Wednesday Morning Devotional

What does it mean to have a Mary Christmas? Luke 2:5 says “He (Joseph) went there (to Bethlehem) to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.” Think about it, Mary was literally carrying Jesus on this painfully long Journey. Joe didn’t walk her out to the SUV and make her as comfortable as possible. I’m sure you ladies can imagine being in the 3^rd trimester of pregnancy and riding on a donkey almost 100 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem. It was long, it was hard, and it was extremely uncomfortable. She was miserable, but she did have Christ growing inside of her.

Let me start with those who are on a long, hard road right now.  Some of you have given your life to God and things just are not all that great.  Maybe you’re more hurt than excited that it’s Christmas time.  Maybe you’ve lost loved ones. Maybe you never had a real family to celebrate the holidays.  Jesus flat out tells us that in this world we will have trouble, but He also tells us that He has overcome the world.  Your life, like Mary’s, might be very uncomfortable ride right now.  Fortunately, we know the rest of the story!

If you have asked Jesus to forgive you for your sins, you have Him growing in YOU! You are the one carrying Him on this journey called life! Is He growing in you? Can you feel Him move inside you? Is it obvious to the people you love that you are pregnant with the King of Kings? Galatians 4:19 says “My dear children for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.” Is He forming in you? Let me tell you how you can know.

When a woman get’s pregnant, her appetites change. She may want pickles and ice cream or something crazy like that. When you truly get saved, you want the Bible, praise and worship music, preaching tapes, Christian books, devotionals, and simply to hang out with other people that love Jesus…basically, you want what the world would say is “crazy stuff like that.”

The pregnancy progresses, and there comes a point when she feels the baby start to move. She tells everyone to “come and see,” “come and feel,” “experience this NEW LIFE inside of me.” In a similar way, time goes by after you get saved and God starts to move in your life. Have you told somebody that you have NEW LIFE in you? Have you told them that life hasn’t been the same since He came into your heart?  If you tell them what is going on inside of you, many will probably think you are crazy.  You eventually get to the point where you don’t care, the new life is far better than man’s approval.

This leads me to my last point! After several months goes by, it’s obvious to everyone that comes into contact with a pregnant woman that she is about to give birth. The woman may try to hide it for a while, but towards the end, she just doesn’t care who knows. The baby is there and is about to come out of her. After several months of growing in the Lord, reading His word, spending time with Him, feeling Him inside you, you should get to a point where you don’t care who knows. What you have in you is so great, so powerful, so wonderful…you just want everyone to know that there is this new life pouring out of you! Let it be known that you are a child of the King!

Here’s the thing: We have some messed up thinking. We actually think if the Bible was back to being taught in school, things would change. The Bible is being taught in churches, and I would say the majority of the people in church don’t live any different than the people that don’t go at all.  We actually think if all the stores plastered “Merry Christmas” on their entrances things would be better. I hate to be the one to break the news to you…nothing would change.

Things will change when true followers of Jesus have a Mary Christmas and actually start denying themselves, carrying their crosses, and following Him. I know that cross gets heavy.  I know it is inconvenient, especially in America today.  However, I also know the rewards.  Rewards which can not be matched!

Instead of being mad about the store sign, tell people about what He has done in your life. Live like He’s actually growing inside you! Live like He is with you ALL the time, because He is! I don’t know of a single person that saw “Merry Christmas” on a department store door or window, was moved to tears, repented of their sins and became a follower of Christ.

I do know plenty of people that read or heard Luke 2:10-11 and it changed everything:

Do not be afraid, I bring you GOOD NEWS of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

Mary Christmas!

Adam

Work at it

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ  you are serving..  — Colossians 3:23-24

This has been probably my most often quoted verse of the Bible.  I make my best effort to do this every day.  I spent Black Friday cleaning out my gutters and taking care of my leaf problem.  I didn’t really want to do it.  So, I brought this verse to mind and tried to work like I was working for Him.  3 hours went by in a flash.  It felt so good to accomplish so much.  When I was done, I wasn’t even tired.  I had just spent 3 amazing hours with the Lord continually on my mind.

The reason I write about this verse again is because of the line “you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.”  I always thought this verse meant that if I reluctantly did the things that I didn’t want to do, but had to do, then I would receive a great reward in Heaven.  Well, what I am discovering is that the inheritance is Him.  If I can figure out how to constantly work, play, or whatever it is that I am doing, if I can keep Him in my mind and do it all like I am doing it for Him, then I will not only get it done and get it done better, I will enjoy it.  This has been a fantastic revelation that has brought truckloads of peace into my heart.

I think back over my work career.  I worked at a golf course as a “cart boy” for 7 years.  I loved that job, but it never crossed my mind that I needed to work that job as unto the Lord.  When I was 22, I became a math teacher.  For about 6 years I did it, but did not really enjoy it.  Once again, the thought had never crossed my mind to teach like I’m working for the Lord.  I was one of those “minimum requirement” guys.  I was going to do the least I could possibly get by with.  Then, I read Colossians 3:23.  This was the first time I had ever thought about my attitude towards my job.  In light of this verse, my attitude was awful…I had to change.  I spent the next 10 years actually learning what it meant and what it took to be a teacher.  More specifically, a teacher working “as unto the Lord.”  I can honestly say it has been the best 10 years of my life.  God has already rewarded me greatly.

I say all that to say this.  I don’t know what 2014 holds for me.  The Lord is opening some doors that I never in a million years thought would possibly open for me.  Please pray for me as I simply strive to live day by day the very best that I can.  Today, I am supposed to relax, rest, write this WMD, and spend time with my family and my God.  Tomorrow, I am to go to school and be the best teacher and the best influence I can possibly be in the lives of my students.  Keeping this approach just makes life simple.  I like simple.

I don’t really know why the Lord had me type this up.  Maybe there is a few of you out there who are reading this and are miserable at work.  Take a few moments to think about what it would look like to do what you have to do for the Lord.  What would you have to do different?  What would you have to start doing?  What would you have to stop doing?  Consider everything you can possibly bring to mind, maybe even write those ideas down.

Whatever that something is that you do…put your heart into it.  Work at it as if God Himself is watching every minute detail.  Enjoy having Him there with you.  It won’t be long, you will start enjoying what you do.  You will also have people ask if there is something wrong with you.  After all, nobody is supposed to be happy at work.  It is then that your very purpose in life comes to fruition.  You get to tell them about how the Lord changed your heart and life, and how you are simply trying to do what it is you do for Him.

If you say you are a Christian, it is the Lord Christ you are serving at whatever it is that you do.  Whether at school or at work, may you and I both do our jobs to the best of our ability.  May there be no other person who puts more of their heart in what we do than you or I…regardless of the behavior of others.

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know ye that the Lord, He is God:

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves.

We are his people and the sheep of his pasture.  — Psalm 100:2-3

Later

Adam

When Thanksgiving becomes Praisegiving

She (Leah) conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.”  So she named him Judah.  Then she stopped having children.  — Genesis 29:35

It is difficult to believe that Thanksgiving is once again upon us.  2013 is almost gone.  I haven’t attempted to make a thankful post every day this month, but I am certainly thankful.  In fact, I believe thankfulness is pretty easy.  It is super easy to think about all of the stuff that benefits me and my life and be thankful.  So yes, I am thankful for Jesus who gave His life for mine.  I am thankful that my wife chose to marry me eleven years and eleven months ago.  I am thankful for my kids, my parents, my health, my job, my church, my home, my cars, my guitars, my abilities and my books…especially my Bibles.  I am thankful for countless other things that don’t even come to my mind because I am beyond blessed.

It is interesting to me that almost every person who is asked what they are most thankful for will say “friends and family.”  To me, this means that people are the most grateful for the fact that they are cared for and loved.  This also quickly makes me think about the Leah’s in this world.  On the surface, I bet everyone thought she had it made and had it all together.  She came from a wealthy home and married a wealthy man.  Unfortunately, if you know the story, she was deceived when she got married.  Her dad tricked Jacob and pulled a true wife swap on what was supposed to be his and Rachel’s wedding day.  I would bet that Laban convinced Leah that Jacob was “a good man” who would “take care of her.”  She probably bought into it despite the fact that she knew Jacob only had eyes for her younger sister.  So, she goes through with it.  How did that turn out for her?  Genesis 29:31 says that the Lord saw that Leah was not loved.

In a strange twist of fate, Leah was able to have children, but Rachel was not.  So, Leah does what a countless number of teenage girls have done.  She does what a countless number of wives have done who married immature “boys” who would rather hunt, play golf, play video games or “hang with the boys” than love their wives (and yes…I was one of those immature boys).   She has a baby thinking it will be the difference maker.  She thinks that will fix everything and her husband will all of a sudden magically fall in love her.  She repeats this process two more times saying things like “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him 3 sons.”  I can’t imagine how desperate she must have been for authentic affection.

I know that there are a lot of hurting people in the world.  My job consists of working with lots of kids who are hurting.  On the surface, they act all tough and act like everything is cool, but I have heard some of their stories.  As I have listened, they all seem to mention a great moment of hurt.  Somewhere in their lives they felt used and insignificant…just like Leah.

Leah made babies trying to get her husband to love her.  Teenage girls by the millions are hopping in and out of bed with boyfriend after boyfriend hoping that sex will bring them love.  Teenage boys by the millions are using drugs and alcohol in an attempt to be accepted by a crowd that they think are friends.  I bought into it as well.  I remember buying certain clothes in an attempt to “be cool.”  I remember drinking that alcohol that I didn’t even like so I could blend in with the party crowd.  I remember sleeping around simply so I could brag and be like the other teenagers and young adults who sure seemed so happy living life that way.  None of that stuff ever brought peace.  It was simply a never ending cycle of searching for the next “fix.”

I never received peace until I did what Leah did.  When she had tried and tried to do it the world’s way and received nothing in return, she said “this time, I will praise the Lord.”  In other words, “I am done trying to win the attention and affection of people.  I am going to put my life in the hands in the one who made me and who loves me simply for being His creation.”

Maybe your heart is full and you are so thankful this Thanksgiving that it is very easy to come up with reasons to be thankful every day and even post those reasons on Facebook and Twitter for the world to see.  If this is genuinely you, then I don’t have to tell you to enjoy your holiday season.  On the other hand, maybe you are hurting.  Maybe you are living life in a way that is simply trying to please people around you and you feel like you are receiving nothing in return.  If this is you, there two options.  Either keep doing what you are doing, or make this Thanksgiving your first Praisegiving.  Praisegiving consists of disregarding your present, unfavorable circumstances and praising God.  Most people will choose to continue their same dead end cycle.  But, a few people will do what Leah did.  This time, they will praise the Lord.

Keep in mind that her circumstances didn’t change…

Her focus did.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Adam

Keeping His Presence

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.  — Philippians 2:12

How much of God’s presence can I have?  One thing that I know…there is nothing like the all out, full on presence of the Lord.  This past Saturday morning, I left my home at 6:30 a.m. to drive to Ashevelle, NC.  I put in my Vertical Church worship CD and just drove.  I can’t even describe how majestic it was.  I saw a total of 3 crosses.  Every one that I passed had this special beam of light that perfectly accented it.  Leaves, mountains, birds, beams of light, worship music…everything was screaming that God loved me.  I began to feel Him.  The feeling just elevated and elevated.  I kept asking for more and more.  Eventually, I had to stop because my chest began to physically hurt and I had ran out of tears and was tired of blowing my nose.  It was absolutely amazing…the longest period of time I have ever been in the presence of the Lord.  This has me wondering…how much of His Presence can I have?  How often can I feel that?

Somehow, as a church, we got to a point where outside of the church walls Christians don’t work on their salvation.  We have adopted this “say a prayer” theology where we repeat “the sinner’s prayer,“ live like we want, then wait to die while hoping that the prayer we said all those years ago somehow makes us “good to go.“  God forbid that we actually have to do anything and actually put some effort into our Christianity.  I bought into it big time.  I honestly think it was about 7 years after I got saved before I was shown how to read the word of God and apply it to my every day life.  Even then, I found that it was extremely hard to do consistently.  Bible study and prayer are the easiest things in the world to put off until tomorrow.  For years, I put it off and put it off, then wondered why I wasn’t experiencing Him.  Why in the world were there men crying in the church service while I felt nothing?  What did they have that I didn’t?  The answer, of course, is a real deal, authentic relationship with the Lord God Himself.

I have heard from many “down to earth” Christians that it is impossible to maintain the “feeling” of God’s Presence.  I am just wondering if that is true.  I don’t think that it is…at least, I hope it isn’t.  Either way, I really want to find out.  I have taken these last three weeks to really work on keeping God on my mind.  He is the first thing I read about in the morning.  Afterward, I listen to some praise and worship and pray while I’m getting ready, driving to work, and while I’m getting my classroom ready for the students that day.  During the day it gets a bit harder, so I write a verse on a note card and keep it in my pocket or read a quick verse in the Bible before my next group comes in.  I am trying to make it a priority to think about Him at least once every hour that I am awake.  When I drive home, I talk to Him, listen to praise and worship, or listen to a sermon.  I pray with my family before dinner.  We talk about a story in the Jesus Storybook Bible at bedtime, and finally I will read something about God before I go to sleep.

Now, don’t think that I’m some “Holy Roller” that is trying to say I’m better than anyone else because they don’t do this and I do.  In fact, I have yet to make it through a “perfect” day where I’ve met all of my own requirements.  But, I have to say, I have experienced God more these past three weeks than I ever have.  Also, as a really nice side effect, when the regular things in life don’t go my way, they are just not that big of a deal…I like that.  The things of Earth really do grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.  If we seek first the kingdom, the other stuff really does get added to us as well.

Even as I type this, the devil is bombarding me with the thoughts that all of this is impossible.  On the surface, it does seem impossible.  But, I can’t help but believe it is completely doable.  Unfortunately, it takes that 4 letter word that every entitled American hates…WORK.  There is no reason that we can’t spend a few minutes, or at least a few seconds of every hour thinking about God, then spend longer chunks of time with Him as they becomes available.

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.  — 2 Chronicles 16:9

Later

Adam

Years ago, I remember someone giving me a copy of a story.  I was just beginning to get serious about my relationship with The Lord.  After reading it, I understood perhaps for the first time that  Christianity was about WAY more than just avoiding Hell.  I hope it does for someone today what it did for me years ago.

The Empty Bird Cage

There once was a man named George Thomas, a pastor in a small New England town.  One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit.  Several eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak…

 
“I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright.

I stopped the lad and asked, ‘What do you have there son?’

“Just some old birds,” came the reply.

“What are you going to do with them?” I asked.

“Take them home and have fun with ’em,” he answered. “I’m going to tease them and pull out their feathers to make ’em fight. I’m gonna have a real good time.”

“But you’ll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do?”

“Oh, I got some cats,” said the little boy. “They like birds. I’ll take them to them.”

The pastor was silent for a moment. “How much do you want for those birds, son?”

“Huh?? !!! Why, you don’t want them birds, Mister. They’re just plain old field birds. They don’t sing – they ain’t even pretty!”

“How much?” the pastor asked again.

The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, “$10?”

The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He placed it in the boy’s hand. In a flash, the boy was gone. The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free.

Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story…

One day Satan and God were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. “Yes, sir, I just caught the world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn’t resist. Got ’em all!”

“What are you going to do with them?” God asked.

Satan replied, “Oh, I’m gonna have fun! I’m gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I’m gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I’m really gonna have fun!”

“And what will you do when you get done with them?” God asked.

“Oh, I’ll kill ’em,” Satan glared proudly.

“How much do you want for them?” God asked.

“Oh, you don’t want those people. They ain’t no good. Why, you’ll take them and they’ll just hate you. They’ll spit on you, curse you and kill you!! You don’t want those people!”

“How much?” He asked again. Satan looked at God and sneered, “All your tears, and all your blood.”

God said, “DONE!” Then He paid the price.

The pastor picked up the cage, opened the door and then walked from the pulpit.

Until next time…

Adam

Back to the Beginning

This was the first official WMD that I ever sent out.  I think it went out to 6 other teachers.

Luke 6:27-38

Some things in the Bible I just wish weren’t’ in there.  This passage of scriptures is one of those things.  Jesus says we should “do good to those who hate you” and not to demand back our goods that people take from us without permission.  He goes on to say that we should love our enemies.  Even sinners love people who love them back.  He says we should loan to people that we know can’t pay us pack.  Even sinners loan to people that they know will pay them back.

This has to be the hardest thing in the world.  I think this tells us as teachers that we should give our best to the students that we wish we could kick right out of our classes.  EVERY teacher likes to teach the “good” kids.  However, as followers of Christ, we have to treat the “bad” ones 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, they won’t do it, they won’t change.”  Basically, why should we do this when we know we probably won’t get anything in return?

There are three reasons:

1.  God just might intervene and use us as the tool that gets one or more of these kids on track.  We could be the ones that help them break free and DO something with their lives.  Maybe make them want to become good parents in the future and not have to see the cycle repeat itself.  If this happened with only 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)  How quickly Christians forget where they came from!  He gave us His best not expecting ANYTHING in return.  What could we give Him in return?  It all belongs to Him anyway!

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 care either way…and it’s probably BOTH!  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 was taken or whatever any person could possibly give me as a reward.

I know this is tough stuff.  Just don’t think because I’m writing this that I have it all together and that I do this well.  I’m just writing what I think God wants me to write.  I sure try to do what is right, but I sure do fail miserably a little too often.

Until next time…

Adam

Relearn Love

I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.  You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.  Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.  Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lamp stand from its place.  — Revelation 2:2-5

Right now, I believe WMD is a lamp stand.  I get so many e-mails from people and have so many conversations about these messages that I absolutely know that God is using them for His glory.  I have been reading some of the older ones on my web-site and learning a lot myself.  Sometimes I can’t believe those words came out of me.  Other times I can’t believe how I put my whole life on display for the world to read.  Then, I remember how this life is no longer mine, it is God’s…I gave it to Him.  Therefore, He can put it on display if He wishes.

With that being said, I am going to stop writing WMD for a little while.  I read these verses in Revelation and I am in danger.  No, I haven’t forsaken my love for the Lord, but I am headed there.  Somehow, I am getting caught up in doing things for God instead of doing things because they flow out of my love for Him.  I am persevering, I am doing good things, working hard, and trying my best to reverse the curse on some wicked people.  So far, I haven’t grown weary.  But, I can’t ingnore the fact that this verse asks me to consider how I have fallen because I have forsaken the love I had at first.

At first, I could not get enough of the Bible…I devoured it.  Now, I am kind of dutifully reading it and saying “that’s nice” and “I could write a good WMD about that.”  I am going to church, but I’m being more critical of everything and everyone…even myself.  When I was in love, I didn’t care what anyone else did…I was able to block everything out and focus on just Him and me.  It is still a wonderful environment to do just that…so why am I not doing it?  Maybe I have forsaken the love I had at first.

I don’t want to be just a hearer of the word, I want to be a doer.  I have got to repent before the Lord (and I guess in front of all of you) and get back to the things I did at first.  I used to write in a journal.  I guess that is really how The Lord taught me to write a WMD.  It was just  me pouring my heart out to God.  When that journal filled up, I just never bought a new one…I stopped.  I want to get back to that because that was what I did at first.  I used to drive 3 hours to see my favorite preachers because I was in love.  I guess I just have some stuff to figure out.  I don’t want to be “manufacturing” WMDs while I am going through this process.  I could still write them, but only because I felt like I was “supposed to”, not because they are flowing out of a right relationship with God.

Anyway, I don’t know how long this “shutdown” will last….hopefully less than the government’s did.  I do encourage you to examine your own love for God.  Do you do things for Him because you are supposed to?  Or, do you do things for Him because you love Him and genuinely want to?  Right now, I feel like I love Him with most of my heart, most of my soul, and most of my mind.  But, I have tasted and seen the goodness of the Lord.  I am ruined for mediocre Christianity.  When things are firing on all cylinders, there is no greater feeling than being constantly led by Him and having Him repeatedly place His Holy Presence upon you.  I really want to find that place again.  Fortunately, He gave me the recipe…

Consider how far you have fallen!  Repent and do things you did at first.

Lord, show me how to relearn love.

Until next time,

Adam

Destroying Sin

So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him.  But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town, he did it at night rather than in the daytime.  In the morning when the men of the town got up, there was Baal’s altar, demolished.  – Judges 6:27-28.

Would you say that right now that there is a particular sin in your life that is keeping you from God’s best?  Are you doing like the Israelites were doing and letting the enemy rob you?  Do you feel powerless to stop the enemy?  The Israelites did.  Many people today do as well.

Hardly anyone will flat out admit that they sin.  Right now, most Christians will only half-heartedly admit that they have “made some mistakes” or say something incredibly obvious like “I’m not perfect.”  All of these “admissions” simply give the person a license to keep doing what is usually a “pet sin” in their lives.  Mistakes need to be corrected, but sins need to be forgiven.  I believe most Christians get stuck and never become mature Christians because they don‘t realize that not only do sins need to be forgiven, they need to be destroyed.

God’s people were actually offering sacrifices to Baal in hopes that he would provide crops for them.  So of course God allowed the Amalekites to come raid them and of course God told Gideon “if I am going to intervene, that altar has got to go.“  I kind of like the fact that Gideon obeyed God at night and out of everyone’s sight.  I remember destroying my foul mouth and annihilating my altars of lust, greed, and selfishness.  Like Gideon, I did it with only God and a few close friends knowing about it.  Destroying those altars was difficult and I did wonder what people would think about me, but the freedom that came along with it was just unbelievable.  I absolutely never want to go back to that filth.

Destroying unholy altars not only changes you, but it changes the environment wherever you go.  In the morning when the men got up, they found Baal’s altar destroyed.  People will notice when you destroy your altars as well.  For some reason, people don’t like seeing people free from bondage.  My old friends quickly asked me why I wasn’t cussing anymore.  They quickly asked me why I wasn’t playing the old music that I used to listen to.  They often wondered why my Bible was starting to look worn, like I was actually reading it.  I didn’t realize it at the time, but I had destroyed some unholy altars and the renewal process of my mind had begun.  Even though I didn’t have the guts to take a bold, public stand for Christ, people noticed that the altars had been destroyed.  That is when a lot of my old crowd no longer invited me to certain events.  It stunk for a while, but I eventually made new friends who had destroyed some altars of Baal in their own lives and wanted to live like God wanted them to live.  It began this new journey of faith and trust in Christ that has been so wonderful.  I hope it never ends.

Evaluate the sin in your life, not mistakes, not imperfections, but sin.  Make sure you call it what it is.  Be brutally honest and go through the sins that you are absolutely aware that you do.  Then, do like Gideon and destroy you some altars.  If the sin is pre-marital sex, fight to never be alone with your partner until you get married…destroy Baal’s altar.  If the problem is that you fill your mind with the f-word and other garbage through movies, music and media…destroy those altars.  Get rid of it.  It has all got to go because it is keeping you from God’s best.  If you can’t get on the computer without looking at some pornographic trash, then your computer has got to go, it is simply an altar that you use to worship Baal.  Take drastic measures…it is worth it.

I know this sounds extreme in our so-called “tolerant“ society.  I just want to let you know that in my mind I see those Amalekites just coming in and taking the crops of the Israelites along with whatever else they wanted.  God admittedly was standing on the sidelines refusing to intervene because the people had built those altars to Baal.  I refuse to allow God take His hand off of my life simply because I am chasing other lovers and sharing my affection with other gods!

If you say you are a Christian, you need to understand that God does not let you share your affection any more than a husband allows his wife to be shared by other lovers.  Like any person in love, He gets hurt and He gets angry when one He loves gives themselves repeatedly to another.  Lest we forget…He is a jealous God!  Why in the world would we want to provoke Him?

Do whatever you have to do today to let God know He is #1 in your life.  If He is not in His rightful place, you are being robbed.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.  And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.  — Hebrews 12:1-2

Later

Adam

Pay Now, Play Later

Why are you angry?  Why is your face downcast?  If you do right, will you not be accepted?  — Genesis 4:4

Cain was jealous of his brother.  He did not like the obvious display of God’s blessings on Abel’s life.  Cain made the mistake of doing what so many are doing today.  He gave minimum effort, but expected maximum reward.  He wanted the same blessing as his brother, but with no repentance, no effort, no consecration, and this sorry “give me something for doing nothing” attitude.  Sound familiar?  Have you ever met a Cain?

I am seeing this in today’s middle and high schools more and more as the years go by.  Students want no part of studying.  Many of them refuse to read, refuse to do any amount of homework, and a lot of them refuse to give the teacher any amount of their attention.  I have been straight up asked by a student to just give them the answer to a test problem.  God forbid they have to actually do something.  Cheating is going on at epidemic levels.  According to the Educational Testing Service, in the 1920’s 20% of students admitted to cheating.  Today, between 75% and 98% of college students who were surveyed admitted to cheating in high school.

Perhaps the worst part of this is how the honest, hard working “Abel” students get treated.  They are called “nerds,” or simply labeled in a group of somehow naturally gifted “smart people.”  I have never heard an inferior student say that it was the effort of straight A student that gets them where they are.  It is always “they are just smart,” or “I’m just dumb.”  Both of these excuses simply exempt the slacker student from making an effort.  Just like Cain, many would rather keep their laziness and tear others down rather than roll up their sleeves and get to work.

The high school years are about building a work ethic.  If you have a solid work ethic, you are going to be successful in life.  If you try to cut corners and take the easy way out, you will eventually become jealous and angry at the Abels who do it right.  I’m just like everyone else, I love to play.  I feel very fortunate that I realized at a fairly young age that there is a time to pay, and there is a time to play.  In life, you will either pay, then play, or you will play, then pay.  You can pay now, which in turn will allow you to play later.  Or, you can spend these years playing, in which you will find yourself paying for it later.  I have never heard an adult say they wish they had not tried so hard in high school.  They all say if they could go back, they would pay attention and do it right.

A student generally goes to school from 8 until 3.  That is 7 hours of school.  Let’s factor in 10 hours a week for doing homework (I could count on one hand the number of students who have  put that kind of effort in their school work).  In a full week of school that is a total of 45 hours out of a possible 168 hours in a week.   This amounts to 26.7% of the time you have for the week.  If you do the arithmetic for a calendar year: 180 days x 9 hours =  1,620 hours.  Divide that by the total number of hours in a year (365 days x 24 hours = 8,760 hours), you get 18.5%.  You spend less than 20% of your entire year in school and that is if you work 10 hours a week outside of school and if you have perfect attendance.  The bottom line is this:  A person does not spend that much time in school.  Put in the maximum effort while you are there and use the time to develop a work ethic and learn as much as possible.  Pay now, play later.

I say all that to say this:  Whether it be at school or at work, if you say you are a Christian, people are watching you.  You do not get to cheat or take the easy way out.  If you are a student, check out this verse:

Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for other believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.  — 1 Timothy 4:12

Do not give them a reason to look down!  If people talk about me in a negative way, I want it to be because they are simply jealous that God’s blessings are all over me.  Today, you will either be a Cain who gives God something, or an Abel who gives God your best.

Let’s get to work!

Later

Adam