24 July 2008 Devotion for Today “God Doesn’t Love Me” I John 3:1-3

24 July 2008 Devotion for Today “God Doesn’t Love Me” I John 3:1-3

Martin Luther was once asked, “Do you love God?” To which Luther very candidly said, “Love God? Sometimes I hate Him!” Luther didn’t really hate God, but he was honestly reflecting on his feelings that there are times when it is easy to entertain these feelings when God doesn’t do what we want Him to do. And when we are not doing what He wants us to do, He may also act disappointed, or even angry with us. But He will never hate us. Again we are dealing with “Seven Phrases a Christian Should Never Say.

There are times, if we would honestly admit, that we feel like saying: “God doesn’t love me.” I must admit I have felt like that at times. Yet I also know that this attitude reflects a profuse lack of faith and knowledge of God’s love for the entire world. Because if I really believed this, I must be biblically illiterate or I am not reading my Bible nor am I in very close contact with Him in prayer. I also realize that it is not that God doesn’t love me, its just that He has not taken much notice of my feeble and ridiculous plans.

My attitude “God doesn’t love me” flies full in the face of many Scripture passages dealing with God’s love, but none more so than in I John 3:1-3:

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God’ and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” I John 3:1-3

God’s love is distinguished from all other forms of love we know about in this life, as well as what we read in Scripture. It comes from Agape- an unconditional, self-sacrificing love that places us in the center of God’s concern and care; so much so that God calls us His children. There is no one who should love you like your parents love you, and there is no one on earth you should love like your children. If that is true, how much more should God love us? The world, John says, does not have this affection or care for us because it doesn’t relate to God the way we His children do. This love is also growing, and while we do not know right now what form it is going to take, ultimately we know that God’s love is cast in the same image of His Son, Jesus Christ. Our image, as well as our love, will reflect itself in Him just as He is. The image of Christ’s love for us purifies us as we think of it and dwell on it instead of negative thoughts like, “God doesn’t love me.”

Its true, the world doesn’t love us. Our enemies do not love us, and to be certain Satan doesn’t love us. He will try to get us to think that God doesn’t care for us, either. But Satan is never to be trusted, because he was the same one who whispered the essence of “God doesn’t love you” into the ears of Adam and Eve. He will do the same to us if we allow him the opportunity. Sometimes we don’t feel God’s love because we are not close enough to Him to experience it. But He is always been where He is now.

May you experience the joy of the love of God today as you walk more closely with Him.

23 July 2008 Devotion for Today “I Can’t!” Philippians 4:13

23 July 2008 Devotion for Today “I Can’t!” Philippians 4:13

A young boy was driving a big hay wagon down the road and it turned over right in front of a farmer’s house. The farmer came out and saw the young boy crying and said, “Son, don’t worry about this, we can fix it. Right now dinner’s ready. Why don’t you come in and eat with us and then I’ll help you put the hay back on the rack.”

The boy said, “No, I can’t. My father is going to be very angry with me.”

The farmer said, “Now don’t argue, just come in and have some lunch and you’ll feel better.”

The boy said, “I’m just afraid my father is going to be very angry with me.”

The farmer and the young boy went inside and had dinner. Afterwards, as they walked outside to the hayrack, the farmer said, “Well, don’t you feel better now?”

The boy said, “Yes but I just know that my father will be very angry with me.”

The farmer said, “Nonsense. Where is your father anyway?”

The boy said, “He’s under that pile of hay!”

We’ve been looking at worries and the Seven Phrases a Christian Should Never Say. Many times we keep God under a pile of hay by saying this insufferable word to His ears: “I can’t.” Similarities are, “I don’t think I can make it,” or “I just can’t do it, etc.”

“I can’t” is the devil’s word. It abdicates responsibility and fosters weakness. It is the father of all the lame excuses and keeps the Christian in a strong-hold of fear. He is also a cold-blooded killer. Here is what I mean. Just now you might be trying to recover from a serious illness or an operation. The pain is unbearable and the nurse says you must get up and walk down the hall. You would rather lay in your bed but you must get up. You want to say, “I can’t!” There is no sympathy for you at this moment, because if you do not get up and walk, you will stiffen up, and your lungs will fill with fluid and you will likely contract pneumonia. The words, “I can’t” might even kill you. You have to replace “I can’t” with “I must!”

You may have resolved recently to give up smoking and you are doing fine until this morning the overwhelming urge to light up has overtaken you. You are extremely nervous, grouchy, and irritable. Your hands shake as you reach into your purse for just one cigarette. Surely one will not hurt me, you think. Then you hear of someone who is dying in the hospital, his lungs are rattling, filling up with fluid, strangling because for fifty years he smoked at least a pack a day. He tried several times to quit but now he is paying the price for saying “I Can’t!”

Perhaps you are trying to lose weight and you step on the scale this morning only to be discouraged by the needle going in the wrong direction. You have been eating little else but lettuce, and your stomach is gnawing at you. You want to say, “I can’t!” But then you hear of a good friend of yours who recently died of a heart attack, or another who had his leg removed due to the symptoms of acute diabetes. “I Can’t” wants to murder you as well, but you must not allow him to do this. You must replace “I Can’t” with “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Last year I felt overwhelmed with a huge assignment in a doctoral level class I am taking at Liberty University. I did not understand the assignment very well, and felt lost as I struggled to wade through a mountain of books on a subject I had very little interest or knowledge about. I kept putting the assignment- writing a research paper in excess of fifty pages- off until there was the deadline staring back at me. I wanted to say, “I Can’t!” But thankfully, the words of Paul “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” began to drown out “I Can’t.” I did the assignment, and to my utter amazement, I received an A for the course. That inspired confidence to register for two more courses, which I also received the same grade. Now I am half-way through my course work, where two other times I attempted this and quit because I let circumstances tell me “I can’t!”

Don’t let the devil make you say, “I can’t!” It’s a dirty word to God and is offensive to Him. He has also empowered you with His strength to say “I can.” Today, think of a project that you have been putting off and say, “I can!” Don’t rely on willpower alone to help you stick to your diet. Instead, say “I can do all things through Christ,” and you will. Face the thing that you disdain the most and say, “I can, I will!” and you will conquer it for Christ’s sake.

Have a blessed day!

22 July 2008 Devotion for Today “I Don’t Know How I’m Going to Get By” Philippians 4:11-12, 19

22 July 2008 Devotion for Today “I Don’t Know How I’m Going to Get By” Philippians 4:11-12, 19

A man was brought to Mercy Hospital, and taken quickly in for coronary surgery. The operation went well and, as the groggy man regained consciousness, he was reassured by a Sister of Mercy who was waiting by his bed."Mr. Smith, you're going to be just fine," said the nun, gently patting his hand."We do need to know, however, how you intend to pay for your stay here. Are you covered by insurance?" "No, sorry, I don't have any insurance," the man whispered hoarsely. "Can you pay in cash?" persisted the nun."I'm afraid I cannot, Sister.""Well, do you have any close relatives?" the nun essayed."Just my sister in New Mexico," he volunteered. "But she's a humble spinster nun." "Oh, I must correct you, Mr. Smith. Nuns are not spinsters;' they are married to God.""Wonderful," said Smith. "In that case, please send the bill to my brother-in-law!"

It’s a fact of life that we all worry, right? We know that we shouldn’t; we know that it’s wrong; but we do it anyway. Everyone has heard about the effects of worry: it causes ulcers, high blood pressure, heart problems, it drains your energy. We know these facts, but we worry in spite of them. Many people think that worry is the result of the fast-paced, high-pressure lives we lead today, but the truth is that worry is not a 20th century phenomenon. It has been a problem for centuries.The Psalms tell us worry only leads to harm (Psalm 37:8), Proverbs tells us that “worry makes a heart heavy” (Proverbs 12:25).

Yesterday I began this series of devotionals entitled “Seven Phrases a Christian Should Never Say.” Today I want to deal with 2. “I don’t know how I’m going to get by” I believe that this is ultimately the consummate form of blasphemy because if you honestly believe that you cannot be a Christian or you are not walking very closely with the Lord. At the very least if you believe this you are not reading your Bible, because the Word of God is replete with statements like Philippians 4:19 “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Jesus also said, “Therefore, do not worry, saying ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” (Matthew 6:31-32).

Other promises of God’s provision and God’s providence continually remind us that He will help us and enable us to fulfill what He has placed us on earth to do. You may not know how you are going to get by- but this is where faith comes in. It may require you to take your eyes off of your resources- or lack of them- and concentrate where God is providing and sustaining you.

There are all kinds of objections, of course. Do Christians have to file bankruptcy? Yes, I’ve known a few who have. Are there Christians who are starving to death, or going without? There probably are. Has God failed them, because they are going without? First of all, we do not know their circumstances. I have also known some Christians to live beyond their means and continue to spend money well beyond their income. They can hardly blame God for not “getting by.” There may be Christians who are suffering persecution or caught up, as some are in Darfur in the Sudan, in ethnic cleansing and genocide. The fact is, there have martyrs for two thousand years, and yet God has used them for His purpose to further the message of the Gospel, as Paul tells us in Philippians 4:11-12 “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”

Even you do not know how you will get by, be content in the knowledge that God knows what you need. He may not help you make your payment for your Lexus, but He will make sure you do not starve. You may have to tighten your belt, and do without some things you thought were necessities. I gave up drinking Starbucks coffee when it cost more for a gallon of gas than it did for a cup of daily espresso fix.

May the Lord help you see how He is providing for your every need today.

Have a blessed day!

21 July 2008 Devotion for Today “Seven Phrases a Christian Should Never Say” Philippians 2:13

21 July 2008 Devotion for Today “Seven Phrases a Christian Should Never Say” Philippians 2:13

You may remember the late George Carlin and Seven Words you can never say on Television? Carlin was most noted for his vulgarities and offensive humor which got him into trouble with the law many times. He was not only known for his public blasphemies, but also for his outspoken atheism. Once he said he really tried to believe in God, but could not get past the behaviors of those who said they believed in God who lived inconsistent and hypocritical lives. That won’t let Carlin off the hook, and I’m sure that he is doing a lot of explaining right now, but there might be a smattering of truth in what he said when it comes to the idea of faithlessness. We might abhor the vulgarities Carlin used to project. But just as offensive to God are the things we as Christians say and we don’t even realize that we are at the least impugning the good will and nature of God and at our worst we spout blasphemy in the face of God. Faithlessness, which is the epitome of worry, begins with our vocabulary, which are actually thoughts conceived by the devil in our minds. How do we do we blaspheme God in this? Well let me offer you Seven Phrases a Christian Should Never Say, and today I will deal with phrase number One:

1. “It will never work!” I hate that one- and God hates it too. If there is anything I cannot stand is somebody standing over my shoulder and saying that, so why should we say it under our breath when God tells us to do something? First of all, you don’t know what will work until you try. You say, “Well, I tried that once, and it didn’t work!.” Well, what you just earned yourself is experience on how not to do it the next time. But that doesn’t mean the problem is with God. Usually the problem is between you and the chair you are sitting in. OK- it might not work, but how are you going to learn if you don’t at least try it and see for yourself. What’s more, if God said it will work, or if you trust Him to let it work it will. What if Noah had said when God told him to build the ark, “It will never work?” Chances are, I would not be writing this devotional right now. What if Moses had said “It will never work!” when God told him to hold his staff out over the Red Sea? What if Jesus had not had the water pots filled at the wedding feast of Cana because He thought, “This isn’t going to work?” Philippians 2:13 says, “For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”

May I say to you, that many people who will say to you, “It will never work are usually too lazy to try or too faithless to let God do something or to trust God to do what He says He will do. So if God or someone else offers you a plan and you say, “It will never work” what you saying is, “I would rather worry about this problem than to do something constructive about it.”

Take this dirty phrase “It will never work” out of your vocabulary, and focus on the God who never ceases to work on your behalf to bless you and to give you what you need. Tomorrow I will continue with this series, “Seven Phrases a Christian Should Never Say.”

Have a blessed day!

09 July 2008 Devotion for Today

09 July 2008 Devotion for Today

“The Purifier” Malachi 3:1-4

Would you believe once again I was met with something getting into my garbage can this morning? In fact the mess was even worse than yesterday’s even though I was certain I had secured the cans with lids firmly battened down tight. Some larger animal- I presume a dog-or something with the intelligence to knock the can over to get at the goodies inside. Of course, family members hurriedly rushed off to work and to school and had no time to do anything but to call the situation to my attention. Remembering my devotional from yesterday, I did not grumble so much today. Instead I secured two large plastic bags and set to work. In fact I was able to hum a tune of praise to the Lord while doing so. The job finished, I returned to the house to clean up. The smell of the residue on my hands was sickening, however. I must have washed several times to rid the smell of garbage off my hands. I have a busy day today, and I must look (and smell) presentable. O why won’t this smell come off. Finally I resorted to pouring some cologne on my hands. Only then did I discover that I had mistaken my wife’s bottle of cologne for mine. I consoled myself into thinking that perhaps the sweet female perfume would cover over the putrid stench to the same degree as to neutralize both odors. It did not. I only hope that the perfumey-garbagy smell will subside in time for my monthly minister’s fellowship luncheon later in the morning!

Malachi’s words were quite apropos this morning in chapter 3 as the prophet describes the purifying influence of the presence and Words of the Lord: "Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming," Says the Lord of hosts. ² "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire And like launderers' soap. ³ He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the Lord An offering in righteousness. ⁴ "Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem Will be pleasant to the Lord, As in the days of old, As in former years.”

In this passage the prophet tells of the Messenger of the Covenant, who is the prophecy of the coming Messiah. Among many things His role will be to purify the hearts and minds of Israel and make them clean and pure as a refiner’s fire and as a launderer’s soap. Not many have observed a refiner’s fire, but many know the smell and feel of launderer’s soap- particularly homemade lye soap which was quite common in my West Virginia homeland until recent generations made the factory made varieties more popular. I was talking to my grandmother the other day about lye soap. Her aunt-the one who raised her- used to make it. My grandmother would assist her in the making of it. It was a curious compound of boiled ashes, beef or pork tallow or bacon grease, and water. Its texture was quite coarse to the skin- no conditioners or moisturizers in those days! The soap was clumped together in bricks and left to dry. True, the soap was not pleasant to use- but she said nothing made you feel cleaner afterward. She also said people did not bathe as often in the old days as people do now. I suppose that is how effective the lye soap was back then. Yet the soap that the Lord will use will wash us clean from the inside. As Wesley’s hymn says, “His blood will make the foulest clean.” Have a blessed day!

(from May 3, 2004)

08 July 2008 Devotion for Today “Jesus in the Storm” Matthew 14:22-33

The other night we had a particularly bad thunderstorm- the kind that sends lightening flashing all around, gusting high winds, with peals of thunder that nearly knock you out of the bed. I especially fear tornados, and this being a very strong tornado season I leaped out of bed and looked out of the window to gaze at the sky. Your imagination can run wild with you, especially late at night in a storm. After a horrific flash of lightening I thought I had seen a funnel cloud silhouetted against the grey backdrop of a thundercloud. Before I could say anything about it, my nearly grown children were up and coming into the room like they did when they were small children. “We just wanted to see if you were all right,” one of them said. I chuckled at the remark. But there is something about a storm that causes people who are close to want to be together. If not, they should. No one should have to go through a storm alone.

Jesus’ disciples were all in the same boat the day a terrible storm hit the sea of Galilee. They were out in the middle of it. Even the most seasoned sailors among them, Peter, James, and John, were terrified. If they were not terrified of the waves and the wind, they were terrified by a lone figure walking out on the tumultuous seas toward them. They did not recognize that it was Jesus approaching. They cried out, “It is a ghost!”

“But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” Matthew 14:27

There is something about someone you love coming to you in the midst of your storm to tell you they are there. They really do not have to say much- just their reassuring presence or the touch of their arm is all it takes to maybe not to calm the seas, but at least to calm the nerves.

Perhaps there is a storm brewing right now in your life. The weather forecaster could not have predicted it, yet still it is there and it threatens to overwhelm you. A funnel cloud of depression swoops down to suck out every trickle of vitality left in you. When you go through the storm, all looks dark until you look out on the horizon. Just when you think it can’t get any worse, an unrecognizable figure appears as you say, “God, where are you when I need you?!” In your prayers that figure comes into clearer focus. It is Jesus- right there, right now, reaching out His hand for you.

Peter knew that hand was real when he stepped out onto the waves and walked toward his Master who had called out for him. However, when Peter lost his focus and started looking at the waves, he began to sink crying out, “Lord, save me! And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:29-30. We criticize Peter for his lack of faith, but he showed more courage and faith than the others by getting out of the boat and walking on the waves. Still, it is easy in the flesh to doubt the presence of the Lord because we are so easily moved by the things around us we forget Jesus is there, reaching out to us the entire time in the storm. It is not that Jesus has not reached out to us- we do not reach out to Him.

Do you feel like you are sinking beneath the waves today? Reach out to Jesus and take hold of His hand.

Have a blessed day!

07 July 2008 Devotion for Today “America a Great Nation?” I Timothy 2:1-4

This week was Independence Day, the 232^nd anniversary of the founding of our country. Isn’t America a great place to live? While it’s not a perfect place (like Heaven will be!), it’s a lot better than most other nations in the world today. America is a crazy place. Here’s what somebody wrote … “Only In America”:• Only in America can pizza get to your house faster than an ambulance.• Only in America are there handicap parking places in front of a skating rink.• Only in America do drug stores make the sick walk all the way in the back to get their prescriptions … while healthy people can buy suntan lotion up front.• Only in America do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries, and a diet coke.• Only in America do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway, and fill our garages with junk.• Only in America do we use answering machines to screen calls, and have call waiting, so we won’t miss a call from someone we didn’t want to talk to in the first place.• Only in America do we buy hotdogs in packages of 10, and buns in packages of 8.• Only in America do we have Braille on drive up ATM machines.

Yes, America can be a crazy place to live in at times, but it can also be a great place to live in if we will remember why God placed us on the planet.
The Apostle Paul gives us three things we can do to keep America great.

“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.: (I Timothy 2:1-4)

Paul says we need to do three things: pray, live lives of godliness and reverence, and to witness and tell others of what Jesus Christ has done for us. This is a formula for not only keeping America great, but for keeping any other nation great. You may also be a great person by following the formula down to yourself.

Our freedoms came at a tremendous cost to everyone who had a hand in securing it and keeping us free; from our Founding Fathers right down to the lowliest soldier on the streets of Baghdad. The very least we can do is to pray, live lives that God wants us to lead, and to share our faith with others. God expects us to use the freedoms He has given us to take the Gospel message into the whole world “who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

God bless America- America Bless God!