08 30 07 Fraternal, Eternal, or Eternal Family: Bloodlines are Drawn!)

“Be devoted to one another with mutual love, showing eagerness in honoring one another. Do not lag in zeal, be enthusiastic in spirit, and serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints, pursue hospitality. Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly.” (Romans 12:10-16 NET)


Jesus would tell us to love one another as He loves us. John tells us to greet one another with affection when we see one another and to love the brotherhood! Paul writes to the Roman Christians and us as well to be devoted to one another, honor one another, rejoice with one another, suffer with one another, pray with one another, and care for one another. He encourages us to hang out together, not just with the in crowd of saints, but the out crowd as well! No room for cliques in God’s family. God doesn’t prefer one over another, neither should we!

What we can’t do is isolate ourselves. Oh boy, the devil loves that! Get a little angry or hurt and we call the local gossip line; stay home from church a week or two; forget to pray or call on a friend. We allow the enemy to keep us from the help we need, the truth we need to hear, or the correction we need to receive. Maybe we are preventing ourselves from getting the forgiveness we seek as well. We should NEVER avoid our family in Christ. They are after all not our fraternal family, not our maternal family, but our ETERNAL FAMILY! What blood (should I say Whose blood?) runs hot through our veins?

Imagine how we grieve our DADDY when we avoid our Christian siblings! Who do we think we are? What have we become? Are we not one body, with one Lord, of one faith? The divisions make me sick at times! My prayer is that we allow the Lord to bind up wounds before it’s too late for some us to heal. True, the world needs to see a loving and caring Church, but we (on the inside) need to care for one another with genuine love so we each can feel Christ’s love as well!

08 28 07 HAVE YOU CHECKED THE HEADLINES LATELY?


"You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” (Deuteronomy 6:7 NKJV)

This is indeed one of my favorite verses, but recently t has come to mind in dealing with an avoidable subject among Christian men; home and family devotions. Recently I have heard the late J. Vernon McGee and Dr. Dobson speak concerning the issue. I must admit, I have tried and failed miserably at family devotions and am still doing my best to “talk of them” (God’s laws and precepts) to my family. Try as we might to pass the buck to our wife, it’s our job to be the spiritual leader of our home guys; this includes teaching and learning the Word.

Check out the Message version:

“…and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night.” (Deut. 6:7 MSG)

To me it gives us freedom to be inventive, creative, and fun in teaching of the attributes of God; His holiness, His beauty, His forgiveness, His love, and His power. As we go throughout the day we can point out the beauty in nature and encourage our family members to figure out why or how God made the peculiar images of nature. What made Him choose green for grass? How it is that rain can be cold on a hot day? These are perfect toddler devotions! Why are women pretty and guys ruggedly handsome? How is it that (without steroids) no matter how much weight we lift or how fast we train, we can only get so strong or so fast? No doubt teens are interested. Why are nations still fighting over Israel? Why is Iraq so important today? Here’s a good one; why can’t we pray in public (or can we)?

HAVE YOU CHECKED THE HEADLINES LATELY? You see, devotions can be the news of the day, the latest sports hero to fall, or the predicted storm on the way. It can be the homeless man on the street, the rebuilding of a disaster-struck city, or God’s mercy upon a sinner like you and me. As we dads and husbands search Scripture daily for ourselves and search the news for needed knowledge of the day, we can be ready to answer questions that arise. If we don’t know the answer, don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know!” The next devotion can be easy: let’s all find the answer!

So let’s not run from family devotions anymore. No more dad’s doomsday devotions, detour devotions, or father’s family follies. Keep pluggin’ away and ask the Lord for some added oomph and a little helpful daily news perhaps. HAVE YOU CHECKED THE HEADLINES LATELY?

08 27 07 WHEN I AM WILLING, GOD MAKES ME ABLE!
“So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.” (Nehemiah 4:6 NKJV)
While reading through the exciting story of Nehemiah recently, I was reminded again of this principle. You remember Nehemiah, the Jewish leader whose passion for Jerusalem drove him to leave the security of his home and job in Persia to superintend the building of a protective wall around Zion. What a project! And what obstacles stood against him! But the job got done in record time. Why? Nehemiah stated the reason in his journal entry: “So we built the wall . . . for the people had a mind to work” (Neh. 4:6).Check the margin of your Bible. The term translated “mind” is the Hebrew word for “heart.” Another word for it might be “courage.” In fact, they are related.

“The people were enthusiastic in their work” is how the NET Bible puts it. The New Living Translation reads, “For the people had worked very hard”. As I have spent time working to assist the church staff lately in cleaning and rearranging things to be a little more organized, I have been overwhelmed and frankly embarrassed with this one thought:
The main qualification to serve God and build His Kingdom, whether it’s spiritually or physically, is a heart’s desire to serve.

God desires for all His servants to be faithful above all things. Faithful to do what……? Serve with a willing heart has to be one thing that pleases our DADDY. Can the Pastor count on you and me to say yes and then show up when there is a need? Can the church secretary count upon helpers to assist her with a large mailing? Can the janitorial and maintenance staff count on a few good members (not necessarily but ideally men) to assist with clean-up, moving, or projects such as painting, mopping, and moving heavy loads?

We offer so many excuses:
• The church has a paid staff.
• That’s not my job.
• I am not qualified.
• Someone else will volunteer.
• They have enough help.
• I don’t have time.

Are any of these excuses your excuses? I won’t tell you how many I have used, if not all of them at one time or another. But the bottom line is this: We are not doing it to please the church body, the Pastor, or anyone else. We’re doing it unto the Lord. He doesn’t need our help, but He would enjoy our participation! We don’t need specific skills all the time, just a mind a heart and the courage to say “Yes”. As a prophet of old exclaimed when God searched for a willing servant, “Here I am Lord, send me! Send me to do what we may ask; to do the mopping, cleaning, vacuuming, painting, washing, typing, sorting, copying, greeting, teaching, baby sitting, cooking!

More often than not, WHEN I AM WILLING, GOD MAKES ME ABLE! Let’s try it!

08 24 07 In All Sincerity….

“Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good”. (Romans 12:9 MSG)

I usually don’t read this translation, but it was so relevant to some things I am experiencing nowadays. As we struggle for finances every month, prayerfully do our best in raising our children as they go through young adulthood, teen-age, and toddler years, help with our parents’ health issues (dementia particularly) and study for college school work, we have been the recipient of so much sincere love!

God has provided us with family members who really care for us. He has given us friends who think nothing of dropping off groceries to our door unannounced. Not to mention the many of you who cheerfully give from you hard-earned money that we may continue to follow God’s call as missionaries. Our church and the staff there have been beside us since the day we let them know how God touched our hearts. The Lord has indeed provided and will continue, through sincere friends and family.

Love can’t be faked! It must come form the center of our core……our heart. We know it by comparing it to the real thing, the original love if you will; God the Father! He so loved us that yet while we were sinners, His enemies, he sent His Son Jesus Christ to die a brutal death, only to raise Him up three days later to conquer death and gain for us eternal life with Him; if we choose to accept it! As believers, we are to hold onto love (Christ) with dear life, because our life depends upon Him. It is this kind of love that my wife and I experience daily……and we THANK YOU!

Thank you for giving from your heart and showing us how much the Lord really cares for us. It blows me away how He’ll send His love in the form of a letter, an e-mail, a $10.00 check a $1,000 check, or a sincere “how are you doing” and a warm and sincere hug! He even sends His love via a discipling Bible lesson! Amen?

As we love, we show Christ to the world. As Paul wrote to the Romans from the carnal city of Corinth around A.D. 56-58; don’t fake it. Let’s love from the center of where we are……our hearts! How appropriate a REMINDER today!

08 21 07 Love is…….Personal
“Love suffers long and is kind…..” (1 Corinthians 13:4 NKJV)

In his commentary on 1 Corinthians 13:4, Matthew Henry says of the term longsuffering:
It can endure evil, injury, and provocation, without being filled with resentment, indignation, or revenge. It makes the mind firm, gives it power over the angry passions, and furnishes it with a persevering patience that shall rather wait and wish for the reformation of a brother than fly out in resentment of his conduct. It will put up with many slights and neglects from the person it loves, and wait long to see the kindly effects of such patience on him.

I’m going to go at this verse a little bit differently than most scholars would; that’s because I’m not a scholar! I’m just a soldier in a small infantry on this side of heaven. But I’m fightin’ in my own small way nonetheless, along with my wife and family.

Paul addresses the Corinthian church which had lost its first love much like that of Ephesus. The gifts we possess are to help others and to build up the church. We are not to do anything for selfish gain or to take advantage of others, but to love others as we want to be loved. It’s the me third mentality that makes the church a real family and makes us such a peculiar people.
But hold on: to love others as we love ourselves, we must first love ourselves! Love is personal. God so loved me that He sent Jesus down among man to die for me! I have a personal relationship with Christ and He has one with me as well. It’s one-on-one before it is shared with others. It has to be! Many Christians live a defeated and ineffective life because they have not been patient with themselves, kind to themselves, and constantly look at others and “wish I were more like them.”

If God made me in His image and has plans for me to prosper; if He will never leave me nor forsake me and holds me in the palm of His hand; if He so loves me……then I need to love myself with that kind of love before I can properly love and serve others. I hope you understand my thoughts here.

It’s not selfish to love ourselves! In fact, it is healthy! Love is personal! As long as I know the Creator of the world loves me and has plans for me, I shall never feel worthless, useless, or unloved. I have worth and if I allow God to do so, am useful for His services.

So of all the things love is, here are the two most beneficial definitions I can come up with:

Love is God so therefore, God is love and
Love is PERSONAL!

08 20 07 The Meaning of Content


“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want”. (Philippians 4:12)


American kids are growing up seriously lacking in discipline, direction, and conviction. The apostle Paul said that he learned to be content in all circumstances. We can take a lesson from him. I am sad to report, it not just the kids and it’s not just in America anymore. We’re all too concerned with the content of our portfolio then the contentment of our heart.

Content may be defined in the following ways: The state of being satisfied; or quietly happy or something contained, as in a receptacle, often used in the plural.

People world-wide are becoming more self-centered, undisciplined, and amoral. The effect of humanism is taking solid root in the family, society, and government. It’s all about me and everyone else can fend for themselves.

Where in God’s word does it say we deserve anything but death? Where do we get the notion that we are entitled to the luxuries we so desire and lust after? The more we know of Christ, the more we need to realize of our pitiful state and the only thing we should desire is more of His mercy and grace! We are merely pitiful, unclean worms in the sight of God accept for the blood of Jesus Christ, which wipes clean the sin from the repentant heart and replaces it with the righteousness of Almighty God.

So no matter what state we find ourselves in; rich, poor, hungry, full, overjoyed or saddened, if we know Jesus personally, we have all we need for eternity. We need to be content of heart instead of so concerned about the contents of our wallet, our closets, and our garages! Let’s be content with what Jesus says is all we need.

08 17 07 A Week of Wandering

“Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power, so that all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you, Lord, are the only God.” (2 Kings 19:19)

Had A WEEK OF WANDERING? Wandering form day to day; waking up, going to work, gong home, eating dinner, watching TV, going to sleep and doing it all over again for four more days……

Oh yes, we throw in a little devotion here and there, a Bible study, a prayer or two, but we still wander as we battle the daily grind: the challenges of relationships, the financial planning or lack thereof, housework, car repairs, yard work, oh did I mention the challengers of relationships?

How do we get through the week without wandering off the path God has set forth for us? How can we possibly keep from wandering from our relationship with Father God, our DADDY? How can we keep from being tossed back and forth by every strong wind or sudden crashing wave?

First we expect the enemy to attack, because he will, especially as we become more and more committed to the Savior. Secondly, we must arm ourselves, not just with part of His armor, but all of it, the Word, the faith and the posse of support! Oh yes we need a brother or sister (or a few) who are born for adversity. We need a friend who sticks closer than a bother, a physical Jesus’ with skin on! So when we find ourselves wandering, we can do more than pray, more than cry, more than wander…..we can share and be encouraged right in the middle of the feeling of being lost and get back on track, back on the way we should go! We do find ourselves wandering at times; a little lost, a little confused, but let’s not get too deep in the woods. When we begin to lose sight of home and the light is dimming, let’s remember the One who leads us in battle, Jehovah Nissi, and the ones He has placed in our path to help us bear our burdens.

08 16 07 Will You Pray For Me?
“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding…..” (Colossians 1:9)

“I’ll pray for you.” It’s the most abused reply in Christian life, in my opinion, whatever that is worth. The first or last things our of most believers mouths when hearing of someone’s need. When I ask someone, “Will you pray for me?” I want to be assured that they are really going to pray for me! I need prayer! To tell someone we will pray for them and then to not pray is a lie……a sin! Do we ever confess it though?

“Will you pray for me?” is a serious request. Let’s take it seriously. When we let someone know we’ll pray for them, let’s take their request (s) to our Father consistently and with genuine passion. Let’s intercede for one another. Knowing others are praying for us as we go through trying circumstances really does energize us and encourage us. Prayers of the righteous still avail a great deal! We must, however, keep our word and remember to pray. Souls may be in the balance. A teen prodigal may be on the brink of a life-threatening decision. A single mom may be deciding on suicide or not. A spouse may be ready to abandon her children. Is remembering to pray worth it?

When you ask me to pray for you I write it down. I may even ask you for an update. I want you to know I care. I still forget and am ashamed to admit it., but I am striving to pray more often and for more people. So let me know your prayer requests; I count it a privilege to pray for you to our DADDY. I have one request of you:

“Will you pray for me?”

08 15 07 In His House

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” (Psalm 23:6)

A little bit of heaven on earth: we’ve all heard the saying. So what is it like to live IN HIS HOUSE ANYWAY? As the song says, “I can only imagine”. To be in His presence; to see Him in all His beauty; to thank Him for all He has done; to be by His side; to know I will no longer leave Him for sin; “I can only imagine!” Yet David states that he will dwell in the house of the Lord forever! Can we do that, even today?

I believe it is possible. While those who confess Christ as Lord and Savior live a repentant life seeking to honor and obey His commands are indeed set apart and sealed for the day of redemption, saved from judgment, and with a promise of eternal life with the Lord, we can live daily in His presence today! As we live daily, seeking to be sinless by sinning less and less, we experience His peace, we receive His grace, and we have confidence knowing He goes before us. As we seek His will daily we learn more of His character and share it with others. We can walk with a quiet confidence and peace, even as all hell breaks loose around us and the entire world!

As we pray the model prayer, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”, it is possible to experience a heavenly existence upon earth and cause us to desire to be IN HIS HOUSE more each day. We can’t get comfortable in this life, desiring more and more things and doing less and less for Christ and others. Heaven is where we believers are headed, why not get used to it? Let’s start living like we’re just passin’ through! We’re on a journey home, so let’s not live like those in this foreign land. Let’s take on the pedigree ands character of our people, the ecclesia, the called out ones, the peculiar people, the little Christs, the Christians! I look forward to the day to claim my little island shanty among the mansions in heaven, but until then I desire for the Lord to live in and through me; take up residence in me and thus I can experience a little of what it is like to live IN HIS HOUSE right now!

08 14 07 When and What To Say

"Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?"
(1 Kings 3:9)

A heart to understand, to judge between good and evil: there is no way any of us can do this without the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. The only way a man (or woman) can achieve this is by turning their life over to Christ and allowing His Spirit to take control. We don’t have to be a King (as was Solomon) or government leader to ask the Lord for needed wisdom and a heart to understand things. We need Him as a parent, as a co-worker, as a son or daughter, as a church member.

We react much too quickly to things (at least I am guilty of such action). We think we know what to do right away. Most of our hasty decisions however, turn out for the worst. If only we would allow God to show us WHEN to do something and tell us WHAT TO SAY in key situations. As we study His word day by day, we begin to understand the character of God. As we share with fellow believers we gain Godly wisdom. As we listen to Godly teaching, absorb Godly advice, and witness Godly character around us, we learn much about WHEN to do things and WHAT TO SAY!

Boy do we need a discerning heart today. If you haven’t been hit in the face by a driving spiritual storm lately, you have a good chance of experiencing one soon. Get ready… get ready… get ready……! If you’re right in the middle along with me, keep moving forward…leaning into the wind! If you’re just out of a challenge, enjoy the peace knowing God has gotten you through! As we go through the spiritual seasons in our Christian walk, we continually need to ask the Lord for a listening heart, wisdom to discern evil from good (it’s hard to tell these days!), and the control of the Holy Spirit. To fully honor God and for Him to receive the praise, we need to need to realize we can’t ever do it in our own power! Let’s give Him control over WHEN we do things and WHAT we say!

May the Word of God use the Spirit of God to make us all more like the Son of God, so the Father gets all the praise! Amen!?!?

08 13 07 No Better Place

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us , and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)

There’s NO BETTER PLACE TO BE I have realized, than at the mercy of Almighty God. Read this excerpt from the late Ruth Bell Graham:

Sunk in this gray depression I cannot pray.
How can I give expression when they’re no words to say?
This mass of vague foreboding of aching care, love with its overloading short-circuits prayer.
Then through this fog of tiredness, this nothingness, I find only a quiet knowing that He is kind.1 (September 1980)

At this juncture in life, I find myself at His mercy as well. Many times, I don’t know what to say to Him and I find myself yelling out, “GOD!” Whether it’s concerning one of my prodigals (as with the case of Mrs. Graham), one of our TSN kids, our finances, or family issues, I find myself with no answers except what He provides. Mrs. Bell calls it gray depression, vague foreboding, short-circuited prayer, a fog of tiredness; yet He is kind! I fully understand her words.

If we read the discouraging circumstances of life—the people who do us in, the job that doesn’t work out, and the other struggles that seem to engulf us—we will surely crash.
But if we would keep our eyes on Jesus Christ and stay grounded in His word, then we will make it safely through the storm.
Maybe you’re in a storm. God has a purpose in leading you into the storm. He has power to preserve you through the storm. And, He has a plan to eventually lead you out of the storm. Put your eyes on Christ. Trust His Word.2

So how do we keep from short-circuiting, crashing, and drowning in the storm? We MUST fix our eyes on Christ each and every day, even minute by minute! Many have been through more trying circumstances than you and I presently face. All that Jesus went through, He endured the cross, despised the shame, and then sat down next to the Father! That’s the example I and we all need to follow. As we endure, we count it a privilege to be tested and look forward to the time God Himself rewards us, because to tell the truth, that may be the only “well done” we ever hear! At His mercy; NO BETTER PLACE TO BE!


1 Prodigals and Those Who Love Them, Ruth Bell Graham, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI, 1991, 1999, P. 86
2 When All Hell Breaks Loose (You May Be Doing Something Right), Steven J. Lawson, NavPress, Morning Glory, July-August 1995, p. 27.