Wednesday Morning Devotional

Consuming All of God’s Word

Do not eat any of the meat raw or boiled in water.  The whole animal — including the head, legs, and internal organs — must be roasted over a fire.  Do not leave any of it until the next morning.  Burn whatever is not eaten before morning.  — Exodus 12:9-10

Just before the Passover, the Lord gave Israel some specific instructions.  The instructions were to kill a lamb, put some of the blood over the doorpost, and cook and eat the lamb…ALL of the lamb.  They were to eat ALL of it!  That’s kind of gross.  At least if some of it was too gross, they had the option to burn it.

Now, I don’t read where any one person said, “I don’t feel like putting the blood on my door post.”  Nobody said, “I’m going to boil the meat anyway, that’s the way I like it and the way I’ve always done it.”  Nobody complained about having to eat certain parts.  It is pretty clear that everyone obeyed the Lord‘s commands to the best of their ability.  Being saved was obviously more important than their comfort.

Today, I don’t see a whole lot of Christians taking ALL of God’s Word seriously.  Don’t get me wrong; I think it takes some time to develop a reverence for God’s Holy Book.  I left mine sitting on my dresser brand new for years before I started to consume it.  Even then, I only read the parts I could halfway understand.  I read the parts I liked.  In no way did I attempt to consume the whole thing.

That is, until I just didn’t enjoy life.  I was all too aware that I was doing this halfway thing.  I fit in with the guys on the weekend when that was convenient.  I fit in with the church group when that was convenient.  I was trying to have the best of both worlds.  I was taking the parts of the Bible that talked about how good He was and hoping like crazy He was just winking at my sin.  I know now that He wasn’t.

I hear quite often about God’s grace.  Most of the time it is misused by people who want to justify their immoral actions.  Most people want to be sexually immoral.  They want to be able to watch anything and listen to everything in the name of entertainment.   They want to be able to talk any way they want and do anything they want to do.  But most importantly, they want God to be okay with it.  Maybe this isn’t true with you, but it was true with me.  I made sure back then that I only listened to people who would make my sin sound justifiable, and most of all would say things like, “God is okay with it, He knows we’re human and that we make mistakes.”  Mistakes are one thing, but willful disobedience is entirely another.

I say all that to say this:  I don’t want God’s grace to mean that I can willfully sin and have Him overlook it and be okay with it.  I want God’s grace to be this ridiculous, massive amount of power that gives me strength to overcome the sin that is so prevalent in the majority of men today.  God delivered me from sexual immorality, so why would I want to go back to filth just because I have convinced myself I can still go to Heaven if I do, or I have said in my heart, “He will forgive me.”  I don’t want to sit around and watch movies that take His name in vain and say, “Well, He’s okay with it, everybody else watches stuff like this.”  I want to get this sick feeling inside my stomach when I hear His name being misused.  I want to want to turn that junk off.  I want to want to walk out of the theater.  I want to want to eat the whole lamb.  I want to eat the tasty parts that are easy to eat because I like them, and I want to eat the bitter parts that don’t go down so well.  If God wants me to do hard things, I pray He gives me strength to do them.  If God wants me to forgive someone who has seriously wronged me, I want to want to forgive.  In light of how He has so freely forgiven me, how can I not?

I know people get seriously turned off to this “holiness” stuff.  But, I have had many transitions in my walk with the Lord that I had to ask myself, “Am I going to do it my way?”  Also known as the easy way that comes natural to me?  Or, am I going to do it God’s way?  Also known as the hard way.  In most of life‘s tough decisions that I have faced so far, I believe I have chosen God’s way.  Not one time, not one single time has He ever let me down or wronged me.  Yes, I’ll admit that I complained about it in the short term, but in the long term it always worked out for my good.  Anything God has asked me to do that was hard has only served to ultimately benefit me.  Though I certainly didn’t see it at the time.

Today, simply evaluate your relationship with God.  Is there anything in your life that is keeping you from God’s best?   Are you feeling His Presence?  Are you being obedient to the best of your knowledge and ability?  Is there any area of your life that is not clean?  Do you honor the entire Word of God?  Or, do you pick and choose?

Only you and God know.

If you are going to consume God’s Word…

Consume it all.

Later

Adam

Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” – Luke 9:61-62

Very much like last week, when the guy wanted to bury his father, this sounds like a reasonable request. I mean, Jesus, seriously, let the dude go say goodbye to his family. This appears to be one of those cultural things. A goodbye sendoff by a Jewish family in this time period would have meant a party that lasted for weeks. Therefore, the guy is saying, “I can’t follow right now, but give me a few weeks.” Maybe the guy would have changed his mind and Jesus knew it. More than likely, the guy would have done what the majority do here in America and try to maintain his own desires and the desires of Jesus. But, the Lord makes it pretty clear; you can’t serve two masters.

For years and years, maybe two decades after saying as a sixteen year old, “Lord, I will follow you,” there were things I can point to now where I told Him by the way I lived my life, “Hands off of that!” Wannabe followers don’t mind giving Jesus the stuff that they don’t really want anyway. There always seems to be a “that” for a wannabe that he or she continually prioritizes above Him. Notice that Jesus does not go ahead and add this guy as a soul won to the kingdom of Heaven; in fact, He flat out calls him “unfit for the kingdom.”

I guess it all comes down to this; is there anything in your life that you put ahead of following Jesus? Even on the same playing field as following Jesus? Are there compartments of your life that are off limits to Him?

“Lord, I will follow you, but leave my money alone! Don’t ask me to tithe because I don’t have that much anyway. Besides, isn’t that all those preachers want?”

“Lord, I will follow you, but leave my entertainment choices alone. I love watching movies. I know they cuss a good bit and take your Name in vain, but that’s just the world we live in today.”

“Lord, I will follow you, but my kid is great at sports and will probably be the next world class athlete. I’m sure they will honor you with their worldwide fame, so don’t ask me to anchor down at a local church because we’ve got travel ball.”

“Lord, I will follow you, but don’t ask me to study Your Word. It is very hard to read and understand, and besides I have other books to read, television shows to watch, game systems to play on, friends to text, and social media statuses to update.”

Lord, I will follow you, but don’t ask me to give up my girlfriend or boyfriend. I know we do drugs and we are having sex outside of marriage, but you were the one who made all that stuff, right?”

“Lord, I will follow you, but I’m busy and just don’t have a lot of time.”

Now listen, I’m not saying if you are currently doing any of this stuff that it is too late for you. I did an awful lot of these things for years as a beginning Christian. I am saying when God convicts you and says, “What about that?” you should be willing to do as Elisha did. When Elisha in the Old Testament was faced with this same decision to be the successor to Elijah, he burned his plow and barbecued his oxen (1 Kings 19:19-21). He wanted to make sure that if he even thought of turning back, he had nothing to go back to. All three of these wannabes had a chance to respond to Jesus with boldness. Instead they said, “Too difficult and too costly, Jesus, I’m out.”

Will you decide now to follow Jesus?

No turning back.

Later

Adam

What About Now?

He said to another man, “follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, first le me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” – Luke 9:59-60

Years ago, I had a conversation with a young man about following Jesus. He told me a line that for some reason I have never forgotten. He said, “I can’t do it right now. Before I can become old and wise, I must first be young and stupid.” I simply said, “No, you can choose to be stupid, but you don’t have to be.” Interestingly enough, that young man is currently in prison. The reason I tell you that is because this young man did exactly what the man did in the verses. He said, “Yes, I will eventually follow, but not right now. Now is not a good time.”

Now, to be fair, Jesus does sound pretty hardcore right here. I mean, let the dude go bury his dad if there is a funeral is taking place, right? But, most scholars agree that was probably not was going on here. Dad was alive and well, but maybe didn’t care too much for the carpenter from Nazareth. Maybe this wannabe stood to lose his share of an inheritance if he associated with Jesus. Whatever the reason, now was not a good time to follow Jesus.

I have learned that it does not matter what stage of life you are in, there is always an excuse to not follow Jesus. He continually extends the invitation, “Follow me,” but it is up to you to accept or reject His offer.

If you are in high school, it will cost you popularity to follow Jesus. As soon as you reject the party crowd and all the illegal drinking, drug using and sexual immorality that goes along with it, you will be rejected by those you think are your friends. For this reason, many say, “Lord, I’ll follow you, but first let me get out of high school.”

In college, you find that the party scene is ten times better than anything you saw in high school. Plus, you don’t even have to worry about going home and facing your parents. Therefore, many say, “Lord, I will follow you, I meant that when I said it in high school, but first let me get out of college.”

When these students finally graduate, many get married and get jobs. They find that the drinking habits don’t just magically disappear. They find that marriage does not cure their pornography addiction nor does it cure their other sexual addictions. They find that to get ahead in this corporate world you have to be dishonest. Yet, there is Jesus, offering the invitation, “Follow me.” Many say, “Lord, I will follow, but first let me get my home and my finances in order. I just don’t have time right now.”

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter how “many” respond, it matters how you respond. How have you responded to the invitation of Jesus to “follow me”?

There will always be a reason to not follow Jesus. No matter what stage of life you are in, there is always an excuse. Satan loves when a wannabe follower of Jesus says, “Not now, later.”

Will you decide now to follow Jesus?

No turning back.

Later

Adam

If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.  – Luke 9:23

They were walking along the road, a man said to Him, “I will follow you wherever you will go.”  Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has no place to lay His head.” – Luke 9:57-58

Christianity is full of “wannabes”.  I can spot them easily because I was one for way too long.  A wannabe wants all of the benefits of being a Christ follower:  Heaven when we die, healing when we or a loved one is sick or hurt, and comfort when we’ve suffered loss just to name a few.  When a wannabe needs Him, he or she wants and expects Him to be there for them and to meet their needs.  On the other hand, a wannabe wants nothing to do with the cost of being a follower of Christ.  Don’t ask a wannabe to deny themselves any of the pleasures or comforts of this world, and certainly don’t ask them to do anything they don’t want to do or is slightly uncomfortable.  A wannabe won’t say it out loud, but with their actions say, “If I feel like it and I believe I can do what you ask of me, as long as it isn’t too inconvenient, I’ll do it.  But, keep in mind, God, I’m not perfect, so don’t expect too much.”

The wannabe in the story came to Jesus and said, “Let’s do this!  I’m ready to follow you wherever.”  Now, right here is where many preachers get it so wrong today.  Nearly every church would go ahead and count this guy as a soul won to the Kingdom.  Churches count guys like this all the time and post the numbers on Facebook.  In fact, if it were possible in the late 90’s, there is no telling how many preachers and churches could have counted me as a salvation because I got saved just about every other week.  But, like the guy in the verses, I wasn’t willing to follow Jesus anywhere and everywhere.  Jesus essentially talked the guy out of being saved, and He did it easily by making one essential statement:  “Wannabe, it may cost you the comforts of your own home.  You can’t stay where you are.”

No deal!  Can’t do it!  I like where I am.

So many students are heading back to school this week.  So many of them have told God, “I will follow you wherever.”  How many of them will remain when He says, “Follow me in the classroom, I want you to do your best?”  “Nope, sorry Lord . . . I hate school work, it’s boring.  Those teachers are boring, too” How many wannabes remain when He says “Don’t participate in the drunkenness, foul mouthing, drug using, sexually immoral debauchery that will be all around you” will simply say, “sorry, can’t do it.  Everybody does that stuff, it is not that big of a big deal?”

What about the adults?  What is the answer when God says, “Follow me in your current marriage?”  “But, God, I’m not happy in this marriage!  You do want me to be happy, right?”

What is the answer when God says, “Follow me while you are single?”  “But, God, I hate being alone, I’ve never not had somebody by my side.”

What is the answer when God says, “Follow me at work?”  “But, God, everybody else slacks off, and my bosses do nothing and they make more than me, why should I try so hard when nobody else does?”

What is the answer when God says, “Follow me at the restaurant?”  “But, God, the waitress was rude and never filled my tea glass, she didn’t deserve a tip!”

What is the answer when God says, “Follow me at the football game?”  “But, God, I’m just passionate about sports and really competitive.  I get a little intense sometimes.  Besides, its just a game.”

Where is it you have the most trouble following Jesus?

Figure it out and fix it.

Soon and very soon, we are going to see the King!

Later

Adam

After Being Made Clean

And he (Naaman) returned to the man of God, he and all his aides, and came and stood before him; and he said, “Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; now therefore, please take a gift from your servant. But he (Elisha) said, “as the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will receive nothing.”  And he urged him to take it, but he refused.  So Naaman said, “Then, if not, please let your servant be given two mule-loads of earth; for your servant will no longer offer either burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, but to the Lord. – 2 Kings 5:15-17

After Naaman was made clean, he did a couple of things that let us as Bible readers know that old things had passed away, and all things had truly become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

The very first thing he did was return and give thanks to Elisha. Remember in Luke 17 when Jesus healed 10 lepers? Only one returned to give thanks. Jesus gave us, in my opinion, a picture of what it looks like when God heals the outside without first dealing with the inside. 90% went on with their lives and didn’t return. When preachers basically talk people into saying a prayer and pronounce them clean without repentance, we can expect maybe a 10% success rate in producing a thankful heart that returns thanks to God. Naaman returned because the man of God dealt with his pride before he dealt with his leprosy.

The second thing Naaman did was offer up anything he had. Elisha refused any kind of material gift. Salvation comes only from God and it has no monetary price tag. What a cheap religion we would have if it could be bought. Elisha would not have Naaman go back and say it cost repentance AND some amount of money. There is only one Name, the name of Jesus, by whom we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

The last thing I want to mention that Naaman did is he asked Elijah for two mule-loads of earth to bring back with him. He was going to use this dirt to make a place to sacrifice unto God. If there was one thing that I wish every person who claimed to be Christian would do, it is find a regular time and place to sacrifice to God. Thank God we don’t have to sacrifice animals or anything like that any more. However, it seems that would almost be easier for us “busy” Americans than to sacrifice a few minutes away from Facebook, Instagram, X-Box, iPhones, television, and countless other devices that make us actually believe we have no time.

What is your plan for spending time with God? If you don’t have one, Jesus offers one.

“But when (notice he doesn’t say “if”) you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” – Matthew 6:6

Later

Adam

An Emphasis on Every Word of Psalm 23:1(a)

THE Lord is my shepherd.

The word “THE” implies that there is only one Lord.  Blaise Pascal wrote, “God created man in His image, then man returned the favor.”  It is no secret that I hate this American “What’s in it for me?” version of Christianity.  I mostly hate it because I once lived in its emptiness and allowed it to rob me of the blessings that come from a very deep love relationship with THE one true God of Heaven.  THE Lord, The God of the Holy Bible, THE one, THE only true God, who came to this earth in the form of a man, Jesus Christ, and now lives in all who put their trust in Him by the power of His Holy Spirit.  THE Lord, THE only Lord, He is my shepherd.

The LORD is my shepherd.

If He is Lord, then He is allowed and capable of calling the shots in my life.  Even when I don’t understand what He is up to.  Even when I don’t want to do what He is asking me to do.  I must honor Him with my decisions.  I must do as He asks regardless of the cost to my finances, reputation, or even my very life.  Why?  He is the LORD!

The Lord IS my shepherd.

IS!  Right now!  Today!  Isn’t the Lord simply someone some dusty old two to four thousand year old book talks about?  No!  Jesus Christ, our Lord, rose from the dead.  He showed Himself to hundreds of other people (1 Corinthians 15:6) They believed not because of what He said, but because of what He did.  He lived, died, and then rose from the dead on the third day.  Because Jesus Christ lives and because I have entrusted my life to Him . . . He IS my shepherd!  Amazing!

The Lord is MY shepherd.

Mine?  But, I was a stupid teenager and young adult who rejected Him!  I knew His ways!  I even claimed to know Him.  Yet, I repeatedly chose sexual immorality over Him.  I repeatedly chose the praises of men over the praises of who I claimed was my Lord.  I repeatedly chose worldly entertainment over His Word! Ah, but in His great love for me, He showed me that even though I was Gomer constantly prostituting myself in the book of Hosea, He was Hosea, choosing to love me regardless.  Relentlessly trying to buy me back, even if it cost Him everything.  When I truly saw Jesus on the cross giving everything for my sin regardless of the fact that I had spit on Him, beat Him, and shouted “CRUCIFY HIM!”  When I saw the day He laid down His life for what it was, and I saw it as the price for MY redemption, He truly became MY shepherd.  The Lord is MY shepherd.  Oh, how I love Him!

The Lord is my SHEPHERD.

Shepherd?   Does this mean I am a sheep?  But, sheep are dumb!  Sheep are very prone to wander away from the shepherd.  Sheep are very needy.  Sheep will eat from bad ground, drink contaminated water, are constantly fighting off flies and pests, and are very susceptible to wild animals seeking to devour them.  Now that I think about it, it does sound like me.  If He is my shepherd, then I am a sheep.  Bad shepherds don’t really mind allowing these horrible things to happen to their sheep.  Fortunately, I don’t have a bad shepherd . . . The Lord is my shepherd!  He has so consistently showed me that He loves me and cares for me that I want to stay as close to Him as possible.

Do you?

I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. – John 10:11

Later

Adam

A Better Starting Point

Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. – Matthew 5:4

As long as I can remember, it has been an implied teaching that the starting point for a sinner who wants to turn to Christ is “the sinner’s prayer.”  I prayed it for the first time when I was 16.  Afterwards, I prayed it well over a hundred more times.  I guess I was just waiting for one to “take” because there was no real change in my life for several years.

I don’t believe the “sinner’s prayer” started as a bad thing at all, but somehow it seems to have become the primary evidence of salvation.  Preachers simply try to get people to say it, and then post the number of “salvations” online.  The only problem I see with this (and I have done it) is the product it has produced over the past few decades.  I am astounded at the people who genuinely believe they are saved because they said “the sinner’s prayer” at some point in their lives.  I was in this group for quite a while.  For years, I had my trust in the fact that I had “said the prayer for forgiveness.”  Just in case that didn’t work, I would also ask for forgiveness nearly every night before I went to sleep.

Upon the realization that my life was headed to Hell, I offered up a different prayer.  I said, “Lord, my life is now yours.  I know I’m not living for You.  Help me learn to really live for You.  I will read Your Word, learn it, and obey it to the best of my ability.  Please help me.”  Slowly, methodically, and surely I began to grow into a brand new life.  There was nothing like it.  It was very difficult, mainly because it ran directly against the traffic of the world, but it was wonderful and I knew in my heart it was right.

I say all that to say this:  I believe there is a better prayer to start the real deal Christian life.  Not that anybody can place his or her trust in any prayer, for our hope is not in a prayer, but in Christ alone.  Having said that, a person who wants to come to Christ must first contemplate a few questions.

1.     Do you desire daily to be in God’s Presence?

2.     Do you desire to read and learn His Word as written in the Holy Bible?

3.     Do you desire to obey His Word regardless of the cost to you?

If they answer is an honest “yes” to these questions, I would venture to say that you are more than likely assured of your salvation.  If the answer is “no,” then you do need not say a “sinner’s prayer,” you are “poor in spirit” and need to cry out for some serious help.  Something along these lines:

“Lord, I do not desire You, but I want to.  The truth is, I can go days, weeks, and even months without even thinking about You.  I don’t desire Your Holy Word, but I want to.  Up until now, I haven’t cared anything about reading the Bible.  It seems very difficult to read and understand.  I live my life exactly as I want, hoping You will just forgive me at the end of it all.  I recognize that I am poor in spirit for I want very little to do with You and Your ways.  Quicken my spirit.  Make my spirit truly alive so I may live.  Grant me access to the kingdom of heaven and give me life.  Change my desires Lord that I may truly live for You and be a light in this dark world.  Amen.

Honestly, I still pray parts of this prayer sometimes.  If I ever feel like I am picking up my Bible or studying it simply out of religious duty, I pray this.  If a person does not have a desire in their heart to know God, they are poor in spirit.  God must intervene on his or her behalf.  I never ever want to simply go through the motions.  I want Jesus.  I desire to be as close to Him as possible.

Do you?

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.– 2 Corinthians 5:17

Later

Adam

Looking

Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.  — Isaiah 45:22

This old, simple text from Isaiah says, “Look unto me.”  The New Testament says, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” (Acts 16:31)  Romans 10:9 reads;  “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” There are a couple of problems I see with the New Testament verses.  Not that the verses are bad in and of themselves, but in the fact that modern American “Christianity” has significantly devalued their meaning. 

First of all, we have taken the word “believe” and made it mean a simple “acknowledgement of the fact.”  It no longer means to “lean upon” or “place your complete trust in,” but just a simple “make sure you think Jesus actually existed.”   

Second, many churches have made “confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus” a one shot deal.  As long as you say “the sinner’s prayer” your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life.  We don’t look at His name as the Name above all Names that will continuously be called upon until we draw our last breath. 

Now, Isaiah doesn’t write the word “believe,” or even “confess,” he writes the word “look.”  I like this word.  Why?  Well, looking isn’t hard at all.  Plus, a person knows exactly what he or she has been looking at all day long.  Have you looked to Jesus today?

If you don’t know what to look for, let the Bible be your guide.

And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. – Luke 22:44. 

Look at Him prepare to take your sin.

From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land.  About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” (Which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”) – Matthew 27:46-47. 

Look at your sin being transferred to the Lord.  Look at how it separates Him from His Father for the first and only time in eternity. 

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. – Matthew 27:50. 

Look at Him die for your sin.

He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. – Matthew 28:6. 

Look at Him rise from the dead.  Is there anyone even close to our Lord Jesus Christ?  He gave His life so that all who look to Him could spend eternity with Him forever and ever.  Death must now give way to victory and has no sting for anyone who looks to Him.

The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 6:23. 

Look unto Him today, and be saved.

Later

Adam