Wednesday Morning Devotional

Swapping Appetites

Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. — Ezekiel 3:3

Give us this day our daily bread. — Matthew 6:11

I’ve been trying to get back into really good shape. I’ve been working out six days a week with some pretty good results. However, the one thing I cannot seem to do that hinders my progress, is eat right. If cake wasn’t wonderful . . . I’d be fine.

The other thing I’ve been doing is praying through the Lord’s Prayer. Not just reciting it over and over, but spending some time on each point. After saying “Our Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name” I camp out there and just breathe that fact in for a while. I contemplate and tell Him just how awesome He is. The other day, when I got to “give us this day our daily bread”, I thought about how I have not for one single day ever lacked for physical bread. I have never lacked for any amount of food whatsoever. In fact, I have always had access to many times more than my share of “daily bread.” I have also eaten way more than my share of daily bread.

I didn’t realize this until I downloaded this app called “My Fitness Pal.” Upon entering all my information, I found out that I need 2,250 daily calories. I quickly found out, I was getting that amount way too often at single meals. I made some fairly difficult adjustments, and within a couple of weeks, I was on track and melting away.

Ezekiel said that he ate the scrolls . . . they were sweet and satisfying. I do not lack for spiritual bread either. I have Bibles galore. I have more than my share of books that honor Him. My spiritual pantry is loaded. Why don’t I gravitate toward them like I do the food in my kitchen cabinets? I am praying for an appetite swap! I want His Word to become ridiculously sweet to me. I want to devour it and just keep on eating. If I‘m honest, I’ve been giving Him a minimal amount of time lately. Yes, I was making it a point to pray and read a little of His Word every day, but it wasn’t tasting to me the same as it was to Ezekiel. I was spiritually eating just barely enough to keep me alive. Zeke and I were definitely not experiencing the same thing.

Lord, I pray for your power and wisdom. Help me begin a new habit and break an old one. Help me desire prayer and your Word more than I desire food, for such a desire can only come from You. Help me gravitate toward my Bible, prayer, and the things of You in the same way I gravitate towards my refrigerator and kitchen cabinets. Grant me the experience of Ezekiel in this verse I am contemplating. May your Word be the sweetest thing I’ve ever known. May everything else pale in comparison. Help me get to the place where I can’t get enough of your sweet, sweet presence.

There is none like you, Lord!

Later

Adam

Back to Work

“Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar.” She said, “Drink, my lord”; and she quickly lowered her jar to her hand, and gave him a drink. Now when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw also for your camels until they have finished drinking.”” — Gen. 24:17-19

Abraham’s servant had just prayed for a woman who was willing to work to come forth as the bride for Isaac. When Rebekah came forth and was willing to water 10 camels, he was simply astounded. Here is a woman that could have just gotten by with offering him a drink of water. It would have taken her all of a couple of minutes to complete this task. Instead, she signs up for hours of work by offering to draw for his camels “until they have finished drinking.”

Had Rebekah not been willing to go above and beyond, we would not even know who she is. She would have been forgotten. As it stands, when the camels had finished drinking, he gave her “a nose ring weighing a beka, and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels.” (Genesis 24:22). To the best of my math abilities, this was right at about 4.2 ounces of gold. As of right now, gold is $1,290.99 per ounce. Rebekah unknowingly earned herself $5,422.16. Most importantly, she set herself up to be the wife of Abraham’s son, Isaac.

What does this have to do with us?

If we are a people who claim to follow Christ, shouldn’t we have this same attitude towards work? I mean, we seem to be a people who are just as lazy, if not lazier than the world. It’s like we expect God to bless us for doing absolutely nothing. When He does not bless our laziness, we complain. Americans, who still for the most part claim to be Christians, are quite possibly the biggest “give me something for doing absolutely nothing” group of people that exist. We, just like the world, take shortcuts and refuse to pursue excellence.

As the new work season approaches for teachers and students, let’s pray for an attitude like Rebekah. Let’s not let a single day pass where we do not put on an attitude of excellence. Let’s never complain that it is Monday while wishing for Friday . . . Life is short enough without wishing it away. Instead, go to work willing to go astoundingly above and beyond the call of duty. Why? Let’s do it for a few reasons:

1. People who are far from God are watching. When others ask you “Why are you like this?” You get to tell them that you are serving the Lord Jesus Christ. He is worthy of excellence! He gave His best . . . I’m simply giving Him my best.

2. It sets you up for blessing. Imagine you are a student. You learn to treat school like an 8:00 – 4:00 job. During those hours you set your mind to work relentlessly, going well above and beyond the minimum of what is required. By the time you graduate, you will have created a work ethic that is extremely desirable to colleges and future employers. Like Rebekah, you will be paid well. This stands in stark contrast to the attitude of the majority: “I’m here, I showed up . . . Pay me. Give me maximum reward for minimum effort. I know I never did homework, never paid attention in class, and rarely tried, but give me an A anyway or my mom will attempt to have you fired.” (Not that I’m bitter and actually had this happen to me or anything)

3. There is an eternal award that most Christians are forfeiting. I can’t say it any better than the Bible does: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.” (Colossians 3:23-24)

This Monday, the countdown is on.

If you are a teacher reading this, let’s give 190 days of flat out excellence. Let’s work, not for our Principal, but for the Lord Jesus Christ. Show the world the joy that comes only through Him.

If you are a student, for 180 days simply amaze your teacher with your effort. Make other students wonder what has happened to you. Make them ask “why are you trying so hard?“ It may just open the door for you to tell them about Jesus.

Welcome to the 2014-2015 school year!

Later

Adam

Do You Love Me?

I will go ahead and preface this writing by saying this: It is just crazy how some of these WMD’s come about.

Do you love me? — John 21:16

I used to love the rock band KISS back in the day. I did what just about every other aspiring guitar player in the world used to do . . . I pretended to be Ace Frehley, like daily. I recently ran across my dad’s old “Destroyer” album. I pretty much wore that thing out as a teenager. Of course, I was a whopping one year old when that album actually came out. Anyway, there is a song on there called “Do you love me?” The song basically says “you like all of my money, fame, places I can take you, and things I can do for you . . . But . . . Do you love me?” The writer is wrestling with a rich man’s problem: Does this person love me for who I am? Or is this person only hanging around

because of my money and my status?

After being a twelve year old for a few minutes, my mind drifted to Jesus when he said these words to Peter in John 21. Three times Jesus asked Peter “do you love me?” Why?

Well, Peter had given up his walk with Jesus. He picked the fishing nets back up and simply went back to his old life. Remember that Jesus had said to Peter “follow me and I’ll make you fishers of men.“ Peter gladly walked away from his current life. But here in John 21, he had quit. Peter had gone back to his old life. I wonder if Jesus felt like the writer of the KISS song. Peter loved seeing the miracles, loved hearing Jesus teach, loved seeing Jesus interact with people, and basically loved seeing Him be the Almighty Son of God. Peter loved everything that Jesus did for him. But, did Peter love Jesus? Or, did Peter simply love the things that Jesus could do for him?

That is the question He is asking me today.

That is the question He is asking you.

The truth is, I love what He has done for me. I wanted to be a rock-n-roll star . . . He made me a teacher and a preacher. I prayed that he would make my elementary school girlfriend my wife . . . He gave me Tonya when I was 24 (and actually had a job). I prayed that people

would want to listen to my wonderfully written songs and guitar solos . . . He made it so that people listen to me teach His Holy Word. I asked for money and fame . . . He gave me peace and contentment. In no way, and I mean in absolutely no way, has He ripped me off. All of these things required a period months or years where I laid down what I wanted while waiting patiently to receive what He wanted for me. This is never an easy thing to do. I may have felt ripped off in the short term, but in the long run, He has done nothing but make my life better. Following Him and His ways have benefited me.

But, do I love Him?

I’m wrestling with that question. I want to love Him with all of my heart. I want to serve Him with everything that I am. I want my life to point others to Him and honor Him in all of my ways. I want my heart to be pure. I want to want Him more than anything. I want do what He wants me to do and not do the things He doesn’t want me to do. I want to deny myself, take up my cross, and follow Him.

But, sometimes I don’t. I get it wrong more than I get it right. What does this mean?

I knew I wasn’t preaching this past Sunday. I tried and tried to come up with a Sermon for the next Sunday in which I would be preaching. I wanted God to go ahead and give it to me. He didn’t. He basically told me “I’ll give you the sermon when I want you to have it . . .

Never too soon, and never too late.” I realized right then and there, I was serving for the wrong reasons. I had spent a whole week wanting God to do something for me. I wanted Him to give me something. I focused on the Bible and I focused on preaching, but I missed out on the most important thing . . . Him. I never focused on Him.

The only reason I write this tonight is pretty simple. I stepped outside, looked up in the clear night sky at the beautiful stars and felt Him. No words. No effort. It was just a moment where I remembered how great and awesome and powerful He is. I remembered just how small and frail I am in comparison. I remembered just how awesome it is that He even takes a man like me into consideration.

One more time He wrapped His loving arms around me. I remembered what it was all about in the first place.

His love for me.

His love for you.

I do love You, Lord. There is none like You!

Later

Adam

Dead Faith

What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? — James 2:14

James, the brother of Jesus, says that faith without works is dead. When I first read this years ago, I thought this meant that if I didn’t do the things I knew I was supposed to do as a Christian, I was not saved. The more I thought about how pitiful I was at “doing” Christianity, the more I would worry that there was no place for me in Heaven. This way of thinking led me to a life with no victory in Jesus. The accuser would constantly whisper in my ear that I did not truly belong to God. I would try to remember that Jesus loved me and gave His life for me, but I was never sure.

Now that I have been growing in the Lord for 23 or so years, I am beginning to understand what James was talking about. Notice the question: Can that kind of faith save anyone? Can other people look at me, knowing that I profess to be a Christian, and see by my actions that Christ is worth following? If not, my faith is dead. Let me explain.

As a young believer, I received the good news of the Gospel of Christ. I knew that God wanted me to do my best in school, honor my parents, not have sex outside of marriage, not cuss, and not drink alcohol or smoke. I don’t remember anyone actually telling me these things, I just knew in my heart and mind that my body was now a temple for the Holy Spirit and there were things you did and things you didn’t do.

Also as a young believer, I led nobody to Christ. Why? Because I repeatedly chose to behave the opposite of how I knew to behave. On the few instances it was revealed that I was a Christian, I remember the words “you don’t act like one.” The Gospel stopped dead in its tracks with me. I had faith, but no works. My non-believing friends knew that I used the same foul words they did, drank the same alcohol they did, talked about and made fun of others just like they did, cheated just like they did, and slept around with my girlfriends . . . just like they did. Why would they want to simply add Jesus and church attendance to a corrupt lifestyle? They wouldn’t. Therefore, my faith when unaccompanied by works, was dead.

Slowly but surely, I began to be more obedient to Christ. One of my first tests of faith was to tell the truth to my boss when everything in me wanted to lie about something stupid I did at work. God made it very clear to me that I was to tell the truth regardless of the consequences I would receive. I really thought I would be fired if I told the truth. Possibly for the first time, I chose to obey God and go against my natural tendencies. I did not get fired. More importantly, I learned that God could be trusted. Even better than that, my co-workers and my boss saw a little glimpse of true Christian behavior. They absolutely couldn’t believe that I told the truth.

To this day, the hardest and greatest thing I ever chose to do in obedience to God is break off a sexual relationship I was having with one of my girlfriends. I was constantly convicted. She would see me play songs in church, hear me talk about the Bible and my faith in God, and all the while we both knew that what we were doing was wrong. When we finally talked about it, she felt like her intellectual knowledge that Christ died on the cross was enough to save. I felt like we should be obedient to God and actually do what His Word said. I didn’t really want to break up, but we broke up. When I told my friends the truth about why we broke up, they were flat out astounded.

Now, I say all that to say this: God is not after your behavior. He is after your heart. If He truly wins your heart, He will eventually get your behavior. However, if you refuse to do what you know in your heart is right, your faith is without works and is dead. Why? Because if your Christianity doesn’t produce a light for others to see, what good is it? If non-believers do not see the contrast of your life in the light and their life in the dark, you are simply a person hiding your light under a basket. Take off the basket, let others see the light of God inside of you. Why would they want what you have if you don’t do any of what you say that you know to be true?

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. — Matthew 5:16

Later

Adam

Who Gets a Pass?
For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. — Ecclesiastes 12:14

I love having good, objective, religious conversations. I’m talking conversations when people are being completely open and honest about what they believe. My favorite comes from talking with other believers about how God is working in their lives. I draw encouragement and strength as I hear the wonderful things God is doing in the hearts and lives of others. Unfortunately, a lot of Christians will only have religious conversations with other believers. It can be very difficult to engage someone who is anti-God in a religious conversation. I have had a few. I want to write today about something I have learned through these conversations.

The number one reason people oppose the God of the Bible deals with His goodness. They say “If God is so powerful, so loving, and so caring, why is there evil in the world?” In my minimal experience, the conversation always takes a turn down this road. It is a good question. Ponder that for a moment before reading on. If God is so powerful, why are there helpless six year old boys and girls being rented out to adults in the sex trafficking trade? I know that sounds like an awful thing to put in a WMD, but if you ever engage someone who hates the God you love in a conversation, this kind of question is coming. How would you answer such a question?

In wrestling with this, I came across Ecclesiastes 12:14. What if the person who calls the goodness of God into question could insert their name here for God? For Adam will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. The fact of the matter is, Adam doesn’t know what is inside a person’s heart . . . God does. Therefore, let’s pick this little verse apart.

1. For God will bring every deed into judgment . . . There is a future tense here. God will bring every deed into judgment. Upon breathing the last breath we will ever take, you and I have an appointment with God. Every deed will be examined. Whatever evil deed has been done by any person, that deed will be judged. Nobody gets away with anything.

2. Including every hidden thing . . . Is it possible that someone could read this devotional who has nothing hidden in their past that they are absolutely ashamed of? The truth is, I have things hidden that I hope stay hidden. I have done more than my share of evil things. I can only ask for the mercy and forgiveness of God, try to make things with those I’ve hurt as right as possible, and truly repent so I never go down that road again.

3. Whether it is good or evil . . . I don’t know the good things you have done in your past. I don’t know the evil things either. Honestly, I’m glad I’m not responsible for that kind of knowledge. God has it and knows what to do with it. If I did have it, I wouldn’t know what to do with it. I don’t know how to judge evil in light of eternity nor do I know how to reward goodness. God does.

Yes, evil exists in the world in varying degrees. Yes, evil deserves to be punished. But, consider this: If everyone dropped dead as soon as they did something evil, would you still be alive right now?

I wouldn’t.

Therefore, if we were going to eradicate all evil in the world right now, who gets a pass? Better yet, who gets to decide who gets a pass? Would you want that responsibility? Could you honestly give yourself a pass?

I couldn’t.

In light of all of this, I choose mercy at the cross. I choose to submit myself to the God who will make these judgments. You may be reading this and have an awful past, but through Christ, you can have an unbelievably bright future. He knows how to remove sin. He knows how to change hearts. He does this for anyone who submits themselves to Him and His ways. He has never and will never use force to make anyone submit to Him. I write today in hopes that someone who does not know Him will begin a new walk with Him.

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him. — Psalm 34:8

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. — Ecclesiastes 12:13

Later

Adam

Choosing to Love the Unlovable

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. — Luke 6:35

Some things in the Bible are hard to understand, especially as a beginning Christian. This scripture is one of them. In Luke 6, Jesus says we should do good to people who do not appreciate our goodness. We should actually show love to our enemies. We should loan to people we know won’t pay us back. We should just give our stuff to people when they ask for it and not demand it back when they don‘t return it. Jesus says even sinners do things for people they know they can trust. As His followers, we don’t get to be like everybody else. We are to purposefully show love to those we don’t even like.

This has to be the hardest thing in the world. Several years ago, a few of the teachers at my school discussed this from an educational perspective. We concluded that this tells us as teachers that we should give our best to the students that we wish we could kick right on out of our classes. Every teacher likes to teach the “good” kids. Jesus would say “even sinners love to teach the good kids.” However, we as followers of Jesus must treat the “bad” students the same as the good. In most cases this will require extra effort and time on our part. If you are like me, you say “why in the world would I want to do that when I know it won’t help?” Those kids won’t do the work. It won’t make a difference. They won’t pay attention. They won’t care. They won’t __________. Why should we do this when we know we probably won’t get anything in return?

Here are three reasons:

1. God just might intervene and use us as the tool that gets one or more of “those” kids back on track. We could be the ones that help them break free and do something with their lives. Maybe by the way we show that we care, we make them want to become good students and make something of themselves. Maybe they don’t recognize what we were doing until they are older and become parents. Maybe they choose to break the cycle of destruction in their own family line and their behavior stops with them and does not repeat for another generation. Maybe it is a future teacher down the road that reaps the reward of our work. If this happened with one out of a hundred kids, wouldn’t it be worth it?

2. We are the most like God when we do this. He gave His Son to die for us when we didn’t deserve it. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8). He gave us His best expecting no immediate gratification. In light of that . . . How can we not do the same for others and show the world what He is like?

3. He will REWARD us! In Luke 6:35 it says if we do this “your reward will be great.” I don’t know what this means as far as being rewarded down here or in Heaven when we get there, but I don’t really care either way. If someone takes from me and I can just let it go, or if I give and don’t expect anything in return, whatever God chooses to reward me with will be MUCH better than just getting back whatever it was that was taken from me in the first place. His rewards are ten thousand times better than man‘s rewards.

I know this is tough stuff. Just don’t think that because I’m writing this that I have it all together and do this perfectly. The only thing I’ve become really good at is recognizing that I failed to do it after the fact. But sometimes, and I mean sometimes, I get this right and it opens the door to the ultimate conversation. Eventually, somebody always asks “Why are you like this?” My answer is always the same . . .

Because the living Lord Jesus Christ . . . is like this to me!

Later

Adam

Angry Birds

The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. — Luke 15:28

The older brother was angry because his father was being “too good” to his younger brother who had squandered the money he previously demanded. In the older brother’s mind, his younger brother did not deserve the goodness of his father. He deserved to be disciplined. He deserved to be punished. The older brother was hoping for a show. He was hoping for an entertaining show in which his younger brother got what he deserved.

I sit here and ask myself “which of these two am I most like?” Am I the younger son who is just glad to be home in the Father’s house? Or, am I the older son who thinks that I deserve to be here because of how hard I’ve worked and how good I am?

Right now, I am most like the younger son. I must admit that I squandered my youth. I took some of the best years that God gave me and did nothing good with them. I probably have more cassette tapes at my parents’ house than any of you reading this. I squandered my money. I didn’t invest any of it for the future, and I certainly never thought of returning any of it to the God who gave me the means to earn it. There are people who have given 10% for as long as they can remember. How should they view someone like me who was saved and so selfish?

If there was one thing that I could undo about my past, I would have remained pure sexually until marriage. God gave me a very special gift . . . Purity. It was a very special thing that I was supposed to share with my wife, only my wife, after we got married. Guess what I did with that gift? I squandered it. I kept fragmenting myself and giving away such a valuable possession like it didn’t mean anything at all. There are people who did it right. They disciplined themselves and stayed away from certain places and drew lines that they refused to cross. How should they view someone like me who became a son of God when he was sixteen, then proceeded to treat His gifts with such contempt?

There are so many unmerciful servants of God, older brothers if you will, that it is difficult to realize that God is overjoyed that we are home. Keep in mind that I would not have been able to come home if I had simply said “I made a mistake,” or “I’m not perfect.” The words the father was looking for were the ones the younger son used. He said “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” If a sinner is willing to humble himself and truly repent, why wouldn’t other Christians be happy for them and join in the celebration?

Christians as a whole are kind of like the Angry Birds. We gravitate toward destroying those pigs. Unfortunately, in the process, we destroy ourselves . . . We separate ourselves from the Father and forget that his number one concern is for the lost to come home. The truth is, there are a lot of prodigals out there. By prodigal, I mean people who have become a part of God’s family by asking Him into their hearts, but are still slopping around inside the pigpen. I had a hard time leaving the pigpen after I became His Son. In a lot of ways, I still take a look around it. Praise God, I realize that The Father is 10,000 times better than any temporary pleasure I received in the pigpen. The desire to go back diminishes as the years go by, but Satan still tries to make it attractive every chance he gets.

I guess I say all that to ask this: Which type of Son or Daughter of God are you?

Are you the lost son with joy in your heart because The Father forgave you and received you?

Or, are you the older son who can’t stand to see God be good to those who don’t have it all figured it out yet?

The truth is . . . I can be both.

Lord, kill that older son spirit within me. I came from the pigpen. May I never think negatively on those who still wallow there. Give me the knowledge and wisdom to help lead them out. Grant me the heart to pray for them and never believe that I am above them and actually deserve the many blessings you have poured out on me. May you never have to plead with me to join the celebration.

Later

Adam

Desiring God

‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife; and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’ — Deuteronomy 5:21

What do you desire most in your life right now? For some reason, the tenth commandment has always seemed to me as kind of the weakest commandment. It almost sits there as a suggestion instead of a commandment. I’ve never heard anyone say “pray for me because I’m covetous. I’m desiring things that God does not want me to desire.” Honestly, I’ve never even really took notice of the word “desire” until today.

I just turned 39. Looking back over those years, my desires have changed a lot. Being an only child, I have always pretty much gotten what I wanted. I sure loved my “Granny” who I stayed with a lot during my single digit years. She made sure that she not only provided for my needs, but gave me just about every single one of my wants as well. If my heart desired it, she made it happen.

Around middle school I began to add to my desires. It went from material things to attention. I have no idea what happens when you transition from the elementary school building to the middle school building, but things change…BIG time. I had never cared if I was thought of as “popular” or “cool”, but all of a sudden, I did. The cool kids got the girls. The cool kids got all the attention. Therefore, that is what my heart desired.

From high school through college I pretty much desired to play sports, play music, play video games, and be with whichever girlfriend I was with as much as possible. When I wasn’t involved with one of these things, I would have told you I was bored. Not once did I ever think that I was full of covetousness and wrong desires. I perfectly broke the 10th commandment as written in Deuteronomy 5:21. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.“ I remember coveting my best friend’s wife when he got married (you know I wish that I had “Jesse’s Girl”…where can I find a woman like that?) “You shall not desire your neighbor’s house.“ I remember the days of wishing I was a millionaire and I could live in one of our local, upscale Cliff’s Communities and play golf on those awesome courses every day. I was a really covetous dude.

Just like most sins, it is really hard to see this in yourself. When I was greedy I would have never told you I was greedy because I could not see it in myself. When I was a liar, I usually believed my own lies. People that call other people “haters” are usually haters themselves. The person that gossips almost never thinks that they themselves are a gossiper. The person who covets doesn’t even know it. No wonder the Bible calls it “being deceived.”

I thank God that 23 years ago I accepted Christ into my heart. I guess now I am an “adult” Christian. In many ways I can see that is true, though I have a long, long way to go. My desires didn’t immediately change after I accepted Him. But, my heart was instantly made aware that I desired the wrong things. Whereas I didn’t care before if I had sex outside of marriage, my heart now told me “this is wrong.” Whereas I didn’t care before if I wasted my money, my heart now told me “this is wrong.” Whereas I didn’t’ care before if I wasted my days playing guitar, video games, watching TV, listening to music, etc…I now had God sitting in a Holy Bible next to my bed gently asking “when’s my time?”

Man, I have wasted so many of my 39 years. A few of you reading this wasted some of those years with me. I sure wish I could go back and just be obedient to Him. Even as a saved Christian, I rejected Him over and over. My heart desired stuff. I desired golf stuff, guitar stuff, entertainment stuff. My heart desired girls, money, and sex. But, at the same time, that is the very reason that I desire Him so much now. The whole time I was pursuing sin, He was loving me. He was fighting for my heart. The God of the Universe was chasing after me even though I was rejecting Him. What kind of love are we talking about when we talk about God’s love? It is absolutely beyond what my little mind can comprehend.

He is amazing!

Lord, with all my heart, I want to desire you. I want you to be my number one desire. Nobody can just decide to desire you. You have to place that desire within our hearts. Help us to taste just how good you are and see just how much you love us. Change our hearts so that you, Lord, become our number one desire.

Amen

O taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man that trusts in Him. — Psalm 34:8

Later

Adam

Motive

“For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.” — Philippians 2:21

On Tuesday, I will be 39 years old. It will be the only year that I can say “I’m 39” and it actually be true. Honestly, I haven’t cared at all about getting older, though others tell me that day is coming. I wish I knew the exact date of my spiritual birth. I know it was in June of 1991, I just don’t remember the day. Anyway, that means that sometime this month I will have been a Christian for 23 years.

Probably the most recurring spiritual conversation my wife and I have concerns motive. Why do we do what we do? Why do we pray? Why do we read the Bible? It is amazing that something as simple as reading the Word could be wrong. The Pharisees had it memorized, yet Jesus called them a “brood of vipers.” Their motive for every religious thing they did was self-exaltation. The most important factor in doing anything for God is the motive behind it. Everything must be done out of love.

In 23 years, my motives have been all over the place. I have gone to church because I knew a certain girl would be there. I have gone because of what was on the menu. I have gone because I knew there would be games and it would be fun. My motive for accepting Christ was Hell avoidance. I had no real intention of learning His Word and following it to the best of my abilities . . . I just didn’t want to go to Hell.

After living life my way for several years, I didn’t like where I ended up. I began to understand that my choices were roads that sometimes led to destinations I didn’t like. God began to speak to my heart about actually reading and learning His Word. My motive was simply to be obedient to that call. I spent the next 15 months reading the entire Bible. I don’t know how it happened, but I was different. God had changed my heart. It was wonderful!

Not too long after this, I became a Pharisee. I saw myself as better than other people because I had read the whole Bible. I was very quick to judge others of their sin while justifying my own. My motive was self-exaltation. The contrite and broken spirit that accompanies humility was nowhere to be found inside of my heart.

After a few years of this, everything came crashing down on me. I was plagued with guilt. All of a sudden, I realized that I had been using God. I began to go to church on Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. I took notes religiously. I studied the Word, read Christian books, and all I listened to was Christian music. My motive: to get God to like me. I knew I had done him absolutely wrong for years. I had used God, and I just didn’t know if I was forgivable.

Things never got better until I met my wife, Tonya. I confessed some things to her absolutely knowing that she was going to leave me after I did. Her forgiveness was instantaneous. In my heart, I realized that there was no way that she was more forgiving than God. So for the first time, I received God’s forgiveness. Why in the world had I carried all that guilt, sin, and condemnation around for all those years? I realized very quickly that I had been viewing Him wrong . . . Really wrong.

Ever since that day, I have loved God. This in no way means that I have done everything right or that I have never had any doubts. But, just as my heart fills up when one of my two kids jump on my lap, hug me, and say “I love you,” I realize that I have this same effect on My Heavenly Father. When I get up to spend time with Him, it isn’t so much to just read the Bible and pray . . . It is to be alone with Him. It is to jump up in His lap and say “I love you! Thank you so much for not leaving me like you found me!”

I hope I have another 39 years to love and serve Him. Maybe I will, maybe I won’t. Just like everyone else, I have an appointment with death and afterwards I will face judgment. On that day, my motives will be revealed. Until then, I choose to love Him and allow Him to love me back today. After all, today is a gift . . . That is why it is called the present.

Later

Adam

Still Standing

The rain came down, the stream rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. — Matthew 7:25

I was reading my last couple of WMDs. Yes, they sound a bit whiny and yes, they are words from a dude being turned every which way but loose. When you read this, the school year will be over and I will be enjoying the beginnings of Summer break. However, as I write this, there is still a lot of stress and a lot of pressure on my life. I hate storms. I hate real storms, but I really can’t stand spiritual storms. Through this last one, I have learned maybe the greatest lesson of my life . . .

I am built to last.

I’m not built to last because I’m a good person. I’m not built to last because I read the Bible and pray. I’m built to last because my foundation is on the Lord Jesus Christ. The rain did come down. I was wondering when it would stop. The streams did rise. I was wondering if they would carry me away. The winds did beat against me. I was wondering if I’d stand. Yet, here I am . . . Still standing.

The thing that I realize now is that I was under a spiritual attack. Looking back, my circumstances hadn’t changed as drastically as I had thought. Satan had just turned a small hill into a mountain. There was always that whisper in my mind “you will fail,” “you can’t do this,” blah, blah, blah. I knew those voices weren’t from God, but they still wouldn’t go away. All of this led to physical and spiritual exhaustion.

Seventeen years ago, I began to follow Jesus. My dream of being a rock-n-roll guitar god was buried six feet underground. My drinking and partying days got laid to rest. Equipped with nothing but the Holy Spirit, determination, an NIV Bible that my friend bought me 5 years previously, I set out on the narrow road that leads to life. I have to admit, that road was pretty lonely for a while. Those same voices talking to me these past few weeks were talking to me then as well. “Turn around,” “go back,” “it’s not worth it,” “nobody else is doing it,” blah, blah, blah.

I still don’t recognize those voices as quickly as I should, but I do think I am recognizing them more and more quickly. I type this today watching the clouds roll away. It’s like that beautiful ray of sunshine that you see through all of those violent looking clouds. You just have to stop and stare at it because the contrast is simply amazing.

I say all that to say this. If your house is built on the sand of temporary pleasures, you will fall when these storms come. Storms are inevitable. God built us who believe on His name with the storm in mind. I’m so glad I haven’t spent these last seventeen years like the prodigal son. He wasted all of his father’s resources on the life I thought I wanted to live two decades ago. The rains came down, the stream rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.

My house is built on the sure foundation of Jesus Christ.

Where is yours built?

Later

Adam