Still Walking That Walk?

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:6-7 It sometimes occurs to me that devotions may be in a sense 'preaching to the choir' as those who are wandering around lost probably have no real desire to read 'religious' things. The Holy Spirit though does have a way of drawing those that are lost to **Him and does it in 'accidental' ways at times. Shoving Jesus down someone's throat only serves to actually drive them further away from Him and intimidate them. My question to those who have accepted Christ as their savior is "Are you still walking with Him daily?" It is easy to let the cares of the world and busyness of daily life put things of the Lord on the back burner. I recently returned from vacation and it is especially challenging when away from home to have a quiet time. Make it your goal daily to purpose in your heart that you will arrange your schedule each day so as to allow the Lord to have first place. if you have a spouse that is less than interested you can still do your own thing and may set an example in doing so. Don't do it to prove anything or show off but do it because you love Jesus. When you walk daily with the Lord you will find that the things that trouble you are not so dominant and you will be better able to praise God even in a storm of life. PRAYER: I love being able to walk with you daily Lord. I thank you for freedom to do so. Many people in many nations do not have that freedom. Help me not to waste this freedom and to use it. Forgive me for when I have put you last and not first. In Jesus' name. Amen.

He Walked With God

The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.Genesis 6:6

In Chapter 5 of Genesis, the genealogy from Adam to Noah is given, and by Enoch's name it says the phrase "he walked with God." To me this says lots. It means he acknowledged God and followed His ways. Many others did not have this statement by their names. 

When you die someday will people say you walked with God or something else? Walking with God means you are not self righteous but you also are unashamed.and love the Lord. It does not mean you are better than others but that Jesus lives in you and you want to help others.

Right before the flood in the book of Genesis, not too many people were walking with God. He had had enough and decided to start mankind again with Noah's family. Are you ready to walk with God on a regular basis?

PRAYER: Sometimes I have gone my own way and listened to Satan instead of you. Forgive me Lord. I want to stay on your path and walk with you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Glorifying God?

 Do you not know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's spirit dwells in your midst? 1 Corinthians 3:16

On a daily basis we should be trying to glorify God. This is in your actions, your speech, and even in your thought life. I heard a saying once that said "if you were arrested for being a Christian would there be enough evidence to convict you?" Meditate on that or awhile. It's not saying are you a church member or are you baptized, but are you bringing glory to God on a regular basis.

If you work for a company that wears uniforms, when you go out in public you want to remember you represent this company simply by wearing their uniform. You do not want to bring discredit upon your employer by wrong behavior. Similarly as a believer we have to remind ourselves that we, in fact, are Christ's representative wherever we go.

Are you walking with the Lord and bringing Him glory daily or is there an area of your life that needs some work?

 PRAYER: It is my desire to be conformed completely to your image. Help me remember each day to be a good representative for the kingdom of God. In Jesus' name. Amen.

MY SHOES AND MY STEPS

This past week I actually sat down and watched the 2014 Miss America Pageant on TV something I had not done for years. It was very interesting. There were many "firsts". The first female solider, first contestant with only one arm, first talent competition where a contestant tore her ACL in practice and wore brace even in swimsuit competition the rest of the time. This was also the return to The famed Boardwalk in Atlantic City as well the first time in nine years as it had been in Las Vegas. Oh yes and the first tattoo.

This is also the first time I ever heard of a "shoe parade". I only saw clips of it but thought it was neat how each contestant in was in the back of a convertible and lifted up her leg to show her fancy choice of shoes that I think was to describe her personality or something to that effect. The female soldier donned her camouflage and Army boots which was cool. There were many very high heels. A couple contestants wore ice skates. This just gave me a idea for a devotion.

If you were to put on some shoes to describe yourself what would choose? If you could only select one kind. Think about that. For me it would be hiking boots. But just think about your footwear and how it is important and how in some countries people may not have shoes. With the shoes you wear are you "walking" for the Lord?

We are to put on those shoes and do the work of the Lord wherever we go. Sometimes it may be to a place we did not plan. That reminds me of a verse found in Proverbs 16:9 which reads ' A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure. ' More about those "steps" later.

In Ephesians 6:15(KJV) in listing the "fruits" of the spirit and how we are to "dress" ourselves each day it says "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." Think about if you are "spiritually clothed" and then read the entire chapter of Ephesians 6. Are you "walking", in whatever type shoe you wear, for the Lord?

You can put those "shoes" on as well and "prayer walk" certain places you go and "claim" them for Jesus or cover the area in prayer as you walk. Every step you take you can pray for "barriers" to be broken and "walls" to come down. You do not pray out loud so you could do this any time you are walking.

Psalm 37:23 is a good verse to end with. It says 'The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him.' Do you delight in Jesus? Put those shoes on and go out and walk for the Lord.

PRAYER: Help the steps I take and the places I go in life bring glory to you. Thank you that you order my steps. No matter if barefoot or with shoes on help me choose to walk for you. In Jesus name. Amen.

THE ARM TELLS THE STORY

While writing one day at a local coffee shop, a friendly lady with a tattoo on her upper arm, walked in and was waiting on her coffee. I am not a tattoo person and it is not for me to judge this issue one way or the other. Anyway she had a beautiful flower and what appeared to be the word "God" on her arm so I proceeded to ask her what it said. I do not remember it exactly but it was something to the effect that "God can get me through anything" or something similar. I gave her a thumbs up. Then I said to myself "Perfect devotion topic".

Christians can put on cross necklaces and take them off. We can have a Christian decal on our car but it can be scraped off if we change our mind. There are many fine Christian  tee shirts or neck ties for men that can be purchased. Once again they can be removed. A tattoo is pretty permanent so the person better be sure what they want before doing it.

When we represent Christ to others we need to be acting Christlike. If you don a Christian garment then better try to be a good witness. Same with the bumper sticker on your vehicle. Watch that speed! But it is rather hard to run away from a permanent skin marking. Other than covering it up with a sweater or jacket, it is there. If you start acting up there it is. I know we all sin and fall short of God's glory as it says in Romans 3:23.

This illustration though I thought was a good one. When you are out and about whether people can "tell" you are a believer or not we still should be acting like his "ambassadors" here on Earth.(2 Corinthians 5:20).  Are you being a good representative for Him or is there an area in your life that need some tweaking?

Colossians 3:17(NIV) reminds us 'whatever you do whether in word or deed , do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.'

PRAYER: Thank you Lord for the opportunity I have each day to show and share your love with those I come in contact with. I love to let your light shine so help me be the best example possible. In Jesus' name. Amen.

ARE YOU A 24/7 CHRISTIAN OR A CHURCH GOER?

What are you doing right this minute? Maybe you are in a coffee shop reading this or at work? Are you representing Jesus well in whatever you are doing? Does your light shine in the darkness around you? Just some questions to ask yourself.

There is a church in nearby Madison, Alabama that has a sign exiting the parking lot that simply says "You are now entering the mission field." Now that about sums it up. All of us who name the name of the Lord are missionaries in the little corner of the world God has placed us. It is not necessary to go overseas to be a missionary. There are many needy people right here. Look around you and see if there is a need you can meet in a hurting life. Get to know those around you. If you are working in an office somewhere do not chime in at the water cooler with all the other folks gossiping but instead let your light shine for Christ.

If you are blessed to get to be a stay home mom then your mission field is right there with your darling gifts from God. Do not beat yourself up comparing yourself to professional women thinking you need to be out there too. Your children are only home for such as short time you have such as small window of opportunity to impact their lives for Christ.

So around the clock in all of your waking hours no matter where life takes you your light should be bright for Jesus. Do not gripe, complain, worry, bicker, frown, judge, and get angry but focus on doing things to bring joy to others around

Is Sunday the only time you bring out the Bible or think about things of Christ? Do you desire to
change that? Ask God to place within you this desire for his word and the things of Christ. Be hungry for righteousness.

We are to be different than the world. 1 Peter  1:16 reminds us to" Be holy for I am holy." Does your life reflect the holiness of God? Matthew 5:16 says "Let your life shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Finally 1 Peter 2:12 says " Live such good lives among the pagans that , though they may accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us."

So there you have it? Do not just feel that you have arrived by checking the 'church block' on Sunday but go into the world the other 6 days sharing his love with others and above all do not forget to dust off that Bible and read it!!

PRAYER : I am so thankful for freedom in Christ.  I am  thankful Lord for the opportunity to freely go around different places impacting the world for you. Forgive me for any time I may have fallen short and did not set such a favorable example. In Jesus name. Amen.

BE A LIVING BREATHING SERMON

Do you show by your  actions that you love the Lord? I did not say do you have a fish on your car, a big cross around your neck, or a Jesus bumper sticker but do you truly show that you are a follower of Christ. All the Christian bumper stickers in the world won't amount to anything unless you show love to those around you.

Are you kind, generous, happy, respectful, grateful, unselfish, and loving? I did not ask if your went to a certain church or were a member of a church but can you get outside your 'Holy  huddle' and show Jesus' love to those maybe who make you feel uncomfortable or who are not just like you?  Can you stop judging, condemning, and pointing the finger long enough to pray for those people who maybe aren't like you or who do not like you?Can you forgive?

Matthew 5:46 says "If you love those who love you what reward  will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?"  Are you able to show love for those who may be different than you let's say covered with tattoos or body piercing as one example. Remember the Bible says in Matthew 7:1 " Judge not that you be not judged." Have you ever been guilty  of saying "I can not stand her" or " he makes me sick?"  Aren't comments such as those a bit on the unloving, unkind, and unchristian side? I would think so. Do you think Jesus sat around with His disciples and said "He makes me sick" or "I can't stand him?" Probably not. Sure he was displeased with actions but not by the people.

Do you realize you reap what you sow? It says that in Galatians 6:7. Look it up in the New Testament right after the four gospels, Acts, Romans, and 1st and 2nd Corinthians there are the books you can find by saying the acronym 'Gentiles Eat Pork Chops' or 'General Electric Power Company' which are Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. Each of those small,but valuable books of the Bible, is packed with so much wisdom. Why not take about 30 minutes and read them all one day.

Let me leave you with this. Once I heard someone say "You may be the only Bible some people ever read."  This simply means that some people who are 'unchurched' or could care less about 'religious' things may see you and you can reflect the love of Jesus. But if you are complaining, calling people names, gossiping and not showing joy you are not a good example for Him. Just some food for thought for your day. Be blessed to be a blessing.

PRAYER: Lord I choose to walk in a manner that brings glory to you and helps show Christian love and is a good witness Convict me if I ever start to name call or gripe and help me instead learn to sing praises. Forgive me for ever speaking ugly about anyone. In Jesus name. Amen.

Click on link below for an awesome song of praise.
http://youtu.be/qrOywJnLj7Y

Note: Dated my devotion wrong yesterday. It should have been Wednesday 29 August 2012. Maybe no one noticed but I caught it too late.

SIMON SAYS

If we claim to be a Christian we should want to try to be like Christ. We need to be on guard to not get sucked into the cultures way of thinking and doing things. This is not to say you can not have fun and have to go sit in a monastery somewhere but in things we say and do we should try to be Christlike.For instance how many of us have hurt someone with things that we have said that you would never think of saying if Jesus were standing right there? News flash...Jesus is always there. Jesus himself would never say hurtful or rude things to people. We are to strive to be like Him so there is your assignment. Be nice!

To be Christlike we need to be approachable and not so 'holier than thou' which turns people off. There are two extremes. The first is the  being 'baptized in vinegar' where a person can not even seem to crack a smile and is a pretty self righteous person too thinking their way is best or their church knows it all. Next is the person that just goes right on with the flow of the modern culture and uses no discernment in their activities. The first way is extreme in people trying to act  'religious' and better than people  but they  are ineffective witnesses for Him because of their attitude The next scenario is when it is hard to really tell the person is a believer at all because they are really no different than the world. There is a balance.

 We know 'this world' is not our home and we are to be set apart for holiness. If you claim to be a Christian do people even know you are a Christian? Do you try to hide it? Are your actions any different from those who deny Christ? Do you chime right along cussing,drinking, gossiping and doing things you know would bring dishonor upon the name of Christ or do you seek to be his witness where He has placed you?

You know the kids' game called Simon Says where the person says "Simon Says put your hand on your nose" and we are to put our hand on our nose? This goes on until the part with 'Simon Says' is left out and if you still do it then you lose. Jesus is like Simon except bigger, of course. In His word it has allot to say about following Him and being like Him. 1 Corinthians 4:16 says "Therefore I urge you to imitate me". 1 Corinthians 11:1 says "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ." Philippians 3:17 says "Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you." Philippians 3:10 says "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death."

We are in a battle between heaven and hell. Ephesians 6:12 says "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places". If we are not on our guard we will believe deceiving voices and get sucked into the schemes of the enemy. Satan himself appears as an angel of light it says in 2 Corinthians 11:14. He is a trickster out to 'take us out' and make us ineffective for kingdom work. Be alert for we are not ignorant to his tactics. Say "Get thee behind me Satan!"

In Mark 4:18-19 it says  pertaining to believers that "Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.” The enemy does not want you to read the Bible or imitate Christ. In 1 Peter 1:16 it says "For the scriptures says -Be ye holy for I am holy." Pretty clear cut wouldn't you say? Are you trying to conform to the worlds ways more than God's ways? Satan is an enemy of the cross of Christ and he is trying to mess with our minds and make us think bad is good and good is bad. That is why you have to be grounded in the word of God to clearly know the truth.

If you have messed up and gone your own way and know you have done things that displease God and bring discredit to Him and hurt you and your walk with Christ,  the good news is that He is a loving and forgiving God. His arms are wide open waiting for you to come back to Him. He forgives. Psalm 86:5 says "You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you." John 15:18-19 reminds us "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."

So it is your choice. Do you do as God says or follow the ways of the world and lies of the enemy?

PRAYER: Father in the things I say and do I want to be conformed to your image. Use me Lord to help draw others closer to you and not further away. Help me light up the world around me with the love of Christ. Forgive me Lord when I have let the worlds ways influence me. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Happy Sunday! Click on link below for a worship song.
http://youtu.be/UqQ7-sxFEw0