Author: Scott

Today is my birthday. It has me thinking about gifts. Do you like gifts? I think we all enjoy them to some extent. Especially, gifts from the heart. When someone really put some thought into something that they gave you. And what about gifts from God. Let’s talk about those.

There are different ways to look at this. First, I think the gift of forgiveness might be the most important. To me it is. He forgave me in January 1992. As undeserving as I was, as I still am, he forgave me. And this is available do you as well. To all of us. Pretty amazing gift. Another part of this, is the gift of eternal life in heaven. Once again, I am so undeserving. But he still gives it to me. It’s waiting for me. It’s waiting for you too.

Then there are the spiritual gifts. The gifts he gives us where we can use our talents to serve him. Or maybe where the best use your resources. Do you know yours? Do you know where the best use your talents? Do you know where the best use your resources? These are great questions. But the truth is, as believers we are given gifts to help spread the word about Jesus. And to help Christians learn more about Jesus. If you don’t know yours yet, maybe today is the day to try to figure this out. What did God give you, for you to use, to show others who he is? Find it. Then start using it. And then, be thankful. Just as we say thanks to others for birthday presents, give thanks to God for trusting you with a gift to serve him.

We live in a world full of sin. It’s all around us. Sometimes we say, “I remember the good old days.” Or we say, “I can’t imagine raising kids today.” Or, “I can’t imagine being a kid today.” I know I’m guilty of saying that. But, I’m not sure there is more sin today than before. I might be wrong. But I think a lot of our reasoning is due to the fact that everything is in our fingertips. We have access to so much information at any given moment. Simply pick up your phone and you can bring up any topic you want. Plus, everything seems to be happening right before our eyes as well. As soon as it happens, we see it. Either way, we live in a world full of sin. And that can make living a Christian life difficult sometimes.

Being a believer does not make us immune to temptation. It does not make us immune to sin. In fact, we might be able to argue that there might be more temptation and sin coming at us. Satan will attack us whenever we are doing good. Whenever life is going well. And he does it in sneaky ways. Because he’s a snake. And I think temptation and sin come from him. Some days we will make poor choices. Other days we will not. Some days we let our decisions define us. Other days we do not. What’s awesome about our God, it’s how he looks at us. We are his children. Nothing, no one, can take that from us. 

Our relationship with our Lord and Savior runs deep. Deeper than we can imagine. Nothing can break that. The bond we have with him is strong. We can rest knowing that our lives are in his hands. We cannot, will not, be separated from him. Now understand, this does not mean go out and do what you want. It does not mean we have a green light to sin. Not at all. It means we have a Lord and Savior in our lives who helps us battle against the temptations that we face. It means that sin will not win. It means that the victory has already been declared. So today, take a few moments and thank God for this. Thank God for his forgiveness. Thank him for your salvation. Thank him for the victory.

Some of us live in circles where we might be the only believer in that group. Especially those who have only recently found their faith. That might possibly include being the only believer in our family. And our age doesn’t dictate this. Both younger and older Christians experience this. And sometimes, believers actually experience hostility from their family members who do not believe. That’s very unfortunate. But true. Situations like these can make it tough to be a Christian. It can’t put a strain on our faith. But I look at it like an opportunity.

Whether or not we find ourselves in situations where we are the only believer in the group, we are still called to serve. We are still called to be the light. We are still called to show others who Jesus is. And whether we like it or not, people around us are watching us. Making sure that we “check the boxes” in their eyes. Watching to see if we live what we say we believe. Watching to make sure that we are not fake. I think that sometimes this is out of curiosity. They want to know more. They want to know what being a Christian looks like. And we find ourselves as the example, quite possibly the only example, that they may have to watch.

I would like to make some suggestions now. Look at this opportunity as an honor. God has chosen you to be the testimony that might reach them. God has chosen you because he sees the strength in you. The strength that he is providing. God has chosen you because you might possibly be the only person, who is a Christian, that the people around you may ever see. It might feel lonely. But he is with you. He is with us all. And just as we should look at this as an honor, we should take this seriously. Second, pray for others. Our family and our friends. Whether they are believers or not. Pray for them. Pray for ourselves. Pray for strength. Pray for guidance. Finally, be ready. There might come a time that they question you. Wanting to know more. And that’s the opportunity that God has prepared you for. How awesome is that! You might be the person who leads them to know Christ. Amazing!

Those around you that don’t know Christ, will probably be curious about your relationship with Christ. Chances are, they’re not going to understand it. They’re not going to “get” it. It’s unfortunate, but sometimes this can strain your relationship with them. Sometimes they might show anger or distrust towards you. Sometimes they might even make fun of you. This may sound crazy, and I might be wrong, but I think this could be due to them being convicted. I believe that there’s a spiritual battle taking place within them. God convicting them and Satan attacking them. I think this because I used to be in that place.

Being a believer can be very difficult in this time and age. The world does not understand our faith. The world can be confused by it. The world can try to disagree with it. When the world wants to show hate, we want to show love. When the world wants to show anger, we want to show peace. When the world wants to point fingers and exclude somebody, we want to welcome them with open arms. Even though we live in this world, we do not belong to the world. We belong to God. 

Remember what happened to Jesus before he was crucified. Definitely shows the divide between the world and being a Christian. And just as he showed compassion and forgiveness, all the while on the cross, how we respond can go along way with witnessing to  those who do not know Jesus. That’s a powerful place to be in. And it can be a difficult place at the same time. But it’s what we are called to do. Show others Jesus. No matter how hard it is. Here’s something that I read: “When we are treated poorly, we treat people nice in return. We pray for people who do not like us or understand Christians. We return hate and rejection with love and acceptance.” Does this sound something worldly? I think not. This is beyond ourselves. It requires God, because we can’t do it alone. I know I can’t anyway. It may be hard to do, but God will enable you to love your enemies. Ask him, and God will show you how.

As I am reading this morning, I’m wondering something. I’m wondering if the hope that we have through Jesus brings us the joy that it should. Think about that for a second. God promises us eternal life. He promises hope. He promises peace. He forgives us. He promises to always be here for us. Even in times of sorrow, and pain, God is there. So once again, I’m wondering if all of these promises bring us the joy that it should. Does it? Examine your heart, and determine for yourself if it does. And know this: It should!

No matter the internal pain or suffering that we go through, they should pale in comparison to the joy that we get from having our Lord and Savior. We should have an internal joy that overcomes all that we face. I bet there are times in our lives that we can testify to this. Times of joy during times of sorrow. And I bet there are times in our lives that we can testify to the exact opposite. Times were there is no joy during times of sorrow. In the Bible we read about Habakkuk. Israel is facing invasion. And he is afraid of losing everything. But he does not lose sight on God. He fully trusts God. And he expresses the joy in his faith. Incredible. 

Now, what we all go through is definitely different for each of us. What you experience is what you experience. What I experience is what I experience. And what we experience is very real to each of us. We may or may not be able to understand what it is someone else is going through. And it is not our place to compare those things. If we do that, then we get caught up in judging each other. And that’s not good. But here is what is comforting, no matter what it is you go through, or what I go through, Jesus is constant. He is never wavering. He never will. therefore, the joy that we can experience will never waver. It will be constant. And it’s waiting for us. And that is awesome.

I love basketball. It’s no secret. I love everything about the game. Its founding and storied history. Its challenging skills and rewarding accomplishments. I love the pain it leaves behind. I love the pure joy it creates as well. If you can’t tell up to this point, let me say it again: I love basketball. I can remember the first time I picked up a ball. I can remember the first goal I shot at. Both were in Fort Leonard Wood. I was in the 5th grade. My first time playing on a team was there to. I fouled out of my very first game. When I got home, I told my mother I wasn’t going back. Stupid game! Of course she didn’t let that happen. I went back and it’s been a part of my life ever since. And what it has taught me. The lessons are limitless. For this devotion I’ll focus on the very basics: Offense and Defense. 

To be successful you need to be able to play both. To score points you need to put the ball into the goal. Offense. But in order to win you need to be able to stop your opponent from doing the same. Defense. There’s a saying, “Defense wins championships!” Lots of truth in that. And I think these both apply to our off the court lives. Our spiritual lives. I think the best offense and defense of our lives is Jesus. Having him in our hearts gives us both. 

When we have Jesus guiding us, we walk through our daily lives knowing that we can get through anything. Nothing can stop us. With him, there’s nothing in our way they can prevent us from eternity in heaven. There’s no greater “offense” than that. And with Jesus in our hearts, whenever we are attacked, we can fight it off. Whenever our demons come, they are powerless. Whenever the world tries to hold us down, we can stand our feet. This is the “defense” I’m talking about. Having him in our hearts doesn’t mean that we can do all things. Having him in our hearts means that we are able to GET THROUGH all things because of the strength that he gives us. So having him in our hearts is the best Offense and Defense that we can ever have. Because he loves us. He always has. He always will.

Do you have any old habits that are catching up with you right now? Things you are having a hard time letting go of? Things that keep creeping up from your past? I’m sure you do. Fear not though. I don’t think you are alone. I believe all of us have things that tend to try to come back into our lives. As Christ-followers, we aren’t immune to this. Especially, if we are relatively new believers. 

Remember this, there’s a chance that a big portion of your life has included old habits. And it’s safe to say, that some of us have had habits in the past that were not so good. Bad habits. Destructive habits. Habits that would lead us down the wrong paths. Or maybe, we picked up those habits on our own going down the wrong paths. I’m not justifying anything. I’m not saying they were ok. I’m just saying that be aware that a big portion of your life may have included habits like those. So it may take some time to develop a real strength and resistance to them.

Barbara and I were having this conversation the other day with someone. The temptations and the habits that I had in my younger years no longer bug me. They don’t tempt me. They’re in my past. I don’t even give them a second consideration. Actually, if the topic wasn’t brought up, I wouldn’t even think about them. But I must give credit where credit is due. Having Jesus in my heart, gives me the strength to battle issues like this. We all have demons. We all have things that we struggle with at one point or another. Jesus gives us the ability to resist. He is our weapon against those things. And he wants us to use him in this capacity. He wants us to turn to him, and to allow him to guide us. That is the God that we have. He knows our hearts. He knows our struggles. He knows our habits. And our demons. But he also knows that with him, we can overcome all of those things. Because he loves us. He always has. He always will.

Yesterday we talked about beginning a daily habit of praying to God. Prayers of concern. And prayers of celebration. It’s our way of talking to God. How should we do this? What should it look like? On our knees? Heads bowed? Hands locked? Eyes closed? What should prayer sound like? Quiet, intimate prayers? Loud, boisterous prayers? I don’t know the answer. I do all the above and more. I even pray when I’m driving. Talking to God as I go down the road. The disciples wanted to know how to pray as well. I think the situation might dictate how to pray. And here some guidelines you might want to follow.

First, recognize God for who He is. I like to thank him for his love and grace. And also for sending us Jesus. Second, I think we should ask him what his will for us is. We ask how we can serve him. Third, tell him our needs. He knows our needs. But I think he wants to hear them from us. Finally, we need to pray for forgiveness for our sins. And strength to fight temptations.

As I said, I’m not sure what the answer for everyone is. But I know God loves us. He wants to bless us. He wants to forgive us. He wants to guide us. So let’s work on praying consistently. Let’s pray daily. Pray for, and pray over, others. Take advantage of the fact that God has provided a way for us to communicate with him. And remember this one last thing, pray expecting God to hear you. He will. Because he loves you. He always has. And he always will..

I’ve had a number of different friendships throughout my life. Being an ARMY brat, we were constantly on the move during my youth. We counted one time. Believe it or not, I had 25 different addresses at one point. Wow! Back before social media existed. So those friendships pretty well ended when a move began. Then going into my early adulthood, my friendships were based on college and then my teaching career. Now later in life, my friendships are more centered around where we are in life. The common theme that I see that extends all the way from the constant moving until now, is that my friendships have all been built on similar interests. Nothing wrong with that. Well then the question stands, why did those relationships end?

I think communication might be the answer. When I stopped connecting with those people throughout the years, those relationships stopped as well. When we stopped talking, stopped seeing each other, we basically stopped being friends. As I stated earlier, social media didn’t exist. Cellular phones did not exist. It was almost as if the situation was… Out of sight means out of mind. I wish that was not the case. And I often find myself wondering how some of my childhood friends are doing now. I wonder where they are. I wonder what their lives are like. Especially some of the young men that I played sports with. You could see some amazing talent coming out even in those younger years.

Now…the point of this devotion is not about friendships coming and going. It’s about how we can lose sight of God and that relationship can come to an end. It’s about how we can stop communicating with God and that relationship can come to an end. And it’s also about how this will happen because of something that we decide. Not because of something that God will decide. He will not stop speaking to us. He will not stop trying to convict us. He’s not going away. It’ll be on our side if this happens. We will be the ones who will end our conversation with him. We will be the ones who stop praying to him. Stop asking him for guidance and wisdom. It rests on our shoulders. Not God’s. So my suggestion to you is this, make it a habit to pray daily to our God. Make it a daily habit to lift up your concerns and your celebrations. He wants to hear from you. He wants to hear from us all. Because he loves us. He always has. He always will. 

At our events, we pass out Bibles to our guests. We believe that this is the ideal way to conclude each event we have. We believe this because, we believe that the answer to every question that someone has can be found in the Bible. We believe that the Bible is God‘s word. We believe that it is our instruction manual to life. We also try to write something personal in each one we pass out. And we highlight Joshua 1:9: “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” This is not only the verse that motivated us to found the ministry. This verse has some strong words for us to live by.

The Bible can teach us many things. If we apply what we read into our lives, the Bible will help us stay out of sin. If we are struggling with our “old” selves, the Bible can help keep us from going back to that lifestyle. It can help keep us on the narrow path of life. The path that leads us to eternity with Jesus. Understanding the Bible requires practice. What I mean by that is, it requires us to read it. Just as we practice different skills for sports, we need to practice what we read as the skills of life. And I personally believe that we need to read it and practice what we read daily.

So let today be the day that you begin reading and practicing each day. Let today be the day that you pray to God to ask him for wisdom about what you read. For guidance about what you read. If you’re not already, let today be the day that you truly try to live by the words you are reading. Let today be the day that you try to find ways to show others what is in the Bible. That you try to be the light for those that don’t know Jesus. And finally, let today be the day that you pray a prayer of thankfulness. Being thankful for the words that God provides us. Being thankful for the instructions that he gives us. Being thankful for providing the narrow path for us to follow. Being thankful for his love for us.