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  • Living a Life that Makes the Gospel Attractive

    Titus 2:10 “not stealing, but demonstrating complete faithfulness, so that they may adorn the teaching of God our Savior in everything”

    In the Apostle Paul’s writings to churches and to individuals, you cannot help but see challenges and instructions to live differently as a believer.  There were things the believer was no longer to do.  Our verse tells us not to steal.  The believer is no longer stealing.  There are new things we are to do. Our verse says we are to demonstrate complete faithfulness.  The person who has trusted Christ as Savior is a changed person.  

    The apostle now connects living differently to the sharing of the gospel. Don’t miss the two words “so that.”  One of the reasons we live differently is so that we can represent and present the teachings of Christ to others in an attractive way!

    Our daily actions can make the gospel appealing and attractive or appalling and ugly. 

    By the things we do and say, we can draw a person to wanting to know more about becoming a Christian, or the things we do and say can become a major turn-off for a person of ever wanting to be a Christian.  

    In Titus 2:10 Paul says our actions can be thought of as our appearance.  The verse has the word “adorn”.  The Greek word that is translated as adorn gives us the English word cosmetic. Now, why does one use cosmetics?  One uses cosmetics to make one more attractive, if you will, more acceptable and, yes, more appealing.  Some put on make-up.  Some put on after-shave. Hopefully, all put on deodorant.   We use a variety of cosmetics to make our appearance more attractive and acceptable.

    As we think about making ourselves physically attractive and acceptable we need to think about our actions making the gospel attractive. Living lives of integrity, lives of loving others, lives of service and generosity, and living a life of joy will make the gospel attractive. Living hypocritically where we are saying one thing but doing another is a huge turnoff. 

    As you live among the lost are your daily actions making the gospel attractive and appealing?  

    If you need a guide for making the gospel attractive check out 1 Timothy 4:12.  I Timothy 4:12 says, “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”  I draw from the actions of being an example to believers that these are significant actions as well toward unbelievers.  I encourage you to look at and live these actions before both the believer and the unbeliever.  

    Let us diligently be adorning the gospel, making it attractive and appealing!  

    “You are writing a Gospel, A chapter each day, By deeds that you do, By words that you say. Men read what you write, Whether faithless or true; Say, what is the Gospel According to you?”

    Continue Strong as an “attractive” witness for Jesus
    And remember to DATE The Word

  • But We See Jesus

    Hebrews 2:9 “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.”

    The writer of Hebrews wants the reader to know Jesus is better! He is better than any Old Testament Prophet. He is better than any angel.  He is better than any sacrificial system.  He is better than Moses.  He is better than Joshua. He is better than any covenant.  He is better than any promise.  He is better than any man!  In short, Christ is better!  

    As we look and consider this verse, we are pointed to see Jesus as He is the only one worthy of being seen.  While it is true that for a little while, He was made a little lower than angels, He carried out the Father’s will, and He suffered and died.  

    He suffered and died.  Don’t read that too quickly.  He suffered and died.

    He suffered and died so that He might taste death for everyone.  

    See him!  As the hymn writer Isaac Watts wrote in When I Survey the Wonderous Cross, See from His head His hands His feet.  See him!  He is there for you, tasting and experiencing death that He did not deserve.  

    Hebrews 2:14 explains why He tasted death. It says, “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

    Hebrews 9:15 explains why He tasted death. It says, “And for this reason, He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

    1 Peter 3:18 explains why He tasted death.  It says, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

    How do we respond to the one who has suffered and tasted death for us? The verse says He is “crowned with glory and honor.”  His Father has crowned Him with glory and honor.  His Father has placed Him at His right hand.   His Father has decided that He is exalted and has a name above which is above every name.  Philippians 2:9 says, “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name.”

    See Him and confess He is Lord.  See Him and worship Him.

    How have you responded to His suffering and dying for you? Watts wrote, “Love so amazing demands my life, my soul, my all!”

    Continue Strong with humble gratitude for the one who tasted death for you!
    And remember to DATE The Word 

  • Our Great Salvation Explained

    Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,”

    Ephesians 2:8 is one of the most important verses for explaining our great salvation. We learn what salvation is, and how salvation happens. and how it does not happen! 

    When we consider our precious salvation, we need to recognize first and foremost it is a gift from God! A gift is something that is not earned. It is something that is not deserved. In Romans 6:23 Paul wrote that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Salvation is a gift.  The gift of salvation comes to us because of what Jesus purchased!   We are redeemed by “the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (1 Peter 1:19)

    In Ephesians 2:8 we learn how we receive salvation. Paul tells us how our salvation happens and please don’t miss this, how it does not happen.   

    In describing how it happens, I heard Pastor Adrian Rogers describe salvation from Ephesians 2:8 this way: God reaches His gracious hand down to us and we reach our hand up by faith, and salvation happens!  What a beautiful picture of the great salvation we have.  God is so gracious to us and He reaches down to provide us the gift of eternal life.  Our response is to reach up to accept it by faith!  He reaches down (grace) and we reach up (faith).

    Then to make sure we understand how salvation happens Paul tells us how it does not happen saying, “It is not of ourselves.”  In other words, it is something we could never achieve.  We cannot DO enough to ever purchase our salvation.  

    Our works do not work for achieving salvation.  

    When we hear religions talk about salvation, we hear what one needs to do.
    When we listen to Christ regarding salvation, we hear the word done.       

    Have you trusted, believed, accepted, looked to, or called on Jesus for salvation? Have you received His gracious gift of salvation by faith?  If you have you will read this verse and proclaim what a Savior! What a salvation!  If you have not been saved, know that His gracious hand is reaching down to you today. You can take His hand by faith and be saved.  

    You might know someone who thinks they can get to heaven by being good and/or by doing good works.  As you talk with them consider sharing Ephesians 2:8 with them. You might add Ephesians 2:9 as well for it says, “Not of works, lest anyone should boast.”  

    Our works do not work!

    Continue Strong praise God for His gracious gift of salvation,
    And remember to DATE The Word

  • Handle People with Care

    1 Thessalonians 2:7. “But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children.”

    As the Apostle Paul is reconnecting with the Thessalonians, he takes a moment to remind them of his earlier ministry with them. He first conveyed that his ministry was one of integrity.  He tells them in 1 Thessalonians 2:3-6 that his “preaching did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit. 4 But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.  5 For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness — God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ.”

    Having reminded them of how he handled the precious message of the gospel entrusted to him by God, he now reminds them that he handled them with extreme care. He says he was gentle. He showed them tender loving care just as a mother handles her precious newborn child. 

    One can easily picture this, can one not?  As a mother holds her child in her hands so carefully, tenderly, and lovingly, protecting and providing for her newborn, Paul says his ministry was holding each Thessalonian with care, tenderness, and love, protecting and providing for them.  He was gentle with them!

    As we work with people, we must always remember that people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.  Even with those who are difficult, we are to handle them with care and gentleness.  Recall 2 Timothy 2:24-26 says, “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26  and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.”

    From the Apostle Paul’s example, we are called to guide and grow people with gentleness!

    People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
    Handle people with care!

    Continue Strong showing gentleness to others,
    And remember to DATE The Word

  • Walking the Walk that Backs Up Our Talk

    1 John 2:6 “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”

    A person who claims to be a Christian should live and love like Christ. One who claims to be a Christian will ask, “What Would Jesus Do?”  As Christians, we have Jesus living in us so His life is to be lived out of us!  If we claim to believe in Him we live like Him!  If we talk the talk about being a Christian we walk the walk of living like Christ!

    The claim to believe and belong to Christ is to be backed up with behavior like Christ!

    Taking it to the next level, we ask what living like Jesus looks like.  For instance, when it comes to loving people who does Jesus love? John 3:16 says He loves the world. He loves everyone!  Therefore, not loving someone whom Jesus loves does not match the Christian/s lifestyle.

    When it comes to extending forgiveness, we read in Ephesians 4:32 that we are to forgive one another as Christ forgave. Failure to forgive does not match the Christian’s lifestyle.

    When it comes to helping others, Jesus said He came to serve and Paul wrote we are to serve one another. Being selfish and self-centered does not match the Christian lifestyle. 

    Jesus told His disciples to love one another as He had loved them. This was so important that He said it would be the definitive mark of the Christian. To not love a fellow Christian does not fit.

    The call to live and love like Jesus may be challenging but know that it is the expectation. John is not alone in this instruction. Paul said in Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.”
    In Colossians 2:6 we read, “As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.”  

    Are you asking WWJD? (What would Jesus Do)  Are you DWJD? (Doing What Jesus Did) Are you LLJL? (Loving Like Jesus Loved)

    The claim to believe and belong to Christ is to be backed up with behavior like Christ!

    Continue Strong walking the talk,
    And remember to DATE The Word

  • Even a Little Mistake can bring a Major Loss

    2 Timothy 2:5 “And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.”

    The Apostle Paul is discipling Timothy as he writes 2 Timothy. Timothy is struggling, so to help him (and us) understand what it takes to finish well, Paul uses some down-to-earth practical examples.  For instance, he told Timothy to think of himself as a soldier in 2 Timothy 2:4-5.  He reminds him that the soldier has to be single-minded for his commander and that the soldier must endure hardships.  He will tell him in verse 6 about the hard-working farmer and that the work will result in a crop to be enjoyed.  

    Here in verse 5, the Apostle Paul uses the world of sports to teach the important lesson of living and ministering with integrity.  Paul gives Timothy a beautiful word picture of athletes competing. Can you see runners standing in their starting positions awaiting the signal to run for the win, for the victory, for the prize, for the gold, for the crown?  To Timothy and us, Paul says there is the absolute necessity that an athlete must compete with character to capture a crown. There cannot be any cheating!   

    I suspect the Apostle Paul knew very well the rules for competing in the Greek Olympics.  Regarding the rules of the Greek Olympics, I read the following from HISTORY.com. “Athletes breaking the rules could be disqualified and publicly whipped, and competitors and judges found guilty of bribery could pay hefty fines, some of which were used to finance bronze statues of Zeus erected near the entrance to Olympia’s stadium. On the statue for all to see as they entered was the inscription, “Victory is to be achieved by speed of feet and strength of body, not with cash.”  

    From days gone by competitors were to compete with character to capture the crown!  They were to compete according to the rules!  The character of the champion counted!! 

    The Apostle Paul spoke of himself regarding running a race with integrity and stated he did not want to be disqualified. He wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:27 that he “disciplined” his body and brought it into subjection, lest, when he had preached to others, he should become disqualified!”  The mindset of the apostle Paul needs to be our mindset!!  Discipline yourself!  Lead yourself first!

    Years ago I heard a statement that I have tweaked just a little. It goes like this: 
    “Don’t expect your gifts, talents, abilities, and even past achievements to take you where your character can’t keep you.” 

    As you are running your race run it by laying aside the sin that ensnares you. (Hebrews 12:2)

    Please take the necessary action(s) so you can compete according to the rules and complete the race God has for you!!  Remember that one little mistake can bring a major loss.  

    For further study on this, you might consider some sports heroes who lost their crowns after it was determined they cheated.
    You might consider some Christian leaders who made some very bad sinful decisions and lost their ministries.
    You might consider some Biblical examples who made some very bad sinful decisions and the consequences that came.

    Remember that greater men and women have fallen so always be on guard.

    Continue Strong with character and integrity,
    And remember to DATE The Word 

  • Immediate Access to the King of Kings

    Nehemiah 2:4 “Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.“

    I find Nehemiah 2:4 to be one of the most encouraging verses to ever read as it tells me that no matter where I am and no matter what I am facing (or who I am facing) I have direct and immediate access to my Heavenly Father to ask for what I need in the very second I need it. We have immediate access to God!

    Going a little deeper, we look at the situation Nehemiah was in when he shot a prayer to heaven.  Nehemiah, you may recall, was the cupbearer to the king, and as he was doing his job, the king noticed a sad countenance on Nehemiah.  The king (I love this) asked Nehemiah what was going on as his countenance revealed something going on in his heart.  Nehemiah tells him about his heartache over Jerusalem and the horrible condition the people and the place were facing.  

    I like to encourage a reader to picture the scene they are reading in their Bible.  Can you see this exchange happening?  Put it into today’s setting. Can you see a waiter standing before the President with a downcast face and the President stops them as they are serving coffee to ask what is wrong?  Can you picture the waiter then saying, “Mr. President, my hometown is in ruins.”  Can you see the room get quiet as the waiter blurts out this negative problem?  Can you now see the President look directly into the waiter’s eyes and say, “What would you like me to do?”  

    That is the situation.  The most powerful leader in the world has just heard Nehemiah blurt out his “negative” problem and the king wants to know what Nehemiah wants him to do.   

    Now picture Nehemiah based on what we read in Nehemiah 2:4.  He does not speak immediately to the king.  He does not move from the king.  He, standing right there before the king, Prays to the King of kings.  He did not kneel.  As far as we know, he did not bow his head or close his eyes. He just prayed, praying to the God of heaven.

    We don’t know what he asked but we can assume it was a prayer in which he asked for wisdom.  He probably asked God to give him the right words to say and the ability to say it the right way.  He may have asked God for boldness to ask for something that would seem outrageous and impossible.  While we don’t know what exactly he prayed, we do know that his testimony is before he made the biggest request he had ever made, he prayed.  He prayed standing before the king and he prayed before answering the king.  He prayed to the God of heaven and he prayed because he knew he had immediate access.

    Immediately after praying to the king of Kings he “said to the king, If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.”

    The rest of the story is very exciting as the king answered Nehemiah with an affirmative and even gave him more than he asked for (a great illustration of Ephesians 3:20).  The bottom line for us is we must know that we have immediate access to God to ask for the help we need when we need it.  

    With Nehemiah 2:4 keep close to your memory Jeremiah 33:3 and Hebrews 4:16.
    Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call to Me, and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” (those older will know that God’s phone number is JER 333)
    Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

    Continue Strong knowing you have immediate access to your Heavenly Father.
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • Honoring Others Better Than Yourself

    Philippians 2:3 “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”

    In Philippians 2:3 the Apostle Paul introduces us to the twins of turmoil.  Their names are selfish ambition and conceit.  They are two very mean and destructive attitudes, and whether separately or together, the division will happen.  Proverbs 13:10 says “By pride comes nothing but strife.”  Let’s meet them so we may avoid living like them; as the apostle Paul says, let nothing be done like them.

    Selfish ambition looks to get ahead by pushing others down. 
    Conceit looks to get ahead by pushing oneself UP.
    Selfish ambition talks down a person.
    Conceit talks up themselves.
    Selfish ambition likes to tell others how bad and pathetic others are to make themselves look better.
    Conceit likes to tell others how great and wonderful they are to make themselves look better.
    Instead of singing “How Great Thou Art,” they like to sing how great I am!

    These twins of turmoil are concerned only about themselves. When a person thinks
    only of themselves, they become selfish.  They maintain that they must always look out for #1 which, of course, is them. 
    They are constantly looking out for what they can get. 
    For them, the world revolves around them.  
    Their keywords will be I. me. my. and mine.  A word monument of selfishness.

    As a Christian one is challenged to live a very contrasting life. One of the teachings that Jesus gave said, “On the contrary, it shall not be so with you.” The Christian is not living a life of selfishness but of selflessness. It is a life of humility.

    Humility is not thinking less of self but rather living a life where one is not thinking of self first.  

    The growing Christian moves from selfishness to service. One will begin to esteem others better than oneself.  To esteem means to hold another above, higher than oneself even to the point of seeing them as superior.

    Very few verses challenge us as much as Philippians 2:3-4 regarding how we think about and treat others. One stops thinking only of self, only of self first, and being selfish to where one starts thinking of others before self.  Keywords for the humble are yours and you and ours and us.  

    So, who will you be looking out for today? Yourself or others?  
    Will this be a day of selfishness or a day of selflessness?  
    Will this be a day of honoring yourself or humbling yourself?

    Joy in life comes when Jesus is first, Others are second, and you are last!

    Continue Strong Honoring others over yourself!
    And remember to DATE The Word

  • Making Disciples who Make Disciples is the Mission

    2 Timothy 2:2 “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”? 

    Christ’s mission to each Christian is to go and make disciples.  Matthew 28:18-20 is the Great Commission. It says, “Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.” 

    With the mission stated we find the method of doing the mission in 2 Timothy 2:2. 

    Notice it again as I rewrote it to be more personal.  
    “Timothy, the things that you have heard from me, Paul, among many witnesses, I, Paul, want you, Timothy, to commit these teachings to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” 

    From this verse, we have a discipler discipling a disciple. Paul is discipling Timothy. As he (Paul) is discipling Timothy he wants Timothy to start discipling some faithful men.  Paul, the discipler, then teaches Timothy the disciple that those he is discipling are to them start discipling others.  

    In other words, Paul believes that part of discipling a person is that the person being discipled will start discipling a person.

    2 Timothy 2:2 shows us four generations of disciples.  There is Paul, then Timothy, then faithful men, and then others. For me, it started with a man named Jack Finch who would disciple Bill Crawford. Bill Crawford would disciple me. Now whoever I disciple is the fourth generation of Jack Finch. Jack to Bill, Bill to Dwayne, and Dwayne to others.

    Let’s say you are “Timothy.” Where are you in the discipleship process?
    Who is your Paul that has (maybe is) discipled/discipling you?  Who is your Jack Finch?

    Who is your Timothy that is (maybe was) discipled by you?   Who is your Bill Crawford? 

    Who are the faithful men that your Timothy is (maybe has) discipled?  Who is your Dwayne?

    Who are the others that the faithful men have (maybe is) discipling?  Who are your others?

    Each of us should be being discipled. Who is your Paul?  
    Each of us should be discipling someone. Who is your Timothy?  As a Timothy you become a Paul
    As we disciple our “Timothy” they should start discipling someone.   Who are those faithful men?

    2 Timothy 2:2 is regarded as the Multiplication verse for discipleship. Did you know by discipling one person a year who then starts making a disciple a year who then starts making a disciple a year you can impact 1 billion people in 30 years?  Here’s the math
    1+ 1 = 2
    2+ 2 = 4
    4 + 4 = 8
    8 + 8 = 16
    16 + 16 = 32
    32 + 32 = 64
    64 + 64 = 128
    128 + 128 = 256
    256 + 256 = 512
    512 + 512 = 1024 (10 Year mark)
    1024 + 1024 = 2048
    2048 + 2048 = 4096
    4096 + 4096 = 8192
    8192 + 8192 = 16,384 (yr 14 the discipler passes the evangelist)
    16,384 + 16,384 = 32,768
    32,768 + 32,768 = 65,536
    65,536 + 65,536 = 131,072
    131,072 + 131,072 = 262,144
    262,144 + 262,144 = 524,288
    524,288 + 524,288 = 1,048,576 (yr 20 u hit 1 million)
    1,048,576 + 1,048,576 = 2,097,152
    2,097,152 + 2,097,152 = 4,194,304
    4,194,304 + 4,194,304 = 8,388,608
    8,388,608 + 8,388,608 = 16,777,216
    16,777,216 + 16,777,216 = 33,554,432 (yr 25)
    33,554,432 + 33,554,432 = 67,108,864
    67,108,864 + 67,108,864 = 134,217,728
    134,217,728 + 134,217,728 = 268,435,456
    268,435,456 + 268,435,456 = 536,870,912 (yr 29)
    536,870,912 + 536,870,912 = 1,073,741,834 (yr 30)
    That is One Billion seventy-three million seven hundred and forty-one thousand, eight hundred and thirty-four. 
    Let’s put the method of 2 Timothy 2:2 into action and fulfill the Great Commission.

    Are you making disciples that make disciples?

    Continue strong being a disciple that makes disciples who then make disciples,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • The Ground At the Cross Is Level

    James 2:1 “My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.”

    Do not claim that you are a Christian if you discriminate.  To hold a person to a higher or lower value based on any number of things from social standing to race to economic standing to gender to age etc. is not Christian.  Jesus loves everyone and the gospel is available to all.  As the song says, Jesus loves all the children of the world, red and yellow, black and white; they are precious in his sight. Is every soul precious in your sight?

    The teaching of James is backed up by OT teaching and the fair treatment of everyone is a characteristic of God. Proverbs 24:23 says, “These also are sayings of the wise. Partiality in judging is not good.”In Leviticus 19:15 we read, “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.” Deuteronomy 1:17 says, “You shall not be partial in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great alike. 

    In 2 Chronicles 19:5-7, we read, “He appointed judges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city. 6 He said to the judges, “Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the LORD who is with you when you render judgment. 7 “Now then let the fear of the LORD be upon you; be very careful what you do, for the LORD our God will have no part in unrighteousness or partiality or the taking of a bribe.” 

    Acts 10:34 Opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality,” 

    It is so clear that God does not show partiality.  John 3;16 says, “For God so loved the world!”  Christ died for sinners which means He died for everyone because ALL have sinned.  He died for the Jews. He died for Gentiles. He died for the Romans. He died for the Greeks. A reading of the book of Acts will have one seeing He offers salvation to a man of Ethiopia. Salvation was offered to Saul, called later Paul.  He offered salvation to Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment. Salvation was offered to a woman named Lydia, a demon-possessed woman, and a Roman soldier. 

    Showing partiality – favoritism – is unchristian. It is incompatible with Christianity. Favoritism, prejudice, partiality, discrimination, etc. keeps one from obeying the Great Commission. 

    A converted heart sees the ground at the cross is level and wants the gospel to go to the WORLD that God loves, and for whom Jesus died!

    Continue Strong without partiality,
    And remember to DATE The Word