Day by Day

[Soldier4Christ]

"Freedom And Forbiddance"

Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment. Ecclesiastes 11:9

A teenager was driving a motorcycle, and he turned down a one-way road. Suddenly, he realized he was driving the wrong way! He thought to himself, no problem. I'll just turn at the next street. So he drove on, but suddenly a policeman appeared in front of him and pulled him over. He tried to persuade the officer that breaking the law wasn't his intention; he just didn't see the one-way sign. True as this may be, the policeman didn't accept his excuse and wrote him a ticket anyway.

People have the freedom to do what they want whether it's right or wrong, but in the end they are still responsible for what they do.

The story of Adam and Eve is a good illustration of this. God put them in the Garden of Eden to tend it and take care it. He gave them the freedom to eat every fruit from any tree in the garden, but they must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. About that tree God said, "for when you eat of it you will surely die" (Genesis 2:17b).

Adam and Eve had the freedom to do what they wanted; they chose to do something they shouldn't. As a result, God banished them from the Garden of Eden. Without the sacrifice of Christ on the cross and His resurrection from the dead, we would suffer permanent expulsion from God. Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift!

[Soldier4Christ]

"Being Put Off"

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 1 John 5:14

Normally, I'm a pretty calm sort of guy. It takes a lot to upset me.

Even so, it does happen. I remember ordering an item from the catalog. The order arrived three weeks late. Three weeks late and even then it was the wrong color and the wrong size.

Deciding not to put up with the combination of a late delivery and wrong shipment, I got on the phone making a complaint. After going round and round with a phone representative and getting no satisfaction, I finally asked to speak to a manager.

I gave up when I heard the salesperson say, over a half-covered phone, "OK, which of you guys wants to play manager today?"

Many of you, like me, don’t like being put off.

If that's so, I would like you to remember we are blessed to have a God Who never puts us off. He's always ready to listen. Amazing! The Lord, who runs the universe, is willing to hear our thoughts, our prayers, our hopes, and our desires. He has committed Himself to caring for and responding to us.

Having received this kind of special attention "from the Top", we, in turn, are able to give consideration to others. Today, when you run into someone who feels ignored, give them some special attention. Do it in the name of the Lord Who has promised, because of His Son, to listen to you.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Debts"

. . . and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Matthew 6:12

Most of us try to be good stewards who faithfully try to pay our debts.

That’s good and right. After all, when we don’t pay our debts, businesses suffer.

Suffering was what was happening to William Webb, a butcher from West Worthing, Canada. Bad debts had crippled his business.

Knowing the end was near, he put a sign in his window that read as follows: 'This business has been compelled to close because of bad debts. A list of the names of the people that owe us and the amounts that they owe will be posted here in a short time."

Do I need to share that money rolled in, and the butcher shop was soon flourishing?

That story started me to wondering…: what if God wasn't so understanding about the things we do wrong? Suppose the Lord decided to place a sign above our heads which listed our evil thoughts and actions? It probably wouldn’t take too long before people started to shape up, would it?

Of course, God doesn’t work that way. He knows our sins, but He doesn’t advertise them to everybody as a way of getting us to shape up. He would prefer His people look at His innocent Son upon the cross and acknowledge Jesus suffered and died to remove their sins.

God works this way because He believes His forgiven people will live differently after they have seen how Jesus has paid all of their bad debts. God does what He does because He knows His redeemed people will be thankful for His great grace.

For a sign which isn’t over our heads, let’s give thanks today. Let’s give thanks and share the Savior Who has forgiven our debts.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Naughty, Not Nice"

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4: 1-3

At the risk of stating the obvious, there are differences between men and women.

I know they aren't equal. For example, my wife, Pamela can spend hours looking through rows of greeting cards. I can't. After months of strenuous training, thirty seconds is my longest attempt.

Men and women are not equal when it comes to greeting cards. This is why, over the years, I have come to the conclusion my wife can find an appropriate card for any occasion-no matter how minor or inconsequential.

In that conclusion, I was wrong. Pamie never found a greeting card for people in prison. That is because, until recently, there were no greeting cards for the one-in-a-hundred Americans who were incarcerated. Thankfully, according to an article carried last week by CNN, Terrye Cheathem, a Los Angeles lawyer, has filled that vacuum.

Some of Terrye's cards are very simple. There is one that reads, "We are all praying for you while you do your time." Others are specifically holiday related: "You had the choice to be 'naughty or nice.' And you chose ... Now you have to do your time. But, Christmas won't be the same without you here."

Creator Terrye said the cards let family members say, "Look, things need to be different when you get out."

The Apostle Paul, himself a prisoner for the Gospel on more than one occasion, would have agreed. The words beginning our devotion today were written by the incarcerated Apostle to Christians who themselves had been imprisoned by sin, Satan, the flesh, and death. In the few sentences quoted, Paul lets these souls who had been freed by the Savior's sacrifice know they should now live differently.

No longer slaves to sin or in bondage to Satan, these Christians should let the world see the transforming power of the Gospel. The apostle was right; we need to be worthy of the calling to which we have been called. In all we do, we need to glorify the Father who sent His Son to set us free.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Not So With You"


When they first came on the market, Pamie didn't want a microwave oven, and I didn't want a cell phone.

We're not sure why we were so reluctant to move forward with technology. Maybe it's our stubborn German streak; maybe it's because we thought, "If our parents didn't need such new-fangled gadgetry, why should we?" Today we're not sure how we got along without either of these technological marvels.

Maybe the people of Cuba feel the same way.

According to a CNN that ran last week, President Raul Castro will soon allow ordinary Cubans to have their very own cell phones. Now, please don't think the general Cuban population will soon look like North Americans who seem to have a cell phone glued to their ears. That's not going to happen, at least not soon. The price to own a cell phone is prohibitive to the average Cuban who earns a salary of twenty dollars a month.

Even so, this is a major step in policy and it wouldn't surprise me if many Cubans were calling Raul Castro their "benefactor." Maybe he will be, I don't know.

I do know that in the person of Jesus Christ, this sinful world has been given a true benefactor. Anyone who has read the Gospels, who understands the sacrifices Jesus made as humankind's suffering Servant, must be moved by His incomparable love.

From His birth in Bethlehem, through His years of ministry, to His suffering and death on the cross and His glorious resurrection victory, Jesus served. He gave His life as the ransom price for our salvation. There is no one like Him, and Jesus remains our benefactor. He is the One who serves and saves.

Now, He asks those who have seen His sacrifice be given a thankful heart so they can serve others. Indeed, today the Holy Spirit may give you such an opportunity. If He does, won't you be the Lord's leader who serves?

[Soldier4Christ]

"What's Fair?"

I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. 2 Corinthians 8:13-14

The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

According to the top executives of the nation's five largest oil companies, that's the way it is.
Appearing before a House Committee, the businessmen tried to explain just why their companies should keep getting billions of dollars in tax breaks even though last year they made a profit of one hundred and twenty-three billion dollars.

J. S. Simon, senior vice-president of Exxon, a company that, last year, made a record forty billion dollars said, "We depend on high earnings during the up cycle to sustain investment over the long term, including the down cycles."

A Democratic Congressman from Missouri spoke for many when he said, "The up cycle has been going on too long . . . Your approval rating is lower than (Congress) ours, and that means you're down low."

Christians, having felt the financial pinch at the oil pumps and the pain of winter heating bills, know believers should have a different outlook when it comes to using the gifts God has entrusted to them.

St. Paul, writing to the Christians at Corinth, said those who are financially blessed should do what they can to help those who are under duress.

After all, that is what Jesus has done for us. The Son of God left heaven's high throne to be born as a human being, to live under the law, to resist Satan's temptations, to die the death we deserved. All this Jesus endured so we might be forgiven of our sins, be safe, and made secure.

St. Paul summed up the Savior's redeeming sacrifice when he wrote, "though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9).

It was the Father's way of making sure that all those who have faith in His Son as their Savior, never have a "down cycle."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Getting Ready"

Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. Matthew 24:42

Before last week's CNN story was carried on the news, I had never heard of the True Russian Orthodox Church.

A small group of thirty-five people, the church made the headlines because they, following the advice of their leader Father Kuznetsov, have been living in a cave. They have been living in a cave since last November.

Their reason for taking up a rocky residence was simple: Father Kuznetsov had told them they had better get prepared because the end of the world is going to come sometime during the month of May. Somehow the members of the church concluded waiting in a cave was more spiritual than getting ready in their homes.

At any rate, the members of the True Russian Orthodox Church did get ready.

They brought enough supplies into their cave to keep them comfortable until the end of May. Anticipating difficulties, they even brought in canisters of gasoline to burn themselves to death if any state officials tried to forcibly remove them from their den of preparation.

Now, after some serious negotiations, accompanied by personal pleas from Father Kuznetsov, it appears their mass suicide might be averted. As of this writing, a total of twenty-one believers have left the cave. It is expected the rest will soon follow.

I hope so.

When Jesus warned His followers to "stay awake" for the unknown hour of His return to this world, He wasn't encouraging believers to cut themselves off from the world and take up residence in a rock.

Jesus wanted those who had seen His suffering and sacrifice and who had been brought to faith in His resurrection victory, to live everyday of their lives as believers. He wants all of us to live as Christians right where we are, doing what we do.

If we believe that, no matter when Jesus returns, He will find His people prepared. He will come upon us as living, loving witnesses who have spent their days pointing others to God's great grace as found in His cross and open tomb.

[Soldier4Christ]

"An Everyday Miracle"

And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food and broke the loaves and He kept giving them to the disciples to set before them, and He divided up the two fish among them all. Mark 6:41

Feeding five thousand people with only five loaves and two fish would definitely go down as one of Jesus' more impressive miracles. He even shows off by having leftovers! I can hardly read this story and not be struck with amazement at the daily provisions God gives us over our lifetimes.

Every time I pray the Lord's Prayer and ask for daily bread, He generously gives me more than I need. That's a characteristic of God: His generosity is overwhelming and never ending. In that one afternoon of blessing, breaking, and dividing food, Jesus gave those famished five thousand enough food so that "they all ate and were satisfied" (Mark 6:42).

Consider for a moment the countless numbers of people God provides for everyday around the world. Safety, freedom, shelter, and full bellies are all wonderful blessings. To avoid complacency, we must remember who provides our daily bread and consider how we might be used-as Christ used His disciples-to provide daily bread to others.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Better Than Deserved"

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1-2

Years ago one of my daughters pulled out one of my old high school yearbooks.

After she had showed it to her brother and sister and they had all stopped laughing at my haircut and the clothes I wore, I looked through that book and did some reminiscing.

One of the most memorable pictures I came across was a teacher who surprised me. I was discouraged about his class and the grade I knew I was earning. To my surprise, the report card showed a grade higher than I knew I deserved. I asked him about his mistake. He said, "For somebody like you, I usually give a better grade than earned. That way, you'll get enthused and work harder to keep that mark next quarter.”

Maybe his teaching style wasn’t entirely fair, but he was right, and it was a gracious act. I did work harder.

That professor reminds me, just a little, of God.

The Lord, because of Jesus, has given me, and all believers a lot better grade than we deserve. We haven’t earned, and we certainly don’t deserve, a pass into heaven. Even so, because of Jesus’ substitution, because of His sacrifice for us, we will get it.

Now, it's my job and yours, to get working. Not for heaven of course, that’s a gift given to us because of Jesus.

We should get working so we can offer our thanks to our Gracious Lord.

Today, tomorrow, next week, you may run into someone who needs a break, who needs to hear a word of encouragement; who's afraid of what's going to happen next. Give them that break. Even if you don't think they deserve it, give them a break.

The grace you reflect from God can make a difference. It isn't fair, but grace works, both for the giver and the receiver.


From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"

[Soldier4Christ]

"Trust in God"


for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7

I recently received a call from a friend in California.

Although not a native of that state, my friend has already experienced a number of earthquakes. She doesn't like them, but she isn't overly concerned when the dishes start to rattle and the pictures hang askew.

Her daughter, on the other hand, has "earthquake jitters." According to my friend, her daughter is afraid to go to sleep, and she wakes up every time the bed moves. That’s when the little girl’s eyes get huge, and her hands start to shake.

I felt sorry for that little girl. The idea of having things unexpectedly happen to you--things over which you've got no control and from which there's no escape--can be pretty frightening.

All of us have, to a larger or lesser degree experienced those times of helplessness. They may come in a crowd or when we’re alone; but they come. No matter how much we are loved by other people, no matter how much they care about us, there are some circumstances which are beyond human help.

Especially when those times come, we need to turn to the Lord. Only He has the strength and love to give us peace in our problems. The knowledge that we are in His hands can help put our fears to rest.

Take some time today to think of those you know who are afraid. Say a prayer for them. Give them some tender, loving care, and above all, place them into the hands of God who can help them.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Doesn't Make Sense"

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Galatians 1:3-5

Ella is safe.

Ella is safe because Amy Rice risked her life to save Ella from the jaws of a Pit Bull who had jumped the fence to get at Ella.

Now, if you're thinking that's an interesting story, you don't know the half of it. You should also know that Ella is a dog-Amy's Labrador Retriever.

According to the Associated Press article, when Amy saw her dog was in danger, she tried to pull the attacking pit bull off. She says, "I was sure my dog was dying in my arms, it was horrible." When she wasn't able to pry the pit bull's jaws open, Amy did what was necessary.

To save her dog, Amy bit the pit bull's nose. She bit hard and drew blood. She admits, "I didn't plan it, that's what happened."

What also happened is this: the pit bull is in quarantine at the Minneapolis Animal Control; Amy is waiting to find out if she's going to need rabies shots, and Ella has a crushed ear canal along with some staples and stitches in her head.

Even though I deeply love most dogs, when I first heard that story I thought why would a human being risk her life to save her canine? And you, having now heard this story, may wonder what does this have to do with Daily Devotions?

Might I suggest it has a great deal to do with Christianity. You see, Jesus Christ is God's only Son. He is perfect; He is eternal; He is all powerful and all knowing. He is as far above us as anyone can be; His value is beyond human comprehension.

Even so, God's Son willingly gave up His life so that we, sinful, ungrateful human beings might be saved. If Amy's risk of her life to save a dog doesn't make sense, what can be said of Jesus' sacrifice of Himself to save sinners?

It's a wonder; it's a miracle; it is grace. That's what St. Paul was trying to convey when he wrote to the church in Galatia. He said we have grace and peace because Jesus Christ gave Himself for our sins, so we might be delivered from this age of evil.

St. Paul also said that because of God's gracious gift, we should be filled with thankful hearts, which continuously give God glory. Giving thanks is what Ella the Labrador will do for Amy; it's what saved sinners should do for their Redeemer.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Nurture and Admonition"

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4

Children don't come with an instruction manual.

Every parent wishes they did, but the truth is plain: children don't come with instructions. As a result, we parents make mistakes in raising our children; we all do things we wish we could do over.

Parents learning to be parents were not the kind of things being talked about in last week's report issued by Atlanta's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC was addressing the problem of parents who failed to meet an infant child's basic needs in regard to housing, clothing, feeding, and medical care.

In the one-year study, the government experts were shocked to find thirty thousand newborns had been abused before they were one week old and ninety-one thousand infants had been ill treated before they celebrated their first birthday.

Relying on verified reports submitted by medical professionals (sixty-five percent), law enforcement officials, relatives, friends, neighbors, and protective services, the study spoke of problems that should never have occurred.

We encourage the readers of our Daily Devotions to pray for the safety of those children as well as for their parents. Ask God that the mothers and fathers of these little ones be brought from hurting their children to helping and loving them.

Although the study was thorough, you should know the database of abuse cases did not, in fact, could not, report on spiritual mistreatment directed toward children.

Even so, my personal observation says the percentage of children spiritually abused and neglected is very high. Too often I have seen believing and unbelieving parents who regularly feed their baby's body but decline to do the same in regard to his or her soul. I cannot count the number of Christian parents who forgot the promises they made to the Lord when their child was baptized.

Although spiritual abuse is never reported on the evening news, its occurrence can have eternal consequences. This is why I invite you to pray for parents everywhere. May the Spirit move them so they see the importance of bringing their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Pray they understand the value of helping their little ones trust the Savior who gave His life so they might have eternal life.

By God's grace may we be able to say about everyone: "from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:15).

[Soldier4Christ]

"Confess Me"

So everyone who acknowledges Me before men, I also will acknowledge before My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 10:32

There are times when I just don't understand.

Last week a federal appeals court ruled a New Jersey school board had the right to tell their football coach he cannot kneel or bow his head when members of his team have a student-led, pre-game prayer.

One judge said, "Since the coach used to lead prayers, people would think he was endorsing praying." A second judge said it didn't make any difference if the coach once lead prayers or not; his kneeling and bowing would show approval of religion.

Understand, the coach wasn't advocating any special religion. He wasn't asking to lead the prayers himself. As far as I know, he wasn't assigning students to lead those prayers. He just wanted to bow his head and kneel with his team. According to the court, he can't do that anymore.

What he can do is turn around, or look straight ahead, or not be present, or pretend nothing is happening, or keep on talking, or do anything he wants to do other than bow his head and kneel down.

Please understand, I'm not endorsing mandatory prayer in public school classrooms or in any endorsed state school sports program.

I am saying that many, if not all, of the options seemingly available to the coach may look as if he's against religion. If that is so, the pendulum, rather than stopping at a neutral spot, may actually have swung to the anti-religion side.

The coach is caught between a rock and a hard place. The court says, "Don't do anything religious." Jesus says, "Acknowledge Me before men."

What will the coach do? Whom will he follow? As Christians, the answer is easy: we must obey God rather than men. The choice may get cloudy if you have a family to support. It's the same cloudiness confronting students when they realize their grades may depend on them giving an un-Christian answer on a test or final; it is the same cloudiness many businessmen face when they know promotions don't always go to honest men and women.

Since there are so many who are being forced to take a hard stand, I would invite you to join me in prayer. Let us ask the Lord to give these people direction and strength to witness to the Savior who gave His life so they might be forgiven and saved.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Unharmed"

Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king's counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. Dan. 3: 26-27

Three men in a fiery furnace. How old were you when you first heard that story of God's power?

Whatever your age, it was pretty impressive to know your Lord had the ability to keep His people safe from fire and flame.

It is a good story to remember in the light of the announcement made two weeks ago by the city of New York.

Authorities said the remains of four more victims of the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center have been identified. One man's DNA was found beneath a service road used to transport rubble from the site of the destruction; another man's remains were found in the Liberty Street area.

The long wait of these people's family and friends is at an end. They know their loved ones did not escape from the destruction alive.

This may lead you to ask, "If these men died, why is the story of the three men in the fiery furnace so important? After all, God didn't save those people."

In answer I can only say, "That's right, God didn't save those people on September 11. And He didn't let Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego live forever either. They eventually died, as did resurrected Lazarus, as did the disciples, as did history's heroes of faith. As will you and I."

The story of the three men is important because it shows we have a God whose strength doesn't suffer in a fiery furnace or in a graveyard. He, who can walk with men in a fiery furnace, can also defeat eternal death. So sins would be forgiven and death defeated is why Jesus was born. It is why He did everything He did. It is why He willingly died on the cross, and it is why He rose on the third day.

The world may not have known where these four people have been since the attack of September 11th, but God did.

God knew, and if they had faith in His Son as their Savior, He has kept them safe until the day of resurrection victory. On that day they, with all who believe, will be restored better than they had ever been before.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Christ, My Companion"

Yet I am not alone, for My Father is with Me. John 16:32c

People in general do not like being alone. While there are individuals who prefer to maintain a safe distance from others, most people like to socialize and identify themselves with other people or social groups, at least to some extent.

Preferring to be alone and being lonely, however, are two different things. The former is often a personal decision; the latter may occur beyond someone's control. Still, even though loneliness can be difficult to endure, it can bring a sense calm and contentment if a person views it in the proper perspective.

Our Lord Jesus Christ often took time to be by Himself in silence and aloneness. According to John 7:53 and 8:1, when everyone had left to go home, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. There, He took time to be with God-one on one.

In the beginning when God created man and woman, He determined it was not good for man to be alone. God has also provided for our aloneness today. Our heavenly Father gave His son Jesus Christ to be our companion. He did not leave us to bear our sins alone, but took them all upon Himself. Another name for the Son of God is Immanuel or "God with us" (Matthew 1:23). Through His life in this world, Christ "became flesh and dwelt among us . . . full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).

And this companionship with our Savior is not temporary. Our Lord says, "I am with you till the close of this age" (Matthew 28:20). Since Christ is with us, how can we say we are alone? It is He only who can dispel our loneliness and, as our faithful companion, meet our every need.