Devotions

The big news in the pro-football world this past weekend was the announcement by Andrew Luck, franchise quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, that he was retiring at the age of 29. In his announcement he cited the toll the game had taken on his body and that for the past 4-5 years he’s played it’s been a continuous cycle of injury, pain, and rehab. When you read the list of his injuries, it’s a wonder he’s played this long. He said that the enjoyment of playing football was no longer there and noted it was the hardest decision of his life.

I was stunned that many fans booed him when the announcement was made following the game. One fan made a point of removing his “Luck” jersey and tossing it away. That made me wonder how long some of those angry fans would last on a football field themselves!

Injury, pain, and rehab. Unfortunately, that can be a cycle of life as well as for football. It isn’t always physical injury or pain which plagues us, often it is emotional or spiritual. We make bad choices in many areas of life that leave us wounded. We expose ourselves repeatedly to temptation and sin. We are hurt, pain sets it and it take months or sometimes years to recover, if we recover at all.

I truly believe that the only way to break that cycle is to surrender to God. The writer of Hebrews tells us that God disciplines us so that we might live and that it is a good thing to submit to Him. “How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! … God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.” [12:9-11]

God has a plan for our life. His desire is that we have His life in us to the fullest. That requires that we submit everything to Him, our desires, our goals, our decisions, our choices. Only then can we make a clean break with the things of this world that have brought nothing but injury and pain into our lives.

Maybe you have noticed lately that the message the Spirit of God seems to be bringing to the Church in this nation comes straight out of the Book of Romans. “And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.” [Romans 13:11-12]

It is time for the Church in our nation to wake up. We have been slumbering, sleeping, for way too long. We have been sleeping for so long that the world considers us dead, irrelevant, useless. They pay little attention to us because we’ve paid little attention to our God! That may sound harsh, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true.

Amos tells us that “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets,” and what I am hearing from the modern day prophets is that it is time to awaken, put on our spiritual armor, and be what God has called us to be.   [3:7 NKJV]

And what has God called us to be … the light of the world, the salt of the earth, those who offer water to the thirsty, clothes to the naked, food to the hungry. He’s called us to take God’s Word into all the nations. He’s called us to be courageous and compassionate, kind and forgiving. He’s called us to speak truth in love. He’s called us to go … not remain in our pews for a couple hours on a Sunday morning, drinking our coffee and watching a performance!

I know, I am being severe … but am I really? If the Church doesn’t awaken from her sleep, there are many who will never hear the truth of salvation, many who will remain “in the night” even after the “day of the LORD” has come.

Isn’t it time, Church, to be what God calls us to be?

Isaiah 40:31: “But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength.” [NKJV]

I know this may sound silly to some, but I see Scripture come alive so often in the everyday occurrences of life. This past trip we were blessed to dine out with two couples, friends we had not seen in almost two decades. We went to Tahoe Joe’s for dinner the day we arrived, and to Venita Rhea’s for brunch the next morning. The ones who waited on us could not have been more unalike.

Our dinner waiter confused our orders, failed to bring something we asked for, and did bring things we didn’t want. He never checked back with us until it was time to pay the check, and then he checked back twice, seemingly having forgotten he had already asked us how we wanted to split the check.

Our brunch waitress was a blessing. She had personality and a welcoming spirit. She checked in often, got our orders just as we asked for them, and seemed interested in us. She conversed and laughed with us. She was such a pleasure that she left us wanting to come back more often!

When I think about waiting on the LORD, the Scripture from Isaiah above, I don’t think of it as just sitting around, doing nothing, waiting for something to happen. No, when I think about waiting on the LORD, I think about being a waiter/waitress – in other words, a server.

 And just as the two servers we had on this California trip, I can choose how I serve. I can ignore God, not really listen to Him, and only check in with Him when I want something; or, I can spend time with Him, listen to what He wants and do it, converse with Him (pray) and seek His pleasure.

They that wait on the LORD that way, really shall renew their strength!

Last April our middle grandson was in a production of Oklahoma at the Gallo Performing Arts Center in Modesto. We traveled down and were blessed with being there for two performances. One of the performances was recorded and they were offering DVDs to purchase. My daughter-in-law sent in the order and bought a DVD for us. We were so excited this trip to bring home that DVD. A couple days after being back we planned to watch the performance.

I put the DVD in the player, and nothing happened. After a few minutes I got a message, “Playback not available.” Not knowing if it was the DVD or the player, I put it in the TV/DVD combo set we have in the bonus room. Nothing. I then put it in my laptop. Still nothing. Talk about disappointment. We had waited months to view the performance again, and there was nothing there to see. That DVD was nothing but a broken promise.

One thing I am certain of is that God’s promises, God’s great and precious promises as Peter described them, will never disappoint us. We aren’t going to arrive into the very Presence of God and find that our faith was futile, our treasures raided, or our acts of love ignored. God has promised. And God will fulfill His promises.

“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” [2 Cor 1:20-22]

We have the Spirit of the Living God in us – that is God’s deposit, His down payment on every promise He has made. Glory!

Let me preface this day’s devotion with the fact that I pastor a small church, so I am probably going to be somewhat biased.  I received an article from SermonSearch recently regarding small churches (they were offering me a 30-day FREE Trial). It was titled, “Are Small Churches an Essential Element in a Divine Strategy?”

As I pondered that question, I turned it around, “Are large churches an essential element in a Divine Strategy?”

And as I pondered both question I wondered “is the size of any church what is most relevant?”

Maybe I missed it, but I can’t remember anything in the Scripture that commends a church for the number of people in it. I’ve seen lots that commend churches for their love and grace and devotion. I’ve seen Scriptures that urge us to grow in grace, kindness, compassion and faith. And I’ve seen the great commission to go into all the world and make disciples of every nation. But evaluating a church by whether it is large or small?  I’m sorry, if it’s there, I’ve missed it.

The article, written by Chris Bolinger*, acknowledged that there is a place for both small and large churches.  But as I said, I’m partial to small churches, the kind that feel like family. As a member of the Body of Christ, we are commanded to “Encourage one another and build each other up.” and “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” [1 Thessalonians 5:11, Romans 12:15]

I find it so much easier, so much more personal to fulfill commands such as these in a small church. So, I guess I’ve answered the question, “Are small churches an essential element in a divine strategy?” to my own satisfaction at least. I pray you also have found that kind of “family” where you attend.

*If you would like to read Chris Bolinger’s article, here’s a link:  https://www.sermonsearch.com/article/are-small-churches-an-essential-element-in-a-divine-strategy/

Today is my oldest grandson’s birthday; he’s turning 23. Last year he moved to Kiser, Oregon. He seems to be happy there, but I sure do miss him. He was my “bud” for many years. We loved to explore ethnic restaurants, we went to DC together, we visited museums, parks, and exhibits. At one point in his young life, I would go get him almost every Saturday and we would set out for the day. One ritual was that end-of-the-day ice cream cone from Baskin Robbins. I would take him home dirty, tired and sticky!

I have three grandsons. Two are ours through natural means. Carter came to us ready-made. He’s our “adopted” grandson. He’s not related to Bob or me by blood, but he sure is related to us by love. When I look at Carter, I see how wonderful “adoption” truly is. Each one of our grandsons is special … each one is precious … each one is loved. It didn’t matter how they became ours, it just mattered that they are.

Carter helped me to truly understand our adoption into the family of God that Paul writes about in Ephesians 1:4-6. “In love [our Father God] predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will- to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.”

God has chosen us as sons and daughters. He sent His spirit to us to woo us to Him, to convict us of our sin and invite us to accept His invitation of salvation. He did this according to His pleasure and will and through His glorious grace freely given to us in His natural Son, Jesus the Christ.

Now God our Father loves us with the same love He has for Christ Jesus our LORD. I’m adopted into His family. If you love the Son, so are you! I am a child of God … no more beautiful words have ever been spoken.

As part of our “Seek & Shout” series at The Way AG Middleton, we have been studying how to live victorious Christian lives.  Too many of us are defeated. Each day when we get up the enemy of our soul runs us aground, there is no soaring on wings of eagles for us. We barely make it out of bed before we are beset with discouragement, hopelessness, defeat.

The enemy drives our emotions, fuels our addictions, tempts us constantly with that “sin that does so easily beset.” His goal is to keep us from living our life in the power of Christ and claiming the authority that is ours under the blood of Christ Jesus. Instead of taking our rightful authority in Christ over the enemy of our soul; we are waiting for him to leave on his own so that we might be the kind of people we know God wants us to be. The enemy, however, won’t leave on his own.

We need to remember that Christ already has gained the victory over him. Satan, the devil, whatever you want to call him, is a defeated foe. He was defeated through the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ. Christ Jesus now sits at the Right Hand of Power of the Father and He has all authority and power given to Him.  But the best part is that we also have that power and authority delegated to us.

“God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” [Eph 2:6-7]

We, mere mortals, are seated already in the heavenly realm in Christ Jesus. We can live victorious in Christ. It’s about time we rose up as believers to claim our authority and power and remind the devil he’s defeated and has no part of us. We may be mere mortals, but we are also children of God, seated in Christ Jesus in this age and the one to come.

I’ve been having issues with my neck for a couple months. I’ve been in six automobile accidents in my lifetime – yes, six. None of which were my fault. I’ve been hit from behind four times, broadsided once, and I broadsided a vehicle making an illegal turn in front of me. (I’m actually glad about that one as she was heading the wrong way onto the “off ramp” of the freeway. I can only imagine what would have happened if she succeeded.)

I thought that after all the years and accidents my neck was showing signs of the damage. So, I practiced the exercises given me by a physical therapist years ago, applied heat, took Advil, and endured until after this last trip, I could not endure anymore. I called my doctor and she was on vacation for two weeks, so was referred to one of their Urgent Cares close to me. It turned out to be their Urgent Care for sports injuries. I ended up with someone who was able to diagnose what was wrong with me in a matter of minutes.

I learned in philosophy class in college that if you want to get a correct answer, you must ask a correct question. It turned out I was asking the wrong question … my self-diagnosis was way off, so the way I was treating it was never going to fix it. I have a strained trapezius muscle on the right side. It needed rest, not exercise; ice not hot treatments; Aleve not Advil … and a muscle relaxer. One day with that treatment saw relief. Yep, asking the correct question gets the correct answer.

That works in the spiritual also. When we hear people speak – using Christianity to defend their arguments or make a political point, we need to ask the correct question. It is not their boasting of their relationship with Christ that makes them credible – it is Christ’s commendation of them. Paul was quite clear about this. “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.” [1 Cor 10:17-18]

Remember, Jesus said we would know them by their fruit. Do their words match the words of Christ? And more importantly, do their actions reflect the image of Christ? It must or they are not speaking for Him.

I read an article and saw a picture of a Samsung truck. This semi is unique in that it has a camera built in that faces the oncoming traffic. That camera projects onto a screen at the back of the truck so that vehicles behind the truck can tell when it is safe to pass. Boy I wish that was on all the trucks on Route 95 through Idaho, Oregon and Nevada that we travel to California. There’s one lane in each direction and passing at times can be a near-death experience.

I pray for safe travels each time we hit the road between Caldwell and Modesto. It’s 645 miles from our home to our son’s. The trip has everything you might want (or not want) in a trip, long stretches of 2-lane roads, sometimes boringly straight and other times curving through the mountains. It has an 80 MPH highway through Nevada, and a climb up to Donner Summit in California followed by a race – and I mean a race – down the hill. Then of course, there is Highway 99; I won’t even try to describe that!

As I said, I pray each time for safety. I am not sure how I will meet my end, perhaps quietly in my bed some night with my Bible across my chest as my Great Aunt Julie met hers. Perhaps it will be after a lengthy bout with some disease as my father did, or simply seeing my body wear out from old age as my mother’s did. It might even be along a stretch of Route 95 or Highways 80 or 99!

However it comes, I am comforted by Paul’s words to the church at Rome. “If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” [Romans 14:8]

It is not just the living or dying part that is important, the crucial part is that we belong to the LORD. When we surrendered our life to Christ Jesus, we came under His divine care. As we live in this world, we live in Him. As we exit this world, we die in Him. And when we enter the next part of life – we belong to Him forevermore. Glory!

Vegetarian. Vegan. Keto. Noom. Atkins. Zone. South Beach. Those are just a few of the diet plans being touted as cure-alls. Some eliminate all meat; others focus on meat. And don’t you love the new “meatless” meat that we now find in the fast-food restaurants and in our local supermarket “meat” counters. “Meatless” meat that is made from the same ingredients as we find in dogfood does not really appeal to me. I wonder if people would buy it if we called it “Alpo-Burgers.” Sorry, that’s that way my mind is running this morning.

When it comes to our diets, and our health, I think it is the blind leading the blind. That image comes from Jesus. He used it in a parable in Luke 6:39-40: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?” [NKJV]

Unfortunately, while Jesus’ parable is relevant to our diets and health, it is even more so to our spiritual condition, which is Jesus’ original intent. I see just as much “blind leading the blind” about Christianity as I do about diets and health. People profess to know exactly what God wants. They are constantly referring to “what would Jesus do or say” when they themselves don’t actually know what Jesus “would do or say.” When Jesus spoke, He spoke from knowledge of the Holy; He was raised in the Scriptures of the Old Testament.

He said to the devil during the temptation in the wilderness, “It is written….” [Matt 4:4]

He said to the chief priests and rulers, “Have you never read in the Scriptures….” And “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.” [Matt 22:29, 42]

If we don’t want to be the “blind” following “the blind” we better know exactly what is written in God’s Word, otherwise when they fall into the ditch, we are going to be right behind them.