SPIRITUAL FOOD FOR THE SOUL
A Daily Devotion to Enrich Your Soul
Jon Carnes
www.DustJacket.com | Info@DustJacket.com
© Copyright 2011 Jon Carnes
eBook ISBN: 9781937602185
Dust Jacket Press
PO Box 721243 - Oklahoma City, OK 73172
www.DustJacket.com | Info@DustJacket.com
P:800.495.0192
www.facebook.com/dustjacketllc
Follow us on Twitter at: DustJacketLLC
Scripture taken from the Holy Bible New International Version
Copyright 1973,1978,1984 by International Bible Society
Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
The “NIV” and “New International Version Trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Boble Society. Use of either trademark requires the permission of International Bible Society.
Smashwords Edition License Notes
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF LIFE
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”
Charlie Brown was in one of his down moods saying, “I’m in sad shape”, as he walks up to Lucy’s 5-cent doctor’s booth. “Good morning sir, sit right down”, Lucy says. Charlie Brown sits and wades in with his questions, “What can you do when life seems to be passing you by?”
Lucy calmly takes Charlie to the top of a hill and has him look off toward the horizon and asks him these questions “See the horizon over there? See how big this world is? See how much room there is for everybody? Have you ever seen any other worlds?” Charlie Brown answers, “No”. Lucy continues, “As far as you know this is the only world there is, right? There are no other worlds for you to live in … right? You were born to live in this world … right?” Charlie Brown answers “Right.” Lucy turns toward him, gets close to his ear and screams, “Well, Live In It, Then!!! “Five cents please.”
Lucy was right when she said that this is the only world we can live in while on Earth. Yes, as Christians we know we are going to live in another one someday, but for now this is what we have and where we are. Life is too short for us to allow fears, people or circumstances to control our lives. Life’s an adventure and our greatest joys will be found in the journey itself.
Someone sent the following writing to me, which, helps to put life into perspective:
Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400.
It carries over no balance from day to day.
Every evening the bank deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day.
What would you do?
Draw out every cent, of course!!!!
Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME.
Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds.
Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose.
It carries over no balance.
It allows no overdraft.
Each day it opens a new account for you.
Each night it burns the remains of the day.
If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours.
There is no going back. There is no drawing against the “tomorrow.”
You must live in the present on today’s deposits.
Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and success.
The clock is running.
Make the most of today.
To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade.
To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.
To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train.
To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident
To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won silver medal in the Olympics.
Treasure every moment that you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time. And remember that time waits for no one. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present!!
This is the world we have to live in so, Live In It, Then!!
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF LIFE
Proverbs 4:5-9 “Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you. She will set a garland of grace on your head and present you with a crown of splendor.”
Life is a wonderful teacher and if we’ll pay close attention it will teach us how to get the most out of our time here. When we approach life as a growing person we will begin to find the gold that is hidden within the lessons it brings. There are fun lessons, tough lessons, lessons that hurt and some that make us laugh. All lessons can be good and helpful in life, even the most painful of them.
Following are some lessons that people shared when asked what they had learned from life: “I’ve learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them. “I’ve learned that it takes years to build up trust and only seconds to destroy it.” “I’ve learned that it is not what you have in your life but who you have in your life that counts.” “I’ve learned that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you’d better know something.” “I’ve learned that you shouldn’t compare yourself to the best others can do.” “I’ve learned that it’s taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.” “I’ve learned that either you control your attitude or it controls you.”
Getting the most out of life happens when we’re willing to learn from its lessons. We can increase that learning curve by being wise enough to accept the lessons learned by others. We do not have to try being an alcoholic to know that it isn’t a positive way to live. I do not have to experience a terrible accident to know that I do not want to increase my chance of having one by careless driving. I do not have to lose a finger to know to keep my hand away from a spinning blade. I do not have to practice sin to know that it leads me away from God.
Some things are only learned by experience. No marriage is the same, people can help but the details of a relationship are worked out by two people who do a lot of trial and error. Learning it is the same with bringing up children. There is no manual for interpersonal relationships with those on the job or at Church. The key is to learn our lessons quickly and don’t make the same mistakes in the same place.
Ten Commitments For Learning People
I will learn from my past and be optimistic about the future.
I will not park beside failures but move past them.
I will be a person of hope, faith and love.
I will never quit growing as a believer in Christ.
I will use my spiritual gifts to bring glory to God and benefit mankind.
I will not allow negative people to hinder my attitude.
I will not allow success to go to my head, or failure touches my heart.
I will be thankful for my blessings.
I will not claim my rights until I have fulfilled my responsibility.
I will stand before my Creator having done my best.
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF LIFE
Proverbs 6:6-11 “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest — and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.
I’ve never roped a Brahma bull,
I’ve never fought a duel,
I’ve never crossed the desert
On a lop-eared, swayback mule,
I’ve never climbed an idol’s nose
To steal a cursed jewel.
I’ve never gone down with my ship,
Into a bubblin’ brine,
I’ve never saved a lion’s life
And then had him save mine,
Or screamed Ahoooo while swingin’ through
The jungle on a vine.
I’ve never got up at the count of nine
To beat the world’s champ,
I’ve never had my picture on
A special postage stamp.
I’ve never scored a touchdown
On a ninety-nine yard run,
I’ve never winged six Daltons
With my dying brother’s gun . . .
Or kissed Miss Jane, and rode my hoss
Into the setting sun
Sometimes I get so depressed
Bout what I haven’t done.
-Unknown Author-
There is a fantasy world out there that we can get lost in and wind up not doing anything because we didn’t get a chance at that “great thing.” Instead we should learn who we are and focus on being the best possible. We do that by learning from others but not trying to be like them.
C. S. Lewis observed, “Every person is composed of a few themes.” Our key to getting the most out of life is to define the themes that are closest to our heart. Once we define those themes we must develop our ability to do our best.
For me the themes of life would be: I am people focused, my purpose is to help develop Christians into productive mature believers, as well as be a continual learner myself. All Christians need to have a purpose in life. It will not be the same for everyone but it should bring glory to God and touch other people in a positive way. Search for the gifts and talents God blessed you with and then get the best out of life.
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF LIFE
Proverbs 16:1-3 “To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue. All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD. Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”
One day they will write words about you and speak them to your friends and families who have some to pay respects. They will talk about the best that is within you. They will not talk about how much money you made or how many trophies you’ve collected. They will talk about how you loved, touched lives, your faith and hope. They will talk about the things that money can multiply but not create such as works of compassion.
One tombstone in England has this quote on it:
Remember me, as you walk by,
As you are now, so once was I,
As I am now, so shall you be,
Remember this and follow me.
At which someone added:
To follow you I’ll not consent,
Until I know which way you went.
The best time to establish a life plan for growing as a person is now. Put a plan into action that can become a way of life. Here are some suggestions on how to get started.
Accept personal responsibility for your own learning. Your personal and spiritual growth is too important to hope you get it, it must be intentional.
Focus learning on improving your greatest gifts and talents. It’s the 80/20 principle; which says that 80% of your energy is put into your strengths, 20% on improving weaknesses.
Set goals for your life. Make sure they are measurable and reasonable. Set both learning goals and work goals. Write them down and put them where you see them often.
Learn in those settings, which are comfortable but also stretch yourself to learn outside your comfort zones. Use your spiritual gifts and talents in arenas that are new to you.
Accept that you will make mistakes and determine to learn from them One of our greatest mistakes is to fear failure, that paralyzes us. Failure lessons can actually empower us.
Share all that you learn with others. Sharing knowledge is one of the greatest blessings of being a learning and growing person.
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF LIFE
Ecclesiastes 3:9-14 “What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.”
We find Charlie Brown’s little sister jumping rope with a huge smile. All of a sudden she stops and begins to cry. Linus comes running up and asks, “What’s the matter Sally? What happened? Why are you crying?” She replied, “I don’t know . . . I was jumping rope . . .. everything was all right when . . . . suddenly it all seemed so futile!”
There are times when we may feel we’ve taken the cruise to nowhere. Living in Florida I get to see some unusual things. One of them is the cruise to nowhere. People go aboard a ship, which then goes out into the sea where there is nothing, but water and goes around in circles. The people eat great, relax on deck soaking up the sun and enjoying all the shows and activities. All the commotion doesn’t stop the truth they are still going around in circles with no destination for the journey.
If all we get out of life is pursuing pleasure and having motion with no destination, we will come to the end and like Sally say, “it all seemed so futile.” We need to decide what our life goals are. What is it that you love to do that also touches other people in a positive way. When we do what we love it is a pleasure even when circumstances make it difficult.
Someone gave me this quote that expresses this idea in a Christ-like manner. “I believe that life has eternal worth. Life is a search for identity and self-knowledge, and that identity can only be fully realized when one experiences total commitment to God. Integrity is the ideal goal regardless of one’s stature in life. I believe that happiness comes through service to others with no expectation of reward. True love of life is to give, and to share, and to make a meaningful contribution . . . Accept life’s situations creatively, and they become building stones in the development of a greater future.”
PERSONAL PURITY
A BATTLE WITH ANGER
James 1:19-21 “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”
A friend of mine gave a simple defining statement about anger that has shown itself to be true. He said, “All anger comes because someone has not lived up to our expectations.” Anger is a very natural emotion. It is the way we allow it to control us that concerns God. Ephesians 4:26 says, “In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”
Anger can have many harmful affects on a believer’s life. It can cause a person to lose perspective and not have the ability to think rationally. Anger tempts us to have a lack of forgiveness when Christ has asked us to forgive as He forgave us. It is spiritually debilitating by giving the devil footholds in our life. And, it moves us to take actions that would not bring glory to the name of the Lord.
There are three ways that a Christian can deal with anger. The first is to refuse to allow it to control our emotions or actions. Do not react to anger. Refuse to give an immediate reaction in a anger situation. Quick reactions are most often wrong and hurtful. They come out of our humanness not our Christ-centeredness. One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is self-control, which is never more evident than when anger finds its way into our lives. Strive to develop self-control in all circumstances, especially when your emotions tempt you to giving in to an angry spirit.
The second way to deal with anger is to pray for objectivity. We must ask the question, “Why did I become angry?” The answer to that question will determine the response to anger. It may be that there needs to be some constructive conflict that will change behavior of those causing anger. We see this with our children as they disobey the rules (did not live up to our expectations) and therefore have to be punished. Prayer and rationale will help us confront in a positive manner. There are times on the job, in church and in society where certain behavior is unacceptable. In such cases, there needs to be a rationale response of constructive conflict.
Then there are times when our anger comes from personal expectations that were unmet but was not an issue of right or wrong. I’ve coached ball or played it for about 35 years. I understand anger at teammates, umpires, referees and even myself. Almost always that anger wasted energy and created wrong if not sinful emotions. If I stop to ask “Why?” I usually realized it was selfish and personal. It is in these times the devil can find footholds in our life and bring tremendous destruction of our testimony.
The third way to deal effectively with anger is to do what Christ would want in spite of how we feel about it. Our emotions are unreliable while God’s Word is eternal and absolutely reliable. Do what is right in all circumstances. This is not hypocrisy. We will do ourselves into feeling much faster than we will ever feel ourselves into doing. Do what pleases Christ in all circumstances, period.
PERSONAL PURITY
A BATTLE WITH ATTITUDE
Ephesians 4:22-23 “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; “
Attitude is my favorite subject of all. It makes or breaks people everyday. When people take responsibility for their own attitude and it’s improvement then invariably their lives get better. When people adopt a negative, cynical attitude they live a pattern of ups and downs, mostly downs. Attitudes are a choice, they are not pre-disposed like personalities, but are developed over time.
We must have control over our own attitude development. This writing by an unknown author illustrates this truth.
“I must no sooner pattern my ministry in answer to pettiness than I would drive a car according to the wishes of those who honk at me on the highways. I do not dare drive by trying to sense what the other drivers want me to do. Doubtless their desire would be for me to be off the highway with my car parked in the garage, the engine off, the door closed. But you don’t make progress that way. You have to get out there, decide where you are going, determine how to get there, and face the traffic. Get on the freeway without hesitation and go!” (Unknown)
Most of us need to begin our attitude renovation by grasping hold of a few truths.
The first truth is that God is bigger than our distracters. People will try to overpower us with their opinions and negative spirits and will do so if we get our eyes off God and on to an individual. David Brinkley suggested, “A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.” God is bigger than those who would pull us down.
The next truth is that failure is inevitable if we are going to accomplish anything in life. The secret is to not park beside it or quit. We must learn from it and move on. Failures can be wonderful teachers, see them as such. Don’t keep failing in the same way or spot, learn, then move forward and beyond them.
Negative attitudes are terrible enemies; wage a fierce personal war to defeat them. Dr. Robert Conroy gave great advice when he said, “Cultivate optimism by committing yourself to a cause, a plan or a value system. You’ll feel that you are growing in a meaningful direction which will help you rise above day-to-day set backs.” Christians have the greatest cause this world has ever known, we have every reason to have the most positive attitude found among mankind. We should work to develop a positive attitude that finds its’ foundation on the strength, power and the all sufficiency of God. We have been divinely created to accomplish good works in this life. That is something to get excited about.
PERSONAL PURITY
A BATTLE WITH DEVOTIONS
Psalm 119:9-11 “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
If you are reading this today then you are fighting the battle with devotions. We are bombarded by so much information that devotions can become one more thing to clutter our already overloaded mind. Yet we know we need to, are supposed to and really desire to take time for devotions. But, it is hard to set aside the time; we live in a day with millions of time saving devises but less time than ever.
It is easy to lay off devotions for a while, then lay off them indefinitely and then never have them. Honesty would make us admit that when our devotion life isn’t current our spiritual walk suffers. We feel ill equipped for stressful situations. These are the times we move back into unfruitful attitudes and even sinful behavior.
Devotions are not meant to be drudgery but a power source. How far does your car go on a near empty fuel tank? Not very far! Devotions are the spiritual gas for a Christian. We find our knowledge there. We gain discernment for life there. We sense God’s presence and strengthening there. We prepare our souls to walk through a sinful world without suffering harm in that wonderful place of devotions.
Without devotions we will experience times of great spiritual dryness. We will experience weakness at moments when we need strength the most. We will find our faith becoming a burden instead of a joy. This is not what Christ wants for His people. He has a better, deeper, richer life for us.
Christ gave us the example as He consistently went to a solitary place to spend time in personal devotion and renewal. Following Christ’s example will keep us in a place of spiritual peace. When the world is confused and grasping for answers, we will be able to rest on the ONE who is in control. While the world searches for peace we can live in it. God calls us to consistent devotions for the benefit we get out of it not to have another “suppose to” rule. Devotions are for our blessing, our growth, our strength, our encouragement; we are the benefactors of this spiritual discipline.
PERSONAL PURITY
A BATTLE WITH ENVY
Philippians 2:3-7 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
A mountain climber once said, “You can never conquer the mountain. You can only conquer yourself.” Anyone who has reached the top of some challenge knows this is true. It takes self-sacrifice and personal discipline to succeed at almost anything in life. This is especially true in the spiritual life. One of the obstacles that will come before us is the temptation to envy.
As is most things that can become sin in our lives, envy starts out as a very natural impulse. We desire to do better and provide for family and ourselves. We start to move up the success ladder driven by healthy ambition. As our eyes look forward to where we want to be heading in life we begin to notice those around us. Some are moving faster than we are, some are using relationships and political maneuvering to get ahead, and still others are working their way up the success ladder.
It is at the moment we begin to look at other people and start playing the comparison game that envy plants its seed into our soul. Envy is defined as ill will toward someone because of their position, possessions, relationships or ability. Envy tempts people to look at others through critical eyes. It makes us judge their motives from little more evidence than our own perception. It moves us away from a Christ-like spirit, “Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing…”. This does not mean that we are to intentionally be less than God made us. On the contrary, it means to be the very best us God made us to be. Do not try and become exactly like some other individual be who God made YOU.
The spiritual discipline comes in refusing to allow envy to come into our life. It will be a discipline of sight and attitude. We need self-control enough to keep our eyes off other people in a critical manner. We will also need to have an attitude that is contrary to the world’s way of thinking. The world says, “Get all you can while you can.” Christ says, “Give all you can while you can.”
The remedy for envy is affirmation and appreciation of other people’s gifts and talents. Instead of wishing we had the things that belong to someone else we should celebrate and learn from all that is good within them. Affirm the uniqueness, which has helped them succeed. Openly share our own abilities and gifts so that others may learn from and be encouraged by us. Be the very best “you” possible. Enjoy the journey of life without losing contentment to an envious spirit. Someone said, “Wouldn’t it be tragic to make it to the top of the ladder any way it took just to find that your ladder was leaning against the wrong wall.” God desires that we have a content spirit, which can only be found in a mind that is free from envy.
PERSONAL PURITY
A BATTLE WITH GLUTTONY
“I’m not out of shape, just fat”, is my usual response when someone mentions the need for exercise. The truth is I need to loose 40 plus pounds so that I can think better, feel better and work more efficiently. Gluttony is the unrestrained giving into appetites of the flesh that creates an atmosphere where Christ cannot exercise His right to Lordship in a person’s life. Gluttony covers more than just food even though often times over eating is the most evident of these behaviors. It is the over indulgence of anything that leads to a lessening of a person’s commitment to Christ.
John Foster said, “A person without decision of character can never be said to belong to themselves, they belong to whatever can make captive of them.” Here in lies the danger of gluttony. It is the battle for supremacy in life. It answers the question of who or what is in control of an individuals passions. It may seem as if it is an “out of control” issue but really is an “in control” one. God asks us to love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. This means He must have Lordship in every area of life. Gluttony is all about giving a week lifeless god control; it claims kinship with idolatry.
God desires a deeper, richer life than one bound by gluttony. This is one of those areas that we may need to ask others for help. The danger of gluttony is that the longer you are in it, the weaker you become to be able to get out from under its power. It is okay to ask for help in whatever area of life gluttony has attached itself.
Overcoming any type of gluttony will require strength of will and character. By nature gluttony is a bad habit and that is seldom, if ever, changed over night. Habits, good or bad, are gorged over time. It will take time, energy and willpower to change a negative destructive behavior into a positive one. However, the rewards of doing so are worth whatever it takes to have discipline in our spiritual life.
PERSONAL PURITY
A BATTLE WITH GREED
Ephesians 5:3 “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.”
Greed is the desiring of worldly treasures to the point that a person will seek it by any means necessary. Proverbs 15:27 teaches that, “A greedy man brings trouble to his family; but he who hates bribes will live.” Greed is one of those unseen issues that takes over a life long before it is recognized as sin. It is not the desire to have a better life. It is the desire for things to the point that a person will pay any price even sin to get it.
The first casualty of greed is integrity. A desire for treasure tempts people to tell little lies to get what they want, then bigger lies follow until lying becomes a way they live. Greed tempts people to manipulate systems and other people to obtain the treasure they desire. Greed has an instable appetite; the more you have the more we’ll want.
Integrity is the only thing we will take out of this world with us. It defines our character as an individual. Integrity is what sets each individual apart from everyone else in the world. It is priceless and eternal. There is no amount of temporary treasure that is worth selling one speck of personal integrity.
All earthly treasure is at best temporary. It may do some good on Earth, alleviate some pains, but even at its best, most useful moment it is temporary. My wife and I just bought our first home. We have poured money, time and energy into remodeling it so that we can enjoy the time we spend in it. Our names are on the deed but it is only a temporary thing. If the house is still standing fifty years from now, someone else’s name will most likely be on the deed. Nothing that belongs to this world is truly ours, we can only use it temporarily. Real treasure is found only in things eternal, spiritual integrity and a personal relationship with God.
Enjoy what God has allowed us to have but hold on loosely. Let God have any treasure back the moment He asks for it. Never allow greed to find its way into life. Place a sign on your soul that says, “NOT FOR SALE AT ANY PRICE!”
PERSONAL PURITY
A BATTLE WITH JEALOUSY
Proverbs 27:4 “Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?”
Cyprian of Carthage, a theologian that lived between 200 – 259 AD said, “Jealousy is the root of all evils, the fountain of disasters, the nursery of crimes, the material of transgressions. From it arises hatred; from it proceeds animosity. Jealousy inflames greed when those who see others wealthier than themselves can’t be content with what they have. Jealousy stirs up ambition when one person sees another more exalted in honors.”
Jealousy was a danger to the soul eighteen hundred years ago and it still is today. To be jealous of someone else’s talents, possessions, relationships, virtue or even their happiness steals the ability to realize our own. When we are jealous of someone’s virtue and talents we come to detest the very gifts God has given. It causes us to turn God’s blessing into our own hurt and His grace into our punishment. We embrace our own tormentor, which invades our thoughts and feelings.
The self-inflicted wounds that come with jealousy are hidden and quiet. They cannot be touched and healed by medicine. They need the cleansing and healing work of the Holy Spirit. The person we are jealous of can escape us but we cannot escape ourselves. You become your own enemy, tortured by your own faltering character.
The good news is that Jesus has a cure. Jesus dealt with this issue when His disciples argued over who was going to be greatest. Jesus told the disciples, “He who is the least among you all – he is the greatest.” He is saying that the cure for jealousy is found in humble servant hood.
This is a call to engage our minds for the purpose of living a Christ-like life. Jealousy is a thief of the best that is in us. It will take the humility of accepting our place in Christ to guard our hearts from this evil. We must find contentment in our own spiritual gifts and talents. We must resist the temptation to look at others and compare ourselves in an unhealthy way. Unhealthy comparisons breed discontent with the gifts God blessed us with. We need to seek for contentment in our own created purpose.
PERSONAL PURITY
A BATTLE WITH LAZINESS
Proverbs 6:6-11 “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food for harvest. How long will you lay there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest- and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.”
It wasn’t that Bobby was a bad guy; on the contrary he was a really nice guy. Bobby couldn’t quite keep his spiritual life together. He would do well for a while and then begin to slowly drift away. It seemed as if he was on some kind of spiritual amusement park ride where you’re up one minute, down the next, moving over to one side and immediately back. You could almost get dizzy watching his spiritual life move all over the place.
Finally tired of the inconsistent ride through the spiritual journey of his life, Bobby was ready to talk. It didn’t take long to figure out the issue, Bobby was spiritually lazy. He would have spurts of energy but nothing consistent. He could read his Bible for a month and leave it alone for months at a time. He would begin a ministry project but never see it to completion.
John Morley said, “No man can climb out beyond the limitations of his own character.” This is true in every area of life. Since church is a volunteer group, only those with the strength of character to develop spiritual disciplines ever make it to maturity. No one forces us to be discipled or trained in spiritual matters. It is a personal choice that comes with a great commitment to becoming a Christ-like believer.
For anyone to be spiritually healthy they must be spiritually fit. As much as we need to exercise to keep our bodies fit, we need spiritual disciplines to keep our souls fit. It has been said, “You can not dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.” Spiritual laziness will always lead to an inconsistent spiritual walk. God has called us to live the higher life of spiritual consistency and power.
There are four disciplines that will guard against spiritual drifting and laziness. The first is reading our Bible. We should read with a desire to learn and grow from the knowledge. The next discipline is prayer. As we learn to talk to God and be sensitive to His voice of guidance and encouragement we will keep a faith with good vitality. The third is ministry. We should take on the image of Christ, which is to give ourselves in ministry. The last discipline is two-fold, Christian fellowship and corporate worship. We need each other for encouragement and strength. Our corporate worship provides a means by which we are both in the presence of God and others with like faith. These four disciplines will keep energy in our spiritual walk. Our souls are too important to give in to the temptation to be lazy.
PERSONAL PURITY
A BATTLE WITH PRIDE
Proverbs 16:18-19 “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.”
John, the apostle, teaches us in I John 2 that three major issues come from the world and not from God. These three are: the cravings of sinful man, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. Pride causes a person to think more highly of themselves that they should. It is seeing self in a better light than others are seen in. It includes such attitudes as believing we deserve more than others because of who we are.
Pride is one of the most destructive of sinful attitudes. It can never relax because there may be someone who shows up that is better looking, faster paced, more intelligent, has more friends and more stuff. Pride has to be ready to take control of every situation so it can come out on top. It is a parasite to a soul, sucking life and happiness away.
C.S. Lewis wrote, “Pride is a spiritual cancer: it eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense.” It pollutes a life to the point that meaning and purpose become lost in a desire for self-gratification. Winning becomes more important than people. The accumulation of temporal stuff takes on greater meaning than the condition of an eternal soul. It hinders God’s blessings from coming as we see in Proverbs 8:13, “To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.”
Prideful people search for security in titles, positions and social standing.
They play the comparison game hoping to see themselves as better than they actually are. Seeing people beneath them brings a sense of accomplishment but is only short-lived. The pride of life has a ferocious appetite.
God encourages us to not think more highly of ourselves than we out. It was God who allowed us to have the gifts and talents we have. It is God’s grace that has guided us into the kingdom; even our capacity for life is a gift. Christians are not better than other people, just better off. Galatians 6:4 says, “We have a right to have confidence in God but not pride.
PERSONAL PURITY
A BATTLE WITH SEXUALITY
I Thessalonians 4:3-7 “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to impure, but to live a holy life.”
We live in a very sensual society. Sex sells everything from razorblades to automobiles. It is used to promote sports teams and consumer products. We are so use to it being part of our society that we laugh at what use to make our parents blush. Our children talk openly about things that just thirty years ago were considered to sacred to be publicized.
God created our sexuality, not to be a dirty thing but a beautiful part of a committed lifetime relationship. It is a very private matter between a married couple. There is great personal self-image and confidence that comes when a couple has a healthy understanding and respect for each other’s sexual pleasure and privacy.
God does not bend His laws to the world’s whims. People will be held accountable for their sexual sins. Let me define a sexual sin. It is that sexual behavior that is outside the boundary of God’s direction and commandments. It other words it is a sin to engage in sexual activity outside the commitment of marriage or in a homosexual relationship. These behaviors will bring God’s judgment and punishment according to Romans chapter one verses eighteen through thirty-two.
We, as Christians, are to be grace givers to those living in sin. This means we are to show them the love of Christ and help them find forgiveness. But remember that part of forgiveness is repentance. The simple definition of repentance is, “to turn away from”. People who are living together need to stop and remain apart until marriage. Homosexual behavior must cease, it is a perversion of God’s created way. Obedience to God’s commands must be how we live. God does not leave any room for debate. Sensual sins seem to carry a real disdain in the mind of God. No one can make wrong behavior right by wishing it so, or claiming it pure. God wrote the rules and made them plain. The only question is whether or not we will bend our lives to God’s law.
FAITH FOR EVERYDAY LIFE
Hebrews 11:1-2 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.”
Ask a group of kindergarten children if they can paint and every single one of them will say yes. Ask a classroom of adults that same question and there may be one who will raise their hand. The adults will tell you they neither have the talent nor skill to paint. Skill and talent are only barriers that people have built for themselves. The underlying question is, “Are we willing to put feet to our desires and learn the skills and ability to paint or whatever?”
It takes a measure of faith to pick that brush up for the first time and place it against an empty white canvas. The fear that inadequacies will be revealed prohibits us from venturing out where faith awaits us with enormous victories. We bring these same fears into our spiritual life, even when we know that God is constantly beside us. We know that we should not doubt for God has never let a single child of His down yet often we struggle with fear and doubt. Fear comes from this world not God’s kingdom. So, the real challenge is: How can we who live in this fleshly body overcome the fear that destroys faith?
There can be many reasons for faith-killing fears. We can fear failure because we suffer from self-image issues. We can fear man’s opinion or reaction to steps of faith. We can fear the loss of worldly security, position or prestige. We can fear that some personal disobedience will be exposed by the enemy of our soul. Fear is the greatest faith-killer to be dealt with in our spiritual journey.
Faith is not speculating that God is able, but believing He is and desires to bless a life of obedience. Faith is not based on possibilities but probabilities. Faith is not double-minded but singular in purpose, mission and passion. Faith challenges doubt with confidence and dependence upon the grace and promises of God.
We must be committed to help our faith grow stronger. To do that we must allow our faith to have challenges. We must obey in spite of our own insecurities and watch God’s hand move on our behalf. Remember faith is based on God’s adequacies not our inadequacies. We should take the King David challenge and “offer no sacrifice to God that cost me nothing.” We must obey when circumstances say it is an impossibility. God is the God of impossibilities and they receive it who will dare to believe it. We should do what we know God wants even when it goes against popular opinion. We must exercise our faith like we do our muscles if we are to be strong. For those who live by faith will experience God’s miracle working power.
FAITH FOR EVERYDAY LIFE
Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
God is too good to be unkind,
He is too wise to be confused.
If I cannot trace His hand,
I can always trust His heart.”
C.H. Spurgeon
Jesus said, “Without me you can do nothing.” That sentence ends in a period, but should end in an exclamation point. This simple sentence is the starting place of real walking around faith. For those of us, (and I am one), who have tried living in my own adequacies, we have learned the hard lesson that it is impossible. You can get by on talent as long as the issue isn’t a real spiritual battle. When the spiritual battle comes, only those filled and led by the Holy Spirit will be left standing. It is not in a person who has not the power of the Holy Spirit to be able to stand against our spiritual enemy. Michael the archangel would not dispute with the devil, he had to lean on the power of God.
Our promise is simple and true, “Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world.” What a faith building promise! The key is the Holy Spirit living and reigning in our lives. Ephesians 3 teaches that God will give us more than we “ask or imagine” with this one qualifying statement, “according to the power that is at work within you.”
I would love to give you the freedom to admit your inadequacies. It is the first step in receiving God’s more than adequate, more than enough spiritual power to live by. It is when we step out in faith that we find Holy Spirit power. It is awaiting every act of faith.
This simple story illustrates it well:
At a Billy Graham crusade, the late Corrie ten Boom told the story of how as a child she went to her father and said: “Papa, I don’t think I have the faith to handle real trouble. I don’t know what I’d do if you should die. I don’t think I have the faith that some people have to face trouble.” Corrie’s father looked at her tenderly and said, “Corrie, dear, when your father says he will send you to the store tomorrow, does he give the money to you today? No, he gives it to you when you are ready to go to the store. And if you are going on a train trip and need money for a ticker, does your father five you the money when you decide you may take the trip? No, he gives it to you when you are at the depot, all ready to buy your ticket. Corrie, God treats us the same way. He doesn’t give you faith until you have a need. When you do, He will certainly give it to you.
Copied
FAITH FOR EVERYDAY LIFE
Hebrews 11:29-34 “By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days. By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.”
Faith believes that God “can” for me! I don’t have trouble believing God closed lions mouths for Daniel, or helped David slay Goliath. I am convinced that Elisha prayed and the widow’s oil multiplied and that the blind received their sight, the lame walked and that Jesus calmed the raging sea. I don’t have trouble believing that God will do anything for others but sometimes I doubt He will do it for me. Why do we seem to be that way?
I am convinced that we feel this way because we live in a world where worthiness is measured by how much money a person has, their lineage, relationships or giftedness. We can see ourselves as unworthy because we are not a part of the “in” crowd. Maybe we haven’t done enough good works for God to notice, so we doubt His willingness to bless. Faith falters every time we put God on the same level of thinking as mankind. If God were like man we should doubt Him but He is God and the call is for mankind to be like Him, never for Him to be like us.
We have to realize that God sees us differently than this world does. He loves us unconditionally which allows Him to bless or judge each individual without prejudice or bias. We can do nothing to earn God’s love nor can we do anything to keep Him from loving us. He loves us absolutely right this minute. No matter how bad or how good you are, He loves you absolutely. God proved His love by sending His Son so that NONE should perish, but ALL come to repentance. This love is for everyone, no one excluded.
This does not mean that we can live contrary to that love and not be judged. God’s perfect justice causes Him to be the Judge of evil when have we rejected His sacrifice of redemption. I am convinced that as we realize how God loves us, our life will change. We will be able to believe that He cares as much for us as He did for Daniel, Elisha, David, the blind man, the woman caught in adultery and those caught in the storm so bad they feared for their lives.
Faith is believing that God “can” for me. What do we need God to do for us? What is it in our lives that overwhelms us? What is it in life that, without God’s help, we will fail miserably at? If we can identify one of these things then we are a candidate for God’s miracle working love. Realize that every individual is the object of God’s affection.
FAITH FOR EVERYDAY LIFE
Matthew 8:23-27 “Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
Have you had everything going great and all of a sudden, in a blink of an eye, life was thrust into chaos? It seemed as if someone turned out all the spiritual light that had shortly before, been burning bright. The questions came flooding into your mind. What happened? Why? How am I going to find my way out of this fog? Who can I turn to who will understand? What will people think?
These questions tempt us toward unbelief. Unbelief keeps us from enjoying all our benefits in Christ. We can be experiencing the great things God has for us and in a moment lose sight of the blessings that brought joy and peace. The challenge for believers is keeping focused when life strikes these confusing blows. How is it possible to stand strong when life is so dark we cannot see our feet much less the ground we stand on?
The secret to standing firm in difficult times is to learn all we can about God when times are easier. Never take the days when “morning by morning new blessings we see” for granted. It is in those days we learn the great promises of scripture. That is the time to be able to rationally see how God worked in people lives past and present. It provides us the opportunity to make a game plan for difficult days. We can make some commitments that transcends the circumstances of life. If we wait until life gets thrust into a storm to learn, grow and commit we may not have the strength to do so. It is what we learn in the blessing days of life that holds us true when life turns the lights out.
We must not neglect the moment we have now. We need the now opportunity to prepare for what the next moment might hold. We are not destined to be drowned in a sea of unbelief. If things are going great, learn and grow all you can. If things are tough, hang on, God has never failed and He does not sleep but sees you at this very instant.
I may never see tomorrow, there is no written guarantee.
And things that happened yesterday belong to history.
I cannot predict the future and I cannot change the past.
I have just the present moment; I must treat it as my last.
I must use this moment wisely for it soon will pass away
and be lost to me forever as a part of yesterday.
I must exercise compassion, help the fallen to their feet,
Be a friend unto the friendless, make an empty life complete.
I must make this moment precious for it will not come again.
And I can never be content with things that might have been.
Kind words I fail to say this day may ever be unsaid,
Be a friend unto the friendless, make an empty life complete.
I may never see tomorrow, but this moment is my own.
It’s mine to use or cast aside; the choice is mine, alone.
I have just this precious moment in the sunlight of today.
Where the dawning of tomorrow meets the dusk of yesterday.
Anonymous
FAITH FOR EVERYDAY LIFE
Matthew 19:26 “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
In, “God has never failed me, but He’s sure scared me to death a few times,” Stan Toler gives steps to faith building. I will attempt to paraphrase these to fit the time we have together. The word faith and believe are used 485 times in scripture. It is obvious that God desires that faith be an imperative lifestyle choice. Yet, it doesn’t come naturally to most people, it has to be established and built.
Step one in faith building is to spend time finding and studying the promises of God. God’s promises do not fail and will give us something to hold on to in the midst of difficult times. It is much like getting lost in a fog when you cannot see ten feet in front of you. You pull out the compass, trusting the instrument and find your way home. God’s promise gives the direction when we cannot see because of the fog of circumstances that may surround us.