loving and caring way, I am showing that I am a true Christian. I must admit that it is hard not to attack back. But through the love and strength of Christ, I am able to remain strong. We are lucky that God has called us to be Christians. But it also requires a great deal of responsibility on our part. People are watching us very closely. They watch how we respond to things. The way I see it, when attacks come our way for being Christians, that is an excellent opportunity for us to show our true colors. It is a great opportunity for us to show the true colors of Jesus Christ!

Jesus said in Matthew 5:44-45, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven."

Lord, thank you for choosing me to be a Christian. I ask You to always give me the strength to show others I love Christ by loving them. In Jesus name, Amen.