Dream On

Posted on December 12, 2024 by wednesdaymorningdevotional

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life:  and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  – Revelation 20:12

I have been completely on autopilot for too long now.  I didn’t even think about yesterday being Wednesday until I got to school.  I thought about what I would have written about for WMD, and nothing came to mind.  Right before I woke up this morning, I had a dream.  I don’t dream a whole lot, but when it involves anything to do with the Lord, I like to write it down.  I don’t always make them public, but this one I will.

I was at a very big gathering speaking to a well-known preacher.  I don’t recognize him now, nor do I know his name, but in my dream, I knew he was well known.  A young man came and interrupted our conversation by saying, “Mr. Hopkins, did you know Steven Tyler (from Aerosmith) got saved?”  I said, “How in the world do you know that?”  He said, “It was at his mom’s funeral.” 

The preacher I was talking to simply said, “Well, we know that didn’t happen.”

I couldn’t believe what I had just heard.

I went off on a long tirade, something like this: “You mean to tell me that it isn’t possible for a sinner, of which we all have been at some point in our lives, to go to a funeral, think about death, think about eternity, think about the moment we leave this world, think about where his mom is at that moment, hear the gospel and understand that if you want to go to heaven, Jesus is the ONLY way to get there . . . you don’t think someone could receive that and begin a growing relationship with Christ?”

As he was about to respond, I woke up.

Lord, if you saved me, you can save anybody.  I know what I was.  I disobeyed your commands willingly after knowing the way, the truth, and the life.  If anyone has deserved to be cut off from Your people, it is me.  Yet, You still quicken my spirit, You still make Yourself real and known to me.  You really are the author and finisher of my salvation.  I agree with Jonathan Edwards who said, “The only thing we contribute to our salvation is the sin that makes it necessary.”  Lord please, sweep through this nation and save sinners once again.  Use me, Lord, to tell others about Your great love, Your great mercy, and Your great salvation.  Amen.

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This Present Darkness

Posted on December 4, 2024 by wednesdaymorningdevotional

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. – Ephesians 6:12

I remember when I first became a follower of Jesus reading Frank Peretti’s books “This Present Darkness,” and “Piercing the Darkness.”  It immediately taught me that faith in God is serious.  There exists a spiritual realm of angels and demons whose sole purpose is to thwart or protect God’s people as they follow Him.

I recently listened to a sermon online.  The pastor was talking about Job and how Satan himself presided over the attempted systematic annihilation of Job.  He needed God’s permission with everything, but Satan’s plan was to prove that God would be cursed by this man.  Instead of taking the opportunity to encourage the congregation to stand no matter what, this pastor simply said that he didn’t want to be the one Satan asks God to consider.  He wants to remain underneath the radar of the most faithful Christians, so he isn’t the one Satan comes after on this kind of level.  I thought of Christians like Jim Elliott.  After reading “Shadow of the Almighty,” I don’t think he is in heaven now wishing he had lived a life that would have made him less of a target for Satan.

I was wondering if there was or ever will be a movie based on the book.  It appears that Frank was constantly under spiritual attack as he wrote these two books.  It also appears that someone offered him lots of money for the rights to make a movie and he took it . . . thinking that they could do what he couldn’t.  Instead, the ones who bought the rights simply wanted to keep the film from ever being made as it would expose the spirit realm to which most Americans are very little aware.  Before you take this paragraph as fact, it does come from some unidentified sources, but it certainly sounds plausible.

So, I read the book again.  Once again, it made me realize that there are demons who specialize in human weakness.  Lust, envy, and complacency are just a few of the demons who know how to specifically target their prey . . . praying Christians.  I’ve been wondering why it is so hard to pray.  I’ve been wondering why it has been such a fight lately.  I’ve been wondering why there just seems to be a dark fog that is either surrounding me or that I’m walking into consistently.  There really is a “This Present Darkness.” 

I say all that to say this:  Let’s find some time to pray out loud today.  Take a prayer walk and speak to God audibly.  Go to your prayer closet and pray out loud.  We give the devil too much credit in thinking that he can hear our thoughts.  He is not the opposite of God.  In no way is he on the same playing field as the Creator of the Universe.  At best, he is the opposite of one of the archangels in the heavenly host.  He was created, so the best he can do is take what God has made beautiful and make it ugly.

Unfortunately, that is what he does.

Lord, I truly bow my heart to You this morning.  Shine Your great light on this present darkness.  Make the demons flee as You are exalted and magnified.  May Christians rebuke evil in Your Great Name and by the power of Your blood that was shed on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.  The best lesson that I’ve learned is that You are very real and there is no one who saves, no one who loves, and no one who leads, guides, and protects like You.  Cleanse us of our unrighteousness.  Let Your light so shine among men that others see the good deeds we do today and glorify YOU . . . Our Father in Heaven.  Amen

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Treasure in the Field

Posted on November 27, 2024 by wednesdaymorningdevotional

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field.  When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.  – Matthew 13:44

For some reason, this verse makes me think of the book “Holes.”  They make the kids believe they are digging to build “character,” but in reality, they are hoping to find Kate Barlow’s treasure chest.  They know that the treasure is out there somewhere.

I picture my entire life as one big field.  I’ve been here for 49.5 years now.  Most of it has been toil, strife, and worry.  However, when I was 16, I was saved by Jesus Christ.  Honestly, I had no idea how valuable this treasure was.  After still trying to live my own way instead of following Jesus, I found myself in even more despair than when I was saved to begin with.  I thought that God was like me in the fact that, if I did him wrong and did the opposite of what He required of me for long enough, then He was done with me.  I didn’t know that His love was a different kind of love than my love.  When I came home that second time, I knew I had found the greatest treasure this life offered.  I knew that there existed a treasure that lasted forever.

In many ways, I still feel like I’m digging unnecessary holes.  I don’t have to, but I do it anyway because that is what everyone in this world around me seems to do.  Now that I think about it, there seems to be a growing movement of people who stand there with a shovel in their hand, but don’t seem to ever use it.  The point is, I found the treasure, but for some reason, I find it difficult to completely give my life for the treasure.  When I behold the treasure, I wonder why I look at anything else.  Yet, I still go off and dig unnecessary holes. 

The other day, I was playing acoustic and singing at this place.  I was pretty much just background noise, but I never mind that at all.  It gives me a chance to basically just practice.  I like to think of my song sets as a big field.  Most of the songs I play are meaningless dirt, but because we all dig, we resonate with the songs.  But, at just the right moment, the Lord prompts me to reveal treasure.  When I was playing this last time, I thought of a song that I hadn’t thought of in years.  I pulled up the lyrics:

My heavenly home is bright and fair, I feel like traveling on

No pain or death shall enter there, I feel like traveling on

I feel like traveling on, I feel like traveling on

My heavenly home is bright and fair, I feel like traveling on

It just hit a little different as I played it.  I didn’t think a soul had even recognized what I had just played.  Then, right after the song ended, a lady stuck her head out and said, “Thank you.”  I like to think that just for a moment, she experienced the same thing I did.

There is one more story that I’d like to add here.  As a teacher, you realize that teachers ask to be off work an awful lot on Fridays and the day before holidays.  I’m no different, I want to ask for them off, but this idea of finding treasure intrigues me.  Most days, I feel like I dig and find nothing, but yesterday, I found treasure.

A kid that has only been there a couple of weeks brought in his little Bible.  I’ve never even had a real conversation with him.  However, he brought me a sheet of paper and a pencil and said, “write down any chapters or verses that will help me get my life on track with God.”  I was blown away!  This isn’t something that happens every day. 

My shovel had hit a treasure chest. 

Lord, much of this life is toil and trouble, but You have made it more than tolerable.  If we have You, then this life is as bad as it will ever be for us.  Soon and very soon, we are going to see the King!  I pray for those who do not know You, for this life is as good as they will ever have it.  May You help them “stumble” upon the treasure of eternal life.  May You help all of us truly give our lives for the treasure.  It is so easy in America to just go through the motions of Christianity, for it is what most do.  May we truly love You, truly honor You, and truly live for our Lord who gave His life that we might live.  Surely, we can give our lives so that others might see You!  Amen.

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Trusting God

Posted on November 20, 2024 by wednesdaymorningdevotional

And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.  – Daniel 6:23

I was retelling this story it someone yesterday, they were amazed at how wonderful the story was.  I could only imagine what it would be like to hear Daniel and the Lion’s Den for the very first time.  I was amazed at the captivity in the person’s eyes and attentiveness to which they gave to the story.  They vowed that they would read more stories if they had a Bible . . . I plan on taking care of that today.

More and more, you and I are living in a world where plenty of people believe in God, but very few trust in God.  Those words should be one and the same.  The word that is used in John 3:16 doesn’t simply mean “to be convinced,” it means “to trust, to rely upon.”  I had someone excitedly tell me that they were being baptized this Sunday.  I told them that this was great!  Then, I asked them to tell me the story of when they were saved.  They really couldn’t tell me anything about it or what it means.  This makes me wonder what in the world is going on right now.

When I think of people who really trusted God, Daniel goes to the top of my list.  He did things right at work, he kept the books with integrity, he wouldn’t compromise his values, and people knew where he stood.  His ascent to fame, at least as we know it from the Word, began with keeping a simple dietary law that nobody else even thought was important (See Daniel 1:8).

Today, can I do the little things right? 

Can I live today for the glory of my God?

Lord, thank You for opening the door for me to speak to people about You.  I haven’t spoken in a church setting in a while, but You constantly open the door for me to speak to people one at a time.  Please build Your kingdom with Daniels.  Build it with Hananiah’s, Azariah’s, and Mishael’s.  Don’t let the world determine what we are called and influence who we are.  I know this world has influenced me greatly.  Wash me and cleanse me, Lord.  Make me new, as You have so many times before.  I look so forward to the day when my faith becomes sight.  Daniel reminds me today that living for You is the most valuable thing we can do on this Earth.  Nobody reveals themselves like You, nobody protects like You, and nobody loves like You.

 Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart

Naught be all else to me save that Thou art

Thou my best thought by day or by night

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

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One of the Good Ones

Posted on November 6, 2024 by wednesdaymorningdevotional

One of the Good Ones.

The kingdom will likely now revert to the house of David. If these people go up to offer their sacrifices in the temple of Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam, king of Judah. They will kill me and return to king Rehoboam. – 1 Kings 12:26-27

There were 39 kings of Judah and Israel. Only 8 of them were considered good. The rest lived very selfishly and served Gods other than the One True God. I can’t name them. When I finish this trip through the entire Bible here in a month or so, I plan on going back and specifically reading Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles and finding out for myself.

Jeroboam was the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel. A prophet told him all that would happen. Instead of following God with his whole heart, he began to care more and more about himself. He began to care more and more about his own kingdom. Fear gripped his heart, and he began to worry about what others would do. Because of this, Jeroboam would not be considered one of the good kings of Judah and Israel.

So many people consider themselves Christians today. I consider myself one. I constantly examine my heart and see what is in there. More often than not, I really don’t like what I find. I hate what I know I would become if I didn’t daily read the Word, talk to the Lord, and do my best to make Him truly the Lord of my life. Even with all of this, I still mess it up. I still don’t listen when I should have listened, and I react in what I think is my own best interest. If 8 out of 38 Christians are considered good, I want to be one of those 21%. Unfortunately, I don’t think the percentage in America is that high . . . but what do I know? I know that God only reveals to me what is in my heart. He never reveals to me what is in another person’s heart. I am only responsible for my story.

You are responsible for yours.

Be one of the good ones.

Lord, this morning, half of the American people are happy, and the other half are disappointed. There are Christians who never think about how Your people, Israel, and Judah, sat under 31 bad kings. I pray that You will bless the USA. I pray that we will have a series of good Presidents who love You and love people. You said that people would come to know You because Your people had love one for another. You said that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. Yet, here we are, almost perfectly divided into two political parties with faction upon faction within each. If only each person knew real peace that passed all understanding. If only they knew that this world is passing away, but the word of the Lord will stand forever and ever. If only they knew that sooner than later, we will stand before You. Every knee and every tongue will confess that You are the Lord, one way or the other. Change our hearts, Lord. Change our minds. Hasten the day when You rule this world. Hasten the day when we are led by the one true God. Lead us, guide us, and protect us until then. I love You, Lord. Amen.

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Nothing Different

Posted on October 30, 2024 by wednesdaymorningdevotional

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  – Genesis 1:1

Your belief about the first verse of the Bible determines so much about you.  Either God created all of this, someone, or something else created all of this, or it all came together by random chance.  I remember wrestling with it all in a biology class at Clemson University.  The professor did a pretty good job of dismantling any faith that any student had.  He made you feel almost silly for holding on to any beliefs about God.  It was a rough time for me and my faith.  I’m beyond thankful for men like Jimmy Boggs, Don Vaughn, and Ronnie Hodge for placing my feet on a firm foundation.

When witnessing to others, you are going to encounter someone who sincerely doubts the existence of God.  Before you read on, what do you tell people?  What would you tell someone who came to you with the honest question, “How can I know for sure that God exists?”

The quick and easy response comes from Romans 1:20: “being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” I liked when someone pointed out to me that there is so much order to this world that, at the very least, someone, or some force was behind its creation.  If we saw a beautiful painting and asked who the painter was, imagine our response when someone told us, “Nobody, a paint factory just exploded, and this was found in the rubble.” 

The second response I use is experience.  When I was in college, that professor had a lot of life experience.  He had learned to create good and solid arguments.  I was a 19-year-old idiot who didn’t have a clue about life and was so foolish and selfish that I simply wasn’t able to see God’s provision and protection in my life up to that point . . . much less articulate it.  I believed in His existence, but I didn’t know Him.  Truth be told, I wasn’t trying to get to know Him.  Sitting here 30 years later with several trips through the Bible under my belt, hours of prayer, and having Him come through for me more times than I can count . . . you couldn’t convince me that He doesn’t exist.  I know Him, I love Him, and I am so thankful that I’m His.  Always remember, a young believer in the faith doesn’t have this.  It takes time for the acorn to become a mighty oak.

I was pressed recently on the issue.  The person said, “Look, I want you to think about this: if you were presented with absolute 100% truth that God didn’t exist, I want to know what you’d do!”  I was really reaching for a response when it hit me: “Well, assuming the Bible still existed, I wouldn’t do anything different.”  I got to tell the person that learning the things that the Bible teaches has done nothing but bless my life.  If not for the Word of God, I would have died in a car accident when I was in my 20’s.  If not for the Word of God, I wouldn’t have my wife, I wouldn’t have my kids, and I wouldn’t be a math teacher.  Every good thing in my life is rooted in some sort of obedience to God that I didn’t want to do at the time.  I did it anyways simply because I called Him the Lord of my life.

He either is . . . or He isn’t.

Lord, please help this world come to faith in You.  Send the greatest revival this world has ever seen.  Let us who trust in You see countless people truly put their trust in Your Son, Jesus Christ.  I can only imagine how Noah felt when You closed the door to the ark, and it started to rain.  How awful to hear the screams of the people on the outside who wish they had listened.  Help me take as many as I can with me to heaven, for one day the opportunity to turn to You will cease.  Many think they will deal with death after it happens, but NO, we must deal with it while we have breath in our lungs here on earth.  Please, Lord, send revival . . . let it start in the church with the people who claim to be Yours.  Let it start with me.  Amen.

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A New Heart

Posted on October 23, 2024 by wednesdaymorningdevotional

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. – Ezekiel 36:26

Ever since I went to see the Pilgrim’s Progress play, I’ve been enthralled with John Bunyan.  I just keep thinking of him writing this story in prison in the 1600’s.  All he had to do was agree to stop preaching to his group of people who so eagerly came to hear the gospel.  He refused . . . and it cost him 12 years in prison.  Without those 12 years in prison, we would not have The Pilgrim’s Progress.  400 years later, that book has been used more than a few times to help keep me on the narrow path that leads to life. 

I stumbled across a part of John Bunyan’s story that I didn’t know.  He self-professed to be a bad kid.  He was very aware that his heart gravitated towards evil.  Yet, if someone ever mentioned “hell”, it messed with him.  He knew enough that he didn’t want to go there.  Eventually, he would try to earn heaven by becoming moral.  He stopped cussing and stopped other behaviors that he knew were wrong in his heart.  This bothered him even more because he felt like he simply “put a new coat of paint on an old house.”  He knew what he was underneath the surface, and it tormented him.

One day, he stumbled across some ladies talking of Christ.  They spoke with such joy.  Hearing this conversation, he was led to their pastor who showed him how to receive the new heart that the verse in Ezekiel talks about.  He never looked back after that. 

Just the other day, I was talking to a friend about the Lord.  Our hearts just burned while we spoke of Him.  I thought of just how much more I’d like to get with people who simply loved to talk about God and what He is doing in their lives.  It is one thing to hear a preacher preach about God, but it is entirely another to hear others speak of how their lives revolve around Him.

Lord, thank you for those who have walked the path before me.  I’m so thankful that we can read about them and that it motivates our hearts to walk as they did.  Help me stay on the narrow path that leads to life.  I know how quickly I could be led astray.  May You bless me indeed.  Increase the reach of my influence.  May Your hand be with me as You keep evil from me.  There is no one like You, Lord.  Amen.

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The God of Peace

Posted on October 16, 2024 by wednesdaymorningdevotional

Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me – everything you heard from me and saw me doing.  Then the God of peace will be with you. – Philippians 4:9

How much peace do you have in your heart, mind, and life right now?  I sit here this morning just meditating on the Word of the Lord and I’m astonished at how much peace I have right now.  Peace is truly a gift from God.  2024 has been a bad year.  If I let my mind go there (and I sometimes do), this year was so close to being a devastating year.  For many, there is no “close to” . . . it has been flat out devastating. 

I’ve always loved a saying that I heard when I first became a follower of Jesus:  If you know the Lord, your life on Earth is as bad as it is ever going to get, but if you don’t know the Lord, your life on Earth is as good as it’s ever going to get.  When things are bad, this helps me remember how temporary my whole life is, and I look forward to the day when my faith will be made into sight.  When things are good, this helps me immediately praise God and thank Him for just how wonderful He has made my life, because I certainly don’t deserve it.  Through all of it, I thank Him for just how much He has changed me.  I thank Him for the gift of salvation.  Evil does seem to be trying to destroy me right now, but without Jesus in my life, I know I would have already self-destructed.

So, what does Paul practice that he wants us to put into practice?  In context, it involves our thought life.  The previous verse says we are to fix our thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable.  We are to think of things that are excellent and worthy of praise.  (See Philippians 4:8)

As I sit here this morning an hour or so before I take off for work, my mind wants to gravitate towards negativity.  I intentionally fight this.  In John 14:6 Jesus says, “I am the truth,” so I meditate on that.  He alone is worthy of glory, honor, and praise.  He teaches me what is right, and He has purified my heart, saved my soul, and changed my mind.  When we simply think of Jesus and all that He did to make a way for all of us sinners to be saved . . . how lovely . . . how admirable.  The fight for me is to keep it at the forefront of my mind as I go through this day and not wait until this time tomorrow to put this into practice again.

Why take the time to do all of this?  Because I want peace in my life.  I’ve come to thrive on peace.  The Lord is my shepherd.  He really does make me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters.  Sheep won’t drink from fast running waters.  Things must be calm, and they must know the shepherd is near before they can truly rest and take a drink.

Here I am right now, just for a moment, in perfect rest and perfect peace. 

How great is our God that such a place is even possible?

Lord, You are amazing!  You have given us the formula for peace!  It all has to do with what we focus our minds upon.  Help me keep my mind upon You this day.  Help me honor You with my life this day.  One day, it will be my last day on this planet.  Then I won’t have to set my mind on things above, for my faith will be made into sight.  While I’m here, please grant me every tool available to stay on the narrow path that leads to life: The power of the Holy Spirit, the blood of the lamb, the word of the Lord, a clean heart, and a mind that gravitates towards the things of God.  May you truly bless and keep all who have placed their trust in You.  Send revival, Lord!  May all come to believe in Jesus, for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved.  Do for the lost the same thing You did for me when I was lost.  Amen.

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Traffic Court

Posted on October 9, 2024 by wednesdaymorningdevotional

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; — Revelation 20:12

Yesterday, I saw a picture of what it will be like when we stand before the Lord on Judgment Day.  My boy had a car accident back in August that was his fault.  His court date loomed along with a $232 fine.  He had the money ready, along with his paperwork, and we entered the building.  Before we entered the building, there was a girl and her dad about to go inside as well.  We could have easily jumped in front of them, but we held the door and let them go first.

The poor girl’s “trial” was a train wreck.  She told the officer that she was there to provide proof of insurance and registration.  I guess she didn’t have either when she initially got pulled over.  He said, “That’s all good . . . what are you going to do about this speeding ticket?”  She said, “Well, when I got pulled over, I was going the same speed as everyone else.”  I just cringed at the horrible defense.  The officer said, “Well, that may be true, but you got pulled over and got the ticket . . . what do you want to do?”  She said, “I guess I’ll pay the fine since I did it.”  She and her dad scrounged for the exact amount of cash to pay the fine.

Now it was our turn.

Without going into details, the officer was reminded of the details and whereabouts of the accident.  My boy simply had a conversation with the officer.  I mentioned that he was a much better and safer driver since the accident.  It was also brought up that he pretty much only drives to school and to work.  He asked about work.  My son told him all about his job.  He asked him how many hours he works a week.  “About 12 to 15,” he said.  “Wow, this fine is a couple weeks’ worth of work for you, huh?”  “Yes, sir.” 

The officer dropped the whole thing and let my son completely off the hook.

Immediately, I thought of Heaven’s courtroom.  I thought of how many people are going to use the “I was no worse than anyone else” defense.  I thought of Romans 3:23, “The wages of sin is death.”  We’ve all sinned, and we are all going to God’s courtroom.  It is appointed unto man once to die, and afterwards to face judgment.  (Hebrews 9:27)

What will be my defense?

I hope it is a simple conversation like that of my son and the officer.  The charges of my sins, which are many, will be brought to light.  In no way will I defend myself or justify my actions.  I will simply say, “Nothing has changed my life more than realizing that I am a sinner on my way to hell.  I received the gift of salvation and Jesus has worked in my heart, transformed my mind, and changed my life on Earth as I sought Him, followed Him, and believed His Word.  I stand completely at His mercy.” 

He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.  – 1 John 5:12

Lord, things have been really crazy these last couple of months.  I have certainly seen the fragility of life.  As much as I think sometimes that I’d like to control my own life, I realize that the best thing I can do is hand control over to You.  This life is so short . . . I’ve already lived 49 years and they seem but a vapor.  I imagine that it will seem but just a little more time and it will be my turn to stand before You.  May You, the Lord Jesus Christ, be my defense . . . my only defense!  Thank You for helping me come to know You over these last 30 or so years of my life.  I sure don’t ever want to do life without You.  I offer up a prayer for those who are trying to do life without You.  May You reveal Yourself to them and let them know that You are for them.  Work in their hearts and minds like You have worked in mine.  You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, and there is no close second place!  I love You, Lord.  Amen.

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Breaking the Pattern

Posted on October 2, 2024 by wednesdaymorningdevotional

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test what God’s will is – his good, pleasing, and perfect will. – Romans 12:2

This past weekend, I went to Louisville Kentucky to attend a music festival.  There were so many bands there.  There were five stages and music just came at you rapid fire, back-to-back, and for hours on end.  My teenaged self would have been one happy camper.  My adult self wore out pretty quickly. 

There were just a handful of Christian bands mixed in with all the secular bands.  I was really looking forward to seeing Skillet, Fit for a King, P.O.D., and Red.  I was wondering how they would carry themselves in a crowd who were mostly there to see bands who were mostly anti-Christian.  Some in the crowd were vocalizing their displeasure that these Christian bands were even present at the festival.

I can’t even express the massive size of this crowd.  Friday was cancelled because of the rain and the promoters allowed the wristband for that day to be used at either of the last two days.  It was super packed, and it was super muddy. 

All the secular bands had super foul mouths.  It was mostly grown men trying to come off as the toughest sounding and posturing for who could act the “baddest.”  They all hit super hard with the music, so I could see why they had so many fans. 

The contrast in the language was very noticeable.  The majority of the secular bands called the crowds really foul names . . . to the crowd’s delight.  The Christian bands simply referred to the fans by the name of the festival.  They avoided using any and all foul words.  It was such a breath of fresh air when they came out and played their sets . . . at least to me it was. 

John Cooper from Skillet was by far the biggest contrast.  Even though he never shouted, “I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” like he does at most of his shows, he did something I thought was pretty cool.  He brought everyone there together by simply saying that he was glad, and he loved living in a country where we are all free to believe what we want to believe.  He said that he loved being able to practice his faith and that he loved that music was what brought everyone with different beliefs together for the weekend.  He said all this in a way where there was no way anyone could disagree.  All of us were nodding our heads and clapping in agreement.  I felt like he did what he could in that environment to get people who are anti-Christian to at least say, “If that guy is a Christian, then maybe they aren’t all so bad.”

All of this got me to thinking that we as Christians are to live differently.  Even at our own jobs, we ought not talk as others talk.  We shouldn’t participate in nasty jokes, cussing, and behavior that we know dishonors the Lord.  If we do find ourselves participating, of course there is mercy, grace, and forgiveness.  But, if we find ourselves participating, we lose such an opportunity to show others that we are separate from the world and that we don’t conform to its pattern.  The bands made up of Christians were noticeably different than the ones who were not.

I wonder if I was the only one who noticed.

Lord, I thank You that You have people in places most Christians will not go to preach.  You truly are making every effort to reach all people.  Chance after chance you gave me before I made You Lord of my life.  Chance after chance I see You still giving this world to come to its senses and repent.  Thank You for constantly showing us light in the darkness.  Thank You for always drawing people to You by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Help all who read this today to live differently, to break the pattern of this world, and honor You with our lives.  There is no other name given among men by which we must be saved . . . the Name of Jesus.

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