move on out Devil!

Ephesians 4: 27      KJV

²⁷ Neither give place to the devil.

I can’t begin to tell you the number of people who have contacted me recently, feeling an all out attack by the devil, against them and their family members.

One thing you’ll almost never hear some churches preach on, is demonic activity or an active devil.

Jesus not only spoke about the devil, He also had a personal encounter.

Talking about the devil in church isn’t good for the coffers, and it isn’t good for church attendance either.

As a follower of Christ, it’s important that we resist anything that the devil brings our way.

I read the other day about a man who read comic books, and one of the evil characters appeared to him in the middle of the night.

I know...whose going to believe that story...right?!?

The manifestation was so severe, that the man ended up on a suicidal watch in an institution.

And parents are encouraging their children to take part in the Pokémon craze. (And you can put that Harry Potter crap in the same trash basket)

Call me suspicious, but I don’t see anything spiritually healthy coming out of that idiocy.

I wonder if we’ve forgotten that Jesus gave us power to tread on scorpions and serpents?

This world is changing at supersonic speed, but we don’t have to change with it.

As you start your day today, why not choose to praise Him and thank Him.

Instead of shaking, stand on the promises of God, and enjoy walking in victory in the name of Jesus...

Things to consider!

James 1: 27             KJV

²⁷ Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction...

Yesterday I spent a good share of the day, with a boy who needed my undivided attention.

Braedyn and I have a lot in common. We love the north woods, and the animals that live there.

One thing that we don’t have in common though, is that I had a Dad, and Braedyn, doesn’t.

It didn’t take long, but I could clearly see that this boy needs a godly man in his life.

I have no idea how Braedyn’s Mom provides for those needs that only a man can give.

I got to see firsthand this young lads affliction.

So is pure religion, just to visit kids like this? Is it just spending one day a month with them?

And many of you like me, can reason and even rationalize why we’re way too busy to pour into children without Dad’s.

Maybe our walk needs to match our talk. Maybe we need to truly come to the end of ourselves.

Maybe a few of us have overlooked this verse, all the while trying to be Holy and pure. Good luck with that...

Loving God daily, comes with a knowing that He will genuinely give me eyes to see those in extreme need.

When I got home last night, my heart ached for this fatherless boy.

His Mother said she feels like this every night.

And when you and I begin to gripe and moan about how life has treated us so unfairly, let’s not forget to consider this little boy...and others like him...

Righteous walk!

Proverbs 20: 6 - 7             NKJV

6 Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, but who can find a faithful man?

7 The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.

This has been a crazy summer for weddings.

I had the honor of officiating another one last Friday afternoon in Green Lake.

I was taken aback by the sincere vows articulated by each the bride and groom.

“I vow before God and our family and friends to love you unconditionally...”

“God’s plan and mine used to be completely different, but I am so glad I listened to Him...”

I think it’s pretty easy to find a man who might be stuck on himself these days, but to find a righteous man...I wonder if that might be a different dilemma?

It takes me every bit of daily effort I have, to stay in sync with the Master.

I am pressed to live a righteous life, because I want to leave my children blessing.

I wonder how many consider that when they confess their marriage vows?

I wonder how many people want to be found faithful?

It’s so easy to give up on a marriage that is shaky and even shattered.

I wonder who’s going to stand up and do the hard work in their marriage?

It seems to be a lot easier to throw in the towel...

“You owe it to yourself”...is not a valid excuse for breaking a marriage vow, but a creed of selfishness.” Rev. R.C. Sproul 

Eternal Weight!

Corinthians 4: 17

¹⁷ For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory...

A friend shared this Bible verse with me the other day, and I spent some time pondering it’s deeper meaning.

The great American writer, entrepreneur and publisher, Samuel Langhorne Clemens once said... (Mark Twain)

“Some churches actually fail to gain more members, because they make the way too easy...”

Read though, one more additional thing he said to finish this sentence...

“Conversely, the church that is hard to gain membership into, is more likely to prosper numerically.”

Twain wasn’t known for being overly spiritual, but maybe he was onto something back in the late 1800,’s.

God the Father has called men to follow His Son, but He never made the way look easy.

As a matter of fact, it would seem that He made it appear extremely hard.

The way Jesus spoke to His Disciples and perspective Disciples back when, the church avoids preaching that way today.

What modern day evangelist have you heard preach lately, about the word...”affliction”?

“For whoever will lose his life for my sake, shall find it.”

The great preacher whom I love to read his material, (A.W. Tozier), is quoted as saying...

“The masses of professed Christians today, simply do not have the moral and spiritual muscle to walk down such a treacherous path”.

Do the people of the faith today, really have what it takes?

I wonder if we’re all just really afraid, to tell people the truth anymore?

Reject to Accept!

Matthew 16: 24

²⁴ “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”

This verse of scripture sounds nice enough, and even has a nice ring to it.

But to accept whatever Jesus has for us, is to reject anything that is contrary to Him.

Frankly, so many Preachers today forget and overlook that simple element of the faith.

Why is that Preachers/Teachers/Pastors only talk about the great points of following Jesus?

Have we forgotten the denial part of the faith?

Would we just as soon forget about having to carry our own cross?

Whenever I go to buy a vehicle, the person selling it almost never talks about the cars disadvantages.

I wonder if the church has made the same mistake?

We shouldn’t be shocked out of minds, to think that there are disadvantages in following the God of the Bible.

Maybe we’ve stopped to consider that...

·         Abel was murdered...Joseph was sold into slavery...Daniel was thrown into a lion pit...Stephen was stoned...and Paul was beheaded...

Martyrs have been put to death in the most gruesome ways over the centuries, and yet most churches never talk about it.

Maybe we’ve forgotten that the people of the world, have made it awfully tough on people who love God.

I believe I need to think and pray on that for a while...

No more excuses!

Jeremiah 1: 6          NKJV

6 Then said I: “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.”

I’ve found people in the church to be quite skilful in making excuses.

I wonder if our excuses can really outsmart our God?

“I’m not ready”...”I’m not able”...”I’m not available”...”I don’t understand”...”I haven’t learned that yet”...”I have a Doctor’s appointment”...

The one I haven’t heard as of yet is, “My dog ate my homework”...although anything’s possible.

Benjamin Franklin once said... “A person that is good for making excuses...is seldom good for anything else.”

In fourteen years of ministry, I’ve heard just about all the excuses you could think of.

Jeremiah had an excuse right at the tip of his tongue, when God called him to be a prophet.

His excuse was the same excuse we use when we don’t obey the voice of God.

That would assume that we can all hear the voice of God.

That’s another devotional for another time...but suffice to say that most people don’t or won’t hear the voice of God.

“It’s the Pastor’s job”...”That’s not within my gifting”...”I’ve already served in that area”...”Let someone younger do it”...”I’m too old”.

I’m not suggesting that God is calling each of us to be a prophet, but He has called each of us to something great.

How are you at adding to the well being of your home church? How are you making the Body of Christ more profitable where you worship?

Maybe some of us need to stop making it about us...and start making it about the One...Who it’s about in the first place.

No more excuses?

Hold fast!

2 Timothy 1: 13      NKJV

¹³ Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

The Pastor I used to serve with in Ministry, used to say to me... “Dan, be sure you keep the main thing...the main thing.”

I learned a lot from that man, and he was never willing to compromise the truth of God’s Word.

That’s a decision that every church has to face at one time or another.

Will we modify the truth of God’s Word or doctrines, to gain more members?

I for one have always been unwilling to compromise the truth, and for that I have suffered grave consequences.

I have long held to deep, personal convictions, and it many cases it has gotten me into a lot of trouble.

Pastors and church leaders are under constant pressure to gain more members, dollars and numbers.

I decided a long time ago to preserve the truth, and I realize that separates me from a lot of people.

Do you hold to your core beliefs?

Do you stand by your personal convictions?

Do you have any spiritual core beliefs or convictions?

That’s a decision we as a church should be weighing every day.

If the church becomes at all like the culture...and it has...it will fall for almost anything.

I am not willing to fall under the pressure of public opinion, and one day that will mean something...even if it doesn’t now.

We should always be sure to keep the main thing...the main thing...