Wednesday Morning Devotional

I know I said that I was taking a break from writing, but something happened that I had to write about.  I talked to Shaun and he agreed that I had to write this one.  Before I get started, I do want to invite any and all to come and visit our little church group that we have started at Jocassee Valley Brewing Company.  We are changing the time to 10 am this Sunday so it will have a little more time to get warm.  Without further ado . . .

Mad World

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  – John 1:5

My daughter asked me this past weekend if I would take her to Mad World.  I had no idea what it was, so I Googled it.  It is a haunted house in Piedmont.  It looked like a good one, and by good one I mean that it actually looked really scary.  I ignored her.  That didn’t work.  I tried to kick the can down the road and push for doing it later . . . didn’t work.  I reluctantly agreed to take her.  My wife told me, “If you’re going to take her, you need to change your attitude.”  I wanted to say something smart back . . . but I had nothing.

It was on.  I flipped the switch and was going to have a fun evening with my daughter.  When we got in line, the monsters walking around were pretty dang scary.  I saw a former student of mine who had already done it.  I asked him if it was bad.  He said, “Yes!”  This was the first time I kind of got worried.  I could see that my daughter’s excitement turned into apprehension.  I was beginning to wonder if I was going to be out sixty dollars.  

Because there were only two of us, we had to go with another group.  It turned out to be a family.  They had a little girl with them.  I was wondering why the heck they would bring her, but then noticed that she had a flashing light necklace on.  They called it a “No Scare Medallion.”  I found out that if you bought one of these for five dollars, then the monsters inside would be cool to you.

As we walked through, it was pretty scary.  There was one point where we got behind the family we were with and it got really scary.  We caught back up and it was way more tolerable.  We went through all the rooms and finally, about 40 minutes later, we were finished. 

Riding home, my daughter was talking about how fun it was, but that if she did it again, she’d want one of those light necklaces.  That got me thinking.  I told her, “You know, there is a great sermon in what we just did.”  She said, “What?”  I said, “How different was the walk if you had a light as opposed to not having one?”  Immediately, she understood where I was going.  She said, “Daddy, you have to preach that one!”

Death and fear of the unknown is a scary thing that we all have to deal with.  Fortunately, for all who trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, there is a light for our path, and a lamp for our feet.  He makes everything much less scary.  He makes evil have to back off from us and treat us better than it wants to treat us.  I don’t even want to think about navigating this world without Him.  Just being in the group with that little girl brandishing that light made the walk so different.  

Jesus, thank you for making my journey through this life so much better.  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Amen.

I am actually finished with my book.  Unfortunately, I have been super lazy with editing it.  My friend, Shaun Watkins, has been inspired to write devotions lately.  I am going to use his devotions for a while in an attempt to get my book ready to publish.  If you like his content, visit his church, Maranatha Baptist Church, in Seneca, SC.  

Open Our Eyes Lord

Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” 2 Kings 6:17 (NLT)

O Lord open our eyes. Lord open their eyes. O the times have I prayed these two prayers. In this story Elisha, the man of God, and the servant both wake up. When the servant looks out that morning, he sees that the city is surrounded by the Aramean Army. The army is there to kill the man of God Elisha because God has given him the power to know the army’s plan even before they do anything. Elisha basically could read their minds. So of course, this made the Arameans extremely mad, so they made the plan to kill Elisha. When the servant looks out and sees that they are surrounded he cries out “what will we do?” and then Elisha turns to God and prays, “God, open his eyes and let him see.” When God opens his eyes, the servant sees that the hillside is covered with horses and chariots of fire, Gods army.

See there are two options that we can take to look at our problems and our current situation. One, we can look at the problem and see no way out. We can see no good at all in what is going on because all that we are looking at is what’s in front of us. The struggle that the journey may bring or the pain that it may cause. But there is a second option, we can ask God to open our eyes, and when he does, we can see past our current problem or situation, we can see past the struggle and the pain.

I encourage you today to ask God to open your eyes and let you see. To let you see past your current problem or situation. To let you have a glimpse of it through His eyes, because through God’s eyes we are fearfully and wonderfully made in His image. We are His Masterpiece, His workmanship! I believe that if we pray today as Elisha did, to open our eyes, God the father will give you the peace that only He can. To see that He is working. Though the problem or situation may not change, we can have the peace to know God is in control. That He is perfect, and we are not. That His ways and thoughts are higher than ours. 

Have the peace today to know that when God opens our eyes, we will see that He loves each and every one of us! He has never made a mistake and He is not going to starting with you or me! God is bigger than any army, diagnoses, or situation you may be facing! Just like God heard Elisha’s prayers, rest today knowing that He also hears us as we pray!

Father I pray today that you open our eyes and we see You! Let us focus on You and not our problems. Let us see Your Power today as we walk this journey.

And Abraham called that place The LORD will provide.  – Genesis 22:14

This past Sunday the Lord taught me a great lesson.  I have been thinking for months that He wanted me to start something new.  I made sure it was okay for us to use the outside space at Jocassee Valley Brewing Company.  I was granted permission and the only invitation I sent was last week’s WMD.

On Saturday, I was about to do what I always do before I preach on Sunday.  I usually take prayer walks, study the Word, and just overall try to feel like I’m as clean as I can possibly be.  I just felt the Lord say, “Don’t do any of that stuff.”  Of course, I kept wondering if that was really His voice.  Before we headed to church, I thought I’d text some people, make a post on Facebook, or something to get people to come.  Once again, the Lord said, “Don’t do any of that stuff.”  

We were going to start at 9:00.  About 8:50 Tonya and I arrived.  There was nobody there.  In my heart, I immediately thought, “This was just a test from God to see if I’d do what He asked me to do.  Nobody is coming.  I’m probably just supposed to pray with my wife and then just head on home.”  Then, a couple arrived.  We began to pray together.  Then, another couple arrived while we were praying.  It ended up being one of the nicest times in the Lord I’ve ever had.  Instead of me getting all “cleaned up” and then preaching, we just all got cleaned up together.  I loved feeling perfectly refreshed and perfectly renewed.  I’m looking so forward to doing it again.

You are invited to The Wilderness at 9:00.  

Jocassee Valley Brewing Company

13412 SC-11

Salem, SC 29676

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness — Matthew 4:1

This Sunday, September 13 at 9 a.m., you are invited to join me at Jocassee Valley Brewing Company off of Highway 11.  There is a really nice outdoor area that you can’t miss, and we will be meeting outside.  You may want to bring your own chair and even a blanket if you get cold easily.  If it looks like rain, you may want to bring one of those big umbrellas.  I don’t really know what the service will look like, I just know that I’ll be preaching from John 4:1-11.

Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. – Psalm 73:24

For some messed up reason, I’ve gone back into this really strange “I must work for God” mode.  I don’t know how or when it happens, but a lot of time seems to go by before I realize that it has happened.  Of course, there is nothing wrong with working for God, but it can and often does lead to this place where there is no real joy in Him.  This is where I find myself this morning.

Lately I’ve been listening to preachers who have really stressed the importance of praying over these next few months.  Therefore, I’ve tried to really up my prayer game.  I’d go on my prayer walks, kneel in my favorite room, pray while driving my bus route, and basically pray anytime I could grab a spare moment.  Without realizing it, I treated most of my opportunities like I was about to do a workout in the gym.  I walked into prayer with my sleeves rolled up and ready to work.    What was the result?  There was absolutely no enjoyment in prayer.

Between Covid-19 and not being a pastor anymore, I’ve just felt kind of lost lately.  I’ve been wandering in the wilderness looking this way and that wondering where He wants me to go.  For some reason, I feel like I have to find it quickly . . . I realize sitting here this morning that I do not.  I can take a deep breath and simply picture myself resting in Him, knowing He has me right where He wants me.  My prayers can turn back to so simple:

Lord, you have been leading me and guiding me ever since I gave my life to you as a 16-year old kid.  You have guided me with your counsel.  I come back to you now with that same kind of belief I had when I was young.  I don’t want to complicate all of this.  Help me to want to get alone with you and just enjoy you.  I don’t want to feel like I’m going to work when I draw near to you for that is certainly the opposite of resting in you.  Thank you for always pulling me back when I get too far ahead.  Thank you for always catching me up when I’m lagging so far behind.  You always keep me in just the right place at just the right time.  Please keep leading me by your great counsel, and I look so forward to that great and glorious day when you receive me into glory.

They devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.  All the believers were together and had everything in common.  They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.  Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.  They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.  And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.  – Acts 2:42-47

I have been to a lot of different churches in my 45 years of living on this planet.  Church services come in all shapes and sizes.  I have been blessed to learn about the Gospel inside of church buildings, youth meetings, Bible studies . . . they have all been used for my growth in Jesus Christ.  

Right now, I’m kind of in “no man’s land” when it comes to church.  I’ve been visiting around.  I’ve watched more online services during this pandemic than I’ve probably watched in my life.  I visited the church that I got to pastor for six years recently.  God moved on me in a powerful way there.  I am amazed at how God has been using so many outlets to reach me lately.

Here is the question that I’ve been asking myself lately:  Where do I want to settle down when it comes to church?  I’ve decided, at least for now, that I’m tired of doing what Americans call church.  When I read the Bible, nobody ever asked someone the question “Do you go to church?”  In the Bible, you were part of the body of Christ . . . in essence, the group who called themselves believers were the church.  The question that should be asked today is not, “Where do you go to church?”  The question should be, “Are you a part of the church?”  

That being said, If I could finish out the rest of my existence on this planet meeting with a group of Christ followers regularly, I’d like it to look a lot different than it does right now.  I’m basically just thinking out loud here, but I guess I’m asking you in this WMD if it even sounds appealing to regularly attend a gathering of a group of people that looked more like this:

•  There were no paid positions.  Speakers were simply speakers who didn’t mind articulating what God was saying to them as they studied His Word and had the Holy Spirit working in their hearts and minds as they tried their best to follow Him.

• There was no real structure to the services.  Three songs, two fast followed by one slow, announcements, and then a sermon would not be the norm.  You might get an all prayer healing service.  You might get an all worship service.  You might just get a sermon.  You might even just get a person reading the scriptures as passionately as they can.  You might even be asked to not come to a service and simply stay home that morning and devote it to individual prayer and study, or even hold a home service with just you and your immediate family.  We might break up and meet in each other’s house for food and fellowship.  While at these homes, we would pray out loud over them for covering and protection.  Probably, you’d get some sort of combination of these . . . just going wherever the Spirit leads.

• There was no specific location.  There might be a consistent location, but we would simply meet wherever someone would allow us to meet for free.  Most services would probably be outside.  No utility bills.  No renting. Just asking God to lead us to meet wherever He would like us to meet.

• The leaders would be devoted to nothing but prayer.  Too often, leaders are worried about what the people like.  I’d like to link up with people who are only worried about what God likes.  If you’ve read all the way through the Bible, you know the God of the Bible asks people to do some crazy stuff sometimes.  How cool would it be to be around a group of people who wanted to find out what He is asking us to do, and then doing it . . . no matter how dumb we looked doing it to the world around us.  

• Tithes would be given straight to those who had need.  We would pray for the offering, but we wouldn’t take one up at the services.  Each individual would be responsible for allocating his or her money where God led them to give.  It might be a struggling church, it might be a struggling family, or it could be a struggling individual.  I know you wouldn’t get the tax write-offs this way, but that would not be the reason you were giving anyway.  Upon giving to those in need, all that would need to be said is something like, “God loves you.  He led me to help take care of this need for you.”  

I don’t know if that even sounds good to anybody else.  I know most people just want to go sit in church on Sunday morning, go out to lunch, and then enjoy a relaxing afternoon before the next work week begins.  If I’m honest, I like that too!  It is nice, clean, and super easy.  That just isn’t the way I want to finish out the years I have left on this planet.  I don’t want to stand before God having done that.  I want to find a group of believers who honestly might dare to get together and just believe that we could see the signs, wonders, and miracles that the early church saw.  I want to feel God.  I want to see His power manifest itself amongst a group of believers who are simply there for Him, and Him alone.  Nothing else.

What do you think?

We rejoice in our suffering, knowing that our suffering produces endurance. – Romans 5:3

This past Sunday, an absolute miracle happened.  I went to an altar, an altar I had visited many times before, and finally and completely laid down the greatest hurt that I’ve known up until this point in my life.  I have received some crushing blows in this life, but I honestly didn’t know if I would recover from this one.  In true God fashion, all in a moment, all in His time, He once more took all of the junk I was carrying around.  I left that place freer than I believe I’ve ever felt in my life.  I have been rejoicing ever since.

Now, I sit here and stare at Paul’s words in Romans 5:3. The apostle Paul endured a minimum of 100 times anything that I will ever endure or experience.  Here is why I am greatly convicted: I rejoiced so little during this past suffering.  Now that I’m on this side of it, I feel like such a whiny wimp.  I realize that there is a pride in me that can’t take anything being said about me or my family.  I may be able to appear like it doesn’t bother me on the outside, but on the inside, it eats me alive.  How could I honestly lay down my life for my Lord under real persecution if I can’t even handle words?

Lord, I so want to unleash this bold prayer and say, “Bring on the suffering! Test me again, Lord!”  I just can’t bring myself to do it.  If I’m honest, I like my American comforts.  I like when all people speak well of me.  I’m a people pleaser that can’t hardly take it if someone isn’t pleased with me.  For the first time in my life, I hate this about myself.  You have just taught me that you are going to come through for me every single time, you are going to comfort me, and you are going to heal all of my hurts . . . whether it be on this side of heaven or not does not matter.  I should have been able to rejoice these past few months.  I rejoiced so little.  I failed the test so miserably.  I should have been able to wholeheartedly sing praises to you no matter what.  Truth be known, I’m an entitled, comfortable American.  Help me, Lord.  Make me bold. Fill me with Your Spirit so I will be like You.  I don’t want to die like I am right now and enter into eternity this way.  I feel like Peter must have felt right after he denied you. I feel like you have already completely restored me.  Now, help me to die in a way that truly honors you and brings glory to Your Name.  Like Paul, may I rejoice in my suffering from here on out.  Teach me how, Lord.  Do it in a way that I’ll really get it.  Do it in a way that I’ll really do it.  I love you more than anything else on this planet. I want nothing more in this life than to lift you up so that all people may be drawn to you.  Please, please, please do a great work in my heart, my mind, and my life.  Amen

“Am I my brother’s keeper?”  — Genesis 4:9

I’ve always been intrigued by the story of Cain and Abel.  When I first read it, it seemed so unfair.  I mean, at first casual read, it sure looks like God plays favorites.  Abel’s sacrifice was accepted.  Cain’s was rejected.  I believe this little partial verse I chose today reveals exactly why Cain’s offering was rejected.  He had no love for his brother.

If you and I are going to call ourselves Christians, I believe we must closely examine the question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”  Many, many Christians make the weekly sacrifice of going to church.  Many of those same Christians attempt to do good things for God.  Even Cain was no stranger to religious activities.  Why did he do them?  Why do you do them?  If I’m completely honest, there have been months, maybe years that I went to church and did religious things because I was afraid to not do them.  I thought God might punish me for not going to church, reading my Bible, tithing, etc.  I also thought that those things gave me some sort of points in heaven.  Maybe, just maybe, I’d be good enough to get into heaven when I died.  Maybe, just maybe he would throw down a blessing for me.  It isn’t hard to imagine that Cain made his offering with the exact same intent.

Here is where it gets rough.  What if I do every religious act I could possibly do for God, yet have no love for my brother?  Well, the Bible says it like this, “Whosoever hates his brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” (1 John 3:15).  In other words, we can perform all the religious activity in the world, but if we honestly could not care less about people, we are in no way saved.

As I honestly think about this, there are people that I can’t stand.  What is worse, many of these people are my brothers and sisters in Christ.  There are people on this planet who do unspeakably evil acts.  It is so easy to wish them harm, and even condemn them to hell.  There is no prayer offered up for them.  There is no fasting and interceding for them.  There is no love for them.  It has become acceptable to condemn those we consider vile.  We so quickly forget that before God came into our lives, we were just as lost and just as vile.  Could you imagine doing life without Jesus?  That is what so many people are doing right now.  Why are we surprised when lost people behave like lost people?  They don’t know Him!  In fact, many have evil spirits at work in them right now!  What are you doing to help? How are you trying to reach them?

Am I my brother’s keeper?

Lord, I confess my heart of Cain.  I don’t have Your heart and Your love towards so many!  I can’t just turn it on, for I don’t have the capacity to love my enemies.  I hate offering prayers for those who despise me.  They don’t feel genuine and I know that You know my heart anyway!  You know all things!  I ask You to give me a heart that truly loves my brother.  I don’t want the sacrifices I make to be in vain, Lord.  I want to love You with all my heart, soul, mind and strength.  I want to love my neighbor as myself.  I confess that I don’t know how.  As You lead me in this life and guide me for the rest of my days, will You show me and teach me how?  I love You, Lord.  Thank You for giving Your life for mine.  Thank You for filling me with Your Holy Spirit.  May I be guided by Him more and more as the days seem to grow darker and darker.  Make me more and more like You, Lord.  Amen

Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.  – Psalm 51:7

So, I was playing golf with my dad yesterday morning and we saw a dog on hole number 14.  He had a leash dragging behind him, so we knew he belonged to someone.  The dog wasn’t interested at all in coming to us.  Right when we were teeing off on 15, we heard someone calling for him.  We tried to yell and say that we saw the dog and point them in the right direction.  It didn’t seem like they heard us, so we went to see them from where they were calling him.  The dog had come to them.  The dog had gotten sprayed with a skunk, so they were putting anything they had on him to take the stink away.  On the 16^th hole, there is a pond.  The owner was holding him down and rinsing him off.  You could tell the dog hated it.  By the time we were on 17, it looked like the dog was on his way back home safely with his family.

I could not help but see the perfect correlation with God and the way He cleans us up.  Each of us bears the image of God when we enter this world.  Yet, we have been sprayed with sin and we stink quite literally to high heaven.  When we hear our master’s voice and we respond, He quickly does some uncomfortable stuff to us.  He puts us through this process called sanctification so we might not stink the place up when we finally arrive home.

Lord, thank you for the perfect picture I just saw.  Thank you that every single thing that You put me through that I have absolutely hated only served to make me more and more like You.  All things truly do work for the good for us who love You and are called according to Your purpose.  Help us to see the end from the beginning.  May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord my God and my Redeemer.  The last thing I want to do is stink in Your Presence.  There is no one like You.  Prepare me for my heavenly home . . . and help me and that dog not stray too far away.

And lo, I am with you always. – Matthew 28:20

I love how the Lord works.  He has taken so many what would seem like “small” instances in my life and turned them into lessons that I’ll never forget.  When He says, “I am with you always,” He means it!  For the last 3 weeks, I’ve been on a little mini preaching tour.  Man, did He ever show up!  These atmospheres were created that I just did not want to leave. It had to be at least a .1% taste of heaven.  Any time God’s people are hungry and thirsty for Him, He is going to come down and fill them.  But, what about the small life moments?  Can this type of presence be felt in those?  What does it look like when He show up for those moments?  After all, the verse says that He is with us always, not just when we are in church.

Several months ago, I decided that my family would hold our own Sunday services right here in the house.  Those were held in the evenings.  The kids would normally sleep in and Tonya and I were the early risers watching services online in the morning.  One particular Sunday, I decided to go play golf bright and early in the morning before I watched an online service.  I have a history of playing very poorly on Sundays because I feel so guilty that I’m playing on the Lord’s day.  It’s like I feel like I’m hiding what I’m doing from Him, yet I know He is right there.  It’s like I disconnect from Him and hope He will look elsewhere for a few hours.  It is a very weird feeling.  This Sunday was no exception.

So, I was standing on number 13 fairway waiting to hit my approach shot.  Here is what I heard from miles away:

Hallelujah Thine the glory

Hallelujah Amen

Hallelujah Thine the glory

Revive us again

It was so majestic.  Standing there, I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply.  It was like I just breathed Him in.  No judgment.  No “I caught you Adam!”  It was more like He said, “Adam, why won’t you ever let me play golf with you?”  I had no answer.  I felt about two centimeters tall.  Why had I taken my Christianity back to my teenage years when I felt like God couldn’t wait to zap me for every wrong?

Since this moment, my awareness of God in the most mundane of moments has increased at least twofold.  Until this moment, when I’d play golf, I was a tense mess.  I would try so hard and just be exhausted at the end of every round.  Now, it is like I enjoy everything.  The good shots, the bad shots, just being out there with both my earthly dad and my Heavenly Father . . . everything.  Sometimes I just give Him my body and let Him hit one . . . He’s pretty good!  We joke around and we laugh.  I can’t believe it could have been like this all along.  As an unbelievable added bonus, I’m shooting these ridiculously low scores.

My lifelong goal is to live a day where I am 100% aware of His Presence 100% of the time.  I don’t want this to happen because I stayed home and read the Bible and prayed all day.  I want it to happen because I lived my everyday life.  Maybe I worked all day, then hung out with my family, and then just did normal everyday stuff.  But, while I did that stuff, I was just very aware that He was right there with me.  He and I just enjoyed every moment together.  I can’t help but believe this golf experience just brought me one step closer.

Whatever it is you are doing today . . . invite Him to be a part of it.  It will be so much better.

He is with you always.