Wednesday Morning Devotional

It Happened on The Seventh Time

So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. – 2 Kings 5:14

Naaman had Leprosy.  One would think that he would be wiling to do whatever he had to destroy this skin condition that would slowly and literally eat him alive.  However, this was not the case.  When Elisha sent a servant to tell Naaman exactly what he needed to do, he became angry.  Cleansing did not come like he thought it should, so Naaman almost rejected healing.

I wonder what Naaman thought the first six times he dipped himself.  Did he look at his skin after the third time and not see a difference?  Did he say to himself, “this is stupid and pointless”? Or maybe, “If this God is so awesome, why can’t He do it the first time”?

Which raises a great question:  Why does God require so many times?  I mean Jericho had to be marched around seven times before the wall fell.  How did they feel when nothing happened the first six days?  Did any of them quit showing up within those first six days?

I pleaded with God to save me and make me whole when I was sixteen.  Even though it was a wonderful feeling that I’ll never forget, I was absolutely no different afterwards.  This worried me.  I thought I would just automatically be different.  I got “saved” again with the same results.  Then, I got saved again, again, and again.  This went on for quite a few years.  If anything, I was getting worse spiritually, not better.

True and lasting change eluded me.  I began to wonder if I had “blasphemed the Holy Spirit,” (Matthew 12:31) or maybe God just chose to reject me because I knew better and still chose the wide gate that leads to destruction a few too many times. (Matthew 7:13-14) 

Oh the glorious day when it all changed!  That wonderful day the old Adam died!  That wonderful day where all things became new!  It must have been well over the hundredth time I had tried.  What was different about this time?  What if I’d stopped one time short?  On that day I stopped living my way and asked Him to place me on His lighted path.  I had never read His Holy Word for myself.  Sure, I’d listen to the preachers talk about it on Sunday, but never even considered studying it for myself.  Nearly every day for 15 months I read The Bible a little bit at a time until I had read it all. 

I didn’t know it, but I was daily dipping myself in His cleansing waters.  Even today, I don’t know how He did it, I don’t even know when He did it, but somewhere during that 15-month period He washed this old sinner and made him brand new.  I know how Naaman felt on that glorious day when his flesh was restored.  But, I still can’t help but wonder, “what if he had quit after 6 dips in that Jordan River?” 

The answer:  He would not have been made clean.

I believe God allows this sort of forced perseverance to separate the quitters who are really only looking for Him to be one more resource who gratifies their worldly desires.  If I need healing, I’ll call on Him.  If I need a job, I’ll call on Him.  If I’m in a bad situation, I’ll call on Him.  If I’m lonely, I’ll call on Him.  As soon as God refuses instant gratification, most people are done with Him.  I’ve heard people say things like, “I tried Christianity and it just didn’t work for me.”  Others go as far as to deny His very existence, simply because He doesn’t do instant.

In reality, they’re all just quitters.  What would have happened if, instead of quitting, they had continued to dip themselves in the water of the Word of God? 

The Israelites who saw the walls fall down on the seventh day had one thing in common; they did not quit!

Naaman saw his leprosy removed for one reason; he didn’t quit dipping himself when the first six dips didn’t work.

If you want to see God do an amazing work in your own life . . . Don’t quit!

Never, ever quit! 

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”  — Philippians 3:14

Later

Adam

The Bride of Christ

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” – Revelation 21:9

I love to read the Bible. I believe it. For about the past 15 or so years, I have been very intentional about living out what I have learned from reading and studying it. Some of it I haven’t minded doing. Some of it I have hated doing. But all of it has ultimately proven very beneficial. All of it has brought me to a place where I absolutely trust and absolutely love the God of the Holy Bible.

It is interesting to me that the Bible starts and ends with a marriage. In Genesis 2:24 it says “a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife.” The main verse I chose for today comes from Revelation chapter 21, the second to last chapter of the Bible. Two chapters into the Bible, there is a bride (Eve) and groom (Adam). Two chapters before the end, there is a bride (the church) and groom (Jesus Christ). God is looking for a bride. Not just any bride, but a pure and spotless bride.

Here is the question I am pondering this morning: Am I part of the bride of Christ? How can I know?

1. Do I love Him? John 14:15 says, “If you love me, you will obey my commands.”   I want with all my heart to do exactly as He says. If He says, “pray for those who persecute you,” I want to hit my knees and pray for them. If He says, “flee sexual immorality,” I want to run as Joseph did from Potiphar’s wife. If He says, “deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me,” I want to do just that. Most of all, I just want to spend time every day with Him in His presence.

2. Do I chase after other lovers? In the Old Testament book of Hosea, God asked Hosea to take a wife who constantly prostituted herself. Every time, Hosea would buy her back. Why? He was choosing to love her. This is an amazing picture of what God did for me. I am done trying to have Him and the sins I thought I couldn’t live without. I absolutely never want to make Him jealous because I chase after anything in this temporary world. I want my only source of fulfillment to be Him.

3. Am I preparing for the wedding? If we are truly in the last days before Christ’s return, then we should prepare as brides prepare. The day of the ceremony, she spends lots of time preparing her make-up, her hair, and getting her dress on just right. In the same way, I should be spiritually becoming more beautiful. I should have more love, more joy, more peace, more patience, more kindness, and more self-control. I do not need to focus on the ugliness of the world, for this world is not my home. I must focus on Him, His Word, and the constant examination of my heart. I must clothe myself in the righteousness that is only found at the foot of the cross of Christ. What a day, glorious day that will be, when I am eternally married to the one who gave His life that I might know Him in the first place and live forever in His presence!

Facebook has been lighting up with flags lately. Many have chosen the rainbow flag. Others have chosen the Confederate flag and/or the American Flag. Some have even chosen the Christian flag. I think God is asking me to choose a simple white flag. The only flag that is pure and spotless. The flag of surrender to simply say “I lay down my right to have what I want to have, do what I want to do, and live like I want to live.” Live through me, Lord Jesus!

Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. – Psalm 139:23-24

Later

Adam

Birthday Presence

At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” – 1 Kings 3:5

Today, I’m 40 years old. It doesn’t seem that long ago since birthdays and Christmas were all about receiving more cool stuff. My parents and family have certainly hooked me up over the years.

When Solomon was appointed King over Israel, God came to him in a dream and offered him a blank check. He flat out told Solomon, “Ask for whatever you want.”

Since it is my birthday, I am contemplating this question. What would I ask God to give me if given the same offer?

Just 20 short years ago, I would have asked for more stuff: A mansion on one of the Cliffs golf courses, money, mad guitar skills, and only He knows what else. I actually remember being in church one day when the preacher was talking about the return of The Lord. I actually thought in my heart, “I hope He doesn’t . . . I want to live my life.”

I sure would like to have a conversation with that 20-year-old kid. He had no clue.

Here are three things that I’m asking God for on my birthday:

1. To give me wisdom in leading my family. I want my kids to have hearts that want to honor God. I want to help them figure out much quicker than I did that He can be trusted and the life He gives is 10,000 times better than the best life we can conjure up on our own.

2. For my marriage to continue to grow stronger and stronger. Just as my relationship with God has grown over the past 24 years, my relationship with Tonya has grown over the past 15. I thought I knew her then, but I know her so much more now. I pray that He gives us lots of years together and that every year our bond and our friendship grow stronger. I sure do love that woman!

3. Lastly, I would ask to have the maximum amount of His Presence on my life. I want to have as close of a relationship as a man can possibly have with Him. I can’t believe there was a time in my life where I would have traded His Presence for His presents. I simply want Him now more than I want any material possession He could possibly give me.

What about you?

What would you ask for?

Later

Adam

Four Decades

When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites.  – Acts 7:23

Well, this will be the last Wednesday Morning Devotional I will ever post in my thirties.  Next Wednesday, I will be forty years old.  I am not someone who dreads getting older.  In fact, as long as I continue to grow in wisdom and knowledge of the Word of God, I embrace it.  What is any person’s life anyway?  It is a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away (James 4:14).  I have learned that the only things in this life that really matter are the things you do for God.  The things of Him last forever.

In the first decade of my life, I simply learned that God exists.  My mom took me to church every Sunday.  I learned very little, but I did learn that people go to church because of their belief in Him.

In the second decade of my life, I learned that God sent His son, Jesus Christ, to rescue me.  At a small Baptist church in Salem, SC, I learned of Jesus’s death on the cross.  I learned that He became the perfect payment for my sin and gave His own life so I could go to Heaven.  I was too afraid to receive Jesus in front of everyone, so I met the youth leader in private and asked Jesus into my heart.  I wish I had drawn near boldly.  Because I did not, I cared what others thought and tried to do that awful thing where one serves God and serves the pleasures of this world.

In the third decade of my life, I didn’t like where I ended up.  Sexual immorality had left me heartbroken and empty.  Materialism had left me always wanting more.  Entertainment left me singing about Hell instead of Heaven, and actually paying money to watch gross immorality.  I had even let video games just numb my mind and keep me from what is really important.  One day, God showed me all of this.  I was broken for the first time in my life.  Weeping next to my bed, I bowed the knee and asked Him to save me.  This time it wasn’t salvation from Hell, but salvation from the life I was about to continue living.  Over the next year, I read the entire Bible for myself, severed many toxic relationships, and began to obey God.  When I met my wife, Tonya, she taught me that it wasn’t just about just following rules; it was about being in a real deal relationship with Him.  She taught me that He really does forgive us and really does love us.  I am beyond thankful that she has daily been a picture for me to see of what it looks like to love God and trust Him.

In this last decade I became a daddy, which has exponentially taught me about my relationship with my Heavenly Father.  I also became a pastor.  Officially, I have been a pastor for one year.  I have learned that I still let what other people think affect me.  I have learned that I still have a massive amount to learn.  I have learned to trust God on more of a day-by-day and moment-by-moment basis.  I have learned that I have absolutely no clue what I’m doing when it comes to being a pastor.  I have never been this utterly and completely reliant upon Him.  Giving up your independence to trust an unseen God doesn’t sound like a great thing in this dog eat dog world, but it is wonderful.

So, what will the next decade hold?  I am praying for boldness.  I am praying that I will discard man’s opinions of me and speak His Word boldly, powerfully, and without compromise.  I want to see others receive the salvation that I have received.  I want to make disciples.  I want to hear stories of great and mighty things God is doing in hearts, minds, and lives of those around me.  I want people to know Him, really know Him, and fall crazy in love with Him.  I want to be a leader in the greatest awakening this world has ever seen.

What about you?

How has God grown you over the decades?

Where do you stand with Him?

What do you want to see Him do?

Later

Adam

Church Work

Serve the Lord with gladness. – Psalm 100:2

In just about every church, a very small percentage of the congregation does the work that needs to be done. In general, you see the same people directing traffic, greeting, taking up offering, singing and playing in the worship band, serving in the nursery, leading Life Groups, leading children’s programs and teaching the youth. Solid adults who feel called to serve in these areas are scarce.

What do you do in your local church? If you do anything at all, do you do it because you have to? Or, do you do it because you want to? The difference is night and day.

I have spoken to musicians who feel “stuck.” There is nobody else to fill the need that they fill, so they do it simply to fulfill the need. There are countless people serving right now who are burned out because there is absolutely no relief in sight. It absolutely should not be this way. There is a better way.

I believe the key is to gain an eternal perspective. If you believe that your service to the Lord could be used to change where someone spends eternity, you will begin to serve the Lord with gladness. If you will begin to look at what you do or will be doing as a ministry, you will begin to want to serve. People will see a light in you that they want and need. Your light will begin to shine before men, they will see your good deeds, and glorify your Father in Heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

This works at work as well. If you see your job or your studies as service unto The Lord, you will become magnetic. In our current culture, there is this attitude where people want to do as little as possible, but receive maximum reward. If someone sees you have a great attitude while working, they honestly think something is wrong with you. This is the perfect opportunity to tell people about the living God that you serve. Serve the Lord with gladness.

I envision a church where everyone serves Him with gladness. Honestly, isn’t that what Heaven will ultimately be? I can only imagine what would be accomplished through a man or woman who would silently pray for God to intervene on a visitor’s behalf as they greeted them and shook their hand at the door. What would become of the nursery worker who is glad to pray for those babies as they hold them? What if they spent an hour praying for their souls, their family, and the ministries that would soon be in their future? Will you figure out where God would have you serve, and go for it? Serve the Lord with gladness!

Let me give you an example of why this is so important. When Tonya and I felt God was leading us to Lifeline Community Church, I basically laid one fleece out before the Lord. I said, “Lord, if you want us here, you have to make it so our kids want to go here. If they don’t like it, we can’t go.” After leaving the church service, I asked my little girl, “Did you like it?” “Yes, daddy, I loved it!” I was amazed, so I pressed further, “What did you like so much about it?” “Daddy, they have doughnuts out front that you can just get one for free!”

I couldn’t help but smile. Somebody took the time to get up early, buy doughnuts, make coffee, set up a table, and work at what has to make for a pretty long morning. Not to mention, they got to clean it all up at the end. I would be willing to bet that the people who did it that morning did it with gladness. What an unbelievable difference it made in the life and future of my family!

Ask God where He wants you to serve. What ministry does He want you involved with? When it becomes clear, do it with all your heart, completely confident that the Holy Spirit living inside of you will change hearts, minds, and lives.

Serve the Lord with gladness.

Later

Adam