A Christian Devotional

[Shammu]

Do something!

Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

An old mountaineer and his wife were sitting in front of the fireplace one evening just whiling away the time. After a long silence, the wife said: "Jed, I think it's raining. Go outside and check, will ya?"

The old mountaineer continued to gaze into the fire for a second, sighed, then said, "Aw Ma, why don't we just call in the dog and see if he's wet."

We have a tendency to get lazy sometimes, don't we?

John Wesley traveled 250,000 miles on horseback, averaging twenty miles a day for forty years. He preached 4,000 sermons, produced 400 books, learned ten languages. At age eighty-three, he was annoyed that he could not write more than fifteen hours a day without hurting his eyes. At age eighty-six, he felt ashamed he could not preach more than twice a day. He complained in his diary that there was an increasing tendency to lie in bed until 5:30 in the morning.

Hmmmmmm. There is much to do for the Kingdom today -- none of us should be bored! Let's get up and do something for God today! There's so much work to be done!!

[Shammu]

Could you pass the salt please?

Mark 9:50 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

Who ever said that salt is bad for you? Here are some things you may or may not know about this wonderful mineral!

Salt is essential for muscle movement, including that of the heart. It's necessary for the digestive tract to function properly --crucial for the transmission of messages by the nerve cells, and regulated osmotic pressure and the movement of fluid to and from the cell. Salt is found in blood, sweat, and tears. Hotter climates increase the need for salt consumption. Chronic deprivation of salt causes loss of weight, loss of appetite, nausea, muscular cramps and even stunts growth.

In the food industry, it is used in flavoring and seasoning, pickling, canning, preserving, baking, dairying, curing meat and fish, and processing flour
and other foods. Salt is a binder, a texturizer, and a fermentation control agent. Other useful applications include de-icing highways, oil well drilling, and fertilizing!

We are to be the salt of the earth. As you can see, we have a tough act to follow! But we need to be the salt that the world so desperately needs!

Let's examine ourselves today and see if we're flavoring the world the way we should!

[Shammu]

CHARGE!

Deut. 3:22 Ye shall not fear them: for the LORD your God he shall fight for you.

Today is a big day for the Negev. There will be a huge celebration marking the 90th anniversary of a great victory in Beersheva. On October 31st, 1917, six hundred soldiers of the Australian 4th and 12th Light Horse Brigade, under the command of Brigadier General William Grant led a daring attack against the Ottoman army in Beersheva.

Armed with only horses and bayonets -- they charged the deeply entrenched Ottoman army. As machine guns fired, and men and horses were dying, the Lighthorsemen dug in their spurs and continued to press forward for victory. The bewildered enemy failed to adjust their sights and soon their gunfire was passing harmlessly overhead. Quickly, the lighthorsemen overran the Ottoman army and the battle was won in less than an hour. This is often described by historians as the last successful calvary charge in history.

Sometimes the battle around us seems overwhelming. We feel inadequately armed and too weak to attack. But with the Lord, we have the weapons we need and there will be victory!!! Not only that, the battle can be won quicker that we think! We need only press forward and put our trust in Him! A man with God at his side is an army undefeatable!

Let's be courageous as we press forward for the Kingdom today!

[Shammu]

Self conscious?

Matthew 16:24-25 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

We live in a day and age that everywhere we turn, there's a "self-help" theory. Books, videos and dvds, websites, world-reknown speakers, you name it -- all dedicated to helping us "feel good about ourselves". Yet somehow, still many of us struggle with self-conciousness, even as Christians!

But here's something to consider. Did Jesus ever say "feel good about yourself"?? No. On the contrary, He said crucify yourself!

If we go around hating ourselves and even feeling condemnation over our faults and sins, what we are really doing is focusing on our self! My wife said a wise thing recently: self-conciousness is not God-consciousness! That about sums it up, I think. God doesn't want us focused on ourselves -- He wants us to be focused on Him!

It's when die to our flesh, that the life we're living becomes the life He lives through us! If we crucify our self then there's no self to hate -- there's no self to condemn! We are free to serve the Lord and allow him to do great things through us!

[Shammu]

Where's the fruit?

Matthew 13:23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

If you keep a grain of wheat in your pocket, it will look exactly the same ten years from now. But place it in the right environment -- some good ground, enough water -- it will sprout into a living sheaf of grain!

Every kind of life requires its particular corresponding environment in order to achieve its full and predestined potential. It's no different with the seeds of the fruit of the Spirit in our hearts!

God has readily made available to us the seeds of success. He gives us the opportunity to live a life of much fruit! A life abounding in the fruits of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith and self-control.

But here they are -- just seeds -- sitting in our pocket -- waiting 'til we decide to plant them and allow them to become trees of plenty in our lives.

Is your soil is fertile and ready? Let's plant some seeds today and invite the Lord to water and nourish them so that we can produce fruit one-hundred fold for the Kingdom.

[Shammu]

Sow into the lives of people!

Mark 9:34-35 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

Once there was a king who decided to set aside a special day to honor his greatest subject. When the big day arrived, a large gathering took place in the palace courtyard and our finalists were brought forward.

The first person was a wealthy philanthropist. This man was deserving of the king's honor because of his great humanitarian efforts. He had given much of his wealth to the poor, building orphanages, schools and hospitals throughout the land. The second was a celebrated physician. This outstanding doctor was deserving of honor for rendering his faithful and dedicated service to the sick for many years and discovering medicines that saved many lives. The third was a distinguished judge. He was noted for his wisdom, his fairness and his many a brilliant decision.

The last person presented before the king was an elderly woman. Her manner was quite humble, as was her dress. She hardly looked the part of someone who would be honored as the greatest subject in the kingdom. What chance could she possibly have, when compared to the other three, who had accomplished so very much?

The king was intrigued, to say the least and was somewhat puzzled by her presence. He asked who she was. Then the answer came: "Well, my king, do you see the philanthropist, the doctor, and the judge over here? She was their teacher!"

This woman had no wealth, no fortune, and no title, but countless lives were helped, healed and changed through her giving.

We never know whose lives we're touching. I'm sure someone prayed -- someone gave -- someone shared the Gospel with some of the greatest evangelists, preachers and givers we know.

Let's serve the Lord by sowing unselfishly into the lives of the people he's put in our path --- so that they may become great in God's Kingdom!

[Shammu]

Have you given your all?

Psalms 54:6 I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD; for it is good.

During his reign, King Frederick William III of Prussia found himself in a bind. Wars had been costly, and in trying to build the nation, he was seriously short of finances. After careful reflection, he decided to ask the women of Prussia if they would bring their jewelry of gold and silver to be melted down for their country. Each piece of jewelry he received, he would exchange for a decoration of bronze or iron as a symbol of his gratitude. These decorations would be inscribed, 'I gave gold for iron, 18l3'.

The response was overwhelming. But more importantly, the women prized these gifts from the king even more highly than their former jewelry! The reason, of course, is clear. They were proof that they had sacrificed for their king.

When we come to know our King, we, too should want to exchange the flourishes of our former life for Him. The amazing thing about our King is that He not only takes our jewels but He takes our rags too -- and uses them for the good of His Kingdom!

Perhaps there are some things we need to sacrifice to him today. Let's pray and ask for His revelation. There are great things awaiting those who give.

[Shammu]

Look out your window!

John 4:35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

Here’s an interesting fact about American church history that you may not know. Years ago, when the first New England churches were designed, they were built with clear windows rather than the stained glass ones we see so often today -- and the graveyard was usually built in the churchyard, which would normally be seen from the pulpit. Why?

It was so that the pastor could see the graveyard while he preached and be reminded of the urgency of his message! It was so he could be reminded that everyone who sat in the pews before him as he spoke, would eventually fill a place in that cemetery outside the window and ultimately have to stand before God to be judged. Can you imagine?

Back then, the first and foremost priority of the church was to bring men and women into a right relationship with the Lord. What’s happened to us that we’ve started building churches with windows you can’t see through!?

There is a harvest outside! Let’s uncloud our windows and give ourselves to the work that needs to be done! Let’s make a commitment to share the good news with someone today!

[Shammu]

Keep close!

Ephesians 4:3-6 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Yesterday, a good pastor friend of ours told us that his congregation was experiencing some hardships and division. How often does this happen among us? It breaks my heart -- and I believe the Lord weeps over this too.

Aesop wrote a fable about four bulls who were the best of friends. They always kept close to each other so that in the event that danger came their way, they would face it together. They traveled together, grazed together, and lay down to rest together.

One day, a hungry lion who lived nearby spotted these four friends and became determined to catch one. He was no match for all four of them at once, so he would follow them and watch carefully, hoping to catch one alone. Every time he saw one lagging the least bit behind, he would sneak up and whisper to him that the others had been saying unkind things about him. This, he did with each bull until finally all four began to feel suspicious and uneasy around one another. Each thought that the other three were plotting against him.

When the lion succeeded in breaking the trust among them, the bulls went their separate ways....... and one by one, he devoured them.

I'm sure you can see the analogy here. The enemy would love nothing more than to divide us and break the trust among us in the body of Messiah. He knows full well that if he can just get us separated, he can come in for the kill!

Let's not allow the devil to play out his wicked scheme! Be on guard! Don't gossip -- overlook offenses -- pray with one another and be determined to stick together, so that we may accomplish great and mighty things for God's kingdom! There's power in numbers -- and there's SO much work to be done!

[Shammu]

Reach out and touch someone!

Luke 8:43-47 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.

Isn't it interesting that of the multitudes thronging and pressing toward Jesus, only one really touched Him? What made Jesus notice her among all the rest?

This woman was desparate. She had reached the end of her rope. She had probably spent all her money visiting every doctor she could find and done all she could do to help herself in the natural realm. I think she finally realized that what she truly needed was a touch from the Lord. The word "virtue" in this passage, in Greek, is "dunamis". Dunamis is the word from which the word dynamite is derived. As she reached for Him, dynamite power flowed out of the Lord and radically healed and changed her!

Somehow, the world has us convinced that the solution to all our problems come from it! We tend to look to people and material things to satisfy our earthly desires instead of looking to the Lord!

Do you need a touch from the Lord today? How much are you longing for Him? Let's abandon the ways we've been reaching out to the world for strength -- and determine to reach out to the Lord in faith and believe!

[Shammu]

Times of refreshing are near!

1 Kings 19:4-5 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.

In this passage, Elijah had become so weary running from Jezebel that he sat under a Juniper tree and just asked the Lord to take his life. But the Lord knew exactly what Elijah needed and He sent forth a messenger to revive and nourish him. I love it.

In His infinite mercy, God sent an angel to minister to Elijah. And that was just enough to help him get up and continue to do great things for the Lord. We've all been under that tree, haven't we? Some of us are there right now.

Perhaps you know a saint who is growing weary and in need of refreshment. Let's be available for the Lord, to be that messenger and supply his or her needs. Make a meal, give a gift, offer your time, maybe even just bring a word of encouragement -- perhaps that's all he or she needs to get up from under the Juniper tree and keep on keeping on for the Lord!

When you supply a need for someone else, you are acting as God's messenger. And proverbs says that he who refreshes others will, himself, be refreshed!

[Shammu]

Look ahead!

Luke 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Some time ago, I wrote a devotional about not worrying for tomorrow because tomorrow holds its own worries. But it occurred to me recently, that just about as often as we worry for tomorrow, we worry for yesterday! How many times do we find ourselves saying, "I wish things could be the way they were, I wish I was younger, I wish I could fit into those jeans again, I wish……you fill in the blank"?

The Lord doesn’t want us looking back at what once was. Our enemy does -- he wants us to feel discouraged and helpless over what we face today and drown in self-pity about how it was in the past. But God wants us to look ahead to new endeavors! He wants us to say "forget the old – there are great things for the future – I’m gonna look ahead!"

Let’s forget the past – it’s long gone already. Let’s move ahead and press toward the new things that the Lord wants to do in our lives.

[Shammu]

Get rich quick!

1 Timothy 6:17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;

A sailor was shipwrecked on a desert island and was captured by some of natives. They carried him off on their shoulders to their village, where he was sure he would end up being the main course. But instead, they put a crown on his head and made him king.

He was enjoying all the attention he was receiving but was growing a little suspicious. He started making inquiries and discovered that their custom was to crown a stranger king for a year and then send him to a deserted island where he would to starve to death.

Obviously, this plan did not appeal to the sailor. Since he was the king and the natives obeyed his every order, he ordered them to ship supplies to the island where he would eventually be sent. He had them clear the land and build him a hut and plant enough vegetables and fruits for an adequate garden. When he was finally banned to the deserted island, he lived in abundance.

How are we using the good gifts God has given us? Wealth and authority can be dangerous -- or they can be a blessing. They can be used to destroy and tear down, or to store up good things in heaven. The choice is ours.

Let's ask the Lord to help us to be wise stewards of all God's gifts to us, that we might not end up being rich on earth and poor with God.

[Shammu]

How many white hairs have you been given?

Matthew 7:2-5 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

A dear friend recently sent us this funny story and we couldn't help but share it with you.

One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast upon her brunette head. She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, "Mom, why are some of your hairs white?"

"Well", her mother replied, "every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white."

The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, "Momma, how come all of Grandma's hairs are white?"

A funny story, yes -- but isn't it true that we're always looking for someone to blame for our imperfections? The Lord warned us about the danger of pointing out the faults of others. He said that people with planks in their eyes should not attempt to remove specks out of other people's eyes. Somehow, we lose sight of this so quickly! We are all still growing. None of us has arrived! We need to be aware of how the enemy tries to ensnare us in this way.

I don't know about you but I tend to agree with the person who said "The only person I want removing splinters out of my eyes is someone with a clear vision and a gentle touch!"

Let's ask the Lord to help us to see the ways we've been judgmental and become people with clear vision and a gentle touch! We should be building up one another and encouraging each other so that the work of the Lord may go forward and we may rejoice together in the blessing!

[Shammu]

Your victory is near!

1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Growing up, one of my favorite Saturday activities was watching ABC Sports. I can still remember the opening line -- “The thrill of victory or the agony of defeat!” One of the greatest prophets of the Bible, Elijah, experienced his share of victories -- but he also knew that sudden feeling of defeat. If you recall, Elijah was on Mount Carmel, the only prophet of the Lord standing against four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal. (2 Kings 18) When it was all said and done, Elijah was absolutely victorious! But wouldn't you know that in the next chapter, we find Elijah under a juniper tree saying -- “Lord take my life!” (2 Kings 19:4)

We’re so quick to forget the victories that the Lord has given us, aren’t we? There are countless examples of great men of God who struggled this way. If they can go from victory to defeat so easily, how much more are we susceptible to the same attacks of the enemy? We must remember that this is precisely what they are -- attacks of the enemy upon our lives -- attempting to draw our attention away from all that God has done.

If you are finding yourself in the midst of a valley -- try focusing on the victories the Lord has already displayed in your life. And more importantly, focus on the power of victory you can walk with today!