Day by Day

[Soldier4Christ]

 "Overcoming Addiction"

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the Law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2

In Exodus 16, the Lord provided a miracle food called manna-and He commanded the Israelites to gather as much as they needed for that day. They were not to keep any till the next day-but they didn't listen. The next morning, the leftover manna had maggots in it and smelled! When the Lord said they needed to gather twice as much on the sixth day so that it would last for the Sabbath, some people still went out on the Sabbath to look for manna, which they obviously didn't find. Why on earth are we like that? Why don't we just listen to God the first time around?

Imagine a world where every person could live according to God's commandments -- no murder or rape, no stealing or corruption, and no punishment. Yes, if we all obeyed God's Laws we wouldn't need any prisons. But, somehow we always manage to mess up. It starts with the sinful nature we inherited from Adam. Utterly corrupt inside, we fall for temptation again and again. It is very irritating, frustrating, and discouraging.

Angie called our offices in South Africa one day after listening to a radio program about addiction. She wanted to stop smoking and was interested in our free booklet offer. After working through the booklet, she called again and asked if she could meet with somebody to talk about her addiction.

Angie told us of her struggles with cigarettes, how she had once quit, and how she had picked up the habit again during a time of stress. She told how she is learning to turn her addiction over to God. In stressful situations, she turns to God in prayer instead of lighting up a cigarette. In this way, God is helping her overcome her addiction.

We all have addictions. It may not be drugs, alcohol, or nicotine, but the compulsion to sin plagues us all. Hand your sins over to God, trust in His forgiveness, and ask Him to help you endure temptation. Instead of focusing on our sinful addictions, trust God and praise Him for His deliverance through Jesus Christ, His Son, our Savior.

[Soldier4Christ]

 "Bigger Picture"

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10

It was the day after Christmas, and the little girl was watching her mother wash the mounds of dirty dishes which had been piled in the sink from the day before.

Knowing how much she, herself, detested the task, the little girl asked, "Mom, don't you ever get tired of washing dishes?"

The mother's reply showed she was a philosopher, as well as a mother. Mom said, "I'm not washing dishes, nor am I scrubbing pots. I'm building a home."

I admire that lady, because she saw the bigger picture of her actions.

She was teaching her entire family what it means to give; to do a job well, even if it's a job that you don't relish.

Sadly, too many people don't get that bigger picture.

For many folks, Christmas ended when December 25th was marked off the calendar.

When the wrapping paper and bows were picked up and discarded, so was the memory of the Savior's story of salvation. When the ornaments were put away in storage, so was Jesus and His sacrifice.

There is a bigger picture to the holy day of Christmas.

God wants us to see that bigger picture. He would like us to remember His Son didn't come into this world for a once-a-year celebration. Jesus came to save our souls for eternity and to give us an abundant life now.

This is why I encourage, as you continue your holy-day cleanup, you also keep seeing the bigger picture of the Christ Child's birth.

[Soldier4Christ]

 "End of the Year"

Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. Proverbs 23:18

Many years ago, in the fall, we had a reception to welcome a new teacher at my church's parochial school.

Everybody wanted to welcome the new instructor, including a little first grader who brought some flowers and a well-rehearsed speech.

When she presented her bouquet, the little girl said, "These flowers will die, but you will smell forever." To the credit of my congregation, nobody laughed out loud. Even so, some people had to turn away to hide their amusement at words, which... hadn't come out exactly as they had intended.

Right now, we are in the closing days and hours of 2008. It is a time when we all have to confess that the year hasn't turned out exactly as we intended.

The economy isn't what we had hoped for. Our accomplishments haven't checked off all the goals we set at the beginning of the year, and few of us are where we had hoped to be.

Indeed, to paraphrase our little girl, we have to say of 2008, "The hours will pass away, but you will smell forever."

No, we haven't done all we wanted or accomplished all we should.

To all of these shortcomings and disappointments, because of Jesus and the forgiveness He gives and the salvation He so freely offers, our heavenly Father gives us hope for the next year and the year after that.

Because of God's grace we are able to say, "The years will pass away, but, Dear Lord, for giving us hope and redemption, we shall thank You forever."

[Soldier4Christ]

 "Forgetfulness"

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. Psalm 103:2

The Indians helped the pilgrims of Plymouth. You know that and I know that.

We also know the pilgrims and the Indians celebrated Thanksgiving together. But the people who work at Plymouth Plantation, a recreation of an English village and Native American home site, say some folks have forgotten that relationship.

One Native American commented, "People will say things that will hurt you."

What kind of things?
# Things like parents telling their children, "If you don't behave, I am going to leave you with this Indian squaw, and she will cook you for dinner."
# Things like a fellow who said, "I thought we killed all of you."
# Things like an adult chaperone who asked, "Where do you get your alcohol?"


People forget. Things happen. History happens, and people forget.

I wonder if the Lord doesn't oftentimes think His people are prone to a mental amnesia that causes us to forget His benevolence and kindness -- things that ought to bring continuous thanksgiving to our hearts.

The Lord gives us 70, 80, 90 years of good health, but we forget those years and accuse Him of not caring when we start to run down. He has blessed and taken care of our nation for many years, but when the economy is not as healthy as we think it ought be, all too often God is accused of having gone on vacation.

Maybe that's why the Psalmist reminds us to bless the Lord and keep remembering all the wonderful things He has done -- physical blessings, most certainly, spiritual blessings, most assuredly.

The Lord who sent His Son to live, die, and rise so we might be rescued from certain damnation wants us to remember and give thanks.

This is the first of my resolutions for the coming year is: Bless the Lord and do not forget.

[Soldier4Christ]

 "Under God"

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10

Ministers generally don't get much applause for preaching a sermon twice.

Pastor George Docherty may be the exception to that rule. Docherty came to the United States as an immigrant from Scotland. As a new citizen, he learned the Pledge of Allegiance from his seven-year-old son: "One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Pastor Docherty thought something was missing. He thought there ought to be some kind of mention about the country's reliance upon God. Docherty felt so strongly about this in 1952 he preached a sermon saying exactly that.

Nothing happened.

Then, on February 7, 1954, Pastor Docherty was told President Eisenhower was going to be worshiping in his church. Docherty re-preached his 1952 sermon. Eisenhower got moving; Congress got moving, and the next Flag Day the president signed a new law adding the words "under God" to the U.S. pledge.

The reason I share this story is because last (U.S.) Thanksgiving Day, at the age of 97, Pastor Docherty died. Most sincerely I pray his idea of a country connected with God never passes away.

Yes, ours may not always be a Christian nation but, by God's grace, it can strive to be a nation where Christians point to the Savior with their lives, in their words, and by their conduct.

As we go into a new year, it is right for those of us who acknowledge God's grace to pledge our resolve to acknowledge our Lord who sent His Son to save us.

[Soldier4Christ]

 "Deliverance"

If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. Daniel 3:17

Many of the Daily Devotion readers are going to church tonight.

Quite rightly you wish to thank the Lord for having brought you through the old year, and are asking Him to be with you during 2009.

If you are headed out for worship, I encourage you to drive carefully. There will be a lot of crazy people on the road this evening.

How crazy?

I'm glad you asked. MSNBC recently carried an article about a man who deliberately rammed his truck into a woman's vehicle. At the time, he was going in excess of 100 miles an hour. Now here's the crazy part: the man said the Lord had instructed him to "take her off the road because she wasn't driving right."

While I seriously doubt the Lord is becoming directly involved in this sort of traffic control, I don't doubt He was present at the accident scene. Almost miraculously, both drivers came away from the accident with only minor injuries. A spokesman for the local sheriff's office was similarly impressed. He said, "God must have been with them, 'cause any other time, the severity of this crash, it would have been a fatal (one)."

Although this is a weird story, it does prove a point: the Lord watches over His people, even in the strangest of situations. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew that to be true and said so to King Nebuchadnezzar. Their words are the text for today's devotion: "the God whom we serve is able to deliver us. . . ."

I cannot imagine how many times the Lord has delivered each of us from dangers realized and unrecognized during the past year, nor is it possible to predict how His mighty hand will protect us in the New Year.

What is sure is this: the Lord who sent His Son into this world to save us, will do what is right and best for His believing children in 2009 -- and forever.

[Soldier4Christ]

 "Hidden Thoughts"

O LORD, You have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, You know it altogether. Psalm 139:1-4

My prayer for you is to have a blessed and Christ-filled New Year!

As near as I can tell, this year is going to get interesting. That statement isn't based on prophetic insight as much as it comes from an article carried by New Scientist. It appears a Japanese laboratory has developed a method of making a picture of a person's thoughts.

Now, to be honest, I've often wanted such a device when I was teaching confirmation class or preaching a sermon. It would be great sport to know if my students were thinking about the end of class or if their church-going parents were meditating on the pot roast or the Sunday football kickoff while I was preaching.

In all honesty, the Japanese invention is not that advanced. Still, it is a breakthrough, a frightening breakthrough.

Frightening, because I don't want anyone knowing what I'm thinking or what I'm dreaming. Inside you and me there are things -- sinful things -- things that were never meant to be scrutinized or put on public display.

Still, according to Psalm 139, there is one person who does know us, both inside and out. Those verses say the Lord has searched us and known us. He knows what we're doing and what we're thinking. He knows all of our ways and words, even before we do.

Consider that. In spite of being fully aware of our twisted thinking and our sinful longings, the heavenly Father still loved us enough to send His Son into the world to win our salvation. Amazing!

In spite of knowing His persecutors, His betrayers, His deniers, and the end that awaited Him -- in spite of knowing each of us, Jesus spent His entire life doing all that was necessary so we might be redeemed, forgiven, and saved. This is why God's knowledge of me is not frightening. On the contrary, His knowledge and love assures me I will be safe and secure no matter what 2009 may bring.

[Soldier4Christ]

 "Cleansed"

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

It's easy sometimes to think what's shiny and sparkly is somehow clean and pure. Our eyes deceive us everyday, and they certainly cannot see beneath the surface.

But, God can.

What lies beneath the surface is what God sees -- and can make right. Is your heart pure? The word "pure" means to be without contamination. It means to be clean. Does being forgiven of our sins make us clean?

Forgiveness and sin go hand in hand. As humans we're all repeat offenders when it comes to sin. Whether it's the things we do we shouldn't, or the things we should do we don't, we offend against God and man constantly.

No matter how good we might look on the outside, inside we're all dirty. Even our best intentions and supposed acts of virtue are stained through and through with our sin. Isaiah really said it best: "We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment" (Isaiah 64.6a).

But there is a way to become spotless, uncontaminated, washed of our sin. Cleansing comes by the blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross to take away our sins. He alone forgives us our sins; He alone can them away.

And He alone has done it. Alleluia!

[Soldier4Christ]

 "His Grace Is Sufficient"

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9

The spirit is willing, but the flesh... well, the flesh doesn't do so good.

We're only half a week into the New Year, but most of us have already managed to break some of our resolutions. It's not that we don't want to improve and better ourselves, we just don't have the stick-to-itiveness required to do the job.

Some time ago I heard about a story, which came from a prison in Mason City, Iowa.

Some of the prisoners at the facility thought they would stage a protest against the quality and quantity of food they were being served. All agreed that going on a hunger strike would be the best way of getting a favorable answer to their demands.

The day the hunger strike began went well enough. Every prisoner turned down his breakfast. There were cheers and congratulations all around.

By lunch time it was a different story. Cracks began to appear in the fellowship. Yes, they skipped lunch, but not with the same amount of enthusiasm.

By supper time, the resolution and dedication had all but disappeared. Almost all of the men forgot their demands and dug into supper.

Now, I don't want to say those men are weak. There are some pretty tough hombres in that prison. But they are just like you and me. We start out right, and because of our weakness, we fold and give up.

Amazingly, rather than washing His hands of us, God understands our weaknesses, our sins, our shortcomings. He knows that we cannot straighten ourselves out. Which is precisely why He sent His Son. Jesus came into this world to do for us what we could not do. By His life, death, and resurrection, He has given us forgiveness of sins, the guarantee of an eternity in heaven, and help for the living of each day.

Does that mean Christians can keep every one of their resolutions? No, but it does mean we have a Lord Whose strength is made perfect in our weakness. Like the children's hymn says, 'We are weak, but He is strong."

[Soldier4Christ]

 "Epiphany"

And going into the house they saw the child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 2: 11

For most people, Christmas is long ago and far away.

Tuesday is Epiphany, the day that some remember the coming of the Magi, or Wisemen, to worship Jesus.

Years ago, a teacher I know was reading the story of Epiphany, the non-Jewish Christmas, to her kindergartners. As was her custom, she stopped to see if they understood what she had been saying.

"What do we call the three wise men?" she asked. "The three maggots," replied a bright 5-year-old. Once she managed to help them see the difference between Magi and maggots, the teacher asked another question.

"What gifts did the Magi bring to baby Jesus?" The answer of "Gold, Frankenstein, and Smurfs!" was not quite right, either.

Another explanation was in order.

Truly, it's really not all that important if you know the gifts that these wanderers brought to Jesus almost 2,000 years ago. On the other hand, it is important that you know the great Gift of grace, which God has given to you.

Yes, I know you weren't born back then. I also know that you have received some very nice and probably very expensive gifts over the years. Still, nothing you have ever been given has as much value, or is more important, or to be more cherished than is the Gift of the Savior.

Even if you don't know about gold, Frankenstein and Smurfs, please remember God's Son Who was born to seek and save the lost; and, Who, with His life, death, and resurrection, gives salvation to all who believe, no matter from where they come.

[Soldier4Christ]

 "Looking Good"

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Matthew 6:25

So, do you look good? How is that for a loaded question?

The truth is, most people do their best to look good when they go out. Now, according to an article carried by MSNBC, some folks are carrying "looking good in public" to some pretty serious extremes.

These folks really want to look good -- even at their funeral.

Understand, we're not talking about the kind of looking good a funeral director might normally do to make the deceased look presentable, natural, and at peace. Nor are we talking about the kind of major restoration that is necessary after a devastating illness or disfiguring accident.
According to the article, some folks want the mortician to roll back the calendar, remove all the wrinkles, lift up the saggy parts, and make them better than new.

As one plastic surgeon said, "Society is unfortunately getting more and more vain . . . (now, people) want to look good in their casket. It'll be one last time to show off their new outfit and their plumped lips."

Jesus knew the phylactery flaunting Pharisees of His day would have understood. They would have understood, but not necessarily agreed. Now Jesus had no problem with looking good, but He wanted to make sure people had their priorities in order.

That's why He told His followers not to worry about looks, food, or clothes. Instead, He encouraged them to "seek first the Kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 6:33a).

The Savior who gave His life so we might have eternal life wanted to make sure we were prepared spiritually for our entry into heaven and not so much for our physical exit from this world.

In truth, if Jesus is our Redeemer, Forgiver, and Friend, we will be ready for both.

[Soldier4Christ]

 "Why Be Afraid"

January 6, 2009

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10

On Epiphany, it may be appropriate for us to be reminded that there are rulers who, like Herod, don't want their people to see the Savior. Last month, it was reported that police in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong arrested 270 Protestant pastors for doing something illegal.

Those pastors were studying the Bible.

That's right, they were studying the Bible when police stormed the meeting, blindfolded, handcuffed, and took the pastors to a local police station for questioning. Some of those Christians were later released after they paid about $40 as an "interrogation tax."

According to an official document by the Communist party given to the West in November, a nationwide program is going on to "normalize" underground Protestant churches.

Sad, isn't it?

It's sad that a big, strong government -- a government that rules the largest population in the history of the world -- is afraid of Jesus.

Think about it. What harm can Jesus do? He lived 2,000 years ago. Two thousand years ago, He was betrayed by a friend, condemned by His government, and crucified. Certainly, a dead Jesus cannot cause the Chinese rulers any difficulty. Why not leave Christians alone?

On the other hand, if Jesus is alive (and He is), if He had the power to rise from the dead as Scripture maintains, if Jesus can forgive sins and change the eternal destiny of individuals, the Chinese government would do well to treat the Savior and His followers with a little more respect.

As St. Paul said, Christians can be afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down but, by Jesus' power, they won't be forsaken or destroyed. The Herods of this world would do well to take note.

[Soldier4Christ]

 "Getting Away With Murder"

And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?" And the Lord said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground." Genesis 4:8b-10

Watching some of the TV detective and CSI shows, a person might get the idea all murder investigations end up with an arrest and a conviction.

Whether the process takes a full half hour, or a whole 60 minutes depends on the length of the program.

In contrast to what television says, FBI figures are telling us something quite different. Bureau statistics indicate the percentage of murders actually being solved is dropping.

In 1963, the homicide clearance rate was 91 percent. In the late 1970s, it fell below 80 percent; in the 1980s, it dipped below 70 percent. In 2007, the percentage of murders solved declined to 59 percent.

All of this simply means there are people on the streets and living in our neighborhoods who are getting away with murder - or so they think.

After he had buried his brother, Cain, the world's first murderer, also thought he had covered his tracks. His false sense of security was dispelled by God's demand: "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground."

The truth is this: witnesses might remain silent and evidence might go unnoticed, but before God people don't get away with murder or any other wrongdoing. The Father knows and He is not happy with our sin.

So that we might be saved from ourselves, is why the Father sent Jesus into this world. Jesus came to save murderers, to carry their crime, to pay the price of their just punishment, and to offer forgiveness to all who turned to Him in repentance and faith. While criminals may still have to pay a legal price for their wrongdoing, because of Jesus, believers are blessed with blood-bought forgiveness.

This is good news for murderers and for non-murdering sinners, like you and me.

[Soldier4Christ]

 "Benefactor"

And He (Jesus) said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you." Luke 22:25-26a

In 28 years as a parish pastor, I never made a sick call on someone who had cholera.

Maybe that's because unless you eat raw, infected shellfish, or drink unsanitary water, you generally won't catch cholera.

That's why I had to do some research after I read that almost 1,000 people in Zimbabwe had died from a recent cholera epidemic. Almost as bad, 16,000 have been infected. What I found out is this: in less than a day, cholera can kill you. On the other hand, if treated with water, sugar, and depleted salts, most people recover relatively easily.

This made me ask, "Why are people dying of cholera in Zimbabwe?" The answer is relatively simple: the president of that African country is allowing it. In December, he announced, "I am happy to say there is no cholera." And, he added, "now that there is no cholera, there is no cause for war." By making that pronouncement, President Robert Mugabe was trying to head off humanitarian and military intervention.

That was when I remembered the words of Jesus. At His Last Supper, He indicated that though kings and authorities among the Gentiles lord it over their people and want to be considered a benefactor for having done so, His followers should truly serve each other.

Almost 2,000 years since Jesus made that statement, nothing has changed. Many rulers still cling to power and some allow their people to suffer. On the other hand, in the best of Christian homes and congregations, God's people still serve each other, and they serve their enemies.

Serving is something we are glad to do. How could it be otherwise? We have seen a Savior who left heaven's high throne and came to earth and was placed in a manger. Wishing to serve and save humanity, Jesus lived His life perfectly and allowed Himself to be crucified. Now, because of that gracious gift of service, all who believe on the risen Lord as Savior are forgiven and promised a place in heaven.

John said it best: "We love because He first loved us. If anyone says, 'I love God,' but hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen" (1 John 4:19-20).

[Soldier4Christ]

 "Renewed Like The Eagle"

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your life is renewed like the eagle's. Psalm 103:1-5

How often have we felt sad and abandoned? How many times have we felt our lives have become meaningless? How often have we found no reason to give thanks to God? This is not as it should be.

In those circumstances, weighted down with our sins and supposed grievances, we need to look up. We need to withdraw for a time and begin a process of regeneration. In order to continue our flight, we may have to address hurtful memories and old habits -- often, a painful process. Part of our renewal is remembering what God has already done for us. Pride, however, makes us ungrateful and forgetful. To counter this, the psalmist draws on his thoughts, memories, and emotions in offering adoration. He understands his life is actually full of reasons to give thanks and praise God and he encourages himself to do so.

We receive an abundance from God every day, such as life, health, and material goods. These blessings rejuvenate us like the eagle, granting us vitality and renewed purpose. How much more should we praise God for the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ? Emptying Himself, Jesus laid His life down as a sacrifice on our behalf -- wholly acceptable to God the Father. Through His obedience, we now have redemption and the forgiveness of our sins.

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits!