Keeping Your Eyes On Jesus, Regardless

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

When things are going good it is easy to keep your eyes on Jesus and be thankful but when stuff seemingly is going not so well where is your trust?  Fear can enter in a moments notice with no invitation. Are you going to allow it in is the question.

Keep your eyes on Jesus when:
You feel like complaining
You are ungrateful
You are angry
Hopelessness sets in
You feel selfish
Tragedy occurs
You feel let down
Fear knocks at your door
You are frustrated
If you are sad and lonely
During a pity party
If friends disappoint you
If you get bad news

Basically when you can turn your eyes totally upon Jesus it leaves little room for the devil to get in your peripheral vision. Totally immerse yourself in his love and his promises. Get rid of things in your life that cause you to lean towards not trusting Jesus.

PRAYER: I love you Lord but there have been occasional moments when fear starts to seep in and I know it is wrong. Help me to totally trust you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Ouch! That Hurts!

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:12-15

Say a friend or a family member has hurt you unintentionally or maybe intentionally with misspoken words some of which are very painful. This friend then wants reconciliation but you stubbornly resist. Or it could be the opposite case where you hurt someone unintentionally and they no longer care to hang out with you. Honestly is this what our savior died for?

Relationships can be precarious but there has to be the ‘bigger person’ to be able to bite the bullet so to speak and move on. Holding a grudge or having anger not only is not what God wants but it hurts both your witness and your health. Forgiveness is a tall order but isn’t that part of what being a Christian is all about? Some people you may even humanly despise but even holding this anger in your heart is still not right.

Today why not release your anger and your ‘right’ to be angry and even if certain individuals still snub you and treat you poorly love them anyway. Didn’t Jesus do that? Just saying!

PRAYER: Lord I hurt so bad when someone has wronged me and go through stages of anger but I know I need to truly let it go bad truly forgive. Further more I know you desire for me to pray for those who hurt me. Help me do just that. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Two J's

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. Galatians 5:22

This is not a writing about a singing duo. The two ‘letter j’ words I am referring to in this writing are judging and jealously. Both stink, pure, plain and simple. I have struggled with both. If you want to have a victorious life in Christ you need to learn how to deal with both of these things that do not bring you closer to the kingdom.

You may feel cheated because someone has less financial struggles than you or a better house. Maybe you judge folks wrongly before you know their whole story say someone overweight or dressed poorly. It could be you are a jealous grandparent who wishes you had more time with your grandchild and compare yourself to other grandparent. You could be jealous of another's success. The list of topics for jealously and judging is endless. 

Try to not go to either area. Practice love and the fruits of the spirit listed in the verse for today. Jealously and judgment come from the pit of hell and they are designed to create division and hatred. Don’t even go there. Pray God to give you a transformed heart if you suffer with either. 

PRAYER: I know Lord when I have ever judged someone or had a twinge of jealousy it is totally not right and I hate doing so help me stop. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Outstanding Veterans

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

Way FM Christian radio mentioned they had a veterans page on their website that you could give a shout out to an outstanding veteran you may know. As a Army veteran I am far from being a hero or outstanding but every single military veteran who took the oath of office to protect and defend their country from enemies both foreign and domestic and was discharged honorably,  is outstanding in my humble opinion. Training is not piece of cake nor is learning the discipline they instill in you. 

Veterans signed up to serve not knowing if they would be ever in harms way. Some served in peacetime like yours truly and I possess no fancy service medals,  but those called to combat and those guard members who were deployed and left civilian jobs to go answer the call deserve our utmost respect. Also those brave heroes who saved the lives of many with heroic actions. 

Jesus of course laid down his life for us as we are his friends. He took upon himself the sins of the world. Are you living for a greater purpose than yourself? Are you thankful for your freedom? Many laid down their lives or were severely injured in battle to protect what we believe in and stand for in America. Take time to visit a military cemetery if you live near one. Go to a Veterans Day parade if your community has one. We are indeed blessed. God bless America!

PRAYER: I thank you Lord for the gift of freedom. There have been moments our freedom was threatened. Thank you for the ability to worship freely and stand up for what we believe. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Don't Be A Dream Killer

NOTE: I forgot to post this devotion on 9 October so here it is!

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

 

Recently I rewatched the 2002 Hollywood movie 'The Rookie' the true story about Jim Morris whose dream to be a Major League Baseball player came true beyond the age most would consider it. Look it up on Netflix. The man's father had continually squashed his dream even growing up and he showed obvious talent as a pitcher. Another 2016 Hollywood movie 'Eddie The Eagle' also a true story about Eddie Edwards  is a similar dream this time about an unlikely prospect for an Olympic Ski Jumper who did in fact make the team representing Great Britain in 1988. Sports movies can teach lots about never quitting.

Do you have a dream? In high school I wanted to be a class officer and after two failed attempts and encouragement by my best friend I succeeded in getting elected treasurer two years in a row. Another was to publish a book which I did but not through agents and publishers clamoring for me, never the less I got it done. Your dream may be to go to Juilliard, work on Broadway, play Major League Baseball, running a marathon, invent a cure for paralysis. Whatever it is and it could be a simple dream, keep plugging and never give up. Keep hoping. I like the verse Ephesians 3:20 which says in a nutshell "God can do immeasurably more than we think or ask".

Keep trying, keep pursuing, keep training, keep writing, keep submitting those resumes, you get the idea. Don't give up in life on something you truly want to do. Think hopeful positive thoughts and you may in fact just get there!

PRAYER: It is so easy to quit and give up on your dreams. I give you the praise and glory for everything I accomplish in my life Lord. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Give, Give, and Give Some More

Give , and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6:38
I don’t know about you,  but I love to give presents or do surprise things. It is just fun! Makes me smile and hopefully the recipient smiles to. I don’t do it to get noticed or get brownie points but it is part of my DNA and I can’t stop myself.

We are approaching the the two times of year givers come out of the woodwork because being kind and nice just feels like the thing to do at Christmas and Thanksgiving. Guess what? Those hurting and  needy people are still there January through October. I am not faulting anyone who only does this charity then because it is indeed needed and extremely worthy. Salvation Army, Angel Tree, Samaritan’s Purse are three that come to mind which make wise use of donations.

Look around and I am sure you can think of creative ways to be generous. Surprise generosity is even more fun. Make it a point to make someone’s day!

PRAYER:Sometimes Lord when I am in the dumps helping someone else cheers me up. Help me be aware of needs I can meet and people I can make smile not only in November and December but throughout the year. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Basic Training

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 6:6-7

I served in the Armed Forces for almost 6 years and did go through a ‘basic training’ period of approximately 90 days. The skills I  learned  helped equip me to survive if I ever was in harms' way on a battlefield. 

Life is a huge battlefield and a parents’ major  responsibility to not just raise children to grow up but to train them in godliness. The parents are more important than a Sunday school teacher, preacher, or priest in raising children to love Jesus. There needs to be ‘basic training’ for children.  

I once heard an acronym for Bible which was ‘Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth.’ That is a great way to remember how vital God’s word is and it is not a book to set around as a coffee table decoration. You may as well put it away if you don’t plan to study and read it.

So if you are a parent, grandparent, or want to be keep in mind that those little ones need to be taught early to love Jesus.

PRAYER: Basic training is vital to develop important survival skills. I choose to not only train myself but also have an impact on any young ones in my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.