Category Archives: Devotional

On Him They Laid The Cross

18 Monday Sep 2017

Posted by in Devotional, GENERAL, Luke, New Testament, THE WORD

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“Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus.” (Luke 23:26 NKJV)

Can we choose our own martyrdom?

I remember that question being posed to me as a young believer, and it has been rolling around in my heart and mind ever since. Do we have the freedom to choose where we die to ourselves as Christians? Do we have the freedom to choose how we serve? How we lay our lives down for Christ? What does the answer mean for my life? My future? The way I make decisions?

The simple answer is no, we do not have the freedom to choose our martyrdom. Maybe a radical jihadi feels the freedom to give his life for a cause in the way he or she chooses, but in God’s kingdom that is not the case. Believers are called to share the truth of the gospel in love, and trust God when obedience to that call leads them to diverse circumstances, no matter what result of the obedience means for that said believer.

The answer touches on the Lordship of Jesus Christ in the life of a believer. The word Lord is probably understood best in the sense of a 5 star general, but it involves even more that. When a general commands a lesser ranking soldier to do something, there is no debate or discussion. There is obedience or consequences. What makes Jesus different from a general is the motivation He gives to submit to that Lordship. People join the military for a variety of reasons and then are forced to submit. I handed my life to Jesus because he loved me and gave His life for me first. He never forced me, He just showed me the way of life.

We do not like to think along those lines as Christians. Obey or consequences? We deeply value our freedom in Christ, and we should. The price was very great, and we are now free from sin and death.  We just often misunderstand Christian freedom in today’s Christianity. True freedom in Christ is expressed in our newfound ability to no longer live a life of sin, and freely follow Jesus and His commands. Jesus said, “if you love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15). Our freedom allows us to obey Him, to love Him, and to love others in the way love was meant to be expressed.

Getting back to Simon. It says he was a Cyrenian, which means he came from Africa, and being in Jerusalem he was surely a Jew. 3 times a year Jewish people were required to come to the temple in Jerusalem: For the Passover, Feast of Weeks, and Feast of Tabernacles. Many Jews did not have the resource to obey this command, especially those who lived as far as Africa. Cyrene is modern-day Libya on the north coast of Africa, and Simon had made a long journey to come to the feast of the passover in Jerusalem. Maybe this was the first time he had ever been to Jerusalem. Either way, he had made a long journey for a very distinct purpose: celebrate the Passover in the Holy City. It is also safe to say that carrying the cross of a man named Jesus was not in the plans.

This is where the application for the believer is found. How often we say; God I want to worship you, I want to live for you. I want to serve you… but, not like this or like that. We have misconstrued freedom to justify disobedience to the Lord Jesus Christ, as well as show our lack of faith in the sovereignty of almighty God, and the spheres of sacrifice and service He desires to place us in.

With that, here is the question: Have you allowed Jesus to lay His cross upon your life? The cross means sacrifice, and the loss of life so that you might find it. Have you allowed Jesus to be the Lord of your life and surrendered fully to Him? Or have you complained and kicked against the situations He has placed you in? Have you decided that you will only serve Jesus as it fits into your convenience, your comfort zone, your pre-determined notions for what is acceptable and what is just too much?

A true disciple lays their life down and picks up their cross freely. Their surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ has allowed them the freedom to follow and serve Him. There is no thought of where I want to serve, or how I want to serve. I am a slave to Jesus Christ, and I trust that as I follow and serve Him I will find the best life this side of heaven.

Meditate and Apply:

  1. Who is the Lord of my life?
  2. What areas of my life have I not surrendered to Jesus?
  3. Have I been unwilling to serve unless on my terms?
  4. Have I been comparing myself to others? Is that what God wants from my life?
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The Work of the Holy Spirit

11 Monday Apr 2016

Posted by in Devotional, GENERAL, John, THE WORD

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A question about the work of the Holy Spirit

Spurgeon and the Holy Spirit

How can we know something is of the Holy Spirit, or if something is just an emotional high that makes us feel good?

I ask this question because the emotional high is often so attractive, especially to the young Christian, but is not always the work of the Holy Spirit at all. The Holy Spirit is the 3rd person of the trinity, and He has a very distinct job description. If we look to John 14-16 we are told much about the PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Jesus says, He will be sent to us as someone who will guide us into truth, bring the words of Jesus into remembrance, convict the world of sin and righteousness, and most importantly TESTIFY OR POINT TO JESUS AND GLORIFY HIM. If you read John 14 this is all said in connection with true love being measured by our obedience to the words of Christ. The Work of the Holy Spirit is to show us what the truth is, convict us of sin, and bring us to Jesus. That is the work of the Holy Spirit.


Nothing is said of tears, weeping, music, healing or anything else. Those things may accompany the move of the Spirit, but they are not the point nor the proof. The entire work of the Holy Spirit is to convict of sin and point to Jesus. That is worshipping in spirit and truth.


So, if anything is happening in a church, regardless of how emotional or unemotional it is, we can only know a true move of the Spirit by the amount that thing is convicting of sin and pointing to Jesus. Jesus says the Holy Spirit will only speak what He has received from the Father… that means anything outside of God’s revealed Word is not the truth, and therefore not a move of the Holy Spirit. What is the sum of God’s word? Repent and come to the Savior. The Holy Spirit is working as One with the Father and Son to bring as many to Him as possible, and then make them real disciples, or like Christ.


Therefore, let us not measure the presence of the Holy Spirit by how emotionally charged something is, but by how much conviction of sin is happening, and how many people are truly coming to know Jesus Christ. If man, experience, emotion, healing, prosperity, the good life, or anything other thing besides Jesus is being focused on, than the Holy Spirit is not behind it… no matter how good it feels or emotional people get.


I am reminded of the stories of John Edwards during the age of revival. He would plainly read a sermon like “sinners in the hands of an angry God” and people would come begging God to forgive their sins and restore them in Christ. That is the Holy Spirit at work. I am also reminded of my friend, Terry Clark, a long time worship leader, exhorting people in a worship conference to know that the Holy Spirit will always testify of Christ, not man, and that is how we know a work of the Holy Spirit.

Let us not be deceived, let us be filled with the Spirit, and let us follow hard after Christ and His word, trusting the Spirit to help us be more like Him everyday. AMEN!

As a pastor and director of a Bible College I have a huge heart to see the next generation guided into all truth. My hope is that this article will help people not go down a path that leads them away from God’s truth in the name of emotionalism, but towards Christ in the name of true worship. To God be the Glory!

In the World, Not of It – Learning to Live in the Light

10 Wednesday Sep 2014

Posted by in Devotional, GENERAL, Personal Experience

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In the World, Not of It

Learning to Live in the Light

Sunshine meadow

In the World, Not of It

Learning to Live in the Light

There is a scene in the movie The Matrix when the character Morphius asks Neo a question, red pill or blue pill?  Neo chooses to experience reality, and he reaches for the red pill. The next thing Neo knows his life is turned up down, and he wakes up on an operating table. As he opens his eyes Neo asks, why do my eyes hurt? Morphius replies, because you have never used them before. This scene helps illustrate what coming to Christ felt like for me. The Bible says in Ephesians chapter 2 says, “you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” I was dead, and then suddenly I was alive. It was radical, and even somewhat violent in it’s suddenness. 

Yet, my coming alive was far more pleasant than Neo’s. I didn’t find a giant plug in the back of my neck and I wasn’t forced to eat slimy oatmeal everyday. No, my experience was more like I was living in a dark prison cell and I didn’t even realize it. Then one day someone opened the door and I was let out into sunshiny meadow. I don’t know about everyone else, but I love the sunshine. Dark places depress me. In fact, my wife says I am like a cat because I’ll find the sunniest place in the house and hang out right there. So, when I ran out into the meadow I never wanted to go back to that dark, drab cell. I was free. I ran from anything and everything that represented the darkness, anything that reminded me of the darkness, anything that had a connection to the darkness. I had found the light, and I wanted as much as possible. I still do.

Today, I am still walking in that light, and lately I have been listening to Dominic Balli. Dominic Balli is a Christian Reggae Artist. Why do I bring this up? When I lived in the prison cell I listened to reggae music often, so when I came into the light reggae music was left behind in the cell. I associated reggae music with the darkness. I had practiced many things I am now ashamed while listening to reggae music. Yet, Dominic Balli has been a revelation for me. Reggae music was not the problem, my sin was the problem. All reggae music did not have to go, just the music that promotes darkness and the activities that accompanied my reggae music. Today, Jesus has redeemed reggae music in my life, and I am experiencing more of the glorious freedom found in life in the light.

Once I heard a pastor say that some people get so radically saved that they forget how to relate and communicate to the world. In many ways that was me. I was so radically changed and so loved the life of the light, that I completely dropped everything that had anything to do with the darkness. The vast majority was exactly the correct choice, but I forgot one thing. There are people I love back in those cells. I have friends and family that live in the darkness, and they need the cell door opened as much as I did. And, whether they ever decide to step out of the cell, open their eyes for the first time, and experience the light; I still love them. They are still my friends and family, and while I will never walk in the dark again, I also do not want to cut the cord of our friendship and love. This is what I am learning at this point of my walk with Christ in the light.

I am reminded how Jesus astonished his followers when they saw sitting by a well in enemy territory, Samaria. Normally, Jews would make a 1-day journey into 3 just to avoid setting foot in Samaria, but Jesus told his close-minded disciples, I need to go through Samaria. When he did, he found the village floozy drawing water from the village well. Jews, and especially teachers as Jesus was considered, never spoke with women in public. Jesus asked this Samaritan women for a drink, and threw a bridge over what had previously been an uncrossable chasm. He begged from her, and put Himself below her. When his disciples saw him doing this, they were speechless. Yet, while Jesus is the light of the world, he had no problem befriending and relating to even the most colorful people. He demonstrated this again when he called Matthew, the cheating tax-collector; and when he set free the women caught in adultery. Now, I am not saying my friends family are the lowest class of society, in fact they are regular (mostly) people. The point is Jesus had the perfect balance in his life: Living completely in the life while reaching into the darkness; He was in the world, but not of it.

So, I have been exploring this beautiful, sunshiny meadow for over 5 years now, and I have no desire to go back to the old prison cell. But, I also am learning what is truly darkness, and what can be redeemed. Today, I love my old friends and family and am hopeful that I can be a better friend in the future, a friend like Jesus. I am also enjoying my reggae music as I stroll through this sunshiny meadow, and I think that is how God intended it to be.

His Salvation

17 Friday Jan 2014

Posted by in Devotional, New Testament, Romans, THE WORD

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“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
And whose sins are covered;
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”
-Romans 4:7-8

This is the center of Christianity. Not that I am good or moral, but that I am forgiven and righteous because of what Jesus did at the cross. I love God’s salvation, and I am so thankful for it. It’s perfect.

My relationship with God is based on love. His love. He loved me so much He came and did what I could never do: pay the price for my sins and make me righteous before God. I know people don’t like the word sin, but it simply means to miss God’s standard. The standard our conscious speaks of when we lie, or do something we inherently know to be wrong. We have all sinned and fall short of the standard of God, and King David knew that no man could be blessed by his own efforts. Those efforts are always stained by gross sin. No, David knew the only way to blessing was receiving God’s mercy and grace, which God is so ready and willing to give to any who come to Him in humility and faith. We are to humble ourselves before God, admit the obvious, and receive His grace, kindness, mercy, and love. God wants to give, but we accept reality, and trust in God.

I also love God’s salvation because it is sure and secure. Because my relationship with God is not based on my works, but on God’s love and work. My salvation never moves. I don’t have to wonder day-by-day if I have done enough, or if I am good enough. I just accept that I have sinned, and receive God’s gift of forgiveness and life through faith. I can trust His salvation, lean my entire self on it, and build my entire life on it. There is nothing else like it in this crazy, ever-changing world we live in. I can know the truly safe place to invest my entire being, and not have to worry what will come of me. That is peace and joy. I used to look around this world and think what option will work out for me best? What is the meaning of life? I don’t have to worry about that anymore because I have found the meaning of life, the only truth, and I can trust in it.

Christianity is also so different than other religions in that respect. Whether it be Islam, Jehovah’s Witness, Mormon, Buddhism, Hinduism etc. all of those religions are based on what man can do, how good can he be. Then after life is over, people are left wondering if they have done enough. The confidence of these religions is then subject to change day-by-day. One day you were relatively moral and kind, and feel confident that you will make it to heaven, or whatever goal that has been set in that religion. Then next day you yell at you wife, tear down a friend, get road rage, or simply get depressed because of your inadequacies and are now sure you won’t make it. There is no peace there.

That is where Christianity is different. God says, I know who you are, and I now you can’t attain to a truly “good” standing, but I love you and I have come to redeem you. God says I will do the work you cannot, and if you will only accept me and trust my salvation, then I will forgive you and you will become my son or daughter.

There is nothing better than the Father/Child love relationship with God through Jesus. There is nothing this world can offer that even compares to Jesus Christ, and His salvation. For that, I am truly thankful.

Giving It All

31 Tuesday Dec 2013

Posted by in Acts, Devotional, GENERAL, New Testament, THE WORD

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“Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.” -Acts 14:19-20
I read Acts 14 this morning, and I am just amazed by Paul’s actions here. He was drug out of Lystra, and had rocks thrown at him until he was presumed dead. We’re talking about his body being battered and broken until he was a bloody heap. So what did Paul do when he supernaturally rose up after the disciples came? He marched right back into the city where the people had just stoned him were at, and spent the night before continuing on about His Father’s business. He was undeterred.
Can you imagine looking into Paul’s eyes when he later exhorted the Ephesian elders and said, “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” (Acts 20:24) His actions proved these words so true, and made them so impactful. He was on his way to Jerusalem where he knew certain persecution was waiting, but He was going to finish His work, and do it with joy.
That is what being a Christian is all about, and with the new year approaching I want my life to be a little more like Paul’s. All about Jesus regardless of the hardships this world throws at me.

What Do We Seek After?

25 Monday Nov 2013

Posted by in Devotional, Luke

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“And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” -Luke 16:15

Even for the Christian, the pull to go after wealth and the things that our world and culture count as important is very strong. I can find myself looking around at the world, and wanting the successful American life that so many I know are enjoying. But, what God says here is a very strong statement: What men consider the best, God considers the worst.

I think it is interesting that later in this chapter two men are shown (the rich man and Lazarus) from a temporal and then an eternal standpoint. Lazarus was a disease-riddled beggar for his time on earth, while the rich man enjoyed wealth and the best things this world had to offer. Yet, after they both died (as everyone does) Lazarus was in Abraham’s bosom preparing for heaven for all eternity, while the rich man was to be tormented in flames for all-time.

The physical eye-test of these two men while they were on earth would tell us we would much rather be the rich man and enjoy the ease and comfort of wealth, but without a doubt the truly blessed man was the one who will spend eternity with God in heaven.

Don’t let the pull of our culture, our greed, and our eyes cause us to strive to be the rich man, but let us seek after Jesus and enjoy best life on this earth (one of peace, joy, and true fulfillment) and the best life to come.

“whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” -James 4:14

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” -Matthew 6:19-21

Getting Honest

12 Saturday Oct 2013

Posted by in 1 Kings, Devotional, Old Testament

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“And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places.” -1 Chronicles 3:3

Thought: I have often read through the records of the kings and thought, “what’s a matter with these guys?”

But, today I had a different thought. I recognized myself when I read, He loved the Lord, but burned incense at the high places. I have a deep love for the Lord, but I find myself worshipping entertainment and pleasure far too often, and that was the sin of Solomon and many others like him.

Instead of thinking I’m better than Solomon, I realized I am a Solomon. I want to get honest in my self-assessment, confess my failures, and allow the Lord to do a work in my heart; and help me put away all the high places that I have hidden there, and know Him more intimately than ever.

Morning Communion

10 Thursday Oct 2013

Posted by in Devotional, Mark, New Testament, THE WORD

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“Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.” -Mark 1:35

Thought: Something said at the CC workers conference I went to recently was, our fellowship with God will determine the quality of our life/work. There are a lot of things I want to do for God… I want to spread the Gospel in South America, I want to reach the world for Christ, and I want to obey the command of Jesus when He said, “Go”.

 

Yet, I am finding what I really need to do is know God better. We get to know Him the same way we get to know anyone else: Spending time with Him, and investing in our relationship with God. Even Jesus, (God in the form of a man) with the most important work in the history of the world, spent His mornings quietly communing with the Father.  He would get alone and pray, and receive direction for the day ahead before the busyness of that day started.

 

This is the Christian life: a living, breathing, day-to-day relationship with God that allows us to be transformed into His image, and allows His life to be manifested in us. I want to be less self-willed and self-directed, and more in tune and in touch with my Lord Jesus. That starts with investing in my relationship with the Him each morning, and continuing that communication and communion throughout each day.

The Cure For Bitterness

09 Wednesday Oct 2013

Posted by in Devotional, Ephesians, New Testament, THE WORD

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“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” -Ephesians 4:32

 
Thought: Have you ever struggled with anger, bitterness, or a critical spirit? Maybe I’m being too open, but those are things I must guard against, and things I struggle with in my Christian walk. Today, the Lord used a KP Yohannon Bible study to shine a light on a root of bitterness growing in my heart. As I realized the reality and the seriousness of the problem, I was desperate for a solution, a cure to the disease.

The answer: forgive… everyone and everything. Forgiveness is freeing, and allows us to be at peace with those around us, and become more like God who has forgiven us so much. With forgiveness comes grace, love, and joy… the abundant life in Christ. It frees us from the self-imposed prison of bitterness and unforgiveness. I’m so glad the Holy Spirit is alive and working in the hearts of His people, and that God is so patient and gracious in His teaching us to walk. PRAISE THE LORD.

Be A Man

08 Tuesday Oct 2013

Posted by in 1 Kings, Devotional, Old Testament

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(King David to his son, Solomon, when he was anointed king) “I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the Lord you God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn; that the Lord  may fulfill His Word which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your son takes heed to their way, to walk before me in truth, with all their heart and with all their soul,’ He said, ‘you shall not lack a man on the throne of Isreal.'” (1 Kings 2:2-4)

Thought: David charged Solomon to be strong and prove He was a man. How would he prove it? By walking with God according to God’s Word with a pure heart. That’s the best way to prove I am a man because it is the best thing I can do for myself, my wife, my family, and everyone around me. If I make this choice to take God at His word, and walk with Him faithfully, sincerely, and will all that I have; God will keep HIs promises to me regarding the type of fruit my life will produce.