A Christian Devotional

[Shammu]

Do ya love me??

John 15:9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

An ancient story in Church history tells of the apostle John. He would constantly repeat the words, "Little children, love one another." And his disciples became weary of the phrase. Finally, in his old age, as John was being carried to their assembly, the disciples asked him, "Why do you always repeat these same words?" "Because friends," John replied, "it is the Lord's commandment -- and if only this one were fulfilled, it would be enough."

What is the greatest witness we Christians have to the world around us? I can tell you it's not only our words of wisdom, though they may be wonderful. It's not only our knowledge of the Scripture, though it may be vast. It's not only our material giving, though it may be great.

The greatest witness we have is the kind of love that the Bible defines above. Have we been patient and kind with others? Perhaps instead, we've been envious, boastful, proud, rude, self seeking or easily angered. I know I have. Have we kept a record of wrongs? Have we we delighted in evil? Uggh. When we express the true love of God, we always rejoice in the truth, protect, trust, hope and persevere.

Love never fails. Love can turn evil to good, darkness into light and enemies to friends. True love can totally transform the world around us.

I am humbled, are you? Let's strive to start loving the way the Lord would have us love. Yeah -- you know why.

[Shammu]

Where's faith when you need it?!

Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

I could tell you about countless difficult and drawn out circumstances over which we have tried to stand firmly in faith until they finally came to pass. Sometimes we made it and sometimes we were weak and began to doubt. But God mercifully came through for us on most of these things, despite our lack of strength to stay faith-ful.

There are some things in our lives that take alot of prayer and a lot of faith to overcome. But why is it so hard sometimes to stand in faith for those things?

D.L. Moody spent many hours praying for faith. He once said, "If all the time I have spent praying for faith was put together, it would be months. I thought that someday faith was going to come down and strike me like lightening. But faith did not come. Then one day I read in the 10th chapter of Romans, "So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." I now opened my Bible and began to read God's Word and faith has been growing ever since."

Much of what we believers describe as 'faith' has nothing to do with Biblical faith. Our faith must not be based on emotion, or want, and not on the latest exciting conference or revival. But it must be centered on God's Word, on Jesus, His death and resurrection, His salvation. The Living Word is the eternal, everlasting love of God which has been poured out upon our lives.

Let's read, hear, apply and live the Word today, and we will grow strong in faith!

[Shammu]

Blow wind blow!

John 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Often in the Bible, you will see the word wind or breath. The root meaning of these words, both in Hebrew and Greek, is almost always Spirit.

We can never dictate which direction the wind will blow. It would be absurd to think we could! The wind blows as it will. And in the same way, the Spirit of God blows where it wishes. If this is so, how can we be filled with the Spirit? Must we jump up and try to catch it or just hope for the best? No.

We need to be like a windmill. Windmills were designed to be propelled by the wind, no matter which direction it's blowing, in order to generate power. To be empowered by the Holy Spirit, we must do the same. We must be sensitive to which direction He is blowing in order make sure we are getting filled!

Let's submit ourselves once again to the Spirit of God today -- take heed to which direction the Spirit is blowing and be empowered to do the work He has called us to!! We can do nothing without Him!

[Shammu]

Are you on empty?

Isaiah 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

I've heard so many Christians ask, "How can I get more of the Holy Spirit?" As if the Holy Spirit is some kind of power or force that we can control or weild. What we should really be asking is, "How can the Holy Spirit have more of me?"

We cannot control this power from on high. If we could, then we could be led to pride and strut around as if we're some kind of "Super Christian".

But if we recognize that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person -- and that this Person is actually willing to live in us, we'd greatly be humbled! We must be very honored that the Spirit of God would inhabit these these corrupt vessels of ours and more importantly that He would even consider using us!

It's only when we empty ourselves that we truly become filled! Let's empty ourselves of our selfish ambitions and desires today and allow ourselves to become broken before the Lord. We need to be truly filled with God's Power if we're going to impact the world for Him!

[Shammu]

What are you doing??

James 1:22-25 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

An old mountaineer and his wife who 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. Get up and to outside and see." 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."

Uggghhh! We're so lazy sometimes! One thing that has really been on our hearts recently is doing more doing and less talking about doing! God want's us to be doers not talkers.

God has a specific purpose for our lives at such a time as this. Let's start giving Him our all. There's so much work to be done!

[Shammu]

Are you on rocky ground?

Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

I came across an old legend about three cowboys crossing the desert on horseback by night. Suddenly, as they reached a rocky spot, a voice came from heaven and commanded them: "Friends, pick up some pebbles, put them in your pockets and do not look at them till morning." The men looked at each other in astonishment and began to do as they were told. The voice went on to promise that if they obeyed, they would be both glad and sad. The perplexed men put a few pebbles each in their pockets and went on their way.

As the very first sign of dawn arrived, the cowboys pulled out their pebbles. To their amazement, the ordinary pebbles they had picked up the night before, had all been transformed into diamonds, rubies, and other precious gems. At that moment, they realized the significance of the promise that they would be both glad and sad. They were happy to see their beautiful treasure, but sorry -- oh so sorry -- that they had not collected more.

All of us were once ordinary looking pebbles -- shabby, discolored pebbles among many others of the like -- seemingly nothing special. But we were so mercifully picked out of the dust and gently placed for safekeeping into the pocket of the faithful saints who loved us or prayed for us or shared the Gospel with us and took us along on their journey. And God continues to refine us that we would become precious gems when morning comes. Thank God for His great mercy!

It is yet dark -- and the pebbles are many. We still have a little more time to pocket as many as we can. But morning is drawing near! We don't want to regret that we didn't get more! Love, share, pray in faith!!

[Shammu]

Can we be trusted?

1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

"On Sunday, believers arrived at a house church in the Soviet Union in small groups throughout the day so not to arouse the suspicion of KGB informers. They began by singing a hymn quietly. Suddenly, in walked two soldiers with loaded weapons at the ready. One shouted, "If you wish to renounce your commitment to Jesus Christ, leave now!" Two or three quickly left, then another. After a few more seconds, two more. "This is your last chance. Either turn against your faith in Christ," he ordered, "or stay and suffer the consequences." Two more slipped out into the night. No one else moved. Parents with children trembling beside them looked down reassuringly, fully expecting to be gunned down or imprisoned. The other soldier closed the door, looked back at those who stood against the wall and said, "Keep your hands up--but this time in praise to our Lord Jesus Christ. We, too, are Christians. We were sent to another house church several weeks ago to arrest a group of believers." The other soldier interrupted, "But, instead, we were converted! We have learned by experience, however, that unless people are willing to die for their faith, they cannot be fully trusted." (From "Living Above the Level of Mediocrity," by Chuck Swindoll).

Wow. Can you imagine being faced with a decision to run or die for our faith? We are living in a day where this could very well become reality! But how many of us would be willing to stand?

Let's start deepening our relationship with the Lord today so that our minds may be focused on heavenly things and not consumed with the weight of all the worldly ones. That it would be easy for us to make a stand for Him should that day ever come.

[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. There's so much work to be done!

[Shammu]

Shaping and reshaping politics!

1 Peter 2:13-17 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

For a season I worked in Washington D.C. for one of the largest Christian political organizations in America. Sometimes I saw how politics could get ugly and, more often than not, how it changed people -- not for the better...but often for the worse! As the elections are heating up in the United States, there have recently been some outrageous attacks. And sadly, I feel pretty sure these attacks will only intensify in the days ahead. Nevertheless, I'm encouraged! Why? Because, often, the enemy's destructive intentions and attacks become God's means for testimony and victorious proclamation!

Let me give you an example: during the period of history known as "the enlightenment", the "enlightened" philosopher, Voltaire, proclaimed that within twenty-five years the Bible would be forgotten and Christianity would be a thing of the past. Forty years after his death in 1778, Voltaire's house was purchased, and used to print Bibles and other Christian literature. Such is the irony of one man's prophetic folly. His own house became God's platform for proclaiming the message that Voltaire despised. Watching the current election process in America, without mentioning names, I suggest we may once again witness such an irony.

So, don't let the political season shape you for the worse, with bitterness, mockery, sarcasm, rancor, etc... -- but rather, transform the political landscape by who you are -- a king and a priest of the Most High! Be a confident, respectful, and quietly shining beacon of light in this dark (political) world, and continue to pray the Lord's guiding hand upon the leaders who face the tremendous responsibilities and challenges ahead!

[Shammu]

Sometimes its hard to understand adversity -- but there's a purpose!

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

I suppose one of the hardest questions to answer is: "Why do I have to deal with so much adversity?!"

Quite honestly, one of the best answers I've ever come across was written by C.S. Lewis in his book, Mere Christianity. Lewis likened God's use of adversity to walking a dog. If the dog gets its leash wrapped around a pole and tries to continue running forward, he will only tighten the leash more. Both the dog and the owner are after the same end: forward motion. But the owner must resist the dog by pulling him opposite of the direction that he wants to go. The master, sharing the same intention, but understanding better than the dog where he really wants to go, takes an action precisely opposite to that of the dog's will. It is in this way that God uses adversity!

We really don't like being pulled and corrected by the Lord -- but when we understand there's a greater purpose involved, then we can pass through adversity with hope, expectation and steadfastness knowing these events are for our greater good!

Let's learn from the trials and tribulations we go through because God has a purpose in them. We may not enjoy it, but when all's said and done, enduring trials faithfully will produce perseverance, character, and hope. And hope will not disappoint us for the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit...[Romans 5:4-5] We truly can trust in the God who loves us with an everlasting love because He knows the direction we need to go, AND He knows exactly how to get us there!

[Shammu]

Have you taken your vitamin today!

Psalms 119:103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Recently, my wife and I have had a renewed sense of the need to take vitamins for our health. As I was pondering vitamins, it dawned on me how taking vitamins is like a mature approach to reading the Word of God. When I first became a believer, I remember reading each passage and it was like a bolt of lightening each time I read it! As I've grown in the Lord, reading His word, I still get an occasional bolt, but now it's more like taking vitamins. What am I saying here?

Well, why do we take vitamins? We take them for long-term benefit to our physical health. Taking a vitamin pill will not produce a sudden burst of adrenaline or bolt of energy, but over time, taken regularly, vitamins will strengthen our immune system and improve our general health and well-being!

Take your daily dose of God's Word, and you will find that the long term effects of regularly digesting scripture will promote your spiritual health and well-being. Though it may not be like a bolt of lightening every time you sit down --you can be certain it will boost your immunity to the fiery darts of doubt, disbelief, and deception! As the scripture says, "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God!" So by all means, take your "vitamins" today.

[Shammu]

Shock your enemies!

Romans 12:20-21 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Between the years 1861-1865 the United States found itself in the midst of a bitter civil war over the issue of slavery, and several other serious disagreements. By the time the North won the war nearly 620,000 soldiers had perished. There were many in the North who were so embittered that the South had dragged them into such a deadly conflict that they wanted the South to pay dearly.

At the end of the war, a group of Southerners gained an audience with President Abraham Lincoln. His gentle, kind and friendly personality quickly softened the hearts of his once-hardened foes and the Southerners left the interview with a deep respect for the man who had been their bitter enemy. Not long afterward, a northern congressman criticized Lincoln for "befriending the enemy!" He suggested that he should have had them shot for being traitors instead of welcoming them!

I love Lincoln's response. He said, simply, "Am I not destroying my enemies by making them my friends?"

If you're serving the Lord –- you can expect your share of enemies. Don't let a root of bitterness grow up because of them –- but rather, seek to win them over with gentleness, kindness, and even love. Show your enemies the Lord's grace and His peace through your Spirit-controlled response...and in so doing, you'll "heap coals" upon their heads! Satan wants to provoke you through their hatred and opposition. Don't let him! Instead, shock your enemies –- not with angry retaliation...but with Spirit empowered LOVE! Win them over; with so much work to be done, we need all the help we can get.

[Shammu]

Tune it all out!

1 Kings 19:11-12 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

If your house is anything like my house –- sometimes it's incredibly loud! Kids playing and screaming, my wife preparing for guests who are frequently here, news on the television behind me and praise and worship playing in the background, then...the phone rings.

Suddenly it becomes imperative to tune everything out in order to hear the person calling.

In the same way, when we're listening for God's direction, we need to tune everything else out...in order to tune in!

In the above passage, God had something to say to Elijah. He first allowed some powerful and noisy manifestations; those things might have easily been mistaken for His voice. Then, a strong wind –- so strong in fact, that it tore the mountain apart right before Elijah's very eyes. After that, an earthquake followed, and if that wasn't enough, a fire!
I would say by the time these massive events had passed, Elijah might have been a little distracted -- don't you think?
But the Lord wasn't in any of them.

Then, God spoke to Elijah.... in a still, small, voice.

I believe that God still speaks in that still small voice today. But are any of us able to hear Him with all the craziness around us? It is so necessary to tune out the noise so we can hear Him! When God has our full attention, not only can we come to know Him better, but we can receive the direction we've been longing for!

[Shammu]

Eye for an eye?

Luke 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Two shopkeepers were bitter rivals. Their stores were directly across the street from each other and they would spend each day keeping track of each other's business. If one of them got a customer, he would smile in triumph at his rival.

One night an angel appeared to one of the shopkeepers in a dream and said, "I will give you anything you ask, but whatever you receive, your competitor will receive twice as much. Do you want to be rich? You can, but he will be twice as much. Do you wish to live a long and healthy life? You can, but his life will be longer and healthier. What is your desire?"

The man thought for a moment, and then said, "Please… blind me in one eye."

I think we are often unaware of the deceptive way the enemy operates in this area of our lives. Is it easier for us to show sympathy when a person is hurting then to truly rejoice when they receive a blessing? That's one surefire way to tell.

God wants us to be free of the bondages that hold us back from doing great things for Him, and many times we don't even know they exist! Let's examine our hearts today. Perhaps we need to do some repenting. There's so much work to be done!

[Shammu]

Show me a sign!

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

A king was seated in a garden, and one of his counselors was speaking of the wonderful works of God. "Show me a sign," said the king, "and I will believe." "Here are four acorns," said the counselor, "will you, Majesty, plant them in the ground, and then stoop down for a moment and look into this clear pool of water?" The king did so, "Now," said the other, "look up." The king looked up and saw four oak-trees where he had planted the acorns. "Wonderful!" he exclaimed, "This is indeed the work of God." "How long were you looking into the water?" asked the counselor. "Only a second," said the king. "Eighty years have passed as a second," said the other. The king looked at his garments; they were threadbare. He looked at his reflection in the water; he had become an old man. "There is no miracle here, then," he said angrily. "Yes," said the other, "it is God's work, whether he did it in one second or in eighty years.

Some of us are in need of answers today. We've been crying out for the Lord and feel like He's not listening. But He is! And He has a plan far greater than any of us could ask or think!

Be encouraged! Let's choose to trust that God has great plans for us in the making, regardless of whether we can see them right now. His timing is PERFECT!