Wednesday Morning Devotional

Rest

Come unto me all ye who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. – Matthew 11:28

For the most part, I am a happy, energetic guy. These past few weeks, I have not been happy and energetic. Any time I am not enjoying life, I do an assessment of what is going on and figure out what I am doing differently.

How about you? Are you living victoriously?   I’m not asking you if everything is going good in your life. Life throws all kind of circumstances at us all. Sunday night, my wife fell and sprained both of her ankles. Of course she isn’t happy about it, but I have not seen that affect her attitude one bit. I have tried not to let it affect mine either.   When these moments hit, I learn very quickly just how much it is she does for my family and me! (Thanks baby . . . I love you!)

Now, John 10:10 sums up everything we need to know about Jesus as well as everything we need to know about our adversary, the devil. The devil has one purpose: “The thief comes but to steal, to kill, and destroy.” The primary thing he wants to steal is joy from a person who calls him or herself a Christian. If he can accomplish this, he has killed that person’s testimony, and destroyed any witness they may have. A person who has Christ in their life should live a life in sharp contrast to a person who does not.

This brings us to Jesus, He says “but I have come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly.” I have not had “abundant life” these past few weeks. Where did I go wrong? What happened? For me, I allowed the devil to change one little word to what I would consider my life verse. Let me explain.

I have been working on one thing lately with my relationship with God. I am striving to have Him constantly on my mind every moment of every day. This is incredibly difficult doing a job like teaching because so many other people are involved. However, that does not keep me from trying. I actually got pretty close on one particular day. But, for the most part, it is epic failure. On the majority of days, I don’t even come close. When the time to start teaching class begins and students begin to act like my math lesson is some sort of awful tasting medicine the doctor is forcing them to take, my thoughts completely leave God and I go into “work mode” or “teacher mode” for hours. As soon as I am alone again, I remember Him, I connect with Him, and I try to keep Him as long as I can.

Now, I have since 2007 made Colossians 3:23 my life verse. Whatever it is that I do, I work at it with all my heart as working for the Lord, not for men. Somehow, in the last few weeks, I changed the word with “heart” to “might” or “strength.” The difference is night and day. After teaching 6 straight non-stop hours on a Monday last week with all my might, I was ready to die. I was exhausted. During those 6 hours, I never once thought of God. I was doing my own thing.   I was working in a way He never asked me to work.

After realizing this, I prayed and asked Him to help me stay focused on Him. I have had some really long workdays since then. But now, every time I pause, I take just a few seconds to acknowledge Him, to ask for help, to guide my thoughts, my feet and my hands. It has been amazing. I have life again . . . abundant life. I go home with energy. I am looking forward to having more and more of Him and that very real sense that I am walking with Him.

There is no one like Him!

I was weary.

I was heavy laden.

I came to Him.

He gave me rest.

He will do the same for you.

Later

Adam

What do you want God to accomplish through you this year?

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. – Matthew 5:13

I guess a better question to ask at this point in the year is “What have you seen God accomplish through you this year?” It is already the middle of November and another year has flown by. Take the time to reflect on what you have seen God accomplish through you so far this year. Also take the time to think about what you want God to accomplish through you in 2015.

As for me, this year has been absolutely life changing. I have seen God do amazing, amazing things. He made me a pastor. I still can’t believe that and am still getting used to it even after a year. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that God placed me at Lifeline Community Church. I have seen many broken lives that were off the narrow path get back on. I have had some of the best conversations with people. I am watching people who have said the prayer of salvation actually leave the starting line and start running the race.

I used to think that my goal as a Christian was to get as many people as I could to “receive” Christ. I thought that if I could get a bunch of people to “say the prayer” my life would be meaningful and impactful for the kingdom. I am learning that isn’t the case.   The goal that God has commissioned me with is getting people who say they are Christians to do one of two things. A person really should get on the narrow path and start walking with The Lord, or stop calling himself or herself a Christian. There is nothing more devastating to the kingdom than a person who says they are a Christian and lives exactly like non-Christians. I should know, I was one of those Christians for years. I talked like the world, was immoral like the world, didn’t read the Bible (like the world), never really thought of God unless I needed something (like the world), and never really had any intention of fully committing my life to Christ . . . like the world

Thank God a very busy preacher took the time to sit down with me and show me what it meant to truly have a relationship with Christ. Through my sessions with Him, I learned how to deny myself, take up my cross, and actually follow Jesus. Was it difficult? Yes. Was it easy? No. Was it worth it? Absolutely! It is the greatest and most rewarding thing I have ever done in my life. It continues to be the gift that keeps on giving.

For the remainder of this year and all of the next, I pray that God will use me in the same way he used that busy preacher years ago . . . that I might take part in fulfilling Matthew 28:19 . . .

Go and make disciples.

What do you want Him to accomplish through you?

Later

Adam

What is your favorite verse of scripture and why?

Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? – Matthew 26:53

There are lots and lots of great scriptures. This question has an ever-changing answer because my favorite scripture is usually the one that most directly applies to me at the time. However, as I listen to myself preach and talk in general about the Gospel, I have called this verse my “favorite” more than any others.

In the context of this verse, Peter had just cut a soldier’s ears off. The Pharisee’s had conspired with Judas and created a plan to bring Jesus into custody. Peter was going to have none of it. He pulled out his sword and started swinging away. After the blade sliced off the soldier’s ear, Jesus picked up the ear, healed the guy, and then rebuked Peter. Jesus then says the words I have used as the main Bible verse for this WMD.

For those who do not know Him, it is easy to think of Jesus as a powerless wimp. In fact, it is why many people dismiss Him so quickly. For many, Jesus is still a baby lying in a manger. Nobody fears a baby. However, the baby grew up. The man the baby became willingly gave His life on a cross so that you and I might be saved. Jesus said of His life “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” (John 10:18)

Peter had forgotten this authority that Jesus has. I still sometimes forget. Jesus, in Matthew 26:53 was saying this in the AHV (Adam Hopkins Version): “You think I am powerless? You think I need you to defend me? You know if I wanted to, I could absolutely lay the smack down on all who these who seek to harm me? Peter, I could call on the angels and they would at once melt the skin off of all who oppose me! I could watch them suffer to no end. I am not powerless! I choose this! I choose to lay down my life! I choose the cross!”

Why is this my favorite? Because it constantly reminds me of exactly how I am to be. I am to be like Christ. There are many times I feel like I could lash back in an argument and “win.” Many times I get angry and feel like I could use my 75 inches and 210 pounds to physically annihilate somebody. I could very much use my words to put people “in their place.” Man, oh man, I have some serious power to do some serious damage to those around me . . . especially those I love and care about the most. However, if I did choose to do so, would I be anything at all like my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?

I would be nothing like Him.

He laid down His life that a multitude would be set free. Jesus would not have won a single person’s heart had He chosen to win the world in the same manner as every other ruler . . . with brute force. Instead, He chose to willingly put Himself on a cross. Someone like me just sits here gazing upon Him in my mind in absolute awe and wonder. Why would He choose to lay down His life in such a manner?

He did it to win your heart. He has already won mine. Following Him and His ways is difficult. You think the cross wasn’t difficult? Carrying a cross is always difficult. However, it is when others see you carrying it that they are moved. It is in this laying down of your life that others see Christ in you. This is what wins hearts. This is what makes following Jesus attractive.

Why did you not put that person in their place with your words? You were the one that was right!

Why did you not hit that person who was verbally assaulting you? They deserved it!

Why did you restrain yourself? You could have easily “paid them back” or at the very least gotten “even.”

Why didn’t you finish the fight? They started it!

Why didn’t you hit back? They hit you first!

The answer is simple: Jesus laid down His life for me. The most powerful man who ever lived, God contained in human flesh, sacrificed Himself that He might win my heart. The least I can do is live my life in a like manner.

I choose to lay down my life, that others might choose Christ.

Do you?

Later

Adam

What does it mean to be a Christian _________________?

If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. – Luke 9:23

The question at the “Fields of Faith” event that I attended specifically asked what it meant to be a Christian Athlete. Here, I am modifying it a bit so you can put your current occupation, status, or position inside the blank. I am going to put “teacher” in the blank since that is primarily what I do for a living.

First of all, the word “Christian” is useless. I don’t know how I’d reword the question, but it really needs to include “as a Christ follower” or “as a disciple of Jesus Christ” or something like that because the difference is night and day. In my quick Google search, a 2012 Gallup Poll said that 77% of the United States Population identified themselves as Christians. If three out of four Americans were true followers of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, this entire planet would be extraordinarily different. The Bible is clear that “not all who say Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of the Father in Heaven.” (Matthew 7:21) Plenty of people say they are Christians, very few act like it.

As a teacher, I am to teach kids mathematics. As a government employee, I am to never mention the name of The Lord Jesus Christ or read from the Holy Bible in school. I can only imagine the real “glory days” when I could have prayed out loud for our focus and attention, for the acquisition of knowledge, for the retaining of knowledge, for God to protect our hearts and minds, for God to protect our schools, and all of this while proclaiming out loud the greatness of our God. I can only imagine being able to read Colossians 3:23 to my class before the lesson and say “I know this seems useless and mundane, but God has placed us here for a reason. Let’s work at this together like we are learning it for our Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s do it all for His glory, His honor, and His praise.”

Sigh . . . I can only imagine.

But, this does not mean I have been defeated. As a teacher who follows Christ, I can still make a difference. I can still rise early in the morning and spend time with God. I can still ask for His power and Presence to be on my life. I can ask Him for power to have a great attitude. I can ask Him for wisdom to do my job like nobody else can. I can ask Him to so fill me up with His Spirit that it cannot go unnoticed. I can ask Him to help me be the teacher He created me to be. I can still pray for my students on a regular basis. Basically, I can still do what it is that I do for the glory and honor of God.

I didn’t choose to teach this way until 2007. I am just now beginning to see the fruit of what teaching this way produces. Students grow up. Many of them don’t like where the path they have chosen ends up. Many of them contact me. They want the joy that I have. They want the marriage that I have. Basically, they want the things that are a direct result of being in love with and having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I am more than happy to point them in His direction.

It is very easy to include Christianity as another part of our “quick fix,” “my way right away” society. We have mastered the 45-minute church service. We have mastered the 5-minute devotional book for “busy” people. However, the truth is that God is not someone we are simply to give a few minutes to Monday through Saturday, then give Him 45 minutes on Sunday and think we have honored Him.

We are to live our entire lives for Him. We are to do our part 168 hours a week. We do not have to be those weird people who go around quoting scriptures all the time to people who don’t want to hear it. Daniel never preached to the Babylonians, but never had a problem standing up for His God when it came to his own personal convictions. He never had a problem telling people what God meant to him or telling the rulers honest, open answers to their questions when asked. He felt no need badger others with his opinions of what he felt they needed God to do for them in their lives. The truth was everyone around him had chosen his or her own god or gods. Daniel simply honored God with his life in far less-than-ideal circumstances.

This is exactly what I believe it means for me to be a Christian teacher in the public school system. Are the circumstances surrounding my job ideal? No. Can I live for Him, honor Him, and show my students what it looks like to follow Him for 180 days?

Absolutely.

What does it mean for you to do what you do “as unto the Lord”?

Later

Adam

When Did You Come to Know Christ?

Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. – 1 John 2:3

A couple of weeks ago, I got to speak at an FCA event called “Fields of Faith.” I didn’t so much get to speak as I got to respond to four questions. They are great questions. They are such great questions I answered all four of them in a sermon. You can go to www.lifelinecc.com and click on “listen now” to check out the long version of my answers to these questions. I am going to do them here on WMD because I believe if you read these posts regularly, you need to know your own answers to these questions and be able to communicate them.

When did you come to know Christ? Isn’t this a great way to ask this question? Not, “when did you get saved?” or “when did you ask Christ to come into your heart?” The truth is, in my experience, just because you raised your hand after repeating the “sinner’s prayer” does not mean you began a relationship with Christ, nor does it mean you know Christ. Looking back on my own life, I said that prayer many times. It would make me feel good for a while, but the effect always wore off and I walked right back into my favorite sinful ways. I said the prayer, but I didn’t know Him. I didn’t know Him because I didn’t keep His commands.

Eventually, I got tired of this back and forth with salvation. Either Christ was real and He made a difference in a person’s life, or He was not and made no difference. I wanted to know for sure. I did not know 1 John 2:3 at the time, but I will never forget God’s ultimatum to me. I knew in my spirit He was saying “Adam, either do what you know I want you to do, or I’m going to quit convicting you of your sin. I will withdraw my Holy Spirit conviction.” I knew enough to know that I didn’t want Him to go anywhere. That same week, I was in a situation where He prompted me to tell the truth. I know for a fact that I would have lied if God hadn’t spoken to me. Obeying God was difficult, but felt amazing. I got my first taste of obedience and it was pretty sweet. I had actually trusted God for the first time.

I would have a series of these types of steps. I would break up with my girlfriend. I would stop playing secular (sometimes flat out satanic) music. I would change the music that I listened to while driving around in my little red Ford Ranger. I would read through the entire Bible. I would begin to talk to Him like He was my Father in Heaven who was for me, not against me.

I would come to know Him.

Now, instead of hoping that I am saved and living “good enough” to go to Heaven, I know that I know Him. I want with everything that I am to obey His commands, His callings, and His still, small voice. I want to obey Him because obedience always leads me to a place where I feel His Presence. I know He is there. There is absolutely nothing like the veil of my heart being torn into and His Presence filling it like a rushing, mighty wind. It is what I now live for.

When did you come to know Christ?

Later

Adam

Castle Quest

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. – 1 Corinthians 13:13

So, last Thursday morning, I was doing my normal routine. I got up around 4 am, did a little chest/back workout while listening to an old Jentezen Franklin sermon from like 1997, and then came downstairs to read the Bible and listen and talk to the Lord. Before I get to my “prayer closet,” I see the Thomas the Tank Engine “Castle Quest” set that my parents bought my little man the evening before. He tried to put it together, but just ran out of time. I knew he hated going to bed, but I knew he had school and I got home late because I spoke at an FCA event that evening.

Staring at that half put together set, I had a decision to make. Do I go read my Bible? Or, do I go put that set together for my son and surprise him when he gets up?

I put the set together.

It took about twice as long as it should have. If I had done it right out of the box, it would have taken about 15 minutes. However, because he did a few things wrong, I had to figure out what was wrong and undo a lot of what he had done. I did miss my time with the Lord, but when I woke up my little man, he went straight for it. “Thanks, dad! You put my set together!” I made breakfast while he played and played until time to leave for school

As I was driving to school, I was listening to “For This Cause” by Hillsong. It came to the part “all I want is you.” Immediately, I broke. It was amazing. The presence of the Lord flooded my car. He spoke. “Adam, you have so often been like your son. You have tried to put it all together by yourself. I have had to go back and undo many mistakes where you put pieces in the wrong place. Just like Jameson, you needed your Father to fix some things and put it all together correctly. I’m still putting your life together. Trust in me. Follow my instructions. Allow me to work. I will do it right the first time. I will never let you down. You, too, can wake up excited at the work I have done.”

Amazing! He knew my heart. He knows I want Him more than anything this life has to offer. He also knows that love never fails. In this case, doing something out of love for my little man produced a powerful lesson I might not have learned otherwise.

There is no one like our God!

Later

Adam

How Can I Know?

Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. — 1 John 2:4-6

I remember as a very young Christian that every once in a while an evangelist would come in the area. They would preach Bible verses that the regular ministers stayed away from for the most part. They would absolutely scare me to death. I don’t care how many times I had gotten “saved”, I got saved again . . . Just to be sure!

Recently, I heard another one of those messages. I sat there and listened, but this time there was no fear. I didn’t feel the desperate urge to call upon The Lord once more to be saved. What was the difference?

When I first heard the gospel, I viewed the “prayer of salvation” as an insurance policy. Because I had “done” Romans 10:9, God was now obligated to “save” me. It didn’t matter that I had never read the next verse. Verse 10 says “for with the heart one believes unto righteousness.” I never wanted to actually become righteous. I just wanted to be saved so I could go to Heaven. I loved the part about getting to go to Heaven, just not the part about actually obeying His commands. I wanted Him as Savior, in fact, I loved Him as Savior. I just didn’t really like Him as Lord of my life.

I guess here is the question that everyone wants to know: Does a prayer that I said years ago get me into Heaven regardless of the fact that I live like I don’t know Him?

Read at the top what John says again. A person who says “I’m a Christian,” but does not keep God’s commands is a liar. If there is absolutely no attempt to obey God’s Word, there is absolutely no assurance of salvation.

Looking back, assurance is what I lacked. Why else would I have gotten saved, again and again? Without obedience, there is no assurance.

Do you have assurance of your salvation? Do you know without a doubt that you are ready to stand before a Holy God right now? If the answer is “yes,” how do you know for sure? Let’s examine a few questions:

Do I say I know Him, yet have no problem hopping in bed with someone who is not my husband or wife?

Do I say I know Him, yet have no problem whatsoever looking at pornography?

Do I say I know Him, yet have no problem taking stuff that doesn’t belong to me? (Let’s even include test answers you didn‘t come up with, copying homework you didn‘t do, and music you put on your phone that you didn’t pay for)

Do I say I know Him, yet add cuss words to my vocabulary when I’m around a certain crowd?

Do I say I know Him, yet never get alone with Him and pray?

Do I say I know Him, yet have no desire to read and learn His Word?

Do I say I know Him, yet have no desire to deny myself, take up my cross, and walk as Jesus walked?

I have done all of these at some point in my life while claiming to be a Christian, and I wondered why I had no confidence in my salvation? The truth is, I was a liar and I did not love Him. John says it best: Love for God will only be made complete in us when we obey His commands. We must at least obey the stuff we know He wants us to do!

Examine your life for the rest of the day, pay attention to what you do, what you say, and what you think. Are you even trying to walk as Jesus walked? I realize that I will fail in that attempt every single time. But, I hope to God that I am showing the world that I am making the attempt with every fiber of my being.

Just to be clear, I am NOT saying that if you do any of this stuff that you are necessarily going to Hell. However, I am saying this: If you can flat out sin and not be bothered by it, then you just don’t know for sure. There is no confidence in your Salvation. The good news is that you can know for sure! Today, you can repent. You can actually turn and walk away from the sin in your life that you know about. As a young college kid, it was the hardest thing I think I have ever done. But, to this day, it is the best thing I have ever done. I know He lives in me.

Do you?

Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did.

Later

Adam

Up Until Now

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. — Philippians 1:6

I want to take the time to write my story up until this point in my life. I know a lot of people read WMD and lately I’ve been asked a lot about where I go to church and stuff like that. I realized that I have never actually written out my story. It is quite a story. It is a story that is still being written. I can only write about it “up until now.”

I found a cassette tape from 2003. I preached a sermon called “resurrections” at Salem United Methodist Church. I listened to it and just cringed . . . It was awful. But, I had just a few years before really dedicated myself to the reading and studying of God’s Word. I had told Him that I would use my math teaching skills to teach the Word if He felt like I was a vessel He could use. It took almost no time for Him to answer my prayer. In just a few weeks, He opened the door for me to preach once a month at SUMC. Hence, the tape from 2003.

Well, that lasted a few years and fizzled out. I had various churches find out that I could be a “fill-in” and would have up to 5 or 6 speaking engagements a year. In 2007, things really took on a new beginning. I was teaching at Tamassee-Salem High School and began to absolutely hate it. I had wondered why I had ever gone into teaching. While reading my Bible, I came across 2 Chronicles 7:14: If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and I will heal their land. This burned in my spirit.

Somehow, I knew that if I could just get the three or four teachers in our school that claimed to be Christians to actually do this verse with me that things would change. I sent out an e-mail and sure enough 4 other people showed up to our first little prayer meeting before school even started on a Wednesday morning. We talked about 2 Chronicles 7:14, prayed, and went to work with a new attitude and a new resolve. We didn’t have to fix the whole school. We simply had to do our part and trust that God would do the rest.

We kept these little meetings on Wednesdays going for a while. When people didn’t quite make it on time, I would type up what was said and e-mail them. When we stopped meeting altogether, I kept writing e-mails on Wednesday mornings to encourage our teachers. They began to be forwarded to other teachers at other schools. Then, they began to be forwarded to non-teachers. The e-mail chain grew very fast.

In the meantime, I was a member at Golden Corner Church in Walhalla, SC. The pastors there saw something in me and began to have me preach somewhat regularly, like quarterly, on Sunday mornings. To this day, I am amazed at the risk they took by putting a nobody math teacher out front. I owe a TON of my development to those guys. And yes, I realize that I am still not even CLOSE to being developed.

Now, here is where the story simply amazes me. Because I had been writing WMDs for several years, there was a member of Lifeline Community Church in Fair Play, SC who read them regularly and contacted me. All he told me was that their pastor was resigning and he wanted to know if I would be interested in pastoring a church. I asked Tonya if we would be interested in pastoring a church. Of course I asked God, but He was like “who do you think opened the door?”

So, here I am. A math teacher teaching his 18^th year in the public school system. A preacher for 8 months at a wonderful church full of wonderful people who have the gift of being extremely patient with me while God works on me in this new role. On September 28^th, I will be ordained into the ministry. In the meantime, I will do what I know to do. I will stay in the Word. I will continue to write these WMDs and post them on Wednesday mornings. I will bring the Word as boldly, as clearly, and with as much passion as I possibly can on Sunday mornings. I will be the best math teacher I can be. I will work at all of it with all of my heart like God Himself is my supervisor.

That is my story . . .

Up until now

Later

Adam