A Christian Devotional

[Shammu]

Call the exterminator!

Revelation 9:5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.

Since our move to the Negev Desert in Israel, we've had the privilege of meeting many fascinating and somewhat disturbing desert species, some of which have unfortunately had to meet the exterminator. One of these is the scorpion. Scorpions are commonplace here. They can often even be found in the house and they aren't easy to kill. These little creatures have a knack for survival. I just recently read that scorpions have survived nuclear weapon testing! But more interesting is their method of devouring prey.

Scorpions use their fast acting venom to kill or paralyze their prey so that it can be rendered useless and eventually eaten. However, since they can only can only digest food in a liquid form, scorpions use external digestion, that is they spit digestive fluids onto the remains of their prey, which causes the their flesh to turn to liquid so they are able to suck up the resulting soup. It sounds repulsive, I know. And you're thinking "these things can be found in the house?!" But I couldn't help but see an analogy here.

I think all of us have some scorpions in our house! This precisely how our enemy likes to operate. Satan and his demons come out of the cracks in our walls and lure us with subtle temptations which eventually establish a foothold. Then they go for the kill. They inject us with their fast acting venom to paralyze us. Then they secrete the poison of sin and self justification and turn us to mush until they can finally suck all the life out of us.

I think we need to call upon the Exterminator today! Let's ask him to eradicate every crevice of our being, every area we've allowed these scary creatures to come in and gain control! There is hope! And there's so much work to be done!!

[Shammu]

Whew it's hot!

2 Corinthians 4:5-6 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Charles Spurgeon was a minister often accused of being "controversial". One day a friend of Spurgeon's remarked, "So, I hear you are in hot water again."

"No, I'm not the one in hot water," Spurgeon answered. "The other fellows are. I'm the man who makes the water boil!"

We're living in amazing times. Wars are being waged. Prophecy is being fulfilled. And we. what are we doing exactly?

More than ever before, we should be focusing on the condition of our heart before the Lord and in prayer for God to open the eyes of the blind. We should be talking about the truth of Messiah daily with those who don't yet know Him. Who cares if people think it's controversial? This is not the time to care what people think of us! This is the time to get the water boiling!

What's your spiritual temperature today? Is it causing anybody to boil? Good! That's because there's so much work to be done!

[Shammu]

Emergency! 911! Sound the alarm!

John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Ya know - something occurred to me this past week.

We, and I know many other brothers and sisters around the world have been praying and praying for revival to come. We've been seeking God for the seeds we've sown in prayer to be harvested in these crucial hours, when they are becoming ripe for the picking. We've been asking God to reveal Himself to His people and bring laborers into the harvest.

But people are dying. Ripe fruit is falling and spoiling in the fields. And still, there are few laborers to do anything about it. Why Lord?!

It became clear to me recently why. Jesus said that they will know Him by the love we have for one another. The world will know Him by the love we, believers, have for one another. Where's the love, friends? Our body is so divided, over silly issues that don't even matter in the big scheme of things! Our marriages and churches are being torn apart for lack of understanding of the enemy's tactics upon us!

How can the fields be harvested? We are not prepared for them! We are not ready to minister! We're so busy looking at ourselves and our problems! Most of us are not even aware of the critical condition we are in as a body! This is an EMERGENCY! We need to wake up and smell the desperate stench of dying souls! Not only those out there in the world but the ones who are part of us -- we, and our hurting brothers and sisters in the Lord! We need to start loving one another, that the Lord may be glorified, that His Kingdom come!

Let's start overlooking offenses today! Let's learn the devils schemes! Let's win the hearts of the lost by our love for one another!

[Shammu]

How about some humble pie?

James 4:6b Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Corrie Ten Boom tells this story in her book, Each New Day. "When I saw Sadhu Sundar Singh in Europe, he had completed a tour around the world. People asked him, Doesn't it do harm, your getting so much honor?" The Sadhu's answer was: "No. The donkey went into Jerusalem, and they put garments on the ground before him. He was not proud. He knew it was not done to honor him, but for Jesus, who was sitting on his back. When people honor me, I know it is not me, but the Lord, who does the job."

Another wise person once said, "I believe the first test of a truly great man is his humility. I do not mean by humility, doubt of his own power, or hesitation in speaking his opinion. But really great men have a ... feeling that the greatness is not in them but through them; that they could not do or be anything else than God made them."

We too, should strive to live knowing that the greatness is through us and give God all the glory He deserves! Lord, help us! We want to empty ourselves of our desires and our agendas, and be available for all the works you want to do through us! And Lord, we want to live a life of honoring You for every work! Thank you for loving us and helping us along the way -- in the Name of Jesus, Amen!

[Shammu]

Fancy fruit?

Jeremiah 17:7-8 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Out here in the Negev our trees suffer, especially in the hot summer months. We have a few trees around our neighborhood here which have definitely seen better days, I'm sure.

In this passage, the Lord compares us to trees planted by the water - trees which will always stay green even through the heat and drought - trees which will never cease to yield fruit.

We as believers who trust in the Lord and whose hope is in Him should be yielding fruit unceasingly! That's right - even through the droughts we face in our lives, we should never cease to bear fruit! Here, the Lord is showing us who we really are! We are trees, nourished by the Living Water of truth and hope and by the Son, who has redeemed us from all of our sin and given us new life!

Let's take a close look at ourselves. Are we bearing fruit in our personal lives, in our families, in our communities? We need to be!! Let's walk in our calling and we will see fruit!

[Shammu]

So many commitments!

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

One of my favorite ministers of the Gospel is D.L. Moody. He tells a story about having heard Pastor Henry Varley once say that, "The world has yet to see what God will do with and for and through the man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him."

As Moody pondered the pastor's words, He realized something. Pastor Varley did not say that God would use an intelligent person. He didn't say an educated person, nor did he say a person who was ultimately gifted. What the wise pastor said was that the person with whom God will work with and for and through will be the person "who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him".

This radically changed Moody's ministry... and ours too, for that matter. We realized that God isn’t looking for people with amazing minds or hands or voices or computer skills. He’s not looking for those who are wearing the nicest suits or dresses at church. And He’s not looking for the people with the highest grade point averages at the local Christian College. What God is really looking for, are people who are simply sold out for Him!

One of the great secrets to a successful walk with the Lord, is understanding total commitment to Jesus. But being totally committed requires us to daily take up our cross -- leave the past behind us -- and despite all the obstacles the enemy tries to throw in our path, press forward for the Lord and His work! Let's consecrate ourselves to the Lord again today. There’s so much work to be done!

[Shammu]

Dying to be free!

Romans 8:13-14 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Once upon a time, there was a prince who received a very rare and beautiful bird. He named her Goldie and placed her in a lovely, 14K gold cage. But the poor creature was not impressed by the gold at all. She pleaded for her freedom but the prince loved her much too much to part with her. Still, she continued to beg. In final desperation, she asked that he at least allow her go to her relatives and tell them that, though captive, she was still alive.

The prince was not certain she would return if he allowed her to go, so he decided to go and inform them himself. He went into the forest, where Goldie directed him and he found her sister. When she heard the awful news of Goldie's capture, she immediately fell to the ground and died.

Sorrowful, he returned to his castle and told Goldie the sad news that her sister had died. Immediately Goldie collapsed and died in the same manner.

Perpexed, but a tear rolling down his cheek, the prince then took the poor bird out of the cage, gently wrapped her in a cloth and placed her on his window sill in order to bury her. Suddenly, to the prince's amazement, the cloth began to move and Goldie fluttered out. She quickly flew out the window and landed in the nearest tree.

"You don't understand, fine prince" called the bird from the nearby, "by pretending to die, my sister taught me the way to escape."

The moral of the story is simply this. If we want to truly be free -- we have to die!

If we want to truly live a life of freedom, a life full of peace and joy, a life which provokes others to jealousy -- we must learn to die to our flesh and give our all to the One who has given His all for us! Let's take up our cross once again today.

[Shammu]

Why the trials?

1 Peter 4:12-13 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

Sometimes it's very difficult to rejoice in trials – especially when the trials affect ministry! Last week, Worthy News was hacked – although the damage was minimal, the time needed to spend researching the vulnerability and correcting the problem took hours. And then last Thursday, I had to drive to Jerusalem – when our ministry van broke down.

So when returning home after our van troubles, in the midst of prayer I was trying to be joyful in the fact that it wasn't as bad as it could have been! It became easier to rejoice when the Lord reminded me of the time four years ago when every single Worthy Ministries site was wiped out by hackers. Then the Lord reminded of a time when we were driving in Jerusalem a few years ago when we suddenly couldn't stop! We totally lost our brakes, but my experiences in the past driving in the midst of snow and ice – and learning how to drive without brakes – really paid off! Suddenly these huge trials I was dealing with – suddenly didn't seem so huge in the grand scope of things!

So the question remains why the trials? Someone once said, "A faith that can't be tested isn't a faith worth having!" Trials are meant to increase our faith in God – the greater our needs, the greater our trials – then the greater our dependence on Him and usually its in this state of utter dependence upon Him that we enjoy the deepest, most intimate times with our God. Honestly, can any trial be a price too much for such eternal good?

Whatever trials you're dealing with – it's probably not as bad as it could be! Let's not despise these trials, but realize that God is utilizing these trials to increase our capacity for Him! God is using trials to increase our productivity for the Kingdom – with so much work to be done, we all need to be as productive as possible!

[Shammu]

Do you feel used?

Hebrews 13:20-21 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

While on the road to Damascus, Jesus appeared to Saul, blinded him and directed him to go to Damascus. There, God spoke to Ananias of Saul and told to lay hands on this troubled man. Ananias did as he commanded and Saul was filled with the Holy Spirit, healed of his blindness and immediately baptized.

In another instance, while Cornelius was praying, God sent an angel to tell him "Go and find Peter and he shall tell you what you need to do." Cornelius, along with his household and friends, did what he commanded, and God used Peter to bring them all into the Kingdom!

God could have easily brought both Saul and Cornelius into the Kingdom without the intervention of any believer – but that was not His plan. He used Ananias, Peter and countless others to finish what He had already started!

In the same way, God wants to include us in His plans! He has been speaking to people in our families, neighborhoods, offices and everywhere else we go! He has been drawing them gently and He wants us to be a part of their salvation!

God still speaks to his people, does he not? And we are his sheep and know His voice, do we not? Let's start being used by the Lord for His great purposes -- let's be open to hearing His direction!

[Shammu]

Change your world!

2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

2 Peter 1:3-4 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Living in Israel can be interesting. The people here are brutally honest. They'll tell you what's on their mind, no holding back. If you've gained a few pounds, you're surely gonna to hear about it. If you're standing in line at the store or wherever, you can pretty much expect someone to cut right to the front of the line with a sad excuse if any at all.

While I understand that there is a "survival mentality" at work here (every man for himself), I'll have to admit, I'm still adjusting to this aspect of the culture.

My wife calls this aggressive behavior she sometimes too displays (especially when she's the one patiently standing in line when someone else butts forward), "just being Israeli". But I say, God expects more of us as believers, no? And somewhere deep down, I know she agrees -- lol.

There's a story told of a man who was meditating by a brook in the countryside when suddenly he noticed a scorpion caught in the swirling current struggling desperately trying to climb onto a rock. The old man felt for the creature and earnestly tried to help it, but every time he reached down, the scorpion would strike. Meanwhile, a passerby happened upon this struggle. "Sir", he said, "don't you realize that it is the nature of a scorpion to attack and sting?" "Of course" replied the man, "but it is my nature to save and rescue. Why should I change my nature just because the scorpion doesn't change his?"

This man didn't let the attacking, stinging scorpion change his kind and gentle nature. So should we never allow our environment to influence our behavior, no matter where we are.

God has not called us to follow the ways of this world. He's called us to lead with His gentleness and love! If we are going to world changers, we have to step up and be the example, be the light God has called us to be. Let's strive for excellence! And you know what's going to be said........ There's so much work to be done!

[Shammu]

Beware of the blade!

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Have you ever heard about how the Eskimos kill wolves? You're not gonna believe this one!

First the Eskimo coats the blade of his knife with animal blood and allows it to freeze. He then adds and freezes more layers of blood, several coats, in fact, until the blade is completely covered with frozen blood. Next, he plants his knife in the snow, the blade facing up and goes about his business.

When a wolf finds his way to the luring aroma of fresh blood, he starts licking. Then more and more vigorously, lapping it until the sharp blade of the knife is exposed. However, by this point, so intense is his craving for the scrumptious blood, that the wolf does not notice the sharp sting of the blade on his own tongue, nor does he even realize that his ravenous craving is now being satisfied by his very own blood! By light of dawn, the Eskimo will find him laying dead in the snow.

Sin entices and seduces us in precisely the same way. Satan lures us to the place where he plans to ravage us with some sort of destructive fleshly pleasure -- gossip, rage, sexual sin, etc. Once we give in to it's lustful pleasures, our craving for it increases. When we continue to allow ourselves to indulge, it grips us all the more. And before we know it -- it completely consumes us. Our friendships are damaged. Our marriages are broken. Our testimony, spoiled. Satan has come only to rob, kill and destroy.

Let's begin recognizing our enemy's tactics upon us! There is no more time to give in to his destructive ways! We must strive to walk in holiness and righteousness for the glory of God's Kingdom!

[Shammu]

The fires are burning!

2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

It is amazing that the fires which started in California on June 20th are still not extinguished. They've been raging for over a month and as I write this devotional, according to California's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's website, there are still 25 active fires as of July 31st. A staggering 1,118,997 acres have already been burned!

Yet even as these raging fires consume the forest, something is quietly going on to prepare their very renewal.

You see, there is an unusual species of Evergreen called the Lodgepole Pine that grows in great numbers throughout Northwest America, especially in Yellowstone Park. A fascinating aspect of this Pine is the uniqueness of its cones. Lodgepole Pine cones may stay on the tree for years before they fall off – and, even when they do fall, they will not open to release their seed...until they are in the presence of intense heat! What could explain this remarkable ecological foresight?

God, having designed nature, even in its fallen condition which includes devastating forest fires, has providentially prepared for their subsequent renewal by designing a Pine tree whose reproduction requires the agent of its own destruction...fire! So, even as trees, wildlife, and all living things are being destroyed in a forest blaze, the seeds of renewal are also being released for the "resurrection" of forest life...because, of course, since their seeds are actually released by the fire, the Lodgestone Pines are the first to grow in an area that's been burned!

In each of our own lives, there are areas that need to be, or are already being burned up -- consumed by the "Refining Fire" of God's Holy Spirit. Yet God has also provided for a renewal in us...a "seed" of something brand new, which can only be birthed by intense heat. This new seed, however it manifests in our lives, represents the resurrection life of Christ, which emerges in the presence of His purifying fire. So the Lodgepole Pine is a picture for us, of resurrection and hope in the midst of fiery trials.

Let's endure our fiery trials with great hope, allowing Him to consume everything in us which does not serve His Glory! With so much work to be done -- we must not despise the cleansing process -- even if it means a lot of heat!

[Shammu]

Let your mourning turn to joy!

Psalms 37:23-24 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.

Failure is never a pleasant feeling. It isn't enjoyable to lose a job, see a relationship falter, or fail a test. But the disappointment we feel when we face defeat can be turned to joy if we look at it the right way!

Thomas Edison was busy working in his laboratory at 2 o'clock one morning when an assistant came into the room and noticed that the inventor was smiling broadly.

"Have you solved the problem?" he asked. "No," replied Edison, "that experiment didn't work at all. Now I can start over again." Edison could have such a confident attitude because he knew that the road to success is often paved with disappointments that serve to extend the road -- not to block it. Each failure brought him a little closer to success.

Living a life of victory is not about being perfect -- because we are human -- and will always make mistakes. The key is learning how to get up after we have fallen. It’s natural to make mistakes -- but it’s supernatural to learn from those mistakes and move forward!

[Shammu]

Here's something to THINK about!

James 3:5-6 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

An old copy of Today in the Word contains this story.

"In the washroom of his London club, British newspaper publisher and politician William Beverbrook happened to meet Edward Heath, then a young member of Parliament, about whom Beverbrook had printed an insulting editorial a few days earlier. "My dear chap," said the publisher, embarrassed by the encounter. "I've been thinking it over, and I was wrong. Here and now, I wish to apologize." "Very well," grunted Heath. "But the next time, I wish you'd insult me in the washroom and apologize in your newspaper."

Too often, we allow ourselves the liberty to say things for which we end up being sorry later. Ugggh. I hate it when that happens. And I don't believe the Lord is all that happy about it either. We really need to think before we speak! I heard one person once put it beautifully. Before we say something let's "THINK"!

T- is it True? H- is it Helpful? I- is it Inspiring? N- is it Necessary? K- is it Kind? THINK! If what we're about to say does not pass those tests, let's not say it!

God has great things for us to be doing. We must allow Him to refine us and prepare us for His work! Let's strive to think before we speak. There's so much work to be done!

[Shammu]

Rescue me!

Luke 15:6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

A friend sent us this very touching story and we had to share it with you.

Some time ago there was a story in the San Francisco Chronicle about a female humpback whale who had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines. She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, and a line tugging in her mouth.

Thankfully, a fisherman spotted her just east of the Farralone Islands (outside the Golden Gate) and radioed an environmental group for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was in such bad condition that the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her, a very dangerous proposition.

One slap of the enormous whale's tail could kill a rescuer. Still the brave rescuers worked for hours cutting her free. One guy who was cutting the rope out of her mouth says her eye was following him the whole time. Eventually they were able to free her.

As soon as she became free, the divers say she began to swim in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushed gently around-she thanked them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives.

Let's take a lesson from this beautiful story. So often we let the hurting in our churches and communities fall through the cracks, never to be seen again. But it is a brave soul who gathers up an army of rescuers to reach out to a suffering or hard to reach brother or sister and rescue him or her from the binding entanglements of this world. Just as the Lord has so mercifully reached out to us, we need to do the same. Whether it is a gift, an invitation to a meal or a smile and a word of encouragement, let's strive to reach out.

We need to be the first to innitiate this kind of rescue team for our brothers and sisters. Believe you me, it will be just as beautiful and rewarding too. There's so much work to be done!