Are you listening? We have the ability to engage in selective listening. We hear what we want to hear. We choose to tune in or to tune out. “Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: ‘This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!’” Mark 9:7 (NIV) […]
What does the abundant life look like in the 21st Century? How can the follower of Christ maximize the time granted on planet earth? “Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” Eph 5:15-16 (NIV) Step 1: Walk circumspectly. Be alert […]
Does God’s purpose include suffering? We know that God wants us to permeate His love and radiate His light. We know that God wants us to be holy because He is holy. However, we don’t normally get as excited about the thought of suffering. “But the Lord said to Ananias, ‘Go! This man is my […]
“Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord–Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here–has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, […]
Light reveals what darkness conceals. We are finite. God is infinite. We have limited understanding. God is omniscient. We tend to view people as they are. God sees what people can become. “‘Lord,’ Ananias answered, ‘I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he […]
“Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.” Acts 8:4 (NIV) Bloom where God has planted you. Are you radiating God’s light right where you are? Do those in your sphere of influence know who you are and whose you are? Maybe you are in a very difficult environment. Maybe you have […]
Motives matter to God. “When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, ‘Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.’” Acts 8:18-19 (NIV) Simon had practiced sorcery prior to becoming […]
An interruption is often God’s invitation. Life can be extremely hectic and chaotic. We are bombarded with snail mail, email, text messages, and cell phone calls. Our lives are marked by perpetual busyness. In the midst of being on the go all the time, we encounter interruptions. Sometimes an interruption occurs when we are on our […]
“Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise…” Eph 5:15 (NIV) Over the years I have experimented with different ways to enhance my daily intimacy with God. I have utilized the daily devotional by Oswald Chambers, “My Utmost for His Highest” and also “Experiencing God Day by Day” written by Henry Blackaby. […]
“…and find out what pleases the Lord.” Eph 5:10 (NIV) We tend to live our lives trying to please others. Just about the time we feel as though we have reached the pinnacle of pleasing others, they change their mind. After hosting Dr. Robert Smith of Beeson Divinity School for a few days, he shared […]
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.” Eph 5:8 (NIV) Salvation is an event followed by a process. At the moment of your salvation, you are delivered from the kingdom of darkness and placed in the kingdom of light. You instantly become light in […]
How much dirt does it take to contaminate drinking water? At what point would you consider the water improper for consumption? It wouldn’t take much would it? God takes sin seriously. There is no room in the life of a child of God for sin. Sin is as repulsive to God as a diesel mechanic on a […]
“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Eph 5:1-2 (NIV) What kind of fragrance are you emitting? Jesus released an aroma pleasing to God through His life of […]
“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children…” Eph 5:1 (NIV) How do you imitate someone you can’t see? Imitation is proportionate to self revelation. You can only imitate God at the level at which God is willing to reveal Himself. The wonderful news is that God has revealed Himself to us in nature, in the […]
When Jesus forgives you; you are completely forgiven. “Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’” “‘No one, sir,’ she said.” “‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.’” John 8:10-11 (NIV) Jesus died to pay your sin debt in full. […]
Forgiveness is immediate; trust takes time. When you have been wounded, the last thing you want to do is extend forgiveness. You naturally want to them to pay for the pain they have inflicted. You want them to suffer the consequences of their actions. Somehow you want them to serve a sentence for their wrong […]
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Eph 4:29 (NIV) Our words are irrevocable. Once spoken, words penetrate like an arrow on the bull’s-eye. Our words have immense power. In fact, […]
Have you ever wrestled a kinked water hose? You squeeze the nozzle and the water just drips out. You are trying to wash the car, but the water pressure is absent. The kink in the hose restricts the flow of water. The kink inhibits the flow. That’s what resident sin does to the Holy Spirit. Remember, you are the walking […]
“He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.” Eph 4:28 (NIV) You may have disengaged from this verse since you immediately recognized that you are not a thief. You are not stealing. You, […]
“…and do not give the devil a foothold.” Eph 4:27 (NIV) I asked one of my dear pastor friends, Dr. Bob Anderson, this question: Why are so many pastors falling? He responded, “When you have temptation without opportunity, you are safe. When you have opportunity without temptation, you are safe. But when temptation and opportunity meet, you […]
“‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” Eph 4:26-27 (NIV) He lost his cool! She flipped! What were they thinking? Can you believe what he said? Did you ever dream we would see this day? What happened? […]
Are you really living or just existing? In our nana-second world, there is a propensity to become robotic and just go through the motions. Information overload anesthetizes us to the daily grind of life. Often we miss opportunities to connect with others on a deeper level. Why? Because we are in a hurry to get […]
“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin–because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.” Rom. 6:6-7 Why do we tend to see how close we can get to the […]
Live up to the jersey you wear. “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in […]
“…to be made new in the attitude of your minds;” Eph 4:23 (NIV) Your beliefs determine your behavior. Does it really matter what you believe? To live right, you must believe right. Your behavior is a direct reflection of your beliefs. In order to live to please God, your beliefs must align with God’s revelation. Spiritual growth […]
“…and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Eph 4:24 (NIV) You are in the process of becoming who you are in Christ. In Christ, you are a saint, blessed, chosen, adopted, redeemed, forgiven, included, sealed, and secure. Your new self is a spiritual reality in Christ that becomes evident practically […]
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;” Eph 4:22 (NIV) Does your struggle with sin end at conversion? If so, why do believers sin? The penalty for your sin has been paid in full by the atoning […]
“You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.” Eph 4:20-21 (NIV) Have you come to know Christ? When did that eternal transaction take place in your life? Where were you when you recognized your […]
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27 (NIV) There is a perpetual tug on the believer’s life to go back to being a slave to sin instead of a […]
Harmony moves the heart of God. God desires that you live in harmony with Him and with others. Live your life rightly related to God through an abiding relationship with Jesus. The byproduct of that relationship is harmony with others. You cannot have a right relationship with God without having a right relationship with others. “Live in harmony with […]