Flesh Anger Vs. Holy Anger

Devotion:  Ephesians 4:26

I recently spoke to you about the Holy anger of Jesus versus the anger of our flesh.  Although He is fully God and fully man, Jesus never operated in the anger of the flesh.

There is righteous anger, controlled by the Holy Spirit.  God’s Spirit is always gentle and kind.  He will nudge you and convict you of your sins but will never force you to obey.  We obey out of love and honor for the Lord our God.  One can declare themselves to be passionate all-day long, but refusing to be controlled by Him.

Proverbs 29:22 declares: “An angry man stirs up strife, And a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression.”

Leviticus 11:44 declares: “For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am holy…”

You see these two scriptures both speak the truth to every man. What shall we do then?  How can we respond by the Spirit versus the flesh?  These questions are not meant to be rhetorical.  There is a solution to flesh anger, a way to respond in righteous anger.

I have not made it a habit of consecrating myself before the LORD on a daily basis.  I need to make this a spiritual discipline.  Why?  Because He asks me to do so.

There is a way that seems right to every man.  We feel as if we have a right to be angry and many times we do, however, we forget to take a minute to ask the Lord to help us respond with righteous anger versus fleshly anger.

Prayer in Motion:

Jesus, please help me to take a minute to pray and seek Your face instead of responding in the anger of my flesh.  I repent for all the times I have responded in my own flesh.  I consecrate myself to You today Lord.  “Spirit of the Living God fall fresh on me.”  “I need You oh I need You, every hour I need You.  Oh, bless me now my Savior, I come to Thee.”  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

Earthly Entanglements

Devotion:  2 Peter 2:20

Grief is a process.  For those of us who have ever heard bad news; we know the drill.  Our hearts move from sadness to tears and onto unexpected anger that rises up inside of us like a tidal wave, all because we’ve loved someone.

Believers are called to fight in prayer for those God has given us.  Satan’s whole purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy.  I would say there is a lot of that going on in the world today.  What did Jesus say, “I have come that they might have life and have it abundantly.”  Our Savior’s purpose will certainly overrule His defeated foe.

Who resides within you dear one?  Will you rise up and fight for those who’ve hurt you?  Will you defend them to God in prayer because of your fierce love for them?  Lisa Whittle says, ” It’s always love that compels us to rise up and fight.”   “The love of Christ constrains us”, to share the truth of the gospel of Christ.

We must rise up from our places of comfort and get mad.  Love means taking a stand for what is good and right and pure.  A.W. Tozer says, “Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth,”

Jesus exhibited holy anger when he turned the tables of the money changers over in the temple.  When God reveals the lies your enemy has caused you to believe, repent, and arm yourself with the truth.  Climb up in the ring and fight with the spirit of the Lord Jesus.  Let the holy anger of the Lord come out of your love for Him dear one.  Throw off your earthly entanglements and go fight, all because you love someone God has given you.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus, help me fight, not in my flesh but by Your Spirit, the battles you mean for me to fight.  May I stand and see the salvation of the Lord.  You’ve gone before me and I trust that You are always with me.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

 

Rude Awakening to Great Awakening

Devotion:  Isaiah 50:4

My friend Tammy shared a book with me called, “Vessels of Fire and Glory” by Mario Murillo.  He made the statement “Before a great awakening, there must be a rude awakening.”  Is Co-vid 19 a rude awakening?  I would certainly think so.  It has certainly put a halt to many of our idols.

There have been many disruptions lately in America and the uttermost parts of the world.  Falsehoods have been exposed.  What we thought was important now has been taken off the table of importance.  America, our once-powerful nation; is hanging on by a thread.

We cannot trust anything we hear by the media.  This sickness has been a weapon of mass deception.  In order to survive, we must stay awake and watch out for our adversary who prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.

God tells us “if any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all men liberally and without reproach.”  I desperately long to operate in the wisdom and counsel of the Lord Most High.  He promises to give us the truth.  Who would have ever through this co-vid 19 would have lasted this long?   Just when you think it is waning, it starts to rear its ugly head again, if we are even being told the real truth.

My friend Linda shared that Pastor Greg Laurie told that 31,000, mostly millennials gave their hearts to Christ through his online preaching this last week.  Now that’s encouraging.  So who knows, maybe through this rude awakening, there could come a great awakening.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus, I pray for a great awakening in America as well as our world.  We need You, Lord.  Speak to our hearts Lord Jesus.  Speak that our souls may hear.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

 

No Compromise

Devotion:  Romans 1:16

My husband and I recently watched a film called The American Church, Christ Alone.  It’s about the prosperity gospel and the effect it is having on our nation.  It is very eye-opening, to say the least.  This film calls people out who are preaching and teaching this doctrine.

In these latter days, we must not accept or go along with soft or “feel-good” Christianity.  The days ahead are getting harder and harder so we must prepare ourselves by pouring into the truth of God’s Word.

Secondly, believing the true gospel is not enough.  We must be ready to share it openly and honestly, even if it cost us some friendships and possibly our lives.  We have to become Jesus strong.

The disciples were willing to lay down their very lives to share the gospel.  They saw that Jesus did this for them on a daily basis.  Christ literally laid down His life for the sins of the whole world.  That’s just who He is.

Sinless Jesus took on the sins of the world on His cross so that we might have eternal life in heaven and abundant life on earth.  Why would we be ashamed of the gospel of our One and Only Savior?

Ask yourself but ultimately ask Him if you have or are compromising His message?  He will reveal the hidden things to you His beloved child.  “If we seek Him, we will find Him, when we search for Him with our whole heart.”

Remember when Satan tried to talk Jesus into commanding the stones to turn into bread.  How did He respond?  “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”  Jesus who was the Word Incarnate lived His earthly life fulfilling every prophetic statement that had ever been made about Him.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus, please forgive me for every time I have compromised Your written Word by my own words or actions.  I repent before You and know that I am forgiven.  You are my Teacher and Trainer and I want to be learning Your ways until You bring me Home.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

Telling the Hard Truth

Devotion:  John 8:32

I’ve heard t.v. judges say, “Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”  Every single person says, “I do.”  It’s a vow or an oath that is quite honestly lightly regarded in today’s culture.

Lies seem to be acceptable when they bring desired results.  That’s our culture, even though it breaks one of God’s ten commandments. “Thou shalt not lie.”

Here’s my question to you.  Is it as wrong to tell a bald-faced lie as it is to withhold the truth?   I read a statement by Lisa Whittle where she said; “When we withhold the truth from someone, we do not love them.” Ouch!  Here’s the real kicker; “We also don’t love Jesus when we fail to tell them the truth.”  That was for me, gut-wrenching.  Most times, I try to sugarcoat the truth.  Jesus never did this.  He always spoke the truth in love, however; He never sugar-coated it.

Is there someone in your life with whom you need to share the truth?  Either they need to hear the gospel or the truth about a stumbling block that is evident in their lives.  Please do not allow days, weeks, and months to go by without sharing the truth with them.  Do you honestly love them enough to speak to them regarding this matter? It is what God expects of you dear one.  I promise if we will open our mouths under the leadership and guidance of the Holy Spirit, He will give you the words and the courage to tell the hard truth.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus,  may I please always tell the hard truth to myself and to others. I love you with all of my heart and I want to be pleasing to You, the One who saved my soul and provides me with everlasting life.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Missing the Roadmarker

Devotion:  Matthew 3:3

I’ve shared with some of you that I recently accepted a position as a chaplain with Marketplace Ministries.  I absolutely love this. job.  There are male chaplains for males and female chaplains for females.  I worked for one week in March and then the pandemic hit.  I just started back a couple of weeks ago to the companies who are open for visits.

I’ve confessed to you before that I am directionally challenged.  There is a road I take to one worksite that I drive by every single time.  The back road sign is small; so before I know it, I’ve driven past it.   I drive up the road a bit only to turn around and come back.  I promise myself every time I drive to this worksite that I won’t drive past it again and every time I fly right by the road.

Who wants to miss their road marker?  I’m guessing no one.  There are large road markers that you see from miles away.  Then there are the tiny ones that are sometimes skewed by the large truck in front of you.

The same could apply to our definition of “little sins”.  They sneak up on us and get us every time.  We get too close to the comfortable pattern of sin and if we are not careful, we will overlook it because after all, we’ve gone that way before.  Don’t miss the road markers God has put in place.  Many things will try to block your view.  You must remember where these road markers are located.  Prepare yourself ahead of time.  Don’t be distracted by what’s going on in front of you.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus, please let me remember where Your road markers are located.  I believe You have and will continue to make a highway in the wilderness.  You will show me the way You have ordained for me.  I don’t want to bypass any one of them.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

 

The Outcome

Devotion: Proverbs 3:5-6

I found this anonymous quote written in my Bible.  It said, “I am living my life based on the outcome of what He’s done, not what I must do.”  That’s quite a powerful statement.  Oh God, help us to remember this and apply it daily.

Everything we do should bring our Lord glory.  May we be steeped in His Word so that we know how to live our lives in a manner that pleases Him even in tough times.  Do all that you do for the glory of God.

There are many voices in this world but honestly, there is only one voice that will lead you unto all truth and that’s the voice of your Jesus.  He said, “My sheep know my voice.”  He still speaks to those that have ears to hear and a heart to obey.

You are worried and troubled about many things.  You don’t know today’s outcome much less the outcome of your life.  That’s where trust comes in.  “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.”

Trust Jesus with the outcome always.  He truly is working all things together for our good and His glory.  That’s what He does.  We just need to acknowledge it and worship Him alone.  He will bring Light into your darkness and help in time of need.  Walk tall and strong while it is yet today.  Your help and hope are in Him every second of every day.

Prayer in Motion:

Jesus, I trust You with the outcome both now and all the days of my life. You knew the number of them before there was one.

Bold Words

Devotion:  Acts 4:29

Please read this riveting chapter in its entirety.  I love that Jesus taught his disciples to go out in twos.  This dynamic duo, Peter, and John were being interrogated by the council.   By the power of Jesus, they had healed a lame man and brought 5,000 people to salvation. As God ordained it, the annoyed Sadducees walked up and had them arrested for this very thing.

Your enemy is always annoyed when you share Jesus.  Make him annoyed.  Do the people in your life know you are a believer? Share your faith boldly.

Salvation and healing come through Christ alone.  Peter and John were speaking boldly before these people who had authority over them.  God’s Word tells us they were considered uneducated, common men.  One key verse is found in vs. 13…”And they recognized they had been with Jesus.”

You see dear one, your saved and unsaved friends should recognize you have been with Jesus.  The Bible tells us, “You will be known by your fruits.”  As believers in Christ, we should display the fruit of the Spirit;  “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness, and self-control.”

We cannot act like the world and expect people to be saved by watching us live out our faith.  God is mindful we are but flesh.  We all sin and fall short of the glory of God; however, when we sin, we have a High Priest, (Jesus) who waits for us to confess and repent of those sins.  We are then forgiven and can go on sharing boldly and expect to produce fruit.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus, I love Your Word.  Thank You for leaving this treasure with us.  Thank You for being the Word, alive and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to both joint and marrow.  I want to be pierced, any sin being removed.  Lord, grant to me holy boldness like Peter and John.  May I be strong and courageous and not be afraid, for the Lord my God is with me.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

Gathered or Scattered

Devotion:  Acts 8:1-8

I was struck by this passage of scripture because of all that is going on in our world; that this could possibly happen to us in the latter days.  Great persecution against the church? For decades many Christians in other nations have been experiencing persecution.

Americans were sent home from our usual public Sunday gatherings.  We just obeyed without question.  That blew me away.  Are we seriously that afraid?  We gathered around our televisions to hear the latest numbers of Co-vid 19, cases, and deaths.  Some of those were not correct as nurses and doctors were asked to write down coronavirus as the cause of death when it was not,

I understand the pandemic is a very serious matter; however, I also know our enemy is laughing his head off thinking; “well that was easy.”  I know that no matter if we are together or scattered, we are still the church triumphant.  It doesn’t feel that way when we are separated.  To be honest, after about three months, I got a little depressed.  It was almost unbearable to be apart from my church family.  I missed those dear ones something fiercely!

We gathered, albeit in a small number of about 270, this past week.  It was so sweet to assemble ourselves together once again.  God tells us in His Word to “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together as is the habit of some.”  Truly, it is a mandate spoken by His mouth.

Never should we just do church but be the church to our community, our neighbors, and our family.  They are our sphere of influence, the one our God has placed us within.  I pray we get to stay gathered and not be scattered again.  God alone knows.

When we are scattered will we do as verse four says and go about preaching the word?  Will we go out and proclaim Christ to those who need to hear?  This passage declares that the crowds in one accord (or in unity). paid attention to what was being said by Phillip.  People were delivered and healed.  There was so much joy in the city.

I pray we learned all that we needed to learn during the scattering so that we may continue to gather.  There was so much joy when we gathered on Sunday.  I saw people weeping with joy at this great reunion,  It had been fifteen weeks since we were under one roof.  Oh, happy day!

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus, I am asking that You would dissipate this horrible virus from the planet.  We need You to bring relief and deliverance from this pandemic.  Our hope and healing come from You alone oh Lord.  We say we trust You Jehovah Rapha!  Thank You, Lord!  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

Remembering Daddy

Devotion:  Ephesians 6:2-3

Today is Father’s Day 2020.  I had one of the best ever kind of dads. Here’s the thing I knew about daddy.  He was punctual!  During the week promptly at 4:30; my mom, sister, and I knew his green truck would roll into the garage.  We would have dinner and share about our day.  He would always make us laugh with his antics.

Dad was a carpenter.  With his strong arms and hands; he could build a house from the ground up or do any type of remodeling job.  Once in a while, he would take my sister and me to see his handy work.  Just thinking about it, I can smell the sawdust created by his skill saw.

He is the one who led me to Christ at the age of seven.  He made sure his family knew he loved us.  He wasn’t a dad who played with us often except when we would go on vacation. We would always go to Daytona Beach.  He could float forever and body surf, something I never quite got the hang of.

In the mornings before work, he would do this little jig saying, “I gotta go!  Daylight is burning!  He called it “chomping at the bits.”  Susan and I would watch him affectionately love our mom.  He would come up behind her and give her a big bear hug and neck kisses.  She would pretend to push away but we knew she loved every minute of his attention.

Daddy loved his pastors and his church.  He held roles like Sunday School Superintendant, chairman of the deacons,and sang bass in the choir.  My mom was the hostess with the “mostest.”  We would often have our pastor and his family over for dinner or dessert after church.  Because Daddy got up at 4:30 in the morning; he was in bed by 9:00 or 9:30.  If the pastor would stay long; Dad would say, “Preacher, you can stay as long as you want but I gotta go to bed.”  That was that.  Daddy was a matter of fact kind of guy.

Daddy died at the age of 83.  My kids loved him because he would say what he thought. He had Alzheimer’s disease in the last four years of his life. I shared with a group of people yesterday about a time toward the end of his life when he made me laugh so hard.  He asked if I was laughing at him.  I said, “No, I’m laughing with you.”  He said, “I’m not laughing.”  That was my daddy.  I still miss him but know I will see him again in heaven.

Prayer in Motion:

Lord Jesus, I thank You for my daddy.  I am forever grateful to You for the gift of him to me.  What a treasure was given to me and my sister.  Lord, I pray for those who still have their dads.  May they honor them and love on them while they are still alive.