GOD FIRST, FAMILY SECOND

Matthew 10:37

If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine.

Matthew 20:37 never implies that God wants us to hate our fathers, mothers, sons or daughters. The verse simply says that to be worthy of God, you've got to love Him more than you love your family. This also doesn't imply that your family shouldn't be important to you. To be worthy of God, He must be more important than your family to you. There's really no comparison when you get down to it because nothing can be compared to the King of Kings. Our supreme Creator deserves supreme reverence, obedience and love. Loving anything or anyone more than those that love you the most (or vice versa) can understandably be difficult to fathom, but if the faithful could truly put God above all other things, imagine how He would pour blessings upon those faithful believer's lives, families, desires and dreams. The sequence is simple: God first, family second.

FRIENDS FOREVER

Psalm 25:14

Friendship with the Lord is reserved for those who fear him. With them he shares the secrets of his covenant.

Adam had the great privilege of being able to talk, walk and befriend God while in the Garden of Eden. Their relationship, however, was cut off and strained because of the original sin. Being that God is holy, He very plainly could not have fellowship with sin. In God's perfect desire to restore His fellowship with man, He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to be the perfect sacrificial lamb whose blood would wash away our sin. Romans 5:10 teaches us that upon Christ's crucifixion, “We were restored to friendship with God by the death of his Son.” Come to the Lord with a humble heart, recognizing all your sinful mistakes and ask Him for forgiveness so that you experience God's friendship in your life. Just imagine yourself like Adam, freely talking, walking and enjoying a wonderful fellowship with God.

PERFECTLY IMPERFECT

Galatians 3:3

Have you lost your senses? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?

A man once approached Charles Spurgeon asking if he could join the saintly preacher's church because he felt that Spurgeon's church was just perfect. The preacher told this man that he knew for sure that there were many good people in his church, but that there could possibly be a Judas among them. After all, Jesus Himself had a Judas within his small group. The pastor then realized the implications of their conversation and he told this man, "If you should happen to find a perfect church, I beg of you not to join it. It might spoil the whole thing." You can't expect the body of Christ to be perfect because every person within the body is handicapped by sin. In regards to perfection, however, we can always expect our imperfect churches to be loved by Christ our perfect Savior, the Holy Spirit our perfect Encourager and the Father with perfect timing.

MAKE THE IMPOSSIBLE BECOME POSSIBLE

Hebrews 11:6

So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

Many Christians feel that the highpoint of their spiritual lives occurred on the day that they accepted Christ as Lord and Savior. If that describes your Christian walk, then it's fair to say that you haven't yet experienced all that God can do with your life. The key to having a developing spiritual life is understanding that God is pleased when you seek Him with all of your heart by communing and talking to Him daily. Compared to God, people are ultimately weak and limited, but when we come to Him with a contrite heart, He indwells us with His omnipotent power that can make the impossible become possible. This is the fruit from Luke 1:37 that teaches us, "for with God nothing is impossible." Open up your life to Christ, and experience all that God can do with you. Remember, the impossible becomes possible in His hands.

WHEN CHRISTIANS WALK THE TALK

Psalm 9:1

I will thank you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.

Robert S. Kerr, former governor of Oklahoma, received an unusual request from the Oklahoma State Parole Board to grant a pardon to a "model" prisoner. Governor Kerr took the time to personally interview the inmate saying, “You have been a model prisoner. The Parole Board overwhelmingly voted to set you free. What is it man, that turned your life around?” The inmate responded tearfully, “Governor, I was in a holding cell when I heard a preacher shouting at the top of his lungs about the Good News that every man can be forgiven through the blood of Jesus because God loves me. Governor, no one ever cared for me like that before. I began to pray and committed my life to Jesus and, well, He changed me.” Kerr answered him with, “I’m going to pardon you because I can see with my eyes and feel with my heart that Jesus has pardoned you first.” Isn't it interesting that when Christians walk the talk, it's really obvious to onlookers that Christ is responsible for the dramatic change. Take some time today to make sure that your walk is louder than your talk when it comes to your faith. Do this and those around you will know that you're a new creature in Him.

A CONTRITE AND HUMBLE SPIRIT

Isaiah 57:15

The high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, the Holy One, says this: "I live in that high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I refresh the humble and give new courage to those with repentant hearts."

The trait of humility is one that's very close to God's heart. When compared, humility and pride are kind of like light and darkness, or oil and water. In humility, God is present and active while in pride, however, He is absent and opposed. It reminds me of a saintly clergyman that said, “If you're humble, you have all the graces.” These words ring with so much truth because James 4:6 says, "He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'" Be careful with your pride and puffed up nature. It could be any number of things that light the fire of your pride. It may be your physical appearance, intelligence, achievements, social circle, wealth or personal possessions. It could be anything, so be careful about your pride. Make every effort to have a spirit that's contrite and humble because it'll be worth the refreshing courage that God will bless you with.

WILL THE WORLD RECOGNIZE HIM?

John 14:17

He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him. But you do, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.

All around us are members of the media, authors, bloggers, scientists, philosophers and columnists that would have us believe that the Bible isn't really the Word of God, that God doesn't exist and that man as we understand it today is a product of evolution. It's really no surprise because the Bible has actually already warned us about people negating His existence because lies have been stored up in their minds. You see, it's only when a person recognizes Christ as savior, and allows the Holy Spirit to work in their lives that the truth becomes known. Only at that point can the world at large recognize the existence of God, who He really is and how He moves in our lives. Can you comfortably say that the people in your life would recognize Him if they saw Him?

SHINY, CLEAN & NEW

1 John 4:9

God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him.

There is really no way for man to cleanse himself from the sin running through our veins. The sin that plagues lives and separates men from God can only be cleansed by the blood of the spotless Lamb of God. It was only through the His painful death and resurrection that we could be freed from the shackles of sin. Jesus could have ended His painful humiliation just as we are taught in Matthew 26:53, “Don't you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly?” The harsh reality is that it was only through His death and resurrection that our separation from God could be bridged. Because of this, Jesus voluntarily surrendered His will to His Father so that the world could be healed. Because of His wounds, we are healed. Because of His wounds, we are clean again, just like new.

101% COMMITTED

2 Chronicles 16:9

For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

Our loving and omnipotent God never ceases to find fulfillment in His original plan to bless man, even if man continues to rebel and disobey. If we would just do a full 180 away from our selfish sins and seek God's forgiveness, we would appreciate the Apostle Paul's words from 1 Corinthians 2:9, "That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.'" Live your life fully committed and in obedience of His Word by His law, and His strength and comfort will be with you.

AMASSING WEALTH FOR THE FUTURE

Luke 9:23

Then he said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me."

The command "follow" requires a responsive action. In order to follow Jesus, one must have a radical obedience that could only occur if a person had a proper perspective of God. First, there's got to be a realization that our time on earth to bear trials is relatively short. Second, there should be an understanding that every single saved soul is a priceless treasure in heaven. Understanding these concepts helps build up a big piece of our purpose as Christians: as you carry your cross sharing the Gospel and leading others to Christ, you are building up treasures in heaven. Jesus taught us in Luke 9:25, “And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose or forfeit your own soul in the process?” Move throughout your life with radical obedience to follow the Word and you'll be building up massive treasures in heaven.

A TESTED FAITH BRINGS ENDURANCE

James 1:3

For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.

Physical endurance comes from sustained and pressurized training. Charles Zimmy established swimming endurance records as he swam for challenges of 80 consecutive hours, 100 continuous hours, and many more thereafter. The amazing thing about Zimmy is that he had no legs. He had lost his legs beneath the wheels of a trolley at the age of nine. Excuses just aren't part of the makeup of successful people and Charles Zimmy exemplified this. As Christians, we are faced with trials, testings and tribulations constantly. We have to keep in mind, however, that the challenging situations in our life give us the chance to develop the endurance of our faith, for faith is the substance of things hope for, the evidence of things not seen. Has your faith ever been tested by circumstances that were out of your control? Did you or the people around you grow stronger in your faith from those challenges?

THE AFTERMATH OF SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE

Genesis 2:24

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

The desires that we have for a meaningful relationship with someone of the opposite sex do not originate from lustful desires for sex. The true goal hidden behind the worldly glare of lust is a desire to be with one special person for the rest of your lives in a marital covenant. Some tough questions really need to be asked before setting off in marriage. Am I physically, emotionally, psychologically and, most importantly, spiritually ready? I'd once read a silly story about a wife that saw her husband's frustrated face while he was reading their Marriage Certificate. She asked him, "Darling, what's the matter?" He replied, "Nothing, I’m just looking for an expiration date on this." Before you get into a sexual relationship with someone it's important to know if you're truly ready for the aftermath. After all, regardless of the circumstances, reasons or excuses, there is no expiration date on your decisions.

YOU ARE IRRESISTABLE

1 John 3:2

Yes, dear friends, we are already God's children, and we can't even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.

The famed Indian leader, Mahatma Gandhi, actually gave suggestions to British Christians on how to lead Hindus to Christ. He suggested that Christians, “First live more like Christ because if you come to us in the Spirit of Jesus Christ, then we cannot resist you. Secondly, do not adulterate Christianity. Give it to us in its rugged simplicity and its high demands, and live out the life; and thirdly, put your emphasis upon love, for love is a central thing, in Christianity.” I find it quite interesting that a non-Christian would so accurately describe how to bring people to Christ. As children of God, we must truly and sincerely be like Him in preparation for the future. We must be prepared to live out the ruggedly simplistic high demands. Let your life's actions as a child of God speak louder than your words, let Christ shine His light through you and trust completely that His love will speak to the hearts of those that desire the Way, the Truth and the Light. Do these things and you'll be leading hordes of people to Christ and eternal salvation.

CHILDREN: A GIFT FROM GOD

Psalm 127:3

Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.

Parents and children alike need to remember their Godly origins. The Bible says that we are all a reward from God. Simply put, it means that from our very beginnings, we have been made to be a blessing to our parents and to the world. The circumstances that we are born into are not strong enough to change this premise. If you ever reach a point in your life where you're feeling low, unworthy or like a failure, always keep in mind that the DNA of your Godly origins says something countless times more positive, encouraging and blessed. Your DNA says, "I'm a gift."

TRUE SUCCESS CAN BE FOUND

Luke 12:21

Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.

Walter Thornbury once wrote a vivid description of the Sunday worship services led by Charles Spurgeon. He said that there was, “a congregation consisting of 10,000 souls, streaming into the hall, mounting the galleries, humming, buzzing, and swarming - a mighty hive of bees - eager to secure at first the best places, and, at last, any place at all... (some) waiting more than half an hour - for if you wish to have a seat you must be there at least that space of time in advance.” Later in life, Spurgeon was asked about the secret to his ministry's success. He responded by saying, “I looked at God, and He looked at me, and we were one forever.” True success can be found in close unity with our Maker, so if you're looking for success or for your heart's desires to be realized, stay in close fellowship with the your Almighty Father.

BE A CHEERFUL GIVER

Luke 6:38

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

A pastor told his congregation about a conversation with a man that had visited his church years earlier. That man shared his story with the pastor:

The day that I'd heard your preaching... I was down and out. You see, I'd just lost what I thought made me a man: my job. My wife left me and she even took my kids with her. You said from the pulpit that, "You can't out-do God. You can't out-give God. Give to the Lord, and it shall be given you. Square your finances with God and God will square your finances with you." Well, I was penniless that day, but I filled in one of your tithe cards, promising to give back a certain percentage of all He'd give to me. Within just a few hours, I found a new job and I fulfilled my promise to the church. Today, I got my family back and we've been reunited. I've got money in the bank. I've got my own house. The best thing I've got is the joy of the Lord in my heart as I continue giving.

Giving back to the Lord is one of the most important principles for Christians to live by. There are countless instances of faithful tithers whose lives have absolutely been blessed. If you faithfully believe the Bible, then cheerfully bring your tithe to the Lord so that He can bless the remaining money and your use of it. Get ready though, His blessing will be so good that you won't even know how to catch it as it's pressed down, shaken, spilling over and poured right onto your lap.

LOVING OUR UNLOVABLE NEIGHBORS

Mark 12:31

The second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these.

The best way to show love to your neighbor is to choose an everlasting unity with them. When this great commandment is obeyed, we find that it works wonders. God knows that we already love being with our friends, family and loved ones, but what about our unlovable neighbors? For us to love the unlovable, we need to walk closely with God. We have to share the Good News about the saving grace of Jesus with the unlovable so that they may experience the eternal promise of God. Face it, loving the lovable is easy. The real challenge is in loving the unlovable.

THE ENEMY ON THE INSIDE

Jude 1:19

Now they are here, and they are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They live by natural instinct because they do not have God's Spirit living in them.

It's difficult to state this, but Godly Christians aren't the only attendees at Sunday church worship services. Some that are sitting in the pews may be sent by the devil with a goal to set up division within the body of Christ. Satan couldn't be more pleased than when people stop praying to God or when Christians stop seeking His will. History teaches us that the battle principal of "divide and conquer, then rule" never achieves permanence because any principle of division couldn't come from our heavenly Father, but rather of the devil. God's principles are based upon unity and love, as He taught in John 17:22, "I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one." Christians everywhere need to come to a realization that petty differences, gossiping and jealousies are really tools that the devil will use to trip believers into sin. Keep your eyes on the prize, stretching to the goals set before your life and keep the body of Christ unified.

CAN'T BUY ME LOVE

Ecclesiastes 5:10

Those who love money will never have enough. How absurd to think that wealth brings true happiness!

A newspaper conducted a survey that asked the question, "Who do you feel are the happiest people on Earth?” Surprisingly, the top four answers were, “1. A craftsman or artist whistling over a job well done; 2. A little child building sand castles; 3. A mother, after a busy day, bathing her baby; and 4. A doctor who has finished a difficult and dangerous operation saving a human life.” It's really quite interesting that "an excessively wealthy person", "a member of a royal monarchy" or "a very successful business person" weren't among the top answers. You see, in the depths of our hearts, we already know that money can't truly be the real source of happiness. Money just leaves you wanting for more and more and more of the things that you probably don't really need to begin with. Stay focused on the Lord and He will guide your steps toward His purpose for your life. Then and only then will you have the satisfaction that can make you one of the happiest people on Earth.

READY TO SUFFER FOR WHAT'S RIGHT

1 Peter 2:20

Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing right and are patient beneath the blows, God is pleased with you.

Author Howard Whitman once said that, “Life is composed of waiting periods. The child must wait until he is old enough to have a bicycle, the young man until he is old enough to drive a car, the medical student must wait for his diploma, the husband for his promotion, the young couple for savings to buy a new home. The art of waiting is not learned at once.” God, however, doesn’t ever have to wait for anything because at this very moment He already knows everything. He even knows whether or not you will remain faithful to Him later in life because He is simultaneously knowledgeable of the past, present and future. For believers, you still don't know what lays ahead of you, so you need to be ready to suffer for doing what is right to have patience during that suffering. Do this in obedience to the Word and our omniscient Father will be pleased with you.

BELIEVE AND SEE THE GLORY

John 11:40

Jesus responded, "Didn't I tell you that you will see God's glory if you believe?"

Sometimes because of the choices we make, we might live a somewhat schizophrenic lifestyle of Christian versus non-Christian. While living with the choices we make, we might even begin to see that what we faithfully know isn't being reflected in how we live or behave. We move knowing full well that hell is real, but we behave as if it isn't a threat to those around us. We know that there are people around us that will be headed to hell without knowing Christ, shouldn't we warn them? We know the truth of Jesus Christ, but we behave deceitfully by allowing lies to come from our mouths and exist in lives. Jesus taught us that if we would just believe, we would get to see the glory. Without a doubt, it's no wonder that people don’t see the glory since they're not living like believers. Take some time today to figure out if you're living like you're a believer. It'll definitely be time well spent.

DON'T TRUST A GOSSIP WITH SECRETS

Proverbs 20:19

A gossip tells secrets, so don't hang around with someone who talks too much.

A small town lady was reprimanded by the only pastor in town because of her constant meddling into her neighbors' affairs. She would defend herself by saying, “Oh well, just meddling into my neighbors’ affairs isn’t as bad as what Mrs. So and So is doing. That woman gets drunk and does all sorts of dreadful things!” It's sad to say, but many Christians have a lot in common with this lady. Gossiping is so bad that the Bible actually places it right alongside sins like murder and theft as we learn from Romans 1:29, “Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, fighting, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.” Be VERY leery of gossipers and be even more careful to not become one. It's sad to say, but big mouthed gossipers usually have a reputation that is well deserved.

WHAT'S BURNING? OH, THAT'S JUST YOUR SOUL

Psalm 89:2

Your unfailing love will last forever. Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens.

There's a story about a priest by the name of Charles Chiniquy who appeared one Sunday morning before his congregation saying, “My people, I resign my priesthood, though I have been here thirty years. Last night I spent all night praising God. I read the Bible and I saw that salvation is in Jesus Christ, and is the gift of God’s eternal love. I knelt in my room and accepted the free Gift of God.” Chiniquy came to understand that all of his good works as a priest would never be enough to save his soul from the burning fires of hell and that all he needed to simply do was accept the gift of salvation from Christ. In Jeremiah 29:13, God says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” The Bible is clear. Jesus is the only way to heaven's salvation. There is no deed, work or religion that can save your soul. You can't save yourself from hell, but the way out has already been gifted to you, all you have to do now is accept that gift.

NOTHING HAPPENS WHEN YOU STAY AT HOME

Hebrews 10:25

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near.

Attending a church for worship and being a part of a Bible study is essential for every Christian. I've often heard people say that worship can be done anywhere, by anybody and that worship doesn’t even have to be with believers or in a church body. Former U.S. President, Theodore Roosevelt, shared his personal thoughts on why he went to church, “Yes, I know all the excuses. I know that one can worship the Creator and dedicate oneself to good living in a grove of trees, or by running brook, or in one’s own house, just as well as in church. But I also know as a matter of cold fact the average man does not thus worship or thus dedicate himself. If he stays away from the church he does not spend his time in good works or in lofty meditation. He looks over the colored supplement of the newspaper.” Face it, when you're not spending time in church during worship, it's highly unlikely that you'll be using that time for worship of the Lord, to pray deeply while meditating or to doing anything remotely close to Christian fellowship. Be obedient and get yourself to church, preparing your heart for worship and expectant of His blessings.

HANDLE YOUR LADY WITH CARE

1 Peter 3:7

In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat her with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God's gift of new life. If you don't treat her as you should, your prayers will not be heard.

A happy home features each and every member of the family living and working in cooperation with one another. There's a silly story that I'd read about a husband that was complaining about having to wash the dishes after a large family meal. He looked at his wife and said, “Washing dishes isn't a man’s job.” His wife very coyly responded, “Oh yes it is. In 2 Kings 21:13 is says, 'I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down.'” In the eyes of God, Husbands and wives are a single being, and they ought to cooperate with and serve each other to produce a happy and helping home. A parent's behavior will influence their children, and their children's children, for years to come. If you've ever wondered why some homes are broken, divided and seemingly unblessed, it would be wise to remember that the Word tells us that in a family where a husband doesn't treat his wife as he should, his "prayers will not be heard". Couples, be obedient to the Lord and love each other as He loves the church. Do this and your prayers will never fall upon deaf ears.