Day by Day

[Soldier4Christ]

"Among Ugliness"

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

It was a number of years ago that one of my friends moved into a new home.

Since the house had not been lived in for some time, the garden was filled with waist-high weeds. One day, my friend, looking from an upstairs window, saw a red rose blooming in the garden. When he went downstairs to pick the blossom it took him a while to locate it, as the unwanted weeds hid it.

My friend said he had never seen another rose look so pretty. "Perhaps," he mused, "it was because that flower was encircled by so much ugliness."

It's impossible to watch the news and not believe that the world like that garden is filled with ugliness. Prejudice, pain, and hurt are all around. In contrast to the ugliness of the world, we have the beautiful love of the Savior who gave His life so we might have life eternal.

Transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, we who were once wicked weeds are remade into a garden of great beauty. At least that's the way it's supposed to work. Looking down from heaven upon His people who are living a life of thanksgiving, the Lord ought to comment, "I don't think I've ever seen anything prettier than those Christians. In a weedy world they just stand out."

God grant that He says that about all of us today.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Avoiding The Unclean"

But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:11-12

High on the list of my simple, non-sinful pleasures of life has to be peanut butter on a piece of rye bread toast.

Unfortunately, some children will never know that joy-at least not in this world.

That is because many children have a deadly allergy to peanuts.

This is why I was saddened last week to hear how a student in Kentucky has been charged with a felony for having endangered the life of a classmate by putting peanut butter cookie crumbs into his lunch box.

It was an action that could have been fatal.

Now authorities are trying to sort things out and decide whether this was an ignorant prank motivated by a desire to see what would happen, or if it was a vicious act of dietary sabotage. They need to know if there was some dark desire to commit murder in the heart of the prankster.

Either way, it's bad.

Some children need to stay far away from peanuts. Far away.

When St. Paul wrote to Timothy, and to us, he said that God's people should deal with sin as if they had a severe food-allergy to all wrongdoing. "As for you, O man of God," St. Paul said, "flee these things."

St. Paul knew God's people would do well to stay away from Satan's snacks no matter how good or tasty they might look to their eyes.

Instead, the Lord's apostle suggested, we should stick with the staples of our faith. That is why he encouraged those who had been redeemed by the Savior, to "pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness" (I Timothy 6:11b).

It's not only the right thing to do, it was also the spiritually healthy thing for God's adopted children to do.

[Soldier4Christ]

"No Foot Striking"

Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place-the Most High, who is my refuge- no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. Psalm 91:9-12

Years ago, I knew a mother who liked to read her son stories from a Bible-story book. One night, after she was done, her boy turned to her and said, "Mommy, I like God. You just never know what He's going to do next."

If you have ever doubted the rightness of the boy's remark, let me tell you about a story carried last week by the Associated Press.

Lisa Harrell is a postal worker for the government. She was delivering mail to a home when she noticed a baby playing near the window directly above the family's front door.

According to Lisa, the next thing she knew, she was holding the one-year-old infant in her hands.

The mother said she had placed her daughter on a bed, and the bed that was up against a window. When her back was turned, the baby had crawled out the open window and fell into Lisa's open arms.

Paramedics checked the baby and found the child absolutely healthy.

You just never know what God is going to do next.

As for me, this story adds a new dimension to the words of the Psalmist: "He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone."

Now, I'm not going to tempt God, nor should you, but the fact is this: you never know what God is going to do next. His gracious actions are almost always surprising.

The Father surprised us by sending His Son to save a sinful world that didn't want Him. In fact, it rejected Him and nailed Him to a cross. Our just Judge surprised us by accepting Jesus' life and death as payment for our sins and then He surprised us by calling us to faith in His risen Son who calls people to repentance, forgiveness, salvation, and faith.

You just never know what God is going to do next. But I do know, no matter what our gracious God does, we should be most thankful.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Soul Pirates"

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10

What are you going to be when you grow up?

That's a question adults frequently ask children. We smile as they innocently reply, "I'm going to be a policeman, a fireman, a cowboy, a doctor, a nurse, a pastor, a pirate."

A pirate? Yes, a pirate.

And, in case you're wondering if any children ever really become pirates when they grow up, the answer is, yes! I know some children eventually become pirates because this year the world's incidence of reported piracy is twenty percent higher when compared to the same time last year.

I know some children must have become pirates because last month Somali pirates managed to capture a French luxury liner and held its crew captive for a week. I know there are pirates out there because two weeks ago pirates shot at a Japanese tanker floating off Cape Horn in South Africa.

Understand, we're not talking about peg-legged, parrot-toting, "shiver-me-timbers" pirates here. Today's pirates are thieves who use global-positioning systems, night-vision goggles, machine guns, and rocket launchers.

And why would a child grow up to become a pirate? That's easy: most of the world's commerce is conducted on the sea and is easy to steal. Why become a pirate? That's simple: as a pirate you can make a lot of money, and when you're a pirate you can usually get away cleanly. No matter what their parents might want, some children grow up to be pirates.

It's sort of like the devil, isn't it? When Satan was created, God made him good. Even so, Satan became a pirate. He revolted against his Creator and then he set sail for earth. After the devil made port, he hijacked the planet and stole the souls of humankind.

Thankfully, the devil's piracy has been thwarted. God sent His Son into this world to pay our ransom price. So that we might be redeemed, Jesus spent His entire life seeking the lost and searching for those souls who once were bound by sin and shackled by Satan.

By His life, death, and resurrection, the Christ has rescued us from the pirates, brought us home and restored us to the heavenly Father's forgiven family of faith.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Tempted Beyond"

But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. James 1:14-15

Chocolate is good for you.

I remember the overwhelmingly positive reaction of many when that bit of information made the evening news a few months ago.

Now British researchers are calling for volunteers who are willing to eat a bar of chocolate, every day, for an entire year. Best of all, the volunteers can forget any guilt, because the chocolate will be consumed for the good of humanity and in the name of science.

Now, I should tell you, the test, which begins in June, is trying to see if it can reduce the risk of heart disease for menopausal women with Type 2 diabetes. So, if you don't fit the criteria, and you don't live in England, don't bother to apply.

Disappointed? Many people might be. Chocolate is a weakness for a lot of folks. Indeed, volunteers in this study might find themselves hard pressed to confine their chocolate intake to a bar a day. After all, the thinking might go, if one chocolate bar is good for you, why not a dozen?

Now, before I go any further in this devotion, I want to say that, as far as I know, eating chocolate in moderation is not a sin. Having said that, I'd also like to add this: the devil likes to use things that interest us to woo us away from the Lord.

When Eve looked at the forbidden fruit, she noticed it was good for food and pleasing to the eye. Hers was the first in a long line of sins finding its root in personal preferences.

James says it better than I ever could: "Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death" (James 1:14-15).

James wants God's saved people to realize what tempts one person will leave another person cold. Even so, each of us has an Achilles' heel and Satan works tirelessly to find it.

When he does, he tempts us to sin and that sin will bring forth our death. The deplorable condition of the world shows how successful the father of lies has been. There is, Scripture tells us, not a just man on the earth that does good and doesn't sin.

This is why we need a Savior. The Father in heaven, who is the giver of every good and perfect gift, has also graciously given us His Son to save us from our sinful desires and actions. Jesus' life was dedicated to the single purpose of redeeming us from, how do pastors say it, "our sinful desires." In short, Jesus saves us from ourselves.

[Soldier4Christ]

 "In His Arms"

Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

A man had gone to the market with his young daughter. They had several bags of groceries to carry home, and the little girl asked her father to let her carry one. He found the lightest one and said, "Are you sure you want to do this? We have quite a ways to go yet."

"Yes, Daddy," she replied, "I'm very strong!" He nestled the bag in her arms and on they went.

It wasn't long before she began to slow down. Looking up at her father she said, "Daddy, would you carry me? I'm getting tired."

He scooped up the little girl, still holding the bag, and continued on home. When they arrived, he set her on the ground and opened the door. She turned to him with a large smile and proudly stated, "I told you I could carry the bag all the way home!"

When we make it through a hard time, we often smile and think, "I made it!" Our loving, caring, heavenly Father also smiles, knowing who actually gave us the strength and power.

Carrying our daily burdens can be a very heavy task. Our strength seems to disappear, and we often ask for the Father's arms. Because of Christ, who carried all our sins and pains and ills to the cross, God always hears our cry and holds us in His arms.

[Soldier4Christ]

 "God's Hand"

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

Many years ago, when my oldest daughter was about two years old, she was afraid of the dark.

It was our custom, after she had been in bed for a while, to check and see if she was asleep. Often when I peeked in, I heard her little voice say, "Daddy, it's dark! It's dark! Take my hand."

It only took a minute or two of hand holding before her face relaxed, and she quickly and quietly went to sleep. Watching her rest peacefully remains a very precious memory.

Over the years, there have been times when I, like my daughter, have been afraid. Unlike hers, my fears were of the adult variety. That doesn't mean my fears were bigger; they were just different.

At any rate, when those fears are robbing me of peace, I think back on my little girl. I find myself echoing her words and saying to God in heaven, "Father, it is dark! Take my hand."

Can I share with you the confidence I have that God is listening to my prayers and is by my side has always brought me almost immediate peace? It's quite possible you have a fear or two of your own. If you do, won't you remember the prayer of my little girl? With faith, say those words, "Father, it is dark; please take my hand." And give thanks that because of His Son's sacrifice and forgiveness, He will.

[Soldier4Christ]

 "Listening"

And this is the confidence that we have toward Him [God], that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. 1 John 5:14

My wife has pointed out that I'm not always a good listener.

She's right. Sometimes, quite unintentionally, I ignore her requests and thoughts.

I take comfort in the fact I'm not as bad as the dispatcher from a local transport company who routed a fleet of trucks filled with building materials to the wrong state. The dispatcher heard the boss say they were to go to the "city of Portland," but he quit listening before the boss said, "Portland, Maine."

Because of this failure to listen, eight trucks loaded with building supplies ended up in Portland, Oregon, three thousand miles away from their intended destination. It was a one hundred thousand dollar mistake.

Not having the courtesy to listen to others is an often-disregarded bit of rudeness. The fact is nobody likes to be ignored.

It's fortunate we have a Lord who is willing to listen to our prayers. Because of the intercession of His Son, our Father never puts our words on the back burner. He never listens halfway. Instead, He gives us His undivided attention. Now, if God does that for us, shouldn't we show the same courtesy to others?

I know I'm going to try. Why don't you join me today? Let's listen to others with the same consideration God listens to us.

[Soldier4Christ]

 "Killing The Christ"

Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill Him. Matthew 26:3-4

Life should be good for Ryan Schallenberger.

Ryan has a mother and father who love him very much. Along with that, Ryan is a straight-A student at Chesterfield High School, located in northeast South Carolina. Yes, life should be good.

Apparently, it's not. A few weeks ago, Ryan's parents discovered their boy was planning to blow up his school. Police discovered Ryan had experimented with various explosives; he had a layout of the school, he knew where to place the bombs and he had made a tape to be played after he was dead.

Ryan's story of hatred and violence toward his peers has become all too common. But there is one thing that made Ryan's story stand out. According to the Associated Press, when he was arrested, he told the sheriff he wanted to "die and go to heaven and once he got there, he wanted to kill Jesus."

He wanted to kill Jesus. All I can say is, "Ryan, take a number."

The people of Jesus' hometown tried to kill Him; the Pharisees tried to kill Him; His religion tried to kill Him, and His government managed to have Him murdered. Since then, numerous Roman emperors tried to get rid of the Savior and one even had a coin struck to announce his success.

Over the centuries despots and dictators, communism, fascism, and socialism have tried to wipe Jesus out. Philosophers, political movements, learned men, and other religions have done their best to eliminate the Christ.

They've tried and they've failed. The truth is, Jesus lives.

Even though countless attempts have been made to stuff Him back into the grave, Jesus lives.

Even though unbelievable violence has been threatened and performed upon His followers, Jesus lives.

Even though the world still doesn't want to hear His message of forgiveness, faith and redemption, Jesus lives.

And even more, whether he knows it or not, a living Lord Jesus loves Ryan Schallenberger. By God's grace, Ryan, and all those who feel hated, put upon, and oppressed may experience the love of the Lord that comes in Jesus. The Savior's love is the one thing that can't be killed.

[Soldier4Christ]

 "Unclean"

And as He entered a village, He was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." Luke 17:12-13

When the Dalits of India talk about being "unclean," they don't mean they need to take a shower.

They mean their touch can make a respectable person dirty.

According to Hindu belief, in the beginning there was a single man who was separated into parts. From the man's mouth came the Brahmins, or the holy men. From the arms came the Ksatriyas, or the kings and warriors. From the man's thighs came the merchants, and from his feet came all common laborers.

Dalits were too low to have come from that first man.

According to the outlawed caste system, Dalits are unclean. They're so unclean they must drink from different wells, use different doors when they enter or leave a building, and never walk on pathways reserved for the upper classes.

According to a CNN report from a few weeks ago, a six-year-old Dalit girl walked on a road reserved for those of the upper caste. One of those men, filled with road rage, lectured the girl. He then pushed her into some burning embers.

As of this writing, the girl was still in critical condition.

As sad as that story is, you should know I'm not going to say that all Dalits are clean. I won't say it because they're not.

You heard that correctly. India's 250 million Dalits are unclean-just like Ken Klaus is unclean-just like you are unclean-just like the ten lepers in our text were unclean.

Every person in the world is unclean and is made unclean by the sinful nature they have and the wrong they do. God would have been well within His rights to ignore us, avoid us, and condemn us.

That is not what He chose to do.

Instead of allowing our sins to take us to hell, the Father sent His holy Son into this world. By divine directive Jesus was given a special job to do: He was to make the unclean, clean.

Did He succeed? Look into the empty tomb! Did He make us acceptable? John tells us (1 John 1: 7b) "the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin."

Through Christ's life, suffering, passion, death, and resurrection, all things necessary for our redemption and recycling have been done. Jesus, our Master has had mercy on us.

[Soldier4Christ]

 "Last Words"

. . .the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Luke 23:40-42

"What do you want on your tombstone?"

That was the question pitched by a frozen-pizza company in its ad campaign a few years ago.

Paraphrasing them, I ask you, "What would you like your last words to be?"

Scott Vollum, author of Last Words and the Death Penalty, researched the final words of 292 executions carried out in Texas from 1982 to 2002.

And what were their last words? Michael Richards said, "Let's ride"; Granville Riddle, who killed an Amarillo man with a tire tool said, "I have never been mean-hearted or cruel." Some, like David Herman, left this world speaking to the family of the girl he had murdered. He told them "If my death gives you peace and closure, then this is all worthwhile."

According to Vollum, ". . .it's an odd thing to see a lot of them (those being executed) trying to redeem themselves."

So, the question is asked: "What will your last words be?" Not many of us will put as many items into our final sentences as did the thief on the cross. His statement, the text for our devotion, manages to confess wrongdoing, proclaims the innocence of the Savior, and displays a total reliance upon Jesus who is the only One who could help him.

So what will your last words be?

Of course, most of us won't have the luxury, if it can be called that, to know when our last moment is going to come. We probably won't be given days, weeks, months, or years to prepare a verbal legacy for those around us.

For that reason, it is right for each of us to be prepared for that unknown hour when death will come. Our lives ought to express and our words need to indicate to all around us that Jesus is our Redeemer. For their sakes, as well as ours.

And, if God does give us a chance to leave an oral last will and testament, may we echo the faith of Paul who wrote, ". . .the time for my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:6ff).

[Soldier4Christ]

 "Seek Ye First"

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Mark 12:30

My birthday is in October.

Sometime around May my children start asking me, "What do you want?" For the last few years, I haven't been able to give them a very good answer.

Somewhere along the way, I became one of those people who is difficult to buy for.

That is not the case for Bill Bramanti of South Chicago Heights, Illinois. To make a long story short, Bill loves Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. He loves the suds so much he actually had a custom-made beer-can casket made for himself.

Bill loves it so much he threw a party for himself, his friends, and family. Bill loves Pabst so much he filled the coffin with ice and, you guessed it, Blue Ribbon beer.

And how does his family feel about Bill's casket and his penchant for liquid bread?

Apparently, some of them approve. Cathy, his daughter said, "Why put such a great novelty piece on a shelf in storage when you could use it in only the way Bill Bramanti would use it?"

Now I've got nothing against beer or a beer-can casket, I only wish people would be as enthusiastic for the Lord. Jesus once said the most important commandment in life was for people to love the Lord with all of their heart, their soul, their mind, and their strength.

It's a commandment often forgotten when the things of life get in the way.

To love God with every bit of our being - - if anyone else other than Jesus asked such a thing of us, we might think they were being pushy. Not so with our Redeemer. He has the right to ask us to love God completely, because loving us completely is what He did.

Following His Father's will, fulfilling Old Testament promises and prophecies, Jesus gave Himself completely to the task of winning our salvation. So we might be saved, Jesus loved us and offered Himself up as the living ransom price for our souls.

In doing so, the Christ showed a level of commitment this world has never seen before or since. By living for us, the Savior exhibited a dedication that makes Bill Bramanti's devotion pale in comparison.

Having seen Jesus' great grace, having witnessed the lifelong perseverance of the Savior, the apostle John was able to proclaim so all might know: "We love because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19).

[Soldier4Christ]

 "Sheep or Savior"

How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! Hebrews 9:14 (NIV)

Watching a two-year-old get dressed is interesting. The child knows he is supposed to put his legs into his pants. Yet, knowing where to begin is a problem. First, he tries putting his foot through the bottom of the pant leg. When that doesn't work, he puts both legs into the same pant leg. After half a dozen attempts, he brings his pants to his mother, holds them up to her, and says, "Help, please!"

The Israelites of the Old Testament weren't much different than that two-year-old. They wanted desperately to please God. They offered sacrifices for their sins, but they had to do it over and over again. Every year they took animals to the temple, watched the priest kill them, and sprinkle their blood over the people and on the altar. For a while, they felt forgiven. But, then they sinned again. They told a lie, got angry, maybe even cheated their neighbor out of some grain by holding their thumb on the scale. Before they knew it, they were feeling spiritually dirty and in need of help.

Jesus' death on the cross was God's answer to mankind's cry of desperation: "Help me, please!" Our conscience tells us we break His standards daily by our sinful thinking and rebellious actions. According to God's perfect Law, we are condemned-hopeless and beyond help. God had another plan in mind for us, however: Jesus, His Son, the sacrifice Lamb.

Jesus kept every one of God's laws perfectly. Having done this, He alone could satisfy God's wrath. God used His Son's death as payment for us. Because of Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf, God forgives us our sins, cleanses our conscience, and liberates us from guilt and shame over our sinful thoughts and actions.

The lesson to be learned from children is to give up trying to do things ourselves-especially when it comes to our salvation. He alone has made a way for us. "It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3b).

[Soldier4Christ]

 "Tables Turned"

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Have you ever had the tables turned on you?

It was only last year that I heard about a mother and father who raised their daughter by using psychology. At bedtime they would say something like, "Would you like to take your doll or your teddy bear to bed?" You see, the beauty of this is that whatever decision the child made, she was going to bed.

Of course, children are always learning and it was no different for this little three-year-old girl. Although she was never allowed to go outside after supper, one night she said to her parents, "Do you want me to go out the back door, or should I go out the front door?"

Centuries ago, the Lord Jesus-just like that little girl-turned the tables.

Because of sin, all humanity had been condemned to die forever. Since no one had been able to break the pattern of sin and death, humanity had no hope. That is, until Jesus turned the tables.

Jesus lived His life without sin and fulfilled every law. He died for us, carrying all of the wrongdoing we had ever committed to the cross. Even though death seemed unconquerable, Jesus turned the tables.

On the third day, He rose from the grave and assured everyone who believes in Him that they would someday do the same. Because all this is so, Christians can celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of a Savior who has turned the tables.

[Soldier4Christ]

 "Sheepish"

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Matthew 7:15

Like many people, Sam White liked the Civil War. Sam White also liked relics from that time of terrible conflict.

For Sam, a childhood fascination blossomed into love as he traveled all over the South looking for weapons, flags, or buried artillery shells. So powerful was Sam's penchant for things military, Sam sometimes slipped into a diving suit to search in the black silt of rivers and ponds.

Sam loved relics from the Civil War. Daily Devotion readers will note the past tense use of the verb. He loved these things.

In February, Sam White became the last fatality of the Civil War. Sam died when a cannonball he was restoring exploded in his driveway. So strong was the blast, a piece of shrapnel was sent through the front porch of a house a quarter-mile away.

Explosives experts said a 140-year-old cannonball shouldn't go off. John Biemeck, retired colonel from the Army Ordinance Corps said, "You can't drop these things on the ground and make them go off."

Something that ought to have been innocent turned deadly indeed.

That is true for more things than old Civil War cannonballs. Jesus long ago warned His people about wolves who come to them in sheep's skins. These individuals look innocent and harmless, but in truth they are snapping, snarling wolves.

With Jesus' warning ringing in their ears, God's elect know they should be careful.

There are far too many men and women on TV, on the radio, and in our nation's pulpits who are identical to the wolves the Savior warned us about. These pretend preachers look real religious, they sound real religious, but what is the basis of their religion?

They use religious sounding words, but they don't talk much about the Redeemer.

They take up offerings, but the gifts given up by the faithful often fill private coffers, instead of increasing the Kingdom. These folks talk about faith, but not much about the forgiveness available through the Savior's blood shed upon the cross.

The Savior's warning remains valid. We need to watch out for the wolves; we need to judge their words and actions by the truth of Holy Scripture. And, if we do find a leader who shares Law and Gospel properly, we should give thanks. God has given us a good undershepherd, not a ravenous wolf.