Wednesday Morning Devotional

Where are you?

Genesis 3:9…”Where are you?”

This question used to bother me. I mean, God knew where Adam was, right?…He’s God. However, now I realize my mistake. I was thinking God wanted to know Adam’s physical location. He wanted Adam to evaluate his spiritual location. See, for the first time, Adam was disobedient to God. For the first time, God came to visit and Adam wasn’t eagerly waiting for Him. As soon as he disobeyed, sin separated him from God. For the first time, instead of hanging with God, Adam was hiding from God. He went from fellowshipping with God, to wanting nothing to do with God.

I guess because my name is Adam, I think about this question often. I especially think about it when God feels far away from me. He sometimes asks “Where are you, Adam?” In my mind, He continues, “You used to be right here with me. You used to want to spend time with me. You used to couldn’t wait to get up and pray to me. Your heart used to fill up so quickly with my presence when you listened to sermons, went to church, and listened to praise and worship music. I had your heart at one time, Adam…where are you?”

Typing those words, it makes me hate sin. It makes me hate sin because it’s usually something totally meaningless that grips my heart. I start practicing a bunch of secular music on the guitar instead of playing and singing praises to Him. I start reading books just for entertainment and put the Bible and other books that help me learn more about Him on hold. I get busy. I basically go a day without Him, then a day turns into days, and days turn into weeks. All of a sudden, I find that I haven’t felt Him in a while. Sooner or later, I hear the words…“Where are you, Adam?”

I think it’s interesting that when you read the 10 commandments in Exodus 20 or Deuteronomy 5 that the words “for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God” appear. I think it is interesting because in Galatians 5, jealousy is listed as an act of the sinful nature. Why does He get to be jealous, and we don’t? Well, that’s kind of obvious, we get jealous out of envy and it leads to discord, fits of rage…etc. I think a perfect picture of the wrong kind of jealousy is Cain and Abel. God flat out told Cain if he’d just do what was right, just like Abel did, that he would be accepted as well. Instead of doing the work and developing his own relationship with God, Cain let sin “have him.” Now, instead of reading a story of how to turn your heart towards God, we read a story of jealousy and murder.

I remember back in the school days that three girls absolutely crushed me. I mean, these girls put my heart in a blender and hit “puree.“ Ohhh, probably not that bad, but I really, really liked these girls. One girl in middle school hurt me really bad. I remember that she didn’t even tell me that it was over. I had to watch her walk to lunch holding hands with another dude. I thought everything was cool between us. In just an instant, I was history. As sad as that is, it gets more pathetic…I let her do this to me TWO more times! After the third time…she was OUT, and I was never going back! However, I would see her with these other guys and wonder why I wasn‘t good enough. I was jealous. Not the “I’m going to kill somebody” jealous, just the hurt kind of jealous.

So, why do I tell that depressing bit of information to thousands of people? Because, I believe that’s the kind of jealousy God feels. I used to just wish that those girls would get their hearts crushed just like I did, you know…what comes around goes around? But now, I totally forgive them in my heart. I have to because I’ve done God that way so many times. Thank God He didn’t say “three strikes and you’re out.” I would have been “out” a long time ago. He is so patient, and so kind. All He wants is to spend time with you. He wants you to put Him first. When He has first place in my life, I can’t tell you how great life is. Even when the crappiest stuff happens to me, I have such joy in my heart. When I put anything else in first place, I lose twice. I lose in the fact that life just stinks. Then, I lose in the fact that my God feels like I did when I saw that my middle school girlfriend’s heart didn’t belong to me anymore.

Just the other day, I said to my little man “hey, come give Daddy a hug!” He said “I go play computer!” Immediately, this entire WMD filled my mind. Imagine how God must have felt when Adam took that bite of that fruit.

Where are you?

Later

Adam

Matthew 7:14 …few there be that find it.

In December of 2004, I remember seeing on the news that one of my used-to-be favorite guitar players was murdered. I still love to max out the volume and distortion on my amp every once in a while to crank out some of those catchy guitar riffs he came up with. Soon after his death, I remember reading a Guitar World Magazine where many of the popular guitar players said their good-byes to their deceased friend. One that I don’t think I’ll ever forget said this: “Rest in peace, bro…you’re in God’s tavern now.”

The second commandment says this: “Do not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in Heaven…” I never really though about it until recently just how much this commandment is broken. Pretty much everybody believes in God, but which one? Is it the God of the Holy Bible that collects dust on our table tops and shelves? Or is it the image of someone or something in Heaven that we’ve made up because we never actually pick up those Bibles and read them? People don’t like the notion of Hell…so why not just make up an image of a God in your mind who would never allow any person to go there? People don’t like the notion of changing their behavior…so they make up a God who allows them to live any way they please, then still be allowed access to “a better place.”

There are a couple of verses that I want us to really take a look at. John 14:6 says “I am the way the truth and the life. NO ONE comes to the Father except through me.” As much as I’d like to believe that one day I’ll meet this famous guitar player and he’ll teach me some cool stuff on the guitar, it probably isn’t going to happen. Everything about the guy portrayed the “acts of the flesh” in Galatians 5:19…sexual immorality, hatred, fits of rage, selfish ambition, and drunkenness just to name a few. Remember, the end of the verse says “those who live like this WILL NOT inherit the kingdom of God.”

Listen, I hate writing this. I feel like I am judging the guy, that is NOT my intent. I have done everything that I mentioned he did. However, through the power of the Holy Spirit, I USED to live like that. I am in no way, shape, or form any better than him or anybody else. The only difference is that I’ve placed my complete trust in Jesus Christ. He made the way! He changed me. He gets all the credit. I’ve done nothing but choose to follow Him. I just find that the more I hang out with Him, the more I fall in love with Him and want so badly to please Him! This is how I know that I am a new creation…I never wanted that before!

I think it is interesting that everybody knows John 3:16. Nobody knows John 3:36: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” Once again, I wish that wasn’t in there, but it is. By all indications, this guitar hero never put his trust in Jesus Christ. I hope he did, but his death should be a reminder that we will all meet death one day. We will all stand before the king and give account for what we DID and the way we LIVED! His death, or anybody’s death is not a time to make a false god in our minds who will allow us to join him despite the fact that we keep living any way we want. Don’t get me wrong, not one single person is going into Heaven because he or she was a good person on Earth. The bible is clear…NOBODY is good (Mark 10:18) The only reason any person will set foot in Heaven is because of Jesus and what He did on the cross. It is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8) But, a gift can be rejected. God offers the gift, but the majority of the people aren’t accepting it, much less being transformed by it!

I realize that we want our loved ones to go to a better place. We want to rationalize their lives by looking at how they loved their friends and family. Check out Matthew 5:46, it says that EVERYBODY loves those who love them back and there is NO reward for loving those who turn around and love you right back. If you are reading this devotional, learn to love your enemies. Learn to love and pray for those who do you wrong. Learn to forgive no matter what. Become self-disciplined. Display self-control. Let your language be pure. You absolutely can NOT do these things unless you have the Holy Spirit living inside your heart! Ask Him to help you. Then, when you draw your final breath, people won’t have to wonder where you are or conjure up some false god who will excuse your denial of Him. They’ll know!

I’m sorry this is so hardcore! I promise I do not write this with a light heart, for it is broken for the lost.

Later

Adam

The Fearful

Revelation 21:8: But the fearful…shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire.

Of all the verses in the Bible, this one stands out to me more than any. I think I know the reason why. Before I gave my life to the Lord, I saw a t-shirt that I still think about sometimes. It said on the front “If you died today, where would you go?” Then, on the back, it said “It’s the burning question.” Underneath, it had Revelation 21:8. I immediately went home, looked it up, and unintentionally committed it to memory. It was just scary. It got me to thinking about eternity. If there really was a hell, and everybody in this verse from the fearful to the liars were headed there…where did that leave me? At the time, it was the liars that worried me because I was one! Today, I’m understanding more and more what it means to be fearful.

Before I get into it, I want you to understand that this is the American version of being fearful. We don’t have a clue what it’s like to be tortured and potentially lose our lives for Jesus Christ. In America, we stand to lose position, social standing, or worse…our “cool” factor among our peers. Though I’m making light of this, it is a very real and very painful loss to us “comfortable” Americans. That being said, I don’t know if you are feeling it like I’m feeling it, but the pressure is being turned up on those who are really trying to live the Christian lifestyle. I will give you some examples from the education world…you’ll have to apply them to your own.

I witnessed a student a few weeks ago take a huge step of faith. He was about to get into a fight. I told him not to do it, it just wasn’t worth it. He told me about all the names that he would be called and told me he would be made fun of if he didn’t go and fight. Immediately, my mind went to Matthew 5:10…Blessed are those who are persecuted because of RIGHTEOUSNESS, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. The next two verses are even cooler: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you falsely, and say all kinds of evil about you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in Heaven.” Wow! If he does what is right and does not fight, there is an eternal reward. Yes, there will be the enduring of some name calling, but if that happens, he isn’t supposed to well up with anger, he is supposed to REJOICE! He is suffering for doing what is right, and one day the God he did that for will reward him. If he does what is wrong, do you know what he is?…fearful!

Contrary to popular opinion and belief, I do not “proselytize” in my classroom. Not one time have I ever told a student what he or she should or should not believe. However, I do teach right and wrong under the guidelines of our three “R” rules that are posted in our hallways and classrooms…Be Respectful, Responsible, and Ready. I do my best to model these every single day. I also tell a great number of stories that illustrate the consequences of poor choices and actions in hopes that they will not make them. However, because students see me preach from time to time in various pulpits, lead devotions at a Tuesday morning breakfast right across the road from our school, read WMD, see me play on our praise team in church, and hopefully see me live this stuff out every single day, I am a magnet for questions about the Lord and the Bible. This has led to many students in my school receiving the Lord. There are people that frown upon this. What am I supposed to do? If I tell them about the Lord, I am being obedient to my faith and honoring the one who gave His life for me. If I succumb to the world‘s wishes, I’m fearful, and I don’t care for the last words of Revelation 21:8 that clearly states what happens to those who are fearful!

I’m starting to read where coaches are being placed under intense pressure to stop prayers before games. The Lord’s prayer found in Matthew 6 is a common pre-game ritual all across the southern part of the United States. Because a few people, and I mean a few people, find this offensive, many coaches are just saying “no more prayers.” I’ve even heard of teachers in the classroom being asked about their beliefs and they won’t even tell their students that they are of the Christian faith…fearful!

Read Daniel 3. These guys were willing to be thrown into a blazing fire rather than bow down with the rest of the world. Read Acts 4 and 5. These guys had their skin beaten off of their backs and fronts, then still kept carrying on “the Name.” They prayed for boldness…not protection. Americans pray for comfort and safety. We hope that we won’t ever have to do anything hard for the one who did the hardest thing imaginable for US! The early church believers prayed for many signs, wonders, and miracles in the name of Jesus, not for themselves to see, but so others might see…and believe. Shouldn’t we do the same? Or, are we too…fearful?

One day soon, our Lord will return. Revelation 21:8 lists the qualities that He is NOT looking for. If you have repented of your sins, asked for forgiveness of your sins, and placed your trust in Jesus, be bold and live the remainder of these last days for Him. It is difficult, but extremely rewarding. 365 times the Bible says “fear not.” That’s one for every day of the year.

He is in control. He’s got your back. He loves to see and reward faith in action.

There is no need to fear.

Later

Adam