Devotionals

“Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies.”  Romans 1:25

Recently I read an online article about 21 people from history who are allegedly imaginary rather than real.  The author clearly didn’t spend any time on research.  It appeared he simply fabricated everything from his own mind.  I’m going to speculate on his reasoning.  

As you can imagine, several Biblical characters made the list.  As a believer, I accept that everyone mentioned in the Scriptures actually existed as described.  However, I can imagine that some people may have doubt about Adam, Noah, Baalam, and others from the Old Testament because they are so ancient and their stories are so phenomenal.   

The article cites these four as fictional:  Moses, Mary Magdalene, Paul, and of course, Jesus.  The author claims no historical evidence exists to confirm the existence of any of these individuals.  Say what?  These people are among the most documented of all in antiquity, especially Jesus!  Forget the Bible and check the historical record and archeological findings.  They’re all there!  

Here’s the sad aspect of such an article.  Unbelievers are doubters, and such nonsense reinforces what they suspect and really want to accept.  They’re not educated enough to recognize that such an article is phony baloney.  It’s one of Satan’s means to cloud their minds.

Why motivated the author?  It certainly wasn’t scholarship or intelligence.  For whatever reason, unbelievers want company to provide some reassurance of their thinking.  Misery loves company, I guess.  I don’t think there’s any question that unbelievers are racked with doubt.  

Occasionally we hear of deathbed confessions of unbelievers who in their last breaths acknowledge Jesus as the Christ and pray for forgiveness of their sins and grace.  Have you ever heard of a believer renouncing Jesus Christ and rejecting salvation in the same situation?  Of course not!  

Unbelievers are playing Russian roulette with a pistol having six bullets.  Don’t be influenced by what they think.  

How do you respond to such articles?  Do they cause you to pause and think about your own beliefs?  

Prayer:  Thank you, God, for your infinite love of believers.  Amen.

“But if your gift is that of being able to ‘speak in tongues,’ that is, to speak in languages you haven’t learned, you will be talking to God but not to others, since they won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be a secret.”  1 Corinthians 14:2 TLB

Most people reading this devotional may shake their heads in agreement or disbelief.  Most churches teach that speaking in tongues, one of the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, ceased a couple of thousand years ago.  It’s somewhat humorous to hear the interpretations of some preachers construct a position using Old McDonald logic of “take a verse here, take a verse there, here a verse, there a verse, everywhere a verse-verse.”  

Speaking in tongues receives a bad rap by being misused and abused by TV evangelists.  They openly violate Biblical guidance on how such a manifestation should be practiced.  Call me a skeptic, but they are generally frauds masquerading as being spiritually connected with the not-so-holy objective of fund raising.  As a result, they create great confusion over what tongue speaking really is.  

I’ve heard some preachers who are genuinely incredulous that anyone today would believe in it.  One could argue till the cows come home, but the better approach would be to open one’s mind and investigate the practice first hand rather than thinking one couldn’t possibly be wrong.  After all, I can allege that Tennessee is better at basketball than Kentucky, and a Kentucky fan can claim the opposite.  What’s the best way to find out the truth?  Witness an actual game between the two teams!  

The Scriptures teach two basic types of tongue speaking.  The first is to unbelievers who do not speak the native language of the messenger.  Everyone is familiar with what happened at Pentecost.  However, a tongue speaker must not speak out loud unless an interpreter is present to translate what is said; otherwise, it would be a distraction and meaningless to the worship.  The second is privately in praying to God.  He or she may not understand what is actually being said, but God does as it reveals the true heart.  

I have witnessed speaking in tongues.  It’s not an emotionally charged experience that involves foaming at the mouth, falling to the floor, shaking uncontrollably, extreme eye movement, etc.–you know, the kind of nonsense portrayed by some TV evangelists and espoused by some opposing preachers.  People who have received this manifestation of the Holy Spirit can do it at will.  They simply open their mouths and the words flow out without thinking.  

If anyone thinks this ability is just babbling, I invite you to try to speak anything totally foreign to you for a few minutes that is convincingly fluent.  You can’t do it!  

If you don’t have this manifestation of the Holy Spirit but earnestly believe in it, do not despair!  He may have something greater for you!  

Prayer:  Thank you, God, for the presence of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.  

“Is anyone among you sick?  Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.  And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up.”  James 5:14-15a

Growing up in a mainstream Protestant church, we didn’t learn about faith healing.  Such practices ended with the apostles and just didn’t happen in our modern world.  At least that’s what the preachers taught us.  

During the same timeframe, television introduced us to faith healers.  Many travelled the country with big tents, going from city to city, preceded by newspaper ads and street signs.  Attendees appeared to be the desperate, lower socio-economic class of people.  Unfortunately, many faith healers proved to be charlatans, preying on their customers’ gullibility.  

Cast all of these conceptions aside.  Any church that teaches faith healing stopped centuries ago are doing their attendees a great disservice.  I’ve heard and read sermons by speakers who decry faith healing and make all kinds of unfounded, distorted, false claims about the practice.  I know it to be real, because of my own and others’ personal experiences.  

Several days ago the daily devotional described when God healed me instantaneously from the flu.  Years ago I knew a lady who had a worrisome and disfiguring growth that popped up next to her nose.  Her church’s elders anointed her with oil, instructed her to cover the growth with her hand, prayed over her, and told her to remove her hand.  Voila!  The growth had disappeared, miraculously and instantly.  Before you discount my story as a fable, you should know that this healing occurred to my mother.  

We are friends with a wonderful lady who received a breast cancer diagnosis–Stage IV, with a prognosis of death within weeks.  She sought a second opinion from one of the nation’s premier cancer centers.  It confirmed the original diagnosis based upon the medical records and decided to rerun the tests to see how much the cancer had grown.  She had been raised in the same denomination as I, so faith healing seemed quite foreign and improbable.  However, in such desperate situations, one prays.  The second set of tests showed no cancer whatsoever!  Miracle or mistake?  The doctors confirmed that both series of tests performed at the two hospitals were indeed from the same patient, with one showing Stage IV cancer and the other showing nothing.  Incidentally, this lady has aged several decades since this experience and has had no recurrence.  

These three examples are just the tip of the iceberg.  I know of some incredible examples far beyond what I have described.  

I suggest that today’s churches teaching faith healing ceased with the apostles don’t experience it for themselves for lack of faith.  After all, why would God heal anyone who doesn’t believe that He can?

Do you believe?

Prayer:  Dear God, forgive us for any unbelief.  May we have the faith to experience all that You intend for us.  Amen.

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”  Psalm 14:1a and 53:1a

Who do you regard as the most intelligent people who have ever lived?  What is the benchmark you use to decide?  Numerous measuring sticks exist to make such a determination.  

For example, money might be a good measure to use.  After all, self-made multi-billionaires must be incredibly smart to generate so much wealth.  Reading a Who’s Who of the richest people in the United States shows that atheists and agnostics dominate the list.  The bottom line is no one will carry a single penny into the next life.

How about philosophers, the great thinkers of history?  Many of them fall into the same unbeliever category.  When one’s brain quits functioning and is dead as a doornail, how many great thoughts will they have?  Will it mean anything then?

Inventors, musicians, writers, etc. show a larger percentage of Christians than the other categories, but there are a number of them who don’t believe in God or acknowledge Him.  The most vocal are the ones who have a sense of self-importance and love to publicize their opinions on politics and moral issues.  The grave will end their influence.  

Now reconsider the original question in light of today’s Bible verse.  The extremely wealthy, great philosophers, inventors, musicians, writers, etc. who do not accept the existence of God, they show the exact opposite of intelligence.  I submit they are the dumbest people on the planet, because they exchange a temporary (and short!) existence for a permanent (and infinite!) existence separate from God.  

Who are the intelligent people?  The vast majority are unknowns–the poor Haitian farmer who devotes himself to God, the Syrian Christian who hides to worship under threat of death, the young Ukrainian family that turns to God despite political turmoil, etc.  You get the picture.  These folks don’t meet the world’s definition of intelligence, but they accept God’s grace for eternal life.  They are the smart ones!

Who do you regard as intelligent?  Are they really?

Prayer:  Teach us, dear God, to think and realize what values and beliefs are truly important.  Amen

“Listen to your father, who gave you life.”  Proverbs 23:22a

Flag Day occurs every June 14th, marking the anniversary of the adoption of our nation’s flag.  It’s a lot more special to me as my father’s birthday, all the way back to 1911.  He passed away in 1985.  

While Dad didn’t have much materially, he was the richest person spiritually that I’ve ever known.  He taught me valuable life lessons that still ring in my ears and benefit me today:

–Serve others, and love them more than you love yourself;

–Realize that God owns everything, and you’re merely a steward of what He has allowed you to handle during your time on earth;

–Give generously;

–Recognize everyone’s value, as all are made in the image of God;

–Do good, and don’t seek any recognition or thanks for doing so;

–Honesty is always the best policy; more importantly, it is the only policy

–Live within your means, and address needs but not desires;

–Never give less than your best.  

Dad generously gave me the great legacy of his life.  While it’d be admirable to say that I want to be just like him, the truth is that my goal is to be more like Jesus.  

Who is your role model?  

Prayer:  Thank you, God, for the perfect role model of Jesus.  May we mold our lives to follow and make Him Lord of our lives.  Amen.  

“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”  Matthew 10:28 NIV

Do you remember the Far Side cartoons by Gary Larson?  He created a series of religious cartoons, and they are spot-on.  Each one delivers a powerful message with incredible simplicity.  You know the expression, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”  The cartoon below is worth a 10,000 word sermon.  

Prayer:  Dear God, thank you for Jesus’s sacrifice so that we may live eternally with You.  Amen

“ . . . the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’  I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”  John 1:33b-34 NIV

Baptism is one of those topics possessing widespread views among Christians.  It seems that each church can craft a scriptural justification for its doctrine on this subject.  Take a verse here, pull a verse there, blend them together and create a meaning that matches what you believe.  Cite one Biblical teaching while ignoring others and claim you have it right and everyone else has it wrong.  Forget about what the Bible states and just go with one’s own feelings.  You know what I’m talking about!

I’ve read the positions of numerous churches on this subject, and there’s widespread disagreement on baptism and misunderstanding by many over what others believe, It’s rather interesting–or disheartening–that well-intended Christians reading the same Bible can come up with so many varying viewpoints.  

I’ll throw my two cents into the picture.  Here is what I believe.

Infant baptism isn’t for salvation of the infant.  Churches that don’t practice it get their shorts in a knot by refusing to understand what it really means.  It’s simply a ceremony that the parents commit to raising the child as a Christian, and the congregation agrees to support their efforts.  That’s it.  Nothing more and nothing less.  

What is baptism anyway?  The Scriptures talk about two types:  spiritual and water.  When one accepts Jesus as the Christ and commits to making Him Lord of their life, it constitutes a spiritual baptism–that is, one receives the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as a result.  There are many instances of spiritual baptism resulting in people’s salvation apart from water baptism–for example, most of the apostles had such an experience.  Water baptism is a public display that one has accepted Jesus Christ.  It symbolizes the death of sin in the grave and resurrection of life eternal.  Spiritual baptism is the more important one by far.   

Sprinkle, pour or immerse–which one is right?  Initially my water baptism consisted of sprinkling.  I can’t tell you how many people over the years informed me that I didn’t have salvation because I had not been immersed.  I guess they never heard of spiritual baptism taught in the Bible.  Years later I repeated my water baptism by immersion in the Jordon River, about 1/2 mile upstream of where it is believed Jesus was baptized.  Guess what?  Folks from these same brands of churches claimed only their preachers in their churches are qualified to baptize by immersion; therefore, I still lack salvation.  Legalism prevails in their minds.  

What do you believe?  Have you accepted Jesus Christ and received spiritual baptism?  

Prayer:  Thank you, God, for your amazing grace!  Amen.  

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.   He was in the beginning with God.    All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”  John 1:1-3 NKJV

Millions of people watch the HGTV home restoration shows like Fixer Upper and Property Brothers.  All of them have the same basic format.  The designer and contractor team finds a dilapidated house to restore.  In my eyes most of them look like they should be bulldozed to the ground and restarted from scratch.  

They usually start with the exterior, cleaning it up, painting, adding new architectural details, planting shrubbery and grass, laying a sidewalk, etc.  It looks quite different and attractive upon completion.  The interior is always a mess with a massive reconstruction required.  They knock out walls, remove flooring, build new kitchens and bathrooms, etc.–gut just about everything.  Always–and I mean always–a major problem will be discovered, like the presence of mold, rot, termite damage, asbestos, radon, structural issues, code violations, and so forth.  This discovery leads to the drama of how to address the problem.  

When the designer and contractor complete the entire job, the big reveal to the new owners occurs.  They gasp at the changes first seen on the outside before going inside.  This is where the biggest emotional impact hits them.  Everything is executed perfectly for their tastes.   

It occurred to me that the human condition compares to these HGTV houses.  Before we accept Jesus Christ, we’re like one of these dilapidated houses.  We fix the outside first and show a good front that others see, but our inside is ugly and hidden.  That’s where all the real problems lie.  Our hearts and minds are filled with lust, envy, jealousy, covetous, deceit, etc.–all those things that separate us from God.  We need a major overall, to be gutted and rebuilt into becoming the persons we need to be.  

The great news is that there’s a master designer and builder!  Jesus, aka the Word, created the entire universe, so radically changing us is no problem for Him.  He makes us new and beautiful.  He restores us so we can live in heaven with Him.  It doesn’t cost us a single penny, because He paid it all for us!  It’s not a four-week job like the HGTV shows with changes that eventually wear out; rather, it’s a lifetime project that makes us better every single day.  

Are you allowing Jesus to remake your life?  

Prayer:  Thank you, Lord, for what you do for us.  May we be obedient.  Amen

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.  Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up . . . Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”  Deuteronomy 6:6-9 NIV

Today’s scripture consists of a quotation by Moses, the greatest Jewish teacher, leader, and prophet in history.  His resume reads like no other, with incredible accomplishments unmatched by any person who has ever lived.  By the way, God gave him the messages to convey to the Jewish people.  He’s the guy who brought the two tablets down from Mount Sinai after God had inscribed the Ten Commandments on them.  The above verses provide a pretty clear instruction on the importance of the information.  

What do you think of the current climate in our country?  My sense is that we’ve lost our moral compass with continual erosion of values–a trend that will continue with no viable solution to right the ship apart from Jesus.    

Not too many years ago, the Ten Commandments appeared prominently in public places like schools, courtrooms, police stations, city parks, churches, etc.  Who could possibly disagree with the wisdom they contain?  Somewhere along the way some deranged folks decided that it should be illegal to display them, citing the often-used demand for separation of church and state.  By filing litigation in courts ruled by judges so open-minded their brains had fallen out, they succeeded in winning.  Over recent years the Ten Commandments have been taken down in many places.  

Whose judgment do you feel is correct on this issue–Moses, under the direction of God or our courts?  

Prayer:  Heal our land, dear God.  Amen.

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

Our lives on this planet are short in duration with females living an average of 81.2 years and males for 76.4 years.  As the older generation dies off, the following generation becomes quite cognizant that they are next in line.  It’s a sobering reality that really registers after both parents have passed.  

Have you thought about when you will die?  Come on and confess–you have.  Nothing will change the fact that one day will be your last.  

Last year I experienced an unusual incident.  On a plane flight from Nashville to Baltimore, I had a seizure–the first one in my life.  On the morning of the trip I had no idea that something like this would happen.  Without delving into the nitty gritty details, my brain started shutting down my body.  A couple of minutes after the seizure started, I could not feel, hear or see.  My wife thought that I had died, but fortunately, good medical care saved the day.   

The point of this illustration is that we don’t know the time that we’ll be checking out.  What’s really important is that we are ready.  I’m not referring to estate planning, but to our spiritual state.  We can have that assurance by believing Jesus is the Christ and making Him Lord of our lives.  

Are you ready to die?  You need to be.  Choosing to follow Jesus is the greatest decision that you’ll ever make.  I love this quotation:  “You don’t have a soul.  You are a soul.  You have a body.”  Eternity lasts a long time.  I want to reside in heaven.  How about you?

Prayer:  Thank you, God, for the free gift of grace offered through Jesus Christ.  Amen.