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  • How Great Thou Art

    Jeremiah 10:6 “In as much as there is none like You, O LORD (You are great, and Your name is great in might).”

    Every now and then we need to be reminded how great God is! The word “great” can be defined as considerably above average. It really conveys preeminence. It conveys being the best. We now use the term GOAT to say one is the greatest of all time. 

    I find as I write that for me to use GOAT to describe God seems weird but using today’s word – God is the greatest of the “GOATS.” He has been and always will be the greatest of all time!! There is none like Him – no one and none even close to being like Him. 

    As you consider Jeremiah 10:6 know that the greatness of God is seen throughout the Bible. Here are just a few verses. 
    Deuteronomy 10:17  “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome,
    2 Samuel 7:22  “Therefore You are great, O LORD GOD. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You,”
    Psalm 95:3  For the LORD is the great God, and the great King above all gods.
    Psalm 145:3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable. 
    Psalm 147:5 Great is our Lord, and of great power: His understanding is infinite. 
    Psalm 35:10 All my bones shall say, “LORD, who is like You, Delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, Yes, the poor and the needy from him who plunders him?” 

    By the way, what are your bones saying today as you consider God?  

    Recognizing God’s greatness should impact our praise as 1 Chronicles 16:25 says, “For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised.”  It should also impact our prayers. When Nehemiah began to pray He acknowledged that he was praying to his great and awesome God.  It should also impact us as we face problems.  As Nehemiah and the people were rebuilding the wall they faced enormous challenges.  Nehemiah told them to remember the LORD – who is great and awesome.   

    How does the fact that God is great impact your life?  

    Continue Strong Knowing God Is Good And God Is Great,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • Winning The Battle With Your Thinking

    2 Corinthians 10:5 “casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”

    One of the greatest battlefields is our mind!  In our minds, we have a battle for what we will be thinking. Our thinking has to be controlled as 2 Corinthians 10:5 teaches for while our thinking can be incredibly creative and constructive as well as having compassionate thoughts toward others we can have evil and corrupt thoughts. Our thinking can be cruel toward others.  What we allow our mind to think about matters as wrong thinking can lead to wrong actions.  Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”   

    Reminding us of why what we think about matters Emerson wrote:
    Sow a thought reap an action;  
    sow an action reap a habit;  
    sow a habit reap a character; 
    sow a character reap a destiny.

    In Philippians 4:8 the Apostle Paul teaches us how to think with these words: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

    How is your thinking? Are you minute by minute winning the battle of your mind? To help us win we find a great strategy in 2 Corinthians 10:5. It tells us to cast down or demolish those arguments against Christ and His teachings. Like the military breaking down a fortification, we demolish those arguments that are incorrect, that are wrong about Christ.

    The military analogy continues as we now take captive thoughts.  To take captive is to have control over.  Your thoughts are now to be considered a prisoner. You don’t answer to them. They answer to you! Those who are captive are removed from the battlefield.  

    A third action then takes place as our thoughts are obedient to Christ.  The NIV says, “We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”   This means His will and His ways are right and are to be followed! 

    So, how is your thinking?  What are you allowing your mind to think on? Does God see a clean mind or a corrupt mind?  
    Are you controlling your thoughts or are your thoughts controlling you?

    Up close question: Have you memorized Philippians 4:8 so that you might use Philippians 4:8 as a filter for what you will think about?

    Continue Strong with thinking on Right Things!
    And remember to DATE The Word

  • Diligence Produces A Rich Life

    Proverbs 10:4 “He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich.”

    The book of Proverbs will compare and contrast numerous relevant issues and some get very personal. For example, Proverbs will contrast the wise and the foolish. Proverbs will contrast the righteous and the wicked.  Proverbs will contrast the rich and the poor.  Proverbs will contrast the diligent and the lazy.  

    In Proverbs 10:4 we get what we call a two-for-one.  There is a contrast between the rich and the poor, and the lazy (slack hand) and the diligent.  

    The verse highlights the word “hand” for it speaks of one’s work.  Our hands are our tools for action.  Here we see a person’s hands described as slack or idle with the idea of idle on purpose.  In other words, this person is purposefully lazy and does not want to work.  They are a slacker.  A slacker is a person who avoids work or effort. The hardest work the slacker will do all day is thinking of ways to get out of work. While there is no excuse for being lazy the lazy slacker works diligently to come up with every excuse possible to not work!  In Proverbs 26:13 the lazy person calls in and says “There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion is in the streets!” One of the reasons the lazy can’t get to work is because of a unique attachment disorder. Proverbs 26:14 tells of this slacker is attached to his bed; “As a door turns on its hinges, so does the lazy man on his bed.” 

    Proverbs says when a person’s hands are slack, they become poor or living in poverty.  This is more than not having money.  It speaks of having a life that lacks value.  One does not have things to look back on or to look forward to.  A poor person can have a rich life but here we see a person who has made decisions that bring about a poor life!

    On the other hand, you have the hand of the diligent who does what must be done and does it with excellence. They roll out of bed daily, roll up their sleeves, and pursue their God-given dreams.  Their work produces more than money as it produces achievement and accomplishment that gives opportunities to be a blessing to others. A rich person can have a poor life but here we see a person who will experience a rich life.  Yes, the diligent experience of life is vastly different than the lazy slacker! 

    Are you approaching today with excitement and enthusiasm with a desire to give your best effort and strive for excellence, to make a difference? Or will you look to do as little as possible, keeping your hands as idle as possible? 

    Will the actions of your hands have you known as “the Lazy slacker” with a life of poverty or “the Diligent” experiencing a rich life?

    Continue Strong with a Strong Work Ethic!
    And remember to DATE The Word!

  • Handle Holy Things With Reverence

    Leviticus 10:3 “And Moses said to Aaron, ‘This is what the LORD spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.’ So Aaron held his peace.”

    Some of the stories of the Bible are tough to read as they shock us and make us realize that God is incredibly serious about appropriately handling holy things.  The names of Nadab and Abihu and their story may not be very familiar as we tend to pass over reading Leviticus in our Bible reading but their names are in Leviticus 10 as is their story.  With just two verses we learn that holy things are to be handled seriously and there is swift and severe judgment from God when they are not. 

    Here are the two verses: Leviticus 10:1 “Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them.  2  So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.”

    Shocking and sobering to read, is it not?  Like reading about Uzza touching the Ark of God, and the anger of the Lord was aroused and God killed Uzza.  It is like reading about Ananias and Sapphira dying for lying in Acts 5.  

    Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord because of disobedience with holy things.  And as Moses reviews, if you will, analyzes, the situation he speaks to the new High Priest, Aaron, and tells him clearly what God’s expectations are for those who will be serving Him as priests.  As a reminder here is what God said.  “This is what the LORD spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.”

    To the point: There must be a holy reverence for the one who is Holy!

    While the story of swift and severe judgment shocks us and maybe shakes us we need to let it shape us.  Are we handling holy things lightly?  Are we handling holy things carelessly?  Do we have a reverence for the one who is Holy?

    Handle Holy things entrusted to you with all reverence!

    Continue Strong having reverence and respect for God,
    And remember to DATE The Word

  • Passing The Faith On Starts With Your Family

    Exodus 10:2 “and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and your son’s son the mighty things I have done in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD.”

    Let us be clear that the Bible teaches parents to teach their children and their grandchildren.  Passing the faith along starts in the home.  As a father, I am to be reading and learning God’s Word for myself and for my family!  I don’t just read for me, I read for others with the first others being my children and grandchildren.

    In this devotional, I am going to let the Scriptures speak for themselves.

    Scriptures that must be practiced:
    Our verse for today: Exodus 10:2 says, “and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and your son’s son the mighty things I have done in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD.”

    Deuteronomy 4:9  “Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren,

    Deuteronomy 6:6  “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7  “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

    Deuteronomy 11:19  “You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

    Psalms 78:4  We will not hide them from their children, Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done. 5  For He established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers, That they should make them known to their children; 6  That the generation to come might know them, The children who would be born, That they may arise and declare them to their children,
    7  That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments; 8  And may not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not set its heart aright, And whose spirit was not faithful to God.

    Joel 1:3 Tell your children about it, and let your children tell their children–and their children, the next generation.

    If you want the next generation to know the faith then teach them the faith!

    Continue Strong passing the faith along to your children,
    And remember to DATE The Word

  • A Most Wanted List For Souls

    Romans 10:1 “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.” 

    One cannot help but feel the passion the Apostle Paul has here in Romans 10:1 for the people of Israel to be saved.  Saying he wants to see people saved is not a cliche for Paul.  His heart longs for the lost to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. This desire has action with the first action being he prays for the lost to be saved.  

    When I look at Romans 10:1 and see how Paul wanted to see Israel to be saved it makes me think of creating a most wanted list of people that need to hear the gospel.  Most likely have heard of a most wanted list.  It is a term used by the FBI to catch the most dangerous criminals.  We should have a most wanted list for those who are lost and need Jesus. 

    Who is on your most wanted list? Who are the lost people that you want to be found? Who is spiritually blind, but you want them to see? Who is spiritually dead that you want to be spiritually alive?  Who is the family member, friend, co-worker, team member, and/or neighbor, that you desire to see saved?

    Acting on today’s devotion I would like you to pause and create your most wanted list.  Write or type out Romans 10:1 on a sheet of paper and put a blank where the word Israel is and then write in the blank who you would so love to see saved.   Ex. Romans 10:1 says, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for _____________ is that they may be saved.” 

    Now for the very serious questions:  Does your heart break for lost souls to be saved?
    Are you praying for the lost to be saved?  Are you witnessing?

    Proverbs 11:30 also says, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise.

    Continue Strong with a broken heart for souls to be saved!
    And remember to DATE the Word!

  • Every Job Is Important Means Every Worker Is Important

    1 Chronicles 9:30 “And some of the sons of the priests made the ointment of the spices.”

    There are a few books of the Bible and some chapters of the Bible that are, shall we say, challenging to read.  One of those books is 1 Chronicles as we find one list after another with many names that we can’t pronounce.  We find ourselves ready to move to another book.  However, those chapters and books are inspired by God and are in our Bible for various reasons.  And they deserve to be read and examined for there are nuggets of wisdom and truth to be discovered.  1 Chronicle 9:30 is one of those nuggets of wisdom!

    1 Chronicles 9:30 may appear not to say much but what it says brings home the importance that every job is essential.  Our verse tells us some (not all) of the sons of the priest made the ointment of the spices.  Interestingly it did not say the priest did this.  It says the sons and the idea here is their younger sons were doing this.   

    Here we have a verse that tells of ointment being made from the spies they had.  What does it say to you that the Holy Spirit thought it was important to put in this detail?  For me, it is a reminder that so much of the work that is done in a church is done behind the scenes and that the behind-the-scenes work and workers can be unappreciated. The fact that the Holy Spirit put this small detail in the Word of God tells me that every task is a valuable task.  This ointment was to be used in the holy anointing oil as instructed in Exodus 30:23-25.  While we might see it as a small detail, it was a vital detail.  Someone had to take various spices and make an ointment that would be used for the holy anointing oil.  And 1 Chronicles 9:30 tells us this detail was accomplished. 

    Pause to think about behind-the-scenes work that makes your church work.  Maybe you are one of those workers who show up early and/or stay late to make sure a church service runs smoothly.  May I say thank you for your behind-the-scenes faithfulness?  It takes a team.  And you are vitally important.  Just as the sons of the priest were vital to making ointment from spices for the holy anointing oil.  

    It takes all of us for the work of the ministry to work.

    Continue Strong valuing the entire team,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • The Spiritual Secret

    Mark 9:29 “So He said to them, ‘This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.’”

    Mark 9:29 is an answer by Jesus to His disciples’ question in verse 28 as they could not understand why they could not help a man who had brought his demon-possessed son to them, yet Jesus had helped him. The background is that a desperate father brought his demon-possessed son to the disciples but they could not cast out the demon.  In Mark 9:18 the father of the son spoke to Jesus and informed Him that he had spoken to His disciples requesting they should cast the demon out, but they could not. Jesus steps in and casts out the demon. 

    Now after Jesus does cast out the demon the disciples ask why could not and Jesus reveals the secret.  He teaches them that “this kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”  Prayer and fasting gave Him spiritual strength to handle spiritual warfare.  

    Because spiritual warfare is real we must be prepared for battle, listen, every day! Our adversary is described as a roaring lion on the loose seeking to devour us.  We must be alert and prepared for battle all the time. Spending time in prayer and having times of fasting allows God to use one in incredible ways! Prayer and fasting both indicate to God your dependence on Him!

    It is not about you being able to do the spiritually impossible but by prayer and fasting it becomes about Him working through you to do the spiritually impossible! As Dr. Jerry Falwell said many times nothing of eternal significance every happens apart from prayer!!! 

    Now that you know the secret ingredients to spiritual success what will you do with the secret ingredients?

    Aren’t you glad Jesus didn’t keep secret the secret of doing ministry?  

    Continue Strong Relying On Him!  
    And remember to DATE The Word!

  • Jesus Came And He Is Coming Again 

    Hebrews 9:28 “So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him, He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”

    Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, came from heaven to earth once to die. Yes, He was born to die.  That death was not because of anything He did but rather He died for all people, dying for us, dying in our place, and in doing so paid the price for our sins.   He took or as the verse says bore our sins and there is nothing we can do to be saved except accept Him.  As the hymn states Jesus paid it all.  There is also nothing more He needs to do. His offering was once and for all.

    Now while Hebrews 9:28 tells us about His first coming, it also tells us about His second coming.  The second coming will however be very different than the first. In His first coming He was the Man of sorrows who made atonement for sin. His second appearance will be as the Lord of His people and will be the Judge of the quick and the dead.  

    With the fact that Jesus is returning, we should consider how we should live.  I heard Billy Graham say once that he started each day with perhaps today! That is a good approach to each day.  Perhaps this very day Jesus will call His bride, the church, home.  

    With the thought that Jesus could come this very day, how might that impact your walk with Jesus, your work for Jesus, your worship of Jesus, and your witness to others about Jesus be different?  What actions need to take place today in light of the fact he may come today?

    As you re-read Hebrews 9:28 I trust that within your heart swells with gratitude for our wonderful Savior who paid in full our sin debt and there is within your heart a sense of anticipation for perhaps this very day He will return! 

    Continue Strong with Anticipation Of Our Savior’s Return
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • The First Person You Lead Is You!!  

    1 Corinthians 9:27 “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

    We learn a major principle for life from 1 Corinthians 9:27 as it teaches us the first person you lead is you!  So often we focus so much of our time on what others need to be doing or not doing when in truth we need to be focused on what we need to be doing or not doing.  The first person you should be concerned about and leading is yourself.

    In this verse, the Apostle Paul said, “I discipline my…!!”  This statement means he was taking personal responsibility for himself!  While having the responsibility of leading others he knew he had to lead himself first.  From 1 Corinthians 9:27 one should be learning that taking personal responsibility for oneself is a top priority.

    As we think about this verse, please read carefully and thoughtfully the next statement.  It is a quote I heard in a sermon years ago that has been a little adapted by me.  It read, “One should never expect their gifts, talents, or even their calling to take them where their character can’t keep them.”   

    The Apostle Paul understood the privilege of serving the Lord. He understood that discipline was needed as disqualification was a reality. To be disqualified means to be cast away like a bad piece of metal.  To be disqualified is to lose the privilege of being used.  

    Lead yourself with discipline so that you may not be disqualified!  Don’t allow your character to count you out but rather have a character that others can count on.

    Are you living a disciplined life?  Are you in charge of you?  Do you lead yourself well?

    Continue Strong leading yourself with Discipline!  
    And remember to DATE the Word