Devotionals

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  2 Corinthians 3:17 NIV

Happy Independence Day!  Much has been written, said, and speculated about the religious beliefs of our founding fathers.  I thought it’d be good to read their actual words  from the early formative years of our country.

George Washington, 1st U.S. President

To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian.”

John Adams, 2nd U.S. President and Signer of the Declaration of Independence

“Now I will avow, that I then believe, and now believe, that those general Principles of Christianity, are as eternal and immutable, as the Existence and Attributes of God . . .”

Thomas Jefferson, 3rd U.S. President, Drafter and Signer of the Declaration of Independence

“I am a real Christian – that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus Christ.”

John Hancock, 1st Signer of the Declaration of Independence

“Continue steadfast and, with a proper sense of your dependence on God, nobly defend those rights which heaven gave, and no man ought to take from us.”

Benjamin Franklin, Signer of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution

“Here is my Creed.  I believe in one God, the Creator of the Universe.  That He governs it by His Providence.  That He ought to be worshipped.”

Samuel Adams, Signer of the Declaration of Independence and Father of the American Revolution

“And as it is our duty to extend our wishes to the happiness of the great family of man, . . . when the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ may be everywhere established, and all people everywhere willingly bow to the sceptre of Him who is Prince of Peace.”

William Penn, Founder of Pennsylvania

“I do declare to the whole world that we believe the Scriptures to contain a declaration of the mind and will of God in and to those ages in which they were written; being given forth by the Holy Ghost moving in the hearts of holy men of God; that they ought also to be read, believed, and fulfilled in our day; being used for reproof and instruction, that the man of God may be perfect. They are a declaration and testimony of heavenly things themselves, and, as such, we carry a high respect for them. We accept them as the words of God Himself.”

Roger Sherman, Signer of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution

“I believe that there is one only living and true God, existing in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, the same in substance equal in power and glory. That the scriptures of the old and new testaments are a revelation from God, and a complete rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him.”

Benjamin Rush, Signer of the Declaration of Independence and Ratifier of the Constitution

“The gospel of Jesus Christ prescribes the wisest rules for just conduct in every situation of life.  Happy they who are enabled to obey them in all situations!”

Alexander Hamilton, Signer of the Declaration of Independence and Ratifier of the Constitution

“I have carefully examined the evidences of the Christian religion, and if I was sitting as a juror upon its authenticity I would unhesitatingly give my verdict in its favor.”

Patrick Henry, Ratifier of the Constitution

“It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.”

“The Bible … is a book worth more than all the other books that were ever printed.”

Prayer:  Thank you, God, for the United States of America!  Amen

“Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Matthew 6:27 NIV

Do you know Alfred E. Newman, the freckled-faced kid with big ears and non-aligning eyes, who serves as the official symbol of MAD magazine?  He offers sage advice in every issue.  Without question his best known saying is “What, me worry?”  

We laugh at his appearance and nonchalant attitude, but Alfred connects better with reality than most of us.  The bottom line is that we aren’t supposed to worry!  Not only is it good phycological advice, but it’s also something that Jesus Christ highly recommended!  I figure that’s great counsel that we should follow.   

Worry and fear go hand-in-hand.  They are twin concerns that weigh us down.  

I recall an excellent English proverb, but I do not know its author.  It goes something like this:  “Fear knocked on my door.  Faith answered.  No one was there.”  Substitute “worry” for “fear” in this proverb, and the saying is still accurate.  

Do you recall specific instances of worry in your life?  I certainly do.  No amount of thinking about what might happen ever changed anything.  When looking back, I see that my worry proved unfounded.  God is in control, and that will never change.  To worry is to doubt His concern and love for us.  

What is troubling you today?  Does worry change anything about it at all?  Get rid of your burdens today!  

Prayer:  Thank you, God, for eliminating the worry and fear that creep into our lives.

Amen.  

“Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts.  But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.  Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.  They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.’ ”  Mark 12:4-44 NIV

“Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!’ The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, ‘Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ ”  Mark 10:23-25 NIV

We’ve heard prosperity preachers all of our lives.  They continue to flourish today in espousing false theology.  I won’t name names–everyone knows who they are.  Do the Scriptures promise prosperity to believers?  Absolutely, but in Heaven and not necessarily on earth.  

Somehow it’s thought that financial prosperity is a direct result of obedience.  Such thinking is phony baloney!  My one caveat is that God answers some prayers requesting a financial blessing for a rightful reason, but it certainly doesn’t happen to many as some preachers would like you to believe.  

Here’s the cold, hard truth.  Some of the richest men and women who’ve ever lived were/are atheists, agnostics or simply horrible people.  Some of the poorest men and women who’ve ever lived were/are the most obedient believers.  My Dad did not possess monetary wealth, but he was the richest man spiritually I’ve ever known.  

If you have the mistaken notion that your lack of financial resources reflects something is lacking in your faith, get such thoughts out of your mind.  I’ll leave you with this famous Billy Sunday quotation over 100 years ago:  “The fellow that has no money is poor.  The fellow that has nothing but money is poorer still.”  

Prayer:  Thank you, God, for your promise of all that heaven holds.  Amen.

“There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.”  1 Samuel 2:2 NIV

Many people attend the church of their liking representing various denominations, non-denominations, brands, labels, tags, etc.–there are literally thousands of them.  It’s the place that makes us feel worshipful and in-line with our own thinking.  We receive not only a spiritual boost, but benefit from the social contact as well.   

Here’s the cold, hard truth.  None of them have it completely right!  I suggest that any church claiming it does should be avoided like the plague.  The differences among them can be startling.   Some Christian churches aren’t even Christian, if this makes any sense to you.  Nonetheless, we plow forward hoping that we’re headed in the right theological direction.  

Sometimes it’s helpful to assess the place you attend and support.  We’ve changed churches occasionally through the years for various reasons.  For example, in the 80s we regularly worshipped at a local denominational church.  Over time it became more liberal, which didn’t appeal much to us.  It crossed the acceptability line when deciding that abortion is a-ok and supporting this evil practice financially.  I seriously don’t know why this denomination even exists today and still includes millions of people in its membership.   

Years ago I visited a famous art gallery owned by a church.  One painting stunned my sensibilities as it’s beyond blasphemous.  Visualize this:  God is seated on a magnificent throne in the middle.  On His right–yes, I wrote “right”–is a Pope dressed in his utmost finery.  On God’s left–yes, I wrote “left”–is Jesus Christ dressed in simple shepherd’s clothing.  The painting is huge.  My initial reaction was disbelief, followed quickly by a strong desire to spray paint or slice the painting with a knife–something I thought but would never do.  I guess this is why art galleries have security guards!  Why on earth would a church own and display such a despicable work that places the Pope above (or even equal to) Jesus Christ?

Ask yourself the question, are you in the right church?  Many good ones are out there, and it takes a little research to find it.  However, know that they’re not perfect, and change should be related primarily to erroneous–i.e., non-Biblical–theology or practices.  

Prayer:  Help us, dear God, to worship You and respect Your holiness.  Amen.  

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations . . .”  Matthew 28:19 NIV

When I entered in the University of Tennessee in 1966, it was the largest university in the South with over 30,000 undergraduates.  Concerns about the size caused administrators to cap the enrollment, and it is actually smaller today some 52 years later.     

I remember friends entering smaller schools at the same time.  They had been sold on the allegations that at Tennessee the class sizes would be huge and they’d be a number rather than a name.  In the College of Engineering, my class sizes ranged from 3 to 14 students, which proved to be much smaller than what my friends experienced, and professors knew all our names.  

You may be wondering what this comment has to do with the church.  Due to our residency in two states, my wife and I attend two different churches, one large (13,000+) and one small (600+).  Both are exceptional places to worship.  The mega church is expanding via social media and television to reach hundreds of thousands of people every week.  The smaller (and newer) church is growing by leaps and bounds, with architectural renderings in place to add a 2,300 person sanctuary in the not-too-distant future.  

How many people do you know who have stated that they don’t want to attend a large church because they’d feel out-of-place by not knowing anyone, etc.–that is, simply being a number in the headcount rather than a name?  Here’s a better way of thinking about it.  Our objective is to enter the Pearly Gates some day.  In this history of this planet, one guess is that 10 billion people have lived on it.  Let’s just take a really wild guess and say that only 1 person in 1,000 enters Heaven.  Even so, the population of Heaven would be 10 million.  I think you’d agree that’s a big church!  

The last directive given to us by Jesus before His ascension was to make disciples.  How is your church faring in this regard?  Is the attendance growing at least equal to or greater than the population of the area where it is located?  If not,  has it responded to solving this problem?  What can you do to help expand the kingdom and make both your earthly and heavenly churches much bigger?  

Prayer:  Thank you, God, for the church.  May we contribute to its growth and win others for Your kingdom.  Amen.  

“God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.“  1 Corinthians 1:9 NIV

Some people believe in a part-time God.  I think most all of us fall into this camp.  When things are rolling along fine, we may not spend as much time with Him–praying, studying the Bible, worshipping, living as we should, etc.  Typically, we get really religious when something tragic happens in our lives.  

I know this reality because I’ve lived it!  Don’t tell me that you haven’t.  All of us experience cycles in life with the usual ups and downs.  Our faith tends to follow the same curve.  In my case, aging helped dramatically in getting me focused.  With the increasing years one begins having health issues.  It’s compounded when the same occurs with your spouse as the two of you are one.  

I can’t claim that I’ve been a really bad person, but without question I have failed miserably by waffling with the ups and downs–i.e., behaving as if God were part-time and only deserving of my attention during life’s challenges.  

Being diagnosed with cancer in late 2010 changed everything for me.  I confronted the real possibility of either dying very soon or living for a few more years but having permanent issues that’d make me wish I were dead.  I (and my wife) prayed fervently for direction, and He responded dramatically with absolute certainty!  Today I am certified cancer-free (and not just in remission) and don’t feel like I’ve ever had cancer.  Praise God!  

This kind of scare made me realize that I’m in the last quarter of the game of life.  If there was ever a time to start responding that God merits my full-time devotion, it was now.  As a result, I turned my focus to Him completely.  I’m not going to share what has occurred as a result, but rest assured that it has been incredible.  God has blessed me beyond what I deserve, and in turn, many others have benefited, too.  

Is your God part-time or full-time in your life?  Think about it.  

Prayer:  Thank you, dear God, for always loving us full-time, even though we may only return your love part-time.  Help us to be the people You want us to be.  Amen.

“And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.”  Matthew 10:30 NIV

God knows everything about you, good and bad.  He cares about you.  He loves you.  He desires a close relationship with you.  We should honor this special relationship by seeking Him, communicating with Him, listening to Him, and obeying Him.    

Years ago my wife desired to lose some weight for all the obvious reasons as the rest of us.  She prayed for strength and guidance to do so–a really good idea.  She shared this action with a couple of family members.  They berated her!  They replied with unbiblical comments like “God’s not concerned with your weight” and “God is too busy controlling the universe to fool with such a request” and “God doesn’t have the time”.  

None of our requests are too little for God.  He cares deeply for every aspect of our lives, knowing not only the number of hairs on our head, but also every thought, word, and deed.  God has the universe on auto-pilot.  He made it and everything in it in only six days.  He spoke it into existence!  Time is a concept that exists on earth.  I’m pretty certain we won’t find any clocks in heaven!  God’s not concerned with time as it doesn’t apply to Him.  

I believe in a big God.  It’s incredible that He loves us so much that He sent Jesus to earth to be the sacrificial lamb to die on our behalf, inviting us to simply believe that Jesus is the Christ and making Him Lord of our lives.  We, too, can join Him in heaven one day and escape sickness, hurt, sin, struggles, and yes, even time!  

How big is your God?  What do you think He desires in a relationship with you?

Prayer:  Thank you, God, for loving us so much, even though we don’t deserve it.  We seek to always honor, praise, and glorify You.  Amen. 

“Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”  Luke 4:21 NIV

For today’s devotional, I took a chance by simply opening the Bible and noticing the first passage that came to me.  Call it blind luck or divine direction, as a really good one popped up from Luke 4:14-21!  

Jesus had been through the forty days of testing in the wilderness by the temptations of the devil, which had followed his baptism by John in the River Jordon.  After thoroughly rebuking satan, he returned to Nazareth and entered the synagogue.  (By the way, in proper English both the devil and satan are supposed to be capitalized; in my usage of the terms for our adversary, I do not as he doesn’t merit even this simple distinction.)  

An attendant handed him the scroll of Isaiah and Jesus read aloud from it, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”  

He rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant.  His next words must have been mind-blowing to everyone in attendance:  “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”  I can visualize the ripple effect His comment caused through the synagogue.  You cannot imagine how bold it was.  Only five hundred years ago people were burned at the stake for simply doubting the pope.  Go back two thousand years and imagine the impact of someone claiming such a God-connection.  It was considered blasphemy of the highest order.  

How did the people respond?  They argued with Him and became furious.  They drove Him out of town and took Him to a cliff to throw Him off of it.  In short, at the start of Jesus’s ministry, people immediately wanted to kill Him.  By His divine power, He walked through the crowd to safety.

I’m sure you’ve read this passage many times.  Has it really registered with you how significant it is?  Jesus fulfilled Biblical prophecy cited by Isaiah, confirmed that He is the Messiah, and showed His power.  It’s truly incredible. 

Prayer:  Thank you, God, for ministering to us through Jesus.  Amen.

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after . . . widows . . .”  James 1:27 NIV  

My dad lived as a humble servant.  He lead by example, but didn’t expect any thanks or recognition for doing so.  He positively impacted many people in remarkable acts of service, which made a huge impression on me when growing up.  

Dad took the Bible seriously when it came to helping widows.  During grass-cutting season, he and I would cut the yards of all our church’s widows.  It required many hours weekly.  He also believed in excellence–doing everything to the best of one’s abilities.  Our volunteer efforts in cutting grass required perfection.  These widows always had the most beautiful lawns on their street.  Fortunately, we attended a small church and only had a few widows to serve!  

As a boy, slaving in the hot sun wasn’t high on my list of things to do with my time, yet being the obedient son, I always helped my dad.  He gained no monetary reward for his servanthood, but I’m certain he received a tremendous heavenly reward upon his passing.  

This example is but one I could cite about my dad and how he helped others.  He was a remarkable man–unlike anyone I’ve ever met in his spiritual maturity and understanding.  

I think his example would be good for today’s fathers to share with their sons and daughters.  It doesn’t have to include cutting grass for widows, but there are hundreds of activities one could pursue.  

Do you have a servant’s heart?  What can you do to help others?

Prayer:  Thank you, God, for the life of Jesus, the ultimate humble servant.  Amen.

“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?”  (Jesus) John 14:2 NIV

Have you imagined what heaven is like?  Of course you have!  I love the above quotation from Jesus.  He described God having a house–I imagine a really big one!–and Jesus is building a room in it for you and me.  The reality proves staggering and incomprehensible to my mind.  Nothing on earth compares to it, and that’s an exciting thought.  

Martin Luther, the instigator of the Reformation in 1517, made this sage remark:  “If our Lord God in this life–in das Sheisshaus–has given us such noble gifts, what will happen in that eternal life, where everything will be perfect and delightful.”  You may not be aware that Luther, a brilliant theologian, loved humor and used satire in his writings.  The polite translation of “in das Sheisshaus” is “in this toilet”.  

He likened earth to a toilet in comparison to heaven.  While Luther lived in the 1500s and walked everywhere, he only travelled a few hundred miles from home.  However, what a region this is!  If you’ve been to Europe, imagine starting in the Bavaria region of Germany and continuing through the Alps into Switzerland, then south through Milan, Bologna, Florence, and eventually to Rome.  If you haven’t been here, let me tell you that it’s drop-dead gorgeous.  Interestingly, the cities still maintain today much of what Luther saw when he visited them.   

Even so, he viewed the best places on earth at the time as a toilet.  Of course, I suspect  the moral decay of the church and its leadership shaped Luther’s opinion in feeling this way.  Regardless, he said that earth is a toilet compared to the perfection and delightfulness of heaven.  

One day when we enter heaven and receive our room in God’s house, we’ll discover that Luther was spot-on.  We cannot conceive how fabulous heaven is.  

What does heaven look like to you?

Prayer:  Dear God, thank you Jesus–His life and example, His crucifixion on our behalf, His marvelous resurrection, and His preparation of our heavenly room in Your house.  Amen.