Devotions 2007 & 2008

At this time of the year all over the world there is a commercial emphasis on Christmas tempting people to buy a lot of useless and unnecessary things. As far as Christmas decorations are concerned, one trade magazine says that nativity scenes are the popular choice of decoration, outselling those of Santa Claus.

As I read that article I could not help but ask, " Why is this so?” When you read the statistics of the number who attend church and see that more and more churches are closing because of lack of support and attendance, why then this sudden interest in the nativity ornaments?

The question that keeps coming to my mind concerning these people caught up in this trend, "Is it the appeal of the babe in the manger and nothing more?" For them is the Babe still in the manger? Is this all that Christmas means to them?

We sing ‘Away in a Manger’, but so many do not go much further in their thought processes than the manger. There are those who, because of the turmoil in the world, grasp at this small fragment of the angels' message when they sang about ‘peace on earth’. They just see the Babe as a symbol of that peace -- peace they desire to be established in the world -- missing the fact that peace can only come through accepting the complete message -- a Savior, not a military leader. No ordinary man – no matter how he tries -- can bring peace to the world. The only One who can bring true peace on earth is the Babe – the Christ Child. By His coming, His life, death and resurrection, He is the only One who can forgive sin and give His peace as a result of a right relationship with God.

When we continue to keep the Babe in the manger and fail to allow Him to grow and accomplish the task for which He came, we will never know His peace in our hearts and lives.

A couple of years ago people were saying, ‘Put Christ back into Christmas’. I wonder if this sudden desire to purchase nativity scenes is not an outcome of that slogan. Perhaps they see this as a means of doing just that, yet missing the whole point. In reality those who began the saying, ‘let us celebrate the true meaning of Christmas' - did not want us to forget why He was born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger so long ago.

Do we only think of the manger scene for just one month of the year and as soon as the Christmas season is over, pack it up and put it away for another year along with all thoughts of the real meaning of Christmas?

Let me ask you, “Is the Babe still in the manger”? Do we only think of the Christ Child as a Babe in the manger and leave the thought of Him there? Or in our hearts and minds do we allow Him to grow into manhood so that He can accomplish the task that God the Father had planned for our Salvation?

When Mary was first visited by the angel Gabriel, he said unto her, “You shall have a Son, and shall call His name Jesus…He…shall be called the Son of the Highest". Later when the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream concerning Mary and the child she was carrying said that he was not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife. The angel said, “Thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins”.

God never intended that His Son, the Babe, should remain in the manger. Unfortunately too many are continuing to do just that.

As we approach this Christmas, it is my prayer that each one will think afresh on the true significance of the coming of the Christ Child.

Do we truly believe in our hearts that He was born as the angel said to Joseph, “to save His people from their sins’, or as told by the angels to the shepherds, “For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord”?

If you have any doubts concerning what the Christ Child means to you, come, bow down and worship Him. He will reveal Himself, not just as the Babe of Bethlehem, but as the Saviour for all who will truly believe that He is Immanuel – God with us -- the Savior of the world.

May the Christ of Christmas rule and reign in your heart, filling it anew with the glory and wonder of His coming.

November Devotional

ARE YOU TRULY THANKFUL?

Luke 7: 11 – 19

Throughout Scripture we are exhorted to give thanks to the Lord. The Psalmist says, “O, give thanks unto the Lord for He is good.” The Apostle Paul exhorts, “In everything give thanks.” Give thanks regardless of how you feel or what may have happened to you . . . even in the bad times.

As I was thinking on the need to give thanks, my mind went to an incident in the life of the Lord Jesus as He walked the roads of Palestine when ten lepers approached Him.

Those who had developed leprosy became outcasts of society and were ostracized by their communities because of the contagion that resulted from their disease. Not only that but the person who, even accidentally, came in contact with them was classed as ceremonially unclean until evening, and had to undergo the special ritual of cleansing until they could once again be deemed clean.

Here we see Jesus with His disciples approached by these ten leprous men with the request that they be healed of their leprosy. Jesus did not ignore them nor did He shun them as so many would have done. Neither did He turn away from their request as they stood afar off from Him as they made known their need for healing and cleansing. Instead, with great compassion, He responded to their need saying, “Go show yourselves unto the priest.” Immediately they turned to do His bidding.

These lepers knew the law and that it required the priest to give them a clean bill of health and that they would be able to perform the ceremonial ritual that was required before they could be declared clean.

At that point there was nothing else on their minds other than that they see the priest that they may be cleansed and released from the curse of being an outcast and unclean. That was the case of nine of those men.

There was one among them -- a Samaritan -- who by his very nationality was despised and ostracized by the Jews. When he realized what Jesus had done for him, he came and knelt down at the feet of Jesus to give thanks and to worship. This one man recognized the full extent of what Jesus had done for him and with the realization came the need to thank the One who had done so much for him.

Other than knowing that this man was one of ten lepers and that he was also a Samaritan, we know nothing else about him except that Jesus healed him and that he responded to that healing with thanksgiving and worship. No further mention is made concerning him but what we do know is a reminder of the need to be thankful to the Lord.

As we think of what the Lord has done for us at Calvary, are we truly thankful? Do we daily give Him thanks for our salvation? Or do we think it is sufficient to just say thanks at the time when we first experienced His saving cleansing power in our lives . . . then go on day by day without giving it another thought?

To show our love to the Lord Jesus, we must continually come before Him with praise and thanksgiving. If you and I are truly honest, we must admit that at times we do forget to give thanks. Do we take it for granted that having done so once that that is all we need to do? Is that enough when we think of the price He paid for our salvation?

If someone has done something that has helped you get out of a difficult situation, do you just give a nod of thanks and leave it at that, or do you make an effort to go out of your way to show thanks? If we are truly thankful, we let them know the depth of our thanks and the reason for our appreciation.

Why is it so hard to let the Lord know how much we have to thank Him for? And why do we fail to let others know how thankful we are to the Lord for what He has done for us?

There are so many things in our lives for which we should be thankful. Yet many times we do not voice our thanks but take it for granted that the Lord knows and understands. God does know, He does understand, but He would love to hear us express that thanks to Him in love and praise.

Let us with a thankful heart give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, and His mercy endures forever.

Have you thanked Him today for His so great salvation? If not, thank Him now!

Devotional from October 2008

Snapshots of God

I Corinthians 13.12

”For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also am known"

Trips are a wonderful thing, and then you come back home with loads of memories, souvenirs and snapshots of all the places that you have gone to see and experience.

On the return, to home, you can’t wait to share your knowledge of your newfound treasures and adventure. You introduce your family and friends to all the places that you have been to, through the snapshots, which you have taken. The pictures are of every different place that you have gone and seen. Some of the snapshots are a little clearer, than others some are a little blurry. Not every thing in the snapshot is as you remember it. But they are there for all to see.

One of the things, however is that the snapshots do not show the entire reality of what has been attempted to be captured by the lens and burned onto the film, or captured on the digital plate, which makes up those treasured snapshots.

The snapshot only contains that which has caught your eye for the moment. You take your camera and you shot your picture, in that fleeting instance you have your snapshot, but there is more to the scene than has been captured and frozen in time. There is more that escapes both the eye and the lens which is outside the confines of the framing of the snapshot, so much more.

There is truly a very large difference between seeing what has been captured by the snapshot, as one who is just visiting the places where you take a snapshots and that of living in that place and having an intimate knowledge of the place where the snapshot was taken.

The same is true with a photo of a person. To see the photo or even to take a photo of a person does not mean that you truly know that person.

Many of us carry around with us snapshots or photo of our loved ones; we even bring them out and show to close friends and family. We also carry with us a snapshot of who we believe and think that God is like. That is to say what we think He is like. We take it out and say this is God. But, God is bigger than any one or even all the snapshots or photo can show of God. God is beyond the snapshot.

As a snapshot freezes time, so we must remember that God is both inside and outside time at the same time. We need to ask ourselves is the snapshot of God that we have real. What I mean, is the picture of God that we carry with ourselves a true likeness or is it something that we have made up. The Bible shows us many different pictures of whom He is. There is the God of Love; the provider for His people; the Father of Jesus; the I am, that I am; and the list goes on. But the way we see God, can be mis-shaped by the events that have happened in our lives. If you have only know the abuse of a earthy father, then it could be hard to see God as the Father. Any event can and does colour the way in which we see and perceive reality, IT can also do the same with the way we see and perceive God.

Just as it is not enough to understand the true nature of a place from a snapshot, neither is it the same to understand or to know who God truly is just from a still small snapshot, one has to live in the presence of the Holy. A snapshot is flat, two-dimensional. God, He is Holy! He is multy dimensional.

It is not enough to think that one can visit a place, take a few snapshot and think that they know the place. The same is true with your relationship with God a visit does not mean that we know him. The difference is between visiting and living with and in the presence of. Our picture of God has to be one that is not still but one which is ever growing and expanding.

by Major Grattan-Jon Savage BA , MA,

September Devotional

IS CONCERNING THE VINE

John 15

When my son was transferred across country, he was unable to take his roses with him due to some rigid horticultural regulations. He left them in my care and a few weeks ago while I was our pruning them, I could not help but think of what the Lord had to say about the pruning of the vine. As I continued to think about what the Bible had to say about the vine, I decided to go in and get out my concordance to look up all the verses concerning the vine and also the vinedresser and vineyards.

I found it very interesting to find how many times the Old Testament referred to Israel as the vine, particularly concerning their relationship with God and God’s dealing with them. Then as I looked at those references in the New Testament, I noticed how often the Lord used the vine to illustrate His relationship to His Father and of our relationship with Him and the care that must be taken if the vine was to remain faithful.

This morning when I went out to water those same roses, I could not help but marvel at the difference between the plants before they were pruned and those same plants now. There was abundant new growth that looked so fresh and healthy. They were beginning to show signs of abundant blossoms in the days ahead.

Again my mind went back to that passage of Scripture concerning the vine and the Lord’s teaching where He said, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the Husbandman, every branch in me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit” (John 15: 1,2).

When we accept Christ as our Savior, we become a part of Him.. In other words, we become a part of the vine and as such we are subject to the pruning process from time to time. Those branches which are unproductive must be done away with.

Have you ever been through a vineyard after the pruners have finished their work? I have and it always amazes me how severely the vines have been pruned. There is little more than the stem and a few knobbly pieces at the top looking more like some old dead wood. If you go back to that same vineyard a few weeks later you will find that those dead looking knobbly stubs have begun to bud forth. Before many days have passed, you find that the branches have begun to spring forth. If the vine had not been pruned, it would not have been able to be renewed and bring forth new growth, for it only on this new growth that the fruit will be produced.

Just as the vine needs to be pruned by the husbandman so we, who claim to be part of Christ the vine, need the hand of the Master Husbandman to prune from our lives that which will hinder new growth from bringing forth the desired fruit in our lives -- fruit that will not only bring forth fruit, but much fruit.

When the Lord begins the process of pruning away anything that is a hindrance to our spiritual growth and development, it can be a very painful experience, but we must allow ourselves to be submissive to that pruning process. We will find it was well worth the temporary pain of losing what we thought to be an essential part of our lives. We will cone to realize just how useless and insignificant it was for our spiritual well being in the light of the new growth and development that was now able to blossom forth.

Jesus in His teaching concerning the vine goes on to say, ”If any man abide not in Me, (remains a part of the vine) he is cast forth as a branch and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned… abide in Me… herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit” (Vv 6-8).

I don’t know about you but I want to be fruitful for the Lord and if it requires that He must prune things out of my life that will be a hindrance to my fruitfulness, then I must willingly submit to His pruning. The alternative is to be cast aside as useless and unfit for His service -- unable to bear fruit for His glory. I don’t know about you, but I want my life to be found fit for the Master’s use bringing forth fruit that will glorify Him.

Each one must decide whether we will be part of a fruitful vine bringing forth much fruit ... or branches that will be cast aside unfit for the Master’s use.

WHAT WILL YOU CHOOSE TO BE?

August Devotional

IS YOUR RESPONSE LIKE JONAH’S ?

Jonah

IS YOUR RESPONSE LIKE JONAH’S ? Just recently in my devotions I was re-reading the book of Jonah and as I read I could not help but think how like Jonah we are in so many ways. Jonah was a servant of the Lord and God had used him to bring His message to the people of Israel.

There came the day when God called Jonah for a special task -- one that would take him out of his comfort zone: “Go to Nineveh.” This was a task that would take him to a heathen people who spoke a strange language -- a people who did not know God and if they did know anything of Him, they certainly did not serve Him.

Jonah’s immediate response was, “Oh no! Not me!” Then the excuses began as to why he could not go in obedience to God’s command. God said, “Go”, and Jonah took to his heels and ran. He ran in the opposite direction taking a ship to Tarsus.

The ensuing events of what happened on and to that ship are well known as God interrupts the journey seeking to get the attention of His servant. When Jonah was thrown overboard, God provided a great fish to swallow Jonah. It was while in the belly of that fish that God was once more able to get the attention of His servant and bring him to repentance.

How like us that is. God calls us to leave our comfort zone and so often, when He does, we like Jonah say, “What me? Oh no. No way am I going to do that; no way am I going to go there.” Before we know it we have turned and run in the opposite direction. In reality we are running from God and there are always consequences. We are not likely to be swallowed by a big fish but figuratively, we may get swallowed up by other things around us that are outside the will of God -- things that may not appear at first to be dangerous to our spiritual relationship but eventually God will use them to bring us to our knees in repentance.

When God got Jonah’s attention and he had repented in humble submission, God caused the fish to cast him up on the beach. Once again God commissioned Jonah to the task of warning the Ninevites of God’s coming judgment unless they repented.

Although Jonah went as God had commanded, he went with a bad attitude. When the Ninevites responded to the message of God and repented, Jonah went aside and pouted, grumbling because God had turned aside His judgment from the people when they repented and turned to Him.

Although we respond to God and accept His commission, what might our attitude be like? Are we like Jonah -- doing it with a bad attitude because we feel resentful at the task God has called us to? Do we feel like we are being made responsible to reach out to those whom we do not wish to associate with or whom we feel are beyond the reach of the Gospel?

Jonah wanted to see God’s punishment and judgment on the people and resented it when God responded with mercy, love and grace. God had given Jonah a second chance to respond in obedience to His call upon his life. Even though God used His reluctant servant to bring His message of salvation to a pagan and idolatrous nation, all Jonah did was to pout and wish he could die because God had not acted as he thought He should. Jonah only thought about what he wanted -- not what God’s ultimate goal was of turning the people from their evil ways to repentance.

Has God been challenging you concerning a certain place of service -- perhaps to a people that you feel are outside your comfort zone? Are you like Jonah saying, ”Oh, no. Not me”? Have you begun to make excuses? Have you counted the cost? Have you considered what could result to you personally …. and ultimately to those around you if you turn aside and run from the will of God ?

God may not be asking great things of you, such as going to a foreign land to share the Gospel. It may only be that He wants you to take a stand and be a witness for Him among your associates at work or school. Whatever it is, honor God and be obedient to Him. You will be blessed and used for His glory. Others will be brought to repentance and salvation as a result of your obedience. Don’t run nor pout at what God has asked of you to do, but be willing and obedient to serve Him with a full and glad heart -- for His blessings are beyond measure.

July Devotional

RUN THE RACE

1 Corinthians 9: 24 and Hebrews 12: 1

At the present time there is a lot if talk about the Olympic games and all the preparations that have been made not only by those who will be competing but also by the country that is hosting these the events. There is also a lot of speculation as to who will get gold medals and who will miss out and what country will receive the greatest number of those medals.

A person who enters to run in the Olympics does not wake up one morning and decide that they are going to run in the competition today. No, there must be a period of training that allows them to qualify. As they train, they must patiently adhere to a rigid program and abide by the rules that governs the race. You may abide by the rules but that doesn’t mean that you will qualify for the race. It is only to the chosen few that get the opportunity to participate. To get to that point, there has to be patient persistence in training where nothing is permitted to hinder the preparation.

As we read and hear the various commentators discussing the various aspects of these sporting activities, I cannot help but think of the various passages of Scripture that speak of the race of life and the eternal dimensions of that race.

I don’t know whether the Apostle Paul was thinking of the Olympic games when he wrote to the Corinthian Church when he said, ”Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.” He may have had them in mind also when he reminded us to “run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.”

When we begin to run the race of life, we have to give serious attention to our priorities and to the demands that will be placed upon us. We cannot say that today we will take a day off and then get back into the race tomorrow. It doesn’t work that way – it is all or nothing.

Athletes do not train whenever they feel like it. No, they must make the effort to train regardless of what others are doing, regardless of the temptations to slack off. The reason being they have set their sights on the goal of winning the race at all cost.

When we accept Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we have begun in the race for eternal life. We are in a very real race. There will be many opponents who will seek to hinder us from reaching our goal and the eternal reward at the end of the race.

The devil and the world will use many hindrances to seek to turn us aside from our purpose, but we must keep our eyes on the goal that is set before us. Paul reminds us: ’Looking unto Jesus' or fixing our eyes, our hearts and our minds firmly on Him. It is only as we do so that we will we be kept from those things that hinder.

It is only as our faith is firmly grounded in Christ Jesus that we can find the strength to resist the temptations that come our way enabling us to reject what would appear to be an easier way to reach that goal.

Let me assure you that there is no easy way, there are no short cuts. There must be that patient endurance. Jesus Himself said, “he that putteth his hand to the plough and turneth back, is not fit for the Kingdom of Heaven”.

So it is with the person who has entered the eternal race of life, for if we keep looking back to what was, it will not only slow you down and before you know it those distraction will result in you being out of the race altogether and in so doing you fail to finish the race but you will also miss out on the crown that goes to the victor.

You will find that the race of life does not go to the swift but to those who faithfully and patiently endure, ever keeping the eternal goal before them and pressing on regardless.

The Apostle Paul, concerning his life says, ”I press towards the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus” Christ had called and regardless of the cost he was determined, come what may, to reach the goal of eternal life with Christ Jesus his Lord.

Can we who have accepted the Salvation that is our through Jesus Christ do anything less than to be faithful and run a straight race determine to receive the eternal crown that awaits for those who faithful and patiently run the race whose goal is eternal life with Christ Jesus

June Devotional

THE OLD WELLS

1 Genesis 26: 18, 25

“And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham”

As a child we loved to visit our uncle. While there, one thing in particular that we never tired of seeing was the well that he had in his backyard.

To us it was a very special well. It was so large that during the war it had been reinforced so that it was not only used as a well, but had been turned into an air raid shelter. It was able to shelter a number of people. It was also stocked with supplies in case an extended stay was necessary. In later years, because of safety concerns, it was filled in.

As I read these verses in Genesis concerning Isaac digging again the wells that his father had dug, I thought of that old well and the many things that can happen to a well that will prevent it from being fit for use. Unless continual care is given to keep it free from contaminates, bacteria will breed and it will gradually pollute the water. Those who use that water will not only be polluted but eventually it will poison and destroy their lives.

My mind turns to the many things that could effect the well-being of our spiritual well if we do not stand guard over the enemy of our soul. He ever seeks to pollute and poison, but we must guard against his tactics. God desires to fill our well so that it may remain fit for His service. Our task is to maintain and preserve that well of life, and ever continue to walk pure and sweet.

Besides pollution, many a well has been rendered useless by the accumulation of debris -- a little stick here, some old papers there -- rubbish of a varied nature will clog the well and stop the flow. Don't let the debris of the world filter in -- the debris of bitterness, if allowed to fester within the heart, will surely block the flow of the water of Life. The debris of discontent could easily become a part of your attitude.

When that happens, you will find that your well has deteriorated and with that deterioration will come drought -- a drought that will bring defeat because there is no longer any water flow. The spiritual relationship that we once enjoyed has ceased to exist because the life giving flow has ceased.

Often spiritual drought is brought on because of a loss of love. If we want to maintain the joy of a well flowing forth pure and free, we will want to do all those things that we once loved when we first came to Jesus. Whatever caused you to fall in love with Jesus in the first place must be strengthened and maintained.

To do this, there must be those times of refreshing when we come aside to commune with Jesus. It is in these precious times that we come to know Him better and become better equipped to maintain a clean and wholesome well of our soul. God wants us to maintain our wells so that the water of Life may always flow freely ... so that there be nothing to hinder that relationship that He so greatly desires to have with His children.

We must make sure that the poisons that contaminate and the debris that will clog and prevent the flow is removed and that which causes the drought is replaced by returning to our first love and commitment.

May we each one dig afresh and anew our spiritual well. Let us maintain it all cost. Never grow careless or forget the fact that the enemy of our soul is ever seeking to destroy whomsoever he will.

May Devotional

WHAT DOES THE LORD REQUIRE?

Deuteronomy 10: 12 – 13

We have many people that make demands upon us from time to time and those for the businessman are different from the demands that are made on the housewife and mother, The demands that come to the pastor differ from those in from other professions and callings. Regardless of what your position in life, there is always someone or something making demands upon you.

As I was read this verse from Deuteronomy during my daily devotions recently, I had to ask myself afresh, “What does the Lord require of me? Am I being obedient to what God requires of my life?” Reading the verse again I realized that what is required of the child of God is very simple and strait forward.

The first requirement is to fear the Lord. There are some people in the world today who follow the Lord out of fear for their lives – fear of the consequences if they fail the do's and don’ts that have been laid upon them. This fear that God requires is not a fear that causes us to be afraid that the wrath and judgment of God will descend on us if we so much as step out of line. No -- God wants us to have that respect for Him and to recognize that He is a Holy God. It is a holy fear – one that brings with it a desire not only to focus on Him but also a desire to live our lives to please Him at all times and in all that we do.

Next, God asks that we “walk in His ways and to love Him”. If we truly love God, we will want to walk in His ways -- ways that will honor and please Him. We will want to live a holy life -- a life fully yielded to Him as we follow His lead -- a life totally committed to doing the will of God. We can only do this if we truly love Him and allow the Holy Spirit to indwell our hearts and lives at all times.

The next thing the Lord requires is “to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul”.

The Children of Israel wanted to be known as the Children of God but unfortunately they were not giving their total allegiance to God but were half hearted in their service. They failed in serving the Lord with all their heart and soul.

Unfortunately, far too many people today want to be seen as serving the Lord. They become busy going hither and yon doing this and that – always doing – being seen as busy for the Lords, when in reality they are serving their own selfish ends – meeting their own agenda. This is not what God requires. What He does want of us is to serve Him in everything we do, whether others recognize it as service to the Lord or not. If we live our lives in submission to the will of God and yield our lives to Him in every area, then we are in reality serving the Lord with heart and soul. This is what God really requires -- not being so busy that we cannot spend time with Him in loving communion, in heart-to-heart fellowship and being open to His will.

God also requires that we “keep the commands of the Lord and His statutes”.

There are those who think that by going to church on Sunday, giving one hour of their week, keeping the commandments of the Lord, they are fulfilling their obligations to Him.

This is not what God requires – He requires that in everything we say and do -- 24/7 -- will be according to His commands and will for our lives. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14: 15). He did not say that we are to keep those that are convenient at the moment but that we must keep them all. They must be at the forefront of every moment of our lives, and by so doing we are showing our love and commitment to the Lord and His will for us.

God does not set these requirements to make our lives miserable, always looking over our shoulder to see if someone is watching to see that we are not falling out of step. No! God asks it of us because He loves us and wants the best for our lives.

When God first created man, He created him in His image and likeness to have fellowship with Him. Man broke that image and consequently fellowship with God when he disobeyed the commands of God, choosing rather to do his own will. Down through the centuries man has continued to want his own will with little thought to the will of God.

As the Children of Israel often needed to be challenged and reminded of what the Lord required of them, so we today still need to be reminded of what the Lord requires of each of us -- and those in particular those who claim to love and serve God.

He is still saying today as He said to the Children of Israel, This is what I require of my people, “To fear the Lord thy God, to walk in His ways, and to love Him, to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, to keep the commands of the Lord, and His statutes, which I have commanded you this day for your good”.

God always wants what is good for you and if you want to experience God’s best, then you must be obedient to His Word and to His will fulfilling that which He requires. Only then will you know the rich blessings that He is willing to bestow on those who truly love and obey Him.

May we each one ask ourselves, “What does the Lord require of me?” Let us be honest with ourselves as to whether or not our lives measure up to what God requires of us who claim to love and serve Him.

May this indeed be so!

April Devotional
ARE YOU FENCE SITTING?
1 Kings 18: 17 – 40

Have you ever found yourself sitting on a fence? If you have, you have found that it really is a very uncomfortable place to sit.

There were occasions as chilren we were told we had to stay in our own yard to play when we wanted to go next door and play. Often we would sit straddling the fence, neither in our own yard nor in the yard next door. In reality we were half and half -- half in and half out. By sitting on the fence we felt that we were being obedient when we were not.

There are many people who are just like we children were -- they want to be in two places at once. They desire to be with the in crowd yet want to be seen as fine upstanding conservative people. They want to be accepted by both groups but in reality they are neither one nor the other.

For many years, the children of Israel had been vacillating back and forth in their commitment to the Lord. All through those forty years of journeying in the wilderness, there were times of rebellion and of wanting to the old ways in Egypt. God had to keep bringing them back to the place where they were focused on Him and where He was leading them.

Joshua led them into the promise land. He divided the land between the tribes, and now at the end of his life, he challenged their commitment and loyalty when he said, "Choose ye this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served… or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24: 15).

They could no longer vacillate -- the decision had to be made. Were they going to sit on the fence being neither one thing nor the other? Was the Lord God going to be their God or would they continue to pine for the gods they had left behind in Egypt and of the people among whom they now dwelt? At this point we find them accepting the challenge to go with God and serve Him, for they responded, “Therefore will we also serve the Lord: for He is our God” (verse 18).

How committed to God was the nation really?

As we continue to read the history of the nation, we find that over the years their loyalty swayed back and forth. When things were settled and they were prosperous and comfortable, they soon forgot God and began to drift away, embracing the religions of their pagan neighbors. The drift was so great they appeared to forget God entirely. It wasn’t until they were in dire straits that they turned to God interceding for Him to help in their distress and admitting their sin of turning from Him.

This pattern continued for hundreds of years. Things had become so bad that Israel not only turned away from serving the Lord God, but had sold themselves out to the worship of Baal and all its vile practices.

Elijah, God’s servant, was sent to warn Israel of God’s judgment on them; that judgment being in the form of no rain on the land. For over three years the drought continued with devastating effects.

At God’s command, Elijah called King Ahab, the priests of Baal, and all Israel to Mount Carmel where they were to prove who was truly God – Baal or the Lord God. Elijah challenged the people there saying, “How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him: but if Baal, follow him. And the people answered him not a word” ( 1 Kings 18:21).

The priests of Baal were to offer sacrifices and call upon their god to bring fire down that the sacrifice be consumed. Naturally, all their efforts were to no avail for the priests of Baal were as false as their god.

Elijah was to call upon the Lord God to bring fire to consume the sacrifice that he had prepared. God answered his prayer and not only consumed the sacrifice but the stones of the altar and the water that surrounded it.

We are not challenged today in such a dramatic way as to whom we will serve, but the challenge is there just the same

In Matthew we read, “No man can serve two masters… Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (6: 24). How true this is. We will either serve God and live for Him, or else we will serve the world and the devil. It is one or the other. We cannot sit on the fence with a leg in each camp.

Unfortunately there are many today who are fooling themselves into thinking it can be done. On Sundays they are so different. They present themselves as serving God but the other six days of the week it is a very different story. In reality they are fence-straddlers. Who are they really fooling by such actions? Certainly not God.

The time will come when every one must choose whom they will serve. It is my prayer that you will stop and consider: am I fence sitting or am I truly serving the Lord? Neutral you cannot be!

The March Devotion for 2008 is currently MIA. I know I have seen it but where it is right now I am unsure

February Devotional
LITTLE THINGS
James 3

In last month's devotion we looked at the fact that “Little is much when God is in it”. As I meditated today, my mind still turned to “little things” and how they can affect so many areas of what we do.

The affects of little things can have a very positive outcome but there are times when the results can also be the opposite, creating negative results.

The story is told of a congregation in a village church who decided they wanted to build a steeple and place in it a bell. They made donations towards that bell. The money collected would be sent to a nearby foundry, melted down and the bell poured. When the church leaders weighed all the coins, they found that they had the right amount needed. After the money had been delivered to the foundry, it was found that a small coin of insignificant value had been over looked. The pastor decided that it wouldn’t make any difference because it was such a little amount. The foundry cast the bell, but when they tested it for sound, it did not ring true. There was something missing in the tone. When the congregation heard the news, they remembered the coin that had been missed. This coin was sent to the foundry – the bell was melted down and the small coin was added and then re-cast. This time when the bell was tested, the tone rang true. This little seemingly insignificant coin made all the difference when melted down with the rest.

We, like those who overlooked that coin, might overlook something that to us may appear to be just a little thing, but in the overall picture may have a tremendous effect on the final outcome.

In His teachings, Jesus referred to something little that made a difference. He spoke on one occasion of the leaven or yeast that when added to a dough mixture resulted in the dough rising and expanding. Just a little additive but what a difference it made.

Consider the little seed of corn. When planted, it comes up and flourishes. When harvest time comes, it produces up to one hundred fold. Again we see just a little thing but with great potential.

Turn to James 3: 3 – 6 where he speaks of things that can be effected by little things. Two of those mentioned give a positive effect when used correctly. First is the bit that is placed in the horse’s mouth. With it the horse quickly learns to go in the direction its rider wants it to go. Such a little piece of metal, yet it can control a large and powerful animal.

James also speaks of the great ships whose direction is controlled by just a little rudder in the hands of the master enabling the ship to stay on course even in the fiercest of storms. Just a little thing but when used wisely it can allow the ship to sail the mighty oceans.

What of the tongue? James speaks of that little member of the body that can have both a negative or positive effect depending on the way we allow it to be used. If it is allowed to get out of control, it can do great damage, just like a little spark of fire. We all know how much damage a little spark can make when carelessly lit and left unchecked. It will take over and burn everything before resulting in great damage. So too, that little part of the body - the tongue - can do untold damage if allowed to have its own way. It all depends on how we use it -- whether for good or evil – for blessing or cursing.

In our own strength we cannot completely control it. As James says, it is full of unruly evil, full of deadly poison. It is only as we allow the Holy Spirit to indwell our hearts and take control can the tongue be tamed. There must be that constant awareness that if we let our guard down and seek to take back the control into our own hands, then we will find ourselves rudderless, uncontrollable and poised for destruction. Yes, there is potential for much evil, but also much potential for good when surrendered to the Master.

Those little things, those little hindrances, those unforeseen circumstances that come our way -- do we see them as something we can use for God's glory, or do we resent them and look on the negative side of the situation?

Little things can make or break our relationship with those around us. If we allow them to take control, they can break our relationship with the Lord. But if rightly surrendered to Him, they can draw us closer to Him.

Do we allow little things – those situations - that arise to take control of us or with the help of the Lord, do we take control with a positive attitude so that our lives at all times bring honor and glory to Him?

You alone can make that choice. What will your answer be?

January Devotional
LITTLE IS MUCH WHEN GOD IS IN IT

As I pondered and prayed over what to write for this month's devotion, many things came to mind but when it came time to write them down, they just seemed to vanish from my mind and the only thing that I could remember was the phrase, “Little is much when God is in it”.

Unfortunately, the attitude of the world today says, “Bigger is better”. Is it any wonder that there is so much discontent with people striving to live by the world’s standards?

As I continued to think on these words, I couldn’t help but recall the various incidents in Scripture where 'little is much' was so true. Jesus Himself reminds us that “a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump". However, it is not this emphasis that I would like to give, but rather at what God enabled with the little that was available .... and the miracles that were the result of that little.

In 1 Kings 17: 8 – 14 we have the record of God’s provision for His servant Elijah. Elijah, during the famine that God had brought on Israel in His attempt to bring the people back to Himself, sent Elijah to Zarephath to a certain widow woman so that their physical sustenance would be provided and his needs met. When he arrived he found that the widow was about to prepare a meal for herself and her son with the last of her supplies. God had sent Elijah to this place knowing the woman’s situation. He also knew what He was going to do with the little she had.

Before God could act to supply the needs of His servant and the little family, there had to be an obedient and willing heart to do things God’s way. Elijah, being appraised of the situation, said to the woman, “Go…but bake me a little cake first.” Because of her obedience, not only was there enough for the little cake for Elijah but there remained enough for herself and her son ... and not only for that day but for all the days there was need. Indeed, little was much for God was in it.

Another instance of this truth is found in 2 Kings 4: 1 – 7 concerning God’s provision when the need was so great, yet there was so little to meet the need. It concerned a certain widow of one of the prophets who came to Elisha in her need to plead for her two sons who were about to be taken away by creditors in payment for a debt that they could not meet. Enquiring if there was anything that could be used to pay her debt she replied, “Thine handmaid has not anything…save a pot of oil.”

A pot of oil – an unlikely thing to pay such a debt, yet God used this most unexpected item to meet her need. Elisha commanded the woman and her sons to gather together all the empty pots and jars that they could find or borrow. Then go into the house, shut the door and begin to pour the oil from her little pot and fill all those pots that she had gathered. When she had filled them all, the oil ceased. Elisha then commanded her to sell what she had and pay off her debt. There was enough not only to pay the debt but also to continue to meet her needs. With this little we see God again performing a miracle.

God is able to meet the need of His people in the most unexpected ways. We read also in 2 Kings 4: 42 - 44 how God, through Baal-shalisbah, met the need of Elisha and one hundred men with twenty barley loaves and a few ears of corn with plenty for all and some left over. We would say 20 barley loaves would never be enough to feed one hundred men, but with God all things are possible. So again we see that little is much when God is involved. These are but a few incidents of God’s provision in the Old Testament. But what of the New Testament? There are two very well known incidents where the Lord Jesus was able to meet the needs of the multitude with so little.

I am certain that we are all familiar with the story recorded by all four Gospel writers of how Jesus fed the five thousand with a little boy's lunch of five barley loaves and three fish with twelve baskets of left overs. In the Master's hands so many were fed with so little. God used the willingness of a small boy to surrender his small meal to Jesus who in turn blessed and used it for the greater good of meeting the needs of all those who had gathered to hear His teaching. (Matthew 14: 14 – 21)

What of the feeding of the four thousand whom the Lord fed with the seven loaves and a few fish; then having blessed them, gave them to His disciples who gave to the multitude. When all had eaten, there remained seven baskets of the broken pieces. (Matthew 15: 32 – 39). Once again we see how God multiplied the little that was willingly given into the hands of the Lord who blessed and used it to meet the physical needs of those to whom He ministered.

There is one other incident that Mark 12: 41 – 44 records for us that earned the commendation of the Lord. This concerned the poor widow who came into the temple and as she did so, cast into the treasury two mites. Two mites – less than a farthing but she gave willingly unto the Lord all that she had. Such was this loving and willing sacrifice that Jesus, who knew the heart and the circumstance of the giver, commended her to the disciples. Out of her poverty she gave more than those who were rich in this world’s goods.

We see the little but God sees beyond the gift to the heart of the giver. What we see as little is much in the eyes of the Lord.

We might not have much to give the Lord financially but what do we have to give? We can give a willing heart and mind that the Lord can use and multiply it for good and for the extension of His kingdom. Maybe He is calling you to give financially to His work. Maybe He requires your time and talents. Once we place them in His hands, He can use them as He chooses in ways that will bring honor and glory to His name.

Richard Slater penned the hymn which brings this thought of God using what we bring to Him with a willing heart .... no matter how small we may feel it to be.

1.
And is it so? A gift from me
Dost thou, dear Lord, request?
Then speak thy will, whate'er it be:
Obeying, I am blest.

Chorus
I have not much to give thee, Lord,
For that great love which made thee mine:
I have not much to give thee, Lord,
But all I have is thine.

2
And dost thou ask a gift from me:
The talents I possess?
Such as I have I give to thee
That others I may bless.

3
And dost thou ask a gift from me:
The gift of passing time?
My hours I'll give, not grudgingly,
I feel by right they're thine.

4
And dost thou ask a gift from me:
A loving, faithful heart?
'Tis thine, for thou on Calvary
For me with all didst part.

Richard Slater (1854-1939)

Let us never forget that "little is much when God is in it."

2007

December Devotional
THIS UNSPEAKABLE GIFT
2 Corinthians 9: 15

I do not know of anyone who does not like to receive a gift, whether it is for birthday, Christmas or for any other special occasion. I know that I love to receive them. I find joy and excitement in the sense of wonder as to what is contained in that gift regardless of its size.

Christmas is the time when most people are thinking about the giving and receiving of gifts. One verse has kept coming to my mind these last few days, which says. "Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift" (2 Corinthians 9: 15). In Chapters 8 and 9, Paul has been speaking to the Corinthian Christians concerning giving, not just the giving of money but the giving of themselves to the Lord. He also reminds them (and us) of the wonderful gift that God has given -- His marvelous grace.

As I think of this verse, I cannot help but think of God's wonderful, unspeakable gift of love so freely given to all mankind -- the gift of the Christ Child born in a lowly stable in Bethlehem so many years ago.

What amazing love that God should give the gift of His only Son wrapped in the human form of a baby. This One who had known, and could by rights claim, all the glory and majesty that heaven had to offer was willing to yield to His Father's will and come to earth, be born as a babe in a stable in a manger -- an animal feed trough as His bed. This is amazing love -- a gift unspeakable to man.

John 3: 16 reminds us, "For God so loved the world that He gave -- He gave the gift of His beloved Son. What gift are we willing to bring to the One who was born -- born to be King?

The wise men journeyed from afar to offer Him their worship and their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. They did not just happen to be near by and decide to just drop in and give their gifts. To them there was much more involved. They had to journey from a far country that they might worship and give their gifts. Thus they came seeking to find the One they knew in their hearts was to be the King of the Jews. When they found Him, they worshipped and laid their gifts before Him.

How do we respond to this wonderful gift that God has so freely given to us? Has Christmas time become so common place that we only think of celebrating with friends and families, wondering what we will be given with little or no thought as to what God has provided in the giving of His Son for our salvation?

God has given us so much. All that He desires in return is that we love Him and accept the salvation that He offers to all who believe and allow Him to indwell their hearts and lives. We, like the wise men, need to come seeking the One who was born to be King, humbly bow before Him and give Him everything we possess. This is the greatest gift that we can offer to Him.

When wise men come seeking for Jesus from far,
With rich gifts to greet Him and led by a star,
They found in a stable the Savior of men,
A manger His cradle, so poor was He then.

Though laid in a manger, He came from a throne,
On earth though a stranger, in Heaven He was known.
How lowly, how gracious His coming to earth!
His love my love kindles to joy in His birth.

(Richard Slater)

What gift do you bring this Christmas season? Can you say, "I bring Him my heart? That is the most wonderful gift that we can give for His unspeakable gift of love given on that first Christmas day in Bethlehem

November Devotional
THE DANGERS OF LOOKING BACK
Genesis 19: 26 and Luke 9: 62

When we speak of looking back, there are two ways in which we can do so. We can look back to see where we have made mistakes or we can look back with regret to those things that have been left behind. It is this latter emphasis that we wish to focus our attention on, although it is important to learn from our mistakes.

In my late teens our family was living in the wheat-growing area of Western Australia where my father pastored. It was always a fascination to me to see the paddocks (fields) ploughed, ready for the sowing of the seed. The lines of the furrows were perfectly straight. It was rare to see any deviation in those furrows. It was almost certain that if it did happen, something had interrupted the progress of the man behind the plough resulting in him deviating from his course

In Genesis we read, “But his (Lot’s) wife looked back”

Each one of us at some time have heard how God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by hurling down from heaven fire and brimstone. Yet have you given much thought to the events prior to its destruction?

The first time that the coming destruction of the city is mentioned is when the servants of the Lord come to Abraham to discuss other matters. It is only as they are about to leave that they mention the coming judgment that God is about to bring upon the cities. Abram's thoughts immediately turn to his nephew who would be destroyed and plead for the righteous that may be living there. Although he continued to intercede, he came to the place where he realized that he could intercede no longer

God’s messengers went on their way, coming to the city where they were met by Lot who offered them the hospitality of his home for the night. It was there that he warned Lot that because of the sinfulness and wickedness of the city, it was God’s intention to destroy it and all those living there..

Many people are too hasty to judge Lot, declaring that he was no better than the people of the city and that God should have left him to perish with the rest.

If you are one of those that think that way, then you are so very, very wrong. When Peter was speaking about Sodom and Gomorrah, he also reminds us that Lot was a just and righteous man. He says, “And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man living among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds)”. 2 Peter 2: 7; 8. It is so easy to have preconceived ideas and be judgmental and be so very far off the mark concerning people ... as many people are with regards to Lot.

The messengers of God went to warn Lot and his family of the coming judgment and destruction. They even went so far as to lead them out of the city with the warning to flee to the hills and on no account were they to look back. Although this warning was stressed, Lot’s wife did not heed it for she did look back, disobeying the command, with the result that immediately she was turned into a pillar of salt.

We are not told why she looked back – there could have been a variety of reasons. She may not have wanted to leave the city in the first place because of disbelief. It could have been idle curiosity. We just do not know why. We are only told that she did so and the terrible consequences of disobedience resulting in immediate judgment.

Do we look back with longing to what we left behind when we accepted Christ? Are there times when we think of what might have been?

This is very dangerous for our spiritual walk, for the moment we look back we open the door to get a wedge into our hearts and minds, and instead of keeping our eyes on the Lord Jesus, we become distracted by that which is around us.

Is it any wonder that Jesus Himself said, “If any man putteth his hand to the plough and looketh back, is not fit for the kingdom of heaven.”

The ploughman who is forever looking back cannot plough a straight furrow. The only way to be assured that does not happen is for him to remember he must always keep his eyes fixed on a certain point ahead that will enable him to maintain that straight course.

This is true for the person who has chosen to be a follower of Jesus. There is no turning back. Our eyes must ever be fixed on Him. The moment that we take our eyes away, we will fail to keep that straight course that Jesus has set before us.

The writer to the Hebrews reminds us to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12: 1; 2).

When you have watched long distance runners, have you noticed that there are those who keep looking back over their shoulders to see who is close behind them. They forget that in doing so they are slowing themselves down. This is an unnecessary weight that they are carrying which they must cast aside. If they don’t, they are in danger of losing the race. Looking back at what is behind in our Christian walk of faith means we could be in danger of losing a well-fought race. Therefore, get rid of all the baggage from the past – the sin and the guilt – that you carry. It will hinder you in the running of the straight course that God has set before us.

Paul reminded the people of Philippi that he was determined to “ press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3: 14). For Paul there was no looking back – God had called – the past had been left behind. The present and the future was all that mattered.

This does not mean that we cannot learn from our past mistakes but those mistakes must be left behind and we must keep going onward in our walk with the Lord.

Unfortunately there are those like Lot’s wife who, for whatever reason, feel compelled to look back not realizing the danger they put themselves in -- dangers that will completely destroy them.

For the Christian who truly desires to follow the Lord Jesus there can be no turning back. When once we have put our hand to the plough and we earnestly desire to follow Him, our eyes will be firmly fixed on Him. We will allow nothing to distract our striving for that mark of the high calling which is in Christ Jesus.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace

“No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of heaven” Remember Lot’s wife!

October Devotional
THE ROCK THAT IS HIGHER THAN I
Psalm 61: 2

“When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.”

A number of years ago we were living and pastoring on the small Island of Cayman Brac in the Caribbean. The island was just twelve miles long and one and one half miles wide. The west end of the island was just a few feet above sea level with a gradual incline so that on the east end of the island there was a bluff that stood one hundred and forty feet high. This bluff had a number of large caves on its north side. There was particularly large cave almost to the top of the bluff known to the locals as Peter’s Cave.

As I read this verse from Psalm 61, my mind went to this rocky bluff for during a hurricane it is to this cave that the people of the island retreated for safety.

Back in the early 1930’s, this Island was in the direct path of the center of a severe hurricane. They had no advance hurricane communication warning system but those who were knowledgeable of the sea and the weather warned the people of the advancing storm and the need to seek refuge in the caves. This the people did. Unfortunately, never having been in the direct path of the center of the storm when the eye of the hurricane passed over, many thought it was safe to return to their homes. This was a fatal mistake as the backside of the hurricane struck and many were washed out to sea. Others were killed by flying debris.

Thinking about those who lost their lives that day and of the conversations with those who survived, I recall many of them saying, ‘If only they had remained in the safety of the cave a little longer, their lives would have been spared.”

Looking back on these events, I cannot help making a spiritual comparison. Sadly, in the time of crises, there are many people who seek strength and comfort in the Church. There are some who make promises to the Lord that they would now serve the Lord. Many may be sincere and earnestly follow through with their promises. But for some, their claims are nothing more than a superstitious crutch to help them in their time of need. As soon as the crisis is over, they leave the fellowship of the Church and turn back to their old ways. Instead of standing firm to the committment they made out of fear, they may become lost spiritually.

There is a Rock to which all who will can cling to and be assured of eternal safety – that Rock is Jesus. Those who come to Him sincerely seeking forgiveness and cleansing from sin, can know and experience His love and grace. They can be assured that no matter what storms may threaten, they can cling to the Rock of Ages.

There are many storms you will have to face in life – some more fierce thatn others – but whatever it may be, there is one sure Refuge – that is in the center of the will of God. It is there we experience His loving peace and calm protection. Praise God -- He never fails

Maybe you are being faced by a storm right now that seems to be threatening you everywhere you turn. Just remember: in Jesus there is a calm and sure retreat. Stay close to Him. Don't despair. He will give you the strength to weather the fiercest of storms and be victorious.

How better can it be said than with the words of Vernon J. Charlesworth,

A SHELTER IN THE TIME OF STORM The Lord's our Rock, in Him we hide,
A shelter in the time of storm;
Secure whatever may betide,
A shelter in the time of storm.
A shade by day, defense by night,
A shelter in the time of storm;
No fears alarm, no foes affright,
A shelter in the time of storm.

The raging floods may round us beat,
A shelter in the time of storm;
We find in God a safe retreat,
A shelter in the time of storm.

O Rock divine, O Refuge dear,
A shelter in the time of storm;
Be thou our helper, ever near,
A shelter in the time of storm.

Refrain:
Mighty Rock in a weary land,
Cooling shade on the burning sand,
Faithful Guide for the pilgrim band
A shelter in the time of storm.

September Devotional
DARE TO BE DIFFERENT

Over the last couple of weeks the phrase “Dare to be Different” has been going over and over in my mind.

Each one of us in our own way are different; some tall, some small, each with different coloring and different personalities. It is not these types of differences that come to my mind but different for Christ’s sake and the Gospel.

Each time this phrase has intruded into my mind, my thoughts immediately turn to Daniel – Daniel who dared to be different.

When taken captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezer’s army, Daniel and others of royal blood, were chosen to be specially trained in the Chaldean language as well as in the arts of the magicians and soothsayers.

Those chosen for this special training were told that they were to be provided with the same foods and wines that were prepared for the king. Because of their commitment to their Jewish faith and traditions, Daniel and his three friends refused the foods of the king’s table with the request that they eat only vegetables and drink only water, Because of their faithful commitment to God and His covenant laws, they dared to be different and God honored their faithh by granting them favor with not only the officials that they were placed under, but eventually with the king himself.

In later years, because of jealousy of the position he held and also of his faith and commitment to God, plans were laid to destroy him. Knowing the consequences of being faithful to his commitment to serve God, Daniel dared to lay his life on the line for the sake of his faith. In disobeying the king’s decree, he knew that it would mean death in the lion’s den, yet he dared to honor God. As we know, God honored the faithful commitment of His servant.

Under Daniel's circumstances, would we be like him and dare to be different and obey God rather than man?

My mind then went to Elijah, the prophet of God – God’s messenger to King Ahab of Israel.

As God’s servant to this very pagan king, Elijah dared, in the power of God, to denounce and challenge the pagan practices of not only the king but his evil wife Jezebel and her priests of Baal..

In God’s strength, on Mount Carmel, before the whole nation and with the priests of Baal and the king assembled, the challenge was made with regards to their loyalty – God or Baal.

Elijah stood alone. Yet he was not alone, for God stood by His servant in his commitment to worship the one true God against the idolatrous worshipers of Baal and the Asherah.

God honored His faithful servant by sending fire from heaven to consume the sacrificial offering that was to reveal to the people of Israel that God was the one and only true and living God. Elijah dared to believe and prove the difference.

Jeremiah, as God’s servant to the people of Judah, willingly obeyed the voice of the Lord when he dared to stand and bring God’s message to the king who had turned away from God to idolatry. God’s message for the king was the coming judgment on the nation and the warning of captivity by the Chaldeans unless they returned to the Lord. This obedience to proclaim the Word of the Lord resulted in his being cast into a dungeon.. On being released from the dungeon, he was placed under house arrest. Even in these circumstances he dared to be God’s mouth piece to the nation.

With regard to the attitudes of the religious leaders of their day, the disciples of Jesus also dared to be different. They faithfully served the Lord and dared to proclaim the Gospel of the cross and of a risen Savior who died and rose again for man’s salvation.

Because of their wiling commitment to be different and to obey their Lord, the message of the Gospel was proclaimed in power and the Lord honored their faithfulness by multiplying the number of those who committed their lives to the saving power of the Savior.

Down through the years God has had men who have dared to be different for the sake of the Gospel.

Martin Luther dared to stand against the teaching of the Church of Rome when God, through the Scriptures, revealed to him that ”the just shall live by faith”. This stand was in complete opposition to the teaching of the Roman Church. He also denounced the practice of the selling and buying of indulgences, stating that it was not a means whereby the people could buy assurance of heaven.

Wesley dared to be different from the norm of the Church of England when he took the message of the Gospel to the masses in the country- side. He preached in the fields or wherever the people were.

William Booth, by taking the Gospel into the streets of the slums in the East End of London, dared to be different. The Gospel was preached to those who desperately needed to hear of the saving grace of God.

What of today? Do we dare to be different for the sake of the Gospel, or are we afraid to rock the boat? Do we try to blend in with those around us to such an extent that the world sees us as no different than they are?

If those whom we come in contact with cannot see any difference because of what we say and do, where is our witness for the Lord whom we claim to serve?

God's Word tells us to be in the world but not of it. We are a part of our community. We cannot cut ourselves off from others entirely but we can live our lives so that there will be that noticeable perception by others that we are different – that our lives are not conforming to the ways of the world.

Paul reminds us, “Be not conformed to this world." By the very act of not conforming to the world we are daring to be different.

God’s Word also tells us that as His servants we are a peculiar people. In other words, our lives show a marked difference to those around us as we live to show forth the glory of the Lord Jesus whom we serve.

Are we daring to be different for Christ and the Gospel?

It was in Antioch that the believers were first called Christians because they dared to be different from those among whom they lived. The pagan people saw the difference in their lives. They saw that they were like the Christ whom they served.

The challenge today is to ask ourselves if we are willing to be different for Christ, regardless of the cost, so that others looking on will want to know and experience Him who makes that difference in our lives.

August Devotional
HANDS THAT HELP AND HEAL
Luke 7: 11 – 15

Many years ago after an accident I had to have a finger amputated. During the weeks that followed, there were many things that I was unable to do until the healing process was complete. Up until that time, I had not given very much thought to how much I used that hand, nor had I realized how frustrated one could become at not being able to do even the very simplest of tasks such as dealing with my own hair.

As I think back to that time and how often there were times when other hands reached out to me in my need, my thoughts went to the hands of Jesus and the many times His hands reached out to those in need during His earthly ministry,

The Gospels are full of instances of Jesus reaching out to those who came to Him in their need, and of those who met Him by the wayside as He traveled the roads of Palestine.

I am reminded of the incident when Jesus and his disciples were approaching the city of Nain. A funeral procession was leaving the city. Jesus in His love and compassion approached the group and spoke to the widowed mother whose only son was the one who had died, Turning to those who carried the funeral bier, He stretched out His hand and touched it saying, “Young man, I say unto you arise.” At the touch and command of Jesus, the young man sat up and spoke. Immediately Jesus restored the young man to His mother

There was also the occasion while on His way to a certain city that a man full of leprosy came and humbly knelt before Jesus saying, “Lord, if thou wilt , thou canst make me clean." Jesus, full of compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him saying, “ I will, be thou clean.”

It did not matter to Jesus that these whom He had touched were declared unclean, or that those around would have been horrified that He was doing the unthinkable by touching the untouchables.

He did not see just a funeral procession with a dead body that (to the Jew) was unclean. He saw a grieving widowed mother bereft of her only son and was moved with compassion to reach out and meet her need.

His compassion reached out to the leper who, by his very disease, was condemned to be ostracized by all whom he had known -- even his immediate family. Yet Jesus, in His love and compassion, saw this man's need and by reaching out and touching him, met His need.

What of the blind beggars who, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, called out saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord.”.Although the crowd demanded that they be silent, they continued to cry to the Lord. Jesus heard their cry and responded with compassion to their need. He reached out and touched their eyes and immediately their sight was restored.

There was the woman who had been bowed down with an affliction for eighteen years, but at the touch of Jesus was straightened up to walk freely.

There was also the man who was deaf and dumb. When Jesus put His fingers in his ears and touched his tongue, he was immediately made whole.

These are but a few, but there were many others that felt the touch of Jesus and were restored and made whole.

But what of today? There are people all around us who are in need of someone to reach out to them in love and compassion. If only we had eyes and heart to see and feel the need.

There is a line of a poem which says, “He has no hands but our hands to do His work today.” This is so true – are our hands available to reach out to those who are both spiritually and physically in need today?

Everyone who claims the name of Christ has a responsibility to be His hands in a world that is suffering. It may be just the hand of friendship offered in Christian love and compassion to the one who is lonely .......... or a helping hand to the one who has suffered the loss of a loved one. So many need encouragement to pick up the pieces that will enable them to go on.

There are so many areas where we can be the hand of Christ reaching out to the unlovely, the sad, the lonely, the down and outer, and to the unsaved in need of the Savior.

We must remember that God is no respecter of persons. Therefore we as His ambassadors must not take the attitude that we are above those in need. There is a saying we would do well to remember when considering those in need of a helping hand: “There but for the grace of God go I."

If it wasn’t for His love and grace and rich blessings, we too could be in need of that helping hand from others.

We must ever remember Christ died for them just as surely as He died for us and He is no less concerned for them and their salvation than He is for you and me.

I think the words of the song written by General Albert Orsborn of the Salvation Army says it better than I ever can when he penned these words:

The Savior of men came to seek and to save
The souls who were lost to the good:
His Spirit was moved for the world which He loved
With a boundless compassion of God.
And still there are fields where the laborers are few,
And still there are souls without bread,
And still eyes that weep where the darkness is deep,
And still straying sheep to be led.

Chorus.
Except I am moved with compassion,
How dwelleth Thy Spirit in me?
In word and in deed
Burning love is my need;
I know I can find this in thee.

O is not the Christ ‘midst the crowd of today
Whose questioning cries do not cease?
And will He not show to the heart s that would know
The things that belong to their peace?
But how shall they hear if the preacher forbear
Or lack in compassionate zeal?
Or how shall hearts move with the Masters own love,
Without His anointing and seal?

It is not with might to establish the right,
Nor yet to the wise to give rest;
The mind cannot know what the heart longs to know
Nor comfort a people distressed,
O Savior of men touch my spirit again,
And grant that Thy servant may be
Intense every day, as I labor and pray
Both instant and constant for Thee.

Perhaps God is calling you to reach out and touch someone .... to be that hand of love and compassion that can not only meet the physical need, but greater still be the hand used by God to meet the spiritual needs in their lives.

Be open to God’s leading and allow Him to use you whenever and however He will to reach out in love and compassion for Christ’s sake for those who need His salvation.

July Devotional
THE POWER OF THE CROSS
1 Corinthians 1: 18- 23

The cross. What does it really mean to you?

Unfortunately, the majority of the people in our world give very little thought to the significance of the cross -- what it truly represents to the hearts and lives of those who trust in Jesus.

If you were to ask your neighbors, you would get a variety of answers. The cross adorns church buildings, decorating both inside and out. It may be a plain wooden cross or ornately carved, but the masses who pass by, probably give little or no thought to their significance.

We often see a cross on the side of the road where family and friends have placed it to signify the place where a loved one has tragically died. Crosses are also found on graves in cemeteries.

Some people wear a cross as a necklace or as earrings. To them it is nothing more than a piece of decorative jewelry.

During to Roman era, the cross was a means of punishment and execution, of cruelty and humiliation. It was something that brought horror and fear to those who were condemned to die in such a cruel way.

But what think ye of the cross, my friend? Do you really stop and see it in all its significant glory or is it just a symbol that the Church has adopted through the years?

As I think about this religious symbol, I am reminded about the words of the Apostle Paul written to the Corinthian Church and I realize that people today are no different in their thinking than they were when Paul first wrote to them saying,” We preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness”. Just prior to this, he clearly and very emphatically stated, ”but unto us which are saved it is the power of God”.

The cross was a stumbling block to the Jews, and foolishness to the Greeks. Why?

To the Jews because they could not see past the Levitical law which stated that ‘cursed is he that is hanged on a tree’. To them the cross could never be a blessing for the salvation of mankind. How could one who was condemned to die on a cross be anything other than a curse?

Even when Jesus Himself said, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up”, they were blinded to the truth because the light of the glorious Gospel was hidden from their eyes. In the darkness they stumbled and fell weighted down by their unwillingness to recognize that Jesus was truly the Son of God – the Messiah – the light of the world -- and that by His death on the cross He was their only hope of salvation.

The cross is indeed a stumbling block not only to the Jews but for millions in the world today who see nothing more than a man who at one time in history was condemned to die. To them it is no more and no less than that – a stumbling block to belief.

But what of the Greeks? To them the cross was foolishness. When we think of the pursuits of the Greeks of Paul’s day, we find that they were taken up with the continual search for knowledge. This was so important to them that they could not think beyond the latest discovery.

Paul had personally witnessed their search for something new when on his journey he came to Athens. There on Mars Hill the epicureans and other philosophers wanted to know what new thing he had to say. Paul took this opportunity and preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection.

To these so-called learned Greeks, the message of the cross was nothing more than nonsense. How could a man who had been crucified bring salvation? Once a man is dead he is dead. To say Christ died and was then resurrected was to describe an impossible act. They could not give a rational explanation of how this could happen so they could not accept it. To say that Christ died at Calvary and to claim that He rose again and that by His death and resurrection those who believed could know salvation from sin was beyond comprehension. To believe in the power of the cross was for the Greek philosophers unthinkable, irrational.

In their constant search for knowledge, they too were blind to the truth for “God made foolish the wisdom of the world”. Many today take the same attitude that the Gospel of the cross is just the foolish talk of weak misguided people. However, we know that it is the person who refuses to believe, who is the misguided soul searching in vain. Until they recognize the truth of the message of the cross, they will never find what they are searching for.

I am so glad that Paul reminds us also that the message of the cross, although foolishness to those who are perishing “but unto us who are saved it is the power of God”.

Today, more than ever, there is the great need that the message of the cross be proclaimed. The world is searching for something that will fill that restless place in their hearts. Many false religions are reaching out to them. Unless we are willing to be God’s messengers of the cross and show them the way of salvation, they will be lost eternally for the Word of God tells us plainly that there is no other way that we can be saved but through the blood of the Christ .

Yes, it may be a stumbling block to some. It may sound foolish to others but regardless of what people think, God’s plan of salvation never changes. It never will. The heart of man will never be at peace until he comes humbly to the foot of the cross and accepts the salvation that Christ freely offers to all who come.

To those who refuse, there will always be that restless searching for that which can never be found except at the foot of the cross.

Let us not be backward in reaching out to those whose eyes have been made blind to the truth of the Gospel. But may you have within your heart the joy and knowledge of the saving grace of God that you are willing to share with your world -- today!

June Devotional

A PEOPLE SAVING BUSINESS

Acts 1

Not long ago I heard of the beginnings of a company known in Australia as G.M.H – General Motors Holden.

An English immigrant, James Alexander Holden, from Staffordshire came to Adelaide, South Australia in 1852 at the age of 17 and started a leather goods business making saddles and harnesses. The business boomed. In 1879 his 20-year-old son joined the flourishing business. Then in 1885, the young German-born Henry Fredrick Frost, a carriage maker, joined the firm and became a junior partner. The company then became known as Holden and Frost, expanding the company into carriage-making as well as leather and horse accoutrements. In 1905, James’ grandson Edward branched out yet again. This time into the making and repair of car upholstery. This led to the building of motorbike sidecars, and in 1913, the first custom made body for a automobile in Australia. In 1918, after the death of his father, Edward joined forces with Frederick Hack and formed what was known as Holden Body Builders, building bodies for Chevrolet, Essex and others for General Motors vehicles. The growth of the company came about because James Holden throughout his life, in his own words, was ”in the people moving business”. His thoughts were not just the building of carriages and cars but always looking for better ways to move people.

As followers of Christ, we today need to remind ourselves that we are in the People Saving business. The question then being, what is our responsibility and business as Christians? What is our mission? That mission is to take the message of the Gospel to the whole world. This is a God-given commission for all who name the name of Christ.

When the commission was first given to the disciples, there was no hesitation in their response to the challenge. Jesus had given, ”Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

The disciples and those who gathered with them faithfully sought to spread the Gospel message. Not only was the Gospel preached among the Jews in Jerusalem but before long the message of the Gospel was preached in other regions by those who, because of the persecution that arose from the unbelieving Jews. had to move into new areas.

As the Gospel spread, non Jews were also being reached with the message of Jesus. The disciples connected with people in their need – and to meet that need they became flexible in the ways that they communicated the message of Jesus in the market place, in homes or wherever people gathered.

Acts of the Apostles tells of Philip going to Samaria and there effectively preaching the Gospel with many being brought to Christ. It also of how he was led by the Holy Spirit to the Negev where he preached Jesus to the Ethiopian eunuch. Peter was sent to Caesarea to the home of Cornelius with the message of Jesus. Thus the Gospel spread. Just as the disciples were open to the leadings of the Holy Spirit, so we too must be open to His guidance and leadings. It is only as we open ourselves to the Holy Spirit that we will be enabled to impact those around us.

Not only as individuals do we need to be open to the Holy Spirit but, as a body of believers we must work and serve together and in so doing enable the Church to accomplish its mission.

If we are to attract outsiders to Christ, then we must be a genuine fellowship where our relationships with those who make up the Church is real even in the diversity of those who comprise the Church. Remember that all men are equal in the sight of God.

A great example of unity within the body of believers can be found among those within the fellowship of the Church at Antioch. There we find a unity of heart and mind regardless of nationality. We see their passion for the message of the Gospel being proclaimed to others. This desire to reach out is seen in their separating Barnabas and Saul to preach the Gospel to the regions beyond.

It is only as there is a unity of mission that the massage of the Gospel of Jesus Christ will be seen and others will be brought into the Kingdom.

James Holden had a passion for finding means to move people through the transport industry. We as God’s people need to develop a passion for people – a passion to move them spiritually pointing them to the Savior.

This may require us to seek out other methods that we have not used in the past but it does not mean that our message is to be changed – we will still be in the business of bringing people to Jesus. Jesus said, “Go into the highways and byways and compel them to come in.”

It may mean that we have to get out of our comfort zone to reach them but reach them we must for their eternal destiny is at stake for we “know not the hour when the Son of Man cometh”. Our opportunity to reach them will soon be past.

Holden changed his means of transportation to meet the needs of the people but he never changed his business emphasis of moving people.

We may have to change our methods but we must never change the message. We are still required to preach the Gospel to every nation – this is our God given responsibility.

Are we truly fulfilling His command and being totally committed to obeying God regardless of the personal cost that will make it possible to reach out with the Gospel message?

Pray ye the Lord of the harvest that He will send forth laborers into the harvest even if it means that you must become that laborer in His harvest field taking the Gospel message to those who need to hear the massage of salvation that Christ offers to all men everywhere.

May we each one become spiritual people-movers by sharing that Gospel of Jesus Christ wherever we may be.

May Devotional

TARRY YE

Acts 1: 4; 2: 1

“And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, said He, ye have heard of Me.”

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come. They were all with one accord in one place.”

Unfortunately far too often we see discord among people whether it is in the work place or within the fellowship of the Church. When such discord is allowed to continue a strained atmosphere arises and working together in harmony is hindered. Sadly, that which could be accomplished places a handicap on what might have been.

Jesus at the time of His ascension had told the disciples to stay in Jerusalem and wait there until the promised Holy Spirit came to them.

As we look at these passages of Scripture we see first of all the obedience of the disciples. There was no question as to why or how long they were to wait. They were simply to obey the Word of the Lord.

Not only do we see their obedience to stay in Jerusalem but also their willingness to wait – wait on God’s timing to fulfill His promise.

Too many today are far too impatient to have to wait, this being the instant generation. They want everything right now if not yesterday. This is not only in relation to their own personal and private lives but it also an attitude that has carried over into their expectations within the Church. There is the expectation of instant results. It becomes a case of “God, we want to see things happen now – we don’t want to wait!”

This was not the attitude of the disciples – they were willing to wait. In the meantime they did not bemoan the delay but rather spent that time preparing their hearts and minds in fellowship and prayer. They were getting ready for that which God had promised – the coming of the Holy Spirit.

The disciples did not know the full extent of what the coming of the Holy Spirit would mean for their lives and just what it would do in them, for them and through them, but they were willing to be obedient to stay and wait as their Lord commanded. This waiting for the promise revealed the unity of heart that developed as they awaited the promise.

These who were gathered together were the same disciples who, just a few days prior to Jesus ascension into heaven, had failed to listen or heed the repeated warnings that Jesus had given concerning His death and resurrection.

They had left Jerusalem and gone off fishing. The result of that fishing expedition resulted in failure, for they worked all night and caught nothing. It was not until the Lord came and intervened, and they were in obedience to His Word, that they caught anything. Then we are told that the catch was so great – 143 fish in all in the net – what a reward for obedience to the Word of the Lord.

It is these self-same disciples whom we now find waiting and praying. Waiting for what? Waiting in unity and expectation for the promise of the Lord to be fulfilled as promised.

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, ”God’s promise was fulfilled for they were all filled with the Holy Spirit -- filled to such an extent they could not contain that which they had received but had to share it with others

Gone was the sense of inadequacy and the burden of past failures. They were now filled with an overwhelming power of the presence of the Holy Spirit who not only filled and energized them but emboldened them to fearlessly preach the Word.

God is still wiling and waiting to fill His people with His Holy Spirit but before He is able to do so, there must be in the heart and life a willing obedience to surrender your heart and life to His will.

God has a plan for everyone. Sometimes we, like the disciples of old, must tarry and wait in earnest prayer until we are empowered by the Holy Spirit. This will then enable God to reveal His plan and purpose for us.

Many today are content to know that they have accepted Jesus as their Savior but that is as far as they get in their Christian walk. Then they wonder why there is still that empty feeling in their hearts and lives. God waits for such as these to realize that He has so much more for them. Oh, how He longs to infill with His Holy Spirit and give His enabling power to live the life of holiness – a more effective life lived for the glory of God rather than one lived on a much lower level where we are constantly beset by doubts and struggles.

We must have a heart that is willing to allow Christ to be Lord of our lives. As the disciples were told to tarry in Jerusalem until they were empowered by the Holy Spirit, so we today need to wait before the Lord in prayer seeking from the hand of God the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

The Apostle Paul asked the question of certain disciples that he found near Ephesus, “Have ye received the Holy Spirit since ye believed?” (Acts 19: 2)

If you who read this can only answer in the negative, then I would earnestly pray that you spend time in prayer seeking the face of the Lord and the infilling power of His Holy Spirit in your heart and life.....now ! Don't delay another moment.

Each one of us have at one time or another asked the question, “What must I do?”. The situation in which the question is asked varies from person to person.

In my life there have been times when I, too, have asked the same question --whether from frustration or just plain perplexity. Often there has been no one who could give me an answer.

There are at least two occasions in Scripture where this question is asked. In each incident an answer was given. Two questions -- two answers -- and two very different responses -- one which resulted in a negative response while the other was positive.

Note first:

The Initial Approach

Look at the manner of this young man's approach. Mark tells us that he came running. There was an urgency upon him. There was a great desire that needed answers; his searching for answers brought him to the feet of Jesus with

The Question: “What must I do to inherent eternal life?”

This young man had a need in his life. He was searching for answers. He required an answer that he felt was necessary if his need for a deeper spiritual life was to be met. He came seeking the answer from Lord Jesus, the giver of eternal life.

This young man was of good moral character, a clean living individual. Yet he recognized he had a need – a need for which he desired an answer.

What was The Answer? “Go sell... give…and follow Me.”

Jesus saw the young man's yearning heart, but remember, this was a rich young man -- a young man who prided himself on keeping the law, who honestly stated when asked that he had kept them from his youth. Yet there was one thing that he was lacking.

Even though he had kept the law, Jesus saw what was hindering him -- he had great possessions -- possessions that meant so much to him.

Jesus’ response, “Go.. sell and give to the poor” was not the answer that he was looking for. What! Sell his possessions and follow Jesus?

So often like this rich young ruler we have a desire for something more meaningful in our lives, but we fail to see that there is a cost involved. Our position within the community, our job, or our possessions are things that would hinder our spiritual lives. The pride of position and possession so often build a barrier unless they are surrendered to the Lord.

With the realization of the cost came:

The Rejection

“He turned away sorrowful.”

For this young man the cost was too great. His possessions meant more to him than his peace and assurance of eternal life. The cost of the loss of eternal life would ultimately be a far greater loss than the loss of his worldly possessions.

Unfortunately, there are many today who are also selling their souls and putting possessions before the claims of the Lord. They never stop to realize that they are putting their trust in things rather than in the knowledge of the assurance of eternal life with Christ.

The other person who came to the realization of a spiritual need was the Philippian jailer. Paul and Silas had been placed in his custody. When the midnight earthquake struck, his fear of what would have happened to those entrusted to him to guard securely was so great that he would have killed himself. Paul, giving the assurance that they were all still there, calmed his fears. Yet in that moment, he recognized that he had a need and fell at Paul's feet and cried, ”What must I do to be saved?” He was not seeking to be saved from the earthquake but rather to have his great spiritual need met..

The witness of Paul and Silas during that midnight 'praise and worship' session had revealed to the jailer his spiritual need resulting in his great plea, “What must I do to be saved?” This was the question of a man seeking an answer regarding his eternal salvation.

Paul recognized the jailer's great need for what it was, and never hesitated in his response to that need.

The Answer was immediate: ”Believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved. Believe! There was no discussing of how, when or why but -- simply believe

Unfortunately today, far too many miss out on having their needs met simply because they feel there is something more for them to do before they can make this greatest of all decisions to accept Christ -- when in truth, all they have to do is in faith believe.

There was no request for great explanations from Paul as to what he meant. The jailer simply accepted Paul's word and believed.

The acceptance of the Answer resulted in salvation. What a time of praise and rejoicing in that dungeon that night – what rejoicing in heaven.

Maybe you have been coming to grips with the need for a deeper spiritual life. Perhaps you have found that there are things in your life that have been a hindrance from experiencing the fullness of salvation -- and the blessings that come with total surrender to the Lord. It is only as we accept and believe on Jesus and His willing sacrifice for us that we can have joy, and the assurance of knowing His great salvation.

It is my prayer that every one of you will experience personally this great joy of knowing that you have the assurance of salvation and eternal life.

March Devotional

WHAT IS YOUR HANDICAP?

Hebrews 12: 1 - 2

Many people today can have some form of a handicap. People involved in various sports have a handicap assigned to them in an attempt to even the field, while there are those who have been born with a physical handicap. There are others who are handicapped owing to some type of accident at some point in their lives. I myself have a slight handicap in that I lost a finger because of an accident at work some twenty years ago. What ever the handicap, there is an even greater handicap that if allowed to become part of our lives can destroy us spiritually.

What are some of these spiritual handicaps that can affect our relationship with the Lord?

1. The handicap of resting in a false hope of inherited Christianity. Many today believe that because they have been brought up in the Church, they are Christians Or because their parents are Christians, they automatically believe that they too are Christians. They fail to realize that to be a Christian -- a follower of the Lord Jesus -- there must be a personal relationship with Christ -- a personal spiritual relationship where one accepts the truth of God’s word as seen in Ephesians 2:5 where Paul clearly states, ”Ye are saved through faith” -- faith in the atoning death of the Lord Jesus at Calvary.

It is vital that we remember that God has no grandchildren, but children who have been adopted into the family of God through faith in the resurrected Christ.

2. The handicap of trusting in religion and the Church. There are many who have put their trust in religion and the Church but they do not know Christ. This is not only a present day problem but it was a problem when Christ walked the dusty roads of Palestine and during the time of the early Church. The Pharisees had religion but the majority of them refused to believe Christ.

As a young man, Paul had religion and was determined to destroy those who believed in Jesus until he himself came face to face with the risen Lord on the Damascus Road.

Jesus said, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7: 13, 14). Until a religious person recognizes his need to come humbly, and accepts the truth of the words of the Lord Jesus when He said, ”Ye must be born again” (John3: 17) – born of God – he will continue to be spiritually handicapped and be a hindrance to others.

3. The handicap of looking in the wrong place. Have you ever been to the library looking for a book only to find that you are seeking for it in the wrong section? People can also look in the wrong place for what their heart is seeking. They feel the need of something in their lives and turn to false religions, for example, Islam, Mormonism, Hindi and the many other isms. Some turn to yoga and transandental meditation, yet none of these brings peace of heart for they are all false religions. Jesus said, “I am the Way the Truth and the Life” (John 14: 5).

It is only by coming to Him that can we enjoy eternal life. The handicap of false religion brings death – spiritual death.

Paul emphasizes this in Ephesians 2: 1 – 9 but he goes on to say that He has quickened us – made us alive – giving to us the assurance of eternal life. Isaiah warns us of God’s word when he says, “Turn to Me and be saved, I am the only God” (Isaiah 45:22 – 24).

4. The handicap of money. There is nothing wrong with our having money but far too many allow it to become the passion of their lives, resulting in it becoming a god and having it actually consume them.

Paul reminds us that we can take nothing out of this world – it will not buy our way into heaven – and that the love, I repeat, the LOVE of money is the root of all evil. (see 1 Timothy 6: 7 – 10). Therefore money can become a handicap in our relationship with the Lord if we allow it to become a priority in our lives.

5. The handicap of possessions. When the gaining of possessions, a bigger house, the latest model car or a variety of many other things becomes the first and foremost aim in life, we become spiritually handicapped.

Jesus said, ”He that loveth houses or land more than Me is not worthy of Me”. We are reminded that we are to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, your mind, and your soul”. If we will do this, putting God first, last and in between, then the desire for possessions will not be a handicap to our spiritual relationship with the Lord Jesus.

6. The handicap of self-righteousness. Self-righteousness claims that I am better or as good as the next one and better than most – look at all that I do.

That may be the way they see themselves, but Ephesians 2: 9 reminds us we “are saved by faith” and it is not what we do or think we are but it is our relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ. Good works will never give us faith nor salvation – for good works are an outcome of our faith.

Therefore, having a self-righteous pride in who we are and what we do is a handicap which will hinder our relationship with God and keep us from all the spiritual blessings of God, and of the eternal life which God is waiting to bestow on those who will give their handicaps to Him.

There are many other handicaps that we can have in our lives that if allowed to continue will prevent us from living in that vital spiritual relationship with God.

To list just to a few:

The desire to develop the most beautiful garden – putting it before God (see Luke 12: 27, 28).

The desire to reach the top in your profession

The desire for the best education

The desire for recognition in sports

These may be well and good in themselves but when they are allowed to consume your time, thoughts and energies, shutting out any time for a relationship with God, the One who gives the ability to excel in these attainments, then they are nothing more than a handicap -- a handicap that will keep you from reaching your full potential, for without Christ you can do nothing.

7. The last and greatest of all handicaps is SIN, Sin blinds the heart and mind to the truth, resulting in the rejection of the Lord Jesus. This is indeed the greatest of all handicaps out of which all other handicaps are but the outcome. Paul in wring to the Corinthian Church states, “The god of this world (Satan) hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God should shine unto them” (Corinthians 4: 4).

It is your choice. Will you allow yourself to continue to live the spiritually handicapped life without Christ ? Or will you accept the wonderful gift of His forgiveness, love and grace? Revelations 3: 20 says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man (or woman) hear My voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with Me”.

Will you continue to live the handicapped life or will you accept the Salvation that Christ so freely offers?

My prayer is that we each of you will search your heart. If a handicap to your spiritual life has in any way compromised your relationship with God, will you come to Christ, humbly surrendering to Him and allow Him to be the Lord of your life? In so doing, you will be spiritually free from those handicaps that have bound you.

February Devotional

Prayer

As I prayerfully sought what the Lord would have me use for this devotion, many themes came to mind yet I did not feel comfortable with them.

Deciding to continue praying about it, I went to sort out some Christian magazines. While doing so, I continued to pray, “Lord what would you have me to say?” Many of the magazines were dealing with discussions on prayer. Even at this point I was still continuing to pray.

A line of a hymn began to repeat itself over and over in my mind --that line being, ”Prayer is the soul's sincere desire, uttered or unexpressed.” Almost immediately there came to me a number of passages of Scripture concerning prayer – particularly those taught by the Lord Jesus. By His life of prayer, He set not only the disciples an example of the need of prayer but they asked that He teach them how to pray also. This resulted in ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ or as some say, ‘The Model Prayer’.

Jesus recognized that before He ministered to those who would be coming to Him, He had need to come before His heavenly Father for He realized that “of Himself He could do nothing”. So “in the morning, a great while before day, He rose up and went out, and departed into a desert place, and there prayed” (Mark 1: 35).

Jesus realized the need to be alone with the Father away from the clamor of the crowds -- a place of quietness where He could not only commune with His Father but He could also hear what His Father had to say. If this was so vital for Jesus to seek the guidance of God, how much more do we need to spend that time with our Heavenly Father.

In Ephesians 6: 10 – 20, we have a list of the full armor that the Christian needs to be fully equipped for spiritual warfare. However, it is verse eighteen that I want to draw attention to for it says, ”Pray,…at all seasons” The question is: ‘How do we need to pray?’

There are many methods of prayer. At this point, let us look at what we should include as we come before the throne of grace, and some relevant Scriptures.

1. The Prayer of Agreement - In Matthew 18 – 19 Jesus reminds us, “If any two of you shall agree…ask…it shall be done… of My Father”. By this Jesus is saying, God honors those who are united in their prayerful concerns for the needs of both the Church, family and nation. Are willing to pay the price of praying together according to His will?

2. The Prayer of Petition - Mark 11: 24 states, “Whatsoever you ask in prayer, believe that you have receive it”. We need to have the confidence and sincerity of a believing heart but our petition must be according to His will and not just a selfish desire.

3. The Prayer of Thanksgiving - How often do we forget and need reminding of the need to give thanks for the manifold blessings that God gives. Unfortunately many of us are so busy listing our petitions that they end up outweighing our thanksgiving and praises. In Philippians 4:6, Paul reminds us, “In everything in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known unto God”. Our hearts must ever be filled with praise – praising God for His love and grace, His mercy and goodness towards us, even when we least deserve it.

4. The Prayer of Intercession - God is ever seeking for those who are willing to intercede on behalf of others. In Ezekiel 22: 30 we read that “God sought for a man … to stand in the gap”. Someone – anyone that is willing to pray for those in spiritual need. Unfortunately, as in Ezekiel’s day, few are willing to make themselves available for filling the breach through prayer on behalf of those in need. God desperately needs intercessors.

5. The Prayer of Commitment - Being willing to yield all to God. This for many people is one of the hardest things to do. Far too many people want to keep control of their lives, with the result that their lives become burdened with anxiety and stress. They fail to follow what God says in 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast your care upon him.” In other words, commit your very lives to him and let God take control.

6. The Prayer of Consecration - Isaiah said, “Hear am I” (Isaiah 6:8). He was willing to consecrate himself to the service of the Lord – to be used of God. Paul on the Damascus road prayed “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” (Acts 22:10) He, like Isaiah, was willing to consecrate his life to the service of God. God may not be asking great things of us but he wants us to be willing to consecrate our lives to Him. He also wants us to be willing to be available for service when and where He wills.

7. The Prayer of Confession -"If we confess our sin He... (will) ...forgive. (1 John 1:9)". This need for confession deals not only with the sins of commission but also the sins of omission and if allowed to remain unconfessed, they will have a detrimental effect on our spiritual walk for God cannot bless while we have unconfessed sin blocking His channel of blessing

If we are to be effective in following the example of the Lord in regards to a life of prayer, we must set aside that time when we come before the throne, bringing our petitions and thanksgiving, and having a willingness to intercede for others. Being totally committed to the Lord at all times, consecrating our lives to His service, will be costly.

Jesus said, “When you pray, pray to your Father in secret and He will reward you openly.” This does not mean that we spend time in prayer for what we will get out of it personally, but we can assured that the time spent in prayer will strengthen our relationship with God and in turn with those around us.

Therefore, let us come boldly to the throne of grace in prayer, knowing that God delights to hear the prayers of His children.

January Devotional

ARE YOU LOOKING BACK

Luke 9: 62

“No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

How often have we begun a project and never found time to finish it? I must admit I am guilty of that. I have sitting on my bookcase some crocheting that I was working on before my husband died. I would work on it during the many hours that I sat with him in the hospital, but it has never been finished. I keep telling myself that I need to do something about it, but still it sits there waiting for me. Because it has never been finished, it is of no value to me or anyone else.

Jesus had been ministering in Samaria where, unfortunately, those who heard Him rejected His message. After leaving Samaria, He challenged those who were with Him concerning their commitment to follow HIM.

At first they were willing to follow but, as we continue to view these events, we find them beginning to find excuses: ”I will… but first let me....” Many people today still have that attitude when challenged to follow the Lord; we find them also saying, "I will, but let me first........." These firsts may be: establishing themselves in business or, when they have earned enough to see that the family is financially taken care of, and so. These excuses are really no different than in Jesus' day, and they never get any further than the 'but first' !

Jesus' response to those disciples that day is just as relevant today as it was when He said, ”No one, having put his hand to the plow, and turning back, is fit for the Kingdom of God”.

Those who have had anything to do with farming and the preparing of the fields for the sowing of corn or wheat will understand what it means when a plowman looks back while his hand is still on the plow rather than keeping his eye on the goal of completing a straight course to the end of the row.

I am always thrilled when I see a field that has been plowed with the beautiful straight lines and the precision with which it is completed.

If there is to be a perfectly straight furrow, one must never allow himself to be distracted causing him to take his eye away from the end of the row that he is plowing. As soon as he does, there is a deviation in the direction of the plow. It may only be a slight deviation ........nevertheless it is still a deviation.

Jesus is saying if we take our eyes off the goal of our commitment and begin to look at the things around us, we will soon find that we have deviated from the course. Then we tend to drift further and further from the goal .......... so much so that we lose sight of it before we realize it. It takes determined patience and commitment to keep our eyes on the goal of faithfully following Christ.

Paul, when writing to the Corinthians says, ”So run, that ye may obtain”. In other words, when we run a race we must keep our eyes on the goal of the finish line. When a runner looks back to see how far behind his opponent is, he brakes his stride and loses valuable time. The distraction of the thoughts of those behind and his eye temporally diverted from the goal could have disastrous results.

The words of both Jesus and Paul are a challenge to us to reassess our goal and our commitment particularly as we begin a new year.

It may be that in the past the Lord has challenged you concerning a certain commitment and at first you went forward to fulfill the Lord's calling, but you allowed other things to distract you and before you knew it , you had completely drifted away. In other words, you had your hand to the plow – you began the race but you looked back. There has become a “but” to your commitment with the result that you failed in plowing a straight furrow; you failed to run a straight race.

Thank God He is the God of the second chance and is waiting for you to once again put your hand to the plow and be totally committed to Him and His will ever keeping your eye on the goal that He sets.