Confirmation

I just want to confirm my faith in humanity. Today, one of my students stole my phone from my top desk drawer at school. I do not know who it was, but I forgive him. Oh, it hurt me deeply. But God reminded me that MOST of the blame should be placed on Satan, not just on the person. Satan causes all of us to make some poor decisions. Well, at least he has caused me to make some. So whomever you are, I forgive you, and so does our sweet Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Jesus said in Matthew 6:14, "If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you."

Father, forgive them...and forgive me. Keep us all safely away from Satan. 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.

He's Gone Country

God has led me to a major change in my life. For the past 6 years, I have been hosting an Oldies request show on Saturday nights. I have enjoyed doing that show very much. But I have accepted an offer to change stations and host a different request show. Starting Saturday, Sept 4th, I will be hosting the debut of Big Dog Saturday Night on 96.9 in Dothan. It will be a Country music request show. This is a real big deal. The station is huge!! It is the number 1 station in the market, with tens of thousands of listeners! As far as radio goes in this area, 96.9 is the big time. It is like I have been called up to the Major Leagues. I have been blessed with 23 years in the radio business. I have worked at several stations over that 23-year span, but I find myself more excited about this opportunity than any others I have ever had in radio. God is awesome! Although I have to admit to being nervous about the challenge, I am certain that God will see me through it.

I am so proud to serve Jesus Christ! Even in my bad times, He has always been right there leading me by the hand. To me, I have a wonderful life. God blessed me with the most incredible daughter in the world, He gave me an extremely rewarding career as a high school and college math teacher, and now He has led me to a point in my radio career that, honestly, I never thought I would be. It is nearly 1 in the morning, and I have to be up at 6. I am so excited about what He has done that I can't even sleep. I had to jump on here and share it all with you. As I close tonight's devotion, I encourage you to reflect on the things God has given you. I know it seems so much easier to focus on the things we don't have, but God promised that if we put Him first, all those other things will come at the right time. I have never believed that nearly as much as I do at this very moment. Thank-you Sweet Jesus!

Psalm 95:1 says, "Oh come, let us sing unto the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our Salvation"

Father, you've done it again! I don't deserve half of what you have given me. Thank you for this new opportunity you have placed before me. I could not have gotten here without You, and I know I can only be successful because of You. In Jesus name, Amen.

Back To School

For the teachers in Dothan City Schools, it is back to work today. The summer is over. It is always sad to see that nice, long vacation come to an end. But the arrival of the new school year does bring exciting new opportunities from God. I wanted to share what God has done to me over this past summer. When the school-year ended, the math teacher with the highest amount of seniority in the department retired after 35 incredible years of teaching. That put me at the top in seniority of the math department. I have waited patiently for her good classes, and expected to get those classes once she retired. Well, I didn't. In fact, instead of getting any upper-level classes, I got below-level ones. At first I was angry, but then realized that is was not anger as much as it was hurt feelings. Everyone wants to feel like they are moving up at work. And after 15 years of waiting, my time had come. But I was moved down instead and it crushed my spirit. As I thought back over my performance from the previous year, it was easy to see why I hadn't moved up at all. Most of the year, I carried a bad attitude, fussed at everything I was asked to do, and just generally had a bad year. Would I have given myself the upper-level classes if I had been in the Principal's shoes? Honestly, I don't think I could have.

So after some serious praying and asking all parties to forgive me, I started the summer with the attitude that I got the classes that God allowed me to get, and He doesn't make mistakes. Over the summer, I was asked to tutor some needy students for a 2-week period, and I immediately accepted. Then a week later, I was asked to go to a conference out of town for 5 days. Again, I did not hesitate. Some time after returning from the conference, my principal complimented me and how much of a change he had seen in my attitude in just a short time. I told him that God straightened me out. I want you to know, while I was at school yesterday, "certain unforeseen circumstances" occurred, and as a result, my schedule was changed to include two of the highest-level courses that the school offers. I was so shocked and excited! One may call it a coincidence. However, we who trust in Jesus know there are no coincidences. I totally believe God stepped in and helped me get those classes, but only after I admitted my bad attitude and asked Him to fix it for me. I just love Jesus! What is it that He can't do? I know this "miracle" only pales in comparison to others. But to me, it is a perfectly clear sign that God still helps those who love Him.

Jeremiah 17:10 says, "I, the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve"

Father, thank-you for continuing to be real in my everyday life. Please give me the strength to continue back to writing these daily devotions. In Jesus name, Amen.

Faith Hall of Fame

The Bible is full of people who had an extraordinary amount of faith. If I asked you to list 5 people from the Bible who had tons of faith, whom would you list? Job? Mary? Moses? How about Paul or Daniel? No doubt, these would certainly make the "Faith Hall of Fame" But I want to talk about one whom you may or may not have thought about. What do you think about Noah's amount of faith? Here was a man preaching to the people that a giant flood was coming to destroy everything on earth. More than just preaching it, he also started building a giant boat to prepare for it. In fact, the boat he was building was larger than the biggest body of water in the area. It would have been impossible for the ark to navigate the entire length of the Euphrates River. At the time he started building the ark, Noah was already around 500 years old. The people must have thought he was just an old mental case, especially when one considers that the flood did not happen right away. Noah slaved for 120 years on the ark before the flood actually began. 120 years? Would you have thought he was just an old fool? I know I would have.

God tells us that it is impossible to please Him without faith. How much faith do we really have? I know it is easy to say that we have a lot of faith, but do we actually have as much as Noah or any of those other Bible Hall of Famers? If placed in the terrible position and situations that some of these Bible people were placed, would we still be preaching the Mighty name of Jesus? I guess there is really no way to answer that question. How would we really know how we would react to something unless it happened to us personally? What tough situation are you facing at this hour? Do you have enough faith? If you do, then you know it is only a matter of time before God intervenes and pulls you through it. If you don't have enough faith, then ask God to strengthen it for you. I continue to discover that there is no situation or road that I can go down from which my Lord won't come to get me. Pray for faith! There is an old saying, "I hope my ship comes in before my dock rots". God's time is perfect time. Ask Him for more faith right now.

Revelation 2:10 says, "Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life."

Lord, please help me to stay faithful and to continue believing that You will soon turns things in my favor. In Jesus name, Amen.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday, America! The smell of fireworks and BBQ grills filled the air in my neighborhood last night. The 4th of July is a happy celebration for us all. Over the past couple days, the History Channel has been showing a variety of Independence Day-type shows. I got a chance to watch a few this past weekend. It is a wonder we even have an opportunity to celebrate the 4th of July. How those first few American soldiers fought off the mighty British, we may never truly know. Out-numbered, out-gunned, and in most cases, out-smarted, somehow our soldiers fought through and were victorious. If you get a chance, go back and read some of the stories of the Revolution and see how much luck played on the side of the Americans. Actually, I believe it was more than luck. We don't say "God bless America" for nothing. When you look at just how unlikely it was for us to win, you soon come to the inevitable conclusion that God was on our side!

But how much longer will He be on our side? How much further away will He allow this country to push Him? I don't think Hurricane Katrina, 9-11, or the BP oil spill were random events. I think God is saying the same thing those Verizon phone commercials say--"Can you hear me now?" He has been sending us several warnings, but the powers-that-be in this country are not heeding His warnings. Are we personally listening to God? Are we living our lives in a way that reflect the Goodness of God? I try so hard not to be hypocritical. It does no good for me to fuss and complain about our government's lack of love for the Lord when I don't show it as much as I should either. This is a problem that has to be addressed individually. If each one of us would turn completely to God, maybe our government would too. There is strength in numbers. I know how unlikely it seems that our government will ever publicly turn to God. But remember just how unlikely it was that we defeated the mighty British. God, bless America.

Father, thank you for allowing us to live in a free country. Remind us everyday that it is because of You, and not because of us, that we are truly free. In Jesus name, Amen.

We Need A Tutor

Today, I started tutoring a few students at the high school who have previously failed the math portion of the Alabama Graduation Exam. The principal of the school called me about two weeks ago and asked me if I wanted to do it. The tutoring lasts 4 hours per day for a total of 8 days. When he asked me about doing it on the phone, and told me how much it would pay, I jumped at the chance! This pay is above and beyond my regular salary, and it is very good pay! For the past two weeks, all I have been able to think about is how I could spend the money. My daughter and I will be needing back-to-school clothes, I need (want) a new grill, a new big-screen TV would be nice, and...and..and..You know how it can be when you get some extra money in your pocket. For the past two weeks, I have been thanking God for the extra money and have really shared with people how He has blessed me financially with this tutoring job. But as I arrived at the school this morning, something hit me completely out of the blue.

This whole time, all I could think about was me and how much money I would be making. I never thought for a second about those students who may need me. Please don't let me sound boastful or like I am bragging, but just maybe, those kids do need me to help them. I mean, I know they need some teacher to help, but maybe it is ME personally that they need. I am fortunate to have a very high success rate when teaching students who have failed this major exam in the past. To date, my success rate is over 95% of students passing the Grad Exam. I have always believed that God called me to be a teacher, and I tend to be one of the students' favorite. That simply verifies in my heart that God is behind my teaching. So maybe it was God's plan that I personally take time from my summer vacation to help them. (Again, I pray that you don't think I am being boastful, just fortunate). But sadly, instead of thanking God for the opportunity to help these students, all I could think about was the money. I will earn $800 from this job. I have to admit that I did spend $200 today on a brand-new grill. But I have decided that I am committing the other $600 to God. Maybe you can comment on this devotion and suggest a good, Christian way I can give the $600. I know there is nothing wrong with splurging on ourselves sometimes, but I guess what hit me so hard this morning was my intent for taking on this job in the first place. I am ashamed. So if you have time, please suggest a way I can give the rest to the Lord.

Proverbs 22:9 says, "A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor."

Father, forgive me for thinking more about the money than the students. I know You have blessed me with this abundance. Please direct me in the way You would have me share it. 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.

Salvation By Faith Alone

The more I learn about Peter, the more I like him. We all know of how he denied Christ on the night Jesus was arrested. We also know of how Jesus forgave Peter. Peter was the sort of man that I would like to be, that is when he was wrong, he was quick to admit it and to start doing the right thing. In the Book of Galatians, again we see Peter doing the wrong thing. He had shifted from preaching Salvation by grace to Salvation by works, namely, the works of the Jewish faith in the Old Testament. Paul called him on it. In fact, Paul confronted Peter in front of "them all". Again, Peter saw the errors of his ways and repented. Lord, teach me to be more like that when I am wrong.

This debate of salvation by works and salvation by faith is one of the biggest dividers among Christians today. Because of what I have read from God's Word, I am a firm believer that we are saved by our faith in Jesus, and not by any good works we can perform. We do good works because we are saved and not in order to be saved. Paul states in Galatians 2:16, "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law, no flesh shall be justified." In other words, we can not be saved by going to church, being baptized, giving to the poor, keeping the 10 commandments, or any other good work. Sure, we should strive very hard to do these things, but these things don't "earn" us everlasting life. In fact, Eternal life can not be "earned" at all. It is simply a gift from God. And the only way we can accept that gift is by accepting Christ as our Personal Savior. Have you accepted God's free gift? I saw a bumper sticker the other day that read, "Jesus Christ: Our get out of HELL free card."

Father, thank-you for drawing me to accepting Christ. I pray for those who have not accepted Your free gift. Please draw them too, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.