Category: Devotions

Disturbing News About the Millennial Generation

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In this post, I refer to the April 27, 2010 USA Today article by Cathy Lynn Grossman titled, “Young Adults Less Devoted to Faith.”

I guess the title of the article begins to tell the tale. True Christians are not devoted to faith so much as we are devoted to God. Somewhere along the way, we as Christians have failed to communicate that we are not adherents to a religion; we are partakers in a relationship. I believe the root of this failed communication is not our failure to tell the truth of the core of Christianity, but to live the truth of the relationship.

In a world of relational disconnectedness despite a technological link to nearly everyone and everything, people long for an intimate relationship with the One in whose image they are made. Please remember, God is triune; Father, Son, and Spirit have been loving One another and relating perfectly to One another forever. God is relational. I find it no accident that the enemy of our souls is demeaning relationship and promoting shallow contact.

Josh McDowell said it well in Beyond Belief to Convictions (2002), “The core of Christianity is far, far more than a set of true propositions; it is the news of ‘a God who is passionate about His relationship with you.'” (p. 86) It seems we Christians have neglected reflecting that passion. Are we living like we have truly received that passionate love from God? Are we showing the people around us that we love to hear God’s voice through His Word, that it is crucial to us that we talk to Him always, that His plan is at the forefront of our daily decisions, and that He gives us joy to live?

The USA Today article sadly reports the following absolutely unbelievable facts:

  • 36% of 18-29-year-old people who “believe they will go to heaven because they have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior” RARELY OR NEVER READ THE BIBLE!
  • 68% of the same group DID NOT MENTION FAITH, RELIGION OR SPIRITUALITY WHEN ASKED WHAT WAS “REALLY IMPORTANT IN LIFE”!

Herein lies the problem: The devastating statistic about Bible-reading held up to the light of II Thessalonians 2:9 (NASB), which says, “. . . and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.”

This pivotal verse does not say that people die because they refused the truth. It says they perish because they refuse the love of the truth.

Perishing because we do not receive the love of the truth.

The Bible is the only tangible communication we have on earth from God to hold in our hands and have saturate our minds. It is the link to the One we say we love with all our hearts. God’s Spirit promises to illuminate its truth to us. And yet, 36% of people who claim Christianity rarely or never read it. God please help us.

Let us ask these questions today. Where is my Bible? How worn are its pages? How much are its words hidden in our hearts? How often do we carry it with us? Who sees that we love the truth?

Who Is God’s Favorite?

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Students always envy the “teacher’s pet.” Siblings tease about who is mom’s favorite. Employees long to be “in good” with the boss. Why?

Clearly, teachers wield moderate power in the educational context, parents have a tremendous impact during our growing-up years, and supervisors definitely influence our professional lives. But, would you not love to be a favorite of God?

God is sovereign over every realm. Now, I understand that being the teacher’s pet has fleeting advantages, and promotions may come easier when the boss has high regard for us; but what are the infinite privileges of rapport with the One who owns galaxies, causes flowers to bloom, provides breath to all people, and decides just when and how to close out this chapter of human history and usher in a perfect world? I want an advantage with Him for sure!

Hold onto your hat, because favor with God comes in a way you might not expect . . . bearing up under suffering for doing the right thing!

For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly . . . but if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. (I Peter 2:19-20)

And there it is – simple, but not so glamorous. Straightforward and rock-solid, but not fitting the appetite of this culture. No matter, for we know the One who transcends the ebb and flow of civilization, the One who fashioned our soul with His own hands and understands that our heart’s real need is His approval.

Therefore, stand strong. Do right. Do not sway in the midst of fervent attack against virtue. Though the fury of hell comes against your soul and even brothers turn to enemies, be not dissuaded from acting rightly. Allow no excuse for sinful reaction.

Though you are mistreated, neglected, ostracized, and castigated for doing what God calls you to do; persevere with your mind fixed on Christ and your heart wholly yielded to God.

Of two things you can consequently be sure: His Spirit will fuel your arduous journey, and the favor of the Maker and Sustainer of the universe will rest on you.

No one can imagine what glorious reward awaits the person who is favored by the One who tells both galaxies and electrons what to do!

Only Two Options

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“I’d rather die than be watched all the time.” REALLY? Because those are the only two options. No kidding.

There exist only two ways a person can live: in alignment with God’s will or out of alignment with God’s will. And let me tell you, God’s will is going to prevail. God’s way is the only way that lasts, and I will explain why shortly.

“For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” (Psalm 1:6, NIV)

There it is. Black and white. Straightforward. One way – that of righteousness – is watched over. The other way – that of the unrighteous – is destroyed.

If you think about it, the reason is simple enough. I mean, even now, we see God’s natural law (His way of working in this natural world) operating constantly, tirelessly, relentlessly:

  • The law of gravity, for example, always wins out over my rebellion against it. (I wish someone would have told me that when I was five years old and tried to fly!)
  • The laws of logic and mathematics are the statutes according to which we must construct massive buildings and expansive bridges if we wish them to be safe. (Jeremiah 33:25)
  • The laws of planetary motion continue on – night and day – producing the natural rhythm of seasons and days. (Genesis 8:22)

The dependable nature of God’s natural law hints to us of the impeccable reliability of His spiritual law! Jesus once said to a seeker, “I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak to you of heavenly things?” (John 3:12)

God’s moral law is right because it is the way He intended things to be. His “watching over our way” is our hope, not our threat! When I live according to the Bible by the power of God’s Spirit, it will go well for me now, and perfectly for me in the next world.

All rebellion against God’s way ends in ultimate misery. Turning against God begins to make things messy. Then – finally – one day Jesus will come back to clean up the mess of sin and make a home of righteousness that works right and feels right because it is right!

It is not only the wicked who perish; it is the whole way of the wicked. If that way of living lasted forever, things would never be right.

It is not only the righteous God watches over; it is the way of the righteous. Since that way will ultimately prevail, I want to be carefully watched and helped in that way now.

If you need to find that Way, His name is Jesus. Please let Him save you and watch you. It is an understatement to say that the alternative is bleak.

Formality Or Reality: Are You Enjoying Your Relationship With Jesus?

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Have you ever been out to lunch with someone for mostly business purposes, or for some other sort of obligation? The fellow diner is not someone with whom you feel very comfortable. And so you provide obligatory conversation, eat very carefully – obeying all the formal dining rules, – and wonder if the impression you emit is quite satisfactory.

On these somewhat nerve-wracking occasions, you discover that even your favorite pasta dish is not as mouth-watering as it usually is. Your smile strains your facial muscles, instead of hearty laughter erupting from the gut.

On the other hand, the steak seems juicier, the conversation flows freely, and laughter is unbridled at the dinner table of two real friends. When genuine companions get together, the dining is sweet because the dining is real, built on the comfort of relationship.

Jesus said in Revelation 3:20 (NAS), “Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with me.”

Why did Jesus add those last four words?

Why did He not just leave it at “I will dine with you”?

At the surface, it seems redundant to say it both ways: “I will dine with you AND you will dine with me.”

But God does not waste words! He added the vital second part because real dining – the kind of dining you want to do – involves not just a guest and a host, but two people in relationship.

When Jesus spoke these pointed words, he was addressing a group of people whose love for God had grown cold, formal, and religious. God despises religion, but adores relationship. And so, our Savior proclaims, “Be zealous and repent” in order that you may invite Me in to eat with you and truly enjoy my company.

Do you enjoy your relationship with Jesus? Or has religious formality crept in as the busyness of your life rages on?

Pray now. Pray sincerely. Be real. Tell Jesus you are sorry that He and you are not connecting at the core.

Then invite Him in to dine with you and you with Him.

Don’t Fear Mixed Reactions

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DON’T BE AFRAID OF MIXED REACTIONS AS LONG AS YOUR CHARACTER IS NOT MIXED-UP!

Let me ask you a few questions before we go any further: Is Jesus perfect? Did Jesus ever lie?

Hopefully, your answers are “yes” and then “no.” Jesus is God, and so He is perfect and cannot lie. Even so, check out the following passages of Scripture (taken from John 4:39-40; 5:16, 18; 6:15; 7:12, and 7:43-44, respectively):

• From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him . . . they were asking Him to stay with them . . .
• For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, . . .
• For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, . . .
• So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, . . .
• There was much grumbling among the crowds concerning Him; some were saying, “He is a good man”; others were saying, “No, on the contrary, he leads the people astray.”
• So a division occurred in the crowd because of Him.

Astonishingly, people had very mixed reactions to Jesus. Though Jesus is completely perfect and unchanging in unblemished character; we have some believing, some persecuting, some seeking to kill, and some wanting to make Him king. Generally, people were divided and displayed a wide array of emotions when it came to Jesus.

The variance of reaction is amazing, because the Person to whom everyone was reacting never varies. What do we learn from this? Even when we are acting within the will of God and reflecting His unchanging character, people may very well have mixed reactions to us! As human beings, our sole responsibility is to live abandoned to the will of God. As we remain undividedly accountable to Him, let the chips fall where they may. Every person has individual reasons for reacting to God and others in the way that he does, and those reasons are dependent on the status of his own heart. We cannot control how people to respond.

If Jesus Christ – the perfect Son of God – encountered mixed reaction, what should we expect?

The thing on which we ought to focus is our own character. If people react badly to us because of our own wavering character, it is our fault. However, if people react badly to us because of the reflection of God’s character within us, we must leave the consequences in the hands of God.

“Preoccupied”: A Poem to Help Us Understand the Question, “Am I Ready?”

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PREOCCUPIED

Planned a party.
Now I’m waiting
for you to arrive.

Others present;
talking, laughing.
But you
I have not yet seen.

Though I’m with them,
my mind keeps drifting
to thoughts of you.

I hear your voice,
I see your face,
as I imagine
your arrival.

They keep begging me
to join in
with abandonment.

I cannot.

You are all
I really think of.

Please come.
Please come very soon.

This is no real party
until
I am right beside you.

This poem is weighty. It can help our hearts discern their true status. God’s Word says, “So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.” (Hebrews 9:28, NIV, emphasis mine)

Many people ask sincerely, “Just what does it mean to be saved?” Stunningly, it means much more than most imagine. Notice Hebrews 9:28 tells us that while Jesus died for many people (in fact, for the entire world), He is only returning for those who are waiting for Him! Just as Matthew 7:13 whittles down the road to life to only a few travelers, while the road to destruction remains wide; so Hebrews 9:28 confirms and delineates the criteria.

What does it mean to be saved? Deny it however much we want in order to try in vain to produce a sense of security, the answer is clear . . . it means we are absolutely preoccupied with Jesus!

As the host of the party in the poem cannot put first in his heart or mind other people or activities, so the truly saved person cannot put first in her heart or mind other people or activities. Expectant waiting for the One we love the most packs full every moment!

Are we “looking out the window” for Jesus to come?

Are we paying more attention to our television, our cell phone, our ipod, our social time, our facebook account, our children’s activities, our hobbies, or any combination of various distractions “at the party”? Or are we so in love with Jesus that His Word and precious time in prayer with Him are nearest and dearest for us?

He died for the sins of the world, but He is only coming back for those who are waiting for Him.

Are you waiting . . . ?

What’s Faster than the Speed of Light?

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Traveling at over 11 million miles per minute, light can circle the earth 7.5 times in one second! Able to cover nearly 6 trillion miles in a year, light surely moves at a rate of speed that staggers the mind. So what is it in this world that is faster than the speed of light? The mercy of God rushing toward the heart that desperately believes. The miracle of Jesus zooming toward sincere and yielded brokenness.

Can you see it now? In your mind’s eye, can you picture the flashing glory of God’s hand setting into motion His lightning-fast mercy on its way to the point of your need? The One who spoke all the molecular structures of the universe into being with an instantaneous word, He is the one that now speaks forth His answers for our desperate lives.

The royal official of John chapter four had access to some of the money, power, and dignity the world could offer. He also had a son who was dying. A stark realization no doubt flooded his soul: “I cannot persuade death with my power, I cannot buy life with my money, and my dignity is not enough to shut the jaws of darkness.” Have we – like the royal official – ever been there? You know, in a place where we finally get it, where we finally apprehend our severe limitations.

The royal official travels some fifteen miles to get to Jesus to tell the Messiah that his son is at the point of death. No doubt having exhausted all medical possibilities and worldly privileges, the desperate man looks to the Savior. Though Jesus chastises the official at the outset for the status of his heart, the man of worldly nobility graciously accepts the rebuke of Jesus and presses forward respectfully with his need, “Jesus – Sir – please come to my town before my child dies.”

Jesus then spoke those words we long to hear, those words of life. At the very instant our Savior tells the official his son will live, the miracle falls all over the boy. The fifteen miles between Jesus and the dying child become a literal nonentity. Smashed to oblivion is the span between the point of need and the Savior of the needy.

Desperation of a broken heart. Realization of the need for Jesus. Activation of something even faster than the speed of light: the movement of God, the Maker of light, toward a heart that yields and hopes in Him.

Nothin’ Wrong With Weary

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Even though I feel bone-tired, can God still use me? Is my exhaustion a sign that He is not pleased with me?

Remember the woman at the well – the Samaritan who needed the burden of her sinful past lifted? How did that miraculous, life-changing encounter begin? “So Jesus, wearied as He was from His journey, was sitting beside the well.” (John 4:6)

What? Did I read that correctly? Yes! It was the weariness of Jesus that led Him to sit and rest by the well. It was, in fact, the toiling effects of Jesus’ journey that sparked this eternal event!

Just to be sure that Jesus felt what I feel, I checked the Greek behind John’s writing. This account means that Jesus grew weary, felt tired, toiled; He knew the repercussion of bodily labor.

Ah, Jesus, thank You that You know how I feel. Thank You for showing me that from my life can stream eternal workings even though I have paused in the midst of exhaustion.

I will now trust for the miraculous inner workings of God’s own Spirit to happen through my life, my body, my words, and my hands . . . even though my human frailty is right there with me.

The Glorious Re-making

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I gave to You a heart burdened with my own sin,
But I gave it to You;
And You made it a clean heart, free of guilt and shame.

I gave to You a mind shackled by fear,
But I gave it to You;
And You made it a strong mind, focused on truth.

I gave to You hands prone to selfishness and greed,
But I gave them to You;
And You made them hands extended, inclined to reach out.

I gave to You a will fixed on my own plans,
But I gave it to You;
And You made it a will to love You, unshaken by changing circumstance.

I gave to You the moments of my life, not seeming to amount to much as the second hand ticks so relentlessly,
But I gave them to You;
And You made them moments of eternal weight, reaching infinitely far into the future.

I gave to You my dreams, so elusive and unreal,
But I gave them to You;
And You made them dreams aligned with your plan, bursting into glorious reality.

I gave to You my future, which is – without You – nothing,
But I gave it to You;
And You made it a future never-ending, always glorious.

I gave to You me, though I cannot add one bit to your greatness;
But I gave me to You;
And You made me who I always wanted to be – the person You want me to be.

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” – Psalm 51:17

What Is This World Coming To?

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“What is this world coming to?” someone might ask in disgust. When we see evidence of the culture’s rebellion against God, when we become frustrated with the circumstances of our own lives, and when we are shocked by bad news; we may ask that infamous question ourselves, “What is this world coming to?”

The world is coming to something. Here it is: God will be all in all! He will have the final word, fulfill the final plan, and give to us who love and serve Him all for which our hearts could possibly long.

One of my favorite chapters in the Word of God is I Corinthians 15. Written by the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul, the chapter emphasizes the resurrection of the dead. Not only does Paul discuss the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, but he assures us that we, too, will rise from the dead because of Jesus!

In I Corinthians 15, God explains that Jesus will conquer every enemy at the close of earthly history. In other words, He will blow away all the nasty plans of the devil and all the ways Satan has tried to destroy us and our faith in God. He will forever rid the universe of heartache, disease, and natural devastation. The last enemy Jesus will obliterate for us is death. After Jesus conquers death, He will undoubtedly hand everything over to God the Father so that God may be all in all (verse 28).

Here is a thoughtful and crucial question: if the final goal is that God be all in all, what should be the goal of every moment? If God Almighty is pushing all circumstances toward His ultimate will, why are we not doing our best to do the same?

The end of the world as we know it is not confusion and chaos; it is the culmination of all things for the glory of God Himself. This will happen no matter how much rebellious humans resist.

But, we – as God’s people – should not only avoid resistance against God’s plan, we should actively work toward God’s goal.

If we could just whittle down every tiny moment to its real purpose – to glorify God – what would happen? How great would we feel as we fall in line with the ultimate, grand plan of God?

If I could think as I walk down the hall, “What kind of smile would glorify God?” or as I work at my job, “What kind of effort would glorify God?” or as I choose my entertainment, “What kind of movie would glorify God?” or as I interact with my colleagues, “What kind of behavior would glorify God?” or as I talk on my cell phone, “What kind of conversation would glorify God?” then what kind of life would I be living? One that aligns with the ultimate reality of what the world is coming to!

How Will We Rest?

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How will we rest?
These racing thoughts do so entangle.

How will we rest?
These racing hearts do so encumber.

How will we rest?
Counseled to work it out, think it through, and make it happen.

How will we rest?
Striving hopelessly to look from every angle.
Striving nervously to prevail o’er every detail.

How will we rest?
Foolish, frail humanity.
Exasperated, tired humanity.
Our vanity stifles rest.

How will we rest?
We will look up.

We will see the glorious, downward flow of God’s innumerable and precious thoughts toward us.

We will stand at the base of the waterfall.

We will be washed in the reality of His immeasurably deep plans for us as they pour over our racing minds and racing hearts.

We will be covered with the infinite purposes of our infinite God.

How will we rest?
Not in our own striving.
Not in our own doing.
Not even in our own planning.

We will rest in the thoughts of God toward us.

“How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! – Psalm 139:17

When God Calls

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When God calls you to love,
Love to the end
Because God never fails.

When God calls you to hope,
Hope despite looming impossibility
Because God can do all things.

When God calls you to be a fool for His sake,
Be a fool despite the press of pride
Because God came to earth in all humility.

When God calls you to give,
Give without fear of loss
Because God is of infinite resource.

When God calls you to persevere against all odds,
Persevere despite exhaustion
Because God gives strength to the weary.

When God calls you to live for Him,
Live for Him though it sometimes appears not to matter
Because God fulfills every purpose under Heaven for His own.