"R U Hard or Soft Clay?"

“As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand.” (Jeremiah 18:6b, NLT) If you have ever seen a skilled potter at work, you know they create beautiful works of art with what seems to many others to be just simple clumps of clay. The potter looks beyond what most of us “see” in the clay to that which he imagines “can truly be!” Isn’t that what God’s Word teaches us about how our Lord sees us – His living works of art.
1 Samuels 16:7 decries, “God does not see the same way people see. People look at the outside of a person, but the Lord looks at the heart (i.e. He sees the ‘divine potential’ of the soul which He lovingly places into each of us at the moment we are conceived).” (NCV) God often shares some of that divine insight with those of us who He has called to shepherd the souls of His spiritual flock (believers, His Church) so that we can better help fellow clay vessels in their journey to becoming fine works of Kingdom art. Over the years of ministry, I have come to understand more of the use of the potter imagery spoken of by Jeremiah. I realize that every human being is a unique vessel which is hand-crafted in the Great Potter’s own hands and each work of His creation is divinely imprinted with our Creators’ own image – “God created human beings in His own image. In the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27, NLT) That divine imprint of our Creator affirms our great worth / value given to us by the very One who fashioned us (Isaiah 64:8). Yet many choose to dismiss or disregard this eternal truth, and as a result become clay that is dry, stiff and devoid of moisture (water; ‘unrepentant clay’) – a self-made condition that renders us unusable in the Potters hands. We must understand that our Potter’s grand design depends on the malleability (i.e. moldability) of His clay. If we choose to allow Him to moisten us through His use of “living waters” (John 4:10) poured across and worked deeply into our lives through His Word (Ephesians 5:26), then we will become soft, pliable (malleable) clay which is ready for His divine shaping into the work of art which He has destined us to become! This morning, I would challenge you to reflect on your own spiritual malleability – are you allowing God to shape and mold you into a Kingdom treasure with immeasurable beauty and divine usefulness; or are you resisting the Potter’s hands, fighting against the divine design He has lovingly chosen for you since before the creation of time? (Ephesians 1:11-12) Yield to the loving hands at work in your life for the Great Potter knows exactly what He desires for the finished product to look like … Himself! …Selah!
Today's Spirit-led is a short pictorial devotional of the eternal truth shared above in today's WOTD. You can view the video devotional by clicking on the title, "Potter and the Clay" - G3 for sharing His power-filled words thru CCM & Praise!

"What Is Sitting Before You?"

“I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” (Psalms 16:8, Amplified Bible) The poetic language of today’s devotional text from Psalms expresses the way in which God was David’s strength in his life. The “right hand” in scripture is indicative of God’s saving power/ strength. Psalms 98:1 declares that believers are to “Sing to the LORD a new song, for He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have worked salvation for him (us).” Psalms 105:4 reminds us that we are to “(l)ook to the Lord and His strength (power); seek His face always.” When we survey the spiritual landscape of our nation today, we see the quintessence of the prophetic words spoken by the prophet Isaiah who forewarned of a period/season of time when people would “call evil good and good evil.” (Isaiah 5:20) It would seem from today’s headlines that we are living in the very period of time of which this word from the Lord was spoken. That is why God’s Word declares that we “set the Lord continually before” us each day—so that we may live in His power and be sustained by His strength amidst a world that is rapidly becoming more evil and pagan (ungodly). As Christians, we are called to live our lives in a manner that is “holy and pleasing to God” (Romans 12:1) before the sight of the Lord— and that task is simply impossible to do without our full dependence for His power & strength. Many in today’s Christian community (i.e. Church) have lives that sadly are filled with broken hearts, shattered witnesses, failing marriages, mounting self-created debt, immoral behavior and empty (vain) worship (Mark 7:7) simply because many are trying to live the Christian life on their own strength—and that will never work – never has, never will! The Apostle Peter reminds Christians that we are “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that (we) may declare the praises of Him who called (us) out of darkness into His wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9) As His Church, we need to honor the Lord by living our lives according to the timeless values and holy principles found in His Holy Word! So let’s either make or renew a covenant to “set the Lord continually before (us),” so that by His power/strength, we can firmly declare to Satan and his demonic crew that in Jesus Christ, we “shall not be moved!” (Psalms 62:6) ...Selah!
Today's Spirit-led CCM video is by Mercy Me and can be viewed by clicking on the song title, "Word of God Speak" - G3 for sharing His power-filled words thru CCM & Praise!

Partially or Fully Devoted to Christ?

“Protect me, for I am devoted to You. Save me, for I serve You and trust You. You are my God.” (Psalms 86:2, NLT) Where in the Holy Scripture does Jesus expect of His disciples anything less than total devotion? Jesus is perfectly clear in His absolute call for genuine believers to be fully-committed followers of Him. He is ever searching for those whose hearts are willing to abandon Self for the honor to journey with the Savior! 1 Chronicles 16:9 declares, “The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” (NLT) In Matthew 16:24, Jesus sets the bar of commitment for being a fully devoted follower of His - “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me.” There is no room for debate or negotiation – just as a popular maxim of our day declares – “It IS what it IS!” Too many believers today are trying to follow Jesus with one foot in the world and one foot in the kingdom (i.e. hanging onto self while trying to tug along with the Savior). It is a spiritual impossibility which Dr. Henry Blackaby from his Experiencing God study so perfectly addresses, “You cannot stay where you are (hold onto Self) and go with God!” It seems like many today consider ‘total allegiance’ to be a characteristic more associated with a cult rather than a foundational pillar of Christianity! Know the world however has no problem with partially-devoted followers of Christ – it is when we move from being partially-devoted to fully-devoted (wholeheartedly committed) that brings about their revile of us! Matthew 5:11 warns us of this response, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.” (NKJV) The headlines this morning affirm His truth by the firestorm already being released against Tim Tebow, the Heisman Trophy-winning American football quarterback for the Florida Gators. Tebow, a professing follower of Christ, will star with his mom in a 30-second pro-life ad produced by Focus on the Family (FOTF) which will air during the upcoming SuperBowl. Many in the media and secular organizations are reviling against both Tebow and FOTF for their pro-life stance, condemning their pro-life beliefs as ‘polarizing’ and ‘demeaning to the rights of women.’ Tebow – already known for his sharing of scriptures through his football eye black - is accepting the price / cost which comes in displaying a heart that is seeking to be ‘fully committed’ to our Lord Jesus Christ. What would YOU do given the same situation – I’m not talking about your having to be a well know college football star, but what if God brought your life to an intersection where you faced such a choice – either to be a partially-devoted follower of Christ amidst the watching crowds, or a fully-devoted follower that places you on the playing field of faith before a watching world? Your honest answer this morning to that simple Spirit-led question will reveal your true commitment level to Christ … of course verbal answers are typically easy; the true test comes in how you live out that answer in your life! …Selah!
Today's Spirit-led song for His devotion is the soulful "Fully Committed" by the Gospel group, Kingdom - G3 for sharing His power-filled words thru His gift of music for His praise & glory!

"Battlefield Strength"

“We will speak the truth in love, growing (deeper) in every way more and more like Christ…” (Ephesians 4:15, NLT) Seems like with each passing year, “speaking the truth in love” becomes more and more unpopular, especially to those called of God to “Preach the Word” (2 Timothy 4:2-4). For 14 years since entering vocational ministry, my heart has remained burdened over the unrepentant attitudes and apathy so prevalent today across America and throughout many of her community lighthouses (i.e. churches). The prophet Jeremiah penned similar feelings for his God-given desire to see God’s people heed the bugle cry of the watchman on the wall (Isaiah 21:6) for the approaching enemy and possibility of destruction that existed, “My heart pounds within me, I cannot keep silent. For I have heard the sound of the trumpet; I have heard the battle cry.” (Jeremiah 4:19b) In nearly every direction and on nearly every spiritual battlefield today, the enemy— Satan—seems to be scoring far too many “easy” victories…some thru brief skirmishes, most thru ground that has been surrendered with little to no resistance from God’s Soldiers of Light! Why? Some say because they are just too busy to fight the enemy; some say they are not ‘called’ to be out there on the battlefields; and many others simply don’t see the battlefields before them and don’t hear the battle cry which is issued for every believer to daily “Fight the Good Faith!” (1 Timothy 6:12) Yet we hear the warning from God’s Word, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.” (Matthew 13:14-15) We are - without debate - living in “perilous times” (2 Timothy 3) which are easily affirmed by the headlines of our day. Yet it seems with each passing month, more of God’s soldiers are choosing to walk off today’s spiritual battlefields…disheartened, debilitated, distraught, and many defeated! Each day, we must obediently choose to pick up His “sword of truth” (Ephesians 6:17, Hebrews 4:12) and courageously engage the enemy who longs to destroy us and everything the reflects God’s glory in His creation (John 10:10)! In the last days before Christ returns, God’s Word tells us that “sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.” (Matthew 24:12, NLT) Every soldier of Christ today has the decision to make each new day – either to continue fighting the good fight, or to leave the battlefields thereby yielding ground/territory for the enemy to freely claim! Lest we forget – these battles which we fight are not just for us, but also for the many who remain as spiritual POW’s behind the lines in the enemy’s camp awaiting the taste of true freedom that only comes through the victory Christ has already received! (Colossians 1:13-14, Galatians 5:1, 1 Corinthians 15:57)! …Selah!
Today's Spirit-led CCM video is a "classic" by Ron Kenoly and can be viewed by clicking on the song title, "Battle is the Lords" - G3 for sharing His power-filled words thru CCM & Praise!

"Are You Standing Your Post?"

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13) Going through the “volumes” of ministry networking emails which I receive daily, I came across an email with a heart-touching story which I had not heard in the news. It seems that when Hurricane Isabel was bearing down on Washington, DC in September 2003, an understandable panic/fear struck many hearts for the dangers such a storm posed! The federal government shut down along with area schools long BEFORE the storm even arrived. But a different response of character was taking place at Arlington National Cemetery (ANC)—“home” to 260,000 valiant veterans. ANC is also the site of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier which was built in 1921 to honor those who died for our country and it holds the remains of an unidentified fallen soldier. The Tomb is watched/guarded 24-hours-a-day, 365 days a year by the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as “The Old Guard.” Cemetery officials found themselves in a dilemma with Hurricane Isabella bearing down on the Capitol area. As this fierce storm approached Washington, DC area with sustained winds of 75 mph and torrential rain, the cemetery officials gave The Old Guard permission to leave their posts for “safety sake.” However, the soldiers refused to leave – they never abandoned their post guarding the Tomb! Staff Sergeant Alfred Lanier said the Tomb was something “we cherish.” Sgt. Christopher Holmes said leaving the Tomb is “never an option for us” and added he was prepared to die while guarding it. Just as President Eisenhower asked when he surveyed the bravery on the beaches of Normandy in WW II, “Where do we get such men?” As I read that story, I couldn’t help but think about Christians who have been willing to lay down their lives for the sake of the Cross of Christ despite all types of dangers / risks. But what does it really mean to “lay down your life?” It means to lay aside personal plans, selfish desires and worldly ways/plans so as to pursue God’s divine purposes for your life. 1 John 3:16 echoes this truth—“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” The question before the Church today—God’s people—is simple: Are we staying at our ministry posts amidst today’s spiritual and moral storms, or are we abandoning our God-appointed positions, surrendering to fear instead of valiantly serving in the Savior’s shadow? When today’s world looks at the church, do they see men and women of honor, valor and integrity in their lives of faith? God’s Word encourages every believer to stand firm (1 Corinthians 15:58) at their ministry posts today amidst the ever-increasing pressure to flee from intensifying battles! So from this day forward, let us all commit to be Christ’s Soldiers of Honor/Valor as we sacrificially serve Him through serving others around us in this life’s journey! …Selah!

Today's Spirit-led CCM video by Aaron Shust be viewed by clicking on the song title, "My Savior My God" - G3 for sharing His power-filled words through so many CCM songs today!

He Hears Our Cries

“For He has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy. He has not turned His back on them, but has listened to their cries for help.” (Psalms 22:24, NLT) As I awoke this morning, the news from Haiti continues to paint a much more grim picture – a death toll climbing possibly as high as 200,000 people. Behind each statistic in that figure was a face with a soul – a mom and a dad, an Aunt and an Uncle, a brother and a sister, a cousin, a missionary, a neighbor, a doctor, a fireman, a businessman, a teacher, a policeman, a farmer ,a neighbor and so many more! Real people whose dreams will be unreached, ambitions forever lost, goals left unmet, plans never to be made, visions unseen, and promises unfulfilled, All of these and so many more represented in a simple estimate involving a six digit number – 200,000+! The grief and deep suffering of this already poverty-stricken nation is being felt like an emotional shockwave which is traveling throughout the world via pictures electronically beamed – often in real time - into our homes, across the internet and into iPods and cell phones and across every printed newspaper headline. As I sit here at my desk this morning, I feel a sense of numbness as I try to comprehend the level of devastation and staggering loss of human life within the last seven days from fellow “neighbors” in this shared world which God has created for us all to live upon. I have been reflecting back on September 2005 when I served for six days as a Chaplain on the first Baptist Disaster Mission Team into Gulfport, Mississippi following the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. There I had the honor to serve in His name people who had lost everything, many grieving for the loss of loved ones, friends, neighbors as well as the loss of their homes, their places of work and even entire communities. Hurricane Katrina served as one of our nation’s worst disasters, with over 1,800 lives lost and levels of destruction never before seen upon our nation’s shores. Yet the cries being heard from the Haitian people this morning are near deafening – most awaking to yet another day of rising death tolls and a society which has literally collapsed all around them, and for many, on top of them. Yet amidst all the pain and suffering is One who lovingly declares, “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their distress and troubles.” (Psalms 34:17, Amplified Bible) The Message translation for that verse reads, “Is anyone crying for help? God is listening, ready to rescue you.” Despite the historic devastation for this little nation – the near incomprehensible levels of lives lost, the destruction of homes, businesses and entire communities – God is still at work and through it all His love is being / will be poured out through those who at this very moment are valiantly serving at ground level in this epic disaster. Pray for His protection, His provision, His power and His peace to experienced through what the enemy surely wants to claim as a victory (John 10:10a). God is faithful and hears the prayers of His people – may we serve as intercessors of our Christian faith that is to be lived out BOTH in word and deed, “Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” (1 John 3:18, NLT) Pray for His eternal, unchanging love (Romans 8:37-39) to be released and seen in everyone who responds to the cries of an entire nation in mourning today and for God’s promises for renewed Hope to come to a nation this morning filled with many who look around from the destruction surrounding them and feel an overwhelming sense of ‘hopelessness!’ …Selah!
The Lord placed today's song in my heart immediately following the devotion, yet I was unable to find the original tract. I did find a young man who was singing it while in a park as a prayer to God, and have included it here to bless today's WOTD which He has given us, "Hear My Cry Oh Lord."

Where R Your Chains?

“Now I will break the yoke of bondage from your neck and tear off the chains of … oppression.”(Nahum 1:13, NLT) As I was preparing for a message from the Lord a few years ago, I came across a powerful quote regarding spiritual bondage penned by Pastor Damian Phillips of Camp Ground Baptist in which he wrote, “An elephant is a huge and powerful animal but he will obey his trainer and stay right where the trainer places him and not move. You see, early in his training the trainer will place a chain on the elephant’s foot, and no matter how hard the elephant tries to pull away he can’t budge himself. The elephant soon stops trying to pull away because he has learned where the chain will stop him and he becomes tired of trying. Later the trainer can take the chain off and the elephant will not go past the distance where he was normally stopped by the chain. Satan wants to keep us chained right where we are, not being able to experience God’s blessings. He wants us to think that it’s better to give up and quit trying rather than be disappointed. Many of us have not been able to break free of our bitter lives and venture into new territory in God’s Promised Land because we have not tasted and seen that the Lord is good. We haven’t tasted any good grass to motivate us to cross that fence and wind up on the other side because we haven’t dared to try.” Remember the Biblical story of Joshua and Caleb and the 12 spies and their different perspective of the Promised Land of Cannan? (Numbers 13) Ten of the twelve spies, their perspective of the Promise Land was one based in FEAR! They reported that the land was filled with giants that were so big it made them look like grasshoppers in their eyes (vv. 31-33) They feared stepping out on faith because their perspective was one made at ground (i.e. human) level based in fear and not at a level based in His FAITH! Such ungodly fear always issues false reports/assessments of life’s battlefields that lie before us and ahead of us along the trail of life. Yet two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, held confidence in the promise of God to give them this land and decried in their report, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” (vv. 30) The ten spies were much like that of the story of the elephant - they held the same power for victory which God had promised them, yet remained chained to a life devoid of divine power and purpose because they lived out life’s journey by sight, not by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7). When you assess your faith walk with Christ in this new year, which are you most like—the ten spies (elephant) or Joshua and Caleb? Are their areas in your life that you continue to allow the enemy to keep you fearfully chained from doing that which God has promised for you to do? If so, confess them before God and ask Him by faith to honor His promise to “...break the chains that bind His people…” (Isaiah 9:4, NLT) It’s time God’s people move forward by faith—we’ve been listening to too many false reports about too many giants in the land of God’s promises! And in case we need reminding, there was another ‘little’ story in the Bible about giants … one in partucular named Goliath (1 Samuel 17)! …Selah!
Today's Spirit-led CCM video by Stephen Curtis Chapman can be viewed by clicking on the song title, "Remember Your Chains" - G3 for sharing His power-filled words through so many CCM songs today!

"Who R U Pleasing?"

"they (Israelites) pleased themselves” (Isaiah 2:6, KJV) Today we see our once great nation in danger of being completely turned away from God by many whose wicked desires are for us to become a godless, secular society. Interestingly, most Americans still claim to believe in God. In fact, most professing Christians claim they believe in God and the Bible— yet the problem is many simply don’t live what they profess! (i.e. there is little visible witness of God’s power at work, transforming their life and impacting the world around them). Del Fehsenfeld Jr. wrote in his book, Ablaze With His Glory, that, “perhaps nothing saps more vitality and power from the life of God’s people today than this relentless pursuit of pleasure. We have time for television, ballgames, movies, parties, vacations, sports and magazines. But we can’t find time to pray, to study God’s Word, to discipline our lives, to serve the Lord or to witness for Him...Happiness has replaced holiness as the ultimate goal of God’ s people.” Prophetically penned over seventeen years ago, Fehsenfeld’s words indeed hits the mark both then and now! Why are more and more Christian parents choosing Little League sports/games over mid-week church ministries / services; why are most church parking lots filled at concerts or food fellowships and near empty come time for prayer meeting or Bible study or even Sunday morning service; why do so many arise every day for work but we leave Sunday as the only day the claim to have to ‘sleep in;’ why do an increasing number of Christians watch TV shows and movies filled with gratuitous sex, violence and pagan storylines while having no sense of shame or conviction; why has the speech of so many believers become coarse / crude thereby leaving it to be irreverent to our precious witness of Christ; why has so many of today’s churches become “spiritual islands / bunkers” in the midst of the communities where God has planted them to go out into its fields and serve; and why are more people today seeing the Christian faith as “irrelevant” to the issues they are facing in life? The simple answer to all of these questions is that the true holiness of God and His eternal truth shared through His Word is not allowed by many believers to be treated as REAL, so if holiness/ truth is not completely real to all areas in the lives of His people, then how can Christ be believed to be REAL to others in the world around us who do not yet know Him? The Apostle Paul strongly exhorted the believers at Thessalonica to focus their lives on pleasing God - “We urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God!” (1 Thessalonians 4:1, NLT) Life’s journey is not about pleasing yourselves, nor is it to be about pleasing others – it is to be all about pleasing the God who created us and who loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us upon Calvary’s Cross! What truly pleases God is when His people live life’s journey in total faith (trust) to His Will His Way! So take a few moments and ask God to help you answer this question in full honesty, “Who am ‘I’ living to truly please? Myself? Others? Or God? More than ever, our nation needs to see Christians whose lives radiate the true righteous heart of God, lives that are completely surrendered to pleasing the One whose name we claim to bear! Do they see clearly see the One in whom YOU are living to please? That’s a divine question worthy of our heart’s answer today! …Selah!

Today's Spirit-led CCM video by David Crowder Band can be viewed by clicking on the song title, "O Praise Him" - G3 for such power songs with such powerful lyrics from His living, eternal truth!

"Spiritual Arthritis Got You Stiff?"

Arthritis is a painful, debilitating inflammation of one’s joints which can severely inhibit motion / movement. Left untreated, arthritis can allow the joint areas to wear and tear which can result in permanent loss of mobility and function. In the Church today, epidemic levels of Christians seem to be suffering from “spiritual arthritis” which is severely “crippling” her witness and impeding her spiritual motion (journey of faith) before a watching, lost world. Like physical arthritis, “spiritual arthritis” involves similar symptoms such as the painful resistance to movement, severe stiffness and limited mobility, inflammation (pain/suffering), fatigue (weariness) and deformity in one’s connecting points (i.e. joints). We see through God’s Word that this spiritual malady has a family history—“You stiff-necked people...You are just like your fathers...resisting the Holy Spirit!” (Acts 7:51) You see, “spiritual arthritis” results from our “resisting the divine movement of God” in our lives. It’s deeply rooted in a rebellious spirit that says before God, “I want things MY way! I’m not going to change! I don't intend to move in a particular direction!” The resulting effect — the devastating loss of spiritual movement of God’s people which is leaving many of today’s churches near lifeless and vacant week after week. Stricken with this spiritual illness, its symptoms become clearly evident: the loss of His power (strength)—His joy—His hope—His vision and His witness! Sadly, “spiritual arthritis” seems to be spreading more rapidly across this blessed nation of ours. In community after community, once vibrant, active churches are now idle, spiritually and physically ‘locked up’ because of the immobility caused from this debilitating soul sickness. Thankfully, “spiritual arthritis” is NOT an incurable spiritual disease — the prescription for its cure is simple - it involves: confession (agreeing with God that you are spiritually ‘sin’ sick by the choices that you have freely made), repent (stop being spiritually disobedient/inactive to God’s Spirit in your life and return to the journey of faith that He has planned for you), and the receiving of His fresh anointing as He lubricates those once stiff joints by “pour(ing) out (His) oil of joy on you” (Hebrews 1:9, NLT). Left untreated, “spiritual arthritis” will always cripple us (His church) and our mission to impact a lost world for Jesus Christ! So how are your spiritual joints today...are they stiff? If so, the Great Physician prescribes using that bottle of “Oil of Joy” sitting on the shelf … use it as many times during the day as you like for it has no limits on refills and the divine product will never expire! …Selah!
Today's Spirit-led CCM video by Michael W. Smith can be viewed by clicking on the song title, "Healing Rain" - G3 for such power songs with such powerful lyrics from His living, eternal truth!

"Cotter Pin Faith"

“Be alert and on your guard; stand firm in your faith (“hold tight to your convictions,” The Message). Act like men and be courageous; grow in strength!” (1 Corinthians 16:13, Amplified Bible) In the Spring 2006, I had to install a new hitch bar assembly for my truck to be able to safely pull the cargo trailer for our then new church plant, Journey 2427. Upon closer examination after its installation, I found the design to be fairly simple, yet sturdy enough for the task of towing well over 5,000 pounds! Yet one component of the assembly caught my eye - the “cotter pin” which acts as a safety feature for preventing the steel pin from slipping out of the hitch which would then allow the trailer / whatever I am pulling to come loose from my truck and either be destroyed and/or harm others along the road as I travel. As I pondered over this design, I found that our Christian faith has similar features —our faith is to be simple (’childlike’-Mark 10:15); our faith is to be strong (’strength’- Philippians 4:13), our faith is to be secure (‘eternally’ - Ephesians 4:30, John 6:37-40), and our faith is to be actively used (’be doers of His Word,” James 1:22) as we journey through life. I believe we all must take close examination of the function of the “cotter pin” of our faith which I liken to be our ‘daily obedience’ (walk/journey with Christ). Each day that we arise, that “cotter pin” of our faith must be properly engaged or else we could risk devastating consequences. God’s design (plans) has each of us carrying precious cargo in these life vessels of ours - the Gospel of Jesus Christ! If we choose to neglect His design (i.e. His plans), then we are, in essence, removing the “cotter pin” (i.e. safety pin) and placing our lives and the lives of others in jeopardy. We see that today— many doing exactly what “they” want to do (self-focused) – the symbolic picture of a runaway trailer down the highway. Sooner or later, it will hit something or someone else causing destruction and possibly death. That’s the clear effect of our own sinful choices when we freely choose to remove the “cotter pin” (i.e. disobey God’s ways) by erroneously believing Satan’s lie that we have total control, yet in reality, what we have done is yielded the control of our lives over to Satan whose sole goal is to ”destroy” both you and me (John 10:10)! So check the “cotter pin” of your faith daily — make sure it is solidly engaged in God’s Word, prayer and obedience at all times. Let’s get ‘hooked up tightly’ to the Lord because we each have a special job to do for Him every new day – we can’t afford to lose the cargo He has given us to carry through this life’s journey – the Good News of Jesus Christ! …Selah!
Today's Spirit-led CCM video by Matt Redman can be viewed by clicking on the song title, "You Never Let Go" - such a power song connecting the spiritual imagery of today's devotion ... G3!

"Passion Problems?"

“Never be lacking in zeal (i.e. spiritual passion), but keep your spiritual fervor (enthusiasm/commitment/loyalty), serving the Lord.” (Romans 12:11) Our culture is spiritually hungry today - morally famished in fact - yet many are not even considering Christianity as a compelling choice amongst competing religions today as the answer to their soul’s hunger...Why? There may be several answers to this question, but I think it primarily boils down to the fact that for much of the Church today (His people / Christians), there is a critical lack of authenticity! The world sees under the “banner of Christianity” many folks who “profess to be Christians,” yet are unethical at work, are unfaithful to their spouses, cheat on their taxes and are inconsistent in their relationships and are selective in their obedience to God’s Word. Simply put, they are sadly seeing an explosion of “hypocrites” in today’s church! People who say they have been changed by the Lord and yet live as if they don’t know Him greatly damaging the witness of Christ and hinder the redemptive work of God in reaching a lost, dying world with the love of His Son, Jesus Christ! Dr. Henry Blackaby says, “The problem of America is not unbelievers; the problem of America (today) is the people of God...comparing the lost world to the churches...there’s virtually no difference between the two. Our gospel is (being) canceled by the way we (are) living.” Our culture longs to see real Christians, not perfect Christians, but genuine Christians who daily traverse through this journey called life with perseverance, integrity, compassion and Christ-led action…all of which are anchored to a true, vibrant relationship with Christ! 1 John 3:18 declares, “Let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” (NLT) In Matthew 6:21, Jesus says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” What we treasure reflects where our passion & our priorities truly lie! The problem with many Christians today is that we don’t honestly treasure (i.e. cherish/ adore/ worship) God as we really should. We seek to fit Him into our busy schedule when it’s most convenient for us. I’ll read my Bible later...I’ll pray in a little while...I will attend church when I feel like it … and the list goes on. Yet God reminds us that if we really want to know Him as Lord over all of our lives, then we must place Him as first priority—“You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all (100%) your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13) When He is placed as first priority—when He is truly allowed to become your first love (Matthew 22:36-40, Revelation 2:4)—then you will find time to spend with Him. And spending time in His presence (in His Word/in prayer/in worship) is the true hallmark of an authentic Christian because it is in that intimate time with the Savior that fuels the divine fire of Christ within our hearts - “Stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flames of, and keep burning) …the inner fire that is in you!” (2 Timothy 1:6) When we allow Christ to stir / fan into flames the fires of faith in our lives, then a true zeal/passion for loving Christ and serving Him will become the foundation of our life witness before a world that longs for authenticity! So ask God to throw a couple logs on the spiritual fire of your heart – others need to feel the warmth of His love through your life! …Selah!
Today's CCM video is a "1987 Classic" and can be viewed upon clicking the title of the song, "After God's Own Heart - A Zeal for God" by Steve Camp.

"Actively Waiting"

“I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and He turned to me and heard my cry.” (Psalms 40:1, NLT) If we are completely honest, waiting upon the Lord is not one of the things we can say we truly enjoy. We are a people spoiled by time – and so very often controlled by it – we want what we want yester-moment! Sadly, I have to admit that in some areas, I struggle with this common issue of impatience. For instance, I tend to rush the microwave along when cooking a frozen dinner by leaving it in for 2:35 seconds in lieu of instructed 3 minutes (maybe that’s why I sometimes hit those cold bites every now and then … yuck!) Or what about the issue of stoplights – now there is a topic that I can preach a sermon on when it comes to waiting/patience! This reminds me of a true story I heard a few months ago of a kindergarten class that was learning their colors. The teacher was asking her class about colors they see while driving with mommy and daddy. The teacher asked one student, “When you are with your parents driving across town and a stoplight turns red, what are mommy and daddy suppose to do?” The child smiled and said “Stop!” “That’s right … what if it turns green?” said the teacher and the child again smiled and responded, “Go!” “What do we do when the stoplight turns yellow?” The child thought for a moment and then gleefully responded, “Go faster!” Our struggles with impatience are on display more times than we would like to admit – before the eyes of our children, before our family & friends and before the world who are always watching closely to see what difference our faith truly makes in life’s journey. That’s why it is even more important to trust God fully when those times arise that we have to wait on Him for an answer to our prayer(s). Psalms 27:14 declares, “Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” (NLT) ‘Bravery and courage’ comes into play when we are tempted to take matters into our own hands by becoming impatient with God’s timetable of response! But He promises to answer in His divine way and to deliver us from where we are to where He desires us to be - “Wait for the LORD, and He will deliver you.” (Proverbs 20:22) Waiting is not an inactive time – in fact, it is some of the most active times in our journey of faith for it is then that our “trust muscles” are being intently exercised, stretched beyond our own capabilities to a level where we will divinely receive His ‘fresh strength.’ Isaiah 40:31 promises that “those who wait upon God get fresh strength!” (The Message) Whatever you may be waiting on the Lord for, trust Him and His Will to respond in the right way at the right time. As those bold words of confidence declare in Daniel 3:17, “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us … and He will!” Now there is a divine promise truly worth waiting for to every prayer we uplift to Him! …Selah!
Today's CCM video can be viewed upon clicking the title of the song, "While I'm Waiting" by John Waller.

Commit or Cringe?

“Commit (let go/release/surrender) your way to the LORD; trust (depend on / be confident) in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn (authenticate your faith life), the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.” (Psalms 37:5-6) As we, by God’s grace alone, begin yet another life year, we each must do exactly what the Lord commands...commit it all to Him! That means our plans, our dreams, our daily activities, our desires are all to be released/surrendered to Him. As the culture war continues to intensify, it is even more imperative that God’s people do God’s will God’s way and not our own will our own way! As I shared often our church family, we each need to stretch beyond our reach to do that which only God can do in and through us! (Ephesians 3:20) The world around us is in dire need of seeing those who “profess new life in Christ ” authentically live out that new and abundant life just as Jesus did (1 John 2:6). The fruit of our lives lived out in Christ Jesus is a daily witness of His righteousness which is to be clearly seen in our actions and heard in our speech. (Hosea 10:12, Titus 2:7-8) God commands us that we are “here to bear fruit, reproduce, lavish life on the Earth, (and) live bountifully…” (Genesis 9:7, The Message) That means we are to live with God-given purpose which produces the fruit of a righteous in our hearts and life. (Philippians 1:9-11) But to see this fruitful harvest of righteousness in our lives, we have to stay connected to the living vine of life...Jesus Christ! (John 15:1-8) Apart from Him, we’ll do nothing...bear no fruit, reflect no witness and miss our God-given purpose in life. How do we stay connected then amidst the stormy conditions in life’s mission fields today? Study daily God’s Word and apply it to today’s culture (1 Chronicles 12:32), regularly seek His heart in prayer (Jeremiah 33:3), obey His life truths (John 14:15) and courageously stay loyal to God as you serve Him daily. (Daniel 11:32, Deuteronomy 13:4) Let’s let it all go in complete trust to God this year in 2010 … allow this to be the greatest year of spiritual adventure in this journey called Life! ...Selah!
Today's CCM video can be viewed upon clicking the title of the song, "I Surrender All" by Brian Littrell.

Stepping Out & Up for Christ!

“The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him." (2 Chronicles 16:9, NLT) When thinking about what it means to be fully committed to Christ, I felt the Lord lead me to ponder the type of commitment involved in two “extreme sports” - ‘base jumping’ and ‘paragliding.’ Both involve a full commitment (i.e. total dependence / complete trust in) in the equipment associated with each sport . Whether flying at 700 feet in a paraglider, or stepping off of a 2,000 foot cliff, both participants enjoy the blessings of their sport by exercising faith/trust over the genuine fears/risks involved. As I reflected upon that observation, I thought how that principle is also true for Christians. Christians are called to totally surrender (be ‘fully committed’) to the Lordship of Christ in our lives—to love Him completely (Matthew 22:37-40). Hebrews 10:22-23 declares, “Let us go right into the presence of God, with true hearts fully trusting Him...Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep His promise.” (excerpted) Wow, did you catch that awesome life point—God desires true (sincere, real) hearts that fully (completely) trust Him! When a base jumper’s feet leaves the ground, that’s a powerful picture of TOTAL commitment! He leaps ’joyfully’ into the air, leaving the security of the solid earth to soar, if but a few seconds, like an eagle (Isaiah 40:30-31). The same is true with a paraglider—as his aircraft demonstrates the laws of aerodynamics by developing more lift than drag, he and his man-made fowl break the bond of gravity and climb gently into the sea of air above the earth. Is our Christian faith this evident to others—are we “fully committed” to Christ and His Word such that we daily strive to “live for/walk with” Him (Acts 4:13 & 15:26)? Are we stepping out “in faith” (2 Corinthians 5:7) each new day that we awake, or are we simply staying on the ground, “playing it safe?” Soaring with the eagles is indeed risky stuff—but nowhere in His Word are we promised a life free of risk or injury! We are promised a “safe landing,” not a smooth journey along the way! In fact, God even puts us on notice that at times, we will assuredly encounter severe turbulence in our life flight to heaven (‘persecution’ & ‘hated’, John 15:20, Mark 13:13) if we seek to be fully committed to Him and His Kingdom purposes. So the question is, “R U Fully Committed to Christ?” Examine your life closely—it will easily reveal the order of the priorities of your heart. Let’s jump out in faith together—serving Him with lives that are fully and totally committed to His Lordship...for if we do, this nation and today’s culture will be touched for Christ unlike never before! We are truly in need of Christians today who are willing to live the EXTREME life that accompanies a daily decision to be fully committed to God & His living Word! …Selah!
Today's video can be viewed upon clicking on the title, "Christ the Redeemer Base Jump" and involves an Austrian man who jumped from Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to perform the lowest BASE jump ever recorded. This is a GREAT representation of what it is to give your life fully & completely to Jesus Christ to be "fully committed!"

R U Truly Homesick?

In their song “Don’t It Make You Want To Go Home,” the CCM music group, Newsong, sings the words , “The morning paper is reading like a scroll—Like the headlines from 2000 years ago—Everywhere I see the signs—My heart’s telling me it’s almost time.” That song seems to capture the direction where our hearts need to be focusing—toward our eternal home. Seems to me that more and more families today are being snagged by the trappings of this world—money, stuff and self-seeking pleasures. More Christians today are succumbing to the “lures of the world” - willingly accruing huge amounts of debt by living beyond their means, spending more time on all other types of “activities,” and then decrying “I have no time for church...or the things I know need to be doing (e.g. serving, daily Bible study-prayer)” - ultimately, they are saying by their actions that they have no time for Jesus! It’s the “Walk the Talk” principle seen in James 2:17 that “faith without deeds (service, actions) is useless!” 1 John 3:18 commands that believers “not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” You see, just “talking” about Jesus never brings salvation nor true transformation in our lives...the Pharisees “talked about Jesus,” and yet they led the charge to crucify Him; many in the crowds which welcomed Jesus in celebratory fashion into Jerusalem “talked about Jesus,” yet days later were heard screaming “Crucify Him!;” and Pontius Pilate “talked about Jesus,” but found himself standing before a beaten and bloodied Jesus asking the question “What is Truth?” (John 18:38) You see, anybody can “talk about Jesus,” but Jesus says I want you to know Me (through a personal love relationship) and to worship and serve Me daily in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24) That demands that we fix the eyes of our heart on Him (Hebrews 12:2) and allow that focus to prioritize our eternal values which direct our daily life actions! Matthew 24:37 declares, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” As you read and study the headlines and current events of today (1 Chronicles 12:32), there can be little debate that history is entering into its finals days before Jesus returns. OF course, the ‘Final Days’ actually began the moment Jesus arose from the grave! This Biblical truth should place in our daily step a sense of spiritual urgency to be drawing ever closer to Christ in our love relationship with Him and faithfully doing the will and work which He has uniquely purposed for each of our lives. The time clock is ticking closer & closer to His return...are you ready? Is your family ready? Is your church family truly ready? Until He comes, let’s serve Him out of love and in truth, not in “empty words” (Job 35:16)! Look at the time...let’s “Go and make disciples” as we seek to obediently honor His Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20)! …Selah!
Today's CCM video can be viewed upon clicking the title of the song, "Don't It Make You Want To Go Home" by Newsong.

Listening for His Victory!

"My people…if only you would listen and do as I say! I, the LORD, would quickly defeat your enemies with My mighty power.” (Psalms 81:13-14, CEV) One of the hardest things in this journey of faith is practicing daily consistency in submitting (yielding over / giving up) everything to God. James, who was one to never mince words, was clear when he penned God’s spirit-led command – “Submit (‘surrender’ CEV) yourselves … to God!” (James 4:7) Yet this is one area in most of our lives where we struggle to fully give up that old sinful nature of independence – we still have the inclination to taste the power of self-made wisdom, although in our hearts we know it is a fruitless choice. In one of my daily devotionals, Chris Tiegreen writes of this lurking quest for self-made power, “Why are we so captivated with our decision-making power? Why, even when we know that a sense of autonomy is Satan’s specialty and the root of our sin, do we insist on maintaining little pieces of it in various corners of our lives? Whey, when God tells us one thing and our internal compulsions tell us another, do we often choose the compulsions? What does that say about our trust in God? … When we choose our own will over God’s, we’re mistrusting Him and trusting ourselves.” That is what submitting is all about … the complete yielding of our will, our desires, our plans, our ’wisdom’ to His Will, His desires, His plans and His divine wisdom! When we do this, CHANGE will come … not in God, but in our own hearts/lives! In a world filled with independent thinkers (aka ‘know it all’ers’), those who would bend (yield / submit) their knees and hearts before God’s divine truth will show a difference that the world will see. Malachi 3:18 declares, “Then everyone will once again see the difference between those who obey Me by doing right and those who reject Me by doing wrong.” (CEV) In this new year, let’s really work on our ‘listening’ skills to the living words of God– because with our obedience to this command comes a powerful promise from the Lord …”the quick defeat our enemies with His mighty power” – now that’s an offer I believe most of us should find difficult to refuse! As Matthew 11:15 declares, to “he who has ears, let him hear!” …Selah!
Today's CCM video can be viewed upon clicking the title of the song, "I'm Letting Go" by Francesca Battistelli.
A special note - typically the Lord leads me to a CCM song after I pen His words each morning through a search of related themes / lyrics, but this morning came in a special way - "as I was just listening" to the online CCM radio station in the background and at the exact moment I was finishing today's devotion. Thank you Lord ... You are so GOOD! :O)

"A happy heart is like good medicine..." Proverbs 17:22
nJoy this short clip from Christian comedian Tim Hawkins...

Water Boy or Warrior? Which Are You?

“All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and He will give all of you into our hands. As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.” (1 Samuel 17:47-49) One of my favorite stories in the Bible is “David and Goliath.” Not because of David’s name (which I like a lot), but because of his godly confidence in standing up to a towering giant (Goliath) when no one else would. Here’s a young boy with a slingshot and five smooth stones (v.40) going into battle when the army of Israel stood frozen in fear (v.11). What motivated this lad to engage in a battle that no other soldier would? He was offended that Goliath had insulted God and the armies of the living God (v. 26)! Listen to the powerful confidence declared from David’s heart as he faced this giant, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today...the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.” (vv. 45-46) Wow—what a testimony before a watching army! That same type of confidence is so desperately needed in God’s church today. We are seemingly surrounded by many “giants” which demand defeat! Yet much of the God’s Church in America seems like the army of Israel–frozen in fear and apathy/complacency. One key to David’s confidence/bravery is that he remembered God’s faithfulness in the past-”The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” (v.37) God’s people need to remember His faithfulness as David did. The enemies of God today are—like the Philistines— mocking God and His people. Who will be a “David” today and engage the many “Goliaths” before us in today’s culture? Today’s Church doesn’t need any more “water boys” - we need “warriors” who will spiritually fight for the heart and hope of our families and our land! Always remember, “the Lord God fights for YOU!” (Joshua 23:10) …Selah!
Today's CCM video can be viewed upon clicking the title of the song, "Always Enough" by Casting Crowns

"Considering Our Ways & His Ways"

“Think carefully about your ways. (“Take a good, hard look at your life. Think it over.” The Message / “Give careful thought to your ways.” NIV)” (Haggai 1:5,HCSB) Welcome to 2010 … a New Year that holds the ‘potential’ for a ‘New YOU!’ No matter how old you are – no matter where you’ve been, it is all history today (i.e. locked in the past where it will remain forever). That merits a “Praise God” for somethings which we would rather not see / experience again. I love to hear folks misquote the following statement, “History always repeats itself!” That statement, as we say in the South, just don’t hold water! The truth is simply this – History is not this ‘force or inexplicable entity that directs our lives and the events of life.’ History is simply the consequence of man’s choices – so when history ‘appears’ to be repeating itself, it is simply because man is making the same choices and reaping the same results. Proverbs 26:11b declares that “a fool repeats his foolishness.” What we need to do to break the repeat cycle of recurring history is to stop making the same choices and starting making new ones – godly ones! And the only way in which we can do this is through our being honest with God and ourselves as we ‘think carefully about our ways’ (i.e. our life choices) because God “wants complete honesty” (Psalms 51:6, CEV) of our hearts. The Apostle Paul tells us to “be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.” (Romans 12:3, NLT) Honesty begins with our moving our of the drivers seat of our lives and inviting God to truly come and take over - for the Truth that we need is HIM (John 14:6). For us to try to measure ourselves by our own merits will fall short every time because our examination is surface level only – His examination through His Word is deep, penetrating to the very marrow of our soul where it “judges the thoughts and attitudes of (our) heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) 1 Samuel 16:7 affirms this truth when it tells us that “the Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (NLT) God spoke this same truth to His prophet Jeremiah when He declared, "I the LORD search the heart and test (‘examine’) the mind…” (Jeremiah 17:10, ESV) So on the first day of a brand new year, I challenge you to find some time to “give careful thought of your ways.” Allow the Lord then to do His divine examination to reveal areas where we each need to CHANGE … beginning today, not tomorrow. The history of yesterday will only be repeated when you make the same choices and reap the same consequences – a most foolish move for us repeat as The Bible so accurately reminds us. It’s a New Year .. allow God to create a New You through spending some honest time before the divine counsel of His Word. Starting TODAY – completely let go (surrender) to His Work in preparing you for His Will for the journey ahead! …Selah!
Today's CCM video can be viewed upon clicking the title of the song, "Every Time I Breathe" by Big Daddy Weave